The story starts off light-hearted and funny as any romcom does, as the MCs grow closer, solve problems together, go on outings, and engage in the requisite hijinks and misunderstandings and accidentally-intimate-situations of the genre. Their dynamic is a tried and tested one, that of "two huge dorks with infinite chemistry and who love each other to an outrageous degree and should just get married already if only they could just admit it to themselves and each other". The romcom aspect is a completely adequate comedy, and if it isn't anything groundbreaking, it's still solid and it uses the title conceit (the First Love Zombies) aptly to create interesting predicaments and subplots. The obstacles in the way of the MCs grow unexpectedly large and daunting, and a very large last part of the manga has a surprisingly heavy tone as all of the characters wrestle with a severe dilemma. It's still "just a romcom", but it does have a dark undercurrent and some tricky themes, which is unsurprising from the mangaka behind the much less cheerful and more psychological Himegoto: Juukyuusai no Seifuku and Shounen no Abyss.
The art by Ryou Minenami is wonderful. The characters' faces are expressive and cute and funny, and I still never get tired of looking at them. The characters are lovable and adorable, in particular one MC who is utterly incapable of controlling or hiding her emotions, and who is near-constantly in a state of flustered embarrassment. Watching her try and fail to hide her blushes is sublime, and her face is without a doubt one of the highlights of the manga. This is an ecchi series, so you have the expected boobs and panties and costumes for fanservice, which isn't too major an aspect or the biggest draw, I hope.
I'll address some common criticisms of the manga in this review, from the admittedly biased perspective of an extremely rabid fan. First, your enjoyment of the manga may hinge heavily on how much you really like the main characters. The most common complaint in discussion circles is that the third-party "best girl" loses, and is generally not a focus of the story. If you are drawn to that character (who is plenty appealing and sympathetic and likable) and decide to follow her and root for her side in the love triangle, you will probably be disappointed as most chapters continue to focus on developing the other characters and it becomes obvious from very early on that she will not "win". You may find the MC to be "too tsundere", gratingly mean and rude, and prone to cause problems unnecessarily. All of this is fair, and liking a character is very subjective, and some people are well past tired of the tsundere trope. But if you do read this story, I encourage you to try and look at the MC sympathetically. If nothing else, her reasons for being angry are shown to be very justified.
Another common criticism is that the plot drags on, no tangible progress is made for dozens of chapters, and the plot could be resolved by a simple conversation and the revelation of a single fact. I truly think these are unfair, mostly colored by being disinterested in the MCs and their internal conflicts, and wanting someone else to be the focus. In each arc, the main characters learn about each other, grow closer, and grapple with their changing feelings. They build a rapport and memories and moments that become critical during the conclusion when their relationship is tested. If you like the MCs, the chapters aren't a slog at all, and I would have happily taken even more slice of life chapters where the characters just get time to be with each other.
Finally, regarding the simple conversation/single fact that could solve their problems: after a certain point, it's not fully explicit, but there's a very clear reason both characters are avoiding the conversation. They aren't stupid or capricious, they're scared of the result and heavily in denial. The key conflict of the final third of the story is exactly what prevents them from moving forward.
That's it for my long-winded review. I need more Hatsukoi Zombie. It's cute, it's wonderful, it's funny, and it's heartwarming. It deserves a spinoff, an anime adaptation, loads more fanart. If you're interested in forming a fan club, please send me a letter.
