Review of School Days
This anime is a very mixed bag. On the good side it illustrates well how confusing, emotionally tepid and trying love-especially young love can be merged with unresolved emotions and sense of true devotion while on the bad, exploring the consequences of infidelity. Although I wish it defied and steered away from certain established and over-used tropes present in the Harem, Ecchi and High School genres. It was watchable and engaging up towards the sixth episode where the Love Triangle really began to get convoluted. All in all, I would not put it on a ranking as the best anime of its genre, yet isgood as a guilty pleasure. Still, it could have been better had it been more true to the manga while incorporating more noble elements from the Visual Novel-mostly in providing more redeeming qualities to the main characters.
That being said, it does tell a cautionary story that all should learn from and apply lessons when dealing with issues of romance, fidelity, manipulative friends/peers, lust vs love, and treating others with honor and respect. It also vividly shows how the problems of cheating on ones partners, lack of sexual education, assault, indecision, and ill treatment of others (particularly women) can lead to disasters. Each are very sensitive and serious topics on concern the more research I did on them in Japanese society today and School Days if nothing else makes it clear how they make people despicable and injure the lives of those hurt by dishonest misdeeds. These are attitudes and cultural viewpoints a number of societies today really need to steer away from and take into account.
As far as the characters go: Sekai was genuinely nice in the anime as she was in the manga-only to reveal herself as a manipulative predator plan and simple. She wasn't going to be satisfied until she had Makoto in some way, shape, or form while still being a wolf in sheep's clothing. While no one character in the anime is a saint, Makoto and Katsura were the real victims. Just when it seems they will finally be together, their best friend decides to destroy the bond between them when she was the one who helped hook them up, even when she put on an air of guilt and resistance while using Makoto's intimate indecision to her advantage.
Katsura I generally liked being a shy bookworm myself, yet I felt bad how much unfair criticism she took and that she really did not fight more for the love she had for Makoto earlier when it would have made a difference and in the tragic end had to cross a major red line.
Regardless of him falling into the same category most Harem MC's are written, Makoto Itou is not arrogantly proud of his faults and weakness yet should have known when to break off the fling with Sekai and Otomoe, not to mention have an orgy with their mutual classmates. In my honest opinion, I prefer his depiction in the manga, OVAs and Good Endings from the VN to this version. I do not condone cheating in the slightest, yet despite being dense, awkward and foolish he was not that reprehensible. Would have been better if he had been written not as a blind novice who was unable to see the warning signs in front of him only to pay a terrible price for not acting with conviction and confidence sooner on his feelings for Katsura.
I was glad in the end that Sekai got what she deserved for manipulating her friends and largely sowing the seeds leading to a tragic conclusion. While I like tragedy to an extent, still thought it could have taken another turn.
Moral of the story: Stay faithful and be true to your feelings and never take advantage of others.
While I am aware there are better High School Romance anime apart from this one, School Days brings the harsh reality of romance out in a way that exposes the beauty, darkness, strength and failings of the human spirit. This is why I both like and dislike the anime. Part of me kind of wants a reboot yet I know it's unlikely to happen, as it could have ended altogether differently. In that regard I would suggest watching Good Endings of the VN (if that's your preference). Certainly is not for the faint of heart, watch at your own risk.
Whether you can relate to the characters or not, it's worth a watch to be aware of relationships that are coercing and toxic, when not to cross dangerous boundaries and overall to be true on how you really feel for someone without hurting others closest to you. Love, even when you are young, can lead people to do things they are reluctant to, have regrets over or hesitant to embrace yet they should not be done at the cost of self-respect and the esteem of others.