English Dub Review: Classroom of the Elite “It Takes a Great Deal and Skill to Conceal One’s Talent and Skill”

Classroom of the Elite resumes with “It Takes a Great Deal and Skill to Conceal One’s Talent and Skill.” As a follow up to “What is Evil? Whatever Springs From Weakness,” it’s a neat episode which further shapes the universe.

In “What is Evil? Whatever Springs From Weakness,” Class D plummets in status, losing all their points. Chabashira elucidates how the point system works, with the first-year classes ranked by merit. Therefore, Class D has the ability to rise to Class C, B, or even A. With strong performances on their exams, Class D can surpass Class C.

But any failing student will be expelled immediately. This incentivizes the students to take their schooling more seriously. Suzune Horikita, the class loner, treats Kiyotaka to an extravagant lunch. Yet just as the point system and its merit-based judgment means there’s an expected return, Horikita explains that she wishes to devise a strategy for advancing Class D. Horikita though doesn’t settle for Class C. Instead, she sets her sights on Class A.

I enjoyed the second series entry of Classroom of the Elite. It’s pretty dialogue-driven, like KADO: The Right Answer in its early episodes. The characters and interpersonal relationships make Classroom of the Elite an engrossing experience. Near the end of the episode, both Horikita and Kiyotaka benefit from additional back stories which promise exploration as the narrative progresses.

The episode opens with a fan service-laden pool scene which feels unnecessary. The boob shots of well-endowed characters which range from bathing suit-clad students to the sultry teacher cheapen the show, an otherwise moderately intelligent affair.

Classroom of the Elite though isn’t as clever as it presents itself. A morose air masquerades as smarts, but on the contrary, the show is pretty predictable. Plus, some of the music is admittedly childish. The faux-hard rock guitar riffs which occasionally punctuate adrenaline-fueled sequences attempts to sound edgy. Not so spoiler alert: It doesn’t.

But overall, I like Classroom of the Elite. Mostly, it’s dialogue-heavy format and concentration on relationship building appeal to me. It’s not a masterpiece. However, for slow, deliberate anime series, Classroom of the Elite is a refreshing change of pace.