ようこそ実力至上主義の教室へ 3年生編2

ようこそ実力至上主義の教室へ 3年生編 [Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e 3rd Year] (Novel) #2

by Syougo Kinugasa, 衣笠彰梧, Tomoseshunsaku (Illustrator)

さあ、本当の実力主義を始めよう。3年生編第二弾!

劇的な幕切れとなった3年生最初の特別試験。Aクラスで卒業できるのはたった1クラス。その重さにようやく気付いた各クラスは次なる試験のための準備を行い始めてーー!?

Genres: Light Novel

328 pages, Paperback

First published July 25, 2025

About the author

Associated Names:
* Syougo Kinugasa / Shōgo Kinugasa (English)
* 衣笠彰梧 (Japanese)

Reviews

[Domi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duurt het 39 boeken tot de main character ontdekt wat gevoelens zijn? Ja. Ik ben all up for it.
WOOOHIOOO LETSGO KIYO

[Douglas Walters · Rating 2 out of 5]

Y2V9–11 was a turbulent stretch for my interest in the series, with Ichinose’s development the lone bright spot. Then peak dropped in the form of Y2V12.5 and it felt like the author found his touch again. Ichinose, having overcome her major weakness, is a force to be reckoned with, living up to the potential she exhibited all the way back in Y1V4. I rather enjoyed Y3V1 as well, despite Ryuuen getting Wile E. Coyote’d, due to the unique Ayanokouji–Morishita dynamic and the shift to another class enriching the world-building and cast of characters. The minor character writing is probably the only story element that has clearly improved since Y1, so I do not mind the slice-of-life moments with the new classmates at all. For instance, compare Kanzaki in Y1 to Y2, it is night and day.

Now we get to Y3V2 and Ayanokouji reads OOC because a potential emotional weakness is the only way to beat him given his capabilities. The choice of Hiyori to fill this role feels abrupt since they rarely interact. None of their scenes together convincingly convey the sense of peace he supposedly finds in her presence, beyond the library itself being a quiet space. It seems like a clumsy use of the old trope where the quiet, plain girl tames the enigma. Funnily enough, her debut in Y1V6 depicted her as an eccentric, only for that to be retconned in favour of the generic bookworm archetype:

"Both their faces are weak. I'll probably forget them immediately," she added.

...

I confirmed that a girl was walking around today asking whether people saw how much sugar Hasebe-san puts in her coffee.

Ichinose appears fragile again; her statement to Karuizawa in the previous volume about not requiring her love to be reciprocated was exposed as a total bluff. Another relapse into the cycle of suffering → temporary love-driven recovery → suffering would be stale. If she cannot suppress her feelings, leaning into a more realistic portrayal of a yandere as hinted at in the Y3V1 PV would be far more desirable at this point.

There is further progress on the Horikita subplot where she digs into the MC's past on the laughable premise that it will help "defeat" him. Where will this lead? Either a pity party for an MC who does not feel victimised—this lack of recognition invoking further pity—or, worst case, a high school girl helping to topple a ruthless, well-connected politician. It is also the third time in a short time span, after Kei in Y2V9.5 and Ichinose in Y2V11, that illness has been utilised to steer the narrative in the desired direction. Get a new trick.

This conversation occurred between Nagumo and Ayanokouji in Y2V9 regarding the female predominance of the successor student council:

"Men and women are equal nowadays. It's just that the next generation's best and brightest are disproportionately women. Isn't that right, Ayanokouji?"

The rise of girls wasn't a bad thing. However, if the ideal ratio was supposed to be one to one, then you could say that this result reflected how pathetic the latest crop of boys was.

Given the author's predilection for harem bait, I shrugged off the obvious irony. However, this volume's introduction of an as-yet-unnamed junior girl with superhuman athleticism, who beat up two boys at once, and casual "live and let live" defence of homosexuality in Yoshida and Shimazaki's conversation, reframes the girl power in a more woke light. There has been a drastic shortage of competent, plot-relevant male characters outside the MC for a while, and between the fanservice and injection of modern politics, this imbalance seems unlikely to be corrected.

[Oscar Björn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting plot progression, but mostly filler. A boring exam with a conclusion that was even worse. It also feels like Kinu is trying to push some development that isn’t there with Ayanokouji.

All in all not a complete waste of time as it had some moments of intrigue, but the worst volume of the series so far.