I took a very long break from watching anime this winter and haven´t seen any of the shows that aired this season weekly. However, when I saw that “Classroom of the Elite” finished it´s third season, I thought it might be time to come out of hybernation to review the newest entry of the fan-favorite series!
Story – 8
The story continues exactly where it left of in season 2. The vines are still amazing, as this is one of the few anime set in high-school that actually do something with the setting, giving it an interesting twist. Like the rest of the series, this season is split into little mini-arcs that usually span around 2 to 3 episodes at a time and focus on one specific character. The mindgames here are intense as always. The show really found it´s tone over the time. I still love how seriously this show takes itself. The interactions between the characters are a blast.
Again, the author finds clever ways to test the different classes in multiple ways. The amount of mind games, planning and rivalry between the classes is at an all-time high and you really feel the tension during the tests. Even simple concepts can split a class in half or give another class an advantage over the other.
They really nailed the pacing with this season, there is no filler, no pool episode and no unnecessary fan service that gets in the way of the plot. Although I feel that a lot has been cut from the original Light Novel, the show itself still makes enough sense for anime only-viewers to enjoy.
Art – 7
This is the only aspect where this show disappoints a little bit. If this was done by a studio that focuses on high school settings, (Like Kyoto Animation for example) things would be different, but as it is, the quality of the animation itself is just about industry standard. Characters are rather stiff and the camera is positioned in the same three angles. The only thing the show does really well is the backgrounds. They are beautifully drawn and colorful. I really wish the show would get a little upgrade in this department to really elevate the high school aesthetic to the next level, like “Hyouka” or “Love is War”.
Sound – 7
The Opening is pretty good but in my opinion the weakest one the series has had so far. The ED is amazing, just like season 2. This really is one of the shows where the ED has an edge over the OP which is pretty rare but can happen sometimes (“Code Geass”, “Hunter x Hunter” or “Lucky Star” are other examples…). The BGM is solid and works well, carefully building tension with it´s use of deep bass. Nothing extraordinary here, just solid stuff.
Characters – 8
Probably the shows strongest category. The characters just get better and better the more time you spend with them. The pool of characters that play an important part in the story is huge and varied. Every class has it´s popular figures and by the time of season three, all leaders have made big decisions to keep moving forward with their respective class.
Ayanokoji is still the star of the show. If you have read my reviews for season 1 and 2, you mayber remember that I used to compare him to Oreki from “Hyouka” even going so far as to say he is a ripoff. But after seeing more and more of him I decided to step back from that statement. This season really digs deep into his past, his backstory and, most importantly, his motivations.
The one that really surprised me this season is Ichinose. Her arc was one of the most enjoyable parts of this season, and there was some really interesting(!) setup being done which could indicate future development on her side.
Everyone is just a blast on screen, even characters that I found to be annoying like Koenji really found their unique place in the story and I am eager to see how everyone develops further into the story.
Enjoyment – 8
This was a nice return to form for me as an anime fan and I now consider myself a true fan of this series. Let´s hope we will see season 4 sooner than later!
- Marco_Yooo
FINAL SCORE - 8/10
