Gakkougurashi!

Hope, a bright warm light shinning across a dark room where freezing water is flowing. Sometimes the light grows weaker or stronger. What makes it change is the will of mankind, the will to believe that it is not over or that are things in this world worth struggling for everyday. If i were to compare our tale to a scenery I would say, an ocean of tears moved by a gust of happiness and laughter and lighted by the rays of hope that come and go as the day-night cycle goes on. Our protagonists are trying to resume their normal lives which they had before the disaster had stricken. Each of them with different personalities support themselves on these hard times. Artwork is pretty standard. Nothing out of the ordinary with the slim and edgy characters being a bit of an eyesore, but that's just my taste. Same is to be said about the Soundworks, nothing stings the eye or enchants it. Characters are all different in most ways but they are all supportive, talkative. There is a noteable lack of an antagonist on this series, the only concern about their actions being their own feelings. Overall the combination of comedy,drama and tragedy make this a well made story, easily enjoyable and somewhat pleasant. I recommend it especially for people that have only started watching anime.

Every time a new Nitro + anime comes about, people **** themselves over how crazy they are and over hype them to a disgusting level. You see this kind of thing happen with every anime Gen Urobuchi had part in despite his visual novels being of far better quality in all aspects. Gonna admit the first episode had a twist so outrageous it made me yell at the monitor but everything from that point just suffers from these HORRIBLE tonal shifts that make the series seem divided between 2 things, it fails so bad when it does this it's like having a meal solely of cotton candy, jalapenos, and black coffee, its THAT bad. The cg zombies are just bad, i'm lenient on cg but come on guys. Characters are ehh, something ambitious like a Nitro+ story needs more than 12 episodes to work, or the writing needs to be spot on, which it isn't here. I can't remember the music to save my life, probably because it couldn't keep up with the tonal shifts. The first episode is the only one you should see, but you should see it because it hits like a canon, but the follow up is the worst thing ive ever seen. " but bro its got cute girls and (spoilers), its so awesome!!" Maybe, it could have been, but as a nitro+ anime it failed awfully. A solid 3 outta 10, thats being generous If you want something else like this by Nitro+ you can read Saya no Uta or Chaos;head with have unstable protagonists like this but a much better execution. They have z(spoiler) in tokyo necro as well if you can read it, peace!

Summer was certainly a busy season for Lerche, seeing as this is just one of their three shows to air during it's course (The other two being Monster Musume and Ranpo Kitan: Game Of Laplace which I also reviewed right here). Out of them all though, School-Live! quickly became the most critically acclaimed, boosting sales of the manga by a massive 1000% following its animated premiere. This becomes even more impressive when you consider that director, Masaomi Ando, only has a couple other directorial credits to his name (Muv Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse/White Album 2). But does School-Live! live up to the hype? (No pun intended, I swear.) That's of course up to you decide -- but I'll weigh in on it in just a few minutes. The anime, and a hefty portion of the manga, is mainly centered on the pink-haired, bubbly Yuki Takeya, who is so torn up by the event of a zombie outbreak that she has created a world in her head where literally nothing has changed. The first episode sets the stage for this anime absolutely perfectly, disguising the entire episode just how it would look from the perspective of Yuki. It isn't until the very last scene where we find out that everything we just watched was a gigantic hallucination and that the majority of the characters we saw were dead and...well, not gone. But you know what I mean. Everything from that point onward takes on a complete tonal shift. This is no longer the bright, joyous show we expected (Considering you went into blind, without any knowledge of what it really was). Instead, it's a psychological mess of how teenage girls handle being the last few people on what could be the entire planet. We don't really know yet. Each member of the School Living Club plays an important part in keeping the group a well-oiled machine. Take one of them away, and everything starts to fall apart. Yuki keeps the group motivated and hopeful. Yuuri is the wise, motherly figure that everyone looks up to. Miki brings reason and logic into the mixture. And Kurumi kills zombies with a shovel. (Needless to say, she is best-girl). The girls are dependent on each other for this entire series. I mean, how can you not when your friends are trying to kill you and eat you? That dependence, however, is great under these circumstances because the result winds up being packed with wonderful chemistry and sort of developmental paradox where each girl helps the next find something out about themselves. Not to mention, each one's style and attitude is so well-contrasted with the others that all viewers will be able to easily choose their favorite. There's none of that whole "Otaku-Inner-Struggle (OIS for short, which is a disorder I just made up)" where we have to fight between girls to decide on who the superior one is. The story starts off as just a tale of survival, but slowly builds up until more and more backstory in uncovered. The pacing, as far as this is concerned, is spot on. We get a ton of exposition and learn a little bit about each character before things start to get really weird. And I mean really weird. Not to mention, each doubt that viewers have -- each "Well why is there still electricity?" type question will not go unanswered. The story is well-written with those concerns in mind. I don't know if I've ever watched something before where literally every single loophole is filled in. It's actually quite spectacular when you really think about it. There are so many skeptical notions you think up while watching this series, and all of them come to a satisfactory close just episodes later. In addition, the usage of suspense and subtle details hidden in the background will keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire twenty-something minutes of each episode. This paragraph might get spoiler-heavy, so skip it if you haven't watched the series and still intend to do so. Up until the halfway-point of this series, when we find out that Megu-Nee has been dead this whole time (Which I totally called, by the way), the show is just pretty good at best. But when we find out that some of society knew this was coming, that's when this show gets great. It's not just school girls trying to survive and fend off zombies anymore. It's a thought provoking tale of how we might handle a situation like a zombie outbreak -- what we would do if we had reasonable suspicion that one might occur. And that raises thoughts like, "Well, if we knew this might happen, why didn't we prevent it? What happened to everyone else? Why these four girls?" Life or death situations in anime are great no matter what. But when those situations involve adolescents in a world where adults aren't even there for guidance, those are the times when that life or death stuff really shines. Seeing adolescents forced into growing up quicker just to conserve and fight for their own lives is significantly more impactful than having some huge, burly mech-fighter dude fighting another giant mech-warrior with his life on the line. In Summary: This is a damn good show. It's much better going into it like I did (Without any idea of what it's about) than going in with the knowledge that it will turn into a psychological thriller, but I guess that is now impossible considering you just read this review. Regardless, this easily snuck its way into my "Top 10 Anime Series 2015" just as I'm sure it will for a lot of others. So to answer the question of "Whether or not it lives up to the hype," the answer is yes. Yes it does. Pick this or the manga up, and allow yourself to go on a journey filled with cute-girls on the brink of death and lots of bloodshed. Lots and lots of bloodshed.

