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Studio : TNK
Length : 12 Episodes
Year : 2007
Genre : Romance - Drama - Mature - Psychological
Synopsis :
Makoto had just noticed her in the beginning of the second term; her name is Kotonoha, and they ride the same train everyday. Just being able to look at her every morning was enough to make his day, and he soon developed interest in her. One day he took her picture through his cellphone without her knowing. There is a legend or "cellphone charm" that states that if you take a picture of the person you like and they don't find out about it, they'll realize your love.
Makoto found that legend ridiculous, and was just about to delete the photo when his classmate named Sekai accidently saw the picture on his cellphone and was able to identify her as Kotonoha. For her slip up, she then decides to play matchmaker to bring them together. Sekai starts by becoming friends with Kotonoha and then getting her to eat lunch together with Makoto. They get along fine, and thus Makoto decides it's time to confess his feelings to Kotonoha.
Things are successful and it seems that Kotonoha and Makoto have mutual feelings towards another. Makoto can't thank Sekai enough for going through so much trouble in setting them up together. He asks Sekai if there's anything he can do to repay her kindness. Sekai says that there is one way he can repay, and at that moment, at the train station, Sekai swiftly steals a kiss from Makoto.
Additional Note : An alternative retelling of the ONA series, School Days.
Added : 2007-07-11
Synopsis by : Himitsu
Last update : 2008-03-04
Last update details : Link modified
Score : 7.04
Number of reviews : 27
Link(s) :
Official #1 : Avex's School Days Website (Japanese)
Official #2 : Official School Days Website (Japanese)
A-Source #1 : * * * Anime-Source.com In-Depth Review by xenocrisis0153 * * *
A-Source #2 : * * * Anime-Source.com Spotlight Preview by xenocrisis0153 * * *
Song(s) :
Opening #1 : DeviceHigh - Innocent Blue
Ending #1 : CooRie - Usotsuki / Liar
Ending #2 : Hashimoto Miyuki - Ai no Kakera/Shards of Love
Ending #3 : Kanako Ito - Warutsu/Waltz
Ending #4 : Yozuca - Kioku no Umi/Ocean of Memories
Ending #5 : YURIA - Look at Me
Ending #6 : Kuribayashi Minami - Namida no Riyuu/The Tear's Reason
Release(s) :
2010-05-26 -- Episode(s) 1-12 by Fansub TV Subs. BT Link
2008-04-02 -- Episode(s) 12 by AnimeYoshi. BT Link
2007-12-10 -- Episode(s) 12 by AnimeYoshi. BT Link
Found 45 releases. Click here to [ Find them! ]
Hits : 29318
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Posted by : pawnage
Posted on : 2010-02-16 
School Days !
What can I say, this anime is the only reason why I thought of or bothered to write a review ( my first review BTW ).
Okay! all I can say is that, only two animes among the many that I have watched so far, are what you may call, "close to reality" . One being this one and the other being GTO .
School days is a psycho-romantic drama ( if there ever is one ) about an average guy having a crush on a shy beautiful girl, and has a cute girl as friend who helps him progress from his crush to a relationship ... Whoa! Let's stop there, here is where the trouble starts !
The more you watch it the more you get into it ... until the final episode ( I would like to call it 'the Shocker' )
The best realistic story ever ... So true, it freaks you out .
P.S.
'The shocker' is not for the weak hearted or emo people ... I learned that the hard way ... couldn't sleep peacefully for 2 days ... everytime the anime kept popping up in my sleep .
But one thing is for sure it gives out a clear message to everyone, " women are fragile beings but if they get broken down by an emotional disturbance , then no man can control 'em - so don't play with them or their feelings "
All in all ! It's an anime worth watching !!!
