Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. Today we’re talking about Classroom of the Elite. Despite receiving a negative reception in Japan, the anime managed to find an audience in the West and it’s easy to see why. It had a good lead who was smart but wasn’t a show-off or simp, there were alliances being made between students and classes in order to survive and thrive in a school that seemed to be constantly testing them. There was a lot of mysteries and secrets you wanted to discover and it had some pretty solid character designs at the time. Over the years Japan would ease off the hate and the series gained a following in the West with everyone crying out desperately for a second season. Finally, after years of waiting, we got our wish. In the fall of 2022, Lerche (Assassination Classroom) brought the series back making everyone happy. But the question was, did this series deserve a second season and was it any good? Well let’s find out. This is Classroom of the Elite S2.
Opening and Ending Theme
Our opening is “Dance in the Game” by ZAQ. A song similar to the first opening of the anime and while I enjoy the first one more this song is still good. I like how it foreshadows the events that are to come and really does sound like a strategic game or dance in this case is going on between the characters mentally. Everyone trying to figure out what the other one is thinking and be two steps ahead of them. It’s intriguing and keeps you guessing on what’s going to happen next.
For the ending we have “Hito Jibai” by Mai Fuchigami. This song is okay. I didn’t really care it. Some people have called this an underrated song but I personally don’t see it.
Episodes 1-4
We start the second season where we left off previously. The students are heading back to the academy on the ship. As everyone is enjoying their downtime (putting that horrible island experience behind them) they find out that there’s going to be a special exam starting soon (oh come on~! It’s summer vacation. Have mercy). Students are told to go to an assigned room at a specific time (this message will self-destruct in 15 seconds). Kiyotaka goes to his assigned room where 3 other students from his class show up as well. The teacher informs them that the students will be divided into eight groups patterned after a planet in the solar system (Pluto: What about me? (Nitsuj): We’ve been over this Pluto! Now leave, dwarf). Each group will consist of students from each class meaning the class D students will have to work with students from the other classes. The exam will last 3 days and during that time one of the students in the group will receive an email naming them the VIP and the students in each group must figure out who the VIP is. The group will have a discussion twice a day to figure out who the VIP is and after the final discussion submit their answer on who they think the VIP is (so it’s basically Mafia without the murder). Now, here’s where it starts to get a little tricky. First off, if everyone besides the VIPs classmates answers correctly then everyone is awarded 500,000 private points with the VIP earning an additional 500,000. Second, if someone besides the VIPs classmates answers incorrectly then the VIP will be the only one to receive 500,000 private points. Classmates do have the option to turn in their answers early but they will be penalized if it’s wrong by costing their class 50 points and the VIP gets 500,000 private points and their class gets 50 points along with the exam ending. There is an award if it’s right. For example, if they turn in the correct answer early then their class will receive 50 points, that classmate gets 500,000 private points and the exam is over. However, if a VIPs classmate answers correctly it will be invalid and the exam continues (so in the end it’s a test about greed and chances. Does the VIP look out for themselves or their classmates? Do you risk giving the answer early which could result in screwing over your classmates?). The next day comes and Kiyotaka finds out he’s not the VIP for his group (shame, he seemed like the kind of guy who’d be perfect for the role) and the class A students in his group refuse to have an open discussion (that’s something the VIP would say) thus ending the first and second discussion in a stalemate. One student from Kiyotaka’s class and his group named Kei seems to be getting picked on by girls from other classes who say she hurt another girl. She also seems to be hiding some secret as she doesn’t like having her picture taken (scene here: https://youtu.be/HDCZA7sTss0?si=WWisIm4gN60XKfSU).
So not much happens in episode 2. We get a few important scenes such as Kushida hugging Kiyotaka at a random moment (scene here: https://youtu.be/PxNhBPSgIgY?si=RFfPVz8Z5eNl3Dgg, she’s up to something). We learn a little bit more about Kei such as how she was bullied horribly in the past and was never really dating Hirata. He was just protecting her for some reason (and in the process made herself the alpha female of her class). During the third and fourth group discussions, the students are still in a deadlock (Seras: Honestly, at this point, I would start dangling them off the side of the ship to get them to talk). After the fourth discussion, the group of girls who confronted Kei last episode drag her to a secluded area to question her mercilessly about the incident before and start to bully her. Kiyotaka and another student from class D named Yukimura followed them, but they don’t act right away when the bullying starts.
