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Book Review: Assassination Classroom, Vol 9 by Yusei Matsui

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Assassination Classroom, Vol 9     

Author: Yusei Matsui

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date:  April 5, 2016

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Action Adventure Manga/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The showdown has begun – Nagisa vs the Final Boss! Turns out the boss is none other than their former teacher, Takaoka, the one Nagisa bested before. Looks like he has a grudge against his former students! Or maybe it’s just the ten million dollars at stake for killing Koro Sensei… or both.  Nagisa is angry enough to kill the man, but will cooler heads prevail? Terasaka reminds him that it’s still murder and not worth it, to just beat him up without killing him. Nagisa bested him once before, can he do it again?

Once the situation is resolved, everyone returns to their hotel and sleeps like the dead! Afterward, Koro Sensei has an idea for the perfect way to wrap up their assassination vacation through a test of courage. But his true purpose is to play matchmaker! His plans don’t exactly come to fruition, as his students aren’t that easily played, but there is one possibility for a love match, and the students are glad to assist their teacher in his matchmaking efforts.

Back to school! Time is running out before the possible end of the world. The powers that be determine that the bounty on killing the creature should be increased for a group, since the students almost succeeded in killing him over the break. The reward is now set at 300 million! However the new semester also starts with a startling new development, as one member of Class 3E defects and returns to Class A – for all the wrong reasons! Oh dear, can they bring him back into the fold before he inflicts irreversible damage?

I really enjoyed the assassination vacation arc, it was a lot of fun, and we got to see the class develop and grow in many ways. The way the final situation was handled was wonderful. Nagisa has a great future ahead of him if he wishes to become a spy or a professional assassin! The matchmaking story was cute, and I liked the unexpected twist. Also, the defecting of one student was a challenge, trying to figure out his motivation. Love this series so much, looking forward to the next volume!

Book Review: Assassination Classroom, Vol 8 by Yusei Matsui

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Assassination Classroom, Vol 8     

Author: Yusei Matsui

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date:  February 2, 2016

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Action Adventure Manga/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

What began as a well-earned vacation, and a chance to assassinate Koro Sensei, has turned into a nightmare when half the class is poisoned by person or persons unknown, and the only way to obtain the antidote that will save them is by handing over Koro Sensei! And as if that wasn’t bad enough, thanks to the class’s vigorous assassination attempt, their teacher is locked in his ultimate defense mode and unable to help them! But Class 3E is nothing if not resourceful, and they refuse to give up. Instead of simply handing him off at the designated meeting place, they are going to break in and get that antidote, eliminating anyone who gets in their way!

The students scale a steep cliff at the rear of the resort hotel, which has been left unguarded due to its inaccessibility. But they don’t know the training these kids have received, and that climb is no problem for them! Poor Karasuma is saddled with Irina, who is weighing him down! But she proves her value when they enter the hotel and have to figure out how to cross the open lobby! Deploying her considerable skills, she draws attention to herself, and the students are able to slip by.

But that is only the first floor. They have to get up to the tenth floor, and it’s not likely each floor will be as easy to conquer. These are professionals, after all. But that doesn’t stop the resourceful students of 3E, so off they go!

I really enjoyed reading this arc, watching the students display not just the skills they’ve learned so far but employing their own talents, oftentimes thinking outside the box. Karasuma is incapacitated early on, so they can’t rely on him, although they do carry him along with them. On each floor, a different student gets the opportunity to shine. I especially love the way the girls utilized Nagisa, although he was not too fond of the idea himself. But by the end of the volume, he has a difficult choice to make. Have to wait for the next volume to find out what he chooses to do!  And just want to say that the gun-eating gangster is gross lol

Great volume, looking forward to the next one!

Book Review: Assassination Classroom, Vol 7

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Assassination Classroom, Vol 7   

Author: Yusei Matsui

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date:  December 1, 2015

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Action Adventure Manga/200 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

 

Koro Sensei’s study methods prove invaluable to his students when it comes time to take their exams. Several students won first place in their class, one even beating out the principal’s son! Of course his father was less than thrilled with that news, and was certainly less than supportive of how well Gakushu did, focusing on what he didn’t do instead. Koro Sensei promised that those students who came in first place could shoot off one of his tentacles, so that makes seven tentacles he’s going to lose!