Posted by : AniMat3d
Posted on : 2009-12-21 
When I write an anime review I usually don't comment on what other people mention in their reviews, they are entitled to their own opinion and by no means should anybody's opinion be deemed wrong, but after reading some of the reviews of School Days I began to question myself. First of all, LIFE ISN'T A FAIRYTALE!! We don't live in a world where everyone finds their first love, gets married, and lives happily ever after. It doesn't work like that. Love is pain and the more you find yourself immersed in it, the harder you'll fall when someone breaks your heart. So for some of the reviewers to give this show one or two stars based solely on the fact that they thought Makoto was a jerk is simply ludacris. I'll admit, I'm a sucker for silly high school love stories such as Toradora, Lovely Complex, and Kimikiss, all of these are great shows but do they honestly paint a clear picture of what love is really like. In reality most high school boys and girls are too immature to even know what love is, let alone know how to love someone else. School Days makes us face this reality, revealing the darker side of relationships and the heartache they can bring. Yes, this show is sad and downright depressing but its the truth. I know the truth hurts at times but if you can't take this into account before submitting a review for this show you should just stop while your ahead, go watch Cinderella, and continue living in your fantasy world. Nonetheless, on to the review.
Story 10/10: Truly a Masterpiece! The story appears cliche at first, featuring a typical love triangle in a high school setting. Things take a turn for the worse when Sekai steals Makoto's lips as a reward for getting him and Kotonoha together. Makoto then decides for himself that its easier to fool around with Sekai than to carry the burden of maintaining a relationship. All of the drama and deep emotions are spawned from Makoto's irresposible and cowardly decisions, causing immense heartache for the girls emotionally attached to him. The story is heavily engaging from start to finish and the ending has forever left a deep scar on me emotionally. While it was sad and frustrating at times to see the characters go through constant despair, the story was undeniably entertaining and addicting. It never ceased to impress or depress me.
Animation 8/10: The animation was fairly well done. Backgrounds were rather bland but they do a good job with camera angles and the character's facial expressions, adding to the strong emotional aspect of the show. The only problem I had were the character designs. They were plain, unoriginal, and all the female characters looked exactly the same just with different color hair and eyes.
Characters 5/10: Weakpoint of the show. Let me say this, I hated every character in this show. They were mean, selfish, and above all immature. Even before Makoto turned into a monster and Kotonoha and Sekai started battling it out to see who could win Makoto over, I still didn't find any of them appealing. Makoto was your typical shy and stupid harem lead, Kotonoha was your pretty and soft spoken princess, and Sekai was just there. It would have made the drama so much more intense if I would have seen likeable characters develop into the monsters they become instead of boring ones. Aside from all this I still found myself caring for Kotonoha and Sekai, wishing Makoto would man up and take responsibility in order to stop the bleeding. Sadly he never did and in the end he paid the price for it.
Music 7/10: Not much to say. Some of the endings were better than others and the opening was mediocre. Nothing really stood out as good or bad in this category
Overall 8/10: A sad yet addicting series. I highly recommend this series to anyone seeking intense drama that will tug at your emotions. If you can't take sad endings and are hoping the characters live happily ever after, never watch this series because the ending is FAR from a happy one.
Posted by : Csoro
Posted on : 2009-06-23 
Wow...okay, well, this was my first experience with an anime like this, and this is my first review as well. When all was said in done, this was probably one of the most disturbing and frustrating stories I have ever experienced. I hated most of the characters for how they reacted and dealt with their problems, and the ending was almost unbearable to handle, but it was because of all this that I give this anime a (9) Overall.
Story--(8)-- I expected this to be a typical love triangle story. Not the case. What I appreciated so much about this anime is that it explores a lot of the complex, hurtful parts of relationships and emotions that most romance animes throw out the window. It's an emotional roller coaster that will have you thinking you know how it ends, and then sweep you off your feet.
Characters--(9)-- I enjoy when high school animes don't copy/paste character personalities from other shows. The characters in this anime, while not seeming diverse at the beginning, all become extremely well defined by the end. They almost feel like they could be real people. The voice acting fit the characters well, and how they dealt with problems always felt very true to the character.
Animation--(8)-- The animation was nothing spectacular or different from most anime. Nothing was ever "wow" quality, but their attention to lighting during dramatic scenes was carried out well and it always added a lot to the situation.
Sound--(9)-- This might go along with this type of show, but the music was extremely dramatic and even disturbing at some points. It was almost like a horror-movie soundtrack, but I can't think of more appropriate music for this anime. This anime, of course, is not a horror, but animes tend to downplay negative emotions in their music by just making some generic somber piano piece. Whereas, in School Days, the music they used was emotionally provocative and spot on.
