2022 summer | Episodes: 13 | Score: 8.1 (417015)
Updated every Mondays at 21:00 | Status: Finished Airing
Type: TV
Producers:Studio Hibari | Movic | AT-X | Sammy | Crunchyroll | Kadokawa Media House | Kadokawa | Bandai Namco Music Live
Streaming: Crunchyroll | Disney+ | Aniplus TV | Bahamut Anime Crazy | Bilibili Global | CatchPlay | MeWatch | Muse Asia | Pops | Sushiroll | Upstream | iQIYI
Synopsis
Life back on the cruise following the Island Special Examination is anything but smooth sailing. Almost immediately after their return, the first-year students of Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School face yet another special exam, with both class and individual points on the line. In addition to the complicated ruleset, more issues arise in the form of Kakeru Ryuuen and Kei Karuizawa. Angered by the previous test's outcome, Ryuuen is dead set on outdoing every class in the new challenge using any means necessary. Meanwhile, Karuizawa, a crucial pillar of Class D, is close to crumbling under the pressure of her past. The stage is now set for Kiyotaka Ayanokouji to once again—using the full extent of his planning, foresight, and ruthless manipulation—steer Class D to victory as dangerously close enemy forces try to bring it down. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Voice Actors
Chiba, Shouya
News
11/11/2023, 07:34 AM
Here are the North American anime, manga, and light novel releases for November. Week 1: November 7 - 13 Anime Releases Fuufu Ijou, Koibito Miman. (More than a Marri...
![Summer 2022 Simulcast List [Update 8/25]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.myanimelist.net%2Fs%2Fcommon%2Fuploaded_files%2F1656792829-378da557c881f3742f4a328ecc1a2a7c.jpeg%3Fs%3Df3ad7b73cb0a0bf10c9cc3d6d8c6e8d1&w=640&q=75)
07/02/2022, 01:16 PM
In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of television anime acquired for simulcast release during the Summer 2022 season. Anime series licensed for hom...
06/27/2022, 10:07 AM
The official website of the Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e (Classroom of the Elite) anime series revealed on Monday a pair of additional cast, new k...
06/20/2022, 12:14 PM
In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of Summer 2022 titles with an accompanying promotional video, commercial, teaser, or trailer. This post will be...
03/06/2022, 05:23 AM
The Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e (Classroom of the Elite) Anime Project Presentation announced on Sunday that the sequel consists of a second and ...
02/21/2022, 02:00 AM
Publishing company Kadokawa announced on Monday that a sequel anime for the Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e (Classroom of the Elite) television anime...
Reviews
TryingT0L1ve
The second season of Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e is a noticeable improvement compared to the first. While the first season felt like we were simply passive observers with little engagement, the second season shifts gears. We begin to feel more involved, immersed in every plan and strategy, which immediately boosts the enjoyment by at least 50%. After all, part of the fun in a series like this is seeing whether the schemes and tactics will succeed or fail, and being part of that process makes the anime much more compelling. However, despite this improvement, there remains a lingering frustration with the lack ofcharacter development, particularly with Ayanokoji. He was designed to be apathetic and emotionally detached, which works for the narrative to a degree, but it can still feel unsatisfying. Even when he loses the race, showing that he’s not invincible, the lack of any real growth or emotional evolution leaves something to be desired. Watching a character who doesn’t strive for anything, who has no desires, no meaningful relationships, and no personal goals, feels almost like watching a story about an inanimate object. Even though I understand that’s the intended effect, it doesn’t make it any less frustrating for me as a viewer. I can’t help but think that the anime would have benefited from a darker tone. The animation style is very typical for a high school anime, and while the narrative calls for a more intense, suspenseful atmosphere, the setting remains too light and conventional. If they had leaned into a darker, more mysterious vibe, it could have elevated the series to something truly captivating. Instead, we’re left with a school anime where the protagonist remains emotionally vacant, and that detracts from what could be a more gripping story. Despite these criticisms, I’m still finding the series enjoyable up to this point (second season). However, the third season will need to deliver a significant leap in terms of story development. The first season was lackluster because we were still in the dark about everything and just passively watching. The second season improved because we started to be involved in the plans. But now, how will the third season evolve? That’s the real question, and I’m eager to see how they manage to raise the stakes further.
robert788
Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e 2nd Season (2022) Okay, loved season 1, kind of glad I didn't wait for this as it's a few years down the line of anticipation. For the record, I watched season 1 and immediately moved on to season 2. In season 2 the story progresses further with much deeper interactions and side characters getting much more action. The action of side characters is great because instead of just getting a, 'Oh that character went through some stuff' or maybe a 5-second flashback you get to see them progress. You realise everyone here is pretty messed up and the schoolhas much more meaning than a normal high school. It is a school of reform in the harshest way possible. The artwork has moved on and looks even better than the 2015 PV, and the 2017 season 1. It is a very similar style of anime which is great, too many shows change so dramatically between seasons. This is a fantastic effort by not just Studio Lerche but also the fact that they were able to keep the series so far 3 out of the 3 parts (PV included all by the same studio). The show is going to age well, I will be able to come back to this in years to come. The sound still has fantastic voices, perfectly set with the same actors taking on their roles. The characters like I say develop, we have some enemies understood more deeply, we have allies ruined, we have people that are trying to survive. This school is a brutal environment which makes for great entertainment. I love the development of the class and the fact everyone understands they are in a precarious position. It's class A or nothing. Season 2 ends and I am hyped to carry on my journey with this franchise.
ogblynz
His games and manipulations are very clear throughout the show, which doesn't leave me confused. And I was glued to the screen for every episode. Especially when Kushida's lore started, that was an 11/10 episode. Kushida is a monster created by the expectations everyone had towards her. She went insane trying to be perfect and liked. But in reality, it made her a bipolar toxic individual. Hooked on attention and praise, she poisoned herself. And once it became too much and crushed her completely, she revealed it to everyone. Turning her 'fake' friends into weapons against her. Ryuen was very close to identifying the mastermind, which was absolutelyterrifying as a viewer. But, you know, the goat is always five steps ahead. Kei sacrificing herself and breaking down was a heartbreaking moment. But her trust in Kyotaka has kept her in check. And so, the curtain rises on the mastermind: Ayanokoji Kyotaka, the "perfect human" with no connection or emotions towards others. After defeating Ryuen, he met him. And if I understand correctly, he even played with him. This guy is a remarkable beast. "Can I change? When can I look at people without using them as tools?" And so, the curtain rises again on a new tale. How does the principal's daughter know about the white room? And how does she think she can challenge and defeat the one in control? Final thoughts: This season was much more complex, entertaining, and interesting than before. The mind games are more visible, making it accessible even for those who may not be as sharp. However, there are some elements that remain in the shadows until the end. Definitely better than the first season, for sure. Even though it's a bit more "in your face," there were still secrets kept until the end of the season. And the reveals in the last three episodes were mind-bending. One of my favorite moments, other than the ending, was how Ayanokoji played with Kushida. When Suzune set up a game to defeat her, Kushida thought she had the upper hand. The twist with the exam papers left me speechless. Kushida believed she could outsmart the one in control. Conclusion: I will definitely read the novel; I've heard they butchered it in the anime. If the anime was this good, I can't even imagine how great the novel must be. I am eagerly awaiting Season 3.
