Great promising psychological show with a devolving story and an odd final chapter.
Story & Writing: 7/10
Characters: 8/10
Animation: 4.5/5
Sound: 3.5/5
Avg: 7.7/10
Classroom of the Elite seems to want to be psychologically and philosophically profound, starting with one of the first sequences. You see moral dilemmas played out by these aspiring high schoolers, and it sets the tone that you're not watching typical heroic, predictable main characters.
This show is easy and enjoyable to watch. It covers a few arcs and the pacing is always solid. Unfortunately it's not meant to be 12 episodes. By the time you finish it, it feels like most deep character arcs were only glanced at, and you only understand a few motivations. Moreover, this is a serious show that manages to avoid Moe and goofiness but falls into a terrible pseudo-ecchi trap with unnecessarily ginormous breasts, odd swimsuit scenes, and an episode 100% dedicated to perversion.
The main character is an extremely fascinating enigma, with glimmers of the conflicted MCs that we love, who play in the gray and balance manipulation and good intentions. The supporting characters are extremely engaging as well and one of the best parts of the show. The English voice acting is absolutely excellent and consistent. I didn't really notice music necessarily but I dig the OP a lot. It's one of my favorites and it sets the mood perfectly each time. The art is exquisite. They don't have to do much but each scene has beautiful detail and never falters.
The main issue is that the story loses steam. You can tell that they had ratings problems. This gripping developing story turns into an odd final 1/3 where a confusing test is supposed to push the students to psychological limits and quandaries, but you just end up missing their school interactions. If you can put up with inconsistent story direction, this is a brilliantly enjoyable and serious, adult, clever anime that I wish got more credit and was given a better chance to succeed by its creators.