Classroom Of The Elite Season 2 - What We Know So Far
"Classroom of the Elite" is a popular high school drama anime based on the manga and light novels of the same name. Originally created as a light novel series by author Shōgo Kinugasa, "Classroom of the Elite" follows the lives of a handful of high school students attending the bottom-ranked class of Japan's most prestigious academic institution (via Anime News Network). Its protagonist, Kiyotaka Ayanokōji, is secretly a super-genius who purposefully put himself in the school's lowest ranks for an unknown reason. Soon after enrolling, Kiyotaka learns that the school's academic achievements surround sabotage more than education, spurring Kiyotaka to protect him and his friends as they climb up the school's ranks.
The original light novel was first published in 2015, but soon led to adaptations in both manga and anime, the latter of which aired in 2017. As is often the case with anime adaptations, "Classroom of the Elite" was unable to adapt the entirety of its source material. As a result, fans are still waiting for the onset of a second season. Though it may seem unlikely at this point, the show's creators have neglected to officially cancel the series, making room for the show's potential continuation. While this makes information regarding "Classroom of the Elite" Season 2 sparse, there is still much to be said about the show's plot, cast, and potential release date. Here is what we know so far.
When will Classroom of the Elite Season 2 release?
Even after four years, it seems as if the animators of "Classroom of the Elite" animators (Studio Lerche) and its licensors (Funimation and Crunchyroll) have chosen to obstinately remain silent regarding the show's second season. Neither party has elected to make any announcement, and it would not be unreasonable to assume that by this point, "Classroom of the Elite" Season 2 is something that will simply never come to fruition. Still, the lack of any word on the subject at all leaves a glimmer of hope for fans.
Assuming Lerche or the show's licensors do eventually announce another season of "Classroom of the Elite," it could take close to a year (if not more) before the show is finally released. One of Lerche's previous projects, "Assassination Classroom," was announced in April 2015, according to a separate article from Anime News Network. The season itself did not air until January 2016, meaning that "Classroom of the Elite" could take just as long (about eight months) if not longer to complete production.
Who are Classroom of the Elite's characters?
No anime is complete without a cast of strong characters, and "Classroom of the Elite" has its fair share of unique faces. Beyond that of protagonist Kiyotaka Ayanokōji — voiced by Shouya Chiba in Japanese and Justin Briner in English (via Myanimelist) — "Classroom of the Elite" also features several supporting characters. The most notable of these is Suzune Horikita (Akari Kitou/Felecia Angelle), another soft spoken-yet-intelligent student who lands herself in the academy's lowest ranks, and she quickly befriends Kiyotaka. They are joined by Kikyou Kushida (Yurika Kubo/Sarah Wiedenheft), a popular classmate of Suzune and Kiyotaka, who aims to befriend all of her academic peers, especially Suzune.
While many fans are likely fine watching "Classroom of the Elite" in its native Japanese, those who prefer dubs will be delighted to learn that the English dub for this show has historically been released in tandem with its Japanese counterpart. Should "Classroom of the Elite" Season 2 ever be released, fans can likely expect this to continue to be the case. Overall, critics have praised the first season's English dub, especially the work of Justin Briner as Kiyotaka (via Anime News Network).
What is the story of Classroom of the Elite Season 2?
The first season of "Classroom of the Elite" wraps up with Kiyotaka slyly winning the school's "Lord of the Flies-style" survival test by accurately guessing the identities of each class' leaders. In the aftermath of his victory, however, he learns that his father has actively been attempting to get him expelled from the school. Of course, this likely ties into Kiyotaka's unspoken cause for attending the school in the first place. Regardless, Kiyotaka elects to continue studying there no matter what.
Assuming it follows in the footsteps of the first season, "Classroom of the Elite" Season 2 will likely stay at least mostly-faithful to its manga and light novel source materials. Like many other anime adaptations, the show's source material is leagues ahead of the anime in terms of story progression, meaning Lerche has plenty of inspiration to draw from. Viewers are still in the dark about what Kiyotaka's purpose in attending this cutthroat school is. Furthermore, he has yet to truly rise up the ranks in terms of his class' academic success, and it is uncertain how his father's influence might affect this goal. Evidently, these are all plot threads that Lerche is bound to continue if it ever follows through on creating "Classroom of the Elite" Season 2.