This is a review in two parts. Assassination Classroom was an anime of two seasons, finishing in spring 2016. It was based on a manga by Yūsei Matsui with a story of everyday things that happen to everyday people, like a monster that destroys most of the moon promising to do the same to the Earth unless the class of junior high school children he becomes the teacher of can kill him before 365 days are up. You know, every day stuff. There are two problems with the plan; Koro-sensei is extremely difficult to kill, and he becomes the best teacher these kids have ever had.
This is a story originally told over forty-seven episodes (and one OVA packaged with the Season One Blu-ray), and centres on Nagisa Shiota, originally the weakest of the class, and his typical shōnen rise and growth. It’s a great story, as wacky as it sounds, and the ensemble cast are interesting, if familiar. Koro-sensei is a delightfully bizarre character, and original Japanese voice artist Jun Fukuyama is clearly having a great time in the role. The friendship between Nagisa and bad boy Karma Akabane tugs at the heartstrings, and is as central to the story as any threat to destroy the Earth.
Assassination Classroom: The Movie – 365 Days’ Time is a ninety-minute compilation of the original anime. Distilling eighteen hours of action and story into ninety minutes is a challenge, and while the finished article certainly gives a flavour of the story – its main plot points, important exposition, and most explosive action scenes are included – it all feels a bit slight. Compilation movies are a thing in anime, but they usually only have to reduce a single cour (eleven to thirteen episodes) into their running time. Squeezing so much in makes 365 Days’ Time disjointed and jumpy, and if the viewer were not aware of what they were watching it could be a disappointing and disorienting experience.
The two-disc set includes the Funimation English dub and a commentary track with English dub director Apphia Yu, and actors Sonny Strait and Austin Tindle.
If you’re after an overview of what seems like a great two-season anime, then Assassination Classroom: The Movie – 365 Days’ Time is a good way to save seventeen hours of your valuable time, but to fully experience the year-long journey of Koro-sensei, Nagisa, Karma, and the rest, you may want to invest in the full season collections, available from all good stores.
Extras: Video Commentary, Promo Videos, Trailers
ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM: THE MOVIE – 365 DAYS’ TIME / CERT 12 / DIRECTOR: SEIJI KISHI / SCREENPLAY: MAKOTO UEZU / STARRING: SONNY STRAIT, CHRIS RYAN, MARTHA HARMS, AUSTIN TINDLE / RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 17TH
