MOONBOUND ALPHAS

School Days is a story I was already acquainted with, having watched the anime series. I was cognizant of two aspects: firstly, that the conclusion would be rather grim, and secondly, that the male protagonist was a considerably more redeemable character. Despite this foreknowledge, I was still agreeably—or perhaps unsettlingly—surprised.  

I usually refrain from comparing anime to manga, but in this instance, an exception seems fitting. The most notable difference lies in how much more favorably I viewed Makoto as the main character. Although he still commits some unlikable actions, he ultimately confronts the situation head-on and attempts to rectify matters. This transforms the narrative from one about a sociopathic individual destroying women's hearts into a tale of a guy who makes a few poor decisions, which could be attributed to typical teenage impulsiveness. However, I'll leave the comparison here.  

While the male lead reminds us that guys can occasionally be jerks, it's easy to overlook how manipulative and cunning young women can also be. Sekai swiftly shifts her focus to winning Makoto's affections after working hard to bring him and Kotonoha together. This is where my criticisms of both Sekai and Kotonoha arise. Kotonoha starts innocently enough, but her personality changes so abruptly that it feels unnatural and lacks a genuine sense of personal evolution—even if for the worse. Sekai's transformation is even more extreme, evolving through three distinct phases: playful, tomboyish friend (think Asa Shigure from Shuffle! for context) → passionate and jealous lover → utterly psychotic. While I accepted her transition from tomboyish friend to jealous lover, her descent into insanity was so abrupt that it startled me. The only character who exhibited solid emotional growth was Makoto, and reassuringly, it was a positive, redeeming arc.  

The artwork in School Days was reasonably well-executed, with effective shading and drawing. My minor complaints pertained to instances where light reflection, such as sunlight on hair, altered the hair color so drastically that it seemed the character had switched from black to blonde hair. Additionally, the panel flow felt slightly off in a few spots, though it was minor and did not significantly disrupt the story's progression. A standout aspect of the series was the emotional impact conveyed through half-sized and full-sized panels, which effectively captured the characters' emotional states at pivotal moments.  

Overall, I appreciated School Days as a standalone story that diverges from the anime series. My criticism lies in the radical transformations of Sekai and Kotonoha as characters; I believe an additional two or three chapters could have better fleshed out their development.

Ok...? I've heard about School Days for years and years, but I refused to play the game or even watch the entire anime. Then, I found out about a short manga with only 12 chapters, so, why not?  

A few spoilers ahead if you really care about School Days.  

Alright! So I read it, and that's precisely WHY NOT. School Days is a poorly written manga with a stupid and boring plot that could make your dog want to kill itself if it knew how to read.  

Here's the deal: There's a generic male character whose name I didn't even bother to memorize. He's not interesting, he's nothing, he has no personality. Yet, the generic "shy" female character and the generic "extroverted" female character both fall in love with him at the same time. But guess what? He's "in love" with the shy one because she's cute and can't even hold hands with him. Still, he keeps cheating on her with the extroverted girl who keeps harassing him or something. They have sex, and so on, until they get caught. At this point, the shy one suddenly transforms into a Joker-like character from one chapter to the next, trying to kill the extroverted girl. She fails, and then the extroverted girl kills her. THE END.  

Yeah, School Days tries so hard to have a major plot twist, but it does so without any development or concern for whether it makes sense. It just ends.  

If you're curious enough, go ahead and read the manga—it's short and utterly stupid.

The first thing I can say is that the manga performed better than the anime for several reasons. In the manga, Makoto was portrayed as trying to do the right thing, whereas in the anime, he came across as a major jerk. The female characters remained foolish, with Kotonoha being as innocent yet unstable as possible. Sekai didn't improve either.

In terms of story plot and character development, compared to its anime counterpart, the manga still made me want to throw chairs and tables. This time, it was all Sekai's fault for seducing Makoto and the misunderstandings caused by their side friends. However, Makoto did attempt to reason things out, unlike in the anime version. Surprisingly, he made a clear decision in the end and blamed himself. Another significant improvement from the anime was the little sister, who acted as the small voice of innocent reason, trying to bring Makoto back to his promise. Sekai was overall the worst; in my opinion, she's a hypocrite who ruined people's lives due to her selfishness. But since she decided to play matchmaker, she has no one else to blame but herself. There were no direct interactions or interference from teachers or parents, raising the question of how things could escalate so much while they're all still under their parents' roofs. The entire plot of the manga follows the visual novel, with the ending being just one of many possibilities, and one that the anime contradicts.