** WARNING : Contains Spoilers ** One of the best Zombie Apocalypse Anime I have ever seen. It is about a group of girls, trying to live off in the world affected by zombie Apocalypse. This Anime starts off as a Moe Anime, but gets dark in the First Episode itself. It isn't the zombies that make it dark. The only thing that sets it different from other Animes, is Yuki (Main Character) who refuses the accept the zombie Apocalypse and pretends everything is fine. She talks to her friends as if they are present, alive, and attending school just like she is. Unfortunately, they have all turned to zombies. We see the reason for this peculiar behaviour explained in the last few episodes. The reason is sad and depressing. Although one might speculate it as a reaction to having lost her friends, there is something else to it. ** Spoilers ahead : Don't read if you haven't watched the anime. 100% Recommended to watch ** I haven't cried for so some time. After binge watching Your Lie in April, Clannad, followed by Violet Evergarden etc.., this Anime adds to the list. Characters: * Yuki : (Main Character) She has lost her friends, and someone really close to her. Megu-nee held her with love. She tries to keep her promise to Megu-nee of "never losing the smile", and thus ends up pretending everyone was alive and OK. Her loss drove her into insanity and thus she began to refuse the reality, and the moe nature originates. Though she might seem as a burden, It is important to remember, that we are trying to save humanity. If we were to ditch a non infected human, It won't make us different than the zombies. * Kurumi : She knows how to wield the sword (shovel in this case :p), and fight. She is only one who had thrown out her feelings and fear for the zombies and was able to kill them. * Yuri : She does practically nothing, but is the brains of the school-live! club. Her uncanny resemblance to Megu-nee is gradually revealed though. (!Spoilers) * Miki : She is the only person not to have met Megu-nee. Atleast not till the end. * Megu-Nee : Teacher at this school. Ex Teacher at this school. Initially, she pops out of nowhere and only talks with Yuki. She can't hold stuff and says they are too heavy. No one else talks to her. Her teleporting herself into the car (Ep 4) was creepy. One can foresee, she isn't alive, and is just a mental image created by Yuki. She plays an important role in creating the school-live club and guiding it in the initial stages. She gets infected protecting the children, and turns into a zombie. Yuki was the only person, who could not accept it, and began her hallucinations. She tried to keep her promise of "always smiling". She was the guide in life and in death. I lost it when Yuki says "Bye-Bye Megu-nee".. :'( Honourable Mentions: * Taroumaru : A dog, a friend and the second zombie to have helped the club. RIP. You shall be remembered for your bravery and loyal nature. RIP, my friend. * Zombies : They play a important role too. Zombies tend to remember the memories. The reason they hang around near school is that they loved to come to school. This love had been etched into their memories, and is the reason why they came to school everyday. Plot : This Anime is not much of Horror, but of Psychological and Slice of Life Genre. Both these elements are strong enough to make a good plot. The group of girls take shelter at the school, which surprisingly had lot of amenities like Solar powered electricity, rooftop garden (vegetables were grown), and what not. Perfect for taking shelter in a zombie Apocalypse. Is this a coincidence? No. The reason is also revealed later as to why the amenities were there in the first place. The girls spend their days living in the school, cooking food, cleaning, and routine checks and trips for rations etc. Yuki spends her time in classroom, being tutored by a delusional Megu-nee. Yuki's memory return gradually. And accepts the reality. Although she saw it with her own eyes, she refused to believe it. It was sad and depressing when Yuki talks to that door. :( It is ok to be sad for one's death. The important thing is to let go and not let your emotions take over to the extreme that you refuse to accept reality. (A similar message was given in the Anime : "Another" ) *Episode specific* For people who feel they are just doing nothing, there isn't much to be done. A school is NOT equipped with killing equipments. Also, for those who say, why they returned to school, instead of going away, that's becaue - the school had electricity, water, food supplies. - Power was cut off at other places - They realized the potential of the school in keeping them alive. Any other place, they would have died earlier. - They thought the infection had spread to a very wide range. They might not be able to travel that distance with a car without getting out of fuel. (Remember power is cut, so gas stations are useless), unless they find a way to dig into the underground fuel tank. - They didn't knew of any other shelter places. So, it made sense to return back to school. Also, many people feel why they didn't go on a killing spree. It is important to remember that they are children. Murder is not a native instinct, especially not for a child. The story is excellent. And one of the unique zombie apocalypse. Personally, it is the best one. I cried the last 2-3 Episodes (the whole episode) :'( . Overall : 10 / 10 (A recommended watch) ~Recoder

- From the beggining I recomend to don't read any spoiler, so you could enjoy the finding game from the first episode. The anime starts showing you the normal life of a kawaii group of students, but there are some clues that will make you guess that something isn't normal... - This anime is capable of making you understand the menning of losing something important. The characters will make you laugh and in others time feel their pain, you probably will feel like you're surviving with them and hoping that everything is gonna be all right. - Story: A apocalyptic world with kawaii girls that are surviving. The story follows their way, so you could wait some losts and some survings. Except one detail from the end, everything is was good. - Art: Kawaii and they put some computers effects to move the secundary characters, freak sometimes and necessary others. - Sound: If you don't like some little girls voices trying to sing, you should skeap the opening! - Character: Beautiful and heart touching! There were some ways that I could feel what is to be crazy and sad and fooled and beguiled and all the fucking feelings at the same time! - Enjoyment: I saw in one night, it was goood... - Overall: 7, because of the detail in the end, it shouldn't happen e.e - So it's that, I try to note the any spoiler and I hope that you enjoy it!

