Gakkougurashi!

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!

- 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.

** 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

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.

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.

* 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!

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.

"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 were very classic in their implementation to the point that one could even forget what they were watching because of the traditional environment and style they were delivered in.

It is for a similar reason to my reasoning surrounding the show's comedy that I found myself quickly forgiving Gakkougurashi for its moe aesthetic and occasional fan-service scene such as it's classic 'beach episode' installment because they both furthered the show's thematic dichotomy. Additionally, there is hardly an episode that goes by without some attention paid to both sides of the show therein the viewer is never left alone with the slice-of-life atmosphere for too long. I see the fan-service as less of a play to get the viewers attention and more of an attempt to reinforce the stereotypical nature and environment of the light-hearted side of the story as to better contrast its ridiculousness with the darker themes and plot developments later in each episode.

[Music]:

The music fit the show extremely well and while I didn't feel like there were any stand-out songs in an objective sense, they worked extremely well with the visuals to present an intelligent and intricate setting. Gakkougurashi danced between the up-beat, ditzy music typical of the slice of life school setting and the grittier, darker music of the horror setting in interesting ways, sometimes confusing the two and subtly fading one into the other to amazing effect - corrupting the scene fantastically.

[Final Thoughts and Rating]:

Gakkougurashi was a show that hooked me from episode one with its unique tone and twisted setting. The intelligence of the show really shone through in its visual direction and kept me highly invested each week. The ending was satisfactory in some ways and unsatisfactory in others in that it didn't bother to deliver on a couple of key plot points that arose in the midsection of the show. I think the show would benefit greatly from another installment in order to continue the story however I am doubtful the second season could play with the theme and tone of the show in the same way and would have to either present an incredibly compelling story or bring something unique to the table once again.

Rating: 8

I gave Gakkougurashi an 8 because it kept me captivated from start to finish with its brilliant use of images, colors, and shot composition alongside an incredibly interesting thematic dichotomy which it played at excellently. The ending didn't quite live up to the rest of the show in my opinion and the stereotypical nature of the show, while incredibly important to its design and delivery, was stereotypical non-the-less and caused the show to drag slightly at times however I feel this was negligible.

[Recommendations]:

I would recommend Gakkougurashi to fans of horror who can find it in themselves to also tolerate a traditional slice of life school setting for a handful of episodes as the payoff is definitely worth it in this regard. Fans of genre twists where something pure and innocent becomes something darker would do well to pick up this show as the show really triumphed in this area though it presents a more continuous conversation between its contrasting genres than other shows I have seen. While the show does heavily concern zombies I wouldn't necessarily recommend the show to fans of zombie fiction based on this alone unless they fell into one of the previous categories - there isn't a great deal of characterization surrounding the zombies and therein they might not carry the same intrigue as other shows that involve them.

After reading the manga series I was super happy when I heard that there was going to be an anime adaption.
But!
I did not expect to see a difference between the two...

Short Summary:
Takeya Yuki loves her school! It's a wonderful place where she enjoys her school activities especially her club: School Life Club.
The club includes Rii-chan as the president, Kurumi-chan as another member and the teacher, Megu-nee.
But the love that Yuki has for the school is all in her mind. Because the reality of the school and their club activities is too hard to be perceived....

Boy, when I read the manga for this I was ... super shocked at the reality of the situation.

Let me tell you one thing: DO NOT BE DECEIVED by the looks of the anime.
It may look all cute BUT in reality it is not!

At first this anime series maybe a little hard to follow as the plot is all over the place, it may take a few episodes to FULLY understand whats happening.

But I really enjoyed this anime. I did not expect it to be different from the manga but It was great!
Hopefully there is a second season.

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 anime that portrays the characters in an almost realistic way and also explores the main character's mental state. The shock and fear factor of the show is also one of the one of the reasons why I enjoyed the show. Unfortunately, the show suffered from a "Happy Ending Syndrome". I don't have a big problem with the happy endings but if that's where the story seems to be going then stick with it instead of bringing in some magical god just so he can bless the characters with unbelievable powers that they can use to escape the inescapable situation.