Closing comments:
This anime was extremely riveting and I found myself unable to stop watching it. I find it difficult to believe that it has such a low rating, which might be due to the fact that it's terrible compared to other shows in the genre. I highly recommend this anime to anyone who is sick of the generic romance high school dramas and looking for something to emotionally engage them.
Posted by : joem20 
Posted on : 2009-05-17
This is great. A strong plot and well developed characters are the keys for an anime to be a wonderful piece, and this series did not fail to those aspects.
Story
At first, it seems to be a typical ‘School’ anime, but as the story goes on, more and more conflicts appeared. From start to finish, you really can’t tell what’s going to happen. It’s a story of how love differs to lust. At first, you will do simple things like holding hands, kissing, then step by step you will do more and more silly things until you do ‘that’ thing. Then you will wake up one morning and realize you are addicted to it and when you date again, it is not complete if you will not do ‘that’ thing. This story shows how to be responsible, the consequences of loving too much and to stop being an idiot because of love. It has a very very strong ending that will leave you saying ‘oops, I’ll be careful from now on’.
Animation
It has great animation. The camera angles are very good that adds spice to every scene. They have a good job in showing the expressions of the characters, especially Katsura.
Characters
All of the characters have great character development that’s why all the characters here are not very likeable. They really represent teenagers nowadays.
Music
I like all the music in this series, especially the ending songs. They are very sad to listen.
Overall
This is truly a shocker. I never thought this anime will be a wake up call for teens that are involve in these kinds of relationship. It is sad to say that this kind of story is really happening nowadays.
Posted by : mackdaddyhart
Posted on : 2008-12-30
This is the most traumatic, twisted, horrific anime I've seen, but it is damn good. This is the furthest thing from an enjoyable anime you can get, but you aren't supposed enjoy this show. You're supposed to sit on your couch and say out loud many times, "Oh my goodness, did that just happen?!" Although, just because it didn't make feel warm and fuzzy inside doesn't make it bad at all. In fact, it has the opposite affect.
It does such an amazing job of showing the other side of romance that everyone knows exists but doesn't want to talk about. Instead of dealing with the friendly rivals and the lunch making competitions, it deals with the lying, the cheating, the sex, and just how immature and irresponsible some people can be. It is a great change of pace from the Shuffle!'s and the Girl Bravo's of anime that seem to be multiplying like rabbits.
Now the meat and bones of the show. The characters, as twisted as they seem, are believable. By that, I mean the characters react like how they should react under the circumstances given to them except maybe the end it gets a little over the top BUT what happens is still possible. Also, just so you know, at the end you will look back and realize that you hate every one of them and have no real sympathy for them and I believe they were going for that and they did it perfectly with backstabbings and the sex carousel that was happening. And also, Makoto Itou is the most wicked of them all and of any series ever, period, no contest, but by no means does he ruin the show. He is the driving force that keeps it interesting, and there is absolutely no other character that could come close to filling his shoes in the role he played. Kotonoha was a great delicate, pure, simple love interest and Sekai was a believable jealous high school girl. Those two, though, as good as they are, can't beat out Itou and his performance. He is the best of the worst.
Art and sound generally doesn't affect my viewing pleasure of an anime, but the animation art was definitely viewable and in no way hindered the show. The OP contradicts what the show is actually about with its upbeat tone, but I love the irony it brings. The multiple ED's are better suited for the show because they have a sad vibe to them. I can't say if the songs are great because I don't understand the lyrics like someone from Japan would, but they definitely sound sad and suited.
I can't recommend the show because it isn't for everyone. But if you're mature enough to not giggle and ogle at the sex scenes and want to see the other side of romance, then you should watch this show from beginning to end.
Posted by : AJtheFourth
Posted on : 2008-12-30
This anime was very...interesting.