SPOILER FREE!!SPOILER FREE!!SPOILER FREE!! ================= INTRO ================= I don't usually read the synopsis when starting a show and I started this believing it's another generic moe blob but gave it a chance because the twin tail girl in the poster looked kind of charming. I was not disappointed and it truly was a moe sol show---at the start. I noticed some out of place scenes but didn't pay much attention because I thought it was just an average studio making average mistakes. Then it happened.... ================= THE REVIEW ================= The studio has done a brilliant job in hooking its viewers with the 1st episode. The show's symbolism and subtle camera pans are done really well all throughout the series. I am usually someone who does not watch moe shows but the 1st episode really pulled me in. Sadly, the show suffers from poor pacing starting from Episode 3 instead of building up on the foundation that the 1st episode laid. The show switched to a 4-5 episode back story of an uninteresting character with an uninteresting past (except for Taroumaru!). Almost half of the show was used up for her. The backstory of Megu-nee and Yuki, 2 pivotal characters, was also bare bones to give way to that flashback. It also felt like they overused the moe-sol segments for too many episodes. I think they could have used more episodes during their first few days so we could get invested in their relationships but they just used a "tell do not show" style which was kind of cheap. Fortunately, they got back on track during the last three episodes and it was a great roller coaster of emotions. Murphy's Law be damned! ================= CHARACTERS ================= The twin tail girl charmed me into watching this show and boy, was I not disappointed. Shovel girl--ahem--Kurumi is definitely best waifu material (did I do it right?). She is literally and figuratively, the group's guardian. She is a strong-willed dependable badass that supports the group from the frontlines. PTSD? Ha! Kurumi laughs and fights at the face of adversity! Yuki is the emotional support and Rii-san the stomach support (LOL). Really, all the characters are archetypes and it's pretty good how they leave and evolve as a character except for Rii-san who does not get any backstory at all. Well, at least she's good as a housewife. I'm not even going to dig deep for Miki as I'm still bitter about her abundant screentime. For taroumaru, that little ball of cuteness deserves pet of the year! ================= VERDICT ================= SPOILER!!! The show is a pretty good depiction of the anxiety and fears that teenagers feel as they take that first step into society. Replace the zombies with Adults trying to get the characters to conform to the norms; Megu-nee as that fond memory in your childhood that you cannot just let go; Taroumaru as a reminder of your innocent days; the Apocalyptic zombie world as society full of uncertainties, disappointments, and despair; and the Graduation as a sign of that bold first step outside of your comfort zone and into a new world of unknowns. The first episode and the great attention in details makes me want to give this show a 10. Unfortunately, the flaws are glaring and it felt like it would be too unfair to give it my bias. so in the end I give it... 7.4/10 A show with great potential hampered by poor pacing, little character development with some characters, and too many moe-sol segments.

Spoiler Free Review for all Episode: This is one of those incredible anime that you rarely come across when you ran out of mainstream series to watch. It completely attaches you to it's world and characters then leaves you hanging and feeling broken and empty right at the end because there's no season 2. The anime itself is imperfect but the execution of it is impeccable and that in itself is deserving of a masterpiece title. I am one of the lucky viewers that went in blind and was just searching for something decent and light hearted but got something else. Seriously if you have no idea what this anime is just give the first episode a shot and see for yourself how much this hidden gem will shine if you give it a chance.

Gakkougurashi, or "School-Live!", might have the best pilot episode of any anime I have ever seen. Not in terms of plot or humour, but in the way it is written. The way the episode uses the audience's expectations (or lack there of) to it's advantage is nothing but pure brilliance. Just like a skilled magician it misdirects your attention in a way so that when you're rewatching it for a second time, it all suddenly seems obvious. Therefore, going into this anime blind is extremly rewarding. The story as a whole is very entertaining, but most importantly: satisfying (something a lot of other anime fails to be). It is said that the most dangerous part of tightrope walking are the last few steps, and the same is true when telling a story. I could go on forever about shows that start out as great, only to f*ck it all up with an ending that leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth. But thankfully; when Gakkougurashi ended, it felt right. No anime is perfect though, and with Gakkougurashi the flaws are with the main characters themselves. We never really get to know them, what you see is what you get. And considering the kind of situation these girls are in, I think it would've been nice to learn at least a little about their backgrounds. For instance, why do they never talk about their families? Like, at all?! But besides that, the characters aren't bad, and the relationship between them is both portrayed and developed in a great, believable way. Both the art and sound is of the quality you should expect from a modern anime. And I also like the way the OP changes as the show goes on. To me, Gakkougurashi is a bit of a paradox. Because I can tell you one thing: it does not deserve the 10 rating. But despite that, I still kinda want to give it a 10 rating. And an anime that makes me wanna give it a 10, even though it doesn't really deserve a 10, definitely deserves a 10.

* This is one of the most deceiving thing ever made.How to use Moe right 101 " For Gakkou Gurashi! We will start talking about the art. It is mainly made using too much moe and loli characters.Well that isn't so bad.The bad thing is the fact that the characters are around 17~18 yo ... yea... after you watch 5 mins you will wonder too "Are they actually highschool students?" Wtf is this bullshit?!?! In other words is kinda annoying if you see what the genres suggest this show will be about. . . Well other than that problem the background is really well made and this anime has proved that they used this art style in order to attract the viewers easier to the story and make them relax. Continuing with the characters which are outstandingly made. Not that they are unique , not that they are special. They are just incredibly realistic and natural that perfectly fit and don't do stupid things out of their character! This show perfectly introduced you characters and their background how they ended in their situation and their problems which made them advance in their life.Additionally, not only it features their good and strong aspects but their opposite weaknesses.For example, A leader which is very kind,strong willed and with great influence to the followers has the fear of what future holds and if his plans succeed ! Let's not forget about the MC and its situation,but instead of me talking about this, i will let you find out for yourself! The music on the anime was great.Maybe one of the few anime that you carefully stayed and watched the OP and ED cause of the numerous of hints and hidden messages it had and you MUST discover them!!At the start, you will really question this anime? Like wtf is going one? THIS AIN'T RIGHT!! yes. . . that will happen a lot dear friend. . .Each and every episode there will be more things to search for in order to "unravel" the mystery. In other words, the OP and ED was really interactive and very well though and deep. . . The story was really not something unique but not cliche either. It had its own aspects and authentic parts. What made it even better it was the details and the ways it was introduced. Really well written one. Worth praising and unforgettable! All the dots were slowly connected!! It had its twists and its bullshit moments.Magnificent setup! It has pretty good ways of drawing out emotions and it definitely contains Horror,Psychological and mystery as it suggest. Don't be fooled mongrels!! This is masterful at deceiving !! Moreover, this anime has many metaphoric scenes in order to pass some deep messages which is something you don't normally see and requires hard work in order to be used right !! ------------------Personal Opinion and weakness----------------------- This anime planned everything out, foreshadowed, suggested, gestated, and culimated... but all of that setup leads to a series of serrendiptious contrivences. I feel a little gyped. It's like 28 weeks later all over again. Fabulous setup... and then everyone just goes stupid. Also the flashbacks and shinanegans? Like waddaEf. IS that needed? For the time being? Another spicy thing is that it had its "Fan Service" moments. Tho. . . no matter how annoyed it wasn't so bad... Why? Cause the moments lasted lower than 1 mins each and there were no ecchi jokes or meanigless unrealistic "Ecchi" scenes!! But there was they all time cliche Swimsuits episode. . .Yea fuck that obligatory "Swimsuit" episode. YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE! Last but not least, there were moments when anime went complete retard mode and deactivated all kinds of logic it had. . . Especially in the last 2 episode. I don't imply that nothing made sense. I imply that the last 2 episodes were full of miracles and plot conveniences!! Not so bad as it sounds tho... no major flaw or something. . . All in all, this was a hell of a ride.The only problem is that it starts pretty slow and questionable and it selflessly destroy its image in the beginning! I mean it presents itself as SHIT,but inside there is gold!!This series is definitely one of the genuine and prototype series out there. Therefore im recommending it blindfolded to anyone. Personally this anime finished in 11 episodes for me. If you want max enjoyment i suggest you doing the same and ignoring ep 12 !! Reasons to watch it: -Exceeds at almost anything ! Music/art/story/chars! -Moe art used for the right purposes! - A really good ride! This was my Shameless review. I am leaving without remorse!

