The OVA for “Assassination Classroom” is, quite simply, the worst OVA I have ever seen, as there is no real reason for it. Now, a full review will follow when the show actually concludes, but, for the nonce, the plot revolves around Koro Sensei (that smiley face up there). He is a space alien and has personally blown away 70% of the moon. He gives the earth nine months (until March, in the anime) to have this classroom of slackers and losers try and assassinate him or it’s bye-bye big blue marble. It’s a lot harder that you think.

The series just dropped us into things with a rather thin background in regards to the initial events, and I was hoping the OVA would be a kind of Episode #0 or #0.5, to pre-explain things better, but no such luck. It is, in fact, a compilation of Episodes # 7 and #8, but with no real rhyme or reason. I mean, I can WATCH Episodes #7 and #8 in full and get what I need and not have this Cliff Notes version trotted out. OK, the art is a little different and the version I saw used an alternate font for the subtitles, and there is a slightly new take on things, but, overall, it’s those two episodes done again. And since this OVA came out just after #8 was released, it’s even more perplexing. And if you just decided to grab the OVA, then you are tremendously behind the curve, as you are, in effect, coming in about mid-season and no amount of catch-up is going to help.

I mean, if we saw things from one of the teacher’s perspective or potentially had one of the Nameless Minions get a chance to sing an aria, then it makes a tad more sense, but it came off as allowing the B-Team from the animation studio to take a shot at things, like when they rest the starters in a sports game to give the bench warmers their 15 minutes of fame. That is why it is disappointing. And if you wanted to do those things you did in the OVA for the series, why didn’t you do so from the get-go? Maybe I’m missing something, but I really felt it was a waste of time for me to go on the same tour twice, be told the same things twice and end up in the same location twice. Next time, work on a REAL OVA, eh?
On a scale of 1 to 10:

Artwork 8 (A touch experimental)
Plot 2 (Strictly recap)
Pacing 5 (Not as good as the original)
Effectiveness 4 (No real reason for it)
Conclusion 5 (More of a conduit than a genuine OVA)
Fan Service 2 (A similar show would be “Okamisan”)

Overall 3 (Ultimately pointless)

And remember, it’s first run until you’ve seen it. Don’t miss the train.