Classroom of the Elite (ようこそ実力至上主義の教室へ)

If I may,

I'd like to pose an interesting question:

are all human beings truly equal?

These days, everywhere you go,

there's talk about the fight for equality.

As a wise man once said,

"Heaven does not create one person above or below another."

People like to throw his words around.

But that's not the whole quote.

He goes on to say that, while we are all equal at birth,

pretty soon, things begin to change.

Academic effort is what sets some people apart,

to rise above the others.

At any rate, humans change over time based on their actions.

Truth be told, at the end of the day,

"equality" is just a fantasy, and most of us go through life

denying the fact that we live in a meritocracy.

Um, excuse me, sir.

Would you be willing to give up your seat?

Mm?

That is priority seating, after all,

so it would only be right for you

to let this older woman sit there.

My, my, you're a pretty girl.

I understand that this is priority seating, honey,

but there's no law forcing me to give it up.

You think I should have to stand up just because I'm still young?

Ha, ha. What a bunch of ageist nonsense.

Sure, I'm younger than her,

but standing uses way more energy than sitting.

Tell me. Why must I sacrifice my health for this lady's sake?

Because, you'd be contributing to the greater good of humanity.

And just take a look at her,

she's having trouble staying upright.

I have zero interest in contributing

to the greater good. And anyway,

there are plenty of other jerks on this bus

who could give up their seats.

Furthermore, I don't see much difference

between a priority seat and a regular one.

So ask someone else to be a hero.

To tell the truth, dear.

I don't mind standing, don't worry.

But thank you, all the same.

Excuse me!

Would anyone on this bus be willing to give up

their seat to this sweet lady?

Over here. I'll stand.

Thank you very much, ma'am!

Well, this is it. My new school.

Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School.

Established by the government to raise students

who have been deemed our country's future leaders:

movers and shakers, if you will.

And it works, too.

It boasts 100% college entry and employment rates.

Using experimental, state-derived teaching methods,

they pull out all the stops to build a bright future for Japan.

Hey, you.

I noticed you staring at me on the bus earlier.

Why was that?

Oh. I'm sorry.

I was just curious,

'cause well, you didn't want to give up your seat, either.

I was wondering if, like me, you'd rather stay out of it.

I'm nothing like you.

In my case, I stayed silent as a matter of principle.

Uh-huh?

That makes her worse than me.

If that's all, goodbye.

And now, a few words

from our student council president.

Thank you for the introduction.

I'm Manabu Horikita. Newcomers, as a representative

of the upperclassmen, and your student council president,

I extend a warm welcome to you all.

As I am sure you're aware, our school is known for

its prestige and distinction on all fronts,

and boasts impeccable employment and college entry rates

across the board. We take pride in this.

In fact, it's our school's number one priority, and we all

work together to uphold this standard of excellence.

Now you are a part of that, too.

We expect greatness from all of you,

and we know you're capable...

We're even in the same class?

...so you alone control your path.

Heh! Wow, me, too! So, what's your favorite genre.

Romance, I bet!

Huh? Romance is my favorite!

How could you have known?

Seriously! Shojo manga is definitely mine.

Uh... My favorite genre is definitely Mystery.

Mystery?

It keeps me on the edge of my seat!

She has the seat next to me?

An annoying coincidence.

The feeling's mutual.

Hey, guys! Listen up for a sec.

We should go around the room and introduce ourselves.

Start to get familiar with each other.

I'd like to get to know you guys.

Plus, the teacher isn't here yet, so we might as well.

Does that sound okay?

I'm in!

Yeah, that sounds like fun.

I agree.

I mean, how else are we all going to get acquainted.

I'm glad to hear it.

Well, I guess I'll go first, then. I'm Yosuke Hirata.

But you can just call me Yosuke, if you want.

I play every sport imaginable,

and I'm gonna try out for the school's soccer team, for sure.

Thanks! Nice to meet you all.

That was great.

I bet that guy's going to be the leader in class.

Okay, I guess I'll go next!

Hi, my name is Kikyo Kushida.

My goal is to become friends

with every person in the entire school!

That obviously includes everyone here.

So, if you're going out, please consider inviting me!

She'll have no trouble reaching that goal.

She's got that "everyone's friend" vibe going on.

But I shouldn't be focused on her at a time like this.

These introductions are going to determine

everyone's standing in class.

Should I try to crack a joke?

Then, in middle school...

I bet I could get a laugh if I acted really hyper.

But I'd just end up creeping people out.

Anyway, it's not like I have any real interests

or hobbies to speak of.

I'm kinda like a free agent, a blank slate.

Next up! How about you?

Uh. Who, me?

No getting out of this one.

I'd better muster up the energy to stand up and say something,

for the sake of my reputation.

Uh... So, um...

I'm Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.

Uh... I can't wait to study with you.

Uh. Uh... I'm not really good at anything in particular.

Uh. I'll do my best to get along with you all.

I blew it.

Ayanokoji, well it's nice to meet you.

I can't wait to be friends.

Hmph.

She just laughed at me.

Okay, who's next?

-- --

Introductions are for grade schoolers.

What are we, a buncha babies?

Get to know each other on your own time.

Let's get started.

Find your seats, everyone.

I'm Sae Chabashira, the homeroom teacher for Class One-D.

At this school, you will not change classes.

Ever. For the next three years,

I'll be responsible for you until graduation.

For our first order of business: the school rulebook.

Take one and pass them back.

We have some rather unique rules

at this institution.

First, you must all live in the dorms.

Your contact with the outside world will be restricted,

as will your time away from the campus.

For anyone concerned,

the school offers a wide variety of facilities.

Anything you could need or want can be found here.

Including leisure and entertainment.

To make purchases, you will spend your points,

which are tracked using the school's main computer system.

At this school, you can buy absolutely anything

on campus with these.

Points are distributed to you on the first of each month.

Each point is worth one yen.

If you'll all check your devices,

you'll notice that you've already been allotted 100,000.

We what?!

Are you kidding me?

I see you're all surprised

by the size of your allotment.

This school judges its students based on their merit alone.

You've all shown immense value just getting into this school.

We've allotted you what we think you are worth.

Thank you very much, come again!

It really does work exactly like money.

Twenty-five students per class, and four classes per grade.

That makes 300 of us in all.

If each kid gets 100,000 a month,

that's 360 million per year.

How can the government afford to pay for all this?

Huh?

Another annoying coincidence, it seems.

You don't have to be so prickly.

Well, since we have to sit by each other,

we should attempt to get along.

What's your name?

Really, you won't even share with me that much?