Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e

On the surface, Koudo Ikusei Senior High School is a utopia. The students enjoy an unparalleled amount of freedom, and it is ranked highly in Japan. However, the reality is less than ideal. Four classes, A through D, are ranked in order of merit, and only the top classes receive favorable treatment.

Kiyotaka Ayanokouji is a student of Class D, where the school dumps its worst. There he meets the unsociable Suzune Horikita, who believes she was placed in Class D by mistake and desires to climb all the way to Class A, and the seemingly amicable class idol Kikyou Kushida, whose aim is to make as many friends as possible.

While class membership is permanent, class rankings are not; students in lower ranked classes can rise in rankings if they score better than those in the top ones. Additionally, in Class D, there are no bars on what methods can be used to get ahead. In this cutthroat school, can they prevail against the odds and reach the top?

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Ayanokouji, Kiyotaka Main

Chiba, Shouya Japanese

Horikita, Suzune Main

Kitou, Akari Japanese

Karuizawa, Kei Supporting

Taketatsu, Ayana Japanese

Sakayanagi, Arisu Supporting

Hidaka, Rina Japanese

Ichinose, Honami Supporting

Touyama, Nao Japanese

Sakura, Airi Supporting

Ichimichi, Mao Japanese

Ryuuen, Kakeru Supporting

Mizunaka, Masaaki Japanese

Kouenji, Rokusuke Supporting

Iwasawa, Toshiki Japanese

Chabashira, Sae Supporting

Satou, Rina Japanese

Kushida, Kikyou Supporting

Kubo, Yurika Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Tanaka, Shou Producer

Iizuka, Aya Producer

Ogata, Mitsuhiro Producer

Reviews

Jul 6, 2025

Naufalalaziziyo

Recommended

Main Rating: 7.6/10
Status: Recommended


---

🧠 English Version

Review

... •Story: 7.5/10
The story introduces a mysterious and elite high school where students are ranked and rewarded based on merit, but behind the sleek system lies manipulation, psychological warfare, and social stratification. It’s an intriguing premise that mixes school life with survival-of-the-fittest logic. While the setup is strong, the execution sometimes feels too slow or surface-level, especially in early episodes.

•Plot: 7.4/10
The narrative revolves around class points, schemes, and subtle power plays. It builds a solid tension but often holds back on big payoffs. There’s always something happening behind the scenes, but some twists feel convenient rather than earned. Still, the mysterious atmosphere and unspoken rivalries make it addictive to watch.

•Characterization: 7.9/10
Ayanokoji steals the spotlight with his cold, calculative presence—an emotionless genius who hides behind a blank face. Horikita adds tension with her prideful aloofness, while Kushida’s dual personality keeps viewers on edge. Side characters get less development, but the core trio creates enough intrigue to carry the season.

•Animation / Visuals: 7.2/10
The visuals are serviceable but not standout. Character designs are clean, and facial expressions work well for the psychological edge. Some scenes lack movement or tension in animation, but overall it's consistent and fits the tone.

•Sound / Music / Audio Direction: 7.6/10
The soundtrack leans into suspense and unease, fitting for the mind games at play. The OP and ED are stylish and memorable. Voice acting is solid—Ayanokoji’s detached delivery works perfectly for the character’s aura.

•Execution: 7.8/10
The series presents clever ideas and hidden agendas, but doesn’t always capitalize on its potential. Still, it maintains a consistent tone, and its cold, calculating energy stands out in the sea of school anime.


---

What Makes You Want to Watch This Season

•Ayanokoji is like a walking chessboard.
He looks like he doesn’t care—but he’s ten steps ahead of everyone. You’ll find yourself guessing what he’s really planning behind that deadpan look.

•The school system is secretly savage.
At first it feels like a fancy, peaceful school—but soon you realize it’s more like a controlled battlefield, where points are power and kindness can be a trap.

•Nobody shows their true face.
Almost every character is hiding something. The tension comes not from shouting or action—but from eye contact, silence, and perfectly timed manipulation.

•Horikita vs Kushida is low-key war.
One’s cold and blunt, the other’s sweet on the outside but venomous inside. Watching them clash is pure quiet chaos.

•It keeps you guessing.
Even if some twists aren’t mind-blowing, the show has this mysterious rhythm that makes you want to keep watching—like peeling layers off people’s masks.



