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bogdan » classroom of the elite

12:19 am on Nov 29, 2023 | read the article | tags: muvis

as a self-proclaimed relic of the past, venturing into the realm of new anime often feels like a gamble. i’m ancient in the eyes of my peers, but once in a while, a series breaks through the age barrier. enter Classroom of the Elite – an exception that’s managed to retain my attention amidst the generational shift.

one gripe i’ve developed with contemporary anime is the excessive use of CGI. the hand-drawn essence, synonymous with anime for me, seems lost. however, Classroom of the Elite sidesteps this issue with finesse. the animation remains crisp, seamlessly integrating CGI elements. the characters’ nuanced expressions, complemented by unique eye designs, draw you in. and let’s not forget the fan service, a context provider for some of the most intense exchanges since the era of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

i’ll confess – i’m not a fan of chess. to me, it’s not a “true” game. enter the realm of poker, a game where predicting opponents’ moves is the key to victory. watching Classroom of the Elite feels like observing a high-stakes poker match. you know who holds the power, but the unpredictability of each move keeps you on edge. it’s a high school hierarchy game where misfits are expected to rise, packed with plot twists that make the journey thrillingly unpredictable.

the series hints at inspirations from ’90s TV like The Pretender. a child prodigy manipulating situations despite an unassuming facade is a trope i’ve seen before. there are echoes of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion too. however, Classroom of the Elite delves deeper into characters’ psyches, blurring the lines between good and bad. The dialogues could easily fit a psychological drama set in a mental hospital, adding layers to the already multifaceted characters.

what caught my attention was its compactness. despite longer episodes, there’s no filler content. it’s so dense with detail that revisiting certain scenes becomes tempting.

but the cherry on top? naming episodes with well-curated quotes from works exploring the human psyche is a stroke of brilliance. it’s a subtle nod, indicating this anime’s true genre – a psychological thriller that keeps viewers hooked episode after episode.