A tentacled teacher threatens to destroy Earth unless his students can assassinate him first.
In short: In the hit manga Assassination Classroom, a mysterious creature obliterates most of the Moon and demands to teach a class of academic outcasts. He offers the Japanese government a deal: he will train his students to kill him before the school year ends, or he will destroy the planet next.
Created by Yusei Matsui and serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 2012 to 2016, the series follows the students of Class 3-E at Kunugigaoka Junior High School. These students are intentionally marginalized by the school administration, facing academic disadvantage and harsh treatment. Their new homeroom teacher, dubbed Koro-sensei, is an incredibly fast, near-indestructible being who possesses superpowers like flight at Mach 20 and accelerated regeneration. Despite the lethal premise, Koro-sensei becomes a dedicated mentor, helping his students improve their grades and personal prospects while they attempt to claim a ¥10 billion government reward for his assassination.
The series achieved massive commercial success, with over 27 million copies in circulation by October 2023. Its popularity spawned numerous adaptations, including a two-season anime, live-action films, and video games. The 2015 live-action film alone grossed over $20 million, ranking as the tenth highest-grossing Japanese film of that year. Critics and readers alike praised the work, leading to various nominations, such as the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize and an Eisner Award nomination for its U.S. edition.
Despite its acclaim, the series has faced significant controversy in the United States. Between 2024 and 2025, it was removed from school libraries at least 54 times, according to a report by PEN America. Challenges have centered on the manga's depiction of violence, particularly gun violence directed at teachers, as well as concerns regarding sexually explicit imagery and the sexualization of minors. These removals have occurred in districts such as the Elmbrook School District in Wisconsin and Gifford Middle School in Florida, highlighting the tension between its status as a celebrated work of fiction and its reception in educational settings.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Assassination Classroom
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