---

🎓 Classroom of the Elite Season 1

Rating Utama: 7,6/10
Status: Direkomendasikan (Recommended)


---

🧠 Versi Bahasa Indonesia

Ulasan

•Cerita: 7.5/10
Ceritanya memperkenalkan sekolah elit misterius di mana semua hal ditentukan oleh sistem poin dan merit. Tapi di balik sistem rapi itu, tersembunyi manipulasi, permainan pikiran, dan persaingan sosial yang dingin. Konsepnya menarik dan beda dari anime sekolah biasanya, tapi eksekusinya kadang terasa lambat atau belum cukup dalam, terutama di awal.

•Plot: 7.4/10
Alurnya berputar seputar strategi antar kelas, sistem poin, dan skema tersembunyi. Ketegangannya terasa, tapi kadang payoff-nya kurang nendang. Beberapa twist terasa kebetulan daripada hasil buildup yang kuat. Tapi suasana misterius dan dinamika antar karakter tetap bikin penasaran.

•Pengembangan Karakter: 7.9/10
Ayanokoji jadi bintang utama dengan kepribadiannya yang dingin dan penuh rahasia. Jenius tanpa ekspresi yang diam-diam mengendalikan semuanya. Horikita bikin konflik makin menarik dengan sifatnya yang kaku dan keras kepala, sementara Kushida menyimpan sisi gelap di balik senyum manis. Karakter lain memang gak terlalu dalam, tapi trio utama cukup kuat buat bikin penonton terus ikut.

•Animasi / Visual: 7.2/10
Visualnya biasa aja, gak buruk tapi juga gak terlalu standout. Desain karakternya bersih, dan ekspresi wajah cukup kuat buat menampilkan nuansa psikologis. Beberapa adegan terasa kurang dinamis, tapi secara keseluruhan cocok sama nada ceritanya.

•Musik / Audio: 7.6/10
Soundtrack-nya cenderung tenang dan bikin tegang—pas banget buat permainan pikiran kayak gini. Lagu OP dan ED juga punya gaya yang catchy dan sedikit misterius. Voice acting-nya juga cocok, terutama suara Ayanokoji yang datar tapi penuh maksud.

•Eksekusi: 7.8/10
Anime ini punya ide yang keren dan atmosfer yang kuat, meski gak selalu maksimal dalam eksekusinya. Tapi nadanya konsisten dan beda dari anime sekolah lain—lebih dingin, lebih licik, dan penuh taktik diam-diam.


---

Yang Bikin Mau Nonton Season Ini

•Ayanokoji tuh kayak catur jalan.
Muka datar, ngomong seadanya, tapi dalem hatinya kayak lagi mikir langkah ke-10. Setiap geraknya tuh pasti ada maksudnya—bikin kita bertanya-tanya terus.

•Sistem sekolahnya diam-diam kejam.
Kelihatannya keren dan rapi, padahal kayak medan perang tersembunyi. Poin bisa jadi senjata, dan kebaikan kadang malah jebakan.

•Semua orang pakai topeng.
Hampir semua karakter punya sisi yang disembunyikan. Bukan perang fisik, tapi perang tatapan dan strategi. Sunyi, tapi tegang.

•Horikita vs Kushida = perang dingin.
Yang satu ketus dan logis, yang satu kelihatan manis tapi ternyata... ya, kamu tahu lah. Interaksi mereka tuh kayak api dalam sekam.

•Bikin penasaran terus.
Meski gak semua twist-nya “wah banget”, tetap aja ada rasa pengin tahu: siapa sebenarnya yang paling licik? Dan Ayanokoji... dia tuh mau apa sih sebenernya?

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Naufalalaziziyo (362)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Jun 28, 2025

kiyeyap159

Mixed Feelings

Good, but doesn't hold up that well if you view it more critically.

I have included very vague and very minor spoilers in two paragraphs. I'm not describing scenes or giving major details away, but they are marked in the beginning so you can skip if you're too worried.

You know how some great* series are equally as enjoyable on the second and third time? Or how some masterpieces* become even better the second time around (hello Steins;Gate!) because you notice things that aren't noticeable the first time around? This is definitely not the case for this one. The first time around I really enjoyed it, and ... would give it an ~8, but on my second watch I'm leaning towards a ~6 instead.

By far the best part of the series, are the ~5 seconds at the start of each episodes with quotes from famous people (mostly philosophers). These ~5 seconds set the theme, tone, and expectations for the rest of the episode to a high degree. The show does a good job of following said theme/tone, and throughout the series touches on a lot of societal, philosophical, and political issues and ideas, however its commentary and exposition of said issues and ideas is really superficial and not very nuanced. Contrast this to other anime who don't even try (and may not even be that good) but still have high impact (in specific scenes or the complete series), e.g.: Spy x Family (S1: Handler & Anti-War), KamiKatsu (Religion parody), Oshi no Ko (Entertainment Industry), Servant x Service** (Public Sector parody). I wouldn't be too hard on this series, if it weren't one of the apparent focused areas.