Story: 8/10 The story is based on a group of girls who are in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. The plot falls in so well with the events. I recommend you to bring in tissues just in case. It's a real tear-jerker. Art: 10/10 Amazing art, just didn't like the fact that you couldn't really see the zombies faces. Sound: 10/10 The ost really fits in well with the theme, just except for the opening. The story isn't as happy as the opening, like really. The creepy scenes will give you the chills, since the ost that comes with it really comes effect. Character: 7/10 I just didn't like how somethings went with the characters. I feel like the only realistic pair is Kurumi & Mii-kun. But there are times where I feel like everyone in the group is real. I like how the group bonds even though they are going through hardships. Their personalities are perfect & fit well with events and what they do in those events. Enjoyment: 9/10 I really did enjoy this anime. I feel like it needs a season 2 but I also feel like it's fine the way it is. Overall: 9/10 The story was great & the plot for events was perfect. The art was basically food for the eyes. The sound is well matched with the story/events. The characters are really realistic & relatable at times. And I really enjoyed the ending & series.

"Cute girls doing cute things." I always cringe a little whenever I see those big eyed blobs of moe strike a pose and say something in their high pitched voice with a giant smile on their face. Makes me wanna bash their face in with a baseball bat (random Higurashi reference). I had kind of a similar reaction when I watched the first 15 minutes of Gakkou Gurashi! A girl wakes up in her bed in school and starts walking around with her dog. She then proceeds to have breakfast in her club room with the club members and then goes to attend class like any other student would do. Apparently the Club's name is School Living Club and all the members live on the school premises and don't go home after school's over. Usual anime logic aside, it doesn't make much sense because first of all, no school authority will ever allow such a club to exist where you practically live at school. And then there's the dog. So, I tolerated that till the end of episode 1 and that's where the twist hit me the face. This pack of moe blobs is actually in a zombie apocalypse and the main character is delusional (I like how the hints were sprinkled around in the episode). Now this turns the whole moe routine on it's head. Instead of being cute/obnoxious, the whole thing becomes sad and pitiful. This excellent use of shock drew me into this anime. And the good thing about Gakkou Gurashi! is that they know HOW to transition between these dark and light atmospheres. The problem comes in with the story and pacing of the anime. While they spend plenty of time fleshing out their characters by providing all of them with their own separate backstories, the main plot remains at a standstill up until the very end. And that makes me a little frustrated because I'm dying to know how this bunch of school girls are going to make it out of that school building? Will they wait till they are cornered or they're gonna take the initiative? And all of this isn't answered till the last couple episodes. Instead, what I get is more of that cute moe routine with more twists thrown in, which makes the middle portion of the anime slightly boring and frustrating. So, you do need a little bit of patience to chew through that part. As for the ending of the show, it is definitely interesting but they seemed to have forced the emotional atmosphere there. It's still good but it could have been better. Now, what Gakkou Gurashi! did great was how it dealt with it's characters. As I said before, they provide ample amount of backstories (interesting backstories) to all of their characters (except Wakasa Yuuri) so they're all fleshed out. The fact that Yuki is delusional adds a lot to all the characters around her and how they behave (imagine the psychological pressure). Of course, Yuki herself isn't always clueless either, she often tends to avoid or play dumb whenever the club members try to 'confront' her. This is depicted very well by how they do her expressions at those times (how it shows up on her face). The same goes for all the other characters. They don't stick to a certain character trope and play it throughout the show. They all help each other and contribute in whatever way they can. What I didn't like about them was how none of them seemed to be worried about their families. And since the anime does not give us any other information about the outside world, we don't know any better than the characters themselves. The good thing here is that the characters question things around them which would have normally been labelled as mere coincidences. Like how the school has all the supplies and everything conveniently available. How the zombies seem to follow a certain pattern according to their previous lifestyle. On top of that, they don't go full hollywood mode and start killing zombies as if they were eagerly waiting for a zombie apocalypse to happen. They are a bunch of kids in school and they act like it. Though they can be surprisingly rational at times. With the exception of Yuuri (and maybe Taroumaru), all the characters did their part well for the kind of situation they were in (backstories and all). Compared to all the production messes during the summer season (Manglobe going bankrupt, ufotable messing up God Eater, Rokka no Yuusha's terrible fight sequences and CG, not to mention DBZ super), I'd say the animation quality was nice. At least it was consistent throughout the show. The characters are fluid, the backgrounds are pretty. There is a nice balance between the light and dark tones and they handle the atmospheres well during those transitions. What I especially like is the subtle changes they made into the opening of the show as the plot progressed and several major plot twists were revealed. The ending sequence was okay. As for the soundtrack, I'd say the usual - "It was there, it was nice but not good enough for me to go out of my way to look for it". So, Gakkou Gurashi! is a nice show and quite a different take on the whole Zombie Apocalypse scenario. Sure, it doesn't show you the shrewd ugliness of mankind or how the laws of physics change when it comes to boobie mechanics, but does give you an interesting scenario to think about. One that is isolated from the ugliness that humans would show in case of such scenario but at the same time close to being a realistic (and human) depiction of how a bunch of highschool girls would deal with such a situation. It is a bit idealistic and could get a little frustrating at times, I'm just glad that anime tried something like this. So give this a shot, but go in with an open mind.