Art: It was decent. Despite my dislike for the series, I have to give credit for maintaining a creepy edge while still staying cute and innocent to attract potential readers.

Overall: This is a psychological and slice-of-life drama manga. It does depict the real-life consequences of following the characters' paths, which, unfortunately, many people do. The only difference is that the manga shows the reader what could happen in real life, even if we don't think it will. The ending neither adds nor takes away; while highlighting the tragedy, it doesn't explain how the rest of the characters will move on or what will ultimately happen to them. Although I enjoyed it more than the anime (except for the very end), I would recommend the visual novel first, followed by this manga. However, I only recommend it to those who can handle stressful situations, deal with the lowest kinds of cheaters, and are willing to stick it out until the very end.

While the anime focused more on the love triangle between Makoto, Sekai, and Kotonoha, the manga version added some diversity to this dynamic. The manga took a different approach that truly resonated with the audience: it gave Makoto genuine character development. Unlike in the anime, we see that he isn't solely obsessed with sexual relationships with every girl he meets; instead, he acknowledges his own flaws. With that said, I believe this version surpasses all other adaptations of the series. The storyline remains largely unchanged, but the author had to condense it slightly. Nonetheless, it will keep you hooked on every page.  
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If you're a big horror manga fan like me, get ready for major disappointment. The story lacks both intelligence and intrigue. The artwork is decent, fitting the typical anime style, but nothing extraordinary. The characters are painfully stereotypical, which is truly frustrating. There's the bland male lead, his eccentric best friend, and the shy, moe-like girl he has feelings for. And because it's labeled as a horror manga, you can pretty much predict the ending. But was it actually violent, scary, or unsettling? Perhaps for those who mistakenly thought it was a shojo manga, but for readers familiar with the horror genre? Absolutely not. This creator clearly attempted to craft something akin to Higurashi—a genuine horror manga filled with intense, bloody, and disturbing scenes—but utterly failed. <p>

This manga sheds light on the intricacies and darkness of love, particularly young love. Sekai Saionji, whom I initially thought could be the "Best Girl" in the series, turns out to be a manipulative character who exploits her friends' budding romance and ruins it with jealous indifference. The anime adaptation slightly improves upon this, portraying Makoto Itou as more admirable yet dense as he grapples with his emotions. If the anime had stayed closer to the manga while incorporating strong elements from the Visual Novel, it might have been even better. While I'm not against tragic endings, the one here was rather unsettling and heart-wrenching. In contrast, the anime's conclusion between Sekai and Kotonoha felt more fulfilling—I do root for Kotonoha and Makoto (please don't judge me for that). The manga starts promisingly, following a typical teenage romantic narrative before taking a darker turn. Personally, I preferred the satisfying conclusions in the Visual Novel compared to the manga, but this story serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of failing to act honestly on one's feelings and the obsessive desires that can lead people to eliminate obstacles in their quest for their soulmate's love.<p>

School Days, in recent years, has emerged as a symbolic series for the sheer pleasure and entertainment derived from witnessing violent love, often described by the divine term "YANDERE." For those unfamiliar with this term, Yanderes are individuals, usually girls, who become so psychotically infatuated with another person that they resort to violence and even murder others to have that person in their arms (sometimes even dead in their arms). Personally, I have a profound appreciation for Yanderes because I respect their unwavering devotion to the person they love. So, for those who aren't fond of violent love, you might want to stop reading here. For those who continue, brace yourselves for a journey that starts with shoujo romance in most chapters and culminates in a twisted, creepy, yet compelling ending.

Story (10/10)
As this is a review of the School Days manga, the content may differ from the anime version. The narrative revolves around Mikoto Itou and his school days (pun intended) with his childhood friend Sekai and his girlfriend Kotonoha. Initially, Sekai introduces and assists Mikoto in getting closer to and eventually dating Kotonoha. However, she soon realizes that her actions contradict her true feelings. As Sekai finally takes action, the atmosphere becomes tense with suspense. This was a shoujo manga, and its primary purpose was to convey the emotions and tensions within this love triangle. In this regard, I believe the manga achieved remarkable success within just twelve chapters. Unlike most slice-of-life and shoujo mangas, things do happen in School Days, and they unfold swiftly. Perhaps the pivotal factor contributing to this perfect score on story is how School Days effectively conveys drama and anxiety to the reader. I detest cheesy character dialogues, and School Days avoided that. Every word was carefully read, making me feel as though I were part of the manga. To achieve such powerful imagery without resorting to cheesy dialogue or irritating moments, while focusing solely on its purpose, is truly an impressive feat.

