Assassination Classroom, Vol. 21

暗殺教室 [Ansatsu Kyōshitsu] #21

by Yusei Matsui

In the aftermath of tragedy, the students of 3-E nevertheless march proudly in their graduation ceremony. Will their futures still unfold as planned? And what will they do with their reward money…? Then, enjoy a long side story revealing what Koro Sensei was really up to over winter break! Can Koro Sensei truly make a friend and ally out of anyone…?! Plus, a bonus short story with all-new characters, set in a dystopian future.

Genres: Manga, Science Fiction, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Shonen, Young Adult

211 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 4, 2016

About the author

Yūsei Matsui (松井優征 Matsui Yūsei?, born January 31, 1981 in Saitama, Japan) is a manga artist known for manga Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro. He was an assistant of Yoshio Sawai, the manga artist of Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo (Shirota Masakage made a cameo appearance in Shinsetsu Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo).

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The very last translated volume of a great series. The Big Finish actually happened in the last volume, and no, I can't tell you what that was about, I waited 20 volumes for it to happen, and I didn't know, so you think I am going to make it easy for YOU? This is the "Thank You" graduation volume with yearbook and notes to each student by beloved monster teacher Koro Sensei. Not much happens, and it is really a short finish, but if you have stayed with this for 21 whole volumes, and you loved the many-tentacles-one as much as his students and faithful readers, well, you would cry.

I mean, not me! Like, I'm this middle-aged white guy! These are kiddie comics, c'mon!

[Elliot Pines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually manga doesn't make me cry. Movies? Yes. Anime? Yes. But manga? Not especially.

But this one is different. Honest, I was surprised when I first started reading it and I immediately fell in love with it.
The storyline was beautiful, really. I love how we got to know pretty much every person from that classroom, and all their characters. It makes it even harder for us to let them go when the story ends. It gives us a chance to actually feel for each one of them, but when the time comes, it basically crushes our hearts to part with them. Well, at least for me, anyways.

I'm going to jump right into my infORMAL SIDE ((-: brace yourselves

holy SHIT man it's been like a good ol' 3 weeks since I've finished this series but yet whenever I hear the opening theme songs from it lmfao I can't help but cry. Legit I was eating my grilled cheese and rewatching AK and I was literally wiping my tears with my sandwich. Disgusting, aren't I?

When I first finished reading the manga, I cried for a solid hour. It appears I still am. Crying, I mean. (Include internally screaming into the void)

Anyways
This whole fuckin series was put together so cleverly it's brilliant I want to CRY jesuss christo it's so GOOD
AND
DoNT GET ME STARTED ON THAT DAMN PLOT TWIST HoO BOY I WASN'T EXPECTING THAT AT ALL
AND
ALL THE BACKSTORIES GOT ME CRYINGN IN THE CORNER SMH
in conclusion

Read it. Watch it. I assure you, you won't regret it. You'll learn a thing or two from here, and watch as the kids of class 3-E grow with the help of Koro-sensei.

After note: Uh, I apologize in advance if I offended anyone with my language. I'm fuckin horrible I know smh

aND
DO YOU SEE THAT BLUE HAIRED BOY THAT'S MY BABY BOY THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE MY PRECIOUS DARLING CHILD THE APPLE OF MY EYE MY SWEET AND TALENTED AND SKILLED NAGISA LOOK ST HIM GO I LOVE HIM DEARLY

Okay. I'm done. I sure hope you enjoy this beautiful masterpiece as much as I have.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

[crying emoji]

[Callisto-IX · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending was so GOOD !!!

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Class E graduates, plus bonus materials.

This was a welcome coda to an excellent series. You get a chance to revisit favorite characters, and get a glimpse of where the future might take them. It's a chance to reminisce and say goodbye to old friends. Despite the climax in the previous volume, I wasn't really ready for the series to be over so soon, so getting a bit of an afterglow was extremely welcome.

We also get a shorter side story showing what Koro Sensei was up to while everyone was studying over winter break. It's cute and fun and everything such a story should be.