gabu_rieru
Here, its quality escalation since the first season is notorious, but still not enough to make me care about the story. I often found myself disconnected from the anime precisely because I was already fed up with this whole edgelord plot by Ayanokoji. Here we had at least some character resolutions and some other advances, which we didn't have in the first season. It is still very weak and uninteresting in my view but at least, as I said, the story showed evolution (because there wasn't much to get worse). I found it strange that the theme of 'school life based on points' was left out andthe theme of 'conflicts of troubled students and a lot of strategy' was the main theme, but it's not like that took away some points from my evaluation. In fact, the theme of school life was only proposed in the first 3 episodes. That in its third season the story funnels more in moments of resolution than expansion. I honestly don't have much of a bag for this story anymore
ggultra2764
The second season of Classroom of the Elite continues exploring the students of Class D overcoming the different challenges assigned by the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing School to test their cohesion and individual capabilities under the school’s merit-based system, with things intensifying with the class’ rivalry with Class C led by the feared Kakeru Ryuuen. The second season retains focus on the competition for students in each class to overcome different challenges through working out the rules and mechanics of the challenges and working within or exploiting loopholes with said rules to have things swing in their favor. This element still makes for one of themore engaging elements of the series with characters learning to work with one another or conspire against one another to gain whatever advantage they can get. This makes up the majority of Season 2’s story arcs, though is focused on as equally as the issues that stir up between Class C and Class D throughout the season that builds up in intensity as Class C becomes more suspicious of Class D’s “leader” sabotaging their chances at victory. One major strength of this season to Classroom of the Elite is that it devotes time to further fleshing out and developing its characters. In particular, Kiyotaka’s character gets more fleshed out in regards to his past and motives, while also undergoing some development as he comes to gradually view a few of his classmates to be more than just valuable pawns to take advantage of. Increased focus is also shown on Kei Karuizawa, a seemingly minor character from Classroom of the Elite’s first season who becomes a major character to aid in Kiyotaka’s plans throughout much of the second season. Suzune’s character is also shown to undergo some major developments to get over her abrasive personality affecting her ability to befriend others and becoming less dependent on Kiyotaka to overcome any of the school challenges. These praises aside, Classroom of the Elite II still carries similar weaknesses as its first season in that audiences may not like like many of the characters within the series due to the title’s jaded stance on school life reflected with its premise. Kikyo and Ryuuen, in particular despite their strategical capabilities, are pretty shallow as far as their personality and what their main motives are. Plus, it’s rather rough at points for me to think if I should root for Kiyotaka or not considering his manipulations and regarding his classmates as pawns to utilize for his plans, even with the gradual character development he undergoes in this season. In addition, the series still ends inconclusively as there are ongoing developments with the series’ plot that remain unresolved due to its light novel source material still ongoing as of this review. However, a third season of the series is currently in the works and slated to air sometime next year. In short, I admit my reception to Classroom of the Elite II is just as mixed as my viewing of its first season. While the challenges faced by the classes are still engaging and this season actually features some fleshing out and development of some major characters, others are still rather shallow and Kiyotaka’s character is still rather questionable in whether or not I can connect with him due to how he perceives his classmates, alongside the title’s trademark cynical approach to exploring high school life. If you enjoyed the show’s first season, you’ll likely get similar enjoyment out of this latest installment of Classroom of the Elite if you’re still watching the series up to this point.
Ayanokiyo768
The Greatest of All Time. Zenith of the Medium. Hallmark of Media. Gold standard of storytelling. Apogee of Creativity. Vertex of Invention. Crest of Ingenuity. Acme of Imagination. Pinnacle of the Medium. Epic of Epics.Legend among Legends. 🐐 among Goats. King among kings genius among geniuses. Treasure among treasures. Masterwork among masterworks. Summit of intelligence. Definition of psychological genre. Description of perfection. Masterpiece of our generation. humanity's greatest invention. Modern masterpiece. The absolute. Peak fiction. Plot : The Japanese government has established the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing School, dedicated to instruct and foster the generation of people that will support the country in the future. The students are given a high degree of freedom in order to closely mimic real life. The story follows the perspective of Kiyotaka Ayanokōji, a quiet and unassuming boy, who is not good at making friends and would rather keep his distance, but possesses unrivaled intelligence. He is a student of Class-D, which is where the school dumps its inferior students. After meeting Suzune Horikita and Kikyō Kushida, two other students in his class, the situation begins to change and he starts to get involved in many affairs, and his thought of an ideal normal high school life begins to get scattered. Overall: I give this show a 10/10. This show definitely worth your time, watch it.
DragonTheOne
I was recommended to watch Classroom of the Elite because I like Death Note. After sitting through 2 seasons, I want to say this to whoever made the recommendation: "Comparing COTE to DN is like comparing a chicken to a Phoenix.". Yes, I am an anime-only and it doesn't matter because this review is for the anime and not the light novel, and after completing 2 seasons of the anime, I really don't feel like picking up the light novel. I can see why COTE is so popular. It features an edgy high schooler who is secretly overpowered but tries to play it cool and actsinconspicuously. He also earns the love of all the waifus in school. (Perfectly suitable for teenagers to self-insert.) Classroom of the Elite is about Kiyotaka Ayankoji, who is secretly a genius on a completely different level from everyone in his school. The school uses a point system which is basically the money system within the school and can be used to buy anything and even do bribery. The classes battle each other for points. On the plot level, the psychological games and conflicts try to look smart with all the messy rules thrown in but are not interesting and just sloppy overall. The main character has a flat personality, Kushida's secret motivation is just an ass-pull and completely unrelatable, and perhaps the only interesting character is Ryuen. The series would have been more interesting if Ryuen was the MC and Kiyotaka does not exist. There are some good moments, like the fight scene that happens in the penultimate episode, but that is not enough to make up for the earlier episodes that are just a pain to sit through.