Art (9/10)
There isn't much to say about the art except that it was decent and did not detract from the manga's value. I particularly admired Kotonoha's design and one especially awesome image involving her (some readers might encounter it later in the chapters). In certain parts, the art significantly enhanced the mood of the characters, having a substantial impact on the overall essence of the story. Nonetheless, the style wasn't jaw-dropping. Additionally, I often confused Sekai with another female character due to their similar hair designs, which was unfortunate since it led me to mistakenly perceive Sekai as bipolar.

Character (10/10)
Before delving further into the characters, I must state that Mikoto wasn't a great guy. He was indecisive and caused a significant tragedy because of it. However, since the entire series hinges on his ambivalent nature, it would be unfair to judge him solely based on that. Fortunately, his other traits were quite likable, and he didn't exhibit many noticeable flaws due to his ambivalence. Beyond his somewhat timid personality (still better than 90% of guys in modern-day anime/manga), Mikoto was rather likable. He didn't display the annoying tendencies of some male characters but instead showed confused and passionate feelings—something almost all guys torn between a childhood friend and a girlfriend would exhibit. Thus, it was highly believable and contributed greatly to the realism in this manga. Occasionally, although still rather rarely, I even empathized with him and his predicament. Some readers might find themselves doing so more frequently.

Mikoto's childhood friend is a typical happy and cheerful girl. She is kind and helpful, contrasting sharply with the mean and arrogant females prevalent in most anime/mangas. Her pure, amicable personality made her tolerable and gave her transformation an extreme epicness. Kotonoha, the girlfriend, is simply adorable. Her moe quality struck me profoundly, and I found myself secretly rooting for her throughout. Kotonoha would be classified as a "Deredere." Derederes are incredibly devoted and wonderful people who are exceptionally cute and pure, filled with passionate feelings of love, and usually devoid of irritating mushy talk. Although none of the three characters rank at the top for unique school life characters in manga, they each served their purpose. Together, these three characters made School Days the legend it is today.

Enjoyment (10/10)
School Days was immensely satisfying for a Yandere enthusiast like me. Despite searching extensively for other Yandere masterpieces, I haven't discovered anything that rivals School Days. I admit that my fondness for this anime surpasses the average person's due to my love for Yanderes and select Moe DereDeres. Nevertheless, School Days still possesses aesthetic value beyond that. It made me ponder and dream about those events, challenging myself to imagine beyond the boundaries of the world. I believe this is precisely what a good manga should accomplish.

Overall (9/10)
As the uniquely best (yandere) "shoujo" manga I've ever read, School Days had a profound impact on me despite its brevity. My only regret regarding the actual manga is that it should have been longer, possibly including more details. Overall, I felt that investing the little time into reading this brought me a wealth of enjoyment and experience. Therefore, for those bored and curious about Yanderes, or unwilling to spend countless hours engrossed in hundred-chapter mangas, School Days is an excellent choice. For others who genuinely dislike violence or romance, avoid School Days entirely.

P.S. I didn't think I needed to mention this, but for future reference: A review is an opinion. It's acceptable to disagree with my opinion as long as you're not being arrogant or illogical about it. What's unacceptable is denying people their inherent right to express that opinion or telling someone their opinion is wrong. Opinions are opinions. There is no right or wrong.

I truly enjoyed this manga as I absolutely adored the art style. Initially, it was incredibly sweet, then gradually delved deeper into the plot and became even more engaging. After that, it took a rather creepy turn. I LOVE creepy mangas :D  
My favorite character has to be Sekai. Makoto was intriguing but not exactly someone I found enjoyable, and Kotonoha came across as somewhat dull. The ending left me a bit puzzled. Nonetheless, I still believe this manga was quite entertaining, and you ought to give it a read whenever you have some free time.  
Thanks for checking out this little review :3  

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