School-based anime have a tendency toward the grandiose, both aesthetically and narratively. All too often, the characters are hyper-attractive, super-powered members of the social elite who never seem to go to class. Additionally, many high school series incorporate a student ranking system that -- while tremendously fun -- is silly to the extreme. A famous example is the contemporary cult classic Kakegurui.
The students of Kakegurui are ranked according to how many games of chance they win. The more frequently -- and the more money -- students win, the further they advance in the school's rankings. This means that students who lose and fall into debt descend in the rankings, and are consequently treated as slaves to the student body. Preposterous as that sounds, there's one preceding series with a ranking system that's even more ridiculous.
2010's Baka and Test is a short, spitfire parody series that pulls no punches. The title is rife with wacky, madcap humor, characters that feel simultaneously accessible and entertaining and enough nosebleeds to make even High School DxD characters roll their eyes. Baka and Test also utilizes an interesting, integral student ranking system that's as bonkers as it is brilliant.
The series takes place in the fictional Fumizuki Preparatory Academy. Immediately following their entrance exams, students are sorted into one of six classes between A and F. Students in the top-ranking A class are awarded significant perks, such as a snack bar, luxuriously furnished air-conditioned classrooms and school-issued laptops. Those relegated to class F are provided with the shabbiest classrooms, low (often broken) wooden tables for desks and flat, weathered cushions for seats. However, it's possible for low-rank classes to earn access to the special incentives given to their high-ranking counterparts.
Fumizuki Academy has a unique system in place wherein students may conjure Summoned Beings, or "Avatars." With the approval of a teacher, these Summoned Beings are permitted to do battle with one another. A principal caveat to these battles is that the strength of the students' Summoned Beings is determined by the students' most recent score in the presiding teacher's subject. So, if the Classical Japanese teacher has approved a battle, the engaging Beings' strengths will be based on the most recent Classical Japanese test scores of their respective students.
During a battle, Summoned Beings lose points as they are struck. If a Being loses all of its points, the student commanding it must take a remedial class taught by the stern-faced instructor Nishimura Soichi. If a student has done well and routinely studies -- like the series' female lead Himeji Mizuki -- their Summoned Being is more likely to be strong. However, if a student is (to put it politely) not a great test-taker -- like the lazy, half-witted male lead Yoshii Akihisa -- they're going to have trouble advancing not only academically but also socially.
Fumizuki Academy's battle system is primarily used in what's known as the Summoner Test War. During a Summoner Test War, two entire classes fight in a melee-style battle against one another. A Test War is concluded only when a class's Representative -- the highest-ranking individual within a class -- has been defeated. Should a low-ranking class prove victorious over one of the higher-ranking classes, they earn the opportunity to upgrade their classroom and equipment, as well as gain access to the other extemporaneous perks, such as vending machines or the snack bar.
As ludicrous as Baka and Test's ranking system is, it has something pivotal working in its favor: it is inextricably linked to academics. Most school-based anime -- and Kakegurui is no exception -- keep education on the periphery, if they address it at all (seriously, how many scenes from Kakegurui actually take place during class?). Baka and Test takes a more refreshing track, opting to keep the value of quality education at the forefront of the narrative.
True, the core cast is mainly studying so hard to take advantage of the benefits afforded to high-ranking classes, but they are still learning. The characters are depicted attending classes, doing homework and studying -- a shockingly rare quality among high school series. Although parodic in its execution, Baka and Test does the truly innovative and returns the high school series to the classroom, giving audiences plenty to consider in the process.