(This is a spoiler-free review adapted for this site) [The first episode of the show is drastically improved if you go into it blind and so I recommend watching it before reading this review however it is not required for comprehension] [Synopsis]: Takeya Yuki (Minase, Inori) along with her friends Kurumi (Ozawa, Ari), Yuuri (Ichimichi, Mao), and Miki (Takahashi, Rie) make up the School-Living club - a group of students that live out of the campus while attending classes and borrowing from the schools facilities. Though Yuki has yet to realize it, there is a concerning reason for the club's existence and though she loves going to school, her daily routine may not be as it seems. [Characters]: The cast of Gakkougurashi is fairly small and primarily concerns the members of the School-Living club and their respective faculty member Megumi Sakura. The small cast makes a lot of sense for the show in my opinion and while the story is definitely focused on exploring the characters individually and their predicament, I feel like the show itself was ultimately more concerned with delivering thematically and visually - areas where it succeeded excessively. That being said, the cast was characterized to the point where they weren't any kind of negative influence on the show and there were more than a few strong character moments throughout the show's run. Yuki best represents the light-hearted, slice-of-life element of the show both through her perception of her surroundings and in how she interacts with the other members of the group. Her happy go-lucky attitude, her style of running from room to room, and her gag interactions with other students and her friends immediately set a sugar-sweet precedent that the show is then immediately able to dash expertly within the first episode and in this way Yuki provided a great deal of utility to the show and allowed it to play with its contrasting settings to a far greater length than it would otherwise have been able to. Kurumi is similarly childish and excitable however also represents a coming to terms with the environment of the show and her 'action-girl' status provides a go-to archetype to reinforce the stereotypical aspects of the show's design in order to inversely capitalize down the line. Yuuri is the eldest of Yuki's friends and while she acts the most adult-like as the president of the club she also seems to always have something boiling beneath the surface which was a character trait I enjoyed as it often was used to betray the attitude of her scenes while not doing so directly or in a hamfisted manner. Lastly, Miki is the youngest of the group and a newcomer to the club; due to her initial unfamiliarity with her fellow club-members, she offers an outsider's perspective on the group and their setting. She also has a good deal of emotional baggage and is one of the more sentimental characters in the show. Each of the characters do well enough to stand on their own though they also each offer great utility to the show in their characterization and they were great vehicles for some of its more intricate themes. [Art/Animation]: This category was where the show truly blew me away - the art of Gakkougurashi was creative, intelligent, and flexible and provided perhaps the greatest amount of intrigue above all else for me as a viewer. Firstly, the twin aesthetics of the show clash wonderfully - the hyper-moe cast against that of a rather classic zombie-horror setting. The horror of the show plays out a bit differently from other anime like Corpse Party where the violence and gore expresses it's reliance on shock value and the blatant nature of its delivery. Gakkougurashi uses its horror techniques more subtly and instead visually distances the horror action of the show with repeated cuts to black and hazy filters in order to add to the surrealness of the setting in juxtaposition to the previously established near-slice-of-life atmosphere. Furthermore, as the show continues, these horror images are better brought into focus as that side of the show becomes gradually more dominant and the surrealness of the setting is replaced with the underlying harsh reality of the girl's situation. Perhaps one of my favorite techniques used by the show and an area which I think speaks directly to the show's intelligence is that Gakkougurashi does not flaunt its horror images but instead allows them to exist in the background, almost unassumingly. A show of lesser design and direction would have moved heaven and hell to make sure these images reached the viewer and paraded them around instead of letting them occur naturally within the show. Along with this visual technique, the show also makes great use of depth-of-field in order to focus on certain shot elements and expert use of lighting and shadows. Gakkougurashi makes amazing use of color as well. The majority of the show's setting and it's character designs are extremely bright and in vibrant colors (pinks, whites, and greens) whereas the contrasting environment of the horror scenes are far darker and bleak to the point where the show can become drained of color entirely and is visually delivered through blacks and gray-tones. The palette and color tone of each scene is highly dynamic which helped express the stark contrast between the show's two moods. There is even intelligent work being done in Yuki's character design as her school uniform, which differs in color from that of her fellow club members, sets her apart on a visual level in an attempt to parallel her altered perception and difference in mindset from the other girls. The subtle changes in the opening of the show provide a good commentary of what is transpiring and being revealed each episode and was a point of interest at the beginning of each watch. [Story]: In so many words, Gakkougurashi is a show that is driven by an engaging, thematic juxtaposition. The disparity between the actions and activities of the girls and the world that they live in is the central focus of the show and by spending half its time establishing a feel-good atmosphere while simultaneously developing a twisted horror story full of tragedy and sentimentality the show operates in way unique to itself. There is a great juxtaposition between the mundane, every day things such as worrying about graduation and love interests against the abnormal horror setting at the heart of the show. Due to the disparity in perception in the case of Yuki, the cast of the show is allowed to return to it's slice of life roots far more often than it otherwise should be able to and in this way I found Gakkougurashi highly different in terms of progression from other shows that capitalize on presenting conflicting themes and moods such as Madoka and Yuuki Yuuna which, for the most part, have a major turning point in tone before embarking on something more complex and dark than their original premise. Gakkougurashi offers a continuous parallel between its two worlds that I found highly entertaining and clever. There is a good deal of subtext as a lot of the interactions early on can be explained in different ways after learning of their implications in future episodes and so there is entertaining retroactive work being done in terms of tone and sentiment among the characters. The story is presented somewhat non-linearly at first as it takes the time early on to delve into the individual backstories of each of the girls while fleshing out the setting at hand before progressing the plot towards its conclusion. The comedy of the show wasn't the strongest and I felt like it existed mostly for the purpose of, like many other attributes of the show, reinforcing one of the show's major genre elements rather than actually trying to deliver unique and genuine humor. It's a bit run of the mill in this regard however this allows the show to work better within the stereotypical setting that it tries to operate under and betray. The gag and comedic faces…

---- POSSIBLY VERY MINOR SPOILERS --- I don't know. I have no idea what others are gushing about giving all those 9s and 10s (because of manga? Then give the manga a 9 on 10, don't give anime a high grade on merits of the manga when it obviously doesn't deserve so!). This feels pretty damn mediocre to me, and DEFINITELY not as an anime of the season. There are far better contenders for that title IMO. Story - goes pretty much nowhere most of the time, there's way too much comedic relief and moeblob moments for a supposedly dark theme behind the story. If this is subverting the zombie horror trope, it's not doing it right. I am constantly waiting for the moment when shit hits the fan and everybody needs to (wo)man the fuck up, but it doesn't happen at all until far too late into the season, at which point I completely lost any interest in the whole thing. I guess points of "excitement" are when Yuki's illusion breaks down, but it breaks down very rarely. At first, after episode 2, I though this had the potential of being something really good, going deep into psyche of Yuki (doesn't happen) and perhaps others (I guess that happens to an extent, but not enough). But nope. Moeblob slice-of-life. Not sure if that's your thing, but if it is, knock yourself out. As mentioned, I'm constantly waiting for something CONCRETE to happen, some contact with outside world, some proper zombie shoveling (sic), but it just doesn't happen, which makes me wonder WTF is the script writer on about?! Art - pretty damn good all around. Wasted talent on a story badly handled. Sound - pretty good overall, but nothing special or something to remember. In the very rare thrilling moments of tension, sound does beef up the atmosphere nicely. Character - characters are pretty typical all around. Little to no development in any of them. We get some backstories, but that doesn't count as character development. Color me unimpressed here. Worst thing of all was the damn dog eating way too much screen time, artificially creating compassion - I didn't buy it. In fact it made me not care about the cast at all, so anything that could possibly happen to them, I wouldn't even blink. Just badly handled character writing. Enjoyment - I guess the only thing with which this anime managed to shock me is its complete lack of direction. It's quite hermetic, much like the main cast being trapped in that school. Shit, they had the "outing" episode, couldn't they drive that car farther away, try to go to another town, try to get some PROPER help? Nooooope, let's go back to school. Woo fucking hoo. I guess the only thing this anime somehow manages to make me is keep watching to see if something is finally going to fucking happen. And by the looks of it, next episode (ep 9) is going to somehow be a bikini episode. Wow. If I wanted that kind of fanservice, I'd go watch Highschool Of The Dead. Even that has a better zombie story in its background! After watching the anime through, I've left with a fairly sour taste in my mouth. Out of 12 episodes seen, I could count 4 or perhaps 5 that are absolutely worth watching, everything else is condensed filler the story would work completely well without. Overall - I am pretty underwhelmed. Don't waste your time like I did.

