Holy fuck what an amazing show.
I was bored a few weeks ago and saw it as one of the highest rated animes on myanimelist. It seemed bizarre, closer to a joke than an actual rating of it.
I gave it a try, and I just finished the last episode. How the hell did this weirdass anime somehow turn out better than almost every show I've ever seen? The second season was even stronger than the first season as well. I didn't think they could capitalize on the end of the first season, but I was proven wrong quickly.
Certain animes (like Death Note) had memorable endings, but the conclusion to it was weak. Assassination Classroom's hiccups were covered successfully, and the march towards the end never felt anticlimatic.
I'm still shocked by how great this show is. The character development, animation, plot, and overall themes taught are all amazing. So many animes stick with the typical 'be a hero' theme or that friends matter, but AC focused on a lot of different values. The flaws in school systems, focusing on helping the weak instead of pretending they don't exist, using one's flaws as their strength, and so much more. I came in expecting a whacky, low budget anime with slapstick comedy, and yet the themes were somehow greater than a lot of other shows.
The anime never tries to eradicate the End class. Instead, it focused on how simply helping them out and acknowleding them leads them to heights they could never reach before. I rarely watch a series and feel completely satisfied with how it ends - hell, Assassination Classroom may be my underdog for one of the top series of all time.
Final rating:
1st season 8.4/10
2nd season 9.8/10
Overall: 9.7/10
