If you ask any seasoned anime watcher what their thoughts are on High School DxD, you generally tend to get the same responses. Specifically in reference to my anime group of friends, it most always is brought up as a joke. From what I have seen outside my community is the exact same; People do not take High School DxD seriously and it is alarming. Let me tell you why...

DxD is an art piece that has the most beautiful combination of deep emotions and meaningful psychological themes.

Lets start with the first thing you see when you go to watch High School DxD, the titles. 10 out of the 12 episode titles all refer to Issei in the first person. To the reader, we see it no differently: "I Will Defeat My Ex-girlfriend!" "I Work as a Devil!" "I Get a Familiar!" etc. To the average eye, a person would not think twice about seeing these titles, but I am no average eye. The creator did this purposefully with the intent to connect the reader to Issei. By titling the first two rows of episodes in the first person, the reader takes more of an active role in the anime, something that a strong majority of shows can not accomplish. It forces the reader to resonate with the strong emotions that come from each episode. On multiple accounts I would find myself verbally backing and 'fighting' for Issei in his most desperate times. I truly felt that I was a 'piece' on Rias' chess board. But before you stop reading and begin to watch, lets talk about the plot.

The plot of High School DxD is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Issei is your everyday average guy. He attends a former all girls school which recently had turned co-ed, and has a small knit group whose bonds are formed through a pure connection of interests. It is clear through the first few minutes of the first episode that Issei is desperate to be in a relationship. The school environment, being mostly females, has forced Issei and his two friends to find shelter amongst a community in which they do not feel welcomed. That is when, on a stroke of 'luck', Issei is asked out on a date by a girl named Yuuma Amano. From what I have said, you can probably infer the reaction from Issei. He is over the moon. Issei, a character who has no real purpose and is looking to expand culturally and socially, had been granted the opportunity to pursue a tough and thought to be impossible goal. The combination of the dialogue and shifts in point of view allows the reader to build up the excitement and ensuing relief that Issei so desperately wants. And quickly, Issei loses hope; He loses hope in society, in his future, and in god. At the climax of what he thought would be a step towards his enlightenment, Yuuma Amano brutally and without mercy slaughters Issei in cold blood. In between the time of shock and grief, the reader is brought through a whirlwind of events and the resulting emotions perfectly line up with that of Issei. The creator continues to mess with Issei and the reader psychologically. The events that I have said so far takes place in less than half an episode. The connection between the reader's emotions and Issei's is what makes High School DxD so phenomenal. The creator continues to write brilliantly through the next 11 episodes.

High School DxD is underrated and the blunt of too many jokes. In response lets rally against the toxic community that made Issei feel isolated. We will coin a new phrase, Father, Son, D-X-D.