[OVERALL]: (8/10)


Pros:
+Great Story for the majority of the series
+Great Visuals and Animations
+Scary Dark Atmosphere
+Great Soundtrack
+Theme used for the scary parts of the show are legit scary
+Characters are portrayed almost realistically
+First half used to build the character
+Effective use of Foreshadowing

Cons:
-"Happy Ending Syndrome"
-Some Unnecessary Fanservice Scenes.

(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 harrowing, and the future is grim, the anime imparts a contextually not-so-simple message: “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” Life is hard. Often obstacles of the physical and mental variety hamper people on an everyday basis. So sometimes life can seem impossible to handle, unfair in the cards it deals. The girls of the anime obviously find themselves in a markedly more dangerous situation, but the same rule applies. They do not resign to pessimism. They do not believe that what remains of the world is hopeless. Even when they do – as is seen with Miki’s original predicament – they learn to take it one step at time, finding joy where presumably none exists. It might be trying on some bikinis for fun. It might be holding a graduation ceremony to commemorate a job well-done. It might be pitching a tent for a makeshift campfire outing. Or it might be something simpler, like reading an engaging novel or eating a favorite snack. Regardless of what is done, it is important to find the light in the darkness, to view the brighter side of life whenever possible, because then, and only then, will more goodness follow. For the girls of Gakkou Gurashi, their ability to always make that lemonade allowed them to find this goodness: lives worth living.

The rest of the anime is filled with other ups – Miki’s near-death in the basement mirroring her time in the mall – and other downs – Kei’s supposed zombie self as a way to wrap up her plotline is somewhat sloppy – but considering how the anime keeps its focus almost entirely on the dualities it creates, the narrative concludes opposite to how it started: filled with positivity. That is to say, the girls of the school live…for now.

ANIMATION

Gakkou Gurashi continues its misleading tendencies through its visuals. In other words, the anime’s art and animation are stronger than “just another slice-of-life” would lead one to believe.

Once again, the first episode alone is almost enough evidence to make a case for how powerful the anime is in its presentation. Drawing the other students devoid of features makes them there but distant. The small Easter-eggs scattered throughout are telling of the reality without outright talking. And the seemingly inconsequential details like the stacked desks and the broken windows are weird but not weird enough to make them standout. All of the signs exist for something being not-quite-right but are constructed in such a way as to not reveal the plot twist before the opportune moment.

Many of the show’s moments also include other subtle artistic decisions that sum together to create intricate scenes. Tactics like having Megumi slide in from off-screen to conceal her status and refusing to reveal the eyes of the zombies to heighten their scariness are noteworthy for their simultaneous simplicity and execution.

The camera direction also sees elevated execution, incorporating skewed shots to increase tension, up-close shots to capture the manic faces of the characters, and top-down ones to provide a perspective that showcases the cute girls in their broken environment. One shot in particular involves a sort of fish-eye lens, where Yuki’s head bends as the camera moves away from her to quickly relay her collapsing sanity. While used only once, it goes to show how inventive the anime gets with its cinematography.

Inventiveness continues when the characters and their character designs are investigated. Yuuri is specifically crafted as older: her larger bust, her beauty mole near her right eye, and her beige sweater paint her as the more mature person that she is. Kurumi goes wacky. Besides wielding a shovel, her black-and-white sleeves, her purple twin-tails, and her kneepads act as a silly exterior that harbors a more distraught interior. Both girls are certainly interesting, since the personalities they maintain can easily be surmised through the designs they hold.

The designs get even more interesting when it comes to Miki and Yuki. For Miki, she is rather plain, wearing the regular school uniform. Her short hair, blue eyes, and small frame give her a gender-neutral design for a reason: she is designed to be the most relatable. Her character goes through emotions that many people in this kind of situation could relate to, so having her appear slightly androgynous makes her more neutral gender-wise and thus more relatable. Yuki, though, takes the cake. Her pink hair, her lavender-and-white outfit, and her white wings on her backpack heavily contrast with not just the environment but also the other girls, making her completely standout. But it is her black hat that encapsulates all that she is. The hat’s little ears are cute yet the colors clearly contrast with her own design, matching the split her mind has undergone. Simultaneously, hats hide heads, concealing what lies beneath them. Yuki “places a hat” on reality through her mental blocking, hiding the truth of the situation to keep herself going. In other words, Yuki’s hat symbolizes her insanity. A hat should be a trivial item for any character, but in Yuki’s case, it provides a profound revelation on her character without having to know much about her. In short, her design is genius.