And we also get a single chapter of a story that Matsui was working on prior to Assassination Classroom, "Tokyo Department Store War Journal." It's great fun and totally insane. I'm not even going to attempt to describe it. If you've been reading AC, you know how far out Matsui's imagination can get. Anyway, the publisher didn't react well to it, and he moved on, recycling some of the character designs for AC, and the rest is history.

Assassination Classroom is an excellent series. Highly recommended! But start with volume 1, like a sane person, eh?

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

GUYS I DID IT.

[cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the scanlation version, cannot wait to know what happened in the end.

Heeeeellllll..... I cried. And I laughed. And I cried some more. And I felt empty. And I read it again. And again.

A joyride year for class 3E. They grown a lot with the help of their teachers. And when they fast forward 7 years, I can't help but smile. Some people just don't change. *Yes, I'm talking about Karma and Nagisa here!* :)

[امیرمحمد حیدری · Rating 2 out of 5]

و اتمام مجموعه مانگای کلاس درس آدم‌کشی. ایده‌ی کلی مانگا خیلی زود خسته‌کننده می‌شد؛ اما در کنار طنز نسبتاً قابل تحمل، طراحی متوسط، بک‌استوری‌های کج‌دارومریز، ریختن شخصیت‌های مهم با بیل از وسط داستان و هزار عنصر دیگر، روند خوبی را طی کرد. بلوغ انسانیت، از پی یک کلاس درس برای آدمکشی، بسیار ناب و بکر است. به دو ستاره اکتفا کردم چون به‌نظرم مدیوم مانگا برای پیگیری چنین خط داستانی‌ای مناسب نیست و حتم دارم مدیوم سینمایی‌اش (یعنی انیمه) بستر بسیار بهتر و ملموس‌تری را متبادر می‌کند‌. ارزش خواندن داشت اما لذت چندان؟ نه.

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually finished this a while ago, but I was not prepared for the emotional trauma this would bring.

[Francesca]

The final volume 🥲 a bittersweet ending to a fantastic manga series. I grew to love all of the characters, but hold an extra special place in my heart for Koro Sensei and Nagisa. Every twist, every assassination attempt, every joke (excluding all the boob talk, even though it is addressed as being pervy lol) and every character building moment makes this series one that I will cherish. I think I will definitely try and check out the anime and movie after finishing this epic tale.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

i cant believe its over (,: love u koro sensei

[Eressea · Rating 2 out of 5]

總算看完了
看得很痛苦
秉持有始有終的精神勉強看完

劇情太過說教不說
很明顯為了延續連載不斷機械降神
以上帝視角來看
又不可能違反一開始就設定好的結局

總之這作品看起來就是為了設定的年齡層
並沒有考慮這個年齡層以外
我已經脫離這個年紀了
若是給國中生看，說不定會頗有啟發?

[Rolando Marono · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este volumen está compuesto por 3, digámoslo así, secciones. La primera sección son 3 capítulos que concluyen la historia, mostrándonos exactamente que pasó después del final del volumen anterior y luego dando un salto en el tiempo y mostrándonos unos años después. Esta sección es la más emotiva y es un hermoso final para una serie que estuvo llena de emociones.

La siguiente sección son 4 capítulos que cuentan una aventura de Koro sensei en las vacaciones navideñas. No es nada original, no aporta nada especial a la trama y son cosas que ya habíamos visto.

La última sección es un capítulo sobre una historia auto contenida que el autor publicó antes de Assassination Classroom y que dice se baso en ella para crear AC. La historia comienza con una buena idea pero añade detalles grotescos que no me gustaron de la historia.

En conclusión este volumen es un desperdicio, hubieran dejado la primera sección y una guía o entrevistas con el autor en vez de llenar las páginas con basura que no lleva a ninguna parte.

[The Book Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The touching and tearful conclusion of the Assassination Classroom. I love that we get to see what happens to the students after graduation, especially Nagisa.

Additionally, there are two extra stories and the end of the volume. One is about the adventures of Koro-sensei during the winter break and it’s four chapters long. It kinda helps take the sting out of his death.

