School Daze – The Comedies (Part 1)

I suppose that given that 99% of anime is supposed to be watched by teenagers, it’s only fitting that there’s an awful lot of anime that’s based in and around schools. Some of it’s good, some of it’s terrible and there are a few that have become what might be described as well-loved classics – both in Japan and the rest of the anime-watching world – especially those that aren’t afraid to break the mold. Whereas most high school-based series tend to revolve around one or more of the kids having supreme fighting or magical skills (ho-hum), there are a few that aren’t afraid to either poke fun at the genre, or society in general, or even take a deeper look at what it means to be a teenager and the challenges that come with it. It’s these series (well, those that it’s been my pleasure – and occasional misfortune – to watch) that I’m going to blather on about in this post.