Animation: It was of an okay quality. Some scenes come off prettier than others, and it's sad that the animation wasn't better, considering it would have made the viewer resonate that much better with the story. 7/10
Story: Starting off with a very stereotypical 'school daze' (excuse the pun) plot, the story quickly deteriorates into a puddle of very strong and conflicting emotions. It's the raw, extreme version of what emotions in high school actually feel like. There's an overtone of 'sex really does ruin everything,' but it's anything but preachy as the story barrels through the last few episodes before crashing into a spectacular, but unrealistic ending. 8/10
Characters: For as amazingly well-done that the storyline is on an emotional level, the cast really is horrible. I'm going to join the bandwagon and say that I hated Makoto. His character developed from being a fraidy-cat, shy/stupid harem lead, to a full-blown coward. You get the sense of someone who is handed tremendous emotional responsibilities and ends up failing in the most miserable way possible, both for himself and everyone he becomes involved with. Kotonoha is useless, but somewhat sympathetic, considering the fact that she is treated terribly by everyone she knows and only in the very end does she retaliate. It is satisfying to see her take action when she finally does snap. The aptly-named Sekai can also be an object of sympathy, despite the fact that she, literally, digs herself into her own grave. The remainder of the supporting cast are all mean, selfish, perverted, and forgettable. It will definitely remind any viewer who is far enough removed from high school to remember that specific time when you were awful to everyone around you while, at the same time, thinking that you were the center of attention. 5/10
Music: The music was hardly worth mentioning. It's not bad, and it's integrated very well into the series, especially the ending themes. However, the songs were all forgettable for me, and after the second episode I skipped through the opening every time. 5/10
Overall: Bolstered by the intense emotional impact, this anime ends up at a 7/10. If you're looking for likable characters, look elsewhere. I think that if this series had shown spectacular animation and music, it could have kept many more viewers' interests long enough to feel the psychological undertones of the story. 7/10
Posted by : jamesabc
Posted on : 2008-12-25
When I watched the first episode of this anime, I thought it would be a sweet anime with innocent things taking place, but later on in the series I found that not to be the case. The main character Makoto I thought would turn out to be the perfect boyfriend to Kotonoha, but that didn't happen. Makoto started becomming selfish and giving in to temptations, sleeping with other girls, where he should have remained faithful. Makoto disgusted me, to be honest. Makoto played around with other girls while not telling Kotonoha the truth by being honest. I felt sorry for her when she knew what was happening, yet she still remained faithful to him. I did find the erotic scenes a bit much for an anime like this, which made the characters seem only interested in sex. It also gives the impression that this is what happens in real life in school, which I'm sure doesn't.
The story seemed to get more and more away from that perfect love story as the episodes went on, which was unexpected when you look at the opening movie which is all innocent, but this made the anime less predictable which was a good thing, and made you wonder what was going to happen next.
In conclusion, the final episode was shocking, probably the most shocking ending I have seen in any anime. I would recommend this anime to horror fans, but give warning to younger viewers. The ending actually makes this anime worth watching even though the previous episodes make you feel disgusted.
Animation and music was also good too.
I give this anime a 8 out of 10.
Posted by : Edvin
Posted on : 2008-10-08
Sex and violence does not mature anime make.
School Days starts out with vibrant colors and crazy lively characters, looking like the most typical of harem anime. But then things quickly devolve into a painful mess (both to each characters, and to the viewer.)
Visual: Production quality is not on the high side, although nobody going into this genre would be expecting it to begin with. The characters are not awkwardly animated, although fan service is often excessive in the beginning (before the series shows its true color), but the animation is never really smooth.
Audio: The voice cast does an OK to pretty good job, with enough emotions to keep me engaged pretty well. That's quite extraordinary considering how bland the characters they have to work with are.
Plot & Characters: Godawful. I didn't expect much out of it when I started, but damn, it's so bad, I have to come and vent it on this review. The character reactions are, at the very least, always insane. You'd think a genre halfway into being drama would have a deep character--you'd be wrong. Every character are every bit as they were in the very beginning. There is no development, hell, there is not even logic to most of their actions. Every action just devolve into fan service, and nothing more.
The plot itself is quite horrible too. I predicted the ending correctly after I saw EP3--yeah, it's that bad. Like with the characters--the plots does nothing except going from one scantily clad babe, a very dragged on conversation (more like a monologue, since characters never really have what we call real conversation), then another babe.
I'm giving this a 4/10. Pretty damn generous considering I didn't even have the patience to watch the thing--it was so bad, I had to fast forward through episode 4 and up.
Posted by : ErwinRommel
Posted on : 2008-09-27
"You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not."
