INFORMATION ON THE 3RD YEAR ARC HAS FINALLY BEEN REVEALED!

INFORMATION ON THE 3RD YEAR ARC HAS FINALLY BEEN REVEALED!

The long-awaited moment has finally arrived! When the information was released, Classroom of the Elite reached 3rd place in Japan's trending topics, showing how eagerly awaited this announcement was and how the series has become a huge phenomenon.

This time, this note is an analysis of the information released about the third-year framework. Let's get straight to the point!

Main information revealed:

The most important announcements were:

  1. Opening of the official 3rd year arc website
  2. Announcement of the key visuals for each class
  3. Publication of the covers of Volume 1 of the 3rd Year Arc and the 2nd Year Arc Guide

We didn't expect the key visuals for all four classes to be revealed at once! The amount of work done by illustrator Shunsaku Tomose left us impressed. What's more, the character designs have evolved significantly, with even more vibrant colors, which was exciting to see.

Now, let's take a look at the key visuals of the 3rd grade classes, along with the information released on the official website!

3rd grade Class A - Led by Horikita

Thanks to the results of the final exams, Horikita's class has finally moved up to Class A. The class is currently made up as follows:

  • Expelled: Yamauchi, Sakura and Maezono
  • Transferred: Ayanokouji
  • Total number of students: 36 (18 boys and 18 girls)
  • Students with confirmed names: 16 boys and 16 girls

The key visual of Class A features Horikita, Kushida, Kouenji, Karuizawa and Hirata, chosen to represent the class and the key pieces of the class.

One thing that struck me was how much Horikita and Kushida's hair has grown since the beginning of the 2nd year arc. It's interesting to note this change, which reflects the passage of time and the evolution of the characters.

On the official website, the description of Horikita is not yet complete, which indicates that more details will be revealed as the 3rd year arc develops. One curious point mentioned is that she occasionally cooks for Ibuki and Kushida, showing a closer relationship between them, which is an interesting detail for readers.

Kouenji finally enters the scene!

Another character worth mentioning is Kouenji Rokusuke.

This time, he appears in key visual, which suggests that he will have an even more active role in the 3rd year arc. And, as always, he retains his eccentric personality - appearing with a rose in his mouth, something very characteristic of him!

According to his official description, Kouenji is heir to one of Japan's richest families. Anyone who has read Volume 12.5 knows that his position and stakes will play a crucial role in the story going forward.

The A-Class slogan is:

"It's not about a single individual. Let's achieve graduation in Class A together!"

This makes it clear that Horikita's leadership is evolving into a model of unity and cooperation, possibly even including Kouenji in the class strategy.

3rd Grade Class B - Led by Ryūen

Third grade Class B begins under the leadership of Ryuuen.

Due to expulsions and transfers, the class has undergone changes:

  • A student has been expelled
  • A new student has transferred
  • Total number of students: 40
  • Class B currently has 21 boys and 19 girls, with the following students identified: The girls in Class B already have all their names confirmed.

The key visual of this class features Ryuuen Kakeru, Ibuki Mio, Shiina Hiyori, Katsuragi Kōhei and Ishizaki Daichi.

Like the other classes, the characters chosen for the key visual represent the figures and their key pieces.

Class B's slogan is:

"Graduating from Class A is a no-brainer. Besides, Ayanokouji will be defeated."

A statement quite in keeping with Ryuuen.

On the official website, it is mentioned that Ryuuen has started to listen more to the opinions of his class, something he didn't do often before. In addition, he received advice from Sakayanagi, who told him that "alone, you cannot win". As a result, there is a possibility that, in the 3rd year arc, Ryuuen will start collaborating more with other characters, both inside and outside his class.

Another important point is that this class has a very influential sub-leader.

Katsuragi's influence has become evident, and his presence has become increasingly noticeable.

On the official website, it is pointed out that Katsuragi acts as a "brake" for Ryuuen, helping to control his aggressive tactics. He is, in fact, the only one capable of balancing Ryuuen's ruthless personality, and will probably continue to play this role throughout the new arc.

3rd Year Class C - Now under the leadership of Ayanokouji

After the expulsion of Sakayanagi, the transfer of Ayanokouji and the departure of some members, Class C has undergone a major overhaul.

  • Expelled: Totsuka, Kamuro and Sakayanagi
  • Transferred: Katsuragi
  • New member: Ayanokouji

Making it a class with many significant changes.

Currently, the class has 19 boys and 18 girls, totaling 37 students.

The key visual of this class features Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Morishita Ai, Hashimoto Masayoshi, Yamamura and Kitou.

And finally, the official name of the class has been changed to "Ayanokouji Class".

This is a long-awaited moment for fans, as we will now be able to see Ayanokouji taking a more active role on the front line of strategic battle.

In the description on the official website, it is mentioned that he transferred to this class for a specific purpose.

The slogan of the new C-Class is:

"The past doesn't matter. In the end, as long as I win, that's enough."

This is one of Ayanokōji's signature phrases, reinforcing his cold and calculating approach. He will lead his new class with the sole purpose of achieving his own goals.

Another character worth mentioning is Morishita Ai, who appears in the key visual making a peace sign with a completely serious expression.