Banana-Pudding
If you enjoyed Season 1, you'll for sure love this second season as well. I know I did. It's basically got the same formula as its previous season, with a few character developments here and there. Well, here's the quick breakdown. Animation: 8/10 Most of the time the animation is solid, bu tthere are some parts that are a little crusty. Not that I'm complaining. It doesn't bother me and it doesn't detract from the anime. VA: 10/10 Just amazing voice acting. Kiyo's VA is top notch, but the best has to go to new best girl Kei. Characters: 10/10 The strongest reason why this show issuccessful IMO. Kiyo is an amazing lead MC with his unique style. Insanely brilliant, but cold hearted and calculative- every time he's on screen you can't help but wonder what he's thinking. It's been so long since you see MC's like him. Really a breath of fresh air from all the pansy MC's lately. His main nemsis is Class C or should I say their leader, Ryueen. Ryueen's pretty good too, but yeah you'll just see he gets outclassed by Kiyo. But the back and forth and mind games they play with each other is amazing. Other support characters are pretty solid. Horitika actually takes a back seat, which is somewhat surprising. Doesn't bother me too much since I find her boring. Instead, side girl Kei gets major development, ultimately binding her with Kiyo for the long haul. Again, many will agree she's best girl this season. Plot: 8/10 So I know a lot of people will say what the heck? So low. Don't get me wrong- the story is fine, but I can't help but find a lot of plot holes with the anime. I won't spoil any, but let's just say sometimes the writing is too skewed. There is a lot of "made up" rules to help the bad guys and further the story, but for some reason the same logic doesn't apply to Kiyo and his gang. Also, the first half of the anime was kind of stale...not bad, but it's the second half that really makes it great. Over all, should you watch this anime? Hell freaking yeah. It's one of the best I've seen in a loooonngg time. Once season 3 comes up, I'm jumping on that ship right away.
Galatory
Classroom of the Elite 2 Review (9.4) The story got better and the flow of the story became more exiting every episode.The animation is different because it got a little ugly because there are scenes that are ugly to watch.The MC who can control everything,he can manipulate anyone.And the music is so good and great STORY:10/10 It was even more daring here because he manipulated the traitor,he made him follow his plans,his tool became more loyal. And he showed how strong he is in 3v1 and he was the winner. ANIMATION:7.5/10 I feel that the animation is a little bit different, there are scenes where the animation looks ugly andthe animation of the fighting scene is quite ok. CHARACTERS:10/10 There are many scenes of being beaten and bullied who will do everything to embarrass you and for their pride. It is also difficult to trust each other because even your friends/classmates can betray you. SOUND:10/10 It never dissapoint me bacause all the op and ending song is so great.
otherdummy
(Reposted because MAL can't tell Non-Preliminary reviews from Prelim ones) Tens of thousands of years ago, an underwater volcano poked its head out from the ocean for the first time. As the volcano erupted over and over, the lava cooled to create swaths of basalt, and the volcanic ash and fallout gradually condensed to form tuff. Birds, weary of the long flight over the ocean, used the island as a resting spot and brought plant seeds along. The island grew rich in foliage and fledglings, and one day, a small community of traveling humans set foot. Cut off from the rest of the world, they developedtheir own culture and religion, carving massive stone statues out from the tuff. These statues depicted a stoic, emotionless head, and their purpose is unknown, but the current consensus is that they served as symbols of power and authority. Hundreds of years passed on this island, and generations came and went. But the status quo could not last forever. One day, outsiders invaded the island, saw the statues, and took them to the great big world. Outsiders, fascinated by this puzzling sculpture, deemed it a curiosity and showcased them in museums. And sometime, somewhere, and for some reason, a Japanese passerby saw one of these historical legacies and thought, "Wouldn't it be amazing if the main character for our popular upcoming anime had a face that permanently looked like this cool rock?" And thus Lerche presents Classroom of the Elite II to the world! Starring our favorite moai Ayanokoji and his harem of calcite cutouts, it has everything you could possibly expect in a garbage anime. Ayanokoji is your everyday hyper-gigachad high-schooler, capable of beating up all the baddies, wooing all the girls by simply existing, and showing everyone around him who’s the biggest alpha in town with his sheer intellect. I kid you not: I literally saw a YouTube video titled “How to be emotionless like Ayanokoji” the other day with tens of thousands of views. How does one possibly watch someone manipulate everyone around him and conceal everything with lies and end up thinking “Damn, I wanna be like him when I grow up” or something? This show feeds on those with an immature mindset: that they can get anything they want as long as they can know or control everything. Reality check: you can’t. Escapism is fun and all, but it should not be confused with reality. Everything else is not that great either. The story is jarringly rushed, and plenty of important details are missing. Characters exist for the sole purpose of existing, never developing in any shape or form, just patching their problems with shoddy solutions that are convenient beyond practicality. Character designs are awfully plain. The music seems like it was created in pre-production instead of post-production. Ayanokoji’s presence blocks out all emotional outlets of the show. Pacing is consistent(ly bad). This anime is basically a power-fantasy in a school setting, with nothing interesting besides the premise. Come to think of it, what is Ayanokoji even trying to do? What message does the show try to say? What makes this even remotely worth watching? For me, the answer for all these is “nothing”. I’m sure some smart aleck can explain the hidden reasoning behind everything and anything in this show, but I can’t be bothered trying to squeeze water from an obviously dry stone. Classroom of the Elite II is just another waste of time better spent elsewhere.
rikiki109
‟Read the goddamn Light Novel” -Literally everyone Ah yes, Classroom of the Elite, back at it after 5 years, but going 5 years backwards in terms of animation. There are a lot of reasons why someone would hate this anime, the animation was very shit for most of the episodes, they did a lot of outsourcing and it seems they only put effort in the most important part of this anime. Moreover, they did literally changed the story and characters adapted from the LN, which means that they made it worse, right ? I would say it mostly depends, as for myself, it was still greatand a pleasure to watch. When I say great, of course it's difficult to follow and be on point with the peak of LN (or almost) in terms of story. They did the same formula as season 1, you have a base to follow on, but you just remodel a lot of things to make something new. It's the same thing that they did previously, but better imo, let me explain : Ayanokouji is still a bigbrainer, that's mostly what this show is about, plus how any highschool student can be an asshole. The story gradually evolves, we see the strings that he's controling evolving, being multiplied, etc. If you watched season 1 and liked how he was doing, then season 2 is atleast 5 times that, if not more, that's what I mainly like about this anime. The story can be called generic but would still be intense to watch. Let me contextualise this : I rated a 8 the season one because the premise was quite interesting, that school where all low blow are allowed, in which the people that are better gets on top, a very big experiment in a big cage where they cannot get out. It was great, but it was missing more big brain moment by Ayanokouji and the pacing was slow. These two incoveniences were fixed in season 2 to my enjoyment. It's way more packed with interesting things happening (while still skipping entire volumes and half of others lol) which made it cool to watch, ence my rating of 9. As for the characters outside of the MC, they are alright, atleast they get developped over the 12 episodes, new faces that got skipped in season one for no reasons are introduced, which is quite nice, and the rivalry between the classes are tougher than ever. And just to comeback to the animation, they did obviously not put a lot of effort in it, they revived the series without putting time and money into the visuals, only the story it seems (since they REALLY wanted to differenciate from the source material), a lot of images are very drafted and movement is lackluster or very jerky. All of that sounds very bad, and it kinda is, the only thing they did to make it look better was to have a sunset for half of the season so the colors are nice to watch. It can be a sign that this anime isn't getting a great treatment when the animation was better 5 years ago and that it's far from the current standart, which can be seen alarming comming from a studio like Lerche (which it's still not a nobody, it's not at the top but it has made good thing), if it was a random studio, it could be seen as an alright error to make, but not really with this. So yeah, that's probably the least good part about it. So why are you fucking saying it was garbage to the eyes but still gave it a 9 ? Well first because i'm stupid and puts a high rating for everything, but mainly because I don't think animation is everything, especially not when it's focused on story and storytelling, and on this point, it was very great. It did what season one did in 2017, but better, which I am fully happy with. If you've found season one good, go watch the second one, if you'd think there was something missing in season one, maybe I would advise you in having a try at it, maybe you wil change your mind about this series. For now, i'll be waiting for season 3 in a year, the ending of season 2 makes it seems like it could be great. Maybe i'll make time to read the Light Novel until then, to see what's the deal with this insanely good work of art that I will probably put a rating of 10 on.