Hamlet
I think the one thing that made me like School Days is because it had a cold logic to the fate of the characters. In some ways this anime is a scathing criticism of the harem genre aimed at guys and girls but since School Days started out as a visual novel I think it's just a cynical satire of the harem anime Tokimeki Memorial (A symbol of all things harem). The anime explores areas that no other in its genre can stomach. That makes this series bold. Just like the reviewer Terentius I needed time to digest what I saw because it had so many powerful moments. This is one of those anime that will leave a deep impression. Highly recommended!
All the characters initially had such a typical harem feel. Many of them become twisted in a way that makes them emotionally beautiful for this cruel world. Kotonoha is the new Ophelia. Sekai, aptly named "the world", obtains and then loses all in her world. But above the two is the twisted nature of Makoto. I found his personality the most provocative innovation the anime has done. For all the devastation that he wrought Makoto is a coward and a weakling. If Kotonoha or Sekai had been firm with him then the tragedies would not have ensued. This overlooked flaw is what ensured the damnation of Kotonoha and Sekai.
If there is a guy that has been average for his whole life and suddenly just gets to have sex with any girl of his choice would he really resist? Most of the shonen and shojo harems seem to think so. This false assumption that the average meek guy would respect and love the girls is one of many things torn down by School Days. The theme of irresponsibility is also another innovation this anime made and I thought it is a pleasant addition. Many of the characters had no idea what it means to say "I love you" and they suffered for playing with something so volatile. School Days brought some well needed reality to a genre that is becoming more aloof. This theme and the flawed assumption in prince charming are at the heart of School Days. These two brings the anime at a maturity level that will be difficult to surpass. This is what a school drama should be like.
There is one thing that I abhorred about the anime and made me decide to not give it a 10. School Days is the Elfen Lied of school drama. It is cruel, cynical, and lacking in humanity. The last description is the only one that I found unacceptable for its genre. Unlike Elfen Lied this show is not a gore fest and a voice of reason is a must. It has a responsibility to its audience that the former does not carry. This is why I think the anime has a low score. The audience has a difficult time relating to the anime even though it is highly applicable to life. There needs to be someone that can step back and see the madness for what it really is. Without this character of reason the anime seems more like a romp in sadomasochism then a heartbreaking tale in love lost. Secondly, without a character that is moral how can any of the actions done by Makoto, who doesn't know right from wrong in love, be considered guilty? What he did is wrong but no one was there to tell him. This makes the show rather immoral at times instead of emotional.
Hence 9/10
Posted by : Chikage_Shampoo
Posted on : 2008-05-02
Wow, wow, and wow. The only aspect that made up for its mediocrity was the ending. School Days is a messed up anime. You either hate or like it. I'm somewhere in between.
The situation, unfortunately, seems more practical and real than in other animes (ONLY in terms of the physical factor), which only focus on the lovey-dovey aspects of high school love, though it becomes a little extreme later on.
I first began watching this because I had watched the OAV of it way back in 2005, and little did I know that that introduction would transmogrify into something like the series.
The main factor that brings out this storyline is the character cast, especially the love triangle between Itou, Saionji, and Kotonoha. You will find yourself either rooting for one girl or the other at first, and then later on you will find yourself disgusted by either of them, especially by the main guy. And how does he get all these other girls in school to like him (except for one)? It just baffles me.
To be extremely kind, Itou is a jerk. He ditches Kotonoha, his first love, and then uses Saionji because she is willing to give her entire self for him. Once he finds out something about her, however, he ditches her for Kotonoha at the end of the series. And let's not forget his interactions with the other girls in school. It just baffles me at how many people like him. He just likes all sorts of attention. He claims to know how to love, without loving at all.
The story starts off where one cheers for Itou, then quickly boos him from afar.
I have never hated the characters of an anime so much as the ones in School Days. Even Kotonoha became awry after a time. Sure, you feel sorry for her and sympathetic, but she becomes frightening later on. Perhaps there was one saving grace - Saionji's best friend who moved away to France. Yet she played a small role in the story.
The storyline revolves around this mess of character interactions around a sole reason: Itou. He practically causes everything, spawning jealousy and hatred around him.
And the ending...wow. The extreme view of what happens when you take your love too far. I had to watch this several times because my friends wanted to watch it, and I think I am scarred for life.
Character animation was crisp and clear. I can't say anything much for the design except that Kotonoha was pretty, Saionji plain, and Itou very plain.
As I skipped over the ED and OP themes for this anime, I cannot say much, though I did hear that the ED changed each episode. That must have been a sound to hear.