The most Moe but terrifying thing you will ever see! For this review I will be focusing on story, Characters and my enjoyment. [In order for me to write this review, I will have to give out a spoiler since a major plot twist happens in the first episode] Story: The story of gakkougurashi is fairly simple. A zombie apocalypse takes place and traps a group of students in a school house. However the twist is that the protagonist sees the world as if everything around her is normal. I loved this show! the story telling was remarkable and some moments were so effective that I was genuinely crying. If you are looking forward to shedding a tear or two then give gakkougurashi a try. Characters: The characters of gakkougurashi are very likable. This show likes to do a little thing with it's characters. At the beginning, this show gets you to adore it's characters with some very cute and playful scenes, and then afterwards as the story progresses, the show puts it's characters into dangerous situations. Even if the character is a zombie, the show will make you care so much for that zombie that you wouldn't know who to root for. Enjoyement: I enjoyed Gakkougurashi, a lot and I am not forgetting it any time sooner. The only problem I had with this show is the puppy, there was this puppy in this show who was very cute, but the puppy was stupid. He was the cause for a lot of the situations that the main characters were put into. Every time the puppy would wander of on his own and the characters would need to find him. However I cared for the puppy more than I expected to, towards the end.

This review is to show how deeply moved i was by Gakkou Gurashi! one day i was bored and was looking through my anime when i saw one called Gakkou Gurashi! i forgot i even had it and had no clue what it was about or what to expect, so i turned it on and started watching and right from the start i was like "ok what is this doesn't look interesting is it about girls messing around and having fun at school" but was a horribly mistaking, by the end of the first episode i was blown away i literally stood up pointing at my screen saying no no no over and over and even left my room saying no, then i returned later sat down and watched it and every second i was all into it and lets say it didn't take long for the feels to set in, by the time i finished it i was amazed i never seen a story this great before i was truly moved so moved i went ahead and started reading the manga and i've never read manga before Gakkou Gurashi, so you could say its thanks to Gakkou Gurashi that i now read manga, Gakkou Gurashi is the best anime/story i've ever seen or read and now every time i get asked for anime recommendations i always point them right towards Gakkou Gurashi, Gakkou Gurashi has shown me to never judge a book by its cover and for that i thank the Gakkou Gurashi team the creators and everybody involved in both the anime and manga my hats off to all of you for making one of the greatest anime's/story i've ever seen or read truly amazing!. Recommend anybody who watches or even doesn't watch anime to go watch Gakkou Gurashi right now you will not be disappointed.

If anyone who hasn't heard of this show is looking for a light hearted 'Slice-of-Life' turn around and leave. Otherwise stick around. For an anime called 'School live' there isn't a lot of living going on. to make this review short a& sweet I'll say this; This anime was great. following the life of a girl living in her delusions refusing to accept the world has ended. The cast is admittedly not the most varied however it didn't stop me from enjoying this anime at all. The concept of zombies in anime isn't touched all that much other than a certain elephant in the room [Highschool of The Dead]. But the way this anime portrays it is quite interesting. The main character Yuki Takeya has seen (some shit) things, things that would drive most people to insanity. Yuki copes with this in her own way, by pretending its never happened. This show combines Slice of Life and light hearted conversations with a dark undertone that the apocalypse is happening all the mean while. As the anime comes to a close the apocalypse begins to take more control over the story than the fluffy slice of life- especially in the last episodes. Which are a grim reminder to the group that this is indeed the end of the world, and a foreboding sign to a tragedy is quite apparent if you're paying enough attention. To wrap things up if you want to watch this anime prepare to be sad, there are many elements of it that break you on the inside. From touching last words, to speeches, and everything in between (Including death). This anime may not be interesting to all groups but I hope you, the reader, enjoy it.

