Classroom of the Elite’s final arc had its second major misstep this week, as it attempted to pull off a structural trick that really stretched the limits of its aesthetic capabilities. Visual storytelling isn’t just garnish – your show’s ability to convey information outside of dialogue inherently dictates your dramatic range, and “slowly building pressure cooker” is well outside Classroom’s tool set. Still, I guess I have to give the show props for trying something different.

You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below.

Time to move the girls’ tents away! Hirata and Ayanokoji are chosen for the project

The big issue here is that this particular conflict isn’t interesting at all. The panty thief stuff is just not a compelling conflict

Ibuki straight-up acknowledges she’s the primary thief suspect, which is good. The smarter the show lets its side characters be, the more satisfying its drama will be

Ayanokoji goes back to find whatever Ibuki buried

“You should stop assuming everyone has a hidden devious side.” A very ripe line coming from Ayanokoji. He also said he trusted Ibuki, which was a flat lie

Horikita calls him out on this, which is nice

Horikita actually has a fever

A storm approaches on Day 6

“Ike’s become quite reliable”

Kushida’s jealous of Horikita’s closeness to Ayanokoji

Yamauchi just… puts mud on Horikita’s head? What the fuck

This episode’s mostly just been a lot of hemming and hawing so far

Serious fanservice with Horikita washing

And of course, it amplifies her fever

The show’s incredibly bland music and lukewarm shot framing are preventing this episode from being the dramatic build it strives for

The key card got stolen

Someone burned the manual

Hirata almost loses it, and needs a push from Ayanokoji

The turning weather works pretty nicely

It is nice how much of a Horikita episode this turned out to be

Some reasonable animation for this fight scene!