Josh’s Anime Blog

It’s School Days Episode 9. Remember that remark by Makoto in the last episode where he basically admitted to himself that he’s a jackass? Well forget about it! That remorse has now been beaten to a pulp, stabbed, incinerated and had it’s ashed spread all around the universe as Makoto shows that he’s willing to sleep with any human being that has different equipment than he.

This episode starts off right where the last one ended, with Kotonoha catching Setsuna stealing a kiss from Makoto. Kotonoha demands to know if Setsuna likes Makoto and whether that’s why she was keeping him away from her. Setsuna tells her that she was keeping her away for Sekai’s sake, and that the kiss was supposed to be just a happy memory for herself. Kotonoha says that has nothing to do with herself and Makoto, but before she can explain what she means, Nanami interrupts them, and Kotonoha excuses herself.

The next day, Setsuna decides to spend the day by herself. She goes to watch a play which is analogous to what happened the night before: the main character was caught touching a flower which is “everyone’s desire.” The main character tries to explain that he only touched it once, and wanted a memory to make himself happy and didn’t mean to harm the world by touching it. Then the other characters ask the main character the question: if no one ever asks, does that mean you can do whatever you want? However, they then remind him that, even if no one asks, it doesn’t change the fact that the action was still done. This series of scenes clearly causes Setsuna to reflect on what she had done the night before.

Back at the classroom, Makoto complains about having to work in the kitchen, but then he and Sekai start flirting with each other. Back at their classroom, Kotonoha is busy messaging Makoto and isn’t paying attention to customers when Otome and her gang arrive and chide her for it. They then explain to her how the haunted house’s lounge is a tradition at the school, along with walking around with the person you like and dancing at the folk dance.

Taisuke, who is going around doing odd jobs, stumbles on Kotonoha looking down at her classroom after Otome and her group have left. Taisuke tries to ask Kotonoha out again, this time to the folk dance, but Kotonoha once again turns him down, saying that she’s going out with Makoto. Back in Class 3, Makoto is trying to get a good feel of Sekai’s butt, but she refuses, saying that someone might see. Makoto doesn’t listen, saying that it’s OK if no one sees (is this the theme for the episode?) and continues, which earns him a nice hard kick to the groin from Sekai. She tells him to go fool around somewhere else, so Makoto leaves to enjoy the festival.

While Makoto is outside sucking on a big wiener, Otome, upon the prodding of her friends, goes to him and asks him if he’ll go around the festival with her. Being friends with Otome since middle school and having nothing else better to do, Makoto agrees to. Afterwards, Otome laments that, while they hung out all the time in middle school, they haven’t had a chance to do so since entering high school since they’re in different classes. She then asks Makoto to dance with her that night, but Makoto tells her that she should ask the boy she likes, and Otome says that’s why she’s asking him. Makoto doesn’t really respond, but he does look Otome up and down and realizes how sexy he thinks she looks. However, right after that Sekai shows up, angry at Makoto for blowing off work.

After glaring back at Otome, Sekai and Makoto head back to their classroom when Hikari comes running saying that Makoto’s girlfriend is waiting for him in their room. However, once they get there, they see that it’s just Kokoro and one of her friends. Kokoro talks about how Kotonoha has been looking forward to dancing with Makoto, which makes Sekai jealous.

Meanwhile, two of Otome’s friends run into Kotonoha, who is returning from a committee meeting. They further question her on whether Makoto is her boyfriend, and she repeatedly reaffirms it. They then remark how they haven’t seen each other all day, but Kotonoha just says that Makoto must be busy. Back at class 3, Sekai asks Makoto if he’ll dance with her at the folk dance, and he agrees to.

Out in an empty courtyard, Taisuke and Otome run into each other, both down for basically being rejected. Taisuke accidentally lets know that he likes Kotonoha, but that he’s giving up because Kotonoha keeps insisting that she’s dating Makoto. Otome gets mad and tells him that he has to keep trying or else he’ll never get what he wants. This speech also seems to stir Otome, who decides to go and give wooing Makoto another shot.

Once again back at Class 3, Hikari asks for Sekai’s help with customers since they’re overwhelmed. Left alone, Makoto notices that he’s gotten a voice mail. He looks to see who it’s from and sees that Kotonoha has left him 20 voice mails so far. In a panic, Makoto runs out to see Kotonoha, but is stopped by Otome, who drags him to the lounge. She confesses to him and asks him if he wants to be “more than friends” with her. He says he’s not opposed to it, so Otome throws him down onto the bed. Makoto then kisses Otome and they proceed to have sex.

