Assassination Classroom: The Movies (2015/2016) (A Neo-Tokyo 2099 Eiga Review, 2010-2019)

“Assassination Classroom: The Movies” is no doubt one of the better manga to live-film adaptations to be released.  I wasn’t quite sure how the movie would be pulled off because of it’s primary character, Koro-sensei.  But in the end, the film stayed almost true to its original source and it turned out to be quite entertaining and fun!   If you loved the “Assassination Classroom” manga and anime series, I definitely recommend “Assassination Classroom: The Movies”!

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TITLE: Assassination Classroom: The Movies

YEAR OF FILM: Assassination Classroom (2015), Asassination Classroom: The Graduation (2016)

DURATION: 227 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, 2:40:1 Aspect Ratio, Japanese 5.1 Dolby TrueHD,  English Subtitles: English SDH

COMPANY: Funimation

RATED: TV 14

RELEASE DATE: August 7, 2018

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Assassination Classroom (2015)

Based on the Manga by Matsui Yusei

Directed by Hasumi Eiichiro

Screenplay by Kanazawa Tatsuya

Producer: Uehara Juichi

Music by Sato Naoki

Casting by Kawamura Kei

Assassination Classroom: The Graduation (2016)

Based on the Manga by Matsui Yusei

Directed by Hasumi Eiichiro

Screenplay by Kanazawa Tatsuya

Producer: Uehara Juichi

Music by Sato Naoki

Casting by Kawamura Kei

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Starring:

Ninomiya Kazunari  as Koro-Sensei/The ‘God of Death’

Yamada Ryosuke as Shiota Nagisa

Suda Masaki as Akabane Karma

Yamamoto Maika as Kayano Kaede

Taketomi Seika as Nakamura Rio

Yuki Mio as Kanzaki Yukiko

Uehara Miku as Okudo Manami

Kato Yuuhi as Isogai Yuuma

Osamura Kouki as Okajima Taiga

Takahashi Saki as Okano Hinata

Miyahara Kanon as Kataoka Megu

Arai Shota as Kimura Masayoshi

Shimura Rena as Kurahashi Hinano

Ozawa Mitsugu as Sugaya Sosuke

Ichikawa Riku as Sugino Tomohito

Yoshihara Takuya as Takebayashi Kotaro

Ooka Takumi as Chiba Ryunoksuke

Sugawara Kenji as Ryoma Terasaka

Ohkuma Ami as Hazama Kirara

Kippei Shina as Karasuma

Hashimoto Kanna as Ritsu

Kang Ji-young  as Irina Jelavic

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Assassination Classroom comes to life in this two-part live-action movie series. Join the students of Class 3-E as they learn to become proper assassins and try to kill their teacher!

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In 2012, mangaka Yusei Matsui created the manga series “Assassination Classroom” (Ansatsu Kyoshitsu).

Matsui, who was known for the manga series “Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro” and also was a former assistant of mangaka, Yoshio Sawai, would eventually create one of the best selling manga series in the past few years.

Serialized in “Weekly Shonen Jump”, a total of 12 volumes have been collected into Tankobon format and the first volume has had over one million copies printed and was on the list for best-selling manga in 2013. Came second in Media Factory’s “Book of the Year” and won the #1 position for “2014 Kono Manga ga Sugoi!” voted by male readers for Takarajimasha.

In 2015, the manga would receive an anime and a live-action film adaptation. Created as a two-part live-action film  (“Assassination Classroom” released in 2015 and “Assassination Classroom: The Graduation” released in 2016), the film was directed by Hasumi Eiichiro (“Mozu”, “Umizaru”) and a screenplay by Kanazawa Tatsuya.

The film would star Yamada Ryousuke (“Fullmetal Alchemist”, “Cain and Abel”), Suda Masaki (“Gintama”, “Don Quixote”), Yamamoto Maika (“After the Rain”, “The Blue Hearts”), Hashimoto Kanna (“Gintama” films, “Sailor Suit and Machine Gun: Graduation”), Shiina Kippei (“Code Blue the Movie”, “Last Chance”, “Shinobi: Heart Under Blade”) and popular singers: Arashi’s Ninomiya Kazunari (“Letters from Iwo Jima”, “Gantz” films) and Kara’s Ji-young Kang.

The story begins by introducing us to a powerful alien creature that destroyed 70% of the moon, making it a crescent moon forever. The alien has said that within a year, he will destroy the Earth but he does give mankind a chance to prevent it.

Having special speed and quick reflexes, with a number of tentacles like an octopus, the alien known as Koro-sensei, becomes a teacher for the lowly class 3-E at the prestigious Kunugigaoka Junior High School.

Government worker Tadaomi Karasuma tells the entire class 3-E what problems they are facing and how Koro-sensei will destroy the Earth. But the deal the alien made with the government and military is that if he is assassinated before the end of the year, he will spare Earth. So, Tadaomi Karasuma announces that the focus of class 3-E is to kill their homeroom teacher.

