Home | Anime | Movies | Soundtracks | Graphic Novels
Daily Lives of High School Boys Premium Edition
Score: 75%
Rating: Teen
Publisher: NIS America
Region: 1
Media: Blu-ray/2
Running Time: 288 Mins.
Genre: Comedy/Anime
Audio: LPCM 2.0 (Japanese)
Subtitles: English

Features:
  • Hardcover Art Book
  • Clean Openings and Endings
  • Bonus Scenes
  • Japanese Commercials

Know the old chestnut about judging a book by its cover? Daily Lives of High School Boys Premium Edition goes a ways in proving the adage wrong just as much as it proves it right.

Based on box art, I wasn’t sure what to make of Daily Lives of High School Boys. One side looked "normal," while the other showed a two teenage boys holding red checkered lingerie and another dressed like a schoolgirl. A quick look at the artwork in the included hardcover art book did little to clear up just what to expect from Daily Lives of High School Boys.

So what can you expect? While not "dirty" in any way (though the previously mentioned undergarments do show up), Daily Lives of High School Boys isn't something everyone will latch on to and enjoy. As with other NIS Anime, it is certainly different and rooted in real life, though the presentation and sense of humor rarely worked for my personal tastes. There were moments I certainly enjoyed and could get behind, but I never felt as if there was much to the show beyond a group of seemingly random, one joke events.

Daily Lives of High School Boys gives you exactly what the title reads. The show follows three average boys as they go through their daily lives at an all-boys high school. Rather than follow a larger plot arc, episodes feature a number of random vignettes ranging from dealing with girls, goofing off in class, to activities outside the classroom. Events roll into each other without much reason, usually following a short setup followed by an event and punchline. Gags come in at a rapid pace, which keeps the jokes on point. All last just as long as they need to without overstaying their welcome.

The downside is there isn’t much else to the series. The first few episodes act as an introduction to the boys and the show’s general pacing. Eventually, others students from their school and other schools show up. The new characters help keep the show alive, but so many are introduced it is hard to keep track of them. The series does seem aware of this, which is likely why it sticks with the disjointed approach throughout the series run.

As always, a hard cover, full-color artbook is included with the Premium Edition. In addition to full-page artwork of the show’s characters in various situations, a set of episode guides are available, offering a small overview of what happens in each episode. Character introductions are included as well and make the book a helpful companion when trying to track certain characters.

There are also a few on-disc extras, primarily a set of extra scenes and clean versions of the opening and ending.

Daily Lives of High School Boys is just an okay release. I couldn’t get into the series, but viewers who enjoy fast-paced gags and don’t mind the show’s disjointed nature may want to give it a look.



-Starscream, GameVortex Communications
AKA Ricky Tucker
Related Links:


This site best viewed in Internet Explorer 6 or higher or Firefox.