School Days (video game)
| School Days (video game) | |
 | |
| Genre | Drama, Romance |
|---|---|
| Video game | |
| Developer | 0verflow |
| Genre | Visual novel |
| Platform | Windows98SE/Me/XP |
| Video game | |
| School Days LxH | |
| Developer | Interchannel |
| Genre | Visual novel |
| Platform | Playstation 2 |
| Anime | |
| Directed by | Keitaro Motonaga |
| Studio |  TNK |
School Days (スクールデイズ, Sukūru Deizu) is an animation adventure game developed by 0verflow. The game is vastly different from traditional visual novels in that it resembles an interactive anime with over 70 minutes of animation - a first for this genre. It is presented in widescreen format and divided into individual episodes similar to anime, and has opening and closing scenes for each one. The game has 21 possible endings, both good and bad.
The game is infamous for its bad endings which are extremely violent, ranging from the killing of one of the other main characters and graphic depictions of suicide. A spinoff of this game released by 0verflow using the same system was Summer Days, which had no such violent endings.
The game has spun off various adaptations, including an anime, a manga series, three novels, and a drama CD.
School Days L×H (Love&Hate), the PS2 version of the game, is scheduled to release in Japan on December 13 2007.
Story
- In the school the three guys met. Their relation had been changed in the season, and turned into three love stories.
Makoto has been admiring a girl he has seen on the train. That girl is Kotonoha Katsura, and he even managed to take a photo of her with his cell phone. Due to new seating in his class, he ends up next to Sekai Saionji, a nosy girl but sweet and sincere. As she snoops for his cell phone while talking to him, she discovers his crush and vows to help him until Kotonoha agrees to go out with him. When Sekai finally gets them together, she realizes her own feelings after finding out that the person Kotonoha liked was, in fact, Makoto. While waiting for her train next to Makoto, who was waiting for Kotonoha, she has him talking about how he can repay her for all of her help. Before leaving for her train, she kisses him and cries when she boards the way home. Kotonoha happily arrives for her date with Makoto shortly after. With all three main characters carrying different expressions on their faces, the story begins.
Characters
Many of the surnames of the characters are taken from previous Prime Ministers of Japan and Japanese Imperial Court members. And many of first names of the girls is rare.
- Makoto Ito (伊藤 誠, Itō Makoto)
- Voiced by: Tatsuya Hirai (game), Daisuke Hirakawa (anime)
- He attends Sakakino Gakuen (榊野学園) and is in class 3, first year. His parents are divorced and he lives together with his mother in an upperscale apartment. Throughout the story, he is an indecisive womanizer, unable or unwilling to choose between Kotonoha and Sekai.
- Kotonoha Katsura (桂 言葉, Katsura Kotonoha)
- Voiced by: Soyogi Tōno (game), Tae Okajima (anime)
- In year 1, class 4. She takes the same train as Makoto and becomes his girlfriend by the second episode. Despite her busty figure, she is quiet and has a respectable nature, but is also somewhat frightened of boys. Due to this reserved and shy attitude, Kotonoha and Makato often have awkward moments. She is disliked by the girls in the student council and is subject to their bullying. Her family is rich, with both of her parents working, and lives in a large house away from the city. Her first name means "message" in ancient Japanese language and it is very strange name.
- Sekai Saionji (西園寺 世界, Saionji Sekai)
- Voiced by: Kaname Yuzuki (game), Shiho Kawaragi (anime)
- Also in year 1, class 3, she is Makoto's classmate. Sitting next to him in class, she sees the picture that Makoto has secretly taken of Kotonoha on his mobile phone. She then helps him get close to Kotonoha despite harbouring strong feelings for him, kissing him at a train station near the end of episode 1. Even though she is good-natured her emotions overwhelm her in many situations, causing her to give in to Makoto and betray Kotonoha. She is constantly torn between her conscience and Makoto, whom she usually agrees with. She also tends to be somewhat comically insightful as to what Makoto is thinking. This is proven when she correctly guesses that he was thinking negatively about her when they first met, and also when she briefly states that Makoto noticed her breasts were smaller than Kotonoha's during one of their "practice sessions." She lives with her mother in an apartment. Her first name means "world" in Japanese and it is very strange name.
