History VisualNovel / SchoolDays

* ButThouMust: No matter how well you try to treat Kotonoha, even if you only make choices that raise her relationship bar the entire way through, the two of you will break up at some point. Interestingly, the only way to not break up with her is to cheat on her with Sekai for training.

** You ‘’’will’’’ end up breaking someone's heart, period. It's extremely difficult to go through the game without breaking up with Kotonoha at least once. If you try to prolong the inevitable… well, read the rest of this trope page.

** No matter how jerkass you try to turn Makoto into with your decisions, the game will make sure to always keep him in neutral zone at worst.
** Otome isn’t exactly evil, but she does have a really nasty bullying record with Kotonoha. So seeing her being empathetic towards Kotonoha after Makoto dumps the later in front of her during one of the paths in the game is a surprise.

* FirstGirlWins: Played with quite a lot. Kotonoha is the first girl the audience sees, Sekai is the first girl who talks to Makoto in the game, Setsuna was the first girl Makoto meets in the first trimester, and Otome was the first girl Makoto met chronologically speaking. Of course, there’s also a path that ends with Makoto [[SubvertedTrope being with neither of them]].

** In some routes this is used to make the player feel guilty of having leave behind the other girl.

** Actually averted in at least one route: Makoto's ending narration says that at some point, everyone at school found out that he and Kotonoha were a couple. Apparently, Hikari, Nanami among others didn't get the memo.

* ThereAreNoTherapists: Nobody but Kotonoha's little sister Kokoro notice her [[spoiler:fall into insanity.]]

* ViolationOfCommonSense: Would it be ridiculous if I tell you the only way to prevent you from breaking up with you girlfriend is by cheating on her? Indeed this is the only way to achieve a path where you never break up with Kotonoha.

* FirstGirlWins: Played with quite a lot. Kotonoha is the first girl the audience sees, Sekai is the first girl who talks to Makoto in the game, Setsuna was the first girl Makoto meets in the first trimester, and Otome was the first girl Makoto met chronologically speaking. Of course, there’s also a path that ends with Makoto being with neither of them.

** The original visual novel, as well as ''School Days HQ'', can be like this. The biggest problem is that because Makoto is indecisive and waffles too much, some of the choices the player makes can be counter-intuitive since Makoto might screw up a choice the player would handle better in real life. Compounding the problem, just like in real life, not everything is under the player's control and the love interests sometimes make bad decisions Makoto has nothing to do with. For both reasons, the player ''has'' to consult a walkthrough/guide for the right choices to make if he wants to get a specific ending. Getting endings like ‘’Setsuna’s Feelings’’, ‘’Everyone’s Makoto’’, ‘’Two Lovers’’, Sexfriend’’, ‘’Goodbye Sekai’’ or ‘’Earnest Feelings Requited’’ in the first playthrough without a guide is pretty much impossible.

* LaserGuidedKarma: Nanami’s actions to drive Kotonoha away from Makoto in order to bring him and Sekai together backfire spectacularly in many routes. Eventually causing Makoto to actually do the exact opposite and sever his bonds with Sekai out of [[WhatTheHellHero sheer disgust for her actions]].

* ZettaiRyouiki: Part of the standard school uniform

* YourCheatingHeart: This trope drives the whole plot.

** No matter how jerkass you try to turn Makoto into with your decisions, the game will make sure to always keep him in neutral zone at best.

* IfICantHaveYou: ‘’To My Child’’ features [[spoiler: a pregnant Sekai killing Makoto for choosing Kotonoha over her]].

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Kotonoha delivers one to Sekai on many routes for having helped her to meet Makoto only to stab her in the back later.

** Kotonoha is seen as the prime example poster child of this Character type due to the ‘’Forever’’ ending, her portrayal in other media and most of fan works. In reality, she’s more of a subversion than a straight example in the original game. While Kotonoha was very jealous and obsessed at times, she never went to extreme lengths to keep Makoto from spending time with other girls and usually would never complain as long as Makoto eventually had time for her later. In the Harem ending [[spoiler:she’s the one who accepts and encourages Makoto to sleep with anyone he wants]]. There are also some routes where she actually accepts Makoto has moved on from her. Finally the extended version of one of the bad endings shows [[spoiler: she would never be capable of killing Makoto no matter who he chose]].

** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] somewhat depending on your definition of "bad" ending. While there are only 3 endings where someone is killed (4 in HQ), there are other endings that are other endings that are easier to obtain where Makoto and/or one of his girlfriends winds up severely unhappy and dissatisfied. Even some of the better endings have a [[BittersweetEnding bitter tinge]] to them, as whoever Makoto doesn't pick ends up depressed and lonely.

* TitleOnlyOpening: Only applies to the first episode, which has a simple title card on a black-screen. The AnimeThemeSong still plays of the ending credits, though.

* PoorCommunicationSkills: Not as bad as the anime, but still present. Makoto never bothers to tell anyone that he's dating Kotonoha (save Sekai), and Sekai never bothers to set the record straight when Nanami accuses Makoto of dating another girl behind Sekai's back (even if Makoto and Sekai hadn't been dating to begin with). This does nothing to diffuse the drama.

* PornWithPlot: Granted, the plot can be [[IdiotPlot mind-numbingly dense at points]], but it's there.

** Taisuke, like his father Ayumu, [[spoiler:was subjected to RapeAsDrama by Kei Ogata and Asagi Inou respectively in their backstory]].

* WhamLine: At the end of the anime, Makoto receives a text message from Sekai. There are several blank lines, then...''Goodbye.'' Cue [[spoiler: Sekai brutally stabbing Makoto.]]

* ThereAreNoTherapists: Nobody but Kotonoha's little sister Kokoro notice her [[spoier:fall into insanity.]]

** Otome is a more straight example, acting like a Type A often. Lampshaded in her ending, where her GirlPosse ask her how come she and Makoto can stay together if they keep squabbling all the time, and Otome just shows them a picture of them kissing.

* {{Gorn}}: The 4 bad ends in the HQ version. The additional [=PS2=] bad endings aren’t really graphic preferring to make use of the VisualDiscretionShot instead.

* DownerEnding: Probably the main reason you’re playing this game in the first place are the four (or 12 if you can get your hands on the PS2 version) violent bad endings. However let it be known that there are some endings in the game that, while not violent, are Downer endings themselves. ‘’Lust’’ has [[spoiler: Makoto accepting that love is just another way to describe lust and resigns to stay with Kotonoha simply because she’s willing to have sex with him anytime he wants]]. ‘’Goodbye Sekai’’ has [[spoiler: Sekai leaving Japan and Makoto falling into an endless cycle of having meaningless sex with every girl he meets, going all the way to underage girls. All of this, while showing real signs of a deep depression]].
* EarnYourBadEnding: A counterpoint to "Earn Your Happy Ending" below. Even if you're only [[WatchItForTheMeme playing the game to see the bad endings]], they're actually rather hard to get if you're not trying for them. The exception to this is the ‘’Bloody End’’ ending, which is possible to get from multiple routes in the game (so if you’re trying to reenact the anime, you’ll see this ending MANY times). The other three are played straight, with one being achievable only through two routes and the other two from one single specific route. With the ‘’Pushed Too Far’’ ending being perhaps the most difficult ending in the game to get.

** "Two Lovers" an ending where [[spoiler:if you play your cards right, Makoto ends up with both Kotonoha and Sekai as his lovers. They're all on good terms with each other and plan to celebrate Christmas together]], is this in spades. The "earn" part comes into play because in order to achieve it, you have to reach a very difficult path where Kotonoha [[actually gives up on pursuing a single relationship with Makoto and instead becomes open to him sleeping with whoever he wants as long as he continues sleeping with her as well]]. This is difficult because you’ll have to keep the bar very in the middle until at least episode 4 while getting a very specific path in which a few millimeters to either side can make the difference. Then by episode five only the right answers will get you to the desired path with many others still open if you go very far in one direction. Finally, you can still screw up and get a bad ending in the last episode if you don’t pick the right options, no matter where your bar is.