All in all, School Days has an interesting triangle and characters, although only mature viewers should watch.
Posted by : Terentius
Posted on : 2008-04-04
It has been the better part of 2 days since I last watched the conclusion of School Days and it is only been now that I have been able to stop, collect my thoughts and write the review for this shocking and polarizing show.
Animation
It'ss actually pretty good. I noticed that cellular phones made a huge impact on the show and this doesn't let up at all. Its even reflected in the ending credits. Also, unlike other 'harem' like shows, the animation is very dark and at first, I found it difficult to tell the girls apart. This wasn't done by mistake as I felt that this conveyed the overwhelming dark mood of School Days. Good overall.
Story
It was the usual story of a love-triangle between 3 senior high-schoolers. The difference is that there was no happy ending or laughs along the way. There was love and romance, but it is of the worst possible kind. The positive OP and light-hearted first 2-3 episodes were as misleading as you can imagine. This is almost an epic Greek tragedy in scale as everyone gets hurt. As for their fates, that is for future viewers to see for themselves. The only thing I will comment on that note was that there was only one truly innocent party in all of School Days and I felt nothing but sorrow for her. The rest, quite simply, deserved whatever miserable fate fell their way. In that regard (and I might be in the minority here), the shocking ending left me with a very bittersweet aftertaste that I'm still trying to rid of.
Characters
Probably for the first time ever, I can openly admit that I have never hated a cast as much as School Days (except Kotonoha). They were conceited, arrogant, selfish and just down-right cruel. Much like other shows where I have grown in love with the characters (think Nodame Cantabile or Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann), for one to openly despise a character, you have to start to 'care' for them. So why am I praising something as despicable as this much maligned cast? We are first introduced to the 3 main characters in the beginning and from episode 6 onwards, it just goes on an ever depressing spiral of decadence and misery. It is truly tragic to see 3 likable individuals destroy themselves in such a way and this was perhaps the main reason why School Days has polarized fans. Watching this truly angered and depressed me as quite simply, it is a reflection of a realistic world where selfishness can destroy all those around you. They are perhaps as 'human' a cast as I can remember and that in itself is why I feel is deserving of praise.
Music
For a 12 episode show, there were quite a number of songs that made their appearance throughout. Some were uplifting, some melancholic and others were just down right depressing. Yet in my eyes they all contributed to the brooding atmosphere. The song used in School Days' conclusion was especially haunting.
Summary
It has truly been a tragedy watching this. It brought forth so many emotions that reflected much of what the characters were doing. It has been said that love and hate are the cause of much of the world's problems and after watching this, I have to agree. I deplored what they did until I realized that they were only human. There are indeed those who are that selfish out there, right now doing a 'Makoto' or a 'Sekai'. We all watch anime as a form of escapism from life or as a form of relaxation. We expect to see super-heroes save the day and sprout the odd funny one-liner, or a pretty girl just looking cute. If we wanted to watch something that reminds us of the selfishness and conceit inherent in everyday life, we would switch off. School Days reminds us (albeit in the worst case scenario) of that very reality. It'll be a very long time before I get over this and in an almost masochistic fashion I enjoyed watching this. This is definitely not for everyone, but it is as hard-hitting a show as I can remember. It would have to take something equally controversial to surpass it. 4.5 stars.
Posted by : achunkymonkey
Posted on : 2008-03-02
I heard of this anime through various posts and other recommendations. Warned by people of a serious plot twist at the end, I still trudged through this disappointing show.
Animation: 8/10
The animations and drawings were well done, and one of the few strong points of the show
Character: 4/10
These characters' development felt unbelievable and stretching past any reality of a high school. It seems like the writers decided to make the audience rip out their hair screaming at the screen, unable to decide who to hate more: Katsura or Makoto. Makoto seems like a child, and completely worthless as a person. Throughout the show I repeatedly wanted to punch him for various acts of stupidity. Katsura was just as bad. To put it bluntly, she can be described is a single line, "A whore who wants a serious relationship not based on sex". The girls of the show were even worse, by the end of the show, all of them were attracted to Makoto, and wanted to "try him out" like a toy for some unknown reason. It felt like the writers ran out of ideas and just decided to go overboard with the fan service and put him in every possible relationship. The writers seemed to remind the viewers every episode that this series was based off an H-game, and that to score with a girl, one just had to have a cellphone. The main heroine was the only person with any ounce of likability, but Kotonoha was written out halfway through the series, and showing up suddenly for the last few parts. She never does anything, playing the stereotypical shy girl, until surprise she snaps.