- Setsuna Kiyoura (清浦 刹那, Kiyoura Setsuna)
- Voiced by: Hana Yamamoto (game), Keiko Imoto (anime)
- Also in year 1, class 3, Setsuna is a member of the class committee and is childhood friends with Sekai. Their mothers are good friends working at the same company. She is the main heroine in Summer Days. She is constantly worried about Sekai and tries to make sure that Makoto will keep Sekai happy. This leads her to go so far as to try to eradicate Kotonoha from Makoto's love life by cutting short any interactions they had while she was around, although this was only done for Sekai's sake. Although silent-looking and almost emotionless, she is conscious about the small size of her breasts, especially in comparison with Kotonoha and Sekai. Her first name means "moment" and it is very strange name.
- Nanami Kanroji (甘露寺 七海, Kanroji Nanami)
- Voiced by: Mio Fujimura (game), Chiaki Takahashi (anime)
- A friend of Sekai's that used to go to the same school with her. Nanami is in year 1, class 3. She was offered admission to the school based on her special athletic talents. Her boyfriend is also her senior and is in the school's basketball club. Her boyfriend is a hardcore otaku.
- Hikari Kuroda (黒田 光, Kuroda Hikari)
- Voiced by: Hikaru Isshiki (game), Ryōko Tanaka (anime)
- One of Sekai's friend who is in the same class with Makoto and Sekai. She dislikes Makoto whom she believed was going out with Sekai since the beginning of the story. She also has a crush on Taisuke.
- Otome Katō (加藤 乙女, Katō Otome)
- Voiced by: Yuki Matsunaga (game) Haruka Nagami (anime)
- She is in year 1 class 4 of Sakakino Gakuen, and one of Makoto's friends since junior high. She's in girl's basketball team, and also is the head of the group of girls who bullies Kotonoha. She has always had a crush on Makoto since junior high. Although she has feelings for Makoto ever since junior high, he does not seem to think of her romantically. While Kotonoha dates Makoto, Otome is extremely irritated and jealous when before, she thought the relationship was one-sided. Her first name means "virgin" in ancient Japanese language and it is rare name.
- Kokoro Katsura (桂 心, Katsura Kokoro)
- Voiced by: Aoi Kanzuki (game), Megu Ashiro (anime)
- Kotonoha's younger sister. Unlike her shy older sister, she is very talkative, full of curiosity, and likes to tease Kotonoha around, but she actually worries about Kotonoha a lot. She often wants to play with Makoto during his visits at her house. Her first name means "heart" in Japanese and it is rare name.
- Taisuke Sawanaga (澤永 泰介, Sawanaga Taisuke)
- Voiced by: Hikage Hyūga (game), Yoshiaki Matsumoto (anime)
- He is one of Makoto's friends since junior high, and is in the same class as Makoto. He appears to be physically attracted to Kotonoha.
- Kumi Mori (森 来実, Mori Kumi)
- Voiced by: Nene (game)
- One of the girls in year 1 class 4 that bullies Kotonoha. She is most childish out of three.
- Natsumi Koizumi (小泉 夏美, Koizumi Natsumi)
- One of the girls in year 1 class 4 that bullies Kotonoha. She is good at getting information and gets along with people easily.
- Minami Obuchi (小渕 みなみ, Obuchi Minami)
- Voiced by: Kuribayashi Minami (anime)
- One of the girls in year 1 class 4 that bullies Kotonoha.
- Itaru Ito (伊藤 止, Itō Itaru)
- Makoto's younger sister. She lives with her dad after her parents divorced.Her first name means "stop" and it is very strange name.
- Youko Saionji (西園寺 踊子, Saionji Youko)
- Sekai's mother.
Animation Adventure Game
Gameplay
Similar to a visual novel, the player makes choices when given the chance: they can choose one from a list of options, or do nothing at all. The game has a meter to show whether the main character is closer to Kotonoha or Sekai, which is recorded at the end of each chapter. The ending will depend on if the player has been going steady with one girl, or has been switching back and forth.
Endings
Among twenty-one possible endings, fourteen are good endings with only one girl, three are bad endings that involve one of the main characters getting killed, three are "harem" endings and one is a variation (a post-fin episode to other endings). Although there are only three bad endings in this game, they are so shocking and violent that they became more commonly known than good endings.
