 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | VIZ MEDIA | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | KAZUO UMEZU | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 192 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | M | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 04/15/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 04/16/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | SCOTT CAMPBELL |
At first glance, The Drifting Classroom looks outdated and just old. The art is certainly of a style that many readers may have never seen before because this series is about 30 years old, no joke. But the funny thing about this series is that it doesn’t seem to matter that it’s been around for so long – nothing can “outdate” an engrossing story about survival of the fittest. After only a few pages it’s very easy to get all wrapped up in this strange future that has been brought upon an entire school of children that are so unprepared to deal with it – and that’s where we get to the root of the central conflict. Out of nowhere, a Japanese elementary school is transported into a hostile world. Soon, the students and teachers must struggle to survive in impossible conditions, besieged by terrifying creatures and beset by madness. Part horror, part science fiction, The Drifting Classroom is a classic can’t-put-down manga series from horror master Kazuo Umezu, who also created Orochi: Blood, and Baptism of Blood. So it’s a good indication that this book must be worth something if it has been written by a man who has been writing horror for quite some time, and it’s still being reproduced for our reading pleasure so many years after it first became available. Just because something is old doesn’t mean that it can’t be relevant – the Drifting Classroom is fantastic proof of that. In volume eleven, things get really down and dirty for anyone strong enough to still be left standing in the nightmare world that is The Drifting Classroom. As the survivors turn on one another, Sho fights for his life against his own classmates! Can the students of Yamato Elementary School actually return to their own time - and who will make the journey? The violence, tears, and intensity of everything about this story hits extremely high points every bit of the way through volume eleven – this series knows how to climax like a truly engrossing horror piece, of which it most certainly is. The epic story of survival on a post apocalyptic earth concludes in this final volume – the ending and the details leading up to such an event is obviously not something we want to have written here though. Just to mention, there’s a great little bonus horror story contained in the back of the book called “The Wish” – it’s actually pretty frightening. The visuals are much like that of The Drifting Classroom, but the premise and one of the characters is just so disturbing that it really gives this little bonus feature some extra edge. It’s nice to have something like this to enjoy even after the series is done – it makes it not seem so sad that it is done. The Drifting Classroom is so interesting and captivating that it only seems right to talk a bit about the author and his other works. Kazuo Umezu was born September 3, 1936 in Wakayama, Japan. Umezu, who started drawing professionally in the 1950s, is considered the most influential horror manga artist ever. His many horror and sci-fi/horror works include Nekome Kozo ("The Cat-Eyed Kid", 1967-1968), Orochi, The Drifting Classroom (1972-1974), Ultraman (a manga adaptation of the TV series), Senrei ("Baptism"), My Name is Shingo, The Left Hand of God/Right Hand of the Devil, and Fourteen. His popular gag series Makoto-Chan (1976) and Again prove that Umezu is also an accomplished humor cartoonist. (He is also a musician.) Umezu's weird style, incredible ideas and sometimes terrifying imagery have made him a fixture of Japanese pop culture, and his work has been adapted into movies, anime and collectibles. Who would have thought eh? Just goes to show that even older series can be great, and can still be worth something so many years later to a new generation. The Drifting Classroom is just that for horror fans. Enjoy!
IN SUMMARY:
The Drifting Classroom is a blast from start to finish – it’s no wonder it’s still being reprinted even years after it first came out. A movie or television series would do this story a lot of justice if it were done right – it’s a book series that is good enough to deserve that sort of attention! |