** One of the new bad endings in the PS2 version has Makoto pull a very surprising turn. [[spoiler:Helping Sekai to kill Kotonoha in an alley so she stops bothering them]].

* {{Gorn}}: The 4 bad ends in the HQ version. The additional PS2 bad endings aren’t really graphic preferring to make use of the VisualDiscretionShot instead.

** Both Makoto and Sekai get away with [[spoiler: murdering Kotonoha secretly in an alley]] in one of the PS2 bad endings.

** An interest variation of this exist in the PS2 version of the game where you can get multiple variations of a new bad ending involving a train. In total there are three versions: [[spoiler: One where Sekai pushes Kotonoha to the rails but falls as well, Makoto helps Kotonoha up but Kotonoha can’t save Sekai in time and she’s crushed; one where Kotonoha pushes Sekai to the rails and Makoto saves her but fails to save himself; and finally one where Makoto fails to save either girl and both die crushed]]. Eventually Overflow would add one last variation of the ending to the HQ version where [[spoiler:Sekai succeeds in pushing Kotonoha to the train rails where she’s crushed]]. NICE TRAIN, INDEED.

** Setsuna also becomes this if you manage to reach the path that includes her VeryOwnEpisode.

[[caption-width-right:350:This is a HaremSeries... [[{{Yandere}} gone wrong]].]]

The anime is an AnimatedAdaptation of the VisualNovel of the same name. Although only a tiny fraction (4 of 21) of the game's endings being such, it is (in)famous for its violent "Bad Ends", which include such things as Makoto's scorned ex-lovers [[SpurnedIntoSuicide going suicidal]] or [[MurderTheHypotenuse downright murderous]]. The series starts out with a happy innocent mood, but [[CerebusSyndrome gradually becomes much darker]], and by the end [[SurpriseCreepy plummets deep into the]] [[DownerEnding pits of despair, angst, and violence]]…

…and laughs, depending on how much you hated the main character by the end. Ultimately, the anime is like watching the worst ending possible on the visual novel.

Sensitive, [[IdiotPlot idiocy-intolerant]], or squeamish viewers, beware!

There are also two OVA episodes, ''Valentine Days'' and ''Magical Heart Kokoro-chan'', that exist in [[AlternateContinuity Alternate Continuities]]. Especially in the latter's case, which turns most of the main females into {{Sentai}} and/or {{Magical Girl}}s with liberal amounts of randomness and ''School Days''-style {{fanservice}} and gore.

Finally, there's also a manga, which is much more family friendly than the anime. Makoto, much less of a {{Jerkass}} here, manages to resist Sekai for most of the run; when he finally gives in to temptation, he feels so bad about it that [[TheAtoner he is prepared to break up with her]]... [[DownerEnding until stuff happens]]. Almost more disturbing than the anime, in a subtle way. There's a manga adaptation for ''Cross Days'' as well, which follows Yuuki, the protagonist of the game, and which gets dubious props for somehow making Makoto even more of a jerk than he is in the anime. No, really.

The [[http://schooldays.us/ "remastered"]] edition of the game, ''School Days HQ'', was released in English by JAST-USA on June 28, 2012, and they have also obtained the license for ''VisualNovel/ShinyDays'' which was released in a download edition on September 29, 2015. A limited edition physical release was released on October 7, 2015. Creator/DiscotekMedia licensed the anime and released it on DVD in 2015; they also announced a Blu-ray release for Spring 2017.

* AdaptationDistillation: One could view the manga like this, as in its continuity Makoto has noticeably toned down his {{Jerkass}} TheCasanova tendencies and seems to genuinely care about Kotonoha and Sekai.
** No such issue in the manga adaptation of ''Cross Days'', where Makoto is back to being a womanizing jerk. Although it still counts as AdaptationDistillation because unlike the Cross Days visual novel, where Makoto can't get a harem ending with Sekai and Kotonoha, [[spoiler:[[MarryThemAll both of them end up with him in the manga]].]]
* AdjectiveNounFred: ''~Magical Heart Kokoro-chan~'' {{OVA}}.
* ADateWithRosiePalms: Being an H-Game, it logically has scenes like this. In the original, Kotonoha is seen touching herself in the bath, while Sekai masturbates in her bedroom [[spoiler:while using her cellphone (with a picture of Makoto as its wallpaper) to "please herself".]]

** What if ''your'' significant other turned out to be sleeping with others behind your back?
** What if you suddenly found out you were pregnant? [[spoiler:Or that your partner tried to fake being pregnant in order to stop you breaking up with them?]]
* AdultsAreUseless: Most people's parents don't show up much, and the ones that do don't seem to notice how messed up their children can be. Kotonoha's parents apparently don't notice her descent into complete insanity (though her younger sister does). Sekai's mom, Youko, does offer some helpful advice in some routes, but then in ''Summer Days'' [[spoiler:she has sex with Makoto, who is dating Sekai at that point, and then when Sekai catches them, Youko insists on a threesome]].

* AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame: The anime is best known for its "[[MemeticMutation Nice Boat]]" ending: In the final episode, [[spoiler:Sekai goes AxeCrazy in a fairly literal sense, killing Makoto before being killed by Kotonoha in turn]]. By astonishing coincidence, a similar event happened in real life in Tokyo just days before the final episode was set to air, so the networks decided not to air it in order to avoid any [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything unfortunate parallels]]. Instead, they ran a half hour travel documentary that included one section about the [=Fjord1=] ferry. Somebody from 4chan took a screen grab of the boat and labeled it "NICE BOAT".
** Oddly enough, the last episode ends with Kotonoha hugging Makoto[[spoiler:'s severed head]] on a NICE BOAT.
*** At the end of ''~Magical Heart Kokoro-chan~'', [[spoiler:where it's spelled out for you on Kokoro's inflatable raft]]. See AscendedMeme.
** Most people tend to be unaware of the visual novel series behind the anime. When they do, pretty much all they know about that besides everything in ''School Days'' is that there's a guy called Tomaru Sawagoe in it and he created an entire TangledFamilyTree by himself.
* AnimationBump: The anime has rather limited, middle-of-the-road animation. However, [[spoiler:Makoto's death]] is rather well-animated considering the rest of the show. [[TakeThatScrappy All the more to satisfy the audience, obviously.]]
* TheAnimeOfTheGame: The original PC VisualNovel was released in Japan on April 28, 2005. The {{Anime}} ran in Japan from July 3 - September 27, 2007. See AnimatedAdaptation in the description above.
* AscendedMeme: "Nice Boat" started as one [=4chan=] commentator's dry remark following an outpouring of shock due to Episode 12 being replaced with 30 minutes of Norwegian scenery and classical music [[TooSoon following the news of a girl murdering her father with an axe]]. The meme became so widespread, 0verflow [[AscendedFanon named their Comiket 73 booth as such]].
** Also see the ShoutOut at the end of ''~Magical Heart Kokoro-chan~'''.
** Kadokawa run a 45 second video of a Nice Boat, the day that the first episode of ''Manga/HaruhiChan'' was supposed to be uploaded. The video had a message saying that they couldn't finish it on time. The episode was uploaded the next day.
* AudibleSharpness: You haven't [[IncrediblyLamePun heard saw]] until you've [[IncrediblyLamePun heard saw]] in this anime.
* BaitAndSwitchCredits: In the beginning of the anime, the OP seems fitting. Later on, it becomes so nauseatingly happy in contrast to the story that by the last episode, the show doesn't use the OP anymore, but just the "School Days"-Logo crashing like a destroyed sheet of glass.
* BalancedHarem: Subverted, as casually spending time with all possible options turns out about as badly as humanly possible.
** It ''is'' possible to achieve harem endings in the game. In the original, there were almost as many harem outcomes as Bad Ends. Remakes have continued adding more and more bad endings, making the harem progressively more difficult to achieve. However, the HQ version has removed most of the added bad ends, thus rebalancing the game somewhat.
* BettyAndVeronica: With Makoto as Archie, Sekai as Betty, and Kotonoha as Veronica. [[spoiler:In the games, we have three possible {{Third Option Love Interest}}s: Hikari, Otome, and Setsuna.]]
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Kotonoha is a sweet girl, if shy and withdrawn. Push her too far, however, [[spoiler:and she goes off the deep end, resulting in her murdering Sekai or committing suicide. Outside of the bad endings, she proves herself to be quite capable of manipulation and other underhanded tactics on a level with the girls who bully her, all for the sake of keeping Makoto from leaving her]].
* BigDamnHeroes: In the game, [[spoiler:Sekai's mother Youko, of all people, in the "Bavarois" ending. Because of Kotonoha's manipulation, Sekai goes home crying thinking she'll never forgive Makoto for "cheating" on her. Makoto goes to her home and begs to be forgiven, but Sekai just tells him to leave. Then Youko arrives home with bavarois, noticing that Makoto has been sitting outside for hours, thinking there's nothing good about himself. Makoto even refuses to go inside when she asks, so Youko calls him a "stubborn boyfriend" for turning down an invitation from a beautiful woman. That irritates Sekai, who insists there's good things about him too... so Youko asks, [[ArmorPiercingQuestion why doesn't Sekai give him the spare bavarois and tell him that]]? That causes Sekai and Makoto to reconcile, sobbing that they love each other.]]

