Introduction
You might be asking yourself “Should I read Classroom of the Elite Light Novel?” Short answer YES! Absolutely! It is freaking amazing. If you aren’t convinced by my enthusiasm, then keep reading. I’ll do my best to provide a breakdown of the series and hopefully convince you to read this fantastic series.
What it’s about
Classroom of the Elite is a light novel series written by author Syougo Kinugasa and illustrated by artist Shunsaku Tomose. I’m sure most of you know this by now but the series has already been adapted into a manga and anime series with two seasons out. If you have read the manga or watched the anime feel free to skip this first part, it’s more for someone who is fresh to the series.
Firstly, Classroom of the Elite follows the story of Kiyotaka Ayanokouji, a student of the prestigious Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School. This school is different from other high school settings in other series as it places a heavy emphasis on the social hierarchy and the student’s ability to manipulate and deceive those around them.
The story revolves around the interactions between students and the power struggles between the four classes of the school. Class A is the best and Class D is the worst. If you haven’t already guessed, our MC ends up in class D, not because he is dumb, but because he is very “average”.
Reading the novel vs other mediums
In my opinion, one of the biggest advantages of reading a light novel is the added depth to the story as well as the characters. At the time of writing, the Anime adaptation has only 2 seasons out, and there are quite a few more volumes out from where season two ended. Meaning there’s a lot more to the story than what was portrayed in the anime.
By reading the light novel, you’ll be able to dive deeper into the characters’ thoughts and very interesting backstories. The backstories really make the series more intriguing, given that these are supposed to be high school students, but they have very mature personalities and goals.
The light novel’s prose is pretty engaging and easy to read, making it a good choice if you are already a fan of the genre. The narrative voice is unique, with the story being told from the perspective of Kiyotaka Ayanokouji.
I like this perspective as we get a more personal touch to the story, allowing readers to see the events from the protagonist’s perspective and understand his thought processes.
Greater Detail
The world-building is covered in far greater detail in the books. The society portrayed in Classroom of the Elite is complex, with different classes of students being treated differently based on their academic and social standings. This is explained in the anime/manga, but some of the details are kind of lost due to the limits of the anime run time, as well as the limited dialogue in the manga.
On the other hand with the novel we get to see a deeper exploration of social issues such as classism and discrimination. This makes the story feel more grounded and relevant to real-world issues, which I think the author tries to emphasize in the series. Don’t worry the author isn’t shoving a political agenda in your face through the series, but does so in a subtle way promoting the reader to think about such things a bit.
There are some downsides
OK, this is the part I should skip, but I won’t as I think it’s important to get a whole picture. The light novel does have its downsides. The pacing of the story can be slow at times, with some volumes having a lot of exposition and little action. This can make it hard to get through some parts of the story, especially for readers who prefer a faster pace, or those who are used to a lot of action and set pieces.
Lastly, I would say that there is definitely some stuff that is lost in translation. Remember this is being converted from Japanese to English. A lot of stuff in Manga and Anime can be glossed over with some flashy scenes, but in the Novel, some of the things might not make as much sense to non-native Japanese speakers as they were the intended audience. It’s definitely, a minor blip I would say, as the main focus for you as a reader should be the overall novel and not the small things lost in translation.
Conclusion
So to wrap up, I would say whether you want to read the Classroom of the Elite light novel is going to depend on your personal preferences. If you enjoy complex characters, who have crazy personalities for high school students, and who love engaging in mind games, then this is for you.
It is somewhat of a slow burn with the exposition and world-building, but the reward is oh-so-worth it. Regardless, Classroom of the Elite is a very unique and thought-provoking series. It offers a very refreshing take on the high school genre, through the eyes of a very well-written protagonist and supporting cast. Cheers!