Hey look! Another cutesy, totally innocent, slice-of-life anime that I can show to a bunch of 4-7 years old kids. I'm sure they'll love it. (There will be SPOILERS in my review) [Story]: (7/10) (SPOILERS) Takeya Yuki is in love with the school. For her, it's a wonderful place, where she enjoys school activities, especially the activities of her club: School Life Club. Just like all the slice-of-life animes, nothing really happens in this show. All they do is laugh around, fool around like a typical high-school students, drink tea, participate in club activities, swim around in a pool and our protagonist chasing around a cute dog. That's literally it, I can't expand on this anymore. Ok, think of the show as like K-On except the characters are different. The 2 shows are almost the same. Yuki = Yui, Kurumi = Azusa, Miki = Mio, Megu-nee = Sawako, you get the point. It's just a nice, soothing, relaxing anime that relieved my stress from real-life. Ok, I'm done with the sarcasms. School Live! is in no way a cutesy slice-of-life show. The characters are actually living in a post-apocalyptic world where almost everyone is a zombie and the main characters barricaded themselves in a school. The first episode that was shown to us is just a big troll, showing us the typical high school life and the characters having fun. Basically, like Madoka except there's no magical girls here. There's a huge reason why that slice-of-life scene was shown in the first episode. It isn't just to shock the viewers. Well, that's one of the reasons but the main reason is it's got something to do with the Main Character's mentality. I'll explain more in the "Characters" category After the first episode, the show didn't really move forward. The entire first half of the show were flashbacks of how the epidemic started, how the characters got involved in it in the first place, and how they all met each other. I personally think the show did a great job building the characters in the first half. The second half of the show finally had the plot moving forward. They just show us how the characters cope with the mess that they're in and how they're living their everyday lives in a post apocalyptic world. In other words, it's just like I'm watching a regular slice-of-life anime...except with zombies. I like the slice-of-life scenes. It portrays how the characters keeps their sanity after all the sh*t that they went through and how they keep having fun despite the fact that they're in a post-apocalyptic world. . There was one plot twist in the second half of the show that made me go "Holy Mother of Jesus Christ". This is honestly one of the best plot twists in the show. Before the plot twist occurs, watch out for Megu-nee and how the characters act around her. One last thing that I want to point out is the show's effective use of foreshadowing. Posting a picture would be a lot better but I'll just write a bunch of examples. Most of my examples were in the first episode. Firstly, the windows. Secondly, the cross at the school roof garden. Thirdly, the girls were worried about Yuki wandering around the school in broad daylight with a bunch of students. Fourth and lastly, the main characters didn't pay that much attention nor were they worried about Megu-nee that much. There are more Megu-nee foreshadowings but I'm done. After all the positive points that I mentioned above, How could I rate the story a 7 you ask? The ending of the show killed it for me. It wasn't because of Tarumarou's death..It was because of that one scene. That one particular scene that I completely hate. That scene where they were supposed to die but Yuki pulled a "deus-ex machina" making all the zombies leave the school. They could have done it some other way but the way they did it in the anime was just complete bullsh*t to me. Some of you might think otherwise but this is how I feel about the ending. ______________________________________________________________ [Art/Animation]: (9/10) So who animated School Live?.......Lerche? I don't know that studio. Anyways, they did a great job with the show's visuals and animations. Especially the dark atmosphere that they were showing off. The zombie designs...ehh, looks ok. Not the scariest I've ever seen but were they supposed to be scary in the first place? The character designs looks so "moe" but I'm pretty sure they designed the characters like that on purpose. ______________________________________________________________ [Sound]: (8/10) I gotta say, the soundtrack that they used for both slice-of-life scenes and dark scenes was amazing. You guys already know how a theme should sound like whenever a slice-of-life scene is playing so I don't have to mention the slice-of-life themes. The themes used for the dark scenes, however, legitimately scared the shit out of me. Note that I decided to watch the show at night so when they revealed the post-apocalyptic world that they live in, I couldn't sleep for the whole night. It's like a happy background theme then suddenly, it becomes slow. You know, like one of those scary-ass nursery rhyme songs. Now the OP and ED theme song. The OP theme song is "Friend Shitai" by Gakuen Seikatsubu and the ED theme songs are "Harmonize Clover" by Maon Kurosaki, "We took each other's hand" by Kaori Sawada and "Afterglow" by Maon Kurosaki. The OP theme song is one huge troll. The song is all happy and rainbows and it only fit in the first episode. As for the ED theme songs, I only liked the first one. The first ED theme song sounds like a dramatic song foreshadowing the character's fate. Except their fate was different than I expected. The 2nd ED theme song sounds decent. If it weren't for the singer, I would have liked it. Although, it was a nice song to use after a certain someone "died". ______________________________________________________________ [Characters]: (9/10) I feel like this is where the show shined...The characters. We have Yuki, the main character suffering from her own delusions because of the incident that occurred with Megu-ne. I honestly broke down when I saw what state of mentality Yuki is in. It's like she's suffering from the 5 stages of grief and hasn't moved past the first stage for a very long time. There's actually a reason....a good reason why Yuki is still delusional and hasn't accepted the fact that they're now in a post apocalyptic world and that Megu-ne is gone. Let me ask something..Is it wrong for the characters to keep Yuki in that state? If I were to answer this question, I would say no. I mean, the whole reason why the characters are still normal is because of her. The characters feared that by telling her the truth, it would cause Yuki to enter in a state of a long long depression. Without Yuki bringing fun to the group, they would all be insane right now. Some of you might think the characters were being selfish for keeping Yuki in that mental state. Honestly, there's no right answers to my question. It all depends on your morality. Then we have the rest of the main characters which are Kurumi, an energetic girl and the only character on the group who can fight off the zombies. Then there's Miki, also the student of Megurigaoka Private High School and was found by Yuki's group on the mall. She has a friend named Kei and her whereabouts are unknown. Then there's Yuuri, the leader of the club (group) and most mature character in the group. Finally, there's Megu-nee, who suffered the most unfortunate fate in the show. What I like about the characters is the way they act and think which are almost realistic. ______________________________________________________________ [Enjoyment]: (8/10) For the most part, I enjoyed the show not only for it's slice-of-life moments but also because of the shock and fear factor of the show. I wish I could say the same thing for the ending episode. ______________________________________________________________ [VERDICT] "School Live!" is a good survival anim…

i got my eyes on this anime after my friend suggested it. at the first time i had my eye on it on myanimelist it seems like "moe anime" with tag mystery on it. i tried to watch one eps, in first 15 min i was like "this is really mystery anime" sure that was a sarcastic coming from my mouth. and then in the place where you don't expected it, this anime hits you hard with the reality of post-apocalypse this anime itself tells us what makes human great. the will of surviving, great mind, and self-defense. but, what if the human greatness itself makes somehole while protecting oneself? it happens in this anime where your mind decide to protect you with averting your eyes from reality. first 8 eps is introduction, the core story comes after. hard to say this but the introduction had stronger feeling than the core story. some of art losing from the sound of voice actor making it seems weird when watching it. the enjoyment of this anime comes from the surprise it gave, the music and the origins of character are good, but the character development is lame. character is pretty usual, i'm hoping for some better development in the end but it end up predicted in the end, the anime is worth to watch, not to say this is a masterpiece but it's enough for some mystery anime lover. not recommended to be rewatched since the enjoyment comes from the surprise it gives. still, it worth 7.7/10