The second is a one shot created by Yusei Matsui before he began work on Assassination Classroom. It’s a really interesting concept and I liked the potential but the main character got a little too much creep added to his personality for my taste.

Anyway, overall, this series is a great read with an interesting concept as well as valuable life lessons thrown in with plenty of laughs. A must for any collection.

This series has 21 volumes.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bittersweet denouement explores Koro Sensei's legacy and the future of his students. There is also a fine little solo adventure for Koro Sensei and the first episode of a really bad department store fantasy which was rightfully rejected by editors before the creation of the Assassination Classroom series.

[Bradač · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nota del manga ne general: 4
Fanasticos y muy recomendable. Siempre en nuestros corazones

[Zenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

chapter 178: time for tears. the title did not lie.

[fonz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Se suele decir en restauración que el postre es la parte más importante del menú porque al ser el último elemento del mismo influye de forma decisiva en la impresión que el cliente se lleve del local. Con Assassination Classroom me ha pasado algo parecido. Se trata de un manga que comienza proponiendo una parodia muy loca de "El club de los poetas muertos" sustituyendo a Robin Williams por Koro-sensei ("maestro imposible de matar") un pulpo monstruoso y amarillo, de permanente sonrisa de gato de Cheshire, provisto de una velocidad de Mach 20 e increíbles reflejos, que ha destruido la luna y que en un año destruirá la tierra. En el interín el pulpo solicita, por motivos desconocidos, ser el maestro de la clase 3-E de un colegio de élite, la clase de los marginados, los expulsados de las aulas "normales". A cambio, y con supervisión gubernamental, los alumnos de la 3-E deberán asesinar a su profesor en el plazo de un año, antes de que destruya la tierra.

Pues eso, que la propuesta es tan absurda y tan llena de wtf? que resulta muy atrayente. Pero enseguida Matsui se desentiende de agitar la zanahoria del misterio central de AC y se centra en la particular vida escolar de los alumnos de la 3-E, llena de enfrentamientos con el resto de clases del colegio, enfrentamientos con secuestradores, enfrentamientos con misteriosos personajes que quieren asesinar a Koro-Sensei, enfrentamientos con el rector del colegio, y un par de intentos de asesinato (el del flan es gracioso, lo concedo). En fin, un rollo patatero que se sostiene por el tono humorístico y, sobre todo, por el peculiar carácter de Koro Sensei, que es un gran personaje que absorbe todo el protagonismo como un Charles Laughton con tentáculos, una mezcla de la idea platónica del profesor perfecto y Sembei Norimaki (Dr. Slump); amante del dulce y las tetas grandes, cotilla, quisquilloso, pesetero, vago, resentido, etc, etc, etc, y así podríamos seguir hasta cuarenta y tantas graciosísimas debilidades. Pero que a su vez se gana a sus alumnos con su sentido de la ecuanimidad, sus refuerzos positivos, su capacidad para hacer grupo y, sobre, todo, por su inquebrantable amor y fe en ellos.

Por otro lado en estos primeros volúmenes tampoco es capaz Matsui de dar vida a su elenco de secundarios con la suficiente solidez y gracia, algo imprescindible para sostener una comedia coral. Los alumnos, salvo los dos o tres con más protagonismo, no aparecen bien definidos y algún secundario, como la profesora Vitch es más bien meh. No es hasta los últimos tomos en los que cada uno de ellos resulta más reconocible y apreciable para el lector.

