School Days is the kind of anime people really only bring up in conversation to mock. The unfortunate timing of its final episode led to the infamous “nice boat” meme, and the visual novel adaptation is rarely discussed outside this context. What gets lost in the notoriety of the series’ shocking end are the many ways in which it subverts and deconstructs the typical harem anime formula. This is apparent not only in the selfish and narcissistic attitude of the male lead, but also the ways in which the girls around him are willing to tear each other down just for his attention. The show portrays what the real world implications of a harem would be, particularly in the context of the drama and cruelty of high school life.

School Days follows protagonist Makoto Ito, initially a somewhat awkward teenager who is set up with his crush, Kotonoha, by his friend Sekai. The initial tone of the series is lighthearted, but as Makoto enters a relationship with Kotonoha -- and eventually cheats on her with numerous girls in their school -- the tone markedly shifts, becoming something darker and more sinister. Makoto’s initial patience and goodwill disappears by the end of the series, and what is revealed is the true horror.

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The Problem with Makoto

Makoto Itou from School Days.

The main problem that exists for Makoto -- and all the girls he interacts with by extension -- is his insatiable libido. Even in the lighthearted early episodes, the viewer is constantly privy to his perversions. Whether it's pressuring Kotonoha to become more intimate with him after they only just started dating, or sleeping with Sekai and at least six other girls while still dating Kotonoha, he has a real problem with commitment and self-control. Unlike the typical harem anime protagonist, who has some redeeming qualities (and a modicum of charisma), it’s virtually impossible to root for Makoto. In fact, viewers end up cheering his eventual comeuppance. All of this further fuels the show’s commentary on the instability of harem romance and the viciousness of teenage life.

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Makoto's Love Interests are a Lesson in Cruelty

Sekai Saionji and Kotonoha Katsura in front of a cloudy sky in School Days.

Though no character in this show is truly likable, Kotonoha at least borders on tolerable, thanks to her seemingly endless patience and kindness. As Makoto’s first and most developed love interest, she takes up a lot of screen time. In the time the audience spends with her, it’s clear that she is extremely loyal to Makoto, despite all of his betrayals. He ghosts her -- unwilling to even meet with her to discuss their relationship when things seem to be careening towards the end -- to say nothing of the aforementioned cheating. It’s made clear throughout the series that the reason he neglects her in such bold fashion is because she won’t sleep with him. Despite his initial claims of loving Kotonoha, it becomes obvious that he mistakes lust for genuine romantic feelings. But Kotonoha remains steadfast, even defending him against multiple girls who mock their relationship. Her entire being is defined by this relationship to her boyfriend -- a point which comes full-circle by the series climax, when he decides to devote himself to her, and only her. This resolution is short-lived, of course, because this story could never have a truly happy ending

In sharp contrast to Kotonoha, Sekai is probably the most similar to Makoto in terms of extremely self-serving and ignorant behavior. She completely disrespects Kotonoha and Makoto’s relationship by propositioning him and beginning an affair, knowing the two are still together. She even says explicitly multiple times that she doesn't care about Kotonoha or her feelings, a sentiment that extends to her inner circle of friends, who bully and degrade Kotonoha. Setsuna is particularly brutal, encouraging Makoto to block Kotonoha’s number and leave her without any explanation or care. The bullying subplot is one of the more well-developed aspects of the series, with a lot of time devoted to showing how mean the other girls at school are to Kotonoha. It also makes sense in the context of the show’s violent ending, which shines a light on the true meaning of all of this suffering.

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How the Ending Deconstructs the Harem Narrative

An image from School Days; a girl sitting on top of a dead boy.

In the final episode of the series, Makoto comforts a despondent Kotonoha, who has become completely lost following the cruelty of Makoto and her classmates. He decides to get back together with her, despite the fact that his affair with Sekai has apparently resulted in her becoming pregnant. Sekai immediately recognizes Makoto’s pattern of behavior, and goes to his apartment to confront the couple. He is unwilling to take her back or accept responsibility for his actions, and Sekai leaves. She comes back after Kotonoha has left for the night and brutally stabs him to death. Later on, she meets with Kotonoha on the school roof, revealing what she has done. Kotonoha then kills Sekai in turn, and cuts open her stomach to see if there is truly a fetus in her womb; there isn’t. She decapitates Makoto’s head from his lifeless body and rides off into the sunset with him on her family’s boat (hence the internet meme). The finale is more than that though. Its violence is undeniably ridiculous and over the top, but the core of its message is timelessly recognizable and important.

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Though it certainly has its flaws, namely with regard to its flat animation and snail-speed pacing, the finale is one of the best moments of the entire anime. It doesn’t just stand out in the sense that Makoto gets karma for all his bad behavior, but in how it highlights what people can do when pushed to the brink. Even if she wasn’t actually pregnant in the end, Sekai clearly believes she was, and this just compounds the anger that accompanies Makoto’s betrayal of her. When young and impressionable people are put in situations where their emotions are out of control and looming heavily over them, bad things are bound to happen. Sekai isn’t justified in murdering her on again, off again boyfriend, but it is easy to sympathize with her rage.

Teenagers are particularly vulnerable to pain, because these early experiences with love are so new and confusing. The harem Makoto creates for himself only hurts everybody else around him, even if it satiates his own desires. Relationships for people at that age are already, as previously mentioned, challenging. A harem situation further isolates and demeans these girls, as pressure is put on them to be open, available, and direct no complaints towards Makoto for his transgressions. This finale solidifies the pain that Makoto has caused in his thoughtlessness, highlighting the ultimate problem with cheating and manipulative behavior. The show is far from perfect, but it is brutally honest and meaningful.