The Forgotten Sci-Fi Comedy Anime You Can Binge On Hulu
There comes a time, in pretty much every genre, where the audience becomes so familiar with the tropes that creators can have a little fun with expectations. Anime, for instance, is often home to super-powered beings, who are able to summon ungodly amounts of strength to defeat any bad guy — so, then, it was only a matter of time until something like One-Punch Man came along, to make fun of the likes of Dragon Ball and superheroes in general. And when it comes to monsters threatening to destroy the world, the underrated Assassination Classroom takes the concept in a bold, new direction.
The setup for the series involves a yellow tentacled creature named Koro-sensei who destroys the Moon, and threatens to do the same to Earth in one year's time. However, he gives humanity an out — he will serve as a grade school teacher to underperforming youngsters in the hopes of giving them some ideas of how they can destroy him, instead. Along the way, not only will the kids become master assassins, but they may learn a thing or two about themselves, as well.
It's a fun concept made all the more ridiculous by the fact the central creature in question looks like a cross between an emoji and an octopus. If you missed Assassination Classroom the first time around, when it came out in 2015, then you can still catch every episode (as either subs or dubs) on Hulu. And here's why it's worth your time.
Assassination Classroom offers lighthearted action to keep you invested for roughly 50 episodes
Assassination Classroom is a story that has to meet a deadline. After all, Koro-sensei has given the planet one year to figure out a way to kill him, so this isn't a story that can go on for years on end, in the same vein as One Piece. Fortunately, the show covers a lot of ground over the course of its two seasons, and while it may start off as kind of goofy, it gradually evolves into something incredibly sophisticated. By the end of the show's run, you may just realize that Koro-sensei is the best teacher this side of John Keating.
Upon first glance, it's easy to assume the most surprising thing about this show is that the students take a big smiling yellow ball seriously, but it's all the more astonishing to see Koro-sensei actually go out of his way to help the students excel in every aspect of their lives. For example, the second episode shows the monster teaching one wannabe athlete how to throw a baseball effectively, and while it sounds silly, it's actually heartwarming to see someone actually go out of their way to help kids everyone else has given up on.
There are plenty of moments throughout these two seasons that will make you laugh, or get your adrenaline pumping, particularly as you see one of the best anime fights ever play out. Outside of all that, though, don't be surprised if the show brings up some emotions you weren't expecting, as best expressed in L.B. Bryant's review of the series: "Assassination Classroom is a moving coming of age story that will leave you gasping for air as the tears flow during the final episodes." Assassination Classroom may be underseen, but it's certainly not underappreciated.