- Good endings
-
- "From a Kiss to Beyond" (「キスから先へ」, Kisu kara Saki e)
- "Carnal Desire" (「肉欲」, Nikuyoku)
- "The Him Only for Her" (「彼女だけの彼」, Kanojo dake no Kare)
- "And with Kotonoha" (「そして言葉と」, Soshite Kotonoha to)
- "And to Kotonoha" (「そして言葉へ」, Soshite Kotonoha e)
- "And Starting from the First Kiss" (「そしてファーストキスからはじまる」, Soshite Faasuto Kisu kara Hajimaru)
- These six are all happy endings with Kotonoha, varying from only kissing to sensuality.
- "Christmas Eve" (「クリスマス・イブ」, Kurisumasu Ibu)
- Best ending with Kotonoha. On Christmas Eve, Makoto and Kotonoha stays at a luxury hotel room and kiss...
- "With Honest Feelings" (「素直な気持ちで」, Sunao na Kimochi de)
- "Bavarois" (「ババロア」, Babaroa)
- "Binding Thoughts" (「思い結んで」, Omoimusunde)
- These three are all happy endings with Sekai.
- "I Love You" (「だいすき」, Daisuki)
- Best ending with Sekai. Makoto and Sekai dance by the bonfire.
- "Sex Friend" (「セックスフレンド」, Sekkusu Furendo)
- Happy ending with Hikari, one of the sub heroines.
- "The Earnest Feelings are Rewarded" (「一途な思いは報われて」, Ichizu na Omoi wa Mukuwarete)
- Happy ending with Otome, one of the sub heroines.
- "Setsuna's Wish" (「刹那の思い」, Setsuna no Omoi)
- Happy ending with Setsuna and Sekai. Although Setsuna leaves to Paris and Makoto falls love with Sekai, this is known as Setsuna's ending because of the impressive last scene.
- Bad endings
- "Eternally" (「永遠に」, Eien ni)[1]
- Sekai and Makoto are in love and decide to confront Kotonoha and tell her about it. Kotonoha handles it very badly, even begging Makoto to "Please date me. I beg you."[2] Afterwards she quietly tells them that they will never be happy together. As Sekai and Makoto leave the apartment, Kotonoha's phone falls and shatters on the floor. They then witness Kotonoha jumping off the ledge of the apartment, landing head first on the pavement. The epilogue shows Makoto in front of Kotonoha's grave: he broke up with Sekai, finished high school and is now working with his mom. He has never had a girlfriend since.
- "To My Children" (「我が子へ」, Wagako e)
- In the middle of an H-scene between Kotonoha and Makoto, he tries to comfort her that she is the only one for him, and that Sekai is good for nothing, and that she's only there for him to sleep with. Sekai overhears this and becomes enraged. Six months later, Kotonoha and Makoto are on a walk outside, with her talking about having a baby. When they part, Sekai (now pregnant) appears and stabs Makoto. Even with a knife sticking into him, Makoto speaks calmly. Sekai suddenly becomes terrified at what she has done and runs off. Makoto slowly crawls to a bench, leaving a trail of blood. Makoto later dies. Since this is the only ending in which Makoto dies, all fans of the game who really dislike his treatment of the two leading girls consider it to be "The Good Ending."[citation needed]
- "The Bloody Conclusion" (「鮮血の結末」, Senketsu no Ketsumatsu)
- Sekai and Makoto are in love. Kotonoha overhears Makoto and Sekai loudly making love to each other, which in turn emotionally destroys her. The next day as they leave the train station where the three always take, they meet Kotonoha on an overpass beside the station. There is an awkward moment as Sekai lets go of Makoto's arm, greeting her. Kotonoha says a few words, before revealing the saw hidden behind her school bag and swipes it beside Sekai's neck. After a few seconds of realizing what had just happened, Sekai suddenly bleeds like a spray and collapses in a pool of blood, with Kotonoha laughing hysterically, her eyes revealing that she has completely broken down.
- "Harem" endings
-
- "Two Lovers" (「二人の恋人」, Futari no Koibito)
- A "harem" ending, Kotonoha and Sekai have admitted and accept that they both love Makoto. They both are pregnant, and want to reveal the news to Makoto as a "Christmas Present".