More importantly, the students in Class 3E have bested those in Class A, and are thus entitled to the summer prize of a three-day, two-night trip to Okinawa! Of course they will be spending the time before they go in devising new ways of assassinating Koro Sensei! The first semester under his tutelage may be over, but the assignment is still on!

Irina’s superior, Mr. Lovro, returns, determined to bring in the winning assassin to complete the job! He believes there is only one real person who can do this, the greatest assassin of them all, known simply as the Grim Reaper. The students are excited as they sail to the island of their holiday, planning how to kill Koro Sensei. Since one of his weaknesses is water, this seems like an ideal location for an assassination! They break up into groups with varying agendas, but at the same time they are timing their opportunities to kill their teacher very carefully. They devise a plan that includes the ballroom of the hotel where they are staying, a structure which sits over water! But just as they reduce Koro Sensei to an indefensible state, someone else strikes who turns all their plans upside down! And now it’s up to them, as well as Karasuma and Irina, to save Koro Sensei!

I loved the exams and their outcomes, and how the students showed up the supposedly superior class. I feel sorry for the principal’s son with such a terrible father. The vacation on the island is just what the students needed, but who could have predicted what happened at the end? Looking forward to seeing how they utilize the skills their teacher has taught them in order to rescue him.

Book Review: Assassination Classroom, Vol 6 by Yusei Matsui

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Assassination Classroom, Vol 6   

Author: Yusei Matsui

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date:  October 6, 2015

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Action Adventure Manga/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Now that his class has learned that one of Koro Sensei’s weaknesses is water, they decide to come up with an assassination plan utilizing that knowledge! While pretending to play around in the new pool he created for them, they’ll throw him into the water. Once he is underneath and helpless, a hidden student will take advantage of his helplessness and stab him. Meg Kataoka is perfect for the job, being a top swimmer, and she is more than up for the challenge! When Meg reveals the reason why, with her good grades, she fell down to Class E, because of a supposed friend, her true friends and Koro Sensei decide to help her break the one-sided co-dependency.

When the pool is unexpectedly trashed, some of the students look toward Terasaka and his friends as the culprits, largely because of his horrible attitude toward school in general and Class 3E in particular. Itona and his assassin/mentor take advantage of Terasaka’s feelings to recruit him for some work for them, namely to help assassinate Koro Sensei. But when their actions endanger the other students and not just Koro Sensei, can Terasaka really go along with the program?

The time has arrived for the Final Exams! As extra incentive, those students who receive first place in a subject in their grade will be allowed to shoot off one of Koro Sensei’s tentacles. Karasuma and Irina warn Principal Asano not to interfere with the tests, and he claims he would never do such a thing. Asano does tell his very intelligent son, who is top of his class, that he expects Class A to defeat Class E. His son says he is sure he can do it, and makes a bet that when he does, his father has to tell him the secret he is hiding about Class E (which would be about Koro Sensei, who is unknown to most of the school, as well as the world). The principal agrees. Than young Asano and his cohorts make their own private bet with Class E, with special stakes.

By now, this class of would-be assassins is beginning to be conflicted. While on the one hand, they are seriously studying to assassinate their teacher and save the world, on the other hand, they like him quite a bit. When the time comes, will they actually be able to follow through? In this volume, we see more of Terasaka, who has been hovering on the edge of the class. But now he is faced with a do or die decision and will hopefully grow in the process. The final exams are going to be real nail-biters, especially given the track records of the other students and their principal. Is it possible there will be no monkey wrenches thrown into the works to sabotage them? Only time will tell.

Good volume, look forward to the next one!

Book Review: Assassination Classroom, Vol 4 by Yusei Matsui

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Assassination Classroom, Vol 4     

Author: Yusei Matsui

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date:  June 2, 2015

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Action Adventure Manga/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Ms Vitch has been pronounced lacking by her mentor and considered not fit to continue the assassination assignment. A compromise is reached in which both she and the mentor will attempt to “assassinate” Kurasama. If Irina wins, she can continue to teach there. The battle is on! If she resorts to begging, will she be able to persuade Kurasama to let her “kill” him?

