This Anime does some very interesting things with its presentation and blending of genres, but before I go any further, if you know nothing at all about this series, stop reading, don’t look anything up, and watch the first two episodes. This series is known for having a very unique hook to it but most of the internet has ruined it for future fans. I don’t want to add to that. You have been warned if you continue beyond this point.
What is the Premise
School-Live is essentially the cute girls doing cute things sibling to High School of the Dead. All of the main cast would fit in a series like K-On or Azumanga Daoh; they’re all gorgeous, wholesome moe blobs. Even the teacher, who’s probably in her 20s, looks way too young to teach her students. The twist: they live in their high school post zombie outbreak.
There’s plenty of mysteries to be solved and several of them are left to those that want to read the manga. If you’ve ever experienced Higurashi, there’s a similar feel to it. It also takes place in modern days and the school has modern technology.
Who are the Main Characters
Yuki Takeya - a senior (so one of the oldest characters) but looks and acts like a middle schooler. She’s full of life and energy, and as the perspective character, we often see the world in substantially different colors than it really is because she’s been so mentally broken by the horrors of the world around her. The comedy and cute slice of life elements frequently were caused by her.
Kurumi Ebisuzawa - the main zombie killer. Her shovel is her preferred weapon but before the outbreak, she was in the athletics department. She is often the main strategist for supply runs and frequently has a very fun and carefree demeanor. That’s not to say she didn’t have flaws but I’ll leave those for you to discover on your own.
Yuri Wakasa - the club leader and member of the gardening club. For most of the series, she’s the most level headed member of the club and quite possibly the oldest (according to the teacher). Whenever decisions must be made and an impasse is reached, her word is final. She often also prepared the meals, washed clothes and kept inventory. Her worst characteristic (depending on who you ask) was the amount of fan service related to how big her breasts were. Luckily, this was kept to a minimum and didn’t take away from the story for me.
Miki Naoki - the youngest member of the club. She wasn’t at school during the outbreak but instead spent an unstated amount of time locked in a room in a local mall. If it wasn’t for a puppy (named Taromorou) left behind by an elderly woman turned zombie the day of the outbreak, she may not have been found. She’s the quietest, most openly emotionally damaged member of the club and acted as the audience voice. She asked the questions that the audience members are supposed to ask and most of the exposition was aimed at her. She also spends a large amount of time reading Stephen King and her experiences with the outbreak get the most fleshing out. She’s also the most “naked” character in the cast frequently being in her underwear throughout various scenes. I like to think this was less for titillation and more metaphoric.
Megu-nee Sakura - club advisor and the only teacher to survive. She’s known for being kind and caring and a big sister to Yuki more than the rest of the cast. It’s briefly hinted at that her supervisor (the Principal) placed much pressure on her to not be as kind and attached to her students. The night before outbreak, she had gone on a drinking binge and, with a brief scene in her apartment, this seemed to be a common event. She never let that impede her duties on screen and was my personal favorite character. She seemed only a few years older than the club and had just graduated university several months before.
What did I Enjoy the Most
The mystery and character dynamics along with the comedy were my favorite parts. The horror elements never felt forced, and this is possibly the most unique zombie representation I’ve seen to date. The first episode threw me for a loop even though I knew the twist prior to watching. It is such a well done reveal that never actually deceives you. Everything about the setting was there in plain sight.
The general character designs and animation were consistent (with two caveats I’ll bring up in the next section). I also appreciate the slow changes made in the OP and the multiple EDs based on the context of the episode and which genre it most leaned towards. This is one way I can compare the series to High School of the Dead; that series had a different ED per episode based on the events of that episode and all of the songs were ones I could listen to on their own. The rest of the OST fit well but I don’t remember most of the tracks for School Live.
What were My Problems
Studio Lerche is not my go to animation studio. They can do great, stylized works (look at Ranpo Kitan or Assassination Classroom) but they often remind me of Studio Gonzo (from the 90s and 00s). That’s where my biggest gripe lies: the 3D CG is used heavily to show the zombie horde and vehicles. Every time it came up, it just looked way out of place. There were also several instances of off-model faces and some backdrops broke down in very distracting ways.
Some of the mysteries also weren’t solved and screamed “read the manga.” The biggest two being how the outbreak started and some character actions making no logical sense. About half of the main cast didn’t get enough fleshing out and there was one pure fanservice episode that I feel could have been replaced with more story progression and mystery reveals.
Final Words
Would I recommend this series? Definitely. Its positive elements and creativity along with characters more than made up for its flaws. Other similar series would be Higurashi: Hen They Cry (2006) and Shiki.
Thanks for reading. I hope you have a wonderful night and will see you next time.
Series Info
Adapted from: School-Live manga (completed)
Production Studio: Lerche
Episodes / Release Season: 12 / Summer 2015
Followed by: School-Live live action film (2019)