The Baka side of High School Life: “Joshikosei Girls High"

Girls were much as a mystery to me during high school as much as women are to me now today— although I know a few things now. I think. So it’s nice to see a bishoujo anime that doesn’t have any subtle undertones of lesbianism, or a guy’s pre-conceived notion of what high school girls are— kawaii, sweet, and often too doleful to be real. “Joshikosei Girls High” is a twelve episode series that shows an all too real yet somewhat ecchi depiction of what high school girls are, beyond the shut door of a girl’s locker room. Based on a currently ongoing manga series by Towa Oshima— daughter of Yasuichi Oshima, the renown manga-ka of Batsu & Terī —originally published by Futabasha's Weekly Manga Action magazine in 2001. “Joshikosei Girls High”, or Girls High for short, depicts the comic yet slightly raunchy misadventures of Eriko Takahashi, Fuma Suzuki, Ayano Satou, Akari Kouda, Kyoko Himeji, and Irue Ogawa, as they enter senior high school at Yamasaki Girls Academy— abbreviated in the series as ‘Saki Girls Academy’.

Eriko Takahashi leads her two friends, Yuma Suzuki and Ayano Satou, into taking an impromptu tour of Saki Girls Academy. Believing that Girls high school is the epitome of grace, beauty, and charm— as oppose to a boys high, as Eriko states as dirty, filthy, and smelly. Eriko’s naïve misconceptions gets knock off her ivory pedestal, when they step into the girls swim team locker room, they find a room littered with P.E. swimsuits hanging in the air and trash littered about. Even an open pack of sanitary pads in the open and a sheet of tissue on a desk table with very short curly hair that can only be pubic hair.

Finding out that all girls senior high school isn’t all the prim and grace that she so dream about, Eriko runs out the room— with Yuma and Ayano chasing after her— and stumbles on a flight of stairs, falling butt first into the face of Akari Kouda. Akari with her friends, Kyoko Himeji and Irue Ogawa, assume by mistake that Eriko, Yuma, and Ayano are sophomores and starts to ask Eriko all about high school life. Only to find out the following day that they are in the same class.

Similar in theme to “Super Gals”, wherein a bunch of high school girls who meet up at the start of the first semester and become friends for life. Unlike ”Super Gals”, wherein romance seems to be still the usual flavor of bishoujo anime, Joshikosei Girls High focuses more a down-to-earth, somewhat real, yet somewhat ranchious depiction of high school life on the girls side of the fence. While Gals, like all other bishoujo anime primarily focus on romance, Girls High deviates from the usual flow, discussing such matters such as girls’ hygiene, porn, and the usual back talk that girls talk about boys— aside from the bonds of friendship which is the usual plotline. While Gainax Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou, “His and her Circumstances” tackles the angst, the pain, and trials of high school life, all in the traditional style of Gainax— thought provoking and full of cinematic drama. Girls High takes a light, humorous, ecchi yet witty approach to the whole high school life drama. It’s refreshing to see a bishoujo anime wherein girls talk about porn, personal hygiene, boys, and dating under the sun— minus the cliquey embarrassed blushing and all-too-sugary sweetness typical of other bishoujo anime.

The first two episodes of the anime­— and some later episodes— have enough fan service to outlast an otaku’s lifetime. Even sending some first time viewers screaming hentai. But despite the excessive fan service— pantie flashes and sexually suggestive positions, what makes Joshikosei Girls High, an anime worth watching over and over again, is its candid yet humorous portrayal of high school girls who can talk about porn, sex, boys without the clique blushes of embarrassment or doleful eye effects. Girls that as close to real girls and experience things as typical girls do. Plus the comic antics and stupid misadventures, making us believe that girls do have a baka side— once in a while.

The only flaws that I found with Joshikosei Girls High is the brevity of the series and the lack of character storyline on Kyoko Himeji and Irue Ogawa. While most of the other primary characters— Eriko Takahashi, Yuma Suzuki, Ayano Satou, and Akari Kouda— had each an episode or two showing us a storyline focus on each. Except for episode 8, where we see a fat Himeji who upon the advice of ‘three angels’ transforms herself from fatty to hotty— all for the sake of love. We don’t get to much storyline on these two characters, transforming them in later episodes as just simple background characters­— even like personal attachments or accessories to the other four. If there is to be a Season 2— and I hope there is, I hope the producers of the anime provide more in-depth storyline on the two. Maybe, an episode or two dedicated to Yuma’s little sister, Momoka Suzuki. Besides I would love to see more baka misadventures of the Moron Corp as they brave through second year of senior high.