Music: 7/10
There was music? didn't really notice until the end, in the last episode where I could finally notice it and it fit the scenes.
Story: 3/10
It seems like there was a switch between writer staff around the middle of the season, completely switching gears and ruining an alright beginning. This story felt totally dependent on shock factor, and twists. But when anyone finishes this show, all people want to do is rip on it, and the disappointing finish.
I would recommend to avoid this anime, any sight or mention of it. And if this warning was not enough prepare to yell at the characters and remove any fragile objects because this show will make you want to break things. After finishing the show, I felt that the writers were laughing from wherever content that they wasted hours of my life which I will never get back.
Posted by : Yami_Leto
Posted on : 2008-02-14
Wow what an anime. Most people seem to love it or hate it. Time to show why I liked it.
Characters 9/10: The characters in this series were awesome. Most people would say that many of them acted out of character, but these people also forget that this anime is trying to show the possible darkness in real life. A person does not always act "in character" someone that is typically shy in real life might randomly go out for a beer or something and this anime shows that "humans are not so predictable factor" very well.
Story 10/10: This is one of those stories that is meant to hurt a bit if you place yourself in the place of the characters. You're supposed to realize that it COULD be you in these situations. Basically this is a story with a warning about what you should not do (Makoto is a very big example of what not to do).
Music 8/10: It does not really stand out too much during the show which is good, but it does add to the atmosphere of the anime very well.
Overall 9/10: This is a very good anime if you're looking for getting an emotional stab in the gut. As a warning if you're looking for a feel good anime do not watch this. Also I must add about how much there is too learn from this anime by what it intends to teach (be careful with sex and relationships) and also how you as a person react.
Posted by : leoxjm
Posted on : 2008-01-16
I had high expectations when I started to watch this show... and I was disappointed. I expected to find an anime of a tragic romantic triangle, but in the end I found lousy character development, forced plots and a shocking twist at the end... which doesn't manage to compensate for all the mediocrity that preceded it.
School Days opens with a solid first chapter, but approximately the entire first half of the series is wasted (yes, wasted) on the attempts between Makoto and Katsura to build up a relationship. Now, why do I consider this a waste? In simple terms, the two characters have no chemistry together. Just that simple. Makoto's horny, Katsura's shy. They have nothing in common, their attraction barely rates as physical... even when they try to get together it is too glaringly obvious that it just doesn't work. I'm pretty sure the production actually meant for it to be this way, but dragging this on for a bunch of episodes is tiring, boring and it just feels forced. In other series, when relationships don't quite work, they try to put some effort because they think "breaking up will suck", but in this case being together sucks. Why bother? Because they have a story to tell? Well, off to a bad start. I also didn't appreciate the excessive fanservice of the first part. It goes away later (or it is put in a more appropriate context), but there are lots of unnecessary panty and cleavage shots early on.
The characters are pretty bad too. First off, Makoto sucks. Typically, the male protagonists of romantic anime are some sort of good guys. They have their bad things, maybe like being stupid or something, but School Days takes an original initiative by making him a total ass. Unfortunately, "original" doesn't mean "good"; it makes absolutely no sense why the hell he gets so much attention from people. He may be good-looking... but so what? There's nothing outstanding about him aside from (maybe) that! Now, I may be being overly critical because of my high school experiences, but being a total twit with good looks only didn't get anyone I knew very far (Side info: I was in 3 different schools in 3 different countries... I'm pretty sure about my conclusions). Also, relationships as forced as the one between Katsura and Makoto tended to die on their own in just a few days. Anyway, the guy just sucks. I disliked him so much, I was actually laughing in the last episode. I seriously doubt that the producers were aiming for laughter there!
Sekai fares better. I have to say that she pretty stupidly digs the hole where all the cast buries itself because of their interactions, and the whole "special training" thing is beyond counter-intuitive. She has her low points, but I'll let that pass because, of all the characters in the show, she's actually the most human, and the only one who seems capable of using more than just her genitalia.
