I know, I do favor #1 after all. 1 and 2 can go hand in hand. He was worried about his teammate and responded badly, which he and Saya realized during their downtime at the mansion, and reflected on. Which lead to their declaration of Takashi as leader.
I know earlier in the thread they asked what you would do if something like this story happened in real life. I'll change that around a bit. I'm a fan of Jack Chalker's work, which has people transform all the time, so . . .
If you, with all of your knowledge and experience of the real world, and this story, could become a character in H.o.t.D., and retain your personality and knowledge, where would you start, and what would you want to do?
I would start somewhere that let me be around Shido before his escape from the school. Not because I'm a pervert who wants to join his sex cult (I AM a pervert, but there's better uses of my time than being on the orgybus), but because I could think of a few stylish ways to end that weasel and score brownie points with those who followed him. I'd deliberately run just fast enough to stay ahead of the zombies, and help the others get to the bus. This would put me in prime position to see Shido dealing with that injured student. About the time he was finishing his "The Weak Don't Deserve To Live!" speech, I'd mumble, "A living example" lean down to pick up the student (Stomping on his hands if need be to get him off of Shido) and kick Shido in the back of the knee hard enough to weaken him and leave him as bait for Them. Score 1.
On the bus, when the blonde jock is whining about being on the bus with Takashi, I'd ask sweetly, "Do you want to become a murderer?" And then switch to a voice like Hirano gets when dealing with firearms and say, "Because I think I killed an attemped one back at the school. Want to join him?" That would probably cow that little bullheaded person and impress the others with . . . well, something. This show DOES run on Rule of Cool, after all.
What would be the goal of all of this? To earn the devotion of that copper-headed slutty version of Rei who hung herself outside the bus window to play on the guards who let the bus through in episode 10 or 11. You know, the one who wound up making out with said jock.
fanboys/girls still appeased, and at least I'd get someone out of the equation, while only tangentially stepping on the heros' toes.
I'd transform myself into a sweet little girl who meets the heroes in the mall and becomes the second Tagalong Kid of their group. Why? Because a sweet little girl is the most likely to survive in that manga, that's why!
Genius. With the power of two Loli's the group would be invincible.
12 points to Kay.
One Strip! One Strip!Sorry, I couldn't stand being in a fanservice fest without being able to act on it. On the other hand, since I'd still be a good guy, and actually prevented the orgybus, I guess there would be a lot of moment killers the moment I got the chance to do anything with Slut Rei. Then again, no there wouldn't. The first time she tried hitting on me, I'd just wrap my arms around her and say, "We'll go slow. If you still like me when we're safe, then the clothes can come off." I've never seen that kind of restraint fail a protagonist when he applies it to the girl he actually wants.
Higher chance of survival doesn't mean 100% chance. It also doesn't mean I have a 0% chance, either. If I'm cool enough, I might just make it. Besides, maybe I only have to outlast the writer, and when we run out of written story I can just pull them all to safety anyway, no?
Yeah, now who's laughing?
ETA: You also forget, I did say with your personality and knowledge. There is no good reason you should be caught by surprise and killed to start with. That knowledge includes knowing the plot beforehand.
edited 29th Apr '12 5:01:50 PM by Journeyman
If anything, cool characters that aren't the main character are very unlikely to survive.
Also, you probably won't outlast the writer anyway. That guy tends to kill everyone but people in Takashi's group off fairly mercilessly.
And the Zombies could still take you by surprise in a moment of carelessness.
So yeah, I'm still laughing. Sweet little girls have it so much better in that genre.
edited 29th Apr '12 5:06:50 PM by kay4today
Not if I channelled more Jack Chalker into my character. Nathan Brazil would outlast the writer. He's the Wandering Jew.
And before you think I'd be Godmodding, I really wouldn't be. The only rule is that he can't die. Anything else goes. He'd become a living version of Them, or worse, have to outlast the girl he was trying to get with AND becoming one of Them. >.> Heck, it'd be even worse punishment.
Which just makes it more expensive, no? I'll live to remember the failure, and be constantly spitting up blood. It'd be more incentive to win.
If I lost, it'd be impossible to join the heroes. They'd see one more of Them and between Saeko and Takashi, I'd be cut to ribbons and shot into Hell.
edited 29th Apr '12 5:26:40 PM by Journeyman
Not really. Hell, even I'm not. Nathan Brazil wasn't really a gunslinging badass. He was a runt of a man who could fight hand to hand and had endurance on his side more than anything. I never said I'd be killing Them left and right. Only that I'd outlast them. Which could be as simple as swinging a stick hard enough to shove a few in a small group for Takashi's shotgun to finish.
A small, fast runt who can move silently has an edge for the group, anyway. He can scout without drawing Them to him. I'd be damn useful to Takashi, and I doubt he'd overlook that. It's the part about getting a girl out of it that you'd be better off tagging me with. Because that one I'm guilty as charged on.
edited 29th Apr '12 5:30:17 PM by Journeyman
Crossover fanfiction: Nathan Brazil resets the Universe again and High School of the Dead happens on the next run. Nathan lives on Earth through all of history, goes insane from all of the weirdness (and being several billion years old) falls for Saeko and brings her to the Wellworld and the Well of Souls to become his next successor. (He's the repairman for the computer that runs the entire Universe. Which means he actually has some control over what happens in the Universe. Busujima Saeko run loose in the computer that runs the Universe. The horror!)
Also, I did say it could be using a stick to bash the undead into small groups for someone else to deal with. Seriously, I think they could conserve ammo by working as a team and using the melee weapons like Juliet in Lollipop Chainsaw uses her kicks: to corral the undead so someone with a better weapon can kill most of them.
Don't be absurd. Everyone knows that HOTD was caused by Alucard's laziness.
edited 29th Apr '12 5:47:56 PM by Anfingrimm
I have no beard. I have no beard, and I must scream.

Hirano wouldn't do #3; he's a bit socially challenged, but he's not going to play politics with the life of an important member of the team. I like the idea that it was simply stress and worry that he might legitimately have put Takashi in danger by not telling him something.
...God, I want this manga back... at least we have Triage X to read in the meantime...
It's been fun.