This review contains spoilers

Psychological horror and CGDCT are practically polar opposite genres on the tone scale, but this show manages to simultaneously be both without ever losing one aspect for the other. And this genre duality brings forth a unique series that succeeds to stand out within the medium.

School-Live’s take on zombie apocalypse stories is an interesting one. It’s a grim tale of girls trying to survive within these circumstances. But it turns out that the sheer trauma of all the stuff going on makes Yuki fall into a state of psychosis, and thus oblivious to the harsh reality around her. Which forms the crux of the narrative: the group trying to live a normal life despite it all, struggling to not fall into total nihilism as the crushing reality surrounding them only threatens to destroy what little peace they are able to achieve. The show comprises of a strong cast with each character being written quite well. Twists and reveals are well done with each major one being a surprise to me. Some are even foreshadowed in a clever way.

The cutesy artstyle is also a perfect fit for a story of this kind. The school live club does activities that girls would be normally doing in a standard cgdct, in an attempt to emulate that lifestyle. Usually these ideas come from Yuki, which in a sense, drives home an idea of escapism and facing reality. School Live recognizes the need for both. Without dreaming of a better life, it would be hard to maintain a sound mental state as you simply see the unfair cruelty surrounding you. Without accepting reality, you could forget what is really important. It’s the reason why Yuuri stops Miki from interfering with Yuki still believing that Megu-nee is alive, because Yuki’s the one giving her friends a reason to continue living somewhat normal lives.

The last few episodes are a stellar finale. So much stuff happens in a thoroughly intense situation, each character being faced with a tough situation to deal with. Kurumi barely remaining her humanity after being unable to fight back against a zombified Megu-nee, Yuuri deciding whether or not to kill Kurumi because she had made Yuuri promise to do so in case Kurumi got infected, Miki trying to find a cure for Kurumi and getting trapped, Yuki being the last resort left to save everyone as she’s forced to come to terms with reality. It’s a really emotional sequence of episodes as you see Yuki coming to terms with Megu-nee’s death and emotionally maturing to be someone who’s able to save her friends. I loved everything about them.

The direction is great too. The aesthetic changes that come depending on the scene can be impressive. The OP especially is something that stands out with its great attention to detail. Almost every episode makes subtle changes to the OP’s visuals as the narrative unfolds and it feels super rewarding to witness. For example, the day to evening cycle, Kei walking into the mall, Megu-nee’s face on the board getting erased after her death is revealed, pictures changing and photo background getting yellowed, Taroumaru disappearing after he becomes a zombie, etc etc.

School-Live is a worthwhile experience for anyone who likes either of these genres. As a big fan of both, it felt tailor made for me. Looking forward to seeing how the rest of the manga plays out.