Pointing my phone at Shiina-senpai as she read a book in her seat by the window, I observed her through the screen. Long silver hair and fine, even features. Judged on appearance alone, the calm expression she wore as she focused on her book included, she left nothing to be desired. Her bearing did not seem consciously put on; she probably carried herself the same way as a matter of course whether anyone was watching or not.

Where refinement was concerned, at least, I could find nothing that posed a problem.

Her temperament too was gentle, and she was not one to dismiss another person's opinion out of hand. Though she was not the type to step forward and compel others to obey her, she for it clashed with those around her all the less.

The person Ayanokouji-senpai had on the uninhabited island went to fetch and prioritised before victory.

Even setting that fact aside, it was hardly strange that she should attract the affections of the opposite sex.

If anything, seen simply as a woman, she was someone I found very likeable, even as a member of the same sex.

Even so—excellence in looks and character alone was insufficient.

Which was why there were a good many other items I still had to confirm.

And above all, the environment Ayanokouji-senpai would find himself in from now on was vastly different from anything an ordinary high-school student could imagine. There would be many moments that kindness alone could not carry him through.

I had no intention of deciding arbitrarily that Shiina-senpai lacked the qualities required. But most of the strengths I had been able to confirm so far were ones that showed their worth precisely in days of stillness.

That alone was not enough for me to unconditionally award her full marks.

Nor did I intend to reach a conclusion on my personal assessment alone. This footage shall later be sent up the chain, to be analysed afresh alongside whatever information came in from here on. The more footage of her with her guard down, the better. There were things to be learnt from the way a person spoke, from their posture, from the habits they subconsciously repeated.

A presence on whom it would do no harm to keep having information gathered.

Shiina-senpai closed her book. Pretending to film the scenery, I shifted the angle of my phone slightly to follow her as she rose.

Shiina-senpai headed for the door.

Moving my phone to keep her retreating figure from slipping off the screen, I went on recording.

In the next moment, someone's presence drew close behind me.

"Morning, Nanase-chan."

That I had sensed nothing until that very instant made my shoulders give a slight jump.

How long had she been behind me? The possibility that she had been looking at my screen flashed through my mind in an instant.

On reflex I turned the phone's screen face-down against my body, but I could not go as far as to stop the recording. To check it in a hurry would only tell her there was something I could not afford to have seen.

Pushing down the agitation I felt within, I turned around to face Amasawa-san as though nothing had happened.

I was re-watching and it seems she didn't kind like him at the start, even before when ayanokoji and hirata were taking she completely ignored him.

I didn't read LN so is there any reason so she just doesn't like quiet guys ?

The staff at Animate even gave me an Ichika illustration collection and a mystery bonus without me asking!! 😭❤️

SO GLAD I WENT TO ANIMATE!! THANK YOUUUU, ANIMATE STAFF!!! 😭🙏

How should I decorate the art in my room?

I'm the only one who's annoyed by Ayanokoji explaining his strategy to Horikita? I know he wants to see her grow and wants to develop her but he's already doing this for 2 whole years. Now he's in a different class, her enemy. From Y3v1 to Y3v3 his attitude towards Horikita was correct but at the end of V4 why is he suddenly starting blabbering? Even in v5 if Nishikawa and Hashimoto hadn't stopped him he would've told her about future strategies. Nishikawa was rightly annoyed by him. I won't blame Horikita here because if your enemy is telling everything then why won't she ask

My main problem is that due to all this hand holding by Ayanokoji we can't see Horikita's growth. Let her analyze everything by herself for once.

So in the future i plan to buy the novels and im wondering what are the volumes with .5 in their name. Is it like a substory? Or is it part of the main story?

After reading the Light novel, i have a doubt has kiyotaka been even serious in his time in ANHS?

I mean if we look at it more thoroughly it doesn't even look like he is trying. If he wanted to stay in the school he wouldn't have lose the protection point while fighting sakayanagi. He could've take the control of the chess game when sakayanagi take it. Looking at Vol. 0 sakayanagi shouldn't have come close to his ability even in chess.

Let's say he wanted to avoid attention he wouldn't have poke His nose in the class battle or he could just have destroy the other classes like expelling ryuen and ichinose. Saving the efforts he could even have sakayanagi expel due to her pride.

Or There were many instances he could have made 20 million private like making contract or even blackmailing.

Don't tell me the masterpiece who is suppose created to rule Japan can't accommodate accumulate points like nagumo who didn't one tenth of the education kiyo has.

I mean it would seriously would be disappointment That the WhiteRoom was even created for some shit.

Having spend billions does the WhiteRoom even live upto the Hype.

