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Assassination Classroom season 2
Episode 17

by Paul Jensen,

How would you rate episode 17 of
Assassination Classroom (TV 2) ?
Community score: 4.5

When I was in middle school, all the eighth-graders had to attend a conflict resolution assembly where the presenters suggested that we try to settle our disagreements with dance-offs instead of fights. After watching this episode of Assassination Classroom, I wish I'd known that organized paintball battles were also an option. That's exactly what the kids of Class E resort to when Nagisa's idea of saving Koro Sensei divides the students between those who support the new plan and those who would rather stick to their original mission. With Karma leading the “kill” team and Nagisa leading the “don't kill” team, both sides do their best to outthink and outfight one another. When the paint stops flying, the battle comes down to a duel between Class E's two deadliest assassins.

It would be very tempting to backpedal on the mixed emotions that descended on the cast last week, and it wouldn't be unusual for a series to quickly sweep such a situation under the rug as soon as the main character came up with a new idea. Assassination Classroom deserves some credit for owning that division within Class E and giving the characters a chance to disagree with each other. Instead of a cheesy inspirational moment where everyone falls in line with the idea of trying to save Koro Sensei, the show embraces the reality of good people having different opinions on the right thing to do. The writing strikes a nice balance here, allowing the drama to play out without trying to crank the level of emotion up too high.

If you're hoping for an adrenaline-soaked action scene full of spectacular stunts, then the paintball battle may be a little underwhelming. For better or worse, this is more of a subtle affair as the two teams try to stay one step ahead of each other. There's a quiet intensity to the scene that at least partially makes up for the lack of visual flair, and I found myself getting excited to see how each tactical decision and one-on-one fight would play out. Much like the verbal clash in the episode's first half, the writing has a positive impact here. The show goes out of its way to let the characters' abilities and personalities guide the action, which seems very appropriate for this series. Even if it takes a little extra expository dialogue to get there, this sequence does a good job of sticking to the show's core themes.

As much as the episode goes out of its way to give everyone in Class E a chance to speak up, the driving force here is the personal divide between Nagisa and Karma. Whatever friendship exists between these two guys has always been slightly odd, with their vastly different personalities making it tough to believe that they'd ever really see eye to eye. The issue of whether or not to kill Koro Sensei has finally provided the show with an opportunity to address the distance between them, and it makes for interesting viewing throughout the episode. They've got some pretty strong words for one another early on, but it's how they lead their respective teams in battle that really brings out the contrast. Karma manages his teammates every step of the way, calling the shots as he pursues a master plan. Nagisa, on the other hand, has enough faith in his group to leave them to their own devices, allowing him to step into the fray at a decisive moment. It's a fascinating clash of personalities, which is why I'm really annoyed that we have to wait another week to see how it plays out.

That's right, it's the dreaded cliffhanger ending, with all of the episode's narrative momentum building up to a climactic resolution of “to be continued.” It works for keeping the audience invested, but it also sacrifices what had been a really smooth narrative flow up until that point. Even so, this is a strong episode overall, and it helps to ease any fears that Assassination Classroom might struggle to follow the showstopping act it put on over the last couple of weeks. The series feels like it's picking up steam as it heads into its last few episodes, which is exactly as it should be.

Rating: B+

Assassination Classroom is currently streaming on Funimation.

Paul Jensen is a freelance writer and editor. You can follow more of his anime-related ramblings on Twitter.


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