While the actual animation does not reach the same level as Yuki’s character design, it still manages to remain above average throughout the season. Kurumi and Yuki often have the most movement of the bunch, due to the former’s fighting and the latter’s energy. Gakkou Gurashi also likes to employ comical and comic-like bubbles to add cuteness and to stock up on resources for more intensive scenes like those that adopt a grainy filter or when the characters are simply having fun together. Combined with hair ruffling, eye moving, and tail wagging, the anime’s attention to its animation never falters, thereby increasing its total execution.

CHARACTERS

In a slice-of-life anime like Gakkou Gurashi, it is arguably the characters that have the most importance since the story being told is not necessarily captivating. Putting it differently, the cast have more weight to carry since the narrative surrounding them is more a setting than a driving force. The weight, though, is not equally distributed in the show, with Kurumi, Yuuri, Yuki, and Miki demonstrating various levels of strength and therefore execution.

Kurumi receives a lot of her characterization early on. Before the outbreak, she had a crush, wanting nothing more than to form a romantic relationship with him. But he succumbed to the legion and, worse still, Kurumi was the one to take him down. This changes her: she alone fights and kills other zombies, distancing herself from them when she enters her battle-trance mode. She does not view the zombies as people. At least, she does not want to, since when she is met with the picture on a girl’s phone or she encounters Megumi, she wavers, losing her composure. At one point she makes a promise with Yuuri about putting each other out of their misery should either fail to protect themselves. How fitting, then, that she gets infected later on in the series, turning her into the kind of person that she came to despise. It turns into a battle of the mind rather than one of the body, the latter the type she had grown accustomed to.

Kurumi’s character is the least interesting of the group (despite her wacky design) because the anime does not spend enough time exploring her traits. After learning about her connection to the situation and hatred of the zombies, she more or less gets pushed to the side, taking the spotlight on occasion to swing her shovel or to make an aforementioned promise. Otherwise, she is relegated to quips here and there without having too much impact until the end where her condition worsens. In a way, it is logical: Kurumi knows how to drive, fight, and scout. She is a utility, capable of completing a lot of the hard labor that the rest of the girls cannot. So when she is well, it is smooth sailing, but when she is literally couch-ridden, the group almost falls apart. What does not make sense, however, is the decision to forego showing more of her mental battle. The audience receives a clip of this during the early stages of her infection, but afterwards kicking and screaming is all that is seen, meaning in terms of development Kurumi receives very little. By the end, it is unclear whether or not she has gotten over her crush, how she feels towards the zombies now, and if her near-death experience affected her, leaving her character in an awkward position.

Yuuri’s character fairs slightly better, if only because she has another – Megumi – to play off. Yuuri is the leader of the girls, motherly in her nature. She is strict yet caring, she knows how to cook, and she usually makes the more authoritative decisions. Interestingly, this is not a mantle that she necessarily wanted to uphold. Technically Megumi was the overseer, but following the teacher’s death, Yuuri took the reins, making sure she, Kurumi, Yuki, and Miki were kept safe within their makeshift club. She is not the strongest or the smartest or the silliest, but this is precisely why she best fits the leadership role since, more so than anyone, she knows what has to be done and can use those who are the strongest, smartest, and silliest to accomplish these goals.

Yuuri looked up to Megumi, seeing the teacher as someone to emulate or at least follow, Megumi’s pure kindness a rare trait for anyone to have. So Yuuri takes the same path: she plays along with Yuki’s antics, she advises Kurumi to not overexert herself, and she talks privately with Miki to ease Miki’s conscious. She wants to be there for the girls in their time of need as best as she can, and therefore what she has more so than the others is a sense of calm. Yuuri’s strength is the ability to keep the group stable through her loving watch. This is why when she breaks down, she breaks down hard. She does not know how to handle the hectic final set of events because nobody is there to keep her calm. Seeing her in such a state is noticeable to the viewer; if Yuuri of all people cannot keep it together, it must truly be a dire situation. Similar to Kurumi, though, it is unclear how these events and their time at the school has changed her. At the minimum, she is thankful to Megumi for imprinting on her the same set of values, allowing her to keep her and the group from losing all hope.