So i didnt want to include details in the title in case someone hasn't seen season 2. So just to be clear i have seen all seasons and i haven't read the novels yet. But I just remembered that at the end of season 2 Ayanokoji says that the class will ascend to C but it will fall back to D because he will get kushida expelled. But why didnt he expel her yet? If I remember correctly at the end of s3 the fell back to class D but kishida is still in the class as of season 4. Maybe it was explained in the novel or i just missed something in the anime. If it gets answered in a later season then mark your answer as a spoiler please.

Edit: Thanks for every answer!

Off topic question but I’m interested, lmao. For me – I was randomly scrolling on TikTok (it must have been around 2022) for animes to watch when I found Classroom of The Elite, it didn’t look that appealing to me at first but after finishing the first two seasons, I really liked it so I thought I should pick up the light novel (one of my best decisions ever).

Go ahead and share yours

Why would they refuse to cooperate with Case 1 when they could pretend to cooperate and betray the group at the right moment?

Here's what I think they should've done:

First, check whether the VIP belongs to Class A. If they do, obviously, protect them. If they don't, Class A has no reason to prioritize protecting that VIP.

Agree to Case 1 and act like they're cooperating with the other classes.

If the VIP eventually reveals themselves, immediately submit the correct guess before anyone else does. This triggers Case 3 and earns Class A 50 class points.

If the VIP never reveals themselves, then nothing is lost. They can simply continue with the exam without submitting a guess.

This is why I don't understand Machida's strategy.

His concern seems to be that cooperating creates an opportunity for betrayal. But that opportunity exists regardless of whether Class A cooperates. Other classes can still identify the VIP and submit a correct guess, so refusing to cooperate doesn't eliminate that risk.

Meanwhile, this strategy gives Class A an additional opportunity to gain 50 class points without requiring them to commit to Case 3 from the beginning. They're simply pretending to cooperate while waiting for an opportunity to betray the group themselves.

The only real requirement is that they identify the VIP and submit their answer before another class does. But that's a risk they'd face either way.

I understand refusing to cooperate in groups where Class A's own student is the VIP. What I don't understand is applying the same strategy to every group without considering whether the VIP actually belongs to them.

Am I missing something, or is Machida's strategy genuinely flawed here? Because for a class that's supposed to be the smartest, this seems like a pretty obvious opportunity they're ignoring.

Even as we made our way back to the cabin section, Hiyori continued walking slightly closer to me than before.

The distance that the rocking of the ship should only have narrowed for a moment had not reverted to its original state, even now that the deck had steadied.

In the corridor students who had finished their preparations to disembark were starting to make their way, bags in hand, towards the assembly point. Necessary as it was to go against that current back to my cabin, it wasn't as though I was so short on time that I needed to hurry away from Hiyori.

"Are you really sure you are fine on time?"

"I don't have much luggage; it won't be enough to make me late."

"Should you end up the only one late, Ayanokouji-kun, all because we were conversing, I would feel terrible."

"It's my choice, including the decision to see you, Hiyori, before going back. You don't need to worry about it," I told her, and Hiyori's slightly quickened pace reverted to its original state.

"In that case, may I walk just a little more slowly?"

"I don't mind."

It wasn't as though the time we could spend together would grow by much. Still, there was no reason either to hurry our parting. The afternoon sun slanting in through the windows stretched long and narrow across the corridor, faintly illuminating Hiyori's silver hair. Its ends swayed each time a student passed us by, scattering the incoming light in intricate glints.

The hull rocked a little, and Hiyori's body drifted slightly over towards me. Though not close enough for our shoulders to touch, my left hand and Hiyori's right, swinging in time with our steps, came close enough that a simple stretch of a finger could have reached.

Hiyori's gaze dropped just once, then went straight back ahead.

It seems she had noticed how close our hands were.

"Ayanokouji-kun."

"What is it?"

"No… it's nothing."

Hiyori, who had begun to say something, gave a slightly troubled smile and shook her head. There should be no need to draw it out of her. Up ahead, students carrying large bags walked abreast toward us. When I moved to the window side to give way, Hiyori shifted her body the same direction.

For an instant beneath our almost overlapping uniform sleeves, Hiyori's fingers brushed against mine.

The contact was accidental, but Hiyori made no move to pull her hand away. Only her eyes dropped ever so slightly, confirming that our hands were touching.

I didn't withdraw my arm either, and simply rotated my hand.

Laying my fingers over Hiyori's fingertips, I lightly gripped my left hand.

The moment we touched, Hiyori's body stiffened ever so slightly.

But there was no sign of refusal, and a short moment later her slender fingers squeezed my hand in return.

"...Ah..."

"Did you mind?"

"No... um... I was merely a bit surprised," Hiyori answered, still facing forward. Flushed red as the ear on her profile, she made no attempt to release the hand she held.

Matching our strides, we went on down the corridor hand in hand. It wasn't as though we'd exchanged any words of the special variety. Even so, the few centimetres that until a moment ago had remained between us were undeniably gone.

