This is one of the few mangas I would buy, if it ever came out to NA. This series is one that is full of moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat and warm your heart at different moments.

The story and characters are what define this series best. What appears to be a simple slice of life series about girls living on campus, is quickly revealed to be much darker.

This is one of the best survival series I've read next to 7 seeds, highly recommended

Gakkou Gurashi! tells the story of three girls and their teacher who make up the School Life Club -- a group that essentially lives at school as part of their club activities. This manga is something of a mixed bag, to say the least. As one of Manga Time Kirara's more unique titles, you should first expect an abundance of cuteness. If you're bothered by the typical moe art style, then this is probably not for you.

Once you cross that hurdle, you're in for one of the most strangely enjoyable experiences out there. Gakkou Gurashi! juggles elements of horror, slice of life, mystery, and comedy and it does a good job of making all of these things work together. My overall impression is a positive one so far, but it's not without its flaws.

You're initially presented with a lighthearted comedy about an earnest and energetic young girl and things quickly become sinister. Gakkou Gurashi!, for better or worse, changes in tone quite frequently. It comes off as your standard gimmicky cute girls schtick, but that couldn't be further from the truth. On the surface lies a charming cast of cheerful, cute girls. Later on, it becomes more apparent that there's an ominous aura that was present right from the start. There's an almost hollow feeling brought about by the characters pretending everything is okay.

Our protagonist is the happy-go-lucky Yuki, a girl who always does her best and cares deeply for her friends. Joining her in the School Life Club is the twin-tailed tough girl Kurumi and the big sister figure Yuuri. Their supervisor, Megu-nee as she's called by the girls, keeps them in check. The characters are seemingly bland and relatively static, although I attribute that primarily to the setting. Yuki herself is more complex than I give her credit for and the only generally uninteresting character is the mature Yuuri. The girls bond through a common goal of survival and we see slow, but meaningful growth in each of them. You come to genuinely care about the well-being of the group. Their struggles become more grim and worrisome as the plot progresses.

The plot itself isn't anything particularly groundbreaking, but the execution more than makes up for that. If you haven't already guessed, an outbreak of a strange disease has ravaged humanity and the School Life Club is composed of a few survivors. This is without a doubt the weakest part of the experience, but by no means is it utterly terrible. It seems like just aimless survival, but there are hints of a larger subplot unfolding. A lot of conflicts are resolved in stupidly convenient ways so don't expect much depth. Additionally, some of the dramatic moments are undermined by recurring gags or art changes.

The art is solid and serves its purpose. Cute when it has to be, gritty and dark otherwise. Expect frequent shifts in style. These changes are generally for comedic effect and include elongated eyes and strangely shaped mouths. A lot of pages give vivid face shots and pay close attention to the details in the hair and eyes. The backgrounds are decent enough.

With all of that being said, this is an all-around good manga and something I'd recommend to anyone that fits into its niche demographic. If you like cute girls and minor horror/mystery, then feel free to give this a read. Thanks for reading, I appreciate your time.

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