Picking up where episode 2 left off, episode 3 opens with Kei getting bullied until Yukimura finally sees enough and jumps in to save her. The girls retreat and Kei runs away crying not wanting anyone to help her. The next day in a move I can only describe as asinine, Kei stupidly goes below the deck into the maintenance area where she has no reception to meet up with Hirata who sent her a text. Of course it wasn’t Hirata and was instead a trap set up by the girls from before (how did you not see this coming?). They smack her around with Kiyotaka watching from the shadows and doing nothing (he enjoys watching). After the girls leave, Kiyotaka approaches Kei where he calls her a parasite and knows about the fake relationship with Hirata. After a rather controversial scene where it is implied that Kiyotaka was going to rape her, he exposes a scar she has and says that he will protect her and in exchange, she will help him. Kiyotaka knows that the class is not unified and as things are right now they’re all going to be screwed. Kiyotaka wants to use Kei to control the others (and thus bring half the class under control) and in return he’ll keep the bullies off her back (scene here: https://youtu.be/LStQk4xnqHk?si=hi40mZi1_9MKDZT5). Kiyotaka figured out that Kei is the VIP and exchanged cellphones with her to pretend to be the VIP. He then exchanged her phone with Yukimura to make him believe Kiyotaka was the VIP. At the final discussion Yukimura exposes himself as the VIP only for Honami to expose the phone as Kiyotaka’s phone making everyone fall into his trap because in truth she had a similar plan in mind. Kiyotaka just beat her to the punch plus this plan doesn’t change the result she was aiming for (scene here: https://youtu.be/ewxTlwpJP_w?si=RegML4QGxVpRVjC6). At the end of the exam class A lost 200 points, class B got no points, class C gets 100 points, and class D earns 50 points for the class.
We finally return to the school in episode 4 and just in time for the second semester where they’ll be doing more P.E. classes to prepare for the sports culture day. All the classes will be divided into red team and white team with classes A and D making up the red team and classes B and C making up the white team. The events are split into mandatory and voluntary events where you get more points for voluntary events and there’s a penalty for any student that comes in last in each event. The students who place in the top three can use points on their next written exams to prevent themselves from failing and the bottom 10 first-year students will lose 10 points on their next written exams. The class starts training for the events (scene here: https://youtu.be/EoRLOUoOPpg?si=KjPcLkKBwHkEqWEe) where we see Suzune isn’t much of a team player (is anybody really shocked by this information?). Kiyotaka shows her the error of her ways and tells her that tomorrow he and her are going to scout out the white team along with Kushida who is the traitor of the class (scene here: https://youtu.be/cRSyXZRmIM0?si=RCNDxKI8LOtC7_qH, indeed she is). Kiyotaka believes she was the one who leaked intel on who the VIPs were to Ryuuen to give him complete victory.
Episodes 5-9
The next day comes in episode 5 where Kiyotaka, Suzune, and Kushida go out to scout where Suzune goes for the direct approach and asks her if she’s the traitor. Kushida says no (scene here: https://youtu.be/kLt_LdFlFlY?si=8fxbS300Z2P2o6pR, that just makes you more suspicious) and begs Suzune to trust her which she decides to do. The day of the Sports Festival arrives where the red team is off to a good start taking the lead but the white team isn’t giving up. We see Suzune get injured intentionally by a class C girl and becomes their main target during the cavalry battle where the class D girls get demolished. Same for the boys. The white team soon catches up to the red team and class D’s ace, Sudo, throws a hissy fit because they’re losing and walks away (for God’s sake man stop letting your emotions rule you for once in your life). Kiyotaka then talks to Suzune and tells her to stop being useless, get up, and bring Sudo back because apparently the guy has a crush on her (just shut up and do what the man says. Unlike you he knows what he’s doing). Suzune gets tricked by Kushida to see Ryuuen in the infirmary who says she purposefully injured another player from class C and he’s threatening to go to the teachers and student council unless she pays a million points and gets down on one knee. We’re never told if she did it or not as the next scene we see is her limping in the hallway where she crosses paths with Manabu who stops but doesn’t say anything to her or even look at her (his disappointment is immeasurable. Seriously, if it wasn’t for Kiyotaka that girl would have been Ryuuen’s bitch a long time ago).
