So admittedly, I primarily want to focus on one common criticism of the show rather than offer a normal review. I recommend Gakkou Gurashi to anyone, it's very well directed, has a generally strong cast, offers a satisfying emotional payoff, and is very bingeable. It's well made art and I think it has one of the most interesting premises and first episodes in the medium of anime. If you want to know more of my specific feelings on the show, be warned that everything below contains spoilers and is much easier to understand with the full context of the show.

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-SPOILERS-

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There is a common critique of this show, that its blend of moe and horror create too much of a contrast and leave the viewer distracted from what they perceive to be more pressing matters. Now, I cannot convince one to begin liking something that didn't necessarily resonate with them. But I do want to play critical defense for this show, particularly on this point. I believe that Gakkou Gurashi, a show about four moe characters creating a school club to distract themselves from a bitter reality, entirely relies on its cast attempting to emulate what would be an otherwise harmless slice of life venture.

Gakkou Gurashi is about escapism and not forgetting what's really important. But because the main protagonist, Yuki Takeya, falls into a state of PTSD induced psychosis, she creates a delusion that rejects their reality of a zombie apocalypse. As a result, these two themes are at odds with one another throughout the show. Because escapism inherently rejects reality, falling too deep into escapism will ultimately result in losing a grip on what's important. However, escapism is also how the group maintain their sanity. Yuki's mind reacting to her trauma is a defense mechanism and the group use Yuki as a lens so that, they too, don't have to face a constant state of depression, anxiety, etc. So while escapism eventually leads to losing one's self, it's also somewhat of a necessity to get through life on a day to day basis.

The show's themes are directly tied to the show's genre and atmosphere. The horror, this being the zombies and apocalypse, are a representation of reality. The slice of life, this being club activities and light hearted comedy, are a representation of escapism. The reason this is the case, is that Gakkou Gurashi recognizes a need for both. Without escapism or dreaming of a better life, one may easily slip into nihilism as they find the world to be unfairly cruel. Without accepting reality, one may find themselves eventually forgetting what's truly important.

So then, what does Gakkou Gurashi have to say, ultimately? By the end, it becomes much more clear. Reality will always exist around you, no matter how far you fall into escapism, reality will eventually come crashing down around you and when it does, it's up to you to face it. Throughout the entirety of the show, zombies are constantly visable in the background or reflected off glass. By episode 10, the zombies pour into the school. By episode 11, zombies destroy what was their home the entire show, and divide everyone.
But because Yuki is able to realize that her friends are what matter most, she's able to open the literal/metaphorical door and cross over into reality in order to save the club. Yuki realizes the club, her vehicle for escapism, cannot exist without its members. By the final episode, Yuki is not only able to remember important things she'd forgotten, but she's also able to relay what she had learned from her revelation.
Putting on a smile when one doesn't need to, betrays one's true feelings. By bottling up these feelings, one loses touch with what matters to them. Essentially, putting on a facade to act as if everything is ok, is not only a rejection of one's literal reality, but also the reality of one's honest feelings. To embrace reality is to reach emotional maturity.

That is the lesson I saw in Gakkou Gurashi. But the delivery of such a message works because it's done through an empathetic approach. The show illustrates that moments of escape are necessary and showcases why someone would fall into escapism. It's not met with harsh criticism, but its main character, Yuki, reaching a logical conclusion and growing as a person from her experience. Gakkou Gurashi conveys its message naturally with a strong emotional payoff, a delivery and payoff that could not exist without the genre dichotomy. So while I can understand if someone did not enjoy the show juxtaposing these flavors, I think it's important to realize that the show could not exist or reach its conclusion without doing so.

There's also plenty more to recognize, in terms of the direction, when the message of the show is understood. Upon reflection/rewatches, I began to notice consistent visual motifs such as light being enveloped by darkness, shots from outside of windows looking in, flowers slowly dying as the show progresses, as well as hard cuts from tender moments to somber/shocking imagery. There are many moments where the reality of their situation tries to rear its decomposing head, either being in distant background shots or on the opposite side of a window, to as subtle as the number of footsteps being heard in particular moments. Realizing the purpose of the slice of life scenes also allow for moments like the dress up montage to make perfect sense.
It's the show, itself, distracting viewers from the reality of the situation to indulge in a bit of escapism along with the girls. Assuming the viewer allows themself to experience these moments from the perspective of its cast, then the moments where Yuki breaks out of delusion become more concerning and leave the viewer questioning whether or not they should want Yuki to stay in a delusional state. This puts the viewer in the same moral quandry as the rest of the group, debating whether or not they should aid Yuki in indulgence and how its selfish to do so but, at the same time, difficult to decide how it should be addressed.

Again, these elements of the story exist as a result of Gakkou Gurashi's blending of genre. I could add more to these details, believe me. I never even touched on how zombies function, Kurumi dehumanizing the zombies, Yuuri's facade paralleling Yuki's, and how all of that relates the show's thematic core. There is more to unpack. However, I think I've made my case.

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There is no such thing as a perfect show, what matters to me, is how much a show can accomplish. Gakkou Gurashi provides an experience that's equally endearing and funny as well as, grim and depressive. I've never had a show slam me with an emotional reaction so strongly, consistently, and repeatedly. I've never been so thoroughly impressed by a show's attention to detail and how that detail tied itself to the themes and emotional core of the show. I will fully admit, Gakkou Gurashi is a show made for me, it's not going to resonate with everyone, but I'll be damned if I leave this show unfairly criticized for accomplishing what it set out to do. Whether or not you end up enjoying the ride, I hope you can at least recongnize the strength of its craftsmanship.