Different, but the same (in a good way!)
Creative Staff:
Story: Morimitsu Kaihou (Nitroplus)
Art: Sadoru Chiba
Translation: Leighann Harvey
Lettering: Alexis Eckerman
What They Say:
Now that they’ve graduated high school, the girls are heading off to college! With Ruu-chan in tow, they arrive at their new school: St. Isidore University! What awaits them there, however, remains to be seen…
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
School Live! could have easily been a Gilligan’s Island type of series in that while the cast is in a pretty dire situation, its premise of still being a “cute girls doing cute things” show with the zombie apocalypse being an afterthought could have fueled the series ad infinitum through short, episodic stories. And while the series has (and still does!) delve into the cutesy at times, it’s interesting to note that author Nitroplus does seem to want to push the series into having an endgame of some sort, with gradual progress made with each volume.
Having now left the confines of their high school, Yuki and co. have officially made it to their destination of St. Isidore University where they’ve met not one, but two separate groups of survivors, each with very different means of surviving. The first group the gang runs into is dubbed as “The Militants,” and come off as a very intentional response to Yuki and co’s casual attitude to the zombie outbreak so far. The Militants shoot first and ask questions later, have incredibly thorough body-checks for bite marks, and take no risks when it comes to ensuring the safety of their people, even if it means the villainization of pretty much everyone that isn’t them. In any other horror survival series, they’d be seen as the good guys, but their absolute lack of chill not to mention their inclusion of male characters means they absolutely must serve as the series’ antagonists and it’s pulled off so well. Similar to the zombies in the series, The Militants are never shown for too long before they’re quickly forgotten in favor of the main cast, but their mere existence in the School Live! world is enough to get you thinking about what else lies in the shadows for Yuki and the gang.
In complete opposition to all that, the second more prominent group the cast runs into are the Degeneracy Appreciation Society (or “The Circle” because they couldn’t agree on a better name). Composed of Touko, Hika, Aki and Rise, The Circle acts as The School Living Club 2.0 in every way possible. Not only is every member a cute girl in their own right, but they each offer their own college-aged brand of wisdom and eccentricity that compliments the main cast well. For the most part, The Circle’s leader Touko gets the most screen time, so we’re introduced to them primarily through her way of living, but it works. From beanbag chairs, to movie marathons, to videogames, Touko treats her lounging in a manner you’d only expect from a college student. She’s thoroughly likable and relatable from the get-go, and thus so are the rest of her friends.
Of course, to change the setting but maintain the rest of the status quo wouldn’t be all that worthwhile, so of course, Nitroplus throws in some further intrigue and possible future plot points as well. Exchanging information with their newfound senpais, the School Lives slowly build more reason to investigate the Randall Corporation—the invisible hand behind why both schools have been so well-prepared with running water, solar panels, and food. On top of this, Mii-kun does her own snooping around campus and uncovers some inconvenient truths of her own in the form of a mysterious voice speaking from what should be a locked building. Add to this the more blatant moments of fanservice (not one, but two nudity scenes!), and the series is slowly but surely crafting a story all while maintaining its thoroughly adorable exterior.
In Summary:
Moving the School Live! cast to college has benefited the story in every way possible. Not only are we given more likable characters, but we’re also given an immediate villain in the form of The Militants. And while an overarching story is slowly developing, the series still maintains its cheery exterior through all the doom and gloom.
Content Grade: A
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: A
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: Older Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: June 20, 2017
MSRP: $13.00
