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Book Review: Assassination Classroom, Vol 19 by Yusei Matsui

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Assassination Classroom, Vol 19   

Author: Yusei Matsui

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: December 5, 2017

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

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

High school acceptance letters have been sent out and received, and all of Koro Sensei’s students have been accepted either by their first or second choices, happily. After yearbook photos are taken, Koro Sensei decides to make a better yearbook just for his class, including photos of them they weren’t even aware existed! Naturally, not everyone is happy about this.

Time stands still for no one, including Koro Sensei and his class of would-be assassins. The deadline for his assassination is drawing near, and the government is taking it seriously – deadly seriously. Far from relying on a classroom filled with young assassins-in-training, they have put their own plans in place. They manage to trap Koro Sensei on the mountain so he can’t escape. Then they have Karasuma tell the students to stay home. When they insist on going to school anyway, they find their way up the mountain completely blocked. The students end up being taken into custody… “for their own protection.” Will they take this lying down? Of course not!  Where there is a will, there is a way! After all, they have been trained by Koro Sensei!

Karasuma visits the students in lockdown and gives them invaluable information, followed by a visit from Ms. Vitch, with what they will need to carry out their plans.  Thanks to Karasuma, they know when to make their move. The Head Assassin has people deployed all over the mountain. No way those children can get past his trained men. But they never took into account that these same students have been training on this mountain for the past year and know it like the back of their hand, whereas they do not. Not a fair match, is it?

Down to the wire now, only two volumes left. The students are determined to complete their assignment of assassinating Koro Sensei, despite not wanting to do so. But can they overcome the hurdles that have been placed in their way? They’re still only kids at the end of the day. But these kids have been trained by the best. So maybe they can save Koro Sensei’s life, rather than take it.

One way or another, the end is coming soon. But will it be a happy ending for anyone? Looking forward to the next volume, somewhat apprehensively.

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!