djazo
i have waited for high school of the elite season 2 for years i loved season 1 so much it is my favorite anime for it's season but imagine when i heard that season 1 didn't do so well and they were never going to make season 2 i felt awful to have something i enjoyed so much not continuing it was for your my most awaited anime ever BUT IT'S HERE!!!!! HOW SHIT I CANT BELIEVE IT GOT A SECOND SEASON AND IT'S SOOOOOO GOOD I THOUGHT IT COULDN'T LIVE UP TO MY HYPE BUT MY GOD IT IS LOVED IT AS MUCH ASTHE FIRST SEASON 10 OTU 10 IGN
Instak1ll_
As someone who loved the novel and is now up to date with it, I am seemingly one of the only LN readers that does not hate this season or the anime in general. Why? I'm not sure, maybe it's because I love the original so much that I still am able to enjoy a worse version, just because it's an adaptation and a new way of viewing something that I dearly love. The OP main character trope is one of my favourite and the psychological genre is one of the most original and entertaining in my eyes. A combination of the too is great,but to have it done in such a way is simply put incredible. Even though I enjoyed the LN more, I can easily say that this season lived up to my hypes. The start seemed flunky but the pacing felt smooth and the cut content they made I in general agreed with. The story is one that is never before seen and the action scenes are really well done. The VA's do a great job and the music is nice to listen to. In my eyes people just want to hate because thay want to hate, since you can't say that this is bad if you are able to understand the story and if the tags that I just mentioned even kind of fall into your lanes. With hype moments, slow moments and good character building this story will always be a favourite of mine!
Strikeca
Classroom of the elite 2 isn’t a show that will change your life, but it is a show that will provide a lot of entertainment if you approach it with the right mindset. The thing about this show it feels like a very direct continuation of the first season. If you didn’t enjoy the first season, then this sequel will most likely not change your mind. However, if you enjoyed the first season, or haven’t watched it yet, I highly encourage you to give this a shot. Your enjoyment of this show will drastically change on what you think about the character writing and direction.Almost every character has a manipulative and/or darker side. This leads to very different story then you will find in most school anime. Although some, there isn’t as much teamwork and friendly banter, but rather frequent backstabbing and high-stakes competition. There is a constant game of cat and mouse between the classes, with key members pushing the rules to their limits to gain an upper hand. Personally, I find the style of writing refreshing and very entertaining. If I were to pick one part of the show that is the strongest overall, it would definitely be the soundtrack. The intro and outro are pretty good, but the best part by far is the in-episode music. It consistently adds emotion and excitement to key scenes and makes them significantly more entertaining. There is nothing bad to say about the soundtrack. On the other hand, if I were to pick the most mediocre part of the show, it would be the animation. This doesn’t mean I think the animation is bad, in fact I think its pretty good, but its far from revolutionary. It doesn’t need to be, but it definitely isn’t the selling point of this show. Some of the earlier episodes had noticeably bad animation quality, but it improved fast enough to not be a serious issue. This show is incredibly entertaining. However, you have to approach it with the right mindset. It (probably) won’t change your life or make you cry. It is a fast-paced show with a very overpowered main character who rarely shows any emotion. Even with the mc, the show still does a great job at making you guess how key events will turn out, and even if you can predict the end result, the question of “how?” keeps it enjoyable. Overall, if you want to watch the next masterpiece, then don’t watch this show. However if you are looking for a “darker” show that provides heaps of entertainment without being too hard to watch, then I can’t recommend this series enough.
Chief_AJ
Classroom of the Elite is back with its unexpected return, and while production as a whole went down, it came back to provide us more big-brain action like the first season backed by its entertaining characters and a really good climax. There are a couple of issues with this adaptation that I would like to point out, but it has nothing to do with the source material as I’m strictly reviewing this as the anime, not the light novel because I understand that there are some changes. Now as good as this anime is, it struggled from pacing issues toward the beginning and kind ofjust had a rough start to the season in general, also animation dropped as a whole. Art: 7 I can’t lie this rating would be a lot lower if it wasn’t for the quality of the last few episodes, but even then most of the season struggled from subpar animation. What I will say is that the music still continues to be great. From the op to the ost, was a pretty solid soundtrack. Characters: 8 Kiyopon is a cool mc. His ability to not give a damn about anything(at times) always makes him enjoyable to watch. Also, Ryuen is a good antagonist as well, however, his motives to his actions aren’t explained the best. Other than that the side characters have a surprising amount of depth to them. Kei is fire. Story: 8 The Story is a tale of two halves. I liked what they did with Ryuen, but as I said before it starts off pretty slow and felt a little rushed early to really close in on the final couple of events of the season, but at the end of the day what is important is enjoyment, and this series is always a fun watch. Overall I give it an 8/10
iHateAnimeBro
There are only a few shows that make me feel the thrill, and genuine impatience when waiting for a new episode. The Classroom of the Elite is one of them. After a rather mediocre first season, with an unnecessary amount of fanservice and a bit too slow-paced action, 2nd season started really strong. The story isn't that repetitive anymore. There's significantly more action than before. The story is getting straight to the point. [Story - 8] With the new season, we get to know better few characters, such as Karuizawa and Kushida. Especially interesting, and important for the first few episodes is Karuizawa's story plot. Like with Kushida,we get to know a bit of her backstory, and what is driving her, when making certain decisions. Ayanokouji is gaining more allies, or I should say tools, that are helping him reach his goals. While gaining "tools", also his enemies counter is going up, but they, apparently, can't even compete with MC at any point, in literally anything, which makes the story quite predictive. As mentioned above, the story is paced faster, than