After they’re finished, Makoto realizes that it’s almost time for the folk dance. Otome remarks that it’d be best if no one knew about them, and Makoto leaves. Makoto then arrives at the bonfire and dances with Sekai. Meanwhile, Kotonoha arrives at class 3 to get Makoto, but only Taisuke is in the room and tells her that Makoto has gone to the dance with Sekai. Kotonoha asks why he would do that, and Taisuke tells her that Makoto has betrayed her and that he loves her.

Back at the dance, Setsuna is watching from afar and ponders the words from the play: “If no one ever asked, then does that mean you can do as you desire.” Sekai then asks Makoto if she is her girlfriend, but Makoto hesitates about responding. Meanwhile, in the classroom, Taisuke starts undressing a shocked and unresponsive Kotonoha…

Well, if that wasn’t an uplifting episode, I don’t know what is. I thought Setsuna performed as good as she could in the face of Kotonoha. I’m not sure what Kotonoha meant by Setsuna wanting her own memory to be a matter between herself and Makoto. I guess it means that she was trying to say that the motivations behind the action were irrelevant, and that would go along with the theme of the episode which is whether it’s ok to do something if no one knows about it (we see it in the play, Setsuna’s thinking about the play at the end of the episode, Makoto saying it’s ok to play with Sekai if no one finds out, and Otome saying it’s best if no one knows about what they did).

Speaking of Setsuna repeating the line form the play at the end: what does this mean? Does it mean that she’s pondering about whether what she did is wrong, or did she decide with the idea that, if no one knows, then it’s fine, and if that’s the case, does that mean she’ll go after Makoto before she leaves?

Of course, we can’t end this review without mentioning what a jackass Makoto is again. Now that Otome confesses to him, he decides that she’s hot, and not only doesn’t say no to her propositioning him, but says that he’s ok with them being “more than friends.” I guess that if you have breasts and a vagina and are willing to sleep with him, Makoto is A-OK with it. Sekai better not find out, because I don’t think even she would put up with that.

Makoto reminds me of the legendary “Mega-Playboy” from DNA² who is supposed to get 100 women pregnant, and causing all of his offspring to be mega-playboys who will repeat that feat, causing a major over-population problem. One of the biggest features of the Mega-Playboy was his ability to seemingly make himself irresistible to women, despite any of his other features, and to relentlessly sleep with any woman who is willing. Does that basically seem to fit Makoto to a tee?

Of course, we still have poor Kotonoha who has completely deluded herself, despite all evidence to the contrary, that Makoto is still dating her, at least until Taisuke puts it as bluntly as anyone could: Makoto betrayed her. Of course, then he goes ahead and seems to take advantage of her while she’s standing there in shock.

As we should do after every episode, what do the events in this episode seem to suggest as far as an ending? It certainly looks like we’re going down the “Kotonoha mental breakdown” route, which, if the anime ends like any of the game’s ending, either a Kotonoha suicide ending, or a Kotonoha killing Sekai ending.

Of course, I’ve repeatedly said that I’m expecting an ending different from any in the game, so maybe we could see Kotonoha do in BOTH Sekai and Makoto, and possibly even throw in tossing herself off a building on top of it. Of course, we still have three episodes to go, and there is still plenty of time for Makoto to do something that will piss Sekai off - such as going back to Kotonoha (he never has slept with her after all). Of course, Makoto has already done something that would make Sekai mad in sleeping with Otome, but that’s a secret, and it’d most likely be something he does with Kotonoha that would set off Sekai anyway.

However, Otome and Makoto’s, erm, adventure may come out, however. Remember the camera that Otome’s friends procured when they were preparing for the festival. I can think of only one use for it: taping what went on in the lounge, and I can think of only one thing that could cause it’s return: using it to reveal what Otome and Makoto did.

I don’t think this episode is as much of a cliffhanger than the past ones, though if Taisuke really does end up, for all intents and purposes, raping Kotonoha, that will obviously have some sort of effect. I just mean that the last two episodes have been confrontational cliffhangers while this one is more like a “did he really do it?” ending.

As I said, only 3 episodes left. We’re going down to the wire and we definitely seem to be heading towards one hell of an ending.