School Days

High school student Makoto Itou first notices Kotonoha Katsura at the start of his second semester, freshman year. Immediately, he becomes entranced by her beauty, but his bashfulness doesn't allow him to approach her, even though they ride the same train every day. Instead, he snaps a photo of her in secret and sets it as his cell phone's wallpaper: a charm that, if kept under wraps, would supposedly help you realize your love. However, classmate Sekai Saionji spots the picture, but instead of ratting him out, she offers to help set him up with Kotonoha—going so far as befriending her just for him. Thus, the trio begins a rather impromptu friendship.

School Days follows the lives of these three teenagers as they traverse the joys and hardships that come with being a high schooler. In a story alive and brimming with romance and melancholy, the tale of these three students will linger in memory long after the momentous conclusion.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Katsura, Kotonoha Main

Okajima, Tae Japanese

Itou, Makoto Main

Hirakawa, Daisuke Japanese

Saionji, Sekai Main

Kawaragi, Shiho Japanese

Kiyoura, Setsuna Supporting

Imoto, Kei Japanese

Katsura, Kokoro Supporting

Ashiro, Megu Japanese

Kato, Otome Supporting

Nagami, Haruka Japanese

Kanroji, Nanami Supporting

Takahashi, Chiaki Japanese

Sawanaga, Taisuke Supporting

Matsumoto, Yoshirou Japanese

Obuchi, Minami Supporting

Kuribayashi, Minami Japanese

Kuroda, Hikari Supporting

Tanaka, Ryouko Japanese

Koike, Katsumi Producer

Itou, Makoto Producer

Nakagawa, Shinobu Producer

Motonaga, Keitarou Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Reviews

Apr 5, 2025

montyp073

Recommended

Ah, School Days. A masterpiece of unparalleled brilliance, though not in the way you think. If you're the kind of person who enjoys films that follow predictable arcs of “romantic development,” then please, for the love of your fragile sensibilities, stay away. This is not for the faint of heart. But for those with a truly discerning taste, who appreciate the art of complete and utter disaster, then School Days is quite literally a work of genius.

First, let’s talk about the protagonist—Makoto. Oh, sweet naive Makoto. You see, his actions transcend mere stupidity. They elevate the concept of “bad decision-making” into an entirely new realm ... of philosophical absurdity. Most shows would give you a love triangle and call it a day, but no—Makoto dismantles the very foundation of love, relationships, and basic human decency. Watching him juggle multiple relationships simultaneously without a shred of empathy is truly like observing an artist at work. The sheer gall of this character is so profound, it’s almost avant-garde. I would even argue that his chaotic spiral into emotional oblivion is a bold commentary on the fragility of modern romantic ideals.

Then there’s the storytelling. You might be inclined to criticize it as "trash," but if you are, my dear, I implore you to take a second and reconsider. This show does not just subvert expectations, it annihilates them. The plot becomes this perfect storm of manipulation, deceit, and emotional masochism—unfolding with such precision that it can only be described as an exquisite commentary on human nature. To those of us who understand true cinematic brilliance, this is not bad writing; this is a deliberate and brilliant deconstruction of romance tropes, delivered with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. School Days doesn't just deconstruct the genre, it obliterates it, making you question what even is love anymore.

The girls? Oh, they’re mere pawns in Makoto’s tragicomedy, each more tragic than the last, yet all so compelling in their utter devotion to a man who couldn’t care less. Their fates? Well, let’s just say they are the inevitable casualties of an emotional battlefield, and School Days makes sure to remind us that in the world of modern relationships, no one gets out unscathed. It’s almost like Shakespearean in its tragic depth—if Shakespeare had written plays with far more nudity and self-inflicted violence, of course.

And that ending? It is beyond words. It is a culmination of everything we’ve witnessed, a masterstroke of irony and brutality. It’s a cathartic release, leaving you not only speechless but questioning your entire existence. Was it worth it? Absolutely. The sheer audacity of it all makes other anime endings look like the simplistic fare of children’s stories.

So, to the untrained eye, yes, School Days is a horrific trainwreck of epic proportions. But to the enlightened few—those of us who appreciate true subversion, who can look beyond the surface-level chaos—this show is nothing short of a masterpiece. It’s bad in the most spectacular way possible. So yes, my dear plebeians, it’s good.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Jan 22, 2025

kronoz13

Mixed Feelings

I won’t say this anime is good, because it truly lacks many things. However, I’d like to start by highlighting the positive aspects. One of its achievements is creating a genuine disaster out of its main character, which I interpret as intentional on the author’s part. By the second episode, it’s clear what kind of person this character is, something I consider a strength despite the character’s negative traits.