* BitchInSheepsClothing: Pretty much every single character. Roka, Yuuki, and Setsuna seem to be the least affected, but even they are capable of rather questionable actions in certain routes. At least the local GirlPosse don't bother hiding their nastiness.
* BlackBlood: [[spoiler:The broadcast version of the ending. The DVD version leaves all the blood in its red glory.]]
* BookEnds: Episode 1 begins with an internal monologue by Makoto detailing his feelings for Kotonoha; the same speech is played over the post-credits scenes in Episode 12.
* BreastExpansion: In Episode 5, one character uses an inflatable bikini inserts to give herself large breasts.
* BrotherSisterIncest: In ''Summer Days'', it's revealed that [[spoiler:Shun Hazama is the father of Sekai, Setsuna, the Nijou girls, Inori, and possibly Roka, and that their mothers are all his half-sisters (except Natsuhi and Roka's mother). Since Makoto can have sex with Youko in ''Summer Days'', this applies to him as well, since he is also Youko's half-brother.]] A lot of fans don't know this, mainly because, [[NoExportForYou well... the game had a pretty limited release]].
** In the same game and in ''Snow Radish Vacation'', [[spoiler:Tomaru Sawagoe is the father in six consecutive generations, the first one with his half-sister]]. Genetics hooray!

* CerebusSyndrome: For the anime, in order for it to adapt to the visual novel's {{Downer Ending}}s, this was intentional.
* CharacterExaggeration: In a general sense, all three main characters and most of the supporting cast undergo this in the anime adaptation, with their negative traits being dialed up to the point where they pretty much dominate their personalities (by contrast with the original visual novel, which on the whole gave them more HiddenDepths and realistic motivations). Again, fully intentional.
* CherryBlossoms: Omnipresent enough to make you gag. Which is probably [[DownerEnding the point]].
* ChooseYourOwnAdventure: Of sorts. You control what Makoto says and does and how he handles his relationships. He can either be a kind and loving boyfriend or a backstabbing cheater.
** While Makoto's actions determine what kind of person he is, the anime and the ''Cross Days'' anime and manga make him a considerably worse person.
* ClingyJealousGirl: Sekai and Kotonoha can really take the cake on this one, depending on the path you take. For Kotonoha, it's taken UpToEleven in ''Cross Days''; she is completely intolerant of anyone she perceives as a threat to her and Makoto's relationship, and at some points not even Makoto is able to reason with her. Oddly averted with most of the other girls; they don't seem to mind that they're not the only ones he's banging, so long as they get some time with him.
* CreditsJukebox: [[Website/AnimeNewsNetwork ANN]] lists 8 ending themes in a [[ThirteenEpisodeAnime twelve-episode series]]. All of them come from the original visual novel.
* CrueltyIsTheOnlyOption: In the game, you ''will'' end up breaking someone's heart, period. It's extremely difficult to go through the game without breaking up with Kotonoha at least once. If you try to prolong the inevitable… well, read the rest of this trope page.
* DeathBySex: Errrrr...

** [[AnAesop Long story short]], it shows what could happen if a guy really ''[[RealityEnsues did]]'' treat a group of young women that all had feelings for him like your typical H-Game player treats the female characters of a game — and if some of those women happened to be extremely unstable. ''Most'' real people wouldn't react like that. Some would.
** Also, it makes it clear that someone pursuing solely his or her own pleasure with everyone in sight while paying no attention to the effects that's having on others is an immature, maladjusted jerkass.

** ''Cross Days'' itself is a deconstruction of a third party who is aware of the situation and tries to help fixing it, which can lead to either a successful or even worse outcome.
** DeconstructedCharacterArchetype: It begins like a typical HaremAnime, with the [[RidiculouslyAverageGuy average-looking protagonist]], suddenly gaining the attention of many cute girls at his high school. However, unlike other shows that play it for laughs, this show gives the viewer a realistic example of what can happen when a boy suddenly starts getting with different girls and the psychological damage that it can cause, from [[spoiler:the protagonist seeing the girls as nothing but sex objects, to the girls that really care about the protagonist getting mentally damaged by his behavior — so much so that one could be driven to commit murder]].
* DemotedToExtra: In the manga, pretty much everyone but the main trio.
* DoubleStandard: [[spoiler:Hanon Nijou]] being a FemmeFatale who [[spoiler:has sex with minors and ReallyGetsAround]] seems to not get as much reaction as Makoto's cheating.
* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: Kotonoha and [[spoiler:Niki]]'s seduction actions toward Makoto and Yuki toward certain routes are pretty much "justified"/overlooked when compared to Makoto's and [[spoiler:Taisuke's]].
* DownerEnding: Although [[SnarkBait judging by most of the anime's entries]], it probably fit into non-sexual {{fanservice}} to most tropers who saw it. After the nice boat, that is. [[spoiler:The Bad Endings of the game are bad enough in the original version, and get even ''worse'' in the [=PS2=] extension.]]
** The manga, though fewer people die, is still quite the downer. [[spoiler:Although Makoto survives his injuries trying to protect Sekai from Kotonoha, he later learns that during his hospitalization Sekai has killed Kotonoha to be with him...]]
** Cross Days, while there's no murders in the bad endings, can be pretty heart wrenching.
*** Actually, a couple of them ''do'' have murder. Specifically, [[spoiler:if Kotonoha finds out who Yuu is]].
* DutchAngle: The anime uses this a fair amount in the later episodes when things go to hell.
* DysfunctionJunction: The ''whole'' high school seems to be surrounded by a reality distortion field.
* EarnYourBadEnding: A counterpoint to "Earn Your Happy Ending" below. Even if you're only [[WatchItForTheMeme playing the game to see the bad endings]], they're actually rather hard to get if you're not trying for them. The exception to this is Kotonoha killing Sekai, which is possible to get from multiple routes in the game. The others are played straight, with Sekai killing Kotonoha perhaps being the most difficult ending in the game to get.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: Kotonoha and Sekai's happiest endings can be seen as this. Probably "Two Lovers" as well, where [[spoiler:if you play your cards right, Makoto ends up with both Kotonoha and Sekai as his lovers. They're all on good terms with each other and plan to celebrate Christmas together.]] The "earn" part of the Two Lovers happy ending comes into play because in order to achieve the "Two Lovers" ending, you have to play a path that causes Kotonoha and Sekai to both give Makoto blowjobs and then be forced to pick a girl to actually do it with. And then you have to either let the timer run out on the choice or pick [[spoiler:Sekai]], because picking [[spoiler:Kotonoha]] at that particular point will get Makoto [[spoiler:eventually stabbed in the stomach by Sekai]].
** Also the case in the ''Cross Days'' manga. [[spoiler:Yuki and Roka go through quite a lot of crap, but they end up together, and Yuki realizes that what's going on with Makoto and his girlfriend(s) isn't anything he's ''obligated'' to involve himself in: he has to take care of his own emotional needs, too.]]
* EstablishingCharacterMoment:
** In the first episode of the anime, Makoto exposits on a supposed love charm activated by keeping your crush's picture as your cell phone wallpaper. We hear him think, "What bullshit," in an unpleasant tone right before he tries to delete his picture of Kotonoha.
** Contrast this especially with the equivalent scene in the original visual novel, where he's more despairing than skeptical and is genuinely upset when Sekai almost accidentally breaks the charm by peeking — and her following question about whether he's taking it seriously is the game's first player decision point, making it an Establishing Character Moment in more ways than one.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Sure, ''all'' the girls in the 10th grade are spreading like peanut butter for Makoto and each don't mind in the least that they're not the only one… but they '''all''' drew the line at Makoto loudly and publicly abandoning his unborn child, and ''collectively'' dropped him like a sack of shit.
** Ironically, Makoto himself has standards by [[BullyHunter standing up for Kotonoha against Otome's]] GirlPosse in one game ending. He did the same thing when Setsuna was being bullied; that's why Setsuna fell in love with him. So at least being a bully hunter is a ''consistent'' standard of Makoto's.

