School Live!

Number of Episodes: 12

What Wikipedia says: Yuki Takeya is a cheerful school girl who, along with her friends Kurumi Ebisuzawa, Yūri Wakasa, and Miki Naoki, is a member of the Megurigaoka Private High School's School Living Club. As Yuki seeks out fun school activities every day while living at school, the other girls work to keep her safe, because in reality, they are the sole survivors of their school after a zombie outbreak overruns the city.

What KoanMan says: A "cutesy" first episode, with what appeared to be very little substance, had KoanMan wondering "why watch this"? Then the second episode starts to show small cracks in the delightful world of Yuki Takeya. Cracks that reveal a world of ZOMBIES!! Awesome! 

School Live! is a carefully crafted journey into the lives of Yuki Takeya, Yuuri Wakasa (club president), Kurumi Ebisuzawa (shovel wielding tough girl), Miki Naoki (troubled junior), Megumi Sakura (class teacher) and the ever-perky Taroumaru (the club canine mascot), and by perky, KoanMan means annoying. Oh, and about a billion other local residents and school-goers..... the "z-o-m-b-i-e-s"..... (say that with a ghoulish voice). In keeping with most Zombie apocalypse stories, there is an endless supply of undead corpses that need dismemberment. However, unlike most of these stories, this one delves much more deeply into the minds and feelings of those few remaining alive. It is this story that really carries this series, although the pace a few flat spots, and is never rushed nor particularly action-packed. That said, a lot happens, and the flash-back style fits well and adds to the journey. Kurumi is a favourite - anyone who has their own gold-plated shovel for beheading has be cool right? Or at least respected..... And Yuuri is the warm heart of the group that keeps everything together at all times. 

How About the Music? The music is OK, and mostly fits the mood. [tTPO: The OP is fantastically moe and gives little indication of the true nature of the show.]

So How Does it End? (Spoiler free): It is not a let down.

Overall Grade:  With a bit more action and faster pace this could easily have been an A. So close..... KoanMan liked this, and gives a solid B.

Addendum by tTPO: tTPO has just a little more patience than KoanMan, maybe because Koanman has a tendency to marathon and tTPO watch a week at a time. In any case tTPO and Mrs tTPO were big fans of this series, and while is may have missed that little bit of magic that makes and A, it was not far off. A-.