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It's weird... Hayate no Gotoku has probably the best male lead for a harem series that I can think of... and School Days has the worst.
Harem series usually degrade into one thing: a blank male lead that's just there to give females something to latch onto, but in reality is not needed at all, because the fans almost always support the females, not the potential couples. But what we get with HnG is a male lead whose happiness is just as important as that of the girls with whom he interacts, and with School Days we get a guy most of us wish never existed. Kinda puts a whole new level of respect on most Harem male leads, doesn't it?
He went from being the typical guy of a harem series (clueless, weak-willed, etc.) to being a very dislikeable, fully developed character. In a way, that sets him apart. He is selfish, thoughtless, dangerously impulsive, ridiculously dishonest, and has no remorse for what he does.
Forget perv; he's a complete lech. I can forgive losing interest in a girl you've liked simply because you became disillusioned after you got with her. I can forgive the idea that he's this awkward and horny teenage boy, because, well, teenage boys are awkward and horny (did that even come out right?). I can't forgive not being straightforward about his loss of interest. He has no feelings for Kotonoha, and has gone for Seikai only because she made him aware of the possibility in episode 1. To be honest, he's the kind of guy who would have sex with a warm, buttered bagel if it looked attractive to him.
He basically got with the girl he faps off about at night, realizes that the real thing is harder to get off on, decides it's too much work (even as she opens up to the idea), moves on to the next best thing just to get his quick fix, and will probably discard the next best thing the moment he finds something better. It's not just some stupid kid who made a couple of mistakes in the spirit of youth. This is a very weak character who only knows how to indulge in the things he wants, and only seeks advice to get those things. He's not interested in a relationship, and he's not concerned with the consequences of not being interested in a relationship; to be frank, this case makes many adulterous situations look saintly. You know what? This isn't even weak-willed. This is all premeditated.
No one can fault him for losing interest in someone he likes; that's something that happens in life. But the way he carries on with someone else disgusts me. The "Boys will be boys" argument phails here. Phails. Hard.
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