* FaceHeelTurn: Makoto in the anime, and potentially in the games if you make him too much of a jerk.
** In the games, [[spoiler:Kotonoha or Sekai or neither, depending on the player's choices. Kotonoha can end up murdering Sekai with a saw in one ending; in another, Kotonoha first makes Makoto promise to date Kotonoha if Sekai breaks up with him, then she manipulates Sekai into breaking up with Makoto by showing her a cell phone picture of what ''looks'' like Makoto cheating on her with Kotonoha without providing Sekai with the context. Sekai can end up stabbing Makoto with a knife or pushing Kotonoha into the path of a train. Sekai also has one in the anime as well, as she's the one who murders Makoto by deliberately misleading him with a cell phone message and then stabbing him in his own home.]]
* FanDisservice: The anime's conclusion is rife with this. [[spoiler:First we have Sekai finally snapping and stabbing Makoto to death with a kitchen knife while sitting on his chest and with her panties being visible almost the entire time]]. And then there's [[spoiler:Sekai's murder at the hands of Kotonoha, who is splattered with Sekai's blood and wearing quite a short skirt as she takes up her saw and ''slices open'' Sekai's stomach to check for a fetus]].
** The visual game, too. It's hard to enjoy seeing Kotonoha's huge GagBoobs and pretty ZettaiRyouiki-clad [[ShesGotLegs legs]] when [[spoiler:she's getting ''raped'' by Taisuke. (Where's the RapeDiscretionShot when you need it?!)]]
** Tsutsumi Shibukawa [[spoiler:and later, Ion and Youka]] AttemptedRape is quite disgusting in nature as well.
* {{Fanservice}}: Lots among the girls. {{Panty shot}}s in particular are quite abundant. The implied sex Makoto has with pretty much every last one of them.
* FanserviceWithASmile: Sekai in her [[ImpossiblyLowNeckline waitress]] [[BareYourMidriff uniform]], complete with detached sleeves. The {{Meido}} uniforms from the SchoolFestival also count for this trope... which often turns into FanDisservice, on account of it being present in even the most horrifying scenes.
* FirstGirlWins: Played with quite a lot. Kotonoha is the first girl the audience sees, Sekai is the first girl who talks to Makoto, and Otome was the first girl Makoto met chronologically speaking.
* {{Flanderization}}: About halfway through, the characters' personalities get flattened into flimsy pancakes. [[GenreDeconstruction Apparently, it's intentional.]]

* FromBadToWorse: In the anime, and certain routes in the original visual novel. Misunderstanding compounds misunderstanding, ultimately resulting in [[spoiler:at least one death, and often two]].
** In the ''Cross Days'' "Give Up On Everything" route [[spoiler:Hanon, who's one of Kyouichi's lovers, asked Yuki to meet up with Niki. The "meeting" quickly turned into Niki attempting to seduce Yuki by stripping herself, which caused him to flee. His sister, Chie, suspected about what happened and asked Otome about this, upon which the latter told her that Kotonoha knew something. Kotonoha then told her about Hanon Nijou's infidelity with Kyouichi who is Nanami's boyfriend. This caused Nanami to break up with him... and Hikari and Roka "comforts" her by brought Makoto to her, which ultimately foiled any chance of Kotonoha going back to Makoto nor Yuki succeeding with Roka.]]
* GayOption: ''Cross Days'' has plenty.
* GenerationXerox: On further searching for information on this anime/manga/Visual Novel… [[spoiler:It turns out Sekai and Setsuna's dad is Makoto's half-older brother, and in one MarryThemAll ending of the visual novel, Makoto does the same thing his brother does and gets the girls pregnant. This time, though, they don't try to kill each other because they both realized they love Makoto, but rather, both decide to tell Makoto the ''wonderful'' news at the same time.]]

* GenreShift: Starts as a light-hearted and slightly ecchi comedy, finishes as a big melodrama. And in the final episode, it turns into [[spoiler:slasher horror...]]
* GirlPosse: Otome's friends Minami, Kumi, and Natsumi are a ''really'' nasty and cruel version. By the end of the series, their AlphaBitch, Otome, ends up as being ''less'' bitchy than them.

* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: In the anime, after [[spoiler:Sekai]] tells Makoto she's pregnant, he pressures her to get an abortion simply because [[spoiler:all the other girls he's been sleeping with refuse to have anything to do with him since he abandoned the girl he got pregnant]]. In other words, the concept of an abortion is used to drive home what a total {{Jerkass}} he is.
** Inverted in the Visual Novel. [[spoiler:Sekai]] wants to keep her baby, but is totally fine with lying about [[spoiler:[[TheBabyTrap Makoto being the father, when it might actually be Taisuke's]]]]. Makoto, on the other hand, at the very worst is just scared at the possibility of being a father (the player has choice of him [[BabiesMakeEverythingBetter being happy]]). Even when he finds out about [[spoiler:not being the father]], [[EasilyForgiven he is willing to stay with]] [[spoiler:Sekai]], if she gets an abortion. He asks her to choose between him and [[spoiler:the child of another man]]. Only when she refuses does he dump her. At this point, [[spoiler:Sekai]] will murder either Makoto ([[spoiler:if you claim that the baby is Taisuke's]]) or [[spoiler:Kotonoha]].
** In ''Cross Days'', no matter which path you take after Yuki gets involved with Ai, the latter will not go through abortion and instead either Yuki takes the responsibility or claims that the baby is Makoto's, [[spoiler:or in the true ending, transfers away to raise the baby on her own and let Yuki and Makoto be happy with their own respective love interests]].
* {{Gorn}}: In addition to all of the HighPressureBlood in the bad game ends and the end of the anime, the anime had [[spoiler:Kotonoha slice and pry Sekai's stomach open, blood everywhere, with an "inside looking out" camera shot which, aside from some fleshy strands still attached, wasn't ''too'' too bad in the TV broadcast, but then the NauseaFuel gets cranked up even more as the DVD edition did away with the BlackBlood, so you can make out all the textures and stuff]]. ''Seriously nasty''.

