Lydon wrote:Hisao try to be the master of romance with someone "living challenged" ala warm bodies.
Protip: If The Stink of Flesh did it, it probably shouldn't be done.
Surviving
after an apocalypse would be an interesting one, although zombies in particular are a poor choice for apocalyptic-scale disasters. (There actually used to be a podcast that interviewed various engineers about how they'd survive and rebuild in a zombie apocalypse scenario.)
So, the characters actually at Yamaku, that get screen time and lines (and this will include the April Fool's post - they got images and lines, after all), that are most likely to survive through anything apocalyptic:
Miki for obvious reasons. Her disability probably causes her some problems, but they wouldn't be of immediate concern in the apocalypse, mainly the recovery.
Emi for the same reasons, although if it's one in which she needs to escape injury, she could screw herself up and die that way. She doesn't strike me as suicidal, if she loses Hisao for instance. She will need to rely on a friend to help keep her together, though.
Nurse, with the caveat that he's also a target if the apocalypse results in a loss of order. We're talking about Japan, though, and he's the kind of target you want to keep alive.
Mutou, with the caveat that he may be too distracted to escape injury.
Kenji, simply because he's prepared for absolutely ridiculous eventualities. His mental issues could present a problem, but he seems to be able to turn that down when the shit hits the fan.
Now, for the second tier:
Hanako, although escaping injury would require not having a full catatonic panic attack. She can run fast, although without much stamina (both due to her injuries (reducing her ability to sweat) and her lack of training), so she can get out of immediate danger. If the apocalypse involves fire, that could be a nasty one for her. I think suicide isn't on the table for her, especially if she can make friends with Emi. ("You know, if we get through this, you should totally try out for the track team, Hanako.")
Shizune. She would be the last to know about what's going down. If she DID figure it out, then she's got a halfway decent chance of living, far better than Lilly for sure. Communication is a problem, though.
Yuuko. Panic attacks are a concern here, too, and the band of survivors would include her presumed ex, but if she can get through that...
Misha. It's dependent on a combination of whether Shizune dies, whether it's Misha's fault, and whether stealth is needed. If the answer to the both of the first two are yes, or the third one is yes, Misha dies. If the first is yes but the second is no, maybe. If the answer is no to all three, she lives.
The goners (although there's still ways they could survive), and they may be liabilities to a party they're in:
Hisao. The exception is if a medication supply can be secured, and he's on Emi's exercise program (not necessarily on her route). If both of those aren't true, he'll die, and he'll know it. I could see him working with Lilly to ensure everyone else's safety, knowing that they were both going to die. Otherwise, he'll be fine.
Lilly. She may actually not be a goner if she doesn't have to escape anything (and Yamaku is well-placed if it's a natural disaster), and if the first signs of the apocalypse are audible, she'll be the among the first to know. However, if it does require escaping unassisted, even if she were capable of escaping, she may well martyr herself so Hanako, Hisao, and her classmates could live, even if it were utterly unnecessary.
Saki. Her disability would get in the way, really.
The real liabilities, the ones most likely to not just die, but also get others killed through their actions:
Rin. She can't take care of herself, simply, and Emi doesn't give enough of a damn about her I think. Even Hisao on her route would even get frustrated with her, I think. And the whole wandering thing might attract negative attention.
Rika. Oh, she is SO fucked. She'd probably be the first one dead, even, although this is admittedly using Rikabro's characterization. And even if that weren't the case, she's like Hisao but with less physical capability. And, she'd probably attract negative attention on purpose.
I think that's everyone except Aoi and Keiko. Their disabilities aren't revealed, either. With what few lines they got, Aoi and Keiko seem to be foils, with Keiko being the more grounded one. I think they'll both be fine, though, unless their disabilities get in the way.
Now, if I had to pick a party of 4 Yamaku students from the above list (so no Nurse, Mutou, or Yuuko) to survive any given apocalypse... Hanako, Emi, Keiko, and Miki. The rationale there... Hanako is the brains of the operation, as well as being stealthy and hyper-perceptive. Keiko is the leader (I'd use Shizune, but she doesn't get along with Emi, and I need Emi as emotional support for Hanako (because the party is stronger at this point without Lilly or Hisao replacing any of these characters - both of them are somewhat of liabilities (even though they can make up for it in some situations, in this one they wouldn't help)), plus the communication barrier is a huge one). Emi and Miki are the brawn.
Centering the party on Kenji, I think I'd do it as... Kenji, Hanako, Miki, and Hisao (who would be kept alive by everyone else, and would in turn keep both Kenji and Hanako grounded). I ran out of male characters, and Hanako and Miki are probably the two "useful" females that Kenji has the least trouble with (unless he thinks of Miki as infiltrating the manly stronghold). That's a brainier party, with Hisao being the leader, Hisao, Hanako, and Kenji being the brains, Hanako and Kenji having stealth, Kenji having lots of equipment, and Miki being the brawn. The only other problem I could see is Hanako and Miki's history coming into play.
The strategies for those two parties would be very, very different, really. The first party could be extremely nomadic, not being reliant on any fixed base. The second party would be confined to a small area due to Hisao's disability. I could see a strategy for the latter party being something along the lines of, Kenji and Hanako go on scouting missions, then Kenji and Miki attack another party's camp while Hanako looks out for other threats, then they return to their own camp to debrief, and Hisao and Hanako treat any injuries suffered. In that strategy, Rika may even be a target, seeing as she has medication that Hisao could use.