Hopeful is all that Yuki is. She is always smiling, her affable personality cute, fun, and kind. She has a deep affinity for the school, the teachers, and the students, loving life and all that it has to offer. Yuki seems almost too perfect on paper, which is exactly the case. Her persona is not really a ruse but a mental block. She is insane, to put it lightly. She has imaginary friends. She is capable of seeing and talking to her deceased teacher. She refuses to acknowledge that their current predicament is what it is, instead forcing her own reality at every turn. She is technically an older student but she is without a doubt the most childish out of the four of them, a dichotomy that aligns itself perfectly with her contrasting nature.

Yuki’s behavior is intriguing because of how she and the others view it. Whether or not she is fully aware of her personality disorder is difficult to pinpoint; clearly she knew that what she was doing was wrong for her psyche – she says as much on the final rooftop scene – but throughout the season she seems blissfully unaware of the troubles surrounding them, solving chalkboard problems in a disheveled room. Kurumi, Yuuri, and Miki understand Yuki’s strangeness, but rather than forcing her to realize the truth they leverage her positivity. The other girls abuse Yuki’s ability to always keep things fresh and fun in order to keep themselves sane. In way, the three of them using Yuki as a motivational booster is demented and likewise insane. To an extent, she is nothing more than a tool, a convenient entity to get them through the day. It is messed up because they know they can help her but they do not. Luckily, Yuki is forced to come to terms with the real reality, saving the others and consequently growing up. To confirm this notion, she lays her symbolically psychological hat to rest, signifying that she has, in fact, graduated.

Arguably though it is Miki, not Yuki, who is the strongest character of the anime. She garners a surprisingly large amount of screen-time, mostly because she has a completely separate plotline before it merges with the main one. During her subplot, she and her best friend Kei survived in a mall, with nothing but each other, Taroumaru, and a CD player. Miki was content with their hidey-hole, believing that surviving was enough. When Kei abandons her to pursue better prospects, she does not know what to do. Loneliness piles on, the CD player quickly becoming a symbol for the daily repetition she confined herself to and the repetitive feeling of being alone.

Miki is eventually saved, but having lost Kei and having been away from people for so long, she does not immediately connect with the others. She saw Yuki as weird, and Kurumi and Yuuri as manipulative for keeping Yuki in said weird condition. Rather than goofing around, she felt that their time could be better utilized to continue what she had relegated herself to: surviving and nothing more. But after sending letters on balloons (and pigeons) and reconciling with Taroumaru, she slowly opens up, doing away with her reserved self and establishing relationships with the rest of the cast. Miki comes to follow the story’s main theme of finding the fun in life where none is had. As such, she develops from a lonely, critical young girl into a confident, lively woman, appreciating and understanding that there is more to life than simply surviving. Or as Miki puts it, “I lived, and it was all worthwhile.”

At the center of the girls is Megumi. Megumi helped Kurumi, she mentored Yuuri, and she taught Yuki. Also, if it was not for her and keeping the original group together, Miki would never have had the opportunity to become more than she was. Megumi is the rock that connects them all, and through her, the characters’ theme comes to light: not being afraid to rely on others. While Megumi silently watches over them when she does move on, her absence highlights the importance of how nothing can be done alone. Each girl has their strengths and their weaknesses, each girl doing what she can to keep the group going. The group is a circular chain, each loop linked to the next, a missing link deforming the structure. They would not be as successful without each other; Kurumi’s slaying, Yuuri’s aiding, Yuki’s laughing, and Miki’s rationalizing work in tandem to keep their group thriving. They have Megumi to thank for bringing them together but only each other for continuing what she started. And as the conclusion depicts, the girls might have graduated, but they will continue to support and rely on one another no matter what may come.

