As another reviewer has pointed out, this anime really knows how to set a scene. From gloomy skies to antiquated-feeling settings to enough gore to keep even Jason happy, this anime knows how to keep its viewers on the edge of seats with fingernails between teeth. Not many anime would pay as close attention to small details as this one did which speaks in its favor. You'll definitely feel like you're watching a true horror series.
The art and sound only help to enhance this feature. Characters and settings are all smoothly drawn. Everything flows seamlessly so that when the horror and blood start to flow, the audience doesn't expect it. The cutting needs to be pointed out in this category I feel. There were times where horrific or tragic scenes would be intercut with softer memories or scenes, which gave the pain/anguish extra weight. I liked how sound and music were utilized as well, at least during the series itself. Background music helps to enhance the gloomy scenes and also helps to key in the audience that poop was about to hit the fan. If memory serves me right, I also seem to feel that the absence of background music in some scenes helps to create a sense of tension as well. That mix of gloomy sound and the absence thereof created a neat mix for the story.
The opening and closing songs seemed pretty generic to me. The opening, actually, seemed a bit out of place. It was upbeat to a point where the series definitely wasn't. In my mind, I almost expected a more horrific sound like the opening of Walking Dead. Sound like that would have been more appropriate to this title as an opener. The closing was sweet and gentle, just what each episode of this anime needed after the anguish the audience has gone through.
Characters were pretty strong for the most part. Most of the students in Class 3 at least had individual personalities and were distinguishable from each other, a key factor when so many of them started to drop like flies. Yet, I think this anime really struck gold with its lead. Kouichi is a nice blend of vulnerable innocent and apocalyptic survivor. He's able to straddle those two extremes and grow as a character as the story progresses. Mei was interesting as well, though not as much as Kouichi. I like the mystery about her in the beginning; however, I felt like she was missing a vital element to make her an empathetic character. There were times where she just seemed flat. That might just have been a personality trait the creators we're trying to give her, yet, it made we dislike her to a degree.
The actual story of the anime was pretty unique; I at least don’t remember coming across something similar in 20 years of anime watching, to my recollection. I don't want to give too much away as this is an anime that needs to be appreciated for all the subtle clues and tangents. There are a lot of little tidbits that clue you in to the ultimate responsible party; I felt like smacking my forehead when this individual was finally revealed. Some of the hints had stood out to me, had felt weird when they were happening throughout the story. But the final reveal definitely blew me away. Let's just say this is an interesting mix of mystery, supernatural thriller, and horror. I will say one thing though, there really needs to be another addition to the series. I'll just say that by the end not everything is wrapped up and finished, far from it in fact. And it's driving me insane with curiosity to see what will happen in future!
The one area this anime has that is a downfall is that towards the end it starts to lose itself. To begin with, let me just put this out there, this is an anime that does NOT shy away from the blood. You will see fountains, arterial spray, pools, and rivers of the red stuff. So hope you have a strong stomach! Yet, this is also where this series suffers. By the time we get to the big finale, so much blood and death has happened that the audience becomes a bit desensitized. I was actually laughing like a loon during some of the deaths, a response I'm sure the creators of the series were not shooting for. It just got to be too much. With a final death count so high, even the anime itself lost count. While this detail didn't detract from the climatic ending and big reveal, it still brings the anime down a peg in my estimation at least.
Yet, at the end of the day, this anime serves as a great addition to the body of horror anime series. It knows how to use setting, art, music, and atmosphere to create a tension filled story that audiences just can't help but be pulled into. I felt along for many of the characters and was saddened when many of them met there grisly demise. While this title could go overboard with the whole gore and blood thing, I guess when you're watching a horror series, that's just par for the course. If a second title came out in the series, I’d definitely be interested. The last scene just begs for more exploration for the future of this town and class in particular. If you're looking for a grisly anime to get lost in and looking for a few shivers up your spine, give this title a look. It's well worth it
