Enrolling at Koudo Ikusei Senior High School equates to playing a whole other ball game, as the students are each evaluated on their "merit" and conduct in everyday behavior, which is assessed continuously via strange interactive examinations that do not involve much actual studying.
Those who are deemed adequate are generously rewarded with large sums of money, and the rest are ranked by a points system and dealt with accordingly. The biggest catch? Nobody seems to be fully aware of the rules of the school, and climbing up the ladder appears to involve making ruthless, cut-throat judgments at the expense of those less deserving; making Classroom of the Elite a perfect example of Social Darwinism at play.
Unpacking Social Darwinism
The term Social Darwinism combines the concept of "survival of the fittest" with the social structures that exist in any community. Those who follow this ideology are usually not the most likable characters as they generally believe that natural selection holds more importance than the notion of good and evil. The Social Darwinists will either stand back and watch another's struggle or actively aggravate the situation, subsequently raising their own status in the process. Two of the most notorious examples of Social Darwinism in Anime history come in the form of Light Yagami from Death Note and Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z, who both possessed a God complex regarding society and take matters into their own hands.
The Social Darwinists idolize a Capitalist society with a strong hierarchical system, whereby they have to constantly justify their superior position by belittling others. Not only does Koudo Ikusei Senior High encourage this type of behavior, but many of its students appear to have adopted the Social Darwinist mentality into their own lives as well. Generally speaking, in a fictional setting, these corrupt characters will only begin to see reason if an inferior weakling personally knocks them off their high horse, particularly when their feeble opposition has the "power of friendship" on their side.
To avoid further stereotyping, Social Darwinism has been divided into subcategories with various levels of ambition and sociopathic tendencies, as follows:
- The Straw Meritocrats: believe their superiority raises them above the need for morality, and ambition is valued more heavily than kindness.
- The Nazis: Not only do they belong to the Master Race, but all inferior specimens should be eliminated to create a "pure" society.
- The Evolutionary Biologists: They may not actively facilitate others' demise like the Nazis, but they strongly advocate the extermination of inferiority "for the good of the species."
- The Jerk Justifiers: Simply use the concept of Social Darwinism as an excuse for sociopathic actions; an unjustified superiority complex taking advantage of the system.
- The Strugglers: Believe that surviving harsh, competitive environments builds character and generally have a cynical outlook on life, as those with authority don't necessarily deserve it. They do not rebuke the use of manipulation tactics or ruthlessness to get to the top.
- The Weakness Punishers: Being the superior species makes them responsible for tracking down weaklings and making their lives miserable. Bullies are particularly fond of this warped ideology.
The Darwinist Students
Several of the students at Koudo Ikusei emanate Social Darwinist qualities, but the following contenders portray the strongest characteristics. Kiyotaka Ayanakoji believes that those who wish to succeed must struggle and his goal is therefore not to make people's lives easier, but he will also not stand idle and watch someone suffer significant harm. Ayanakoji does not intervene when Kei Karuizawa starts getting bullied, keeping watch but leaving her to fend for herself, however, he assists Airi Sakura without hesitation. His complete lack of emotion sends out strong sociopathic vibes but he clearly knows how to play the game, and seems to have a firm grasp of the school's assessment system.
Suzune Horikita is also a Struggler patron with some Evolutionary Biologist ideologies thrown in, as she will only go out of her way to help another if their failure would directly affect her. She is outwardly cynical and seems to believe herself above the rest of Class 1-D by acting as if she is constantly surrounded by complete morons. Ken Sudo, on the other hand, falls more into the Jerk Justifier category, along with Rokusuke Kōenji, who are both on their own mission of dragging their inflated egos around; whereas Kakeru Ryūen is unquestionably a Weakness Punisher (no explanation needed!)
As head of the student council, Manabu Horikita seems to be fully behind the social structure at Koudo Ikusei, however, he is not above using violence to teach his inferiors a valuable lesson. He personifies a combination of Evolutionary Biologist, Straw Meritocrat, and Struggler qualities, with slight Weakness Punisher tendencies (particularly when Suzune is concerned.) The same could be said for Sensei Sae Chabashira, who blackmails Ayanakoji to get him involved in the politics of the school and fight for the top-dog position.
The Biased School System
Koudo Ikusei Senior High School could be thought of as the ultimate experiment regarding Social Darwinism, for several reasons. Firstly, the school actively encourages Capitalism, going so far as to rank each student and each class, directly affecting their financial progress. These students earn monetary rewards for "acceptable" behavior, but there lies the next test: what is permitted? Unlike other institutions, Koudo Ikusei does not supply its pupils with a list of rules and regulations, but instead assesses their instinctive reactions to quite manipulative situations, almost like an extravagant "Animal Farm" or "Lord of the Flies" predicament.
The school does not condone violence or the outright degradation of another student, however, they do very little to intervene and prefer that the kids work it out among themselves. In Season 1 episode 4, those in authority had access to the surveillance footage regarding Sudo's incident but were willing to let him take the fall regardless. Manipulation tactics are also weighed favorably, as the classes are constantly pitted against each other in situations where their success would cause anