Assassination Classroom is one of the most unique stories ever told in the history of Shonen manga. Yusei Matsui’s work can be considered a masterclass on building something big by starting with something small and simple.
While Koro-sensei is the standout character in this manga, the creation process of this character was pretty simple. He wanted to create a character that was simple to draw and easy to replicate.
This simplicity of Koro-sensei’s character allowed Yusei Matsui to explore several complex issues related to mental health and education in a way that no one has been able to.
3-E is not your regular classroom
The premise of Assassination Classroom is nothing short of absurd. A mysterious, unkillable creature starts to serve as the homeroom teacher for a classroom full of misfits. Known affectionately by his students as Koro-sensei, he is not your typical instructor (as if that wasn’t obvious already).
Koro-sensei was once an unkillable legendary assassin. He offered to become a teacher, saying that if the government allowed him to teach a class, his students could try to assassinate him.
Thus, he was appointed as the homeroom teacher for Class 3-E of the Kunugigaoka Junior High School. During class hours, he would educate students on various topics, and during the rest of the time, students would try to assassinate him.
Thus, Class 3-E became the Assassination Classroom (Ah! Ah! He said it! He said it!).
While the premise of the story is pretty weird and absurd, nothing is more absurd than Koro-sensei. He is a yellow octopus-like creature with a simple face who lacks any kind of intricate joints and anatomical details found in a human.
When asked about this design in an interview with Barnes and Noble, he had this to say:
…I knew going into a new manga that it had to be simple. Simple, simple, simple. The simpler it is, the more universally things are communicated…
This is by far the best koro sensei face
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Just as he had predicted, everyone loved Koro-sensei’s design. The various faces he made, his skin changing color according to his emotions, and his smiley demeanor entertained everyone.
But this design, other than being funny and easy to draw, served a much deeper purpose.
Koro-sensei: Assassination Classroom’s blank canvas
For a regular reader, Assassination Classroom may seem like a great anime with a good story, but for someone who reads between the lines like us, the characters of Koro-sensei and Class 3-E serve a deeper purpose.
Class 3-E of Assassination Classroom is a microcosm for broader societal challenges. Not believing us? Let us show you.
Class 3-E is made up of students who are deemed “misfits” and who are not prodigies in academics. These students are separated from the entire school, and even the teachers do not care for them. But when a teacher like Koro-sensei enters the scene, their academics start to improve.
The students get smarter, happier, and confident in themselves. It shows us that that even a “misfit” can achieve greatness, provided, they get the right guidance.
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Koro-sensei is a brilliant teacher, and his character design is a metaphor for the deeper and harsher lessons one must learn in life. Just as how a simple shape can create complex patterns in nature, it can also be used to create a complex commentary on life, as Yusei Matsui did with Assassination Classroom.
His minimalistic design mirrors his qualities as a teacher. He is uncomplicated and is unburdened by overly complex emotions. He is a teacher, plain and simple.
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Through his unorthodox teaching methods, Yusei posed a question about the values of the education system and proved that sometimes the best lessons are learned most unexpectedly.
By creating something simple and easy to draw, Yusei Matsui created a narrative filled with nuance and depth.
Assassination Classroom and Koro-sensei are truly a testament to the power of character design and storytelling. Yusei Matsui’s initial goal of wanting to create a simple character unintentionally changed into a character that helped him positively portray the complicated themes of education.
Assassination Classroom is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
