Ratings for all 4 episodes,
Ep 1 ~ 7/10; Ep 2 ~ 6/10; Ep 3 ~ 6/10'; Ep 4 ~ 7/10
I like the setup, with the original murders and the urban legend that's grown up around them. I like the original school still existing in a parallel dimension (feels very Silent Hill). The general story is good - and creepy. It's also extremely gory, with graphic torture and murder, and very convincing voice work for the children's screams and pleading as they're suffering. I watched this with subs, but the whole of the Japanese voice cast seem a good fit for their roles.
Where this loses a bit is in some of the detail. Yes, this is horror, and horror goes hand-in-hand with dumb character decisions; but these idiots take it to a new level of stupidity. You're standing in a haunted garden full of mutilated corpses, with your VERY young sister who needs to pee; given the circumstances, do you go to a bush with her whilst she does what she has to do? No, you let her wander off with the creepy little ghost girl the two of you have just met - whilst you go back indoors! And whilst the female characters are intended as cute, some come off as INCREDIBLY annoying (I can't promise I wouldn't have murdered at least one of them). There's also an issue of pacing. It feels rushed, and occasionally things seem to take a bit of a leap (although they usually become clear later).
Given that this is anime featuring schoolgirls, of course there is fan-service. T&A closeups (no nudity) are frequent (there's also a few upskirt shots - some of which jar, given the very young age some girls are supposed to be).
Where this series does score is in how fantastically atmospheric it is. The old, dilapidated school is a great location - you can almost hear the floorboards creak as you look at them. The ghosts appearing in the background are very creepily done. And there are some great sound FX. This is balls-to-the-wall horror. And as such, it's good to see. It's a shame it's marred by a few issues. Overall rating, 6.5/10.
Ep 1 ~ 7/10; Ep 2 ~ 6/10; Ep 3 ~ 6/10'; Ep 4 ~ 7/10
I like the setup, with the original murders and the urban legend that's grown up around them. I like the original school still existing in a parallel dimension (feels very Silent Hill). The general story is good - and creepy. It's also extremely gory, with graphic torture and murder, and very convincing voice work for the children's screams and pleading as they're suffering. I watched this with subs, but the whole of the Japanese voice cast seem a good fit for their roles.
Where this loses a bit is in some of the detail. Yes, this is horror, and horror goes hand-in-hand with dumb character decisions; but these idiots take it to a new level of stupidity. You're standing in a haunted garden full of mutilated corpses, with your VERY young sister who needs to pee; given the circumstances, do you go to a bush with her whilst she does what she has to do? No, you let her wander off with the creepy little ghost girl the two of you have just met - whilst you go back indoors! And whilst the female characters are intended as cute, some come off as INCREDIBLY annoying (I can't promise I wouldn't have murdered at least one of them). There's also an issue of pacing. It feels rushed, and occasionally things seem to take a bit of a leap (although they usually become clear later).
Given that this is anime featuring schoolgirls, of course there is fan-service. T&A closeups (no nudity) are frequent (there's also a few upskirt shots - some of which jar, given the very young age some girls are supposed to be).
Where this series does score is in how fantastically atmospheric it is. The old, dilapidated school is a great location - you can almost hear the floorboards creak as you look at them. The ghosts appearing in the background are very creepily done. And there are some great sound FX. This is balls-to-the-wall horror. And as such, it's good to see. It's a shame it's marred by a few issues. Overall rating, 6.5/10.