* GreyAndGreyMorality: Despite what some of the more rabid fans of any given pairing may tell you, there's really no "good" or "evil" characters in the game or the anime. They're all just a bunch of teen-aged high school students who end up making increasingly poor choices without really thinking things through. And then some of them (may or may not) go insane.
* GroinAttack: Makoto gets one in episode 9.
* GuideDangIt: The original visual novel, as well as ''School Days HQ'', can be like this. The biggest problem is that because Makoto is indecisive and waffles too much, some of the choices the player makes can be counter-intuitive since Makoto might screw up a choice the player would handle better in real life. Compounding the problem, just like in real life, not everything is under the player's control and the love interests sometimes make bad decisions Makoto has nothing to do with. For both reasons, the player ''has'' to consult a walkthrough/guide for the right choices to make (or ''not'' make; yes, sometimes the "correct" response is to let the "choice timer" run out and have Makoto stammer and say nothing). Some examples of both include:

** If the player is trying for the "Two Lovers" ending, then eventually Kotonoha and Sekai will corner Makoto on a rooftop and force him to choose which one of them he wants to have sex with. Guide Dang It comes into play because Makoto is one choice away from either ending up with both girls as his lovers or [[spoiler:getting murdered]]. And believe it or not, the correct response in this particular scene is to pick [[spoiler:''Sekai'', despite how sympathetic Kotonoha usually is, because if you're on the path where you can get to "Two Lovers", then the sum total of Makoto's actions [[LoveHurts has actually hurt Sekai worse]] and ''she's'' the one who needs reassurance to prevent herself from falling into despair. If you pick Kotonoha in this scene, you'll get "To My Children", where Sekai not only crosses the DespairEventHorizon, but she totally loses it and stabs Makoto with a knife on the beach.]] But there's an unexpected kindness, too: if you let the choice timer run out in this particular scene, Makoto will choose correctly.
* HateSink: In the anime series, Makoto was clearly intentionally written to be a character for the audience to hate on. In fact, most of the characters in the series were pretty unlikable.
* HeadphonesEqualIsolation
* [[spoiler:HeroicBastard]]: From the characters family tree, it's revealed that:
** [[spoiler:Makoto and Itaru are Tomaru's illegitimate children (due to his marriage to Tomoe Sawagoe).]]
** [[spoiler:Sekai, Setsuna, Inori, the Nijou Girls and possibly, Roka, are Shun's illegitimate daughters.]]
** [[spoiler:Taisuke and his sister, Miki, are Ayumu's illegitimate children(due to his marriage to Rurika Washino).]]
** [[spoiler:Lastly, ANY of Tomaru's children (except Tomomasa) are illegitimate. Yes, every of them!]]
* HighPressureBlood: [[spoiler:The bad endings in the game and the one in the anime.]]
* HotSpringsEpisode: The beginning of the ''Valentine Days'' {{OVA}}.
* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Tanaka and Setsuna, although the romantic aspect is one-sided on Tanaka's part.
** In ''Shiny Days'' [[spoiler:Natsuhi is revealed to be quite [[BuxomIsBetter developed]] many years since Summer Radish Vacation yet still two head shorter than Shun.]]
* IdiotBall: Applies to [[IdiotPlot everyone]].
* IfICantHaveYou: [[spoiler:Sekai's response to Makoto choosing Kotonoha over her. This is used in one of the original novel's Bad Ends and in the anime ending.]]

* JerkAss: Makoto, Makoto, Makoto… and oh yeah, MAKOTO! Mostly in the anime, though: he's a far more honorable man in the manga, and in the game, you can take or leave. Otome's GirlPosse, though not Otome herself, take this UpToEleven.
** Taisuke also counts, as in the anime he takes advantage of Kotonoha and is (at least vocally) more perverted than Makoto. In the visual novel, he usually doesn't intend to be a jerk but has the IdiotBall firmly embedded [[spoiler:and that RapeAsDrama DarkAndTroubledPast]].

* KarmaHoudini: Otome's "friends" get away with [[spoiler:bullying Kotonoha, sexing up Makoto behind Otome and Sekai's backs ''and'', in the anime, exhibiting a tape that shows Nanami and her boyfriend having sex, ruining her reputation at school]]. Makoto's best friend Taisuke also gets clean away with [[spoiler:raping Kotonoha at the school festival]]. Hell, Minami takes the cake in Cross Days [[spoiler:by taking advantage of the feud between Otome and Kotonoha and making Makoto her boyfriend!]]
** The same trope could be applied to [[spoiler:Kotonoha in the last episode of the anime, unless you consider her descent into utter madness to be karma.]]
** Makoto himself in the Visual Novel, aside from the bad endings.
** Also in the VN, this applies to the girl who murders either Makoto or her rival. Usually in these cases, the game ends just after the deed is done.
** And in the manga, [[spoiler:Sekai gets away with murdering Kotonoha.]]
** [[spoiler:Kassanoin.]] Just him. [[spoiler:Subverted in Shiny Days which Kotonoha delivers the justice.]]
** Hanon Nijou, the FemmeFatale and ReallyGetAround female counterpart of anime Makoto, doesn't ever get punished for her way ever.
* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler:Nanami's, Hikari's, and Setsuna's actions in the "All hers" route, to drive Kotonoha away from Makoto to bring him and Sekai together backfire spetacularly, causing Makoto to actually do the exact opposite and sever his bonds with Sekai out of [[WhatTheHellHero sheer disgust for their actions]].]]
** Sekai in ''Cross Days'' as well. No matter which route is followed, she never gets to be with Makoto.
* LighterAndSofter: Most of the original visual novel's routes, actually. It's entirely possible for Makoto to ''not'' be a {{Jerkass}} (but some idiocy on his part is unavoidable), nobody gets killed, Taisuke is a dumb but relatively likeable guy who helps Makoto and Sekai/Kotonoha get together (though he is still capable of showing rapey tendencies in his relationships), and the overall drama gets toned down.

* LoveTriangle: That is, if you discount [[spoiler:half a dozen other girls - Makoto certainly does!]]
** However, the manga is more of a [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruction]] of the trope since it only focuses on Kotonoha and Sekai.
* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler:Sekai, you may not know it, but following the game it seems Setsuna is your half-sister. Oh, and Makoto is your uncle. Yes, Makoto's father IS the grandfather of Sekai and Setsuna.]] Oh, and that handsome Shun-san? [[spoiler:He is YOUR father.]]
** Inori from ''Cross Days'' gets hit with this too, that woman named [[spoiler:Natsuhi Ebata]] that you keep calling "Adulteress"? [[spoiler:She is your mother.]]
** [[spoiler:"Like father, like son" ''indeed''.]]
* MaleGaze: The ratio of face shots to boob/butt shots in this show is close to 1:1.

