Over the years the things you pick up as a pseudo-internet critic when reviewing anime
(other than a bloated ego of self-importance) is the influence you bring to your viewers.
Picture your favourite anime, the one that you love so wholeheartedly that you are willing
to protect and defend it to the ends of the earth.
Now allow me to tell you that your favourite anime is shit.
It has flaws, it has some glaring issues that could have been addressed.
But none of that matters to you, because it’s your favourite anime.
And with this mindset, by the same token it works, both ways.
If you get to look at good anime and try to find its flaws, the natural response should
be to look at bad anime and find the things that are good about it.
So that means that uh... we are going to be looking at...
...School Days.
WELP!
Here we go again!
School Days really needs no introduction.
Guy likes girl.
Another girl hooks him up with said girl.
Naughty things happen.
Heads roll.
Best girl is Boat-chan.
[Boats N’ Hoes intensifies]
It has been touted by many (including me) to be considered for the award of worst anime
of all time.
It contains despicable characters, an over-the-top plotline, bogus relationships, and ends in
such a Hindenburg fashion it almost makes up for the gargantuan mess that preceded it.
Almost.
I have spent the last 7 years of my life trying to make sure people never watch this series,
to do my best to dissuade poor souls from watching this monstrosity.
Now don’t get ahead of yourselves, School Days is still the despicable series that deserves
to be decapitated by the rustiest guillotines, but it has come to my attention that the harder
you rail on something like this, the more likely people are to watch it just to see
what all the hubbub is about.
You’re welcome, by the way.
So why not try the opposite: Let’s talk about...
...why you SHOULD...
...watch School Days
[OH SHIT SON HE BROUGHT OUT THE HARUHI NOVEL LIKE SOME BIBLE]
In the name of the Itsuki, the Mikuru, and the Holy Yuki.
A reading from the holy gospel according to Kyon.
Itsuki set his bag on the table.
Took one of the chairs, propped it up against the wall, and unfolded it.
"May I sit and observe?" ( ͡º ͜ʖ ͡º)
"You've got it wrong! I'm helping her!"
"Not assaulting her!"
He sat down and crossed his legs, and looked at me with an amused face. ( ͡º ͜ʖ ͡º)
"Don't mind me, Please..."
"...Continue."
Everything that happens in School Days is plausible, just taken to the extreme.
You can look at all of its individual elements: The guy sleeping around with several girls,
the one girl who acts as matchmaker but loves the one she’s helping, the picture perfect
example of the shy and pretty archetype.
Stretching reality, yes, but School Days is just an example of a traditional harem
series taken to the next level.
They feature a male protagonist surrounded by an assortment of women, but few times do
we ever see a story in which that main character goes into multiple romantic relationships
with them.
Hints of relationships sure, but in the end the guy only chooses one.
Either that or it’s a proper hentai and all the girls agree with one another that
they can share.
Honestly, I would’ve preferred it going that route, but hey, I’m sure I’m not
the only one thinking that.
(Insert creepy smile here)
School Days encourages monogamy (at least, it shows the consequences of the opposite) and can
be summarized with the simple phrase,
“Having more than one Waifu will ruin your Laifu.”
In the end, our headstrong hero Makoto realizes that women do not take kindly with lying and
his continuous escapades will eventually lead to horrible results.
Now I’m not saying that the anime is wholly realistic or an accurate portrayal of everyday
high school flings, but it does put things into perspective.
Makoto is really just your common every-man, in an extraordinary circumstance.
Sure what he gets into is far from the blue, but be honest: If you were offered to hook
up with a hot girl with seemingly no catches, I’m pretty sure only, I don’t know, 100%
of us would gladly accept the offer.
He’s young, has urges, and that by itself is fine.
The problem is that Makoto continually ends up in these situations and does not notice
or care about the overall ramifications of continuing on.
One could pose the argument that he was the victim of all this, many of the harem willingly
dropped their pantsu and he is just taking advantage of the opportunity.
But dammit, there can only be one Henry VIII and we all know how much of a headache he
caused with this love life.
On the plus side
Can't have a headache if you don't got a head.
But did he really deserve what he got in the end?
YES.
Because while most of the situations you could argue he went with the flow, there
was one that he did not.
Kotonoha.
Kotonoha is the show’s only beacon of light in a sewer of despicable characters.
Though shy, soft spoken, and an airhead, it’s her kindness that’s repeatedly turned against
her and betrayed.
If this was a folk tale, Kotonoha would be the devout church-goer, because she fits the
part, and Makoto is the horny sinner who is after her yugeeee…….tracts of land.
...Tracks of land! [Obvious Python Joke is Obvious]
School Days is a subversion where it takes the common tropes of its genre and turns it
all on its head.
The major difference is that it decides to replace the traditional wacky hijinks headwaying
to eventual physiological torture.
But that supposed torture can be extremely entertaining in a depressing, masochistic
kind of way, depending on your preferences.
It’s like how watching explosions are fun and cool until you realise people are actually
at the centre of them.
It’s that I hate it for what it represents rather than its execution.
The typical harems play out like some kind of power fantasy that has the male character
constantly surrounded by all the different types of women who submit to his D. But School
Days plays the whole thing straight, just minus the fantasy aspect.
Makoto is very much the stereotypical harem protagonist: wimpy, not very strong physically
or mentally.
But the key here is the scenario: He does the giggity with some women who instead of
being token archetypes just have screwed up personal issues.
So what you are left with is a cautionary tale of how a harem could potentially be conceived
in real life.
It’s like the production team looked at the story and all of it’s ending as a whole
and decided, “Well if we do one of the good endings from the game there will be nothing unique about
our series at all, so let’s do one of the bad ones just for kicks!”
Whether or not that was what actually happened in their production meetings I have no idea
but the result was the same.
Regardless of its writing, shoddy production quality, even sticklers like me have to admit
there are parts of School Days that provide great laughs, whether intentional or not.
Despite all the disagreements you might have with it, at the very least it teaches you
how NOT to be a douchebag.
It’s sort of this self-loathing Bible that lays out the guidelines of the worst scenario
that could happen in a guy’s situation.
No matter from how many angles you look from it, Makoto is a largely irredeemable character
and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone (if at all) who aspires to be like him.
As far as I know, everyone I’ve talked to who enjoys it is fully aware of how bad the
show is and acknowledges it belongs in the “so bad, it’s good” bin.
School Days in the best way I can put it, is a look into the dark side of harems.
The answer to the question of “What if…?”
But even then watch it with the precaution that this isn’t the worst. [Makoto's father on the other hand...]
But hey, if you’re in the business for watching one of the most memorable anime conclusions
that put its cast in a literal deathmatch on the quest for one man’s
DICK
Then maybe this will be the one for you.
Just don’t lose your head over it.
And with that I leave you.
If you really, truly want to watch this series there will be a link down in the whatchamajig
to watch it over on crunchyroll.
You sadistic bastards.
Thanks to my patrons who help to continue to make these videos possible, in specific,
a very special thanks to Victor Ekmark, Joshua Garcia, Siri Yamako, and Calhoonboy for being
especially awesome, and until next time ladies gentlemen and others: Stay Frosty.