it used to be in the first season. It's a good change since some viewers could find the first season boring. There are no unnecessary beach arcs, or pool arcs, which in my opinion were done ridiculously in the first season, and turned "psychological" anime into ecchi comedy. The show is slightly less focused on points/currency things, which is good, since viewers are usually not really eager to analyze all those numbers floating on the screen, and sometimes this can become overwhelming. [Art - 7] Art is really a disappointment in this season. As far as I liked it in the first one, here we got a visible downhill. The animation feels weird at times, and colours are not as vibrant and detailed as before. [Sound - 9] Not much to complain about. Opening deserves special attention - it is absolutely great. [Characters - 9] Ayanokouji has to be one of my favourite anime characters of all time. His whole appearance, actions, behaviour - everything adds up perfectly, creating the MC that viewers really want to see. His personality is something that makes people love this anime so much. He's smart, good at sports, and martial arts (piano and calligraphy too). During the show, viewers can acknowledge his thinking process, and how he is constantly analyzing his surroundings. Ayanokouji's character is basically the powerhouse of the whole series since I can't think of any other character being that interesting in this anime. He may be seen as an overpowered character though, and that point alone discards any mystery in this show since viewers are already used to the scheme where MC is always in a winning position. Horikita was the main heroine of the first season, and the thing is supposedly the same now. However Karuizawa is getting much more screen time, and the overall focus of the show is more on her than Horikita. Her character isn't getting developed really well, since she's still doing similar mistakes, as in the first season, and basically is only a tool for Ayanokouji. Viewers may have mixed feelings about her. Personality-wise she acts like a tsundere, but at the same time, she doesn't appear to be one. She's kind of inconsistent with how she feels, and it makes her cold, and blunt. Karuizawa seems to have a much higher impact on the plot than anyone could expect after the first season. The first episodes already suggest that the action will be now more focused on her. Viewers get to know her personality, and past better. She's starting to play a more important role, in the whole of Ayanokouji's plan. Her character development is noticeable. She's way more confident and determined to reach her goals, with Ayanokouji's help. Kushida after playing a significant role in the first season, now getting revealed to be a traitor to the whole D class. Viewers get to know her dark personality since she shows it to Ayanokouji and Horikita. This side of Kushida can rarely be seen in the anime since she's still playing an innocent, helpful girl in front of others. [Enjoyment - 9] Personally, I really liked the 2nd season of COTE. The story finally picked up some pace, and as a viewer, I'm impatiently waiting for new episodes. The biggest downsides were probably poor animation, and my personal remark about the Ayanokouji character - as far as I understand the whole show is based on how perfect and infallible the MC is, it often feels unnatural. Dialogues, and interactions of Ayankouji with others, on the other hand, are just hilarious. I absolutely love his cold responses, without any sign of emotion. It really makes up his whole appearance and personality. The Classroom of the Elite season 2 didn't disappoint me. I'm really glad I discovered this series recently since this show is really worth a watch. Very good plot, as well as characters. Decent art and sound. COTE 2nd season gets deserved 8 out of 10 from me.
Marinate1016
You-Zitsu season 1 was probably one of the most disappointing anime adaptations in recent memory. While anime only casual fans largely enjoyed it, those of us who have been with this franchise from the start were very disappointed by seemingly unnecessary plot changes, omissions and the lack of depth that the anime gave to one of the best written LN series of all time. While not perfect, season 2 is certainly an improvement and did many of the most hype scenes of Year 1 the justice they deserved. The pacing of You-Zitsu season 1 was probably the biggest complaint among fans of the course material. Veryimportant parts of the story were rushed through and not properly explained, while insignificant moments given too much time. Season 2’s first few episodes started out somewhat the same, but by the 3rd or 4th episode the pacing improved considerably. I was quite pleased with how they handled the zodiac game in the first quarter or so of the season and while changes were made, they were consistent with changes that had been introduced in season 1. Such as class sizes and group sizes, etc. The next two arcs which make up episodes 5-13 or so were amazing. Lerche really took their time and did justice to some of the hypest scenes in year one. Episode 12 , the climax of this season, for instance may have even surpassed the LN with the animation, voice acting and direction. Unfortunately, large parts of the season were outsourced to smaller animation studios and there are quite a few shockingly poor animated and drawn scenes. Like legitimately some scenes look like my little nephews drew them. That aside, at its peak, the production values were pretty good this time around. I’m sure there’s no correlation, but it really did feel like the more people tweeted about the bad episodes, the better the next ones started to get. In addition to better direction, this season also just benefits from having better source material to work with. Volume 2 which was apart of season 1’s story is considered one of, if not the worst books in the series whereas the novels covered this season are some of the best. A perfect storm for any sequel. I mean we hadn’t even met the main heroine of the series when the first season ended. Not only do we get best girl introduced, but the character arcs for so many people start to really take shape. One of the biggest strengths of this series is the diversity of its cast and seeing what they all bring to the table. Yes, you’ve obviously got the best MC in the medium at the helm of everything, but even somewhat minor characters are interesting and bring something to the story. The constant mind games and social gymnastics are what makes this franchise tick. I still maintain that the best way to consume You-Zitsu is the Light Novel, as will most other source readers, but I can honestly say this is a decent adaptation. It’s not great, but its peaks are, and as a whole it’s a serviceable depiction of the most exciting moments in the story. Certainly better than season 1, let’s hope this trend continues in the future seasons. You-Zitsu season 2 gets 8 out of 10.
