Saeko Busujima

Name: Saeko Busujima

Gender: Female

Age: 18 years old

School Year: Third-year high school student

Height: 174 cm (original manga), 170 cm (anime adaptation)

Weight: 56 kg

Bust–Waist–Hip: 83 cm (D cup in original description, F cup in later profile) – 56 cm – 86 cm

Affiliation: Fujimi Academy kendo club (captain)

First-Person Pronoun: “I” (standard, polite self-reference)

Voice Actor (Japanese): Miyuki Sawashiro

Saeko Busujima is one of the main heroines of Highschool of the Dead and a third-year student at Fujimi Academy.

She is renowned at school as the captain of the kendo club, having won a national tournament during her second year.

Within the survivor group, she excels at close-quarters combat using wooden swords and later real blades, giving her the highest combat ability among the high school members.

Her calm and disciplined demeanor often makes her the group’s emotional anchor, providing psychological stability when others panic.

Despite her strict and composed attitude, she is not humorless; around people she trusts, she can be playful, tease others, and display a mildly “airheaded” or natural side.

At the same time, she struggles with a hidden sadistic streak, taking pleasure in physically harming enemies, which becomes a key element of her character development.

After an emotional conversation with Takashi Komuro at a shrine, she accepts this darker aspect of herself and starts to fall in love with him.

This new bond with Takashi creates friction with Rei Miyamoto, leading to frequent silent standoffs and occasional clashes between the two heroines.

In popularity polls, Saeko ranks first and is highly favored by both fans and staff.

Her voice actor has praised her as an extremely beautiful character, and the series’ artist has described her as his most confident creation.

Saeko is usually collected, dignified, and somewhat old-fashioned in her manners.

She speaks in a polite, formal tone and carries herself like a refined lady, which makes her stand out among the students.

She has a strong sense of discipline and responsibility, consistent with her position as kendo club captain and a nationally recognized fighter.

However, she is not rigidly serious: with trusted companions, she shows a mischievous side, joking, teasing, and occasionally acting in a surprisingly casual way.

She tends to support and “uplift” trustworthy men, choosing to stand behind them as reliable partners rather than seeking to dominate.

This combination of inner strength, traditional femininity, and gentleness defines much of her interpersonal behavior.

Underneath her composed exterior, Saeko harbors a sadistic sexual inclination, gaining enjoyment from physically harming others—specifically enemies like the zombies.

She once viewed this as a disturbing flaw and struggled with guilt, but Takashi Komuro’s acceptance of her nature helps her come to terms with it and shed much of her self-doubt.

Saeko is described as extremely beautiful and overtly sensual.

She has very long purple hair that reaches down to her lower back or hips, often worn loose, which enhances her elegant, striking presence.

Her eyes are sharp and proud, giving her an intense yet composed gaze.

She often wears a confident, mature smile that suggests both calm control and a hint of playful superiority.

She is tall for a high school girl, with a slender but toned figure that reflects years of martial arts training.

Her narrow, firm waist emphasizes her large bust and well-shaped hips, creating a very curvy silhouette.

Although some in-story materials call her bust the smallest among the main female high school survivors, later descriptions list her as having an F-cup bust.

In many anime scenes and supplemental artworks, her figure appears even larger, prompting some fans to speculate that she looks closer to a G cup.

Saeko generally wears her Fujimi Academy school uniform in the main storyline.

However, various official illustrations and animated scenes showcase her in highly revealing outfits, including a nude apron and a black tank top that dramatically highlights her cleavage, sometimes paired with a ponytail for a more dynamic, sporty look.

Saeko’s primary specialty is close-quarters combat, particularly with wooden swords and traditional blades.

As a former national champion and club captain, she demonstrates exceptional technique, speed, and composure in battle.

From the early stages of the outbreak, she confidently cuts down “them” (the zombies) with a wooden practice sword.

Her ability to handle multiple attackers at once, even in chaotic conditions, makes her indispensable to the group’s survival.

After the group reaches Souichiro Takagi’s estate, Saeko receives a military sword—specifically a Murata sword designed to also function with a rifle.

Once armed with a proper blade, her combat effectiveness rises even further, allowing her to dispatch large numbers of zombies with surgical precision.