"School Days" Are Here To Stay, a Review

"School Days" is a gripping, slice-of-life anime that tackles the darker aspects of high school life normally not portrayed in Anime. The story revolves around Makoto Itou, a freshmen student at Sakakino Academy, who is in love with Kotonoha Katsura— a girl in the same year as he is and travels the same train he rides on. Watching from a distance, he only gains the courage to talk to Katsura through the help of Sekai Saionji— a female classmate of Makoto's, who unknown to him, is secretly in love with him.

You would think upon first glance, this would be the typical best-friend-in-love-with-friend-who-is-in-love-with-another-girl love triangle. Makoto does fall for Sekai as well, but this is not in the bitter sweet confusion of love. Even before Makoto's and Kotonoha's relationship could even deepen into a real relationship. Makoto's feelings begin to slip as he starts to complain of how tiring it is to be with Katsura and not as fun as he thought it would be to have a girlfriend. His attention turns to Saionji, whose offer of 'practice' with her turns carnal. Instead of escorting Katsura home from a group date at a indoor swimming park, Makoto leaves Katsura at the station and goes to Saionji's place. Makoto sleeps with Saionji.

Now in a relationship with Makoto, Sekai guilt-ridden cause of her betrayal of trust with Katsura, tries to convince Makoto that they should tell Kotonoha of their relationship. But Makoto unwilling to face Kotonoha, tells Sekai that they should wait for a better time to do so. Which only worsens the situation, Sekai's friends— Setsuna Kiyoura, Hikari Kuroda, and Nanami— convinced of their relationship, begin to despise Katsura; seeing her as desperate woman trying to steal away their bestfriend's boyfriend. Katsura gets further abuse in her own classroom, as Otome Kato— a former schoolmate of Makoto in middle school who is secrelty in love with him— and her gang bully Kotonoha into doing additional work for the school's cultural festival.

A far dry from the usual genre of romantic comedy animes based a dating sim game or H-game. Wherein one guy is surrounded by a multitude of doleful-eyed, sweet, and kawaii girls and can’t make up his mind who is the girl of his dreams. “School Days” instead tackles the darker aspects of high school life such as bullying, date rape, and pregnancy. Highly sensitive topics considered taboo in mainstream anime.

Makoto from the sweet, sincere yet hesitant guy, who you would think at first glance appreciate the deeper sentiments of love, turns the complete opposite. Like the average teenage guy those idea of having a relationship with a girl is having his way with her; in-experience with the deeper aspects of having a relationship. You would get irritated by Makoto’s naïve and ignorant idea of a relationship. But as you go on watching the anime, this irritation slowly turns into loathing and disgust, as Makoto ignorant and impatient with the current pace of his relationship with Katsura, turns his attention to Saionji, those offer of ‘practice’ leads him away from Kotonoha.Trading the deep, sincere, and sweet love of Katsura for Saionji’s blind willingness to have his way with her.

What makes the anime repulsive is not because Makoto is the sly, ultra-bishonen playboy typically type-casted in any anime. On the contrary, he is the complete opposite, friendly, shy, helpful, hesitant, you would never expect him to turn into a manipulative sex fiend. Naïve about love and all the feelings attached to it, Makoto, like the typical dolt of a guy, thinks more with his hormones than his heart. Dealing with the darker pathos of love and its flaws, “School Days” presents us a dark nightmare wherein ignorance, lust, and blind desperation to attain one’s heart desire can lead to fatal ends.

In someway, you will both hate and pity Sekai, in her blind love for Makoto have his way with her, because she loves him. Kotonoha, on the other hand, aware of Makoto’s infidelities, turns a blind eye, keeping faith in him despite of it all. Beautiful, kind, sincere, and loving, you can only feel sorrow for her as she sinks into madness.

Dark as the anime may be, I can’t help but give praise the producers of “:School Days”— both Overflow(for the game) and Studio TNK(for the anime)—, while most anime deal with sweet yet hilarious die of love with all the mishaps and misunderstandings. “School Days” shows us a bitter yet dark truth about high school life. Even Love in all its purity can turn bitter and cruel when we mistake lust for love, and blind willingness as a sign of selfless love. Dark, tragic, and grim as it is, I highly recommend it to any guy who happen to think that getting into a relationship is getting into a girl’s skirt— and to any girl bfore she makes that mistake that loving a guy is just letting him have it all.