Koro Sensei has plans to see an action movie in Hawaii because the film is being released in the States first and he doesn’t want to wait to see it. Nagisa and Karma beg him to take them along, even if that means traveling at Mach 20 along with him! Will they make an assassination attempt or simply enjoy the outing?

The arrival of the second transfer student is now imminent. This student is preceded by a mysterious white guardian, who introduces himself first and then brings in Itona…who announces that he is Koro Sensei’s brother. What? To say that he is odd would be an understatement, and he instantly earns the ire of his fellow classmates. So Itona and Koro Sensei decide to have a showdown, right there in the classroom…but there have to be rules, naturally. Perhaps the class will learn something by watching these brothers interact.

Since he was sent to Class 3E, Sugino hasn’t been allowed to play on the baseball team, which he misses greatly, since he loves the game. A school sports tournament is being held, but naturally the Class 3E team can’t play. But they’re required to play in the exhibition matches afterward. The boys have to play the Varsity Baseball Team, while the girls have to play the Varsity Basketball Team. Maybe, with Koro Sensei’s help, they can show the rest of the school what they’re really made of. Things are going pretty well for the boys, to the dismay of the Varsity team, when Principal Asano throws a monkey wrench into the works.

I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. By which I mean Ms. Vitch. She’s come a long way from the woman she was when she first entered Class 3E. She’s proving to be more than a pretty face, and is actually beginning to enjoy her teaching as much as being an assassin.

Itona is very irritating, and I’m glad he left,  but I know we’ll see him again. My favorite part of this volume was the baseball game, because I love to see the students turn the tables on their snobbish schoolmates whenever possible, whether in athletics or academics. Can’t wait to see what the principal does. Hopefully whatever it is, Koro Sensei can overcome it. Another great volume!

Book Review: Assassination Classroom, Vol 3 by Yusei Matsui

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Assassination Classroom, Vol 3    

Author: Yusei Matsui

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date:  April 7, 2015

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Action Adventure Manga/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

 

While on a class trip to Kyoto, Kayano and Kanzaki have been kidnapped by lowlife thugs! Never fear! The class is up to the challenge, thanks to the handy dandy travel guide provided for them by their astute teacher, Koro Sensei.

Unknown to all but a few, a professional assassin has been set on the trail of Koro Sensei, with the assistance of his class, of course. They are in the perfect position to know his every move, since they are choreographing everything. But will this assassin take out their assigned target and claim the prize for himself? Or will Koro Sensei actually teach him something about assassination and life?

Karasuma receives information that upon their return to the school, there will be two new assassins sent to them, one at a time. He’s warned that the first student may look a little “different”. The other students aren’t sure what to expect, but on their arrival at the classroom, they see no one. Not until they notice the large object in the corner. Turns out this is a virtual assassin whose name is “Autonomous Intelligence Fixed Artillery”. She has the face of a young girl and is very polite. But once class starts, she is all business as she attempts to assassinate Koro Sensei. But the problem is that she spends the entire day doing that and disrupting classes. The students of 3E aren’t about to put up with those kinds of shenanigans.

Maehara is a ladies’ man, and the girls all seem to like the handsome student. But when one of them is caught with him, she turns the tables and makes it all Maehara’s fault for being in Class 3E and thus off-limits to her.  Some of the guys beat on Maehara, because they know they can get away with anything. Principal Asano sees them and doesn’t even attempt to help Maehara, but is that really surprising? However, Maehara’s class aren’t about to take this insult to their friend lying down.

Irina receives a surprise visit from the one who recommended her for this job, Lovro. He is seriously disappointed in her and wants to remove her from the assignment. At Koro Sensei’s suggestion, he agrees to give her a chance to prove herself – they will both target Karasuma. The first one to take him out wins. If Irina loses, she has to go.