In the first half of episode 6 Kushida admits that she’s the one who leaked the class D roster for the sports festival to class C (nooo~. Really? I’m being sarcastic if you couldn’t tell). She did all this to destroy Suzune. She wants her to drop out and is prepared to take the whole class down in order to achieve her goal (man, she does not like Suzune. What did she do, steal your candy when you were little?). She’s also adding Kiyotaka to the list of people she wants to destroy (personal vendettas are fun). Suzune opens up her heart to Sudo (she has a brother complex. Plain and simple) and manages to get him to return to the sports festival. In the second half, Sudo apologizes and we get the relay race where Kiyotaka steps up and takes on Manabu where they actually give everyone a head start and still pass them (scene here: https://youtu.be/oqWsnlvw6Jo?si=fr42ZOa-r7B5AyUf). Manabu wins because another runner in front fell down stopping Kiyotaka’s momentum (he didn’t fall on purpose). In the end the red team wins and class D came in last, but despite this everyone is in good spirits and seems to have come closer together. Near the end of the episode, Suzune goes to confront Kushida and Ryuuen where we get a “who can outsmart out who” match which ends in Kiyotaka’s victory (he wasn’t even in the scene but he still wins. Scene here: https://youtu.be/stWmlfYBYxc?si=IxInMTedDwcf_FXI).
We start episode 7 on a shocking note with Manabu resigning as student council president (this opens so many questions. Was it because you almost lost to Kiyotaka?). The new president is a guy named Nagumo who wants to turn the school into a true meritocracy. Those with talent at the top and those without talent at the bottom (I immediately don’t like this guy). After the assembly, Sato, a girl from class D, confesses to Kiyotaka and while he doesn’t give her an answer they do exchange numbers and start a platonic relationship (scene here: https://youtu.be/78U2iF9OZMI?si=4S2T3P-xhKvXQplG). Returning to class, we see that everyone passed their midterms but are told they’re not safe yet. For their finals, they’ll be doing a special exam known as Paper Shuffle (Corbin: What the hell is that? Do you trade exam papers with each other or something?). This exam will have everyone in the class participate in teams of two to take the exam. The pairs will be chosen after next week’s mini-test. As if that wasn’t crazy enough, the questions for the exam will be made up by the classes themselves and whichever class scores higher gets to steal 50 class points from the other class. Also, if the pair of students score below 60 on the exam they’ll be expelled. After class, Kei texts Kiyotaka wanting to know about Sato’s confession (someone’s jealous) and Suzune tells Kiyotaka about Kushida’s past. The two went to the same middle school but were never in the same class together. As graduation was approaching one class completely imploded on itself and remained in turmoil up until graduation. Rumors spread around saying it was Kushida responsible for the turmoil but there was no proof that pinned her to the implosion (scene here: https://youtu.be/iYZfQb5hfJc?si=uKBy-SpqBJwstvNo). Kiyotaka says they should try and get her expelled but Suzune sees her as an asset to the class and believes she can convince her to their side. Suzune also figures out a plan to balance out the class and control the pairings so that everyone passes. Meanwhile, Ryuuen finds the spies in his classroom who were the girls bullying Kei. Near the end of the episode, Kei calls up Kiyotaka wanting to know about him and Sato (yep, she’s in love).