As the students do all they can to kill Koro-sensei, we get to learn how difficult it is because he is lightning quick and has various tricks, also many tentacles to have him do multiple things all at once.

But each time they know they must kill him, they start to learn that he’s actually teaching them a lot about survival, their studies and are doing much better than they were before. In fact, he’s become quite likable. But can students kill a teacher that they like? Unfortunately, with this alien teacher planning to destroy the planet in one year unless they kill him…they have no choice.

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VIDEO:

“Assassination Classroom: The Movies” is presented in 1080p High Definition. Picture quality is actually very well-done. There is a lot of detail when it comes to closeups and for the most part, the visual effects of the zombies looks very good in HD!  As for the CG, of course, Koro-sensei is CG as one would expect and for those familiar with the manga or anime series, can easily feel that the way Koro-sensei looked, was the best way to keep things onpoint.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Assassination Classroom: The Movies” is presented in Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Dialogue is crystal clear and music and sound effects, especially during the more action-driven scenes, sounds great in HD!

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Assassination Classroom: The Movies” comes with only a trailer.

EXTRAS:

“Assassination Classroom: The Movies” comes with a Funimation Digital Copy.

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My first introduction to “Assassination Classroom” was from the Vita video game “J-Stars Victory Vs.” And was wondering why there is yellow octopus in the game?

After googling and doing my research, I eventually learned about “Assassination Classroom” and wasn’t sure if it was a horror-based storyline or a manga series with humor and action.

So, I have been anticipating Matsui Yusei’s “Assassination Classroom” because it has done so well in Japan and read the manga series and I was in Japan when the first film was released in theaters.  And I would eventually watch the anime series afteerward.

My initial thoughts of the whole “Asassination Classroom” storyline was that it is an an interesting concept. An alien who threatens to destroy the planet, unless the students of class 3-E can kill him before the year is over. I wonder how Matsui came up with the idea to make this series. It’s so far out but yet you welcome anything new and fresh.

The manga series (which had 23 volumes total), did a good job of fleshing out the characters and develop them overtime from volume to volume.

Focusing on numerous students of class E-3, the primary student characters are Nagisa and Karma. The weak but smart Nagisa Shiota; the cunning, smart and coldblooded Karma Akabane; and with each volume, there would be additional characters that would be featured a bit more through numerous storylines.

As the students do all they can to kill Koro-sensei, we get to learn how difficult it is because he is lightning quick and has various tricks, also many tentacles to have him do multiple things all at once.

The series would also feature different teachers aside from Koro-sensei.  For one, a new English teacher is brought to Kunugigaoka Junior High School. Her name is Irina Jelavich who is very fashionable, sexy and no doubt has her own ways to charm the guys. But in truth, this new teacher is a mercenary and one of the best. But will she be skillful enough to assassinate Koro-sensei?

But as the manga series had the opportunity to use manga chapters to tell different stories and have Koro-sensei interact with numerous students and seeig each student’s own personal skills/quirks, for the first live-action film, filmmaker Hasumi Eiichiro and Kanazawa Tatsuya didn’t have that luxury, so they had to include short summaries introducing each character and trying to showcase the speed and skills of Koro-sensei.

While many situations are derived from the manga, some aspects of the film were slightly changed.    For example, the first film features Karasuma’s former drill instructor, Akira Takaoka to train the kids. An extremely dangerous psychopath, who uses torture on those who don’t follow his orders.  Takaoka’s storyline for the most part is covered in the manga but the situations in regards to his revenge is slightly changed.

The second film “Assassination Classroom: The Movies” features the origin of Koro-sensei which was no doubt satisfying.  In Japan, part of the excitement of the second film is partly because Arashi pop star, Ninomiya Kazunari would be playing a major role in the past of Koro-sensei but for the most part, for those who read the manga series or watched the animation knew this second film would feature the finale of whether the students, who have grown to become fond of Koro-sensei and become assassins, would be able to go through with killing their sensei.

Unlike a lot of film adaptations from a manga series which strays far off from the original source, “Assassination Classroom” and “Assassination Classroom: The Graduation” keeps to the original material with only slight deviations.  There is only so much story from 23 volumes of manga to incorporate into two live-action films and what Kanazawa Tatsuya was able to pick and incorporate into both films was tough but he made it happen.

“Assassination Classroom: The Movies” is no doubt one of the better manga to live-film adaptations to be released.  I wasn’t quite sure how the movie would be pulled off because of it’s primary character, Koro-sensei.  But in the end, the film stayed almost true to its original source and it turned out to be quite entertaining and fun!   If you loved the “Assassination Classroom” manga and anime series, I definitely recommend “Assassination Classroom: The Movies”!

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