- "Everyone's Makoto" (「みんなの誠」, Minna no Makoto)
- "Goodbye, Sekai" (「さよなら世界」, Sayonara Sekai)
- In these two endings, Makoto makes love with various girls (other than Kotonoha and Sekai) almost every day.
- Variation
-
- "I'm the Wife" (「妻です」, Tsuma desu)
- A post-fin episode to the endings "Carnal Desire" and "Bavarois", appears only on certain condition. This episode actually does not have an official title. Above title, "I'm the Wife", is only a nickname among fans. Makoto is at home with his mother and receives a picture and letter from Setsuna from France, showing her standing in front of the Arc de Triomphe obviously pregnant. She writes: I will be giving birth in Japan, so I'll return around the time when you get this letter. Please think of a name. Setsuna"[3]. The doorbell rings and Makoto's lover(She is Kotonoha in case the ending is "Carnal Desire", or she is Sekai in case the ending is "Bavarois".) comes in, introducing Setsuna to Makoto's mother as Makoto's former classmate if she is Kotonoha, or as being her childhood friend if she is Sekai. Setsuna promptly introduces herself, "I'm the wife," holding up her pregnancy inoculations booklet and a victory sign.
Anime
Despite the original material already resembling an anime, there is an anime adaptation, produced by TNK, that began airing in Japan on July 3 2007.
Theme songs
- Opening theme
- "Innocent Blue" (イノセント・ブルー, Inosento Buruu) by DeviceHigh
- Ending theme
- "Usotsuki" (ウソツキ, lit. Liar) by CooRie - Episode 01, Episode 08
- "Ai no Kakera" (愛のカケラ, lit. Shards of Love) by Hashimoto Miyuki - Episode 02
- "Warutsu" (ワルツ, Waltz) by Kanako Itō - Episode 03, Episode 11
- "Kioku no Umi" (記憶の海, lit. Ocean of Memories) by Yozuca* - Episode 04, Episode 07
- "Look at Me" by YURIA - Episode 05
- "Namida no Riyuu" (涙の理由, lit. The Reason for Tears) by Kuribayashi Minami - Episode 06, Episode 10
- "Anata ga...Inai -Remix Version-" (あなたが…いない -Remix Version-, lit. You Are...Not Here) by Minami Kuribayashi - Episode 09
- Insert theme
- "Namida no Riyuu" (涙の理由) by Kuribayashi Minami - Episode 05, Episode 11
- "Kioku no Umi" (記憶の海) by Yozuca* - Episode 06
- "Let me love you -Remix Version-" by Haruko Momoi - Episode 09, Episode 10
- "Futari no Kurisumasu" (二人のクリスマス, lit. Our Christmas) by Rino - Episode 11
Unlike most anime, School Days does not have a consistent ending theme.
Episodes
| # | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
Manga
The School Days manga is currently being serialized in Comp-Ace.
Novels
Three novels were published by Harvest Novels
| Title | Translated Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| School Days 言葉編 | School Days: Kotonoha Edition | Tome Okada (岡田留奈, Tome Okada) | Harvest Novels | 4434071041 |
| School Days 世界編 | School Days: Sekai Edition | Tome Okada (岡田留奈, Tome Okada) | Harvest Novels | 4434071041 |
| School Days 君といる | School Days: With You | Takuya Baba (馬場卓也, Baba Takuya) | JIVE CHARACTER NOVELS | 4861762456 |
CDs
Game
- School Days Drama CD: Little Promise
- School Days - Vocal Album
- School Days Original Soundtrack
Anime
- Innocent Blue (single)
- School Days Ending Theme+ (Album)
Translation
Sekai-Project, a fan translation group, is working on translating School Days into English.
Notes
- ^ http://youtube.com/watch?v=lSJfk7K34TE
- ^ 付き合ってください。お願いします。
- ^ Original letter: 日本で産むのでこの手紙がつくころ帰国します。名前を考えておいて下さい。 刹那
External links
- School Days official website Template:Jp icon
- Official School Days anime website Template:Jp icon
- School Days Anime at AT-X Template:Jp icon
- School Days Anime at Avex Template:Jp icon
- School Days Radio Drama Website Template:Jp icon
- School Days L×H official website Template:Jp icon
- School Days ({{{type}}}) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Sekai-Project School Days English Localization Project