High School DxD (Japanese: ハイスクールD×D, Hepburn: Haisukūru Dī Dī, alternatively written as Highschool DxD) is a Japanese light novel series written by Ichiei Ishibumi and illustrated by Miyama-Zero. The story centers on Issei Hyodo, a perverted high school student from Kuoh Academy who desires to be a harem king and is killed by his first date, revealed to be a fallen angel, but is later revived as a devil by Rias Gremory to serve her and her devil family. Issei's deepening relationship with Rias proves dangerous to the angels, the fallen angels, and the devils.
High School DxD began serialization in Fujimi Shobo's Dragon Magazine in its September 2008 issue. The first volume was released on September 20, 2008. A total of twenty five volumes is available in Japan as of March 2018 under their Fujimi Fantasia Bunko imprint. A manga adaptation by Hiroji Mishima began serialization in the July 2010 issue of Dragon Magazine and later in the March 2011 issue of Monthly Dragon Age with twenty-two volumes currently available as of September 2016.
An anime adaptation by TNK aired on AT-X and other networks from January 6, 2012 to March 23, 2012. The anime is licensed in North America by Funimation, in the United Kingdom by Manga Entertainment, and in Australia by Madman Entertainment. A second season called High School DxD New (ハイスクールD×D NEW, Haisukūru Dī Dī Nyū) aired from July 7, 2013, to September 22, 2013. A third season called High School DxD BorN (ハイスクールD×D BorN, Haisukūru Dī Dī Bōn) aired from April 4, 2015 to June 20, 2015. A fourth season called High School DxD Hero (ハイスクールD×D Hero, Haisukūru Dī Dī Hīrō) aired from April 10, 2018 to July 3, 2018.
Kuoh Academy (駒王学園, Kuō Gakuen, alt. Kuou Academy) is a former all-girls school that has recently turned co-ed, but it has a secret. Unknown to normal humans, angels (天使, Tenshi), fallen angels (堕天使, Datenshi) and devils (悪魔, Akuma) comprise part of the student population. One of these students, Issei Hyodo, is a lecherous second-year human student who lives a peaceful life. After an ordinary school day, Issei is suddenly asked out on a date by a girl named Yuma Amano. After their date, Yuma brings Issei to a local park and makes a startling request that she wants him to die for her. She reveals herself as Raynare, a fallen angel, and she tries to kill him. Using her summoning card, Rias Gremory, a buxom third-year student at Kuoh Academy, revives him. Issei wakes up the next morning, thinking that the events that occurred were all just a dream.
Immediately after being attacked by another fallen angel and waking up, he notices Rias naked in his room. Rias reveals to Issei her true identity as a devil and says that as a result of his death at the hands of Yuma, she has reincarnated him as a devil, becoming her faithful servant in the process.
Ishibumi had previously worked on a horror genre series two years prior to the publishing of the first light novel for High School DxD. In the volume 1 afterword, he mentions that he changed his writing style, and wanted to develop one in the school-life, love-comedy, battle, and fantasy genre. His main character Issei was made into a lecherous guy at the request of his editor. For the first volume, he made Rias a second lead character and heroine, and Asia to be the second heroine. Some of his characters are loosely referenced from the Bible, non-fiction books, and mythology. He created a world where the war between the three main factions (Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels) is over, and where many famous angels and devils have already ceased to exist.
He also added characters and legendary beasts from a variety of places from Norse mythology to Japanese Yokai.[LN 1 afterword] The concept of Balance Breaker was to represent a super-powered version of the character's Boosted Gear, and he likens this to the Super Saiyan in Dragon Ball and the Bankais in Bleach. [LN 2 afterword]
Ishibumi intended to make the shounen-style light novel series that teenagers would be embarrassed to buy, yet was concerned that it might get an age restriction. In each of his afterword sections in the light novels, he makes numerous references to Oppai (breasts) and notes when he tries to make his characters more erotic.[LN 2 afterword]
An anime adaptation produced by TNK and directed by Tetsuya Yanagisawa aired on TV Tokyo's satellite channel AT-X between January 6, 2012 and March 23, 2012. AT-X airings of the series are uncensored, while the airings on TV Kanagawa (which began on January 11, 2012) and other networks are heavily censored. Six DVD and Blu-ray compilation volumes were released by Media Factory between March 21, 2012 and August 29, 2012, each containing an OVA short entitled "Release the Swaying Delusions" (妄想爆揺解除オリジナルビデオ, Mōsō Bakuyure Kaijo Orijinaru Bideo, lit. "Release the Swaying Delusions Original Video"). An OVA episode that is listed as episode 13 was bundled with the limited edition of the 13th light novel on September 6, 2012 on Blu-ray. The script for the episode was handled by Ichiei Ishibumi, who is the author of the light novels. Another OVA episode of the first season that is listed as episode 14 is written by Ishibumi and was bundled with the limited edition release of the 15th light novel on May 31, 2013 on Blu-ray.
A second season of High School DxD, titled High School DxD New (ハイスクールD×D NEW, Haisukūru Dī Dī Nyū), was announced at the post-end credits of the 13th episode, and premiered on AT-X and Chiba TV on July 7, 2013. The second season adapts volumes three and four of the light novels and is split into two arcs: Excalibur of the Moonlit Schoolyard (ハイスクールD×D3 月光校庭のエクスカリバー, Gekkō Kōtei no Ekusukaribā) and Vampire of the Empty Classroom (停止教室のヴァンパイア, Teishi Kyōshitsu no Vanpaia). As with the first season, AT-X airings are uncensored, while airings on all other channels are heavily censored.
In June 2014, Fujimi Shobo announced plans to produce a third anime season. It was announced on December 6, 2014 that the third season is titled High School DxD BorN, and aired from April to June 2015, with the same staff and voice cast. The series loosely adapts volumes five through seven of the light novels for the first 9 episodes, with the last two and a half episodes comprising a completely original story; the second half of the season finale incorporates elements from both Volume 6 and Volume 7.
At the 2016 Fantasia Bunko Daikanshasai, Fujimi Shobo announced that a new anime series was in production. In October 2017, it was announced that the fourth season is titled High School DxD Hero (ハイスクールD×D Hero, Haisukūru Dī Dī Hīrō) and it aired from April to July 2018. The season was produced by Passione, replacing TNK.
In North America, the first season is licensed by Funimation for simulcast on their video website before releasing the series on DVD and Blu-ray and in Australia by Madman Entertainment. Manga Entertainment have licensed the series in the UK for a DVD and Blu-ray release in 2014. Funimation released the first season of High School DxD on DVD and Blu-ray on August 20, 2013. The second season has also been licensed by Funimation. Funimation released the second season of High School DxD titled High School DXD New on DVD and Blu-ray on November 11, 2014. The third season has also been licensed by Funimation. Funimation released the third season of High School DxD titled High School DXD BorN on DVD and Blu-ray on September 6, 2016. Funimation has also licensed High School DxD Hero and streamed it with a simuldub on May 1, 2018. The series has also been simulcast by Crunchyroll.
The series is licensed in Australia by Madman Entertainment, but it was not released in New Zealand after the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) decided against releasing it because "it encourages and legitimizes the pursuit of young persons as viable adult sexual partners". High School DxD Hero is licensed by Funimation in Australia and New Zealand, with Madman Entertainment handling distribution.
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