86–EIGHTY SIX: Operation High School is what happens when a war drama decides to kick off its combat boots, slip on a school uniform, and crash-land into the chaotic world of high school slice-of-life. It’s bizarre. It’s hilarious. And against all odds, it kind of works.
If you’re familiar with the grim world of 86, you know it’s not exactly a lighthearted place. So imagine my surprise (and slight panic) when I opened this volume and found Shinei, Lena, and the rest of the squad navigating the nightmare that is cafeteria seating charts and school festival planning instead of enemy fire. This spin-off reimagines the 86 crew in a peaceful alternate reality where they’re students rather than soldiers, and the results are delightfully absurd.
The humor is sharp, self-aware, and absolutely rooted in the characters’ original personalities. Shinei is still stoic and terrifyingly competent, but now he’s terrifyingly competent at mundane high school things like cooking or dodgeball. Lena is just as passionate and driven—only now she’s throwing herself into being the perfect class president. There’s a constant stream of jokes that play off the contrast between the characters’ wartime trauma and their new civilian roles, but it never feels mean-spirited. If anything, it’s weirdly heartwarming to see them get a break from the battlefield.
The art style gets a bit of a facelift to match the more lighthearted tone, with rounder designs and exaggerated expressions that lean into the comedy. But every now and then, the serious edge slips back in—just a flicker in a character’s eyes, a moment of silence between gags—and you’re reminded of who these kids really are and what they’ve survived. It adds a surprising layer of emotional depth to what could’ve been a throwaway gag manga.
Honestly, I loved reading this. It’s fast-paced, funny, and full of inside jokes that fans of the original series will appreciate. It doesn’t rewrite the core story—it just gives the characters a much-needed vacation in an alternate timeline where the only things they have to fight are awkward class presentations and their own teenage feelings.
If you’re already a fan of 86, Operation High School is a weird little treat that’ll make you laugh, sigh, and maybe even tear up a little. I can’t wait to see what other ridiculous school-life scenarios this squad gets into next.
English