What if you have to kill the best teacher you’ve
ever had before the
school year ends or he’ll destroy the world?
That’s basically what Assassination Classroom is all about.
That’s basically what Assassination Classroom is all about.
One day, a huge chunk of the moon
is obliterated, making it a permanent crescent shape. A mysterious octopus-like creature claims
credit for the deed, and threatens that within a year, he will also destroy the
world. However, he gives the world
leaders a chance to prevent this from happening, he asks that he be made the
homeroom teacher of class 3-E of Kunugigaoka Junior High School. As their teacher, he promises not to hurt
anyone, to act accordingly, and to teach the students not only the usual school
subjects, but on the ways of assassination as well. Furthermore, he will also give them the
opportunity to attempt assassinating him as much as they can throughout the
school year. Seeing that it’s impossible
to kill him by conventional means, the world governments take him on his
offer. And, thus, an unusual school year
ensues.
I immediately found this anime
series fresh and fascinating right in its first minutes. At first look, Assassination Classroom being a lot of fun is seemingly guaranteed
by its unique and quirky premise – and it’s indeed so.
Koro Sensei – the name that his
students have given the creature, a pun of the Japanese words korosenai (unkillable) and sensei (teacher) – is a fascinatingly
complex and enigmatic character. Though
he has weaknesses (which the character Nagisa is listing down), he is highly intelligent and durable. Conventional
human weapons don’t work on him, so he issued to his students special rubber knives and pellet airguns that aren’t lethal to humans but can damage his body. His strange biology gives him several
abilities, notable of which is his super-speed which allows him to move at a
max speed of Mach 20. And though he appears goofy most of the time, it’s implied that he can become the monster that he is if he needs to be. But above all, he
is a sincere and caring teacher to his students. In fact, if I had seen this anime sooner,
he would have been part of my “top ten” list of fictional mentors/teachers. He’s truly effective in bringing the best out
of his students.
Kunugigaoka Junior High School
has the reputation of having elite, high-achieving students. However, those who don’t meet its high
standards on academics and discipline are sent to Class 3-E (“E” derogatorily stands for “End Class”) whose classroom is located in a shabby, isolated
school building, a mountain away
from the main campus. But under the dedicated
tutelage of Koro Sensei – as he painstakingly guides each individual student depending
on his particular strengths and personality – the Class 3-E students become competent
in both academics and assassination. The narrative impressively does well in juggling the character arcs of these students; it’s easy to get invested in all of them.
Koro Sensei and Class 3-E have an
incredibly peculiar relationship. Koro
Sensei delights in their triumphs – even if that includes getting assassinated
by them – and does everything in his power to build them up and
protect them. He genuinely cares for
Class 3-E. And yet, for mysterious
reasons, he is firm in his threat that he will destroy the world once their school year ends. Meanwhile, the Class 3-E students esteem and
appreciate their teacher very much, and recognize his impact on their lives, but they
are also fervent of assassinating him. It’s
a strange dynamic that Koro Sensei and Class 3-E won’t have any other way. Thus, this makes Assassination Classroom a distinctive and very enjoyable teacher-and-his-students
story.
Assassination Classroom had a wonderful debut season this 2015. It has proven to be a fast-faced, hilarious, and
extremely entertaining must-watch anime. Moreover, despite its wackiness, it surprisingly has thoughtful insights and morals to tell as well, which I find somewhat inspiring as a teacher myself.
I love everything about Assassination Classroom, and I’m definitely along for the long ride.
I love everything about Assassination Classroom, and I’m definitely along for the long ride.
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