In the first half of episode 8 nothing much really happens except for some studying and Sato hitting on Kiyotaka (the man’s an undercover playboy). Things pick up in the second half when Suzune makes a wager with Kushida on the exams. If Suzune scores higher than Kushida then Kushida has to stop causing chaos for her and trying to screw her over. However, if Kushida scores higher, Suzune has to voluntarily leave the school (scene here: https://youtu.be/miOAdAwx9hY?si=QIm3BrRQ8TgXex3Y). Kushida accepts but adds a condition that sees Kiyotaka have to leave the school should Suzune lose (wait, that wasn’t part of the deal, https://youtu.be/jsW9MlYu31g). Kiyotaka accepts on the condition that Kushida tell them the truth about what happened in middle school (a whole lot of shit). Kushida obliges and talks about her past. As a child, she was always getting praised for her academic and athletic achievements. She loved the attention, but everything changed when she entered middle school and there was always someone better than her in academics and sports. Since she couldn’t stand out that way anymore, she decided to go in a different direction and be the kind girl. Someone who was helpful, you could confine in, and who was always there to do the things you didn’t want to do (sounds like a doormat and gofer). Kushida became that girl and rose to popularity because of it, but she hated it and relieved her stress by posting on her blog badmouthing her classmates (that is the stupidest thing to do. Even by middle school standards). While the blog was anonymous, her classmates discovered it by accident and knew she was the culprit (next time write in a diary or don’t post the blog online). They came at her and with her back against the wall she exposed everyone’s secrets (the lies, the cheating, the backstabbing, the gossiping. Everything stupid and pointless in school). As you would expect everyone turned on each other like animals and the whole class just imploded (and the school staff did nothing and allowed this to happen? Tax dollars at work). So yeah, Kushida is a crazy attention-seeking whore who will do anything to get praised by others and will destroy anybody who gets in her way (scene here: https://youtu.be/F95R62s9iEU?si=Zxmw3ZrJdv75QN4Q, don’t introduce her to TikTok).
Episode 9 starts with Kushida talking to Ryuuen. He agrees to give her the answers to the questions he was making for class D but in exchange he wants her help in winning the Paper Shuffle (really, that’s all you want? Not who the mastermind in class D is?). Meanwhile, Kiyotaka seems to form a bond with his study group as they seem to have a few things in common (they’re loners and don’t really display their emotions to others. They’re like new age emos without the black clothing and self-loathing). They decide to form their own group and even Sakura (first name Airi) joins them (because she likes Kiyotaka. Like I said, undercover playboy. I don’t know what he’s putting out but it’s working). The day during a group meeting as everyone checks in to see how the study groups are going, Kei, under the direction of Kiyotaka confronts Kushida about her goody two-shoe act and splashes her with juice. Realizing she went over the line she apologizes and offers to clean her uniform (scene here: https://youtu.be/IseuBkdWEk4?si=FGj3mebYJ_ekDIjP, oh I know what’s going on and. . .I like it). The next day Kushida hands in the exam questions for class D which are her questions to the teacher and she gives the answers to Ryuuen (you bitch). On the day of the exam, Kushida gets screwed over as Ryuuen gave her the wrong questions and answers (serves you right bitch). It turns out Suzune handed in the exam questions before Kushida and since Ryuuen was getting nothing out of this deal it only seemed fair that Kushida gets nothing either (she never had a prayer in this duel). Even Kiyotaka was trying to screw her over with Kei’s help by sticking a cheat sheet in her jacket so that she would get punished which was pointless as Suzune had everything under control for once (scenes here: https://youtu.be/tmuvPWJ6Hco?si=xXok7WcOyMrYUpBV and https://youtu.be/esaDifOFzf4?si=RB2hhBemKdkYLyvX, you know out of all the times she’s been getting screwed over it’s nice to see her screw over someone). In keeping with the deal, Kushida agrees to stop sabotaging Suzune but has no intention of being her friend and moves on to her next target, Kiyotaka (bitch, if you couldn’t beat Suzune what makes you think you can beat him?). Kiyotaka’s next battle will be against Ryuuen directly as he plans to target Kei.