Y así avanza AC durante demasiados tomos con un interés cada vez más decreciente por mi parte, hasta que a partir del tomo 12 todo lo anterior parece mero terreno de aprendizaje para Matsui. Por fin se empieza a tratar el misterio de Koro Sensei, por fin la narración se centra en los personajes y no la acción, personajes que se ven perfilados con más nitidez aunque sea con un mero par de trazos, se les ubica en situaciones cotidianas más adecuadas para ellos (el capítulo de San Valentín es estupendo) y poco a poco Matsui va construyendo un adecuando crescendo (que, también hay que decir, está a punto de saltar el tiburón con lo del viaje espacial) hasta que desemboca en un emotivo capítulo final donde converge todo el largo viaje de un año de educación, donde todos han aprendido de todos, culminando en un rito de paso, en el sacrificio heroico del propio Koro Sensei que permitirá que los alumnos lleguen a la madurez pertrechados con una serie de valores inestimables; la autoaceptación de su propia singularidad, la creencia en uno mismo, el espíritu de grupo, el esfuerzo colectivo, la dignidad personal, la importancia del compañerismo, la amistad, y, también el amor. Matsui construye estos últimos episodios de modo magistral convirtiendo al tebeo en un inteligente y emotivo manga juvenil de celebración de la vida, gracias a lo cual Assassination Classroom, a pesar de su laaaaarga irregularidad, queda para siempre en el recuerdo de sus lectores.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final volume. This rating/review is for the series as a whole. Gonna be very long cause there's no way to explain this story or my thoughts about it briefly.

At Kunugigaoka Junior High, the students of class 3-E are the delinquents and failures. Neglected by their school, they learn in a dilapidated classroom away from all their peers. Their lives change forever when one day, half the moon explodes and an indestructible tentacled monster presents himself to their class to make some stunning announcements: 1) He blew up the moon. 2) He will be the new teacher of class 3-E. And 3) They have one year to assassinate him, or he will blow up the earth too.

Under the eccentric supernatural tutelage of the monster, who the students name Koro Sensei, they find a more caring and involved educator than they have ever known. Amidst their many failed assassination attempts, Koro Sensei teaches them to conquer their exams like they're vanquishing demons, and more importantly—how to hold their heads high and succeed in a world that is designed to make them fail.

This series kind of defies description lol. It is primarily a comedy, and it is dense with jokes and visual gags. It is somehow irreverent & raunchy while being sentimental & wholesome at the same time. Underneath everything is a serious story with a painful heart, and very grounded themes despite its insane premise. The story is refreshingly purposeful—there is a clear thesis and every story beat is in service of that message. It is a cutting critique of the Japanese school system as well, which was fascinating to me as an outsider.

My main critique of the manga is the pacing. It has a habit of beating its point into the ground. Also, this isn't exactly a criticism, but AC is super meta with constant references to other manga/anime and their tropes. That's not a bad thing, but if you're not an anime expert (as I am not), the jokes can at times feel a bit inscrutable lol. The enormous cast of characters was also a bit overwhelming, but I learned to just roll with it.

The pacing made it drag at times and I set it down for a while, but ultimately I came back because I needed to see the end. I had my suspicions about where Koro Sensei came from and when they were (mostly) confirmed, I got so emotional. Assassination Classroom really sticks its landing, a rare feat. The last two volumes had me weeping.

Ultimately, Assassination Classroom is about the love of a teacher for their students. It can be a challenging read at times, but it is so worth it in the end. I would heartily recommend it to any manga fan looking for something unique and fun, but with a heartfelt message.

"In the life that lies ahead of you, you are bound to experience times when the majority of people stand in your way and prevent you from getting what you want. When that happens, you mustn't blame others. .... At times like that, just say to yourself: 'That's how the world is.' I know you'll have to deal with frustration.

But after you've felt your feelings—think! If others threaten to drown you sometimes....are you ready to swim?"

[gnomercy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a review on the entire series.

Assassination Classroom is about class 3-E, the End Class of their junior high. It’s a manga, so it’s set in Japan, and originally written in Japanese (but I obviously read a translation). One day, a super creature arrives at their school and they are all tasked with one job: kill your teacher before March of next year, otherwise he will destroy the Earth.

It is a lot like any other manga you’d see out there. There’s a lot of sexual jokes and it can be overdramatic at times, but I think what the author did very well was develop his characters. There were a lot of the (twenty-eight students, and three teachers) to read about, and the secondary characters had distinct personalities. The main students had amazing growth, too. I mean, Karma was an absolute bitch in the first volume, but now he’s really matured. Nagisa, as well. At first, you think he’s extremely weak and frail, but then you realise that is actually his strength. He seems extremely overpowered, but I think the author did an amazing job of being very realistic with his abilities as an assassin. There were people he couldn’t defeat, but people he absolutely wrecked.

