Those who enjoyed the live action film “Gakko School-Live!” may enjoy this side story, “Gakko School-Live! Another Story”. It may not be for everyone and the choices made by this group may frustrate some viewers. But if you enjoyed the live-action film, then definitely give this four-episode live action drama series a try!
TITLE: Gakko School-Live! Another Story (がっこう××× ～もうひとつのがっこうぐらし！～)
FILM RELEASE: 2019
DURATION: 4 Episodes: 111 Minutes
BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Subtitles: English
COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks
RATED: TV14 V
Release Date: July 20, 2021
Based on the manga series by Kaiho Norimitsu and Chiba Sadoru
Directed/Screenplay by Sugioka Tomoya
Music by Kanematsu Shu
Starring:
Sakurai Hinako as Sawatari Yukari
Takeda Rena as Kubota Kozue
Morisako Ei as Harada Riko
Yuki Mio as Takagi Maho
Ono Nonoka as Sakura Megumi (Megu-nee)
Wakana Majima as Wakasa Yuuri
What does your school mean to you? For a handful of students at Megurigaoka Private High School, the answer is going to be salvation as they start their worst day of classes ever.
It begins quietly, with only the fact that some students aren’t showing up for classes to hint at what’s about to begin. Then the killing starts as the school’s student body start to turn into reanimated student bodies, taking an early lunch break to devour their former classmates! By the time our group of female survivors realizes that they’re in the middle of a zombie epidemic, their only chance of staying alive lies in barricading themselves into the building. What they don’t realize yet is that this is only Day One, and they may be living there for the rest of their lives!
In 2012, Nitropkus mangaka Kaiho Norimitsu and illustrator Chiba Sadoru would create the manga series “Gakko Gurashi!” (School-Live!).
Serialized from May 2012 to November 2019 courtesy of Houbunsha’s “Manga Time Kirara Forward”, an anime adaptation from Lerche aired from July to September 2015. And a live-action film was released in January 2019.
The live action film revolved around high school students who are members of the School Living Club who try to survive another day.
While “Gakko School-Live! Another Story” is a four episode Internet live-action drama series focusing on another group of four high school students who also need to try survive but where the members of School Living Club had to make quick decisions of killing close friends who had become zombies, can this group do the same?
Where the original film utilized Last Idol performers, “Gakko School-Live! Another Story” features popular young model/actress Takeda Rena (“Assassination Classroom”) as Kubota Kozue, a member of the video editing club, alongside Shinohara Misaki (portrayed by model, Uehara Miku). The two were filming their teacher Sakura Megumi (portrayed by Ono Nonoka) who the members call her “Megu-nee” for a story until the zombie attacks began and the girls found themselves, trying to reach out to their classmates. But Misaki is bitten, while Kozue couldn’t do a thing. She ends up staying a safe room along with three others.
Harada Riko is in the acting club and she produced a play, but because she wants things perfect, she is rubbing her friends who are actors in the play, the wrong way.
Meanwhile, we get to meet two students who don’t get along. Sawatari Yukari (portrayed by Sakurai Hinako) is a girl who is cruelly bullied by Takagi Maho (portrayed by Yuki Mio).
And now these four individuals managed to escape inside a locked safe room. But unknown to three of them, one of them was bitten by a zombie.
The live drama series goes into the history of each of the four students and the main individual that connects this live-action drama to the live-action film is the character of Megumi. In this case, we get to see more of her concern for her students and how she dislikes her students calling her Megu-nee.
The drama has a cameo appearance by Wakasa Yuuri (portrayed by Majima Wakana) who was the club president for the School Living Club.
The live action-drama is just as violent as the live-action film, as the students have to fight back against the zombies. But of course, there is more mayhem in the live-action film, while the drama tries to set up dramatic backstories of the four members. The live-action film didn’t explore the backgrounds in depth as this live-drama series does.
But I feel this drama series is more a juxtapose to show the other side of students who will do anything to live and survive another day, these four students, have to make a decision and I think the decisions show us how these students are in a much different mindset. Can you kill someone who you considered a friend or someone you liked, even if they turned into a zombie?
If anything, those who enjoyed the live action film “Gakko School-Live!” may enjoy this side story, “Gakko School-Live! Another Story”. It may not be for everyone and the choices made by this group may frustrate some viewers. But if you enjoyed the live-action film, then definitely give this four-episode live action drama series a try!
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