SOUND

The opening theme is fantastic, encompassing all of the cuteness and adorableness that the anime contains. The fun little beat, the fast lyrics, and the switching vocalists make the piece pleasant to listen to both in and out of the anime. The piece builds up in the beginning, to give way to a catchy and back-and-forth tone that captures the same tempo that the anime also follows.

The first ending theme is a mixture of happiness and sadness. The track itself is mellow, with background choirs and ambient sound effects that makes it a simple piece, and therefore a nice way to transition out of most of the episodes. The second ending goes decidedly darker, the chimes and clacking scary-sounding to match the anime’s atmosphere. As the piece proceeds the singer heavily carries the track until the instruments finally appear. Still, the vocalist nails her notes, achieving a finish with range and emotion that coincides with the saddened feel of the show itself. While the second ED does not trump the OP, it easily defeats the first ED, making one wonder why it was not used for the entirety of the season to begin with.

The rest of the soundtrack is filled with exactly the types of pieces needed to fit the slice-of-life and horror aspects. The former is filled with xylophones and party tunes that lift the spirits whereas the latter is filled with melancholic piano pieces that lower the mood considerably. Nothing immediately stands out, but the OST performs at the necessary level to make the scenes it is used vibrant and depressing when needed.

Voice acting reaches the same level, with solid performances for the cast but nothing downright noteworthy. Inori Minase as Yuki has quite the cute voice to expound her cute nature ten-fold. Mao Ichimichi as Yuuri speaks in a tone that only a mature woman could, fitting her personality well. And a special shout-out to Emiri Katou as Taroumaru for puppy barks and cries that could make anyone say “D’aww.”

ENJOYMENT

I sound like a monster for saying this, but I sort of wish all of the girls died, or at least all of them but Yuki. A tragic ending would have been poignant, a visceral and harsh reality that would be difficult to stomach after seeing the girls go through so much and have so much fun together. I was robbed of this – “robbed” because I honestly believed going in to the final episode that the anime was going to end on a heart-shattering note – leaving me a bit bitter.

I think this is why Taroumaru’s death hit me harder than it should have because they tricked me once more. It seemed like he was hurt, sure, but he was eating and drinking. Then he passed away. At first, I was shaking my head, saddened that he died after everything that had happened. But the real kicker was on the roof. Yuki’s words, “He looked at you and said…’Thank you!’” while the screen flashbacked to Taroumaru’s tiny smile, made me cry right alongside Miki. It was a powerful moment not just because I was attached to the dog but because I could see and hear the pain in Miki’s face and voice. I hate goodbyes (something that frequenters of my material might know), so watching such a heartfelt goodbye escalated how much of a chord this struck with me.

The rest of the show was still lovable even if my evil ending never came to fruition. Yuki was an extremely fun character, her undeniable cuteness and her never-ending smile giving her a charm that meshed nicely with her insanity. Again, I sound crazy, but part of the reason why I liked her so much was because she was insane, but now that that has technically been overcome, she loses a quirk to her that made her unique, something I am strangely not okay with. Still, Miki teasing Yuki in the shower about being her “senpai” and Yuki’s expressions matching Taromaru’s always put a smile on my face, so I suppose Yuki accomplished what she set out to do.

Yuuri, Kurumi, and Miki were likewise hilarious. Yuuri’s gag with getting overly furious, Kurumi wanting to use “just the blunt end” for catching purposes, and Miki acting adorable whenever Yuki got too close for her comfort almost always gave me some kind of chuckle. Megumi, too, since the group ignoring her made her feel not wanted or respected, leading to some funny reactions on her part. The whole season was a lot of fun – despite all of the despair it contained – with the only other gripe besides the optimistic ending being that I have to patiently wait to see where the School Living Club goes next.

Gakkou Gurashi is simultaneously a cutesy and thrilling ride. The narrative’s dichotomous nature, the art’s stellar direction, and the cast’s interesting characterizations create an anime that does reasonably well all around. The opening and ending themes, as well as the emotional moments – of the comedic and dramatic variety – further buffer the show. Life can certainly get one down. But this anime, like Mollie, makes it that much easier to smile.

