MANGA TITLE: Assassination Classroom vol. 20
RELEASE DATE: February 2018 (USA Release Date)
STORY AND ART BY: Yusei Matsui (松井優征)
FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: Shueisha, Inc.
PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media, LLC
RATED: T for Older Teen
As the group celebrates the birthday of Koro-sensei, his old student Yanigawa brings a monstrous creature to kill Koro-sensei and become the new Koro-sensei!
It’s the penultimate volume of Yusei Matsui’s hit manga series, “Assassination Classroom”!
What is “Assassination Classroom” all about?
In 2012, mangaka Yusei Matsui created the manga series “Assassination Classroom” (Ansatsu Kyoshitsu).
Matsui, who was known for the manga series “Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro” and also was a former assistant of mangaka, Yoshio Sawai, would eventually create one of the best selling manga series in the past few years.
Serialized in “Weekly Shonen Jump”, a total of 12 volumes have been collected into Tankobon format and the first volume has had over one million copies printed and was on the list for best-selling manga in 2013. Came second in Media Factory’s “Book of the Year” and won the #1 position for “2014 Kono Manga ga Sugoi!” voted by male readers for Takarajimasha.
With an anime adaptation in Japan to debut in 2015, the English translated version was released in the United States in Dec. 2014
The series begins by introducing us to a powerful alien creature that destroyed 70% of the moon, making it a crescent moon forever. The alien has said that within a year, he will destroy the Earth but he does give mankind a chance to prevent it.
Having special speed and quick reflexes, with a number of tentacles like an octopus, the alien known as Koro-sensei, becomes a teacher for the lowly class 3-E at the prestigious Kunugigaoka Junior High School.
Government worker Tadaomi Karasuma tells the entire class 3-E what problems they are facing and how Koro-sensei will destroy the Earth. But the deal the alien made with the government and military is that if he is assassinated before the end of the year, he will spare Earth. So, Tadaomi Karasuma announces that the focus of class 3-E is to kill their homeroom teacher.
And Koro-sensei is hoping the students can do it..but can they?
In volume 20, it’s the second to final volume as Koro-sensei’s old student Yanagiwa brings back a monstrous creature to become the new Koro-sensei.
The toughest battle that Koro-sensei has ever faced but how will this battle end and how will it lead into the finale!
We have seen the students within Class 3-E grow. Grow as friends, grow as assassins, even seeing their own respect for their alien teacher. And each time they have tried to assassinate Koro-sensei, they would lose, thanks to Koro-sensei’s super speed.
But part of what makes Koro-sensei so quick and powerful is the use of his tentacles. And through failure, the class have grown adept in their ways of assassination.
And for one of their best students, Nagisa Shiota, he may seem weak and also feminine, but he is one of Koro-sensei’s top students and what will happen when Nagisa and Mr. Takaoka finally square off against each other once again.
In this 20th volume, Koro-sensei takes on his old student, who has brought a tentacled, evil creature to kill him and become the new Koro-sensei. But as this battle rages on, Koro-sensei must do what he can to protect his students from harm. But can he fight and protect at the same time?
While I want to say more about this manga, I sincerely can’t because it is the penultimate issue leading to the next final volume. This volume is one you DO NOT WANT TO MISS!
Readers who have stuck with this manga series for the long haul and are expecting closure will be pleased with how Matsui Yusei has decided to create an action-packed storyline which leads into the final volume.
Overall, this is an important volume for “Assassination Classroom” fans! Recommended!