Review of School Days

[SPOILERS AHEAD: I've tried my best to at least not spoil the major events of the series. However, it would be too much of a challenge to not spoil at all] As a matter of fact, the premises don't sound really attractive. It just feels like another school romance. MAL synopsys is quite attractive though and might arouse your curiosity. But I cannot stick to MAL synopsys if I want to analyze this outstanding anime. STORY : 10 Makoto is a highschooler who has no experience with girls. He loves Kotonoha (another highschooler from the same school) but feels satisfied when he can simply watch her from afar. Herecomes Sekai - also a highschooler in the same school - who notices Makoto's secret love towards Kotonoha and who decides to give him advises to get closer to the object of its love.

While this could be the core of most anime of the same genre, this is just the introduction of School Days, which can be quite surprising. If you compare the first 3 episodes of the series to the rest, it feels like you are watching two completely different anime so different is the tone.
As far as I'm concerned, I was about to drop the show after 2 episodes as I found it quite boring and generic. I watched episode 3 with little hope of continuing the series after it. And then comes the first "anomaly". Literally the last sentence of the third episode. I was like : "Wait, what? Did he really say that?". This anime which felt bland was finally becoming interesting.

From then on, the anime escalates until the final blow.

The construction of School Days is quite unique: it leads you into familiar territory to better disappoint your expectations of the genre.

"This is a harem anime". When you say that, you would expect the usual situation where all the girls are happy with it. Not here... School Days depicts harem in a more realistic way: yes it usually hurts when the person you love is dating with other girls. Some people would say the escalation is quite unrealistic. Really? I have to disagree: this could perfectly be in the news section of a local newspaper. I'm not saying this happens in every harem situation (hopefully). I'm saying the conclusion is not that unrealistic. I don't think it is an exercice of style for the only sake of outbidding on the break with the usual harem scenario.

CHARACTERS : 10

Going along with the evolution of the scenario, the characters first appear to be stereotypes. And then, they reveal themselves in their complexity of mere human beings.

Makoto is one of the most interesting anime characters I was given to see. Well, not exactly... Let me reformulate. First, the character of Makoto shines by its simplicity. He's an ugly bastard you hate with all your heart. While anime usually never got me react, I couldn't watch School Days without getting angry outloud at Makoto's actions and words. He just takes the worst possible decisions throughout the anime.
But... does he really take any decision at all? That's what is extremely bold from School Days creators: while you'll hate him for his actions, you'll realize he has self-consciousness of the harm he does to people. From this point, I realized he was just a random guy prisoner of his desires, incapable of freeing himself from the vain quest of immediate pleasure. And I pitied him.

Kotonoha is your typical shy but gorgeous anime girl. I feel like this kind of character is always protected in anime, either by other characters, either by the anime scenarists. Not here...

Sekai is the cheerful girl who helps Makoto and Kotonoha to get together. In a standard romance anime, that would be it. Of course, Sekai is in love with Makoto (classic). However, she doesn't come to terms with it and will act selfishly for this love she just can't let go.

As for the secondary characters, nothing special about them: they perfectly fit in the scenario. They start off as any secondary characters in a romance anime, being only here to fill the gaps and make the story progress once in a while. Then, they mostly evolve alongside Makoto, becoming obsessed with sex (or is it the opposite way?).

ART : 9

The art is totally one of these averages mid-2000s shows. So, why a 9? For sure, the art does'nt deserve a 9 in itself. But, it perfectly fits with the scenario. The characters are not as attractive as in other anime. They are really basic, the only moe thing being their big eyes.
But... I believe it wouldn't work if the characters were more attractive. The averageness of their designs allows to better enter into the trap School Days creators prepared for us. Making it as if it was just another romance anime, the disillusionment is even greater.

It is quite greyish, which goes with the general atmosphere of this anime.

SOUND : 10

I find the opening really good and quite catchy. The endings enhance the final of each episode. The background music is quite discrete and simple.

ENJOYMENT : 10

As I said, this anime made me react by commenting all the wrong "choices" of Makoto (and also sometimes of the other characters...). You could say: "Is it really an enjoyment then?" And you would be right to ask. I also wondered about that, but this is the sign that I was totally involved in this anime.
What's more, School Days rises to a crescendo, making me totally hooked.

OVERALL : 10

School Days is an atypical romance/harem anime. It starts off as every average anime of the same genre to better drive you to unknown land.