Cinber
*REVIEW WITH SPOILERS* Review in English and Spanish I saw S1 at the time and the truth is that I didn't like it even at the time, but when I saw the premiere of this second season I remembered the previous season with a little affection and decided to give it a try. Not only that, in the "Top Light Novels" section of MAL it is the second most valued. So he had reason enough to give it a try. Without having read a single page of LN, it shows that it is quite poorly adapted. Not only because of the animation, which sometimes seems to be goodand sometimes better, I'm not even talking about, but also because of the plot, which I'm going to talk about. OMG. What intrigues me the most is why are those quotes at the beginning of each chapter? I mean, it doesn't bother me, but why? It's funny to me, it's like adding some depth just for the sake of it. I also have to say that the fanservice in this season is quite reduced, I said that it is reduced not that it is not there and in these 12 chapters I did not see a cringe chapter like the famous chapter where they go to a pool from season 1 WHICH ON TOP OF IT DID NOT CONTRIBUTE NOTHING THAT CHAP. The exam carried out on the cruise that would become the first arc of this season appears in a totally sudden and anticlimactic way, since we come from the island test (season 1) and out of nowhere another exam appears that is a kind of AMOGOSUS (which, by the way, I may be less interested in this game!!! I was sleeping in this first arc, god. Not counting all the drama scenes that take place in the arc because if to create drama out of nothing.) and ends out of nowhere in the same way that I start and so with most of the games that appear. It seems that they want to rush the story at all costs and it leaves me quite indifferent... This is horrible for the plot and for everything in general since you can't even delve into the characters or ANYTHING. And speaking of the characters, my god, speaking of the characters… I didn't like any of the characters, the truth is that they focus a lot on the games and on the competition to see which class is going to be the winner, leaving all the characters in the background. In the second exam, Horikita's relay race from one second to another went from being the introverted little girl to literally being the class leader because yes, there is no explanation or anything or a turning point of the character, because she changed so much, I do not know something, even if it is something minimal, give me a reason, very lazy. Ayanokouji leaves me indifferent as the character himself is, he had his grace last season, perhaps, but in this one I was expecting a bit of his past, perhaps because it was like that or perhaps see him more as an antagonist of the story, I DON ' T KNOW SOMETHING, I did not expect a Johan from Monster but A PIXEL of something yes. Kushida the truth is that she is the only one that I like???? And I put it between question marks because I feel that she is the only one who developed well and that's it. In the first season I have to say that I liked this character, it was quite unusual to see a character with a dual personality in a school anime and that caught my attention. Her past is fine without being so remarkable, but I felt that every time she got together with Ryuuen this character lowered points, I felt that every time they showed her it was for us to say "look how bad she is, she has a face like that because she's bad”. Quite the opposite of last season that tried to hide his double personality at all costs. And well, some other conversation with Horikita and Ayanokouji that I highlight but nothing out of the ordinary, it's a meh. Ryuuen is literally the generic bad gangster of an anime literally, he sees that you can make good "bad gangsters" but this guy definitely isn't and he isn't a good character. It has the worst dialogue of all and the most useless scene of all, too, which is when he goes to look for Rokusuke and a lot of randoms appear that don't matter and the worst thing about that scene is that nothing happens, and I wanted everyone to shut up. My God. Let's talk about Karuizawa. Well, he appears a lot but I don't know what to think since as I said at the beginning they don't delve into almost any character and this character didn't delve into ANYTHING, so I don't really know what to say since what they told us was very poor and not only that if not that they put it out of nowhere, last season I didn't even know who she was and this season little else and she's the main character. I like her design, the relationship with the main character, I would say so too, although the main character uses her as a tool and she sees him as a friend, I guess I like that. I would say that the scene in which they torture her was really strange since everything happens very fast and absurd at the same time since they torture her with…with WATER? Ok, I get the point that it was snowing outside, and she was undressed and she throws water on him so he dies of hypothermia, but since you want to create a shady scene torturing someone you can do it well and highlight Ryuuen's twistedness. But seeing that almost seems comical, my God. Since we are in this field, the famous chapter 12, the one that many people were waiting 5 years to see animated. Really? I mean, I don't know what I expected to be honest at this point, but I don't know. It's literally a fight for everyone against Ayanokouji, which I don't even remember the names of the ones he fights because they are irrelevant to the series except for Ryuu. It's well animated I guess, but I don't know why they were waiting so long for this chapter the truth. When Ayanokouji lowers everyone and is 1vs1 with Ryuu I guess seeing how Ayanokouji destroys Ryuu while he does it without expressing emotions I guess that would be what the vast majority liked but for me it was quite obvious in that scene how he was going to react And everything, it would have been 10 times better to see him with another type of reaction that is not his own, it would be more shocking, I don't know, accompanied by some flashbacks from his past, but well we have this at the end. Is that even the dialogues are predictable and poor. Personally, I didn't like that chapter, or how it unfolds, or anything. Who else am I missing? Arisu? The one with black stockings? He appears 3 minutes in the last season and in this one he appears less. At this rate in the next season, if it comes out, it doesn't even appear. And it has irrelevant dialogues, it makes the "I'm superior to you because I'm from class A look at me" and it's terrible generic both in design and in the character itself. My God, take her out and take her black stockings off, I want them by the way. Airy? She shows up to go to karaoke and in the end she goes but the main character has to go save the other one who is being tortured with water. 5/10. Perhaps it deserves less note with all the negative points that I mention, but the truth is that by the final stretch of the series the chapters were not boring or slow, I was simply holding my head and saying that it could be better. Apart from the opening and the ending I liked them a lot and I didn't even mention them. I didn't really expect anything and even so I was disappointed, the truth is incredible. *RESEÑA CON SPOILERS* Reseña en inglés y en español Vi la S1 en su momento y la verdad que no me gusto ni en su momento, pero cuando vi el estreno de esta segunda temporada recordé la anterior season con un poco de cariño y decidí darle un try. No solo eso, en la sección de “Top Light Novels” de MAL es la segunda más valorada. Así que tenía motivos suficientes para darle una oportunidad. Sin haberme leído ni una página de LN se nota que está adaptado bastante mal. No solo por la animación que a veces parece que está bien y otras mejor ni hablo, sino que también por la trama que ya voy a hablar de eso. Dios mío. Lo que mas intriga me da es ¿por qué están esas citas al inicio de cada capítulo? Es decir, no me molesta, pero ¿por qué? Me causa gracia, es como añadir algo de profundidad porque sí. También tengo que decir que el fanservice en esta temporada está bastante reducido, dije que esta reducido no que no halla y en estos 12 capítulos no vi un capitulo cringe como el famoso capitulo en donde van a una piscina de la season 1 QUE ENCIMA NO APORTABA NADA ESE CAP. El examen realizado en el crucero que vendría a ser el primer arco de esta temporada aparece de una forma totalmente repentina y anticlimática, ya que venimos de la prueba de la isla (season 1) y de la nada aparece otro examen que es una especie de AMOGOSUS (que, por cierto, me puede interesar menos este juego!!! me estaba durmiendo en este primer arco, dios. Sin