In commemoration of the anime’s 10th anniversary, Assassination Classroom The Movie: Our Time took us back to the nostalgic setting of Class 3-E, as we dial back time to moments just before the devastating finale that stung the hearts of many. The film is brought to you by Lerche, the same studio that handled the much-beloved anime adaptation of the Assassination Classroom manga by Yusei Matsu.
Due to the nature of the series’ ending, and how long it has been since the end of the anime, it may be understandable for most fans to feel at least slightly hesitant on what to expect. After all, we already know how it will all end, so bringing us back to moments prior to it may feel at least tragic, if not outright redundant. However, good memories don’t always soften the bad; and vice versa, the bad ones don’t necessarily spoil the good, or make them unimportant.
The movie starts with a pretty clever setup: a normal morning in class, with each student arriving at school. As the deadline to assassinate their teacher beckons, they realize how fond they have grown of Koro-sensei, yet this does not at all affect their determination to assassinate him.
Our cast of teenagers, who have been labelled failures by society and ostracized to a comically remote run-down building, face several difficulties that we as viewers can relate to (minus the ostracization part, hopefully). We get flashbacks to moments where characters struggle to navigate delicate social scenarios, learn to stand up to themselves, and even accept one’s own situations without evolving into hatred towards others.
We also see how, without fail, Koro-sensei has always been there to guide them through it all. Each scenario highlights the growing pains of school life, featuring the joys of incredible antics and camaraderie between classmates, as well as their yellow octopus-looking teacher.
The drama, the humour and even the energy of each scene is near-identical to the vibe of the anime released 10 years ago, giving the viewers the feeling that we ourselves have travelled back in time to when we first watched the anime. It helped to suck us back into the universe and remind us of what Assassination Classroom does best – being an unorthodox slice-of-life comedy.
With each character reaffirming their love for Koro-sensei, and their determination to complete their mission, we are then brought to the surprising final arc of the movie – the story of a group of assassins and a blind shopkeeper. This gives us a refreshing perspective change to what the world of Koro-sensei is like outside his life as a teacher.
We get to witness how Koro-sensei’s determination to nurture can reach even farther than just his students, and just how sadistically determined he can be at it. It was truly a fun sequence of events that ultimately wraps back to the core of the show and satisfyingly mirrors the very first episode of the anime.
Overall, Assassination Classroom The Movie: Our Time did its best to honor its role as the 10th anniversary celebration of a much-beloved series, simply by giving us more time with the universe that we dearly missed. Instead of pivoting to a big cinematic plot akin to most feature-film anime, it decided that the best gift to its fans is to bring us back to the world, making us reminisce dearly on what has been and appreciate what is to come.
Personally, I couldn’t wish for a better way to celebrate the achievement, and I thank all the staff for the careful effort they have made to honour the show and its fans.
Assassination Classroom The Movie: Our Time is now screening at GSC Cinemas. Special thanks to Muse Asia for making this review possible.
Article contributed by Farid.