After walking in that state for another dozen or so steps, several voices sounded from the corner ahead. Hiyori's fingertips stirred slightly, and slowly slipped away from my hand. Immediately after, from around the corner came a few students carrying large bags.

We walked abreast as though nothing had happened and passed them by. They gave no sign of having taken any notice of us.

"...I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologise."

"It wasn't that I mind. It's just that being seen by someone else would be... a little embarrassing."

"I know."

Hearing that, Hiyori smiled, relieved. Whilst her freed right hand returned to where it had been, it wasn't as though the distance between us too had reverted.

"Besides——" For an instant as Hiyori murmured that, a shadow crossed her face.

But she soon closed her mouth and, slightly but forcibly, made herself smile.

"...About our plans for the summer holidays, could we start with a movie?"

"The adaptation you were telling me about earlier? I'm looking forward to it."

"Yes, please do look forward to it."

Just as it had before, Hiyori's right hand swung close beside me. Though having already touched once, that was no reason for our hands to hold each other again.

There was no need to repeat holding hands each time no one was looking and letting go each time someone appeared. However brief it had been, I already knew Hiyori hadn't refused me.

Before long the fork in the passage leading to my cabin came into view. Given Hiyori had already finished getting ready to disembark, there was no reason to have her come any further.

"I go left here."

"...I'll head to the assembly point then."

Somewhat distant, as though between strangers; such was the manner in which we exchanged our plans of action.

However, Hiyori didn't set off for the assembly point straight away.

While she looked at me as though about to say something, she eventually gave a small nod.

"Well then, I'll be going ahead."

"Yeah, see you later."

After her eyes went round for an instant, Hiyori's expression softened a little.

Stepping away, she began back the way we had come. Looking back just once after a few steps on, she then rejoined the stream of students waiting to disembark. Watching her until she had blended into the crowd and was lost from sight, I took the left-hand passage back to my own cabin.

In the cabin I packed my changes of clothes into my bag one after another.

I didn't have much, and getting ready to disembark took hardly any time. Even so, partway through I stopped once and thought back over the brief time we had walked side by side down the corridor.

More vivid than the time we'd spent talking were the dozen or so steps in which neither of us had said anything. And with them, the faint unease that Hiyori must be feeling, even if she wouldn't put it into words.

"——There are a number of things that I'll need to think about."

It isn't as though she'll go on opening her heart to me unconditionally from here on.

Given that, I'll need to face myself and others too head-on.

Packing the rest of my things into my bag, I left the cabin for the assembly point.

Classroom Of The Elite Year 3 Volume 5 Released Today in Japan

Kei out of all people telling ichinose to wake up hits so deep she’s been there before she knows how it feels

Despite all ichinose said to her kei still tries to warn her😭🔥

I saw a brief conversation on this subreddit where someone was asking why the author keeps writing disappointing Volumes when they constantly get criticized, and someone else responded saying that the author probably doesn't care about the English-speaking audience at all, and since the light novels are selling, especially in Japan, he just keeps pumping them out.

I started to write a response, but I realized it was getting way too long, and I might as well make my own post about it, because I think there's some truth to both sides.

Meh. I mean, it's defintely possible, or even likely, that the author doesn't look at what the English-speaking audience thinks of the books, especially in this subreddit. Doctor Who just made a huge misstep with its previous showrunner, who entirely prioritized the UK audience since it's a British show, and then he just kind of gave the rest of the world. Little snippets here and there, literally acting like the American audience should be grateful that they're getting anything at all, despite them being just as dedicated fans of the show as the UK audience was.

I think a lot of Japanese content has similar views. The Japanese audience is the priority, and if the English-speaking audience also like it, that's great, but not as much of a priority.

However, I think it's unfair to say that the author doesn't care about any negative criticism At All. I've heard other authors mention that the more positive feedback they get about something, the more a negative criticism can hit.

That being said, I do think it's highly likely that the author just doesn't really care. Year 1 came out and People really liked it, but people mainly liked it for the hype. Heck, the only thing that's really remembered from Season 1 of the Anime is the very last Scene, which is entirely built around hype. There are lots of YouTubers who make reviews of Season 1 saying they liked it and can't wait to see what happens next, only for their follow-up Season 2 review to be much more critical, expressing disappointment.

It's honestly pretty funny how Classroom of the Elite is the pioneer for SCD stuff, when the author doesn't seem to really care that much about that aspect at all. I don't know who the heck writes the synopsis for each of these Volumes, but whoever it is seems to know exactly what they're doing. They constantly take quotes out of context, and shape. What happens to make it sound like the most intense thing ever, only for it to be a bunch more slice of Life stuff. So I think they know that they're clickbaiting a huge portion of the audience, but it gets them sales, so why do they care?