(This has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!) Gakkou Gurashi has this adorable little doggy named Taroumaru. A doggy that reminded me of my own. Her name is Mollie – with an “ie,” not a “y” – and she is the strongest pooch I have ever known. Born the runt of the litter, when Mollie was a few weeks old, she was no bigger than the palm of your hand. She did not walk around so much as she skipped, her unbelievably tiny legs allowing her to jump from one spot to the next. I remember thinking that a dog who was as small as she was could not possibly exist. But her being there, daintily moving on the grass in front of us, was impossible to doubt. My mother, to this day, believes that we had saved Mollie, her miniature stature enough of a reason for her original owners to euthanize her. Her fur was pure white, her tail was stubby, and she had the slightest lazy eye that made her even cuter. Early on, she became scared of thunderstorms and fireworks, crying and shaking uncontrollably until someone in our family sat with her. She hated her cage (still hates it), incessantly complaining until she was set free once more. She loves to stretch her body as far as she can while getting belly rubs. And strangest of all, she simply has to run around in circles when playing, as if the rotations would boost her energy further. Mollie was in our life for little more than five months before she got very sick during her first December. She was admitted to the veterinary clinic; the diagnosis was kidney failure. The doctors thought she had no chance to live and actually had us bring her home. I can still see Mollie in the golden cage, her blissfully unaware of her condition. She was skipping and jumping on her favorite blanket, her tugging on her toys and barking playfully. My family and I were looking on, weeping. And then, like light snow drifting softly on Christmas Day, a miracle occurred. She survived. The medicine started to work and Mollie became healthy once more. At least, for a time: she would later have intestinal issues, tooth decay, and loss of hearing. But she has never given up. After years of difficulties, she is still trudging on. Sure, her hair has yellowed, her tail is longer, and her lazy eye is lazier than ever, but her tenacity has never wavered. Mollie is an amazing puppy, a trooper through and through. She is our Taroumaru. And as both showcase, sometimes when the situation is looking down, the best thing to do is smile. STORY Gakkou Gurashi is an anime that cannot be taken at face value. Its exterior is purposefully misleading, the contents within contrasting how it presents itself both to those in and out of the loop. The anime understands that it occupies the area where the sunshine and the shadows cross, leveraging these two halves to the best of its ability, ultimately leading to positive results. The first episode sets the stage. Cute characters have fun hanging out together. A couple are normal, one wields a shovel, and the last is a big ball of energy. The playground is a typical school, with quirky classmates, loving teachers, and lax rules. It is fun for everyone involved, the time filled with silly antics and huge smiles, making it out to be like “any other slice-of-life show.” Then the plot twist occurs. This bait and switch, from boundless joy to horrifying truth, works on multiple levels. First, the actual point in time: rather than having it go from one extreme to the other, the calamity has already occurred. This places the focus on the characters and their current situation rather than on the turning point itself, strengthening these respective areas. Second, it forces the audience to reevaluate. Since what was given was portrayed one way, the twist causes the viewer to rethink what was actually going on, increasing investment in the show itself. Third and last, it pushes itself away from the norm. It is not all laughs, fun, and happiness; it is death, darkness, and despair. The anime is not a typical slice-of-life offering, but instead a twisted take on “cute girls doing cute things.” Atypical directions are common for narratives, as are dichotomies. In Gakkou Gurashi’s case, the dichotomy it creates – cute versus psychological – helps itself, each side accentuating the other. The characters having fun at the “pool” or holding a variety of relay events is adorable to watch, the bleak atmosphere furthering this feeling since it stands out so much from the gore and harshness that surrounds them. The opposite goes through the same effects: watching as the cast tries to block the rooftop door with boxes to protect themselves or seeing Yuki hiding in a maze of convenience store aisles to hide from a pursuer feels more dramatic and tense since the cuteness and the silly jokes gives way to these direr scenarios. Better yet, the show is not afraid to go completely one way or the other. One moment has Yuki imagining a wedding between Kurumi and “Shovel-kun” while the next has Yuuri contemplating putting the newly betrothed out of her misery. These instances are fine on their own but because they are coupled together, and because they are so contrasting, they are amplified and thus have a larger impact than they otherwise would. The instances are also not constructed using a linear timeline. Instead, the anime adopts a semi-non-chronological order. First it starts in the middle with the four main girls, goes forward slightly, then jumps back in time, then forward again, and eventually to a point beyond where the adventure began. Convoluted to an extent, but purposeful. This roundabout progression generates mystery and confusion, both caused through the jumbling of the events. The former because the out-of-order scenes hide information whereas the latter because it is harder to tell what is happening when. Together, and like the dichotomy the show so heavily leans on, the haphazard ordering heightens the drama. Gakkou Gurashi also covers its writing bases. Having the girls literally live in a school seems impossible. Without electricity, clean water, and attainable food, the likelihood that they would survive for more than a week or so is slim. But as the anime details, solar panels, water filters, and fresh crops turn the normal school into a sustainable mini-village. This happening is not convenient; the show explains how the building was specifically designed with the outbreak in mind. The zombies also follow the school-centric theme. Throughout the season, those infected were shown to remember their past lives. Some students would lounge around on the soccer field while others crowded the mall. Megumi’s diary clearly proves she is, to some degree, aware of who she was before. Therefore, the final solution to save the gang – Yuki broadcasting that the school-day was over (cleverly and metaphorically ending her, Yuuri’s, Kurumi’s, and Miki’s stay at the school as well) – was already gradually established, making the action again not a convenience but rather an inspired move. Oddly enough, the school and the zombies also reveal a glaring issue: a distinct lack of the past, specifically not showing more of before the outbreak. Outside of Megumi’s episode, little is given of the school, its students, and the relationships these two entities generated while they were still pure. The audience does not get to learn about the girl with a collar or see the jubilation of the various clubs. So when Yuki’s emotional farewell is given, it is not that emotional because the viewer was rarely given the opportunity to connect with the same aspects that Yuki had come to love. As such the moment, while sincere, loses power because the audience essentially does not – cannot – care for these parts. “Care” is a vital motif of the show. A teacher caring for her students. A regretful child caring for her dog. So Gakkou Gurashi begs the question: what should be cared about? In a situation where the past is gone, the present is…

Gakkou Gurashi! is a confusing anime. The story line is very hard to understand a first. However,it gets better as the episodes go on. This anime is good, and is enjoyable. Its only 12 episodes, but the manga is still ongoing so if you are done with the anime read the manga. Story Line9/10-NO SPOILERS. Yuki is a young girl living in a school with her friends, Kurumi, Miki, and Yuuri. they all part of a school living club. Yuki is in love with school, well in her head. Why? Find out. In her school, nothing is human....The story line is confusing. However, its a clever idea. Having a Slice of Life anime have a Horror story line is crazy. But it worked. Its enjoyable, and silly. The story line switches with dark mature themes, to happy, cute themes. That is wierd, and thats why the story is a 9 instend of a 10, but its still fun to watch. Characters9/10-There arent many characters in this anime, only 4 main ones. However thats not even close to say that their bad. The 4 main characters are all girls, but their funny, cute, and can be brave at times. They all help each other, and try to stay strong when something bad has happen. The character delvopment is good, but not the best. At least they are all fun characters. One of the characters, Miki, has a really upsetting back story, which makes her one of the best characters. Sound Track9/10-This anime has a very good amount of music. The opening theme is good, very catchy. Almost all of the music fits the anime very well. Gakkou Gurashi! has a sound track that is catchy, and cute. Like the anime. The dark music is creepy, and could be better, because it isnt the best.(Not because its creepy, but because it isnt that great). Art10/10-Gakkou Gurashi! has amazing colors. The bright colors fits the characters perfectly. The The dark colors fit the dark, upsetting part of the anime very well. The character design is great, and is very well made.(It fits the characters well). THe colors switch between the happy and scary moments, and is clever. Enjoyment9/10-Gakkou Gurashi! is a anime I REALLY liked. Mostly everything I enjoyed. The characters were all enjoyable, and the storyline was great,this was a anime thats really fun to watch. Overall9/10-Gakkou Gurashi! is a enjoyable anime. Its only 12 episodes, but its still great. For anyone who loves both Horror and Slice of Life, try this anime out.