* AManIsAlwaysEager: Examined in the visual novel; in at least one route, the best outcome is only available when Makoto [[SubvertedTrope conclusively demonstrates it's not true]] by refusing another girl's advances. By contrast, it's pretty much played straight for the entire anime, with disastrous consequences.
* ManipulativeBastard: Sekai, holy shit, Sekai. Especially in the manga.
** [[spoiler:In certain game paths, ''Kotonoha'' can develop into this, too, when [[IHaveBoobsYouMustObey she starts using her body as a way to keep Makoto interested in her.]] In the "Bavarois" and "Carnal Desire" endings, Kotonoha makes Makoto promise to date her if Sekai breaks up with him. Then Kotonoha shows Sekai a picture of what looks like Makoto and Kotonoha cheating on Sekai, without giving Sekai the context in which the picture was taken. In the "Bavarois" ending, Makoto manages to clear things up with Sekai through sheer persistence, while in "Carnal Desire", the manipulation succeeds and Makoto has to reluctantly date Kotonoha.]]
** Ai Yamagata.
* MarryThemAll: The harem endings in the game. Even when the game and anime seem to be a ''{{Deconstruction}}'' of the concept. The harem endings are the game's way of conceding that it ''is'' possible to pull it off; it's just [[TrialAndErrorGameplay very]], [[GuideDangIt very]] [[NintendoHard hard]] and one little mistake can equal [[MemeticMutation NICE BOAT]].
** In addition to Makoto/Sekai/Kotonoha threesome in original novel, Shiny Days has [[UpToEleven dozen of]] harem endings:
*** [[spoiler:Otome and her little sister Karen.]]
*** [[spoiler:[[TwinThreesomeFantasy Kazuha and Futaba]].]]
*** [[spoiler:Sekai and her mother Youko.]]
*** [[spoiler:Setsuna, her mom Mai, Youko, all pregnant by Makoto, and Sekai is being bullied by them into becoming pregnant too.]]
*** [[spoiler:Kotonoha, and her little sister Kokoro.]]
*** [[spoiler:…and finally Kotonoha, her sister Kokoro, and '''their mother''' Manami, last one being impregnated by Makoto [[YourCheatingHeart secretly]] from the rest of her family. Name of the ending? ''"Perfect Targeting Katsura Family"''.]]
* MatchmakerCrush: Sekai helps Makoto and Kotonoha hook up... [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy and puts a lot more effort into it than you would expect]]. And then she gives herself a reward for her efforts by [[spoiler:surprise-kissing Makoto]]. '''''This does not end well.'''''

** Another version of this is revealed to have happened with [[spoiler:Sekai. She was initially helping Setsuna to win Makoto's attention after finding out that Setsuna had a crush on him. Eventually, she developed her own feelings for Makoto, and Setsuna quietly bowed out when they became apparent.]]

* MoralityKitchenSink: Due to the complex nature of the story, we have: White (Kokoro and Itaru, some of the few characters who didn't have any malicious intent), Lighter Grey (Setsuna, Yuuki, and Roka,), Gray (Makoto, Kotonoha, Sekai, neutral characters who can go either good or bad way), Darker Grey (Hikari, Taisuke, Otome, and Nanami), and Black ([[spoiler:Hanon, Kyouichi]]).
** Majority of the Overflow Protagonists fall into gray category while the heroines all ranged from White(Moegi, Kagura, Kaori) to Darker Grey(Yumi). Black goes to some of the most nasty and evil characters such as Kaori Itazaki's senior or [[spoiler:Tomaru Sawagoe himself]].
* MoodWhiplash: The sudden change from comedy to drama. See GenreShift above.
** Also a pretty severe case with the anime finale: [[spoiler:the final scene before the credits is Kotonoha floating out to sea with Makoto's severed head, having very clearly gone off the deep end. After the credits roll, we hear a repeat of Makoto's internal monologue about his admiration of Kotonoha from the first episode, playing over a montage of all the other students happily going about their days as if three of their classmates hadn't just brutally died.]]
* MultipleEndings: As is usual for visual novels. The original game became infamous for its bad endings, but in actuality there are five or six times as many good endings and the bad endings are hard to get unless you're deliberately aiming for them.
* MurderTheHypotenuse: [[spoiler:Kotonoha's saw-related bad ending and the anime GrandFinale.]]
** Reversed in the manga [[spoiler:when Kotonoha tries and fails to kill Sekai, ''Sekai'' is the one who later kills her, even gloating about it in front of a hospitalized Makoto]] and also in some new bad endings from the [=PS2=] version, which involve trains. [[spoiler:One of these endings shows Sekai pushing Kotonoha on the line, but getting hit by the train when Makoto is bailing Kotonoha out. The second features ''Makoto'' getting killed in front of the girls after he saves Sekai from her fall, and the third kills off ''both'' girls in front of Makoto.]] NICE TRAIN, INDEED.
** The HQ version removes the added [=PS2=] endings, but adds one where [[spoiler:Sekai succeeds. [[DeadHandShot Nice Hand]].]]
* NoAccountingForTaste: Of the four anime love interests (Kotonoha, Sekai, Otome, & Setsuna), it is only explained why Setsuna likes Makoto, and ironically she is the only girl to sleep with him for reasons other than liking him, curiosity, or lust. Also Hikari – What does she sees in Taisuke anyway?
** The game makes the other three's reasons more clear, though. Kotonoha explains early in the game that she started falling for Makoto when she noticed him watching her on the train every day. Kotonoha has a crippling lack of self-esteem; at first it was because [[ICantBelieveAGuylikeYouWouldnoticeMe she was flattered that a gentle boy like Makoto would pay so much attention to her]], and she started paying attention to him too. Then when Makoto confessed his feelings, Kotonoha was taken aback that Makoto would actually want to go out with "just" her. [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe Makoto's the first person outside her family to bring happiness into her life]]; this is also the reason why if the player cheats on her with Sekai, [[ItsAllmyFault Kotonoha thinks it was her fault]] [[ICanChangeMyBeloved and works harder to please Makoto.]] In Otome's case it was [[UsedtobeASweetKid because of how nice a guy Makoto used to be back in junior high school]]. And in Sekai's case, she repeatedly witnessed him being nice as they grew up as childhood friends, and eventually she fell for him at around the time of the entrance ceremony of the school year in which this game takes place.
* NoPeriodsPeriod: Averted, sorta. One of the reasons why [[spoiler:Sekai thinks she's pregnant, aside from suddenly having vomiting fits, is that her period hasn't come on time.]]
* ObviouslyEvil: Taisuke's new friends from Cross Days have little purpose in the story other than [[spoiler:raping Yuuki]], and they certainly look the part.

* ParentalAbandonment: The only parents ''ever'' seen or heard are Sekai's mom Youko, Kotonoha's mother Manami (only heard in the anime), and Setsuna's mother Mai (in the ''Summer Days'' spin-off game). All the others (Makoto's estranged father, Kotonoha's father, [[spoiler:Sekai ''and'' Setsuna's father]]) are merely mentioned. Although [[spoiler:Sekai and Setsuna's father, Shun Hazama, DOES appear in Summer Days and Shiny Days]].
** Shiny Days added more with Makoto's mother Moeko, Otome's mother Nadeshiko and Inori's mother [[spoiler:Natsuhi]].
* ParentalIncest: [[http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/school-days/images/3/37/FamiliesNamed.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140619155301 (though this version is a bit bigger) look through this family tree then highlight the spoiler.]]
* ParodyEpisode: The {{OVA}} ~Magical Heart Kokoro-Chan~ is a spoof of the MagicalGirl genre and the {{Sentai}} genre, as well as of the original series.
* PhraseCatcher: "Idiot." "You're the worst." Everyone uses this to describe Makoto.
* PlayWithinAPlay: At the school festival, Setsuna attends one that parallels [[spoiler:her kissing Makoto while he slept despite knowing Sekai's feelings for him]]. The same imagery is later used in Episode 12, [[spoiler:when Sekai is confronted in her mind by a vision of Setsuna.]]
* PluckyComicRelief: Taisuke. See BromanticFoil and DoggedNiceGuy above.
* PracticeKiss: Sekai, taking advantage of the problems between Makoto and Kotonoha, uses this as a ruse to make Makoto fall for her. It works in the anime, while in the game it's up to the player's choice.
* PoorCommunicationKills: [[spoiler:In this case, literally.]] Even beyond that, so much of the plot could have been avoided if Makoto had just straight-up said to ''anyone'' that he was dating Kotonoha.
* PsychoticLoveTriangle: TropeCodifier
* RapeAsDrama: [[spoiler:Kotonoha's mental and emotional breakdown begins hitting more fully after she's raped by her StalkerWithACrush, Makoto's best friend Taisuke.]]