And Kotonoha... well, she's a waste. I really thought she was worthless at first. Cute, but worthless. She moves pretty much as the plot wants her to. She has no personality, no will, and no real motivation. Her role as a pushover is done with a vengeance; she is utterly incapable of drawing lines or to even recognize truths even when they explode in her face. Even though she never recovers from that, in about the 3rd quarter she kind of picks up and starts growing a spine, only to degenerate once again into the plot's puppet in the end and, once again, do things just to bring the show to its dramatic end. She's among the lousiest characters I've ever seen in anime. No doubt about it.
The supporting cast also sucks. All the show's females suddenly turn out to be interested in man-whore Makoto, a pretty unnatural development, if you ask me, because it happens pretty much out of the blue. Makoto's only guy friend is a bumbling idiot who... well, was completely expendable, coming to think if it. He didn't do anything. Even when we think he does, that plot development is conveniently forgotten, making his existence utterly irrelevant. The rest of the females are there just to make the hole deeper, but have no importance on their own. Pathetic. These people are the lousiest friends ever, since they are pretty willing to screw around with their friends' boyfriends behind their backs just for the hell of it. Doesn't anyone there have some loyalty? You could make a case for them being immoral or maybe even degenerate, I guess, but it's not ground I'm willing to thread. Let's leave it at disloyal. As a side note, all horny male characters should pay a visit to the school this series takes place in. They're gonna score no matter what! (This is not a compliment to this show!)
Now, as senseless as it was, the emotional mess that Katsura and Sekai make for themselves is done rather well. It feels forced at first, but I do see some merit here. There are moments where a viewer can sympathize with the characters and think "that sucks" and stuff... but it's nothing otherworldly. I have to admit that the developments with Katsura seemed too extreme, even taking the character's personality into account. I was hoping that the ending episodes would deal more with the consequences of the character's actions, but instead it just buildup for the shocking developments of the final episode. A real pity, if you ask me, because I really think that a "you reap what you sow" message could have been told with more intelectual and emotional approach. What about the social stigma? Taking responsibility? Trying to patch up a relationship that no longer works? They do begin to all these things, but unfortunately they are abandoned quickly. Instead, School Days has the subtlety of bashing you over the head with a sledgehammer. Yeah, it's shocking and flashy... but there's no true commentary there. Just that "and so, things can get screwed up really badly". I doubt anyone will care. It's almost like wrapping up a show by dropping a nuke out of the blue where all the characters live. Yup, their story's over, alright!
In terms of technical stuff, School Days is pretty good. I liked it in terms of design. Animation quality went up and down here and there... I usually look for consistency, but I didn't find anything too unforgivable with School Days. Maybe I was too busy hating the way the show went in terms of plot to worry much about aesthetics, but I really can't say that anything was terrible there. I have to say that the music was appropriate... although maybe the OP wasn't. I feel that it was too cheerful for this show, especially since it tries to be rather serious. I half expected to see the Super Mario Bros. running around in the bakground as it was playing.
So, in the end, I have to say that School Days isn't really a show I recommend. It does manage to be good looking, touching at times, and shocking when it wants to... but there's no more substance behind it. Want a romantic love triangle with a touch of tragedy? Watch Kimi ga Nozomu Eien (a.k.a. Rumbling Hearts) instead. Even Kannazuki no Miko works better! As for the mental/emotional damage that love can do, the fifth arc of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni manages to treat this topic far more masterfully. Only check School days out if you're curious... But I really don't think it's worth it.
Posted by : Swordwielder
Posted on : 2007-12-28
This anime was pretty good in my opinion. I started watching this anime because I have seen the episode 1 of the game and different endings of the game and I was curious of how this ending will be like in the anime. But, it wasn't far from what I had thought.
Animation: 9/10
Animation was pretty cool, backgrounds and stuff was pretty nicely done, except for the blood.
Character:8/10
It wasn't as good like how it was in the game. In School Days the game, Makoto was a better kind of person and not a jerk like how he is in the anime. Other than that, the other heroines were pretty much the same: good.
Music: 10/10
Pretty cool, and it fits with the scenes as well
Story: 10/10
I think the story is good, because it teaches people a lesson. What kind of lesson? well, you have to watch it to find out.
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