SUMMARY

Story: Good, dualities throughout keep the narrative focused and purposeful but a lack of the past tampers the audience’s ability to emotionally connect

Animation: Great, intricate artistic direction keeps the art stunning, character designs are well-done, with Yuki’s being fantastic, and above average actual animation

Characters: Fine, Kurumi is bad, Yuuri is okay, Yuki is good, and Miki is great, with Megumi highlighting the theme of relying on others

Sound: Fine, great OP, okay first ED, good second ED, okay OST, solid VA performances

Enjoyment: Good, cute, hilarious, and emotional, but I preferred a more tragic conclusion

Final Score: 7/10

---- 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.

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.

In a world of trailers, promos, and an especially-quick grapevine, it's nearly impossible to go into a show or movie without knowing its general premise, or even possible spoilers. Upon hearing a recommendation, most would first do the research to determine whether the time commitment is worth it. While this is an understandable practice, for Gakkougurashi (School Live!), I suggest you resist this urge and start watching the first episode knowing as little as possible. I offer only my strong recommendation to watch at least the twenty minutes of slice-of-life with the Living-At-School Club in episode one, without stopping. If you are against the ... episodic nature of slice-of-life, know that this anime is more story-based. If you are completely unimpressed after that, it's probably not worth your time. If you are still on the fence, I'd suggest you watch at least six episodes before making your verdict.

Personally, I went in with this much knowledge, and it greatly enhanced my viewing experience. While many of the good things I have to say about Gakkougurashi do not depend on this at all, I do believe that when consuming entertainment, one would want to, well, maximize their capacity to be entertained. Now, if you haven't watched it yet, please do not read any further. Happy viewing!

https://animekisa.tv/gakkou-gurashi!-episode-1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No review could possibly be written for this show without addressing episode one. A common criticism is that the “reveal” at the end comes off as some kind of “shock,” much like the theatrics shown in the pilot episode of Re:Zero. I argue the opposite: while it may come as a large contrast, if you were paying attention to certain quirks in the earlier parts of the episode, it’s not a terribly surprising result. Slightly off-putting details such as the barricade, hardtack, or even the premise of the Living-At-School Club itself are laced out like a trail of breadcrumbs, planted as uncertain seeds in your mind to be confirmed. If you rewatch the episode, the contrasting reality can actually better explain what you are seeing initially.

For GakkouGurashi, the devil is in the details. There are two (maybe three) definitive “twists” in these twelve episodes, but, as aforementioned, they come across more as “creeping realizations” that are confirmed. The pacing on these realizations is excellent — they don’t come out of the blue, but they also leave trust to the viewer, not suffering the classic anime pitfall of making things painfully obvious by literally explaining everything to you. It is for this reason that I think “going in blind” greatly contributes to your enjoyment, as you can experience the satisfaction of realizing yourself the nature of certain quirks.

While I encourage you to watch Gakkou as I prescribed to properly enjoy these “reveals,” it is but one enhancement you can make to augment your viewing experience. The show makes a clear effort to address any subconscious questions that would otherwise be called a “plot hole” or an “oversight.” Sometimes they are directly answered by the progression of the show; sometimes they are acknowledged, but left in the open in a way that suggests it will be answered further down the line. Again, I think this a great boon for the show; it leaves the viewer to simmer in the implications it presents, but not in a manner too perplexing. It is a feat that requires a great attention to detail.

This attention to detail is universal for the show’s production, not just the story or pacing. The art needs to be solid in order to provide for the visual contrast that is usually the first thing recognized by the viewer. The music may sometimes eerily warp to alert the viewer that something is amiss. The opening famously changes its backdrop every episode to better reflect the reality revealed by the plot’s progression, but even in the lyrics or the title of the song, there are hidden double meanings (e.g. “Shitai”, which can also mean corpse). I regard *that* scene in episode six as one of the greatest scenes I’ve ever watched: the setup: the unraveling of the setting, Yuki’s terrifying, colorless eyes, and the off-key music, combined with the crashing realization that proceeds. To reiterate, the devil is in the details.