There’s a lot that happened that lead to Koro-Sensei, the super creature, to be their teacher, and why they needed to kill him. You’re kept in the dark for a while, but once you find out what truly happened it makes a bit more sense. If you’re really picky about realism in books though then maybe stay away from this one.

I don’t read manga at all, and I grew out of my short anime phase ages ago. But this story will always have a special place in my heart, and the ending will always make me cry. Yes, there are about a million things that can be improved (firstly, Ms Vitch was such a badass and now she just trails after Mr Karasuma. Like, their relationship was cute at first but I loved Ms Vitch in the beginning. Can she go back to being a badass please? Also, why are all the girls in the class not as powerful as the boys? That’s something that’s ticked me off every time I read it) but I still love this series. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because if you hit me with amazing characters and their arcs I will become a fan lol. I don’t know, but I do know this is a pretty good manga. I recommend it to people who read a lot of this kind of stuff, and if you’re new, this is a good second or third manga/anime series to enjoy.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Assassantion Classroom, written by Yūsei Matsui; What a great conclusion to a Manga Series! The growth between characters, multiple twists and turns slowly pushing the story in many directions ending with the main driving problem finally being resolved. On many accounts they’re unexpected character developments and I love that, you can’t really trust a character until they’ve had their background explained. Very smooth motion of the book, events don’t feel rushed and unfinished, and the timeline doesn’t feel fast; everything just moves nicely with each other. My favorite quote from volume 21 has got to be “Kill me, huh? And yet it looks like you’ve never killed someone before”. It really shows a loop in the story in a way, how the student trying to kill the teacher, became the teacher teaching other students to kill him. I love everything about this and it is the best part of the ending to this absolutely beautiful series.
Not everything about this book is relatively good, I’ll admit they’re some parts that don’t fit quite right with the story; and I feel like there are some plots that could have just been left out. People can have different opinions on this, so I’ll try to stay subjective. I think the overall series as a whole was brilliant and doesn’t lack in anything, but there can be some moments of filler, where the story isn’t really moving in one direction.
My take on this Manga series is, I think it is a very good story and tells a quite interesting idea of student vs teacher in a literal sense. I highly recommend this story to any fellow manga readers to go check it out!

[Lila Cyclist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Menyimpan volume 21 untuk menangis bersama anak2 kelas 3E itu ternyata salah. Puncak drama ada di volume sebelumnya ternyata hahaha... Tapi ngga papa. Saya tetap puas dengan akhir 'memuaskan' dari kisah ini, meski yah, sosok Koro sensei tidak akan pernah terlupakan.

Ditutup dengan kelas 3E yang dilanda kesedihan sejak kepergian Koro sensei, saya juga ikut sedih, hikssss, ditambah dengan bundelan buku nasihat yang lebih bantal daripada bantal menunjukkan betapa kasih sayang Koro sensei pada masing-masing individu di kelas 3E itu begitu besar.

Oya, kisah Koro sensei telah selesai di beberapa chapter awal volume ini, tapi sosok tengilnya masih nongol banyak disini. Dan itu sangat menyenangkan sekaligus perpisahan Koro sensei pada pembacanya dengan sangat manis. Kabar para murid setelah beberapa tahun sepeninggal mereka di kelas pembunuhan itu juga sangat melegakan, terutama Nagisa dan Akabane, murid favorit saya dan mungkin Koro sensei juga.

Aaahhhh.... perjalanan cukup panjang bersama Classroom Assasination ini sangat menyenangkan. Dan ketika sudah sampai di volume terakhir, rasanya sayaaang untuk berpisah. Semoga segera menemukan seri yang semenyenangkan, sehangat, semengharukan, selucu, setegang, seharu, dan se se lainnya dengan seri ini.

Otsukaresama, Yusei Matsui sensei...

