(L+CR) Gakkou Gurashi

[serenade_beta]

Ep1

Impact was pretty good. I'm not to sure about spending the entire episode in order to deliver the blow, but it does make sense (though still boring).
Anyways, considering that there are very few zombie manga/anime and the most famous is... well, the author ran off or something, maybe there will be an ending...
(Not like most zombie movies have a proper one anyways)

[Yamada II]

This first episode was boring. 2boring4me. The whole episode was uninteresting until we find out that this was all Yuki's little loli delusion. Now all of this feels so weird. Everyone else was just playing along with her then? Well that does explain why Mii-kun barged in each classroom and had to be told by Yuki that there's a class going on whereas the class was ded. But why doesn't anyone try to tell her the truth? Is it something like she will just reset the next day? Is that sensei alive or is she a zombie too? I'm not sure what quality to expect here anymore especially after we see the reality of things.

[Myssa Rei]

Oh stop being so coy, Serenade.

Besides, you already know this manga DOES have a good stopping point for an ending.

Yamada II: This is one series that's best enjoyed going in blind. Trust me, I'm a manga reader.

[Elestia]

I've already read the manga, and watching for the "signs" was kind of fun. Will keep watching against my better judgement cause seeing this animated is a treat.

Images

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Edit: Haha, oh Sensei, you so....... oh.

[eceso]

Wow, was not expecting that

Really anticipating the next episode now

[Hmm....]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

Anyways, considering that there are very few zombie manga/anime and the most famous is... well, the author ran off or something, maybe there will be an ending...
(Not like most zombie movies have a proper one anyways)

Just curious, which one did you refer as the most famous zombie manga ?

[bahamut zero]

^ Highschool of the Dead, obviously.

[IceHism]

That was so cute.

Now I can't wait to see these girls break.

[FateAnomaly]

Wow, totally unexpected. Was puzzled why they have club in the middle of classes then it all makes sense. The effect is great and I definitely look forward to the next episode.

[moodie]

they played the SoL element very well.

[Benigmatica]

Episode 1:
Damn, seems that the author of this series took notes from Gen Urobuchi and ran away with the biggest surprise ever (considering that both Norimitsu Kaihou and Gen Urobuchi came from Nitroplus)!

Anyways, let's see what comes next in Episode 2...

[novalysis]

Anything that proceeds from a Nitroplus writer.... should be treated with extreme caution from now on, as if Urobuchi himself is writing the plot.

[Kazu-kun]

What makes Urobuchi is not just a grimdark style, but a somewhat cynical outlook on life. I'm not going to expect that kind of stuff from other writers just because they come from the same production house.




On a more on-topic note. I gotta say that while I liked the episode, I'd have preferred if they focused more on the four girls in the premiere, not just Yuki and Miki. The dog chase didn't need to last the whole episode. They could have used some of that screentime to show Rii and Kurumi a bit more.

I know they will surely have their moments eventually, but the first episode is important in and of itself.

[Marina2]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

On a more on-topic note. I gotta say that while I liked the episode, I'd have preferred if they focused more on the four girls in the premiere, not just Yuki and Miki. The dog chase didn't need to last the whole episode. They could have used some of that screentime to show Rii and Kurumi a bit more.

I know they will surely have their moments eventually, but the first episode is important in and of itself.

I think the purpose of the dog chase scene is to take us (audience) around the school and show us many "hints" that something is wrong about the school.

[White Manju Bun]

Originally Posted by Marina2

I think the purpose of the dog chase scene is to take us (audience) around the school and show us many "hints" that something is wrong about the school.

Exactly, the chase seen implanted all the clues that were just ignored by us for one reason or another. Like why is there a dead end stacked with chairs. Why does Mii disturb other classes so much. The broken windows. And you can actually see the zombies on the roof garden scene but theyre out of focus enough that you dont process it. It's like you see them but if you dont know this is about zombie it's not going to register. Seriously great subliminal fun.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Marina2

I think the purpose of the dog chase scene is to take us (audience) around the school and show us many "hints" that something is wrong about the school.

Sure, but they could accomplish the same in a way that doesn't feel so boring and involves the other characters a little more too.

[BWTraveller]

Not having read the manga, (or even knowing where to find it), I came in this completely blind, and am quite glad I did. I'm a fan of SoL as well as other genres, so the first part of this didn't really strike me as "boring", but rather as sweet, slightly silly and a little unoriginal. But that twist at the end hit incredibly hard. Frankly I doubt they could've pulled off such impact if they hadn't dedicated most of the episode to Yuki's cheerful school life. The more joy you saw from her, the more jarring it was when the truth was revealed.

On another note, I watched it again and found it interesting spotting things that were a little off in the image, hints at the truth behind the illusion. Some were just odd sights like a "dead end" made by a wall of desks, or odd reactions to Yuki (like looking at her and around the class when Yuki chides Miki for interrupting class), and others were just faint shadows of the real appearance of things.

I just hope they find some way to have a hopeful ending. It doesn't have to be a happy ending, and I find it hard to imagine coming up with a happy ending in a ZA story, but something where you know a "Happily Ever After" is actually possible and the girls are trying to find the right direction would be great. You don't get that much in Zombie stories; usually it seems like it ends with another year of survival combined with limited supplies spelling a guaranteed exponential drop in chances for each proceeding year, or it just doesn't end because the situation's so hopeless the author gives up on finding a way to keep things going.

[White Manju Bun]

@BWTraveller, I watched it again as well and definitely had more fun looking at all the clues that were dropped.

[Kaoru Chujo]

I wish I hadn't read enough of the anime to know what was really going on. I found ep1 pretty boring, but I'll withhold judgment and see what they do from now on.

[YotsuMaboroshi]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

Sure, but they could accomplish the same in a way that doesn't feel so boring and involves the other characters a little more too.

Not really. The episode is Yuki's perspective. The other characters wouldn't act the same without Yuki around, as they don't see the same thing, so the show can't just drop hints if Yuki isn't the current perspective (seen when we shift to Miki's perspective at the end).

Overall, first episode was good to me, and relatively true to the first chapter of the manga. Miki's inclusion from the start makes sense to a degree (more exposure, and brings a source of conflict up closer to the start of the series), though I kind of hope we don't spend too much time on flashbacks later as a result. Taromaru's primary role this episode was to extend the running around the school, but his inclusion makes things a little odd.