contar todas las escenas de dramas que trascurren en el arco porque si para crear drama de la nada.) y termina de la nada de la misma forma que arranco y así con la gran mayoría de los juegos que aparecen. Pareciera que quieren rushear a toda costa la historia y me deja bastante indiferente… Es horrible esto para la trama y para todo en general ya que ni siquiera se puede profundizar en los personajes ni en NADA. Y hablando de los personajes dios mío hablando de los personajes… Ningún personaje me gusto la verdad se centran mucho en los juegos y en la competición para ver que clase va a ser la ganadora que dejan a todos los personajes en segundo plano. En el segundo examen, la carrera de los relevos Horikita de un segundo a otro paso de ser la minita introvertida a literalmente ser la líder de la clase porque si, no hay explicación ni nada ni un punto de inflexión del personaje, porque cambio tanto, no se algo, aunque sea algo mínimo dame una razón, muy flojo. Ayanokouji me deja indiferente como es el propio personaje, tenia su gracia la temporada pasada ,quizás, pero en esta me esperaba un poco de su pasado quizas el porque era así o quizas verlo mas como un antagonista de la historia, NO SE ALGO, tampoco me esperaba un Johan de Monster pero UN PIXEL de algo si. Kushida la verdad que es la única que me gusto???? Y lo pongo entre signos de preguntas porque siento que es la única que desarrollaron bien y hasta ahí no más. En la primera season tengo que decir que este personaje me gustaba, a ver era bastante fuera de lo común ver un personaje con doble personalidad en un anime colegial y me llamo mucho la atención eso. Su pasado esta bien sin ser tan destacable, pero senti que cada vez que se juntaba con Ryuuen bajaba puntos este personaje, sentía que cada vez que la mostraban era para que digamos “fuaa mira lo mala que es tiene la cara así porque es mala”. Todo lo contrario a la temporada pasada que trataba de ocultar su doble personalidad a toda costa. Y bueno alguna que otra conversación con Horikita y Ayanokouji que destaco pero nada fuera de lo común, es un meh. Ryuuen es literalmente el malo pandillero genérico de un anime literalmente, mira que podés hacer buenos” malos pandilleros” pero este sujeto definitivamente no lo es y ni es un buen personaje. Tiene los peores diálogos de todos y la escena mas inservible de todas tambieeen que es cuando va a buscar a Rokusuke y aparecen un montón de randoms que no importa nada y lo peor de esa escena es que no pasa nada, y quería que se callen todos. Dios mio. Hablemos de Karuizawa. Bueno aparece bastante pero no se que pensar ya que como decía al principio no profundizan en casi ningún personaje y este personaje no lo profundizaron NADA, así que no sé muy bien que decir ya que lo que nos contaron fue muy pobre y no solo eso si no que lo metieron de la nada, en la temporada pasada ni sabia quién era ella y en esta temporada poco más y es la prota. Su diseño me gusta, la relación con el prota diría que también, aunque el prota la use como herramienta y ella lo vea como un amigo eso me gusto supongo. La escena en la que la torturan diría que fue raro la verdad ya que pasa todo muy rápido y absurdo a la vez ya que la torturan con…con ¿AGUA?. Okey, entiendo el punto de que estaba nevando afuera y estaba desabrigada y le tira agua para que se muera de hipotermia, pero, ya que queres generar una escena turbia torturando a alguien lo podes hacer bien y así remarcas lo retorcido de Ryuuen. Pero al ver eso hasta casi parece cómico, dios mío. Ya que estamos en este terreno, el famoso capitulo 12, el que mucha gente estuvo esperando 5 años para ver animado eso. ¿En serio? Quiero decir, no se que esperaba la verdad hasta este punto, pero no se. Es literalmente una pelea todos contra Ayanokouji, que encima ni me acuerdo los nombres de los que pelea porque son re irrelevantes para la serie salvo Ryuu. Está bien animada supongo, pero no sé porque estaban esperando tanto este capítulo la verdad. Cuando Ayanokouji baja a todos y esta 1vs1 con Ryuu supongo que ver como Ayanokouji destroza a Ryuu mientras lo hace sin expresar emociones supongo que eso seria lo que le gusto a la gran mayoría pero para mi resulto bastante obvio en esa escena el como iba a reaccionar y todo, Hubiera estado 10 veces mejor verlo con otro tipo de reacción que no sea propio de el ,seria como mas impactante no se, acompañado de unos flashback de su pasado, pero bueno tenemos esto al final. Es que hasta los diálogos son predecibles y pobres. A mí en lo personal no me gusto ni ese capítulo, ni como se desarrolla, ni nada. ¿Quién más me falta? Arisu? ¿La de medias negras? Aparece 3 minutos en la temporada pasada y en esta aparece menos. A este paso en la próxima temporada, si es que sale, ni aparece. Y tiene unos diálogos irrelevantes, se hace la “soy superior a vos porque soy de la clase A mírame” y es terrible genérica tanto en diseño como en si el propio personaje. Dios mío, sáquenla y sáquenle las medias negras que las quiero de paso. Airi? Aparece para ir al karaoke y al final va pero el prota se tiene que ir a salvar a la otra que la están torturando con agua. 5/10. Quizás merece menos nota con todos los puntos negativos que mencione, pero la verdad que por la recta final de la serie los capítulos no se me hicieron aburridos ni lentos, simplemente me estaba agarrando la cabeza y diciendo que podría ser mejor. Aparte el opening y el ending me gustaron mucho y ni los mencione. No esperaba nada la verdad y aun así me decepciono, increíble la verdad.
KANLen09
Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e (You-Zitsu) a.k.a Classroom of the Elite, is literally one sweet-ass heck of a LN written by Shougo Kinugasa that even 3 years after the 1st Year ended, it's still the cult classic that has cemented amongst readers as one of (if not) the GOAT LNs ever written thanks to its typical school premise, but involving high stakes of a psychological brain-inducing mess that when all comes together, makes for one masterpiece source material worthy of a read. Say what you will about Season 1, but I LOVE this show when it aired exactly 5 years ago in Summer2017, thinking that as a newcomer into seasonal anime (back when Re:Zero had already finished airing, that single-handedly brought me back to anime), I would experience something very new and unique. And while You-Zitsu does deliver just that, even with LN readers lambasting the heck outta how both directors Seiji Kishi and Hiroyuki Hashimoto destroyed the anime adaptation by choosing to adapt later volumes in the literal 2nd half of Season 1, I still found it to be a great watch thanks in part to the GOAT character that is Kiyotaka Ayanokouji (literally Best Boy)'s way of circumventing through all of the psychological rules that Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School has to offer, Lerche's great animation (that back then was unlike anything I've ever seen before) and most certainly ZAQ's OP "Caste Room" which is still to this day, the perfect complement and a GOAT banger of a song (easily one of (if not) the best OP of the season at the time, together with Made In Abyss's OP). Of course, without the prior information that the anime heavily butchered the LN and as an anime-only at the time, I wished there was more to see of Ayanokouji's further psychological exploits. And lo and behold, in the beginning of this year, it was announced that You-Zitsu is coming back in the Maou Gakuin fashion of not just Season 2, but also Season 3 as well, that's set to complete the entirety of the 1st Year arc. Well...how much we have grown over 5 years to finally get a shot to roast and ridicule the anime adaptation more than just being long and much-awaited sequels. TL;DR: The production staff team NEVER learnt anything about Season 1's pitfalls and proceeds to ham the anime down even further. Season 2's continuation onto the adaptation of Volumes 4 (adapting the remainder) to 7, Ayanokouji, Horikita and the rest of Class 1-D evolves from test to test, most specifically Volume 4's VIP brain game, Volumes 5 and 6's sports festival, Volume 6's final exam, and to conclude with the biggest event of all: Ayanokouji vs. Kakeru Ryuen, the infamous head honcho-cum-hooligan of Class 1-C in Volume 7. Everyone has remained the exact same, though at the test level with the incorporation of non-important side characters that only add more fuel to the fire. Sure, like Season 1, those tests' rules are complicated as hell and don't give the audience enough time to take in what's happening only to then lose the plot altogether, but don't give the crap excuse that it can't be done due to time constraints (which they can only do so much in 20 mins, exclude OP and ED). To make matters