Here is where the central theme of the story emerges: nonconformity. The fulfillment of their expectations and the pursuit of pleasure perfectly complement the hedonistic and selfish nature of the protagonist. Additionally, the series offers an interesting ... look at emotional dependence and the whims of the other characters involved, themes explored in a significant way throughout the story.

However, elements like manipulation, the urge to please someone due to emotional dependence or fear of abandonment, the inability to let someone go out of sheer stubbornness, betrayal, emotional detachment, and the pursuit of pleasure as the sole goal are characteristics that, while they work in key moments to keep the audience engaged, ultimately weaken the overall narrative of the series.

One of this work’s biggest issues is that it reveals most of its main arguments by episode 4. From that point onward, it overexplores each character’s flaws and exaggerates situations until the final two episodes, where it presents a "relatively good final twist." However, upon closer analysis, this ending feels somewhat out of place, though convincing within the style the series aims to project. Still, it may not appeal to all viewers.

For those curious enough to watch, I suggest not looking too deeply into it, as it might lead to a sense of disdain. Those who watch out of morbid curiosity might find it enjoyable, but anyone expecting to uncover a masterpiece is likely to be deeply disappointed.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Nov 11, 2024

Ba-Cii10

Not Recommended

Funny

For me, this anime is simply the definition of guilty pleasure and I will not recommend it because objectively it is shit.

This anime seemed ultra exaggerated most of the time but at the same time quite realistic in its whole toxicity festival, but in the end it turned out to be just edgy shit, for the sake of being edgy shit xD

Despite everything it was quite interesting from a certain point, mainly because it was simply pleasant to be irritated by the stupidity of the characters who, as I said, are quite realistic, in the sense that it is easy to imagine that teenagers can ... behave in such an irrational way, but despite everything (not even counting the finale) I couldn't take these exaggerated idiocies seriously, it's just that every character in this anime was written to be the worst or most disturbed person in the world and none of them (apart from Katsura up to a certain point) could be rooted for, was it really impossible to make one normal character who would think logically and be a counterbalance to all this irrational shit?

The funniest thing about this anime is the fact that the MC, who is just an "ordinary guy" and is distinguished only by extreme idiocy and thinking with a penis, is some kind of magnet for girls who are obsessively in love with him for no reason at all, it's so stupid and unbelievable, he doesn't even try, he doesn't manipulate or anything, he just is and all the girls fall for him and literally kill for him, which makes it all seem like some loser's fantasy, although looking at the ending, I'm not sure if anyone could fantasize about something like that.

Katsura seemed like the best character and you could even root for her, understand why she wants to be with this idiot but from a certain point she just became a typical boring yandere, did some guy piss me off? oh well, I have to see the MC xD Katsura's whole storyline was ultimately ultra shallow and forced edgy, which made it simply boring and imo it had the potential to be something better.
In general, all the female characters in this anime really only serve as MC's sex doll and they don't really exist outside of the MC so well... people who claim that the characters in this anime are somehow particularly complex (I've seen people like that) are funny xD

Besides, I find it funny that adults don't exist in this anime and such stupid things as a school festival where students have a special room to "fuck" can exist xD

Imo 4/10 because at least it stands out from all the school romances I've watched so far.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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	This Anime is Cursed Jiya18622 - Dec 9, 2024	42 replies	by Jiya18622 »» Apr 8, 4:08 AM
	Poll: School Days Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Ranivus - Sep 20, 2007	1,301 replies	by kittilie »» Apr 5, 9:45 AM
	Poll: Is Taisuke a good friend? Lost_Hearts - Dec 6, 2023	8 replies	by itzswxzy »» Mar 7, 10:44 AM
	Why is School Days still being talked about? ( 1 2 ) IssyBoy - Jul 21, 2023	53 replies	by Zarutaku »» Mar 7, 1:24 AM
	Poll: Sekai or Kotonoha? ( 1 2 ) SugarNSpice - Oct 20, 2011	91 replies	by FrontierAK »» Mar 7, 12:44 AM

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