Ayanokoji kena pressure this time
According to Anime News Network’s review of Classroom of the Elite 4th Season: Second Year, First Semester, the latest arc pushes the series into one of its messiest — and most tense — setups so far.
The big difference this season is simple: Ayanokoji is no longer just quietly controlling the board from the corner. For once, the danger feels direct. The review highlights how the anime throws in a huge batch of new players, including four incoming first-year classes and some senior students, each with their own agenda. Some are targeting Ayanokoji directly. Others are moving for reasons that are not immediately clear.
At the centre of the season is a double threat. First, temporary school director Tsukishiro is openly trying to get Ayanokoji removed from school and sent back to the White Room. He is not subtle about it either, and the review notes that he is willing to interfere with the school’s systems to make it happen.
The second problem is more mysterious: another White Room-trained prodigy is believed to be hiding among the new first-years. Ayanokoji has to identify this person while also dealing with Tsukishiro’s pressure. The catch? Even if both threats want the same end result, they may not actually be working as one team. That makes the whole situation more dangerous, because both sides understand manipulation and know how to use other people as tools.
The school tests shake up the usual formula
The season mainly revolves around two major exams. One pairs junior and senior students together, creating an interesting power imbalance. The younger students have more time to recover from failure, while the older students have less room for mistakes and more established class relationships to protect.
This test leads to a major shift: Ayanokoji is pushed into revealing part of what he can really do. That matters because his usual advantage has always been anonymity. Once the wider school sees him as a serious threat, he loses some of the cover that helped him operate quietly. At the same time, the review points out that being more visible also lets him act openly in ways he previously could not.
The second big test revisits the island survival setup from the first season, but with changed rules. Instead of a class-based challenge, the format becomes more focused on smaller groups and solo competition. Since Tsukishiro has altered the structure with Ayanokoji in mind, the familiar island setting now carries a different kind of tension.
New first-years bring proper chaos
The review gives special attention to three new underclassmen who all complicate Ayanokoji’s life.
Hosen, the leader of the new Class 1-D, is described as aggressive but not stupid. He understands leverage, whether physical or strategic, and knows when walking away is the winning move. Nanase appears more controlled and diplomatic, but the review says her real motives and personality become one of the season’s key mysteries.
The standout, though, is Amasawa. She is framed as the season’s wild card: obsessed with Ayanokoji, unpredictable, and constantly shifting between helping and obstructing him. In a season already built around deception, she becomes the character even Ayanokoji struggles to read.
Production-wise: solid, not spectacular
On the visual side, the review says the anime continues to use lighting and shadow well, which helps keep dialogue-heavy scenes engaging. The action is limited but decent. Musically, the opening song, Eri Aoi’s “Monster,” stands out more than the rest of the soundtrack, though the background music still supports the dramatic moments effectively.
Why this matters for Malaysia and SEA anime fans
Analysis/inference: For viewers here who follow Classroom of the Elite for the mind games rather than pure action, this sounds like the kind of season that actually rewards long-term investment. The appeal is not just “who wins the test,” but whether Ayanokoji can still dominate when everyone starts noticing him.
That is a big deal for a series built around hidden agendas. If earlier seasons were about watching him manipulate from the shadows, Season 4 seems more interested in what happens when the shadows are no longer safe. For fans catching up before discussing the new arc online, this review suggests the latest season is one of the stronger points in the anime so far — especially if you enjoy mystery, school politics, and characters who are sus from episode one.