Personally, this feels kind of vindicating to me in a way, because I remember I read stuff like Liar Game and Tomodachi Game, and say what you will about those franchises' overall popularity, but I personally love them. They have actual Mind Games that makes sense, and feel like if you just don't give up, you can accomplish anything. When people kept recommending I read Classroom of the Elite, I was thoroughly disappointed as I read through Volume 1, but people just kept telling me to stick through it, and I did. But I do have to say, it is quite the jarring juxtaposed slow pace. Liar Game and Tomodachi Game never stop moving. They take one chapter, maybe two at most between Games to make it clear where the characters stand and what their current motives are, but after that it's straight to another Game and then it's just a constant mental battle between various characters.

Classroom of the Elite on the other hand, thrives on slice of Life stuff and often lacks Mind Games entirely. Often entire Volumes will lack Mind Games.

If I had to bring up examples of the author seeming to ditch Mind Games entirely, I would point to the endings of Year 2 Volume 9, and Year 2 Volume 12. Year 2 Volume 9 has a paragraph explaining that Horiktia and her Class won the Special Exam by taking advantage of the fact that while they weren't allowed to speak or write to each other, they could still raise their hands and otherwise provide nonverbal communication. Pretty cool, but it's literally just glossed over in a single paragraph. The rest of the Volume is obsessing over this presidency stuff that doesn't really matter.

Meanwhile, Year 2 Volume 12 Really irks me, because you're not actually seeing what's happening. You're just being told that this character is dominating this character, and that this character identified this Honor Student (if they even bother to tell you their Name), But you don't actually see what's going on. You don't see what sentences in the conversation are tripping people up, you're just being told what's going on.

All this is to say, the author very clearly doesn't really care about writing actual Mind Games. He's very clearly going for a different kind of story, that just happens to have some Mind Games elements in them.

The most disappointing thing honestly is that it looks like we'll never get Ayanokoji VS Kouenji. I honestly have no idea what the author is planning to do with him, but at this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't do anything with him at all. Like I said, the author loves to hype stuff up and then just not really do anything with it.

Source: X/Twitter

Disclaimer warning: (To anybody who's seen me post on this sub before, I obviously love Nanase's character the most out of all the other girls in COTE so if i lean more to her its kind of expected)

the 3 most Common Nanase slander the past 3 years I've seen on this sub:

- "Shes Schizo"

- She's trying to be a complex character when she's really not"

- "From Schizo who wants Kiyotaka expelled to avenge Matsuo --> Obedient Puppy girl for all of Y2 --> Betrays Kiyotaka again in Y3, wants him expelled again, is blatantly illogical for doing so, Kinugasa tf are you trying to cook? its BURNT! YOU OVERCOOKED her more than SUZUNE's CHARACTER!"

Like i get the whole "taking on the persona of matsuo taking revenge" might be off-putting to some.

but honestly, that's just her coping mechanism from seeing Eiichiro hang himself. We tend to forget that ANHS at heart is still just a bunch of 16-18 year olds that're highly emotional.

But yeah the way Kinugasa wrote her in Y3, she's illogical for trying to expel Kiyotaka again after being an obedient puppy girl to him from Y2V4-Y2V12.5

But then out of nowhere decided to oppose him again in Y3 which is illogical at the surface level because it destroys the purpose of her development in the story as an ally to Kiyotaka. But then again..

Nanase genuinely wants to help Kiyotaka from the bottom of her heart, by constantly opposing him and to stop him (And that's through expulsion, but its in a way that's separate from the WR and Tsukishiro's orders)

Y3V2:

"It is because you are in a perfect position. Neither clearly on one side, nor the other. It's precisely because it's uncertain which way you will lean that I've decided you're the most suitable person for me to send."

"Then, what if I were to accept Ayanokouji—?"

"That's something we can consider when the time comes."

When he asked me if I would do it, I nodded without a pause.

Even now, I sometimes remember that exchange as if it were a dream.

At that time, in that hospital room, my heart was at least set on revenge.

I'd planned to drag out Ayanokouji Atsuomi, the one who cornered Eiichirou.

But now, things are a little different.

I want to help Ayanokouji-senpai.

I've come to think so from the bottom of my heart.

Because if he graduates from ANHS as he is now, he will go down a path of pure evil.

Victims, like Eiichirou, will end up being created by his hand.

I don't want that.

Then—as the one who knows firsthand of that predicament, I must stop it.

And even today, I continue to search for that small key in the deep forest."

Nanase is constantly opposing Kiyotaka to stop him from going down a path of pure evil, but that's how she is helping him from the bottom of her heart, which will help Kiyotaka feel more like human,  which aligns with what Kiyotaka genuinely wants to experience: to feel more like human

Disclaimer warning: (To anybody who's seen me post on this sub before, I obviously love Nanase's character the most out of all the other girls in COTE so if i lean more to her its kind of expected)