<|MINOR SPOILERS|> Let's move to our OP MC. I've watched nearly every "OP MC" anime with >6 rating, and not just power fantasy. So far, Ayanokoji is one of the most bland and uninspiring MCs. His emotionless face and boring/bland/uninspired interactions with other characters make sense given the premise of the series... but the variations in his inner monologues are completely inconsistent. It makes perfect sense that he would change his speech and arguments when talking to other people, after all he's supposed to be a smart mastermind that wants to remain out of the spotlight and has no qualms about manipulation... but why are his inner monologues jumping from edgy ultra-mastermind to teenage NPC so often? And why do these inner monologues / thoughts at times sound as if he has no idea about what's going but then it's revealed he was the one behind everything?

Animation, sound, visuals: Nothing to write home about, and I have no major noticeable faults to point out. It's definitely *not* lazily made, it's mostly consistent, and there are a few nice nuggets here and there that definitely elevate it quite a bit above average.

<|MINOR SPOILERS|> Miscellaneous: Fanservice elements are there but not too distracting, and mostly constrained in a single episode. The story and setting is a bit absurd, but doesn't pretend to be a realistic depiction so this shouldn't count as a negative – on the contrary it is an interesting premise that had not been over-saturated when it first came out, and had some probably unique elements to it. It would've been nice if those elements were expanded more though, e.g. showing us in a bit more detail how the classes (especially D) survived their first and second months. "OP MC" does deliver, kinda, but having also seen the second season in my previous watch, the first season is kinda meh in comparison.

* By great/masterpieces I don't necessarily mean highly rated on MAL, but highly rated by YOU.
** Servant x Service was such a good parody that even though it probably makes a mockery of the Japanese public sector, I could've dubbed it without changing a single line and shown it to anyone in my country (Greece), and it would've fit near-perfectly.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by kiyeyap159 (11)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Mar 30, 2025

BernieWu0812

Not Recommended

42/100

Sigma Ayanokoji.

Just because you have a sigma male doesn’t mean your show is good. Classroom of the Elite parades itself as some intellectual battle royale, but once you strip away the edgy monologues, it's just another shonen anime trying to act smarter than it is, I said shonen because this is a show made for toddlers. The mind games? Surface-level at best. The so called social commentary? Doesn’t even exist. What you get instead is a power fantasy where Ayanokoji just steamrolls through everything with zero effort, making the entire plot feel predictable and hollow.

It wants you to think it’s deep, but it never actually ... says anything. The school system itself is a decent idea, but the show devolves into generic anime drama, complete with unnecessary fanservice that just clutters things up.

Not every anime with a deadpan genius needs to exist.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by BernieWu0812 (14)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Nostalgic Vibes

by santiload

49 Entries · 114 Restacks

Greatest Anime of All Time.

by MPFSTUDIOS

14 Entries · 4 Restacks

Anime with Villainous Main Characters

by BlackRose_1210

49 Entries · 450 Restacks

'Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e' TV Anime Sequel in Production

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...read more

Feb 21, 2022 2:00 AM by Vindstot | Discuss (137 comments)

North American Anime & Manga Releases for September

Here are the North American anime & manga releases for September Week 1: September 3 - 9 Anime Releases Boku no Hero Academia 3rd Season Part 2 DVD Boku no Hero ...read more

Sep 2, 2019 7:49 AM by Sakana-san | Discuss (6 comments)

	Poll: Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e (TV) Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Sep 27, 2017	539 replies	by noyza2132 »» Jul 2, 9:46 AM
	Poll: Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e (TV) Episode 9 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 ) Stark700 - Sep 6, 2017	178 replies	by Tyrecty »» Jun 19, 10:17 AM
	Poll: Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e (TV) Episode 11 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) Stark700 - Sep 20, 2017	212 replies	by Alkimia »» Jun 18, 1:58 PM
	Poll: Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e (TV) Episode 10 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 ) Stark700 - Sep 13, 2017	172 replies	by Alkimia »» Jun 18, 12:48 PM
	Poll: Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e (TV) Episode 8 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) Stark700 - Aug 30, 2017	238 replies	by Alkimia »» Jun 18, 7:55 AM

In Numbers: The Best Anime of the Decade

What's the #1 anime of the 2010s? Which year was the best? What studio had the most hits? We have the answers to all these questions and more!

by Shymander

664,591 views

Our Picks for the 5 Best Shows (So Far) this Summer 2017 Season

Have you been enjoying the anime shows this summer? Well, here's our pick of the best shows that you need to check out.

by MisterD98

122,200 views