Director: Seiji Kishi
Animation Production: Lerche
Music: Naoki Sato
Genres: Action, Comedy, High School, Shounen
Season: Winter 2015
Episodes: 23 (Series + OVA)
Final say: WALLET-WORTHY
As the first Capsule Review entry that isn’t tied to a more substantial analytical piece, allow me to first state that while I liked this series a lot so far, there isn’t much I can say that can add to the conversation. This short column is dedicated to being quick snippets for my readers, so they can get a more clear picture of my tastes.
Assassination Classroom is in every way gleeful with its bizarre premise: a complete disregard for logic and a delightful adherence to garden-variety Shounen genre antics managed to provide it with ample ability to amuse and entertain. Furthermore, while its social commentary were grossly overstated and blatant, the show had a profoundly vivid message it wished to convey: the multifaceted personality of nurturing young minds and the mirrored ideologies that may have come from the same end goals in mind.
Also worth mentioning: Naoki Sato’s efforts in composing for the series has provided it with diverse musical landscapes that cater to a variety of personalities, ranging from caper, Jazz, bombastic orchestral and electronic action cues to sombre piano tracks, ultimately allowing the series to breathe with plenty of choices music-wise.
Overall, Assassination Classroom’s first season was a caramel popcorn-flavoured delight, effectively setting up story beats that can be easily carried over to the next season. There’s still plenty of students of class 3E that could use the spotlight.
Recommendations: Alternative Titles
One-Punch Man
Obvious parallel: both Assassination Classroom and One-Punch Man share a practically indestructible being as a main character. However, peeling back the layers, both shows have their own flavours of comedic charm that sets them above the norm, be it character dynamics, or delightfully extravagant action animation.
Full Metal Panic
Set in a high school classroom environment, juxtaposed with a military-spy primary plotline, Full Metal Panic fits the bill as an capable action-comedy mecha series.