Episodes 10-13
A lot of interesting things happen in episode 10. Christmas is almost here and Kiyotaka can’t take it easy. Not only is Ryuuen on the hunt for the mastermind of class D, but class A seems to be spying on Kiyotaka. When he goes to the library to return a book, he runs into a girl from class C who recommends a mystery novel to him (Mira: She seems nice. (Nitsuj): So does a sea lion until you get close to it and it bites you). He then gets dragged away by his teacher and taken to a room where he meets his dad. We find out that he ran away from home and enrolled in the school against his dad’s wishes as he believes the outside world is trivial (he has the Rick Sanchez mindset about school. Scene here: https://youtu.be/rgUxIqNFkW8?si=jLcJCMYgfxD7bUND). He orders Kiyotaka to withdraw from the school but the chairman comes in and says that students can’t be dismissed unless they want meaning Kiyotaka’s dad has no power here. His dad leaves for the time being and Kiyotaka confronts his teacher and says he won’t be helping her in her obsession with reaching class A. Later on, Kiyotaka calls up Kei apologizing for putting her through so much and says he won’t bother her anymore (scene here: https://youtu.be/0wqufEadb_8?si=Y9fnbVmnrQi7qaZz, you’re dumping her around Christmas time?).
In the first half of episode 11 Ryuuen and his posse confront Koenji believing him to be the mastermind of class D (it’s a good guess. He’s mysterious, stands out but not too much, and has proven to be more intelligent than he lets on). Koenji says it’s not him, doesn’t care about the class rankings, and has no intention of contributing to the class whatsoever (why are you here then? (Shizuku): An agent of uncertainty. Just like you have agents of chaos you can have agents of uncertainty). We see students from class A and D witness the confrontation where aside from this nothing much really happens. We do learn that Ryuuen hates being called dragon boy (scenes here: https://youtu.be/QXI1tmQyBdM?si=KhWLwpapf4X4Ijyb and https://youtu.be/fMUwg4_SgVM?si=aome9iEImpTokw4H, same way Kaiba hates being called Kaiba boy). In the second half things start to get dark as Ryuuen decides to start getting serious. He texts Kei threatening to expose her secret unless she comes to an undisclosed location alone (which is always a stupid move. If someone tells you to meet them at a place at least have someone accompany you from far away to watch your back). She goes to the location which is a building under construction and Ryuuen begins to torture her through waterboarding (scene here: https://youtu.be/-wkDKQ2VLB4?si=4Y_WADjwGdCJobWM, Jesus man, that’s messed up).
Episode 12 is satisfying for me. Kiyotaka finds out about Ryuuen (Mira: I refuse to call him by his name. (Nitsuj): Fine. The dragon boy) kidnapping Kei and goes to rescue her. After he gets his teacher and Manabu to act as witnesses that this whole mess was caused by class C, Kiyotaka was acting in self-defense to help his fellow classmate, and class C will be punished accordingly he heads inside (see!? That’s how you do it! That’s how you cover your bases). We get a 4-on-1 situation (bad odds. . .for them) where Kiyotaka takes everyone down one at a time (even that big black dick gets his ass kicked. Which should have sent out alarms in Ryuuen’s head that he’s screwed. If a big black man gets his ass handed to him by someone you know you’re in trouble). When it comes down to Kiyotaka and Ryuuen, Kiyotaka kicks his ass and installs fear into his mind for the first time in his life (and Kiyotaka is pretty much bored by this whole experience. Not even a challenge to him. Just a rowdy kid in need of discipline. Scene here: https://youtu.be/cH249RcbrnM?si=lukStvSjx1EhPbEz).
