A few warnings beforehand: This show is not for the weak-hearted. I had never imagined that an anime would make me bang my head against a pillow repeatedly, several times each episode, but this proved me wrong. Brutal is the word that comes to mind when describing this show as a whole.
A few suggestions: There are two things you need to realize to get the most out of this show. One, you're not going to be uplifted or happy. This show is depressing. Two, you need to allow yourself to be immersed in the world, to suspend your disbelief and be a part of the characters' world. If you're watching this show casually just to understand the "Nice Boat" meme, you're wasting your time - just go read the Wikipedia article. Watch the show in a dark room, alone, in one sitting. Preferably late at night. Keep all sharp objects away, because you might want to kill yourself. Here we go...
Story: Starts off with the development of a generic love triangle between the seemingly creepy, but not mean-spirited, protagonist, the object of his desires, and his friend. And from that, it spirals into emotional madness. I don't want to spoil anything about the events of the plot itself, but the amount of twists and turns that take place made it impossible for me to stop watching after episode 4. And yes, the ending is worth watching it all for. 10/10
Art: I'll admit that I don't have very high standards for anime art, and only flinched once or twice in the infamous second episode of Akikan, but I think that the show's art, while not stellar, is still quite good. The characters are well drawn, and while nothing is exceptional, it's fully adequate for conveying the relationships between the characters successfully. It's important to note that Sekai is drawn in such a way that she isn't a kind of blatantly gorgeous character, which, while unusual in anime, works very well here. 8/10
Sound: I don't really have much to say about this. Adequate, and parts of the OP have this perfect atmosphere for the series, which really puts you in the mood for the emotional trudgery that follows. 8/10
Character: This is where the show really shines. The incredible power of the characters in School Days, the emotional forces created by their strained relationships, the feelings spawned by their actions... together they made it unforgettable. What's so particular about the show is the fact that by the end of it, I wanted to practically rip most of the characters apart. There's no shining beacon of moral goodness, there's no character out there to help the others, there's just this shocking revelation of base human instincts. The characters are so incredibly cruel to each other, even to a point where I felt like I couldn't continue to watch - though I did anyways, and was glad that I did. 10/10
Enjoyment: Let me set this straight - I did NOT enjoy watching this anime. It was a horrible, depressing experience that left me feeling like shit for weeks. But that's why I love it so much - not in a sadomasochist way, but because its sheer emotional power was so goddamned impressive. It was hard to watch, so very hard to watch... but worth it. 2/10
Overall: Brutal. Watch it. I have yet to find an anime that made me this depressed, and yet made me think so much. 10/10