worse, it's not a bad thing that the rest of the character cast stays the same and delivers on their aspects, but somehow the interpretation seems even worse than what I remember, despite having the same VA cast, to the point of being void characters with monotone personality (the worst offender being Ayanokouji himself, his voice seems darker and more bass now). Shougo Kinugasa's story plot is already amazing on its own, but now realizing the pain that plot pointers are even more lost in translation, it just derives the fact that the anime as a whole, even for Season 3 next year, is the "so good, it's bad" inferior version as a whole, with the manga version being the absolute worst. The absolute sin of You-Zitsu's anime adaptation will always lie in the production team. Despite both Seiji Kishi and Hiroyuki Hashimoto still within the team as chief directors, they got someone else instead to do their favour: Lerche's in-house director Yoshihito Nishoji, who directed the abomination of an SAO rip-off that is Shichisei no Subaru, and a fair few assistant directorial roles involving in Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun and Gyakuten Sekai no Denchi Shoujo. Needless to say, both chief directors were looking for another scapegoat because deep in their hearts, they knew that You-Zitsu's hardcore fans have thoroughly denounced the anime adaptation outright since its initial release. And the purpose of bringing it back 5 years later just to say "Oh, so yeah...eff it, we're going for quantity over quality by covering more material than our work would allow. And with some new staff members, hopefully our inequalities aren't just covered by us alone." HELLO??? Who do you think we are? Are anime fans to you, stupid and/or idiotic enough to not realize this? We are more knowledgeable and can sniff out your BS, y'know. It's unsurprising to say that Lerche didn't put an effort into Season 2, NONE AT ALL. Everything just looks drabber, even the darker undertones which are more than just "brightness" complaints of the audience not being able to properly see what's going on (especially during the cruise underbelly segments). Along with its fans, I should expect better given the gap of 5 years between Season 1 and now, but with the announcement that foreshadows the Maou Gakuin multi-season format, it's obscenely clear that production took a big hit, and at the very least, this move was definitely a mistake without healthy production schedules. The OST feels just right about at home, except for the OP and ED which I'm thinking: "How are you gonna top 2 brilliant songs that at the time, were bangers in their own right?" And I'm right to speculate that ZAQ would most probably come back for another OP, which don't get me wrong, "Dance In The Game" is a good OP, but it fits more akin to something like Kakegurui instead. And don't get started on the OP visuals, which are notches down as well for having song lyrics pop up on screen (Yofukashi no Uta did this as well, but at least it has creativity as a backup) and nothing more with imagery for what's about to come for the season. A nice foreshadowing, but ultimately an awful lazy effort. The exact same goes with Mai Fuchigami's ED...and nothing else to say about that. At this point, while You-Zitsu fans have completely given up on its anime adaptation, anime-onlys will most certainly have mixed receptions about the sequel and beyond into Season 3 next year, with no more hopes left that Shougo Kinugasa's work would ever be adapted to perfection. At least to me, right now, I'll see through it all with Season 3 to come and finish the remainder of the LN's 1st Year arc, but the original LN will always be the superior version, no qualms at all. TL;DR: Masterpiece story, worse-than-subpar animation, go read the LN.
Mcsuper
The title of this show is very misleading. I thought this school was for “elite students”, but instead, we had 4 classes of bozos participating in Among Us tests and school festivals. I’m not 14 anymore, so this isn’t as deep as I thought Season 1 was. After I finished Season 1 a few years ago, I was convinced that this was the smartest show ever with the best plot twists and the best protagonist in Ayanokouji, but now that I’m older, my views have changed. That said, as an anime-only for this show, I still found Season 1 much better than Season 2, in basicallyevery way. The story for Season 2 was quite boring, with events that felt very dry. The characters weren’t nearly as good as Season 1, because it seemed like everyone’s IQ except for Ayanokouji declined so much, and I questioned some of their decisions in the story. I’m sure that some of you have seen the bad animation frames posted on MAL and on social media as well, so the production was quite messy at times. The OST was nothing compared to Season 1, which I loved. Nothing felt as well done as Season 1, and save for some cheap enjoyment and satisfaction, this was quite the disappointing season. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 11.5/25 The story felt quite un-psychological this season. Last season, at least the focus was on studying, and the point system, while this season, the plot material felt very dry, and the point system felt very insignificant. All the activities were built on these overly complex rules that was dumped on us all at once, and that’s never really enjoyable for the viewer. There are better ways to get us to think instead of thinking of rules all the time. It’s really the wrong way of being thought-provoking. The character drama felt very dry as well, as some of the backstories were very surface level. Perhaps this was the product of a rushed series, nothing really felt fleshed out enough to be interesting. ART: 7/10 A downgrade from Season 1, which would be expected given the amount of episodes that Studio Lerche outsourced to other studios. It got better towards the end though. MUSIC: 8.5/10 Also a downgrade from Season 1, which had quite the OST. There wasn’t a whole lot of stand out music in this season, other than the OP and ED, which I enjoyed a ton. CHARACTERS: 8.5/20 The character personalities in this show are rather blank, and with how rushed the show was, they weren’t fleshed out enough. There were a few characters that had rather awkward and out of place interactions this season, such as Sakayanagi and Katsuragi from Class A. They just showed up with not much build up, which was a bit awkward (perhaps a few skipped LN parts?). The biggest problem however, is that in a school for “elites”, how much the intelligence of the characters dropped this season compared to the last. Horikita for example, being the top of Class D, fell into obvious traps, which was so uncharacteristic of her character. Ryuuen as well, while being an extremely violent person, didn’t seem like the dumbest person out there, but as a villain, he wasn’t that good. It seemed like he knew who the mastermind of Class D was, but then he didn’t know? That was quite disappointing. Now, I’ll also talk about the fan favourites, Karuizawa and Ayanokouji. Karuizawa in Season 1 felt like a lazy, spoiled girl who mindlessly spent her points on unimportant things, and fell off my radar real early. In this season, she works with Ayanokouji in the hope of defeating other classes. She has a bunch of secrets in her past, which I wished they fleshed out more. The romance between her and Ayanokouji feels somewhat rushed as well, since there isn’t much of a key reason for her to love someone, apart from getting protection. Ayanokouji is still a good character for the most part, as he creates most of the satisfying moments in the show. His character doesn’t change much, and that’s unfortunately a bit of disappointment. He’s probably the only reason this show is still watchable. ENJOYMENT: 11/15 With all my criticism, I still enjoyed this show, because the payoffs were quite satisfying, and who doesn’t like seeing Ayanokouji destroying everyone he meets? THEMATIC EXECUTION: 10.5/20 For whatever this show was trying to do, they execute everything decently, but with the show being rushed the way it was, the psychological factor of the show was not up to par, and felt very surface level. The violence and the romance, while not being the main focus of this season, felt better executed than the mind games to be honest. OVERALL: 57/100 Just comparatively blander in every single way compared to Season 1. It only felt satisfying to watch Ayanokouji mentally and physically destroy people who opposed him, but in the end, it just felt like everything could have been done much better, if the season had more episodes. Whatever Season 3 brings next year, I hope Studio Lerche learn from their shortcomings from this season.
Animanga