A primary introduction into the series will easily set your eyes feasted into the story. The premise of the series involves a classroom of ordinary students known as Kunugigaoka Middle School’s Class 3-E. Every morning involves them greeting their not-so-ordinary teacher. Known by many as “Koro-sensei”, he has a big smiley face, a body full of tentacles, and the personality of an easygoing guy.
A main objective involves the students actually trying to kill him because in about a year, he will blow up the Earth. Now hold on. You’re probably asking yourself ‘what’? It’s not as twisted as it sounds though because the series is actually quite lighthearted. When molding the term “assassination” into any title, you would expect bloodthirsty violence or gore shoved down our throats. However, this series takes a satirical stab at the genre and transform it into a rather amusing series action-packed comedy of every day school life.
The main attraction that can draw any viewer into this series is the comedy. And this is because the series itself has a personality. It’s especially true for Koro-sensei as he teaches more than just academics in class. He teaches about everyday life lessons and even connects individually with characters on a personal level at times. At certain points of the story, you’ll find him quite likeable and even relatable by the topics he covers in class. And of course, his expressive face is always amusing and delightful to watch. In essence, the comedy is refreshing and takes assassination to a level that can be considered more of a parody. The theme of assassination is actually deconstructed on a multitude of levels when it comes to story execution. It also crafts a bit of slice of life as some episodes feels like an adventure that takes the students to places they’ve never been before.
While the comedy aspect of the show can be appealing, a large part of the series involves the characters. There’s actually a double edged sword to this series when it comes to characters, although for the most part, it should be considered a positive. The plus side is that there is a very diverse category of students attending 3-E. Almost all the characters have a unique personality and their involvement in the story. The downside is that not every character/student in the class gets a prominent spotlight. Being a 2 cour show (22 episodes) lacks the necessity to draw this out so the series does what’s best to get what’s needed on-screen.
The way the series operates includes him and other students trying to kill their teacher, Koro-sensei but fails to do so every time. So in other words, the students all gets chances in some shape or form throughout the story. What I find most appealing about this is how Koro-sensei is consciously aware of their motivations but also gives encouragements to these students for trying while teaching them life lessons. Most of the characters also build relationships that are meaningful despite some obvious differences with their personalities. This is especially true for Nagisa and Karma Akabane, a notoriously troublesome boy.
For more or less, the story flows like a slice of life with direction pointing at various locations. It expands beyond just the classroom as the students does go occasionally on field trips. And often times, their trips takes them to places that associates with different culture. It explores a realistic side that almost blurs between the lines of fiction and reality. Furthermore, there’s an interesting degree of life lesson morality with certain aspects of the show. It even discusses certain sensible topics at times that people like you and me may be aware of. Of course, we also can’t forget about the academics part. As a show taking place in school life environment, there’s all sorts of subjects explored such as Math, Science, Social Studies, and even Physical Education. It’s like living the old days at high school again.
As a show about deconstructing the assassination trope, the humor can be a hit or miss for some. Rather, there’s a diehard attempt to illustrate a colorful side of killing. Assassination itself is a sensible topic but when it takes place in the classroom, it can sometimes be controversial. Luckily, most of the show is lighthearted and doesn’t ever venture into shock value. However, as lighthearted as it can be, the comedy will sometimes feel blend and repetitive. Also do note that this adaptation is rearranged a bit so some chapters are omitted to make the overall story feel smoother.
Adapted from Lerche, Ansatsu Kyoushitu’s artwork succeeds in capturing the fitting art style of the series. It feels like the comedic tone and lighthearted atmosphere the creators are trying to bring out. Furthermore, the character designs matches their persona in terms of adaptation. Perhaps the most prominent design features Koro-sensei. I will say that this peculiar creature never ceases to amuse me whether he is teaching in class, his facial expressive reactions, or when he attempts to dodge his death.
The catchy OP/ED songs has a goofy yet effective style to give viewers an insight on what they can expect. OST on most parts is familiar although not the thing that stands out the most. Overall, the style is still an eerie beauty though.