This choice drew a lot of attention, as Morishita has always had a peculiar and enigmatic presence.

The author Kinugasa has created a very memorable character, and the interaction between Ayanokouji and Morishita could bring interesting moments throughout the 3rd year arc.

In addition, the official website mentions that Morishita has a strong capacity for observation and an interest in Ayanokouji.

This suggests that she could become an important part of Ayanokouji's strategies from now on.

3rd Grade Class D - Led by Ichinose Honami

Despite having fallen into Class D, Ichinose Honami has awakened her true potential and now leads her class with a completely new attitude.

Unlike the other classes, Class D hasn't suffered any expulsions or transfers, maintaining the same composition since the 1st year.

The students identified so far are as follows:

The key visual of this class features Ichinose Honami, Kanzaki Yuuji, Amikura Mako, Himeno and Watanabe.

This could indicate that they will have important moments in the story from now on.

In particular, Watanabe is a character who hasn't been given much prominence so far.

On the official website, he is described as a student with above-average academic and physical abilities, as well as great communication skills.

This suggests that, in the 3rd year arc, Watanabe could become a key player within Class D.

Another interesting detail is that neither Watanabe's student number nor date of birth has been revealed.

Based on the characteristics of the discussion group in the final exam of volume 12, there is a high possibility that their school ID number is duplicated. Perhaps this will also serve as a clue to future development.

In addition, we have a renewed Ichinose.

Looking at the illustrations, Ichinose conveys an impression of confidence and grandeur. It seems that, after the events of spring break, she has fully awakened as a leader. With the alliance between her class and that of Ayanokōji, it's possible that we'll see a significant strategic rethink on Ichinose's part.

The slogan of the Ichinose class is:

"Nothing is impossible. Let's graduate to Class A without losing anyone."

As stated in volume 12.5, her goal is to graduate without any students being expelled, and she will fight with that in mind. We can expect decisive and confident attacks from Ichinose and her class.

While analyzing the key visuals for each of the four classes, I noticed an interesting detail. While the Horikita Class and the Ryūen Class clearly display their emblems at the bottom, the Ayanokōji and Ichinose classes do not have this emblem visible.

In fact, the higher classes have their emblems on the right. This could be an indication of a symbolic fusion between the Ayanokōji and Ichinose classes. On the other hand, the fact that the emblems are present on the upper classes may suggest that they will continue to fight independently, without forming full alliances. Of course, there will be times when they cooperate for mutual interests, but the main dispute will be between Horikita Class, Ryūen Class and the Ichi-kōji alliance.

After checking out the key visuals and the official website, now let's take a look at the covers and previews of the third-year students' volumes.

New Covers and Story Development

The cover of the next volume of the third year features Horikita and Ryūen as a central duo. Right from the start, they're betting big on these characters. This indicates that there will be a significant focus on the interaction between the Horikita and Ryūen sides, mainly due to Ayanokōji's transfer to another class.

The first volume of the third year will deal with the reaction to this change. For Horikita and Ryūen, dealing with this will be one of the most critical issues, and it's likely that both will get plenty of screen time in this volume.

Now, let's take a look at one of the newly released illustrations.

One of the images shows Horikita comforting Karuizawa.
Karuizawa is probably emotionally shaken after her relationship was broken up by Ayanokōji and knowing that he moved out of her class. For her, this must have come as a huge shock. The fact that Horikita is by her side at this moment shows how much she has matured.

When we think about the relationship between these two characters, what stands out most is the event in volume 10 of the first year, where Horikita questions Karuizawa about why Ayanokōji doesn't trust her. At the time, it was Karuizawa who had to answer this question.

Now, in the new volume, the dynamic between the two seems to have evolved. Compared to back then, in this new illustration Horikita seems to be interacting with Karuizawa in a much more genuine way. This also suggests that Karuizawa, because she trusts Horikita, feels comfortable expressing her emotions openly.

It's exciting to see this growth portrayed in such a meaningful way. Furthermore, it is clear that both will play a key role in the future, especially in relation to Ayanokōji.

Another illustration shows Ayanokōji, Hashimoto, Morishita and Ichinose having tea in a scene that appears to be a strategic or casual meeting. As expected, there's a charged atmosphere. It seems that, even in public, things are still intense.

Besides, will Ayanokōji's two main allies really be these characters?
Probably, yes. In this illustration, Morishita seems to be acting peculiarly, but seeing Ayanokōji surrounded by such talented allies was something that many had longed for. This is really exciting.

In total, we now have three illustrations released, including the two most recent and one previous one. Now all we have to do is wait for the release of volume 1 of the third year, which makes the anticipation even greater!

Official Second Year Guide

Along with the newest volume, the cover of the Official Second Year Guide has also been revealed. The illustration features Ayanokōji and five other students, including Amasawa, Nanase and other prominent characters.

This illustration is also of a very high standard!
The Official Second Year Guide is likely to be a rich source of information. Now that this phase of the story has been completed, the number of characters featured in the "Ayanokōji Generation" has increased considerably. This guide should help to better organize all this information, so it's worth having a copy to hand.

With the launch of the newest volume and the official guide happening simultaneously, the excitement is only growing!

As is evident from the fact that the topic has entered the trending topics, the hype for this new phase of the story is sky-high.