Number of Episodes: 12+3 OVAs
What
tTPO says (Warning! It is hard to discuss this series without being just a little spoilerish!): Holy crap. This is the first series in a long time I have had troubles finishing, not because it was so bad, but because I did not want to see the train crash that was coming. But I did make it, though it was not easy.
The blogosphere is sharply divided on this series - either it is somewhat flawed genius, or it is just very very disappointing, especially the ending. My experience was that School Days falls into the former category, and would like to think it was a deliberate decision on the behalf of the director Keitaro Motonaga. The problem, I think, with people that dislike this series is not the series itself, but their expectation of what it should have been. Calling this another harem show would be like calling Puella Magi Madoka Magica another magical girl anime.
School Days is based on a erotic 'visual novel', or a type of 'choose-your-own-adventure' type games. Of 21 possible endings, 18 of these were good endings, with the protagonist ending up happy with 1 (or more) girls. You can see that when Keitaro was given this project, it would have been easy to have made a fan-service laden series with many cute girls and a proverbial happy ending. However, this was not the decision that he made.
Instead we get a series with a remarkable lack of fan service, a bunch of flawed and generally unlikeable characters, and a deconstruction of the harem genre. It reminded me in feel and structure (and this admittedly may be a bit of a stretch) of Polanski's Macbeth, with Makoto in the titular role. Like that film it starts out modestly then rapidly (some say too fast but I think the timing was spot on) escalates to extremes. It should not be surprising though, giving the self-centred mind of the average teenager, that unlike Macbeth, Makoto takes little responsibility for his actions even up to the end, and spurns the last opportunities for possible redemption.
So how should I describe this to avoid disappointment? It is a harem show. There is a little romance, but not much (and enough that I would not tag it as such) - most of the relationships are very dysfunctional. There is plenty of drama. But the tag that gives a bit away, but would also set the expectations right, would be horror.
When you watch the series, this should be no surprise, since to anyone with a bit of life experience will know where this out of control train is heading. And train wrecks are usually not pretty.
How About the Music?: School Days is another series with had so many EDs I'm just going to ignore them. The OP ("Innocent Blue" by Devicehigh) on the other hand, again much like Puella Magi Madoka Magica, is (intentionally?) bland, leaving no clue as to the true nature of the series.
So how does it end? (Spoiler Free): Well that is the big question and no details here, but...not at all happily. And contrary to popular belief the ending is not sudden - the groundwork is laid for this over several episodes. But it does wrap things well. Prices were paid. I don't think we'll be seeing a sequel.
Overall Grade: How do I grade a show is flawed (how did everyone keep getting access to the roof when there was only one key?), I have no desire to rewatch and indeed struggled to watch once, but does such a good job of tearing apart the genre is was based on? A- apparently. But you have been warned.
Addendum: Just finished watching the OVAs and it is a bit of a rollercoaster. One is a very similar episode to the first episode. The next is a very traditional harem episode set in an alternate, happier and more cliche universe around Valentine's Day. Hilarity ensues. The third, and I think the best, is a very much odder alternate universe where 4 of the girls are poorly paid superheroes. Or magical witches. This is a genuinely funny episode (welcome relief after the series itself) that skewers transforming heroes, magical girls, the nature of heroes and villains, visual novel plots in addition to School Days itself. In a fit of irony there is a fair amount of gratuitous fan service. And in between all of this there are just brief moments of seriousness with what appears to be commentary on School Days itself. I could hear the director saying 'This is fiction guys. Don't try this at home." Or I could have been imagining things. But I like to think not.
Koanman's thoughts: Welding.
You know you shouldn't look at it, you know it will damage your vision, but you just cannot look away.
This series is welding.
It builds slowly, with loads of "sorry" and frustration, but certainly builds well to the inevitable. It was amazingly well done, there are not many examples of any kind of entertainment that can engender that level of emotional cringing; and sustain it for such a prolonged period.... Genius!
Music is really good, and you have to believe the music director really does have a sense of humour. It is very well matched to the mood of the scene in most instances. The only music I really detested was the 80's tinsel reject track in the opening credits. I could not sit through it even on the first pass without tears welling in my ears. I didn't know that was even possible.
After an entire series developing the characters, leading us slowly and labouriously through the continuing angst that School Days, I did not feel the ending fit with the personalities at all. It was very sudden, and a complete change in genre. Possibly the idea was to release all the pressure that had been building, but it did not work for me.
KoanMan would, for the series generally give an A, but for the ending a C. Overall this is a B.
Overall Grade: How do I grade a show is flawed (how did everyone keep getting access to the roof when there was only one key?), I have no desire to rewatch and indeed struggled to watch once, but does such a good job of tearing apart the genre is was based on? A- apparently. But you have been warned.
Addendum: Just finished watching the OVAs and it is a bit of a rollercoaster. One is a very similar episode to the first episode. The next is a very traditional harem episode set in an alternate, happier and more cliche universe around Valentine's Day. Hilarity ensues. The third, and I think the best, is a very much odder alternate universe where 4 of the girls are poorly paid superheroes. Or magical witches. This is a genuinely funny episode (welcome relief after the series itself) that skewers transforming heroes, magical girls, the nature of heroes and villains, visual novel plots in addition to School Days itself. In a fit of irony there is a fair amount of gratuitous fan service. And in between all of this there are just brief moments of seriousness with what appears to be commentary on School Days itself. I could hear the director saying 'This is fiction guys. Don't try this at home." Or I could have been imagining things. But I like to think not.
Koanman's thoughts: Welding.
You know you shouldn't look at it, you know it will damage your vision, but you just cannot look away.
This series is welding.
It builds slowly, with loads of "sorry" and frustration, but certainly builds well to the inevitable. It was amazingly well done, there are not many examples of any kind of entertainment that can engender that level of emotional cringing; and sustain it for such a prolonged period.... Genius!
Music is really good, and you have to believe the music director really does have a sense of humour. It is very well matched to the mood of the scene in most instances. The only music I really detested was the 80's tinsel reject track in the opening credits. I could not sit through it even on the first pass without tears welling in my ears. I didn't know that was even possible.
After an entire series developing the characters, leading us slowly and labouriously through the continuing angst that School Days, I did not feel the ending fit with the personalities at all. It was very sudden, and a complete change in genre. Possibly the idea was to release all the pressure that had been building, but it did not work for me.
KoanMan would, for the series generally give an A, but for the ending a C. Overall this is a B.
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