Later, after the survivors escape the Takagi residence and reach the Tokonosu East Police Station, Saeko acquires a Beretta M92FS Vertec handgun from zombies within the station.

She carries this pistol in a leg holster, giving her ranged capability to complement her close-combat style.

Her mental resilience is as notable as her physical prowess.

Even amid mass panic and gruesome violence, she stays focused and offers strategic suggestions, balancing emotional support with decisive action.

Takashi Komuro

Takashi Komuro is the male protagonist and becomes Saeko’s most important emotional connection.

After the group escapes by microbus and later reunites, Saeko gradually warms to him, impressed by his developing leadership and concern for others.

When the two are temporarily separated from the rest and shelter at a shrine, Saeko confides in Takashi about her sadistic tendencies and the pleasure she takes in harming foes.

Takashi listens, accepts her nature without rejecting her, and encourages her, which dramatically deepens their bond.

From that point onward, Saeko’s feelings for Takashi grow quickly, and she becomes more openly affectionate and comfortable with him.

This close relationship, however, causes tension with Rei Miyamoto, who also has feelings for Takashi.

Rei Miyamoto

Rei Miyamoto is another main heroine and Takashi’s childhood friend.

Because both Rei and Saeko care deeply for Takashi, a subtle rivalry develops between them.

After Saeko and Takashi’s bond intensifies at the shrine, Rei increasingly perceives Saeko as a romantic rival.

The two girls often end up glaring at each other or exchanging sharp comments, though they still cooperate in battle and survival.

Other Survivors

Saeko earns the respect of the group through her reliability and combat skill.

She protects weaker members like Shizuka Marikawa and Alice Maresato, and fights alongside Takashi Komuro and Kouta Hirano on the front lines.

Saya Takagi acknowledges Saeko’s value as a fighter, even if their personalities differ.

Souichiro Takagi, Saya’s father, trusts Saeko enough to entrust her with the Murata sword at his estate, recognizing her as a warrior of true capability.

Saeko is notably unaware of how sexually attractive she is to men.

She is described as being oblivious to erotic signals or “sex appeal” and can perform actions that appear highly seductive without realizing their impact.

Her “natural” tendency to act in ways that are interpreted as sexually suggestive is repeatedly commented on by other characters.

This, combined with her revealing outfits and physical design, makes her one of the most overtly fan-service-oriented characters in the series.

Her sadistic sexual inclination—taking pleasure in harming enemies—adds a darker edge to her sensuality.

Once she accepts this side of herself, she becomes more confident and aggressive in both combat and romantic situations.

Saeko’s role is heavily emphasized across different adaptations of Highschool of the Dead.

In the original manga, she is one of the central heroines, providing martial strength, leadership support, and psychological stability to the group.

Her actions are critical in multiple escape sequences, notably during school evacuations, street battles, and the defense of the Takagi estate.

She often steps to the front line, clearing paths through hordes of zombies so that less combat-capable members can survive.

In the anime adaptation, the story’s pacing and focus shift to highlight Saeko even more.

She receives expanded screen time, more detailed fight choreography, and greater emotional focus, especially concerning her relationship with Takashi and her internal conflict.

In an original video animation (OVA), Saeko assumes the position of main heroine.

The OVA further emphasizes her beauty, sensuality, and combat abilities in a more standalone scenario.

The surname “Busujima” can invite teasing because of how it looks when shortened, leading some online users to jokingly call her “Busu.”

In reality, the surname “Busujima” (also written as “Dokujima”) is a legitimate family name found particularly in Gunma Prefecture, especially in the city of Kiryu.

Historically, the name is linked to the cultivation of monkshood (aconite), a poisonous plant once used as a kind of early chemical weapon.

The reading “busu” is related to an old term for aconite, reflecting the poisonous association embedded in the family name.

Saeko’s design and concept share some similarities with Rikiya Busujima, a character from Sega’s action game Zombie Revenge.

Because of these parallels, some fans speculate that Rikiya Busujima was one of the inspirations for Saeko Busujima’s character.

In 2024, Highschool of the Dead collaborated with the game Taimanin RPG.

During this collaboration, Saeko appeared wearing a “Taimanin” suit, placing her in a new crossover context that further emphasized her status as a popular and visually iconic character.