[Nate]

This is a review for the whole series. Assassination Classroom hasn’t really been on my radar, but when I saw my library had all volumes digitally (and since access to physical library books is still somewhat limited) I figured I’d take the plunge. And I’m glad I did... or rather, I became glad I did. See, the first half of the series (at least) was a slog to get through for me. There was little plot progression and a lot of manga tropes I’m not a fan of. I was more or less on board with the wacky premise, even if it felt like Matsui was coasting on premise at the expense of story, but I only kept going because I’d heard the ending was great. And it sure is. The final six volumes or so are when the story finally kicks into high gear, while the actual ending is about as perfect as can be. Flashbacks, character development, and emotions are all reserved for these last volumes. What started as a goofy, left-field story where suspension of disbelief was needed at all times turned into a heartwarming tale about a teacher and his students. Go figure.

Still, the majority of Assassination Classroom was just okay to me. Like I said, I had to push myself to get to the end. Readers who are deeper into manga will almost surely like it more I did. But the ending saved the series for me, and left me satisfied. I have to give it to Matsui for that.

[eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh. my. gosh. literally 7 out of 5 stars. 2 extra because it was just that good. I love a series with a simple idea that just expands into something so much more complicated. this series was about the alien Koro-sensei destroys 70% of the moon and threatens to destroy Earth in a year unless his students in Class 3-E can kill him before graduation. at first i thought it was a little big corney and stuff but oh. my gosh. this literally left a hole inside my heart. this was the saddest thing i’ve ever seen. koro sensei is literally the best teacher ever and he was a father figure to all of the students. when they had to choose if they wanted to kill him or to save him at the end, that BROKE me😭 i will never get over his death because it’s just something that sticks with you forever. when he was doing his last role call i broke out in tears. this show has like so many important messages and i think literally anyone who reads/watches this will be a changed person afterwards. yeah it was a little slow in the beginning but i am just so glad i decided to continue. this made me cry so much😭

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Time to Say Thank You' is the last volume in the Assassination Classroom series. It follows the students of Class 3-E after they've completed the task of killing Koro Sensei. You see how they've grown 5 years into the future, including the other two teacher assassins who grew to love Koro too.

I wanted more chapters to flesh out their new lives but I'm glad we got what we did. The rest of the book is filled with one off stories. I skimmed through them since I wasn't very interested in them. I have completely loved this series and i will recommend it to anyone looking for a new manga series that's finished.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content warnings: violence, death of a loved one, grief

Look, I'm not going to lie, this was a little rushed for my liking, but it WAS a satisfying conclusion to a series I have absolutely adored over the course of the past few months. I loved that this doesn't deal with the immediate aftermath and instead throws us into the future to see what the kids of class 3-E are doing with their lives down the track and the impact that Koro Sensei continues to have on them.

The bonus content that pads out this volume was........fine? But nothing special for me. And in some ways, it kind of took away from the impact of the ending to Assassination Classroom. But that may be a Me Thing.

[Kadie Westley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I cried. That ending was emotional. I loved this series from start to end. I loved the story throughout, the development of each character, the art style. This manga is so unique and bizarre but it works so well in the universe it is in.

This series as a whole was incredible. It brought me so much joy. I’m sad it’s over but it just means I can buy the Koro Sensei figure, buy and watch the anime and films!

[Ochi · Rating 4 out of 5]

idk what i hoped for.. but this ending.. i feel lost, and empty.

im so happy for them and Matsui sensei really give it all for this manga, but i just hope that i know that kuro sensei was really happy.

anw, what a rollercoaster plot, i cant remember what last manga can make me sobbing hard like this, good job.

[Emmelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You saw me plenty of times before yesterday, didn't you? Did I look like I was holding myself back?”

”Heh...I suppose not. You've been quite the free spirit.”

”Winter break will be over soon and I will return to the classroom. I've lived my life to the fullest there. I'll have no regrets - no matter what sort of graduation I face... I want you to live your life to the fullest too, with Hotaru. Please don't forget that your life has value”.

[Utha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, ternyata buku ini diterbitin juga. Seneng baca kisah kehidupan para murid kelas E setelah ditinggal Pak Koro... :)