Gakkou is not without flaws. For example, I think it’s understandable that you find this show intolerable if you cannot stand moe, CGDCT, etc., as some of the contrasting slice-of-life scenes are very much so befitting that genre. Since I’ve watched quite a bit of slice-of-life, this is probably something I would’ve dropped if it wasn’t for technical details and poignant contrast. Personally, I was hooked after seeing the girls think that hardtack was delicious in the first episode. However, I wouldn’t even say that details or theatrics are Gakkou’s greatest strength.

These theatrics, if not supplemented by meaningful content, are just that — theatrics. The show would more closely align with my opinions of most modern shounen if it were just a loosely correlated amalgamation of well-produced, animated plot devices — meaningless. We revisit a question from watching the first episode: Why are we shown a zombie apocalypse show disguised as a slice-of-life in the first place? Is there any purpose to this other than being edgy?

The answer to this, as you may realize while watching the show, is in the psychology of the characters. We are constantly juxtaposed the slice-of-life genre against horror as a result of Yuki being, for lack of a better word, delusional. And we quickly realize that viewing a bleak survival situation as Living-at-School Club is a coping mechanism for not only Yuki, but the other girls as well. For me, Gakkou addressed two major metaphysical points:

The first is how human nature really reacts to such circumstances: cowardly for the most part. Yuki’s cope is disheartening to watch given dramatic irony as the episodes progress, but it is believable with a completely valid explanation. What’s more interesting is how her peers not only tolerate, but necessitate, this farce themselves to keep a routine and survive. The characters themselves acknowledge that they would’ve given up a long time ago if it weren’t for the club. This sad reality of human nature is a breath of fresh air in anime, where characters such as Eren and Mikasa at the start of their character arc seem to quickly gain a sense of fearlessness in the face of death. While I think Attack on Titan actually does a good job with this portrayal overall, it’s not properly fleshed out in the way that Gakkou does with its main characters: showing the girls’ initial reaction, their response to cope, and moving on from that.

This segues nicely into my second point, which is how we confront reality. It takes Yuki and her original group many harsh reminders to gain a sense of urgency: finding another classmate, water contamination, and Kurumi getting bitten. At some point, we have to leave our bubble, and sometimes, life doesn’t wait for us to get comfortable first. Our characters in Gakkou have to fight their PTSD, fear, and penchant for normalcy to gain the courage to move forward. Yuki especially must grow from her carefree attitude, and this is the difficult character progression journey portrayed in the show. I’d always wondered how a character like Yui from “K-On!’ would truly react to an icy reality far from their discernable comfort value, and Gakkou certainly provides an interesting take.

These were themes that personally stood out to me, but they may differ for you. Characters just ... grow, instead of talk about growing in a post-arc monologue like Aesop’s Fables. That means we, the viewers, are free to interpret what the creator has given us. Gakkou presents the story in masterful fashion, with clear psychological underpinnings, but it is up to you to determine meaning from it.

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.

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.

The year 2015 was a winner for me, with animes such as Shomin Sample, Shinmai Naou ni Testament Burst, One Punch Man, Noragami Arigato and others airing. But the one that mainly stood out to me was GakkouGurashi. This anime was getting a lot of praise and a few of my friends were telling me to watch it. So one day, I sat down and turned on the first episode.
The first thing I noticed was that this was a moeblob anime. There are a lot of those out there so I was already wondering why this one stood out the most. It ... was cute, funny and enjoyable. But once I saw the end of the first episode, I realized why this stood out. I was left shocked, freaked out, but continued to watch the show. And by god was it worth it.
GakkouGurashi tells the story of Yuki, who lives at her school with her friends Kurumi, Yurri, Miki and their teacher Sakura in the School Living club. Yuki is a cheery girl who loves her school, attends her classes, talks with her friends because the reality of the schoo, is too much for her to handle. While in her mind, she's at school where nothing happened, because the real world is a zombie appocolypse.
The plot flows smoothly leaving out holes and if there are some, they fill it up faster than a glass of water. The twists in the show are shocking, heartbreaking, ur you still want more
The characters develop so perfectly, making you care for each person. By the end of the first episode I could remember everyones names and I fell in love with everyone.
The art and sound are spectacular switching form extremely cute to disturbing in just one frame or one note.
Over all, this is one of the greatest animes of all time, and I can't wait for the season two.

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.