In the final episode we start off with Ryuuen deciding to drop out (he got his ass handed to him and now his true form gets revealed. He’s a punk ass bitch). Ibuki tries to stop him (oh don’t tell me you’re in love with him) but has no luck and Kiyotaka might try and stop him (scene here: https://youtu.be/xFK6yz1EmH4?si=o9ruQ8zIpg28AiZh). After this, we focus on Kei who finally realizes she’s in love with Kiyotaka (took you long enough). However, it might be too late as Sato is going on a Christmas date with Kiyotaka where she plans to confess her love for him (wow, going all in on the first date. Someone is thirsty). She goes to Kei for advice and wants to make it a double date (Corbin: Oh hey, they’re gonna swap partners? Didn’t know they were into that. This is my kinda date). Before the date we see Kiyotaka take care of a few things. First up, Suzune. In keeping with his promise to Manabu for his assistance last episode, he convinces Suzune to run for student council which she agrees to do after talking to Manabu (scene here: https://youtu.be/c5rJfNZkrVY?si=W6gshAlmgevUiIPD. Seriously, what is going on between these two siblings?). Next up, Ryuuen. Kiyotaka prevents Ryuuen from dropping out as he intends to make use of him (scene here: https://youtu.be/xFK6yz1EmH4?si=dUU-rGUBCQH7EUTn) and even tells him he plans on making Kushida drop out next semester (yes! Get rid of that whore). The next day it’s time for the date. They go to a movie, have dinner, and then the couples go their separate ways where Sato confesses to Kiyotaka and he lets her down (in the most Kiyotaka way possible. Give him credit, he was at least honest about it). Sato takes her leave and Kei gets called out as she was hiding in the bushes (scene here: https://youtu.be/GAwAqbJdNLA?si=FCv5HvB_FPAQRxV_). The two talk where Kiyotaka confesses that he’s never really liked someone and Kei gives him a present and he also got her a present, cold medicine (again, it’s the most Kiyotaka thing possible). As they head back to the dorms we find out that Kiyotaka sees Kei as just his pawn, but a part of him hopes she becomes something. . .more. We end the season with the promise of a third season.
Final Thoughts
Man, talk about coming back with vengeance. This season not only built off the first season, it surpassed the first season in a lot of ways. It does a fantastic job focusing on the characters, letting them interact off each other, reveal their secrets, and keep the story progressing forward. I like how class D is finally coming together as a group as well as seeing Kiyotaka take center stage this season and show a fraction of what he’s capable of doing. He’s manipulative, strategic, cunning, and a force to reckon with. I also like how he’s formed his own group and has a few love interests in the form of Kei, Sakura, and Sato. While I do like Sakura the best, I know that he doesn’t see her that way. If anything, I think he sees her as more of a little sister who he wants to see develop more confidence in herself and not be a burden to people. His feelings for Sato are neutral. He doesn’t dislike her but doesn’t really see her as a helpful tool in his schemes. Kei on the other hand is easily the best girl for him. While he only sees her as a pawn, deep down he does care for her and is hoping that she becomes something more to him. His relationship with Kei shows that he still has human emotions within him, he just needs someone to bring them out and we’re getting there.
Kiyotaka aside I do like how they regulate Suzune to kind of a side character. She’s still a main character but she’s not the main character like she was in the first season. She has less screentime but it’s enough to tell her story and not take up too much time. The stuff with Kushida was messed up. Going into this season I knew she was hiding a dark secret, but I did not expect her to have this kind of kink. Even though her battle with Suzune is over, her battle with Kiyotaka has begun and I look forward to seeing what happens next between these two. Especially, with Ryuuen. Now that Kiyotaka has put him in his place, what’s going to happen to him next? Will his hold on class C dwindle now that he’s lost and what does Kiyotaka have planned for him?
The animation is once again a hit-and-miss for me. While the backgrounds and coloring have improved, the character designs have been downgraded a little. Everyone still has their unique look, but it’s not as detailed as it was in the first season. I could be wrong, but that’s how it looks. The music also got better this season. It’s more noticeable and fits the scene it’s in. While this series isn’t known for its action scenes, I will admit the animation of Kiyotaka and Ryuuen’s fight was well done. It looked and felt like a real fight between two people of different styles.
Final Score
The score for Classroom of the Elite S2 is an 8/10 with a must-watch stamp of approval. This season was way better than season 1 and a good follow-up to that season. With the promise of a third season, I think it’s safe to say that the Japanese fanbase loved this season and has redeemed the series in their eyes. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.