Already, we can see that the Class 3E is growing and maturing in ways beyond simple assassination.  Watching them rescue their classmates and teach the bullies a lesson was awesome, as was the situation with Maehara. I also hate Asano more every time I see him. I just love this manga so much! Can’t wait for the next volume to see who can assassinate Karasume first lol

 

 

Book Review: Assassination Classroom, Vol 2

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Assassination Classroom, Vol 2   

Author: Yusei Matsui

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date:  February 3, 2015

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Action Adventure Manga/200 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

A new teacher arrives at Kunugigaoka Junior High, a rather buxom young woman named Irina Jelevich. For some reason, she is hanging all over Koro Sensei, to the confusion of his students. Nagisa continues to document the teacher’s weaknesses so that they can use them against him and assassinate him, which will prevent him from blowing up the earth. But Irina is not really a teacher. She’s been brought in as a professional assassin! Karasuma insists she maintain her cover and teach the students, but Irina is sure she’ll be able to achieve her goal of assassination on her first day with the class.

The students dislike her from the get-go and deliberately mispronounce her last name as Hellabitch. When her teaching skills are found to be lacking, they yell at her to get out, they need to study for their college entrance exams.

All the students, including Class 3E, must attend student assembly. Koro Sensei even attends, in “disguise”. But the rest of the school is determined to humiliate Class 3E, even to the point of withholding vital information. But they haven’t counted on the ingenuity and speed of Koro Sensei, who saves the day! The treatment of Class 3E is all due to the machinations of the school’s principal, Asano. He believes that by holding the class up as examples of what not to be, and treating them badly, he will scare the other students into doing well for fear of ending up like them. He is one of the few who know the truth about Koro Sensei, and refuses to listen to arguments that he should treat Class 3E better, claiming that if the world isn’t going to be destroyed, he has the future to consider.

Exam time arrives, and Koro Sensei announces he wants his entire class to score in the top 50! Even if the principal is giving the other students unfair advantages. Can they do it, even with his accelerated teaching techniques?

It’s time for a school trip – three days and two nights in Kyoto! Koro Sensei makes an enormous travel guide for his students that should cover anything that comes up during their trip! However, some of the girls in his class have been targeted by some unsavory characters and find themselves in a peck of trouble!

In this volume, we are introduced to the charming yet obnoxious principal of the Junior High. His disdain for Class 3E is incredible and his treatment of them is beyond abhorrent! Also, we meet Irina Jelevich, who doesn’t exactly endear herself to the students, and who uses her two biggest assets to lure her targets to their doom. There’s also a bonus story about Koro Sensei and a particular bun!

Great volume, look forward to the next one!

Book Review: Assassination Classroom, Vol 1: Time for Assassination

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Assassination Classroom, Vol 1: Time for Assassination

Author: Yusei Matsui

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: December 2, 2014

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Shonen Manga/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

 

Class 3E at Kunugigaoka Junior High find themselves in a rather unique situation. Besides being considered to be the dregs of the entire school, looked down upon, belittled, used as warnings to other students to do well or end up like them, forced to attend class in a rundown classroom on top of a mountain…they have also been assigned the task of assassinating their teacher!

Their teacher is like no other in that he resembles a tentacle monster, can move at Mach 20 speed, and is impervious to most everything. Oh, and he is responsible for the destruction of two-thirds of the moon, which hangs in the sky as a silent reminder of what has occurred. He has threatened to destroy the entire earth in one year unless his demands are met. And what he demands… is to teach Class 3E at Kunugigaoka Junior High.

Why does he want to do this? No one knows, but they are in no position to resist, so he is given the assignment. The government tells the students of his class that they are to kill him, but also no one else is to know about what is going on outside of their class. Well, it’s not like they are even allowed to enter the other part of the school. But the real incentive is the reward of 10 billion that is being offered for the teacher’s death! So, game on… time to kill teacher!

This first volume is a perfect introduction to this unusual manga. The students of class 3E have a hard time, used by the principal as examples of what not to be. But this teacher, whom they have named Koro Sensei as a play on can’t be killed, sees them for who they are. While encouraging them in their assassination attempts, he also teaches them and raises their self-esteem. This book is both humorous and touching. I love the artwork. Koro Sensei is awesome! There is also a fantastic anime of this series which I highly recommend.