** Played more straight with Kotonoha and Setsuna in Summer/Shiny Days. They even wears exact color-themed dresses.
** Roka and Ai in Cross Days.

* RelaxOVision: After a particularly nasty RealLife incident in Japan where an AxCrazy schoolgirl murdered her dad, the final episode was deemed TooSoon and replaced by an episode of random peaceful Norwegian scenery, which included a rather nice boat. See AscendedMeme.
* RealityIsUnrealistic: Many who dislike the show have cited the unlikable characters and the IdiotPlot as reasons for why they've hated it. Some who enjoy the show have actually cited these things as reasons for ''why'' they like it, as the main character's [[YourCheatingHeart refusal to remain faithful to his girlfriend]] coupled with his ReallyGetsAround nature is something that many men, especially in this day and age, unfortunately do to their partners.
* SadistShow: Take one {{Jerkass}} protagonist, one [[ClingyJealousGirl passive-aggressive Clingy Jealous]] ShrinkingViolet, and one kind but thoughtless [[MatchmakerCrush Matchmaker with a Crush]], and put them in a decent-sized Japanese high school. Apply drama and stir thoroughly until emotions bubble to the surface. Boil off all [[PoorCommunicationKills cross-communication]] and [[IdiotPlot common sense]], then let the mix settle for twelve episodes. Serving size: One anime.
* SatelliteLoveInterest: Setsuna falls for Makoto because he saved her from bullies; this is something that many people with a sense of basic human decency would do, but there don't seem to be any ''other'' bully hunters at school in this game, so one could almost argue Setsuna fell for Makoto "by default". A similar "by default" argument could be applied in Kotonoha's case: Makoto was the first boy in her life who didn't either drool at her breasts and scare her or make her feel unattractive; when Makoto asks her out she's taken aback that Makoto would think lovingly of just ''her'' Otome loves Makoto because of the man he ''used'' to be in junior high school. Hikari in the game only falls for Makoto because he turns out to be really good in bed. And finally, Sekai seems to have fallen for Makoto because she repeatedly witnessed his best side, it's not clear whether Sekai anticipated Makoto's flaws in advance. Makoto seems to get female attention mostly because he's the only available male shown that isn't either a [[spoiler:rapist-waiting-to-happen like Taisuke]] or isn't already someone's boyfriend like the good person [[spoiler:(who is actually far WORSE than him)]] Nanami is dating.
** Yuuki, the protagonist of ''Cross Days'', is also a nice person, much nicer than Makoto. But depending on the player's choices, Yuuki can end up with love interests of his own, leaving Makoto as still the only unattached nice guy left to love.
* SchoolFestival: One that is actually VERY important to the IdiotPlot.

* SecretRelationship: Makoto and Kotonoha's relationship might as well be one most of the time, as Makoto never really talks about it with anyone but her, and Sekai and few others are inclined to believe [[TheCassandra Kotonoha's]] protests even when Makoto's ''not'' cheating on her. So much of the plot would have been avoided and/or simplified if Makoto had just told other people that he and Kotonoha were dating. Also, Makoto and Sekai try to maintain one in the anime and most routes of the game, but they're [[EverybodyKnewAlready very bad at hiding it]] from anyone but Kotonoha, who mostly doesn't realize at first because she's in denial.

** In ''Cross Days'', this happened to Hikari and Ruka Imagawa (one of Roka's peer) to Yuuki with the former cause Taisuke to believe that both are dating.
* ShoutOut: ''~Magical Heart Kokoro-chan~'' has several, as expected of a ParodyEpisode.
** The unmistakable shout-out at the end of the OVA episode, regarding a certain [[AscendedMeme famous meme]] associated with this series, where Kokoro [[spoiler:is rowing in an inflatable raft [[PanderingToTheBase specifically labelled]] "Nice Boat" on its sides]].
* ShootTheShaggyDog: [[spoiler:A few of the game's bad endings, and the anime ending in particular.]]

* SnowMeansLove: [[spoiler:Makoto apologizes to Kotonoha and says he loves her in a snowfall at episode 11, a redeeming moment in the anime. Comes complete with Kotonoha covered in snow.]]
* SoundtrackDissonance: [[spoiler:The ending murders are set to a calm, though still depressing, tune that also plays during the credits in the game's bad endings.]]
** The opening and ending themes for the {{Anime}} eventually become a big contrast to the GenreShift / MoodWhiplash. In the last episode, the opening and its respective theme aren't even shown. It would've been too dissonant at that point. Instead, they have a picture of a shot from the opening on screen for a few seconds before it abruptly shatters like glass.
* StalkerWithACrush: Taisuke Sawanaga, Otome Katou and, to some degree, Kotonoha Katsura.
** Also Setsuna Kiyoura. She ''tried'' to be more discreet than the others… [[spoiler:until Kotonoha caught her kissing Makoto in his sleep]].
* StockShoujoBullyingTactics: Kotonoha is subjected to several of these. She mostly goes through being cornered and insulted by Otome and Co. in almost all routes and the anime, but in one single route she also has [[spoiler:the lunch she made for Makoto knocked down by Otome's GirlPosse]], is the target of MaliciousSlander from [[spoiler:Nanami and Hikari]] and/or gets cornered and beaten up by [[spoiler:Otome and her group]]. If you have Makoto stop the last round and call the bullies out, [[spoiler:you get one of the happiest Kotonoha endings]]; if you don't, [[spoiler:you get the infamous "Kotonoha horribly snaps and gives Sekai a SlashedThroat in broad daylight" one]].
** To be fair, Otome does HAVE her reason apart from jealousy, [[spoiler:her family is quite a total mess: her father is a womanizer, her mother goes around threatening to kill anyone who cheats with him, making her hate women who were involved with her family and women who she believes are seductresses in general like Hanon Nijou]]. Her similar treatment to [[spoiler:Roka also stem from the fact that the latter mother is cheating with her father]].
* SurrogateSoliloquy: In this case, just [[spoiler:[[TalkingToTheDead Talking To The Head]]]]. While there is no exposition on [[spoiler:Kotonoha]]'s part, there is no mistaking to the viewer that she has perhaps [[spoiler:irrevocably gone off the deep end, mental health-wise, on her [[MemeticMutation Nice Boat]]]]. See AlasPoorYorick above.
* TearsOfRemorse: Kotonoha in one of the extended bad endings in the [=PS2=] version. [[spoiler:She has just murdered Sekai in front of Makoto in cold blood and offers herself to him, but Makoto is terrified and rejects her affections. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone This is enough to make Kotonoha realize that she has just done something terrible]], and she breaks down in tears.]]
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Gratifyingly, Yuki of ''Cross Days'' delivers a much-needed one to Sekai, being the only character in the entire franchise to call her out on her mistreatment of Kotonoha and the general manipulative nature of her actions.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: [[spoiler:Nobody but Kotonoha's little sister Kokoro and Sekai notice her fall into insanity.]]
** To be fair, [[spoiler:anime Makoto eventually notices, but only when he happens upon Kotonoha while wandering around alone and becomes horrified by the sight of her standing in front of him rambling about how she wants to be a good girlfriend to him.]]
* ThirdOptionAdaptation: The ending to the anime is a composite of elements from two other endings in the original game. [[spoiler:Specifically, two of the worst endings.]]
** The manga of Cross Days.

* TooDumbToLive: Did we mention that 'IdiotPlot' was involved? ''[[WhatAnIdiot Everyone]]'' is like this. ARGH.
** It does seem it's aware of this itself and thus...
* ATragedyOfImpulsiveness: None of the plot's many twists and turns in any media would have happened if Sekai had managed to keep her lips to herself. For the anime in particular, Makoto would probably have ended up happier [[spoiler:and kept himself and Sekai from getting murdered]] if he had only kept it in his pants.
* TragicHero: Makoto (manga, outside his Cross Days counterpart, and certain routes in the game only) [[spoiler:He genuinely cares about both Sekai and Kotonoha, but his TragicFlaw of not being able to choose between them and carrying on a simultaneous relationship creates problems he is unable to resolve properly until it's too late (manga: Kotonoha unintentionally wounds Makoto while trying to attack Sekai and while he was in the hospital Sekai kills Kotonoha.). This, however, is in direct contrast to the [[JerkAss fuckwad]] he is in the Anime and in the Cross Days manga.]]

* {{Tsundere}}: Sekai ''seems'' at first to be a Type B...

* TwoTeacherSchool

* UnwantedHarem: At first. Then he lets it get to his head, and things... well, end up the way they did.

* {{Utsuge}}: The visual novel. Even the routes to the better endings have their fair share of drama.
** Even if you be as good of a person as possible the whole way through, regardless of which of the 2 girls you pick, you're going to make someone suffer and cry.
* WhamLine
** Anime: Sekai sending a message saying "Sorry... [[VisibleSilence ...]] [[NothingIsScarier ...]] ...[[spoiler:goodbye.]]" [[spoiler:just before killing him]].
** Manga
-->'''Kokoro''': "[[UsefulNotes/JapaneseSiblingTerminology Onee-chan's]] [[spoiler:covered in blood!]]"
* WhatDoesSheSeeInHim: They do technically answer this but at the end of it all, it doesn't justify ''nearly'' enough of what happens.
** To clarify, what they see in him is two things: One, he's a nice enough guy to be a bully hunter and to make others feel confident and special. Two, he's amazing in bed.
* WhatTheHellHero: Makoto: played straight in the anime, averted in the manga, and can vary in the game. See ManipulativeBastard.
** Sekai: In Episode 12, [[spoiler:Sekai has a vision where Setsuna calls her out for her actions around Makoto, pointing out that she was the catalyst for the love triangle and its tragic consequences.]] Also in ''Cross Days'', Yuuki calls her out for her attempts to break up Makoto and Kotonoha's relationship.
* WholesomeCrossdresser: [[spoiler:Yuuki from ''Cross Days''.]]
* WingdingEyes: In the ''~Magical Heart Kokoro-chan~'' {{OVA}}, Makoto and Taisuke sport big shiny gold starbursts in their eyes in their ecstatic response to the arrival of the [[{{Sentai}} Anonymous Defence Service]]. Later a [[spoiler:naked]] Taisuke's eyes contain big white starbursts for Magical Heart, whom he [[ImYourBiggestFan sees in person for the first time]].
* WomanInWhite: Kotonoha and Sekai in the opening credits of the {{Anime}}.
* {{Yandere}}: Although [[spoiler:Sekai ''did'' stab Makoto to death]], it's [[spoiler:Kotonoha]] that sets a new standard for this one. Oh boy.
** [[spoiler:Reversed in the manga. Holy crap, Sekai is creepy...]]
*** Given the various possible endings for the game, shall we settle on [[spoiler:both]]?

** Invoked by name (albeit in GratuitousEnglish) during the SchoolFestival episode.
** Also for Kokoro's Magical Heart outfit.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/school_days.jpg]]

The Days Series is a continuation from the ''Radish Trilogy'', a series of game made by Overflow which established many plot elements about the Days characters' backgrounds, as well as a SpiritualSuccessor of ''Pure Mail'' with similar tone. The game was followed by two sequels.

* HighPressureBlood: [[spoiler: The bad endings in the game and the one in the anime.]]

* MatchmakerCrush: Sekai helps Makoto and Kotonoha hook up... [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy and puts a lot more effort into it than you would expect]]. And then she gives herself a reward for her efforts by [[spoiler: surprise-kissing Makoto]]. '''''This does not end well.'''''

** Another version of this is revealed to have happened with [[spoiler: Sekai. She was initially helping Setsuna to win Makoto's attention after finding out that Setsuna had a crush on him. Eventually, she developed her own feelings for Makoto, and Setsuna quietly bowed out when they became apparent.]]

* ParentalAbandonment: The only parents ''ever'' seen or heard are Sekai's mom Youko, Kotonoha's mother Manami (only heard in the anime), and Setsuna's mother Mai (in the ''Summer Days'' spin-off game). All the others (Makoto's estranged father, Kotonoha's father, [[spoiler: Sekai ''and'' Setsuna's father]]) are merely mentioned. Although [[spoiler:Sekai and Setsuna's father, Shun Hazama, DOES appear in Summer Days and Shiny Days]].

* PlayWithinAPlay: At the school festival, Setsuna attends one that parallels [[spoiler: her kissing Makoto while he slept despite knowing Sekai's feelings for him]]. The same imagery is later used in Episode 12, [[spoiler: when Sekai is confronted in her mind by a vision of Setsuna.]]

* SatelliteLoveInterest: Setsuna falls for Makoto because he saved her from bullies; this is something that many people with a sense of basic human decency would do, but there don't seem to be any ''other'' bully hunters at school in this game, so one could almost argue Setsuna fell for Makoto "by default". A similar "by default" argument could be applied in Kotonoha's case: Makoto was the first boy in her life who didn't either drool at her breasts and scare her or make her feel unattractive; when Makoto asks her out she's taken aback that Makoto would think lovingly of just ''her'' Otome loves Makoto because of the man he ''used'' to be in junior high school. Hikari in the game only falls for Makoto because he turns out to be really good in bed. And finally, Sekai seems to have fallen for Makoto because she repeatedly witnessed his best side, it's not clear whether Sekai anticipated Makoto's flaws in advance. Makoto seems to get female attention mostly because he's the only available male shown that isn't either a [[spoiler: rapist-waiting-to-happen like Taisuke]] or isn't already someone's boyfriend like the good person [[spoiler:(who is actually far WORSE than him)]] Nanami is dating.

** The unmistakable shout-out at the end of the OVA episode, regarding a certain [[AscendedMeme famous meme]] associated with this series, where Kokoro [[spoiler: is rowing in an inflatable raft [[PanderingToTheBase specifically labelled]] "Nice Boat" on its sides]].

* WholesomeCrossdresser: [[spoiler: Yuuki from ''Cross Days''.]]
* WingdingEyes: In the ''~Magical Heart Kokoro-chan~'' {{OVA}}, Makoto and Taisuke sport big shiny gold starbursts in their eyes in their ecstatic response to the arrival of the [[{{Sentai}} Anonymous Defence Service]]. Later a [[spoiler: naked]] Taisuke's eyes contain big white starbursts for Magical Heart, whom he [[ImYourBiggestFan sees in person for the first time]].

** The unmistakable shoutout at the end of the OVA episode, regarding a certain [[MemeticMutation famous meme]] associated with this series, where Kokoro [[spoiler: is rowing in an inflatable raft [[PanderingToTheBase specifically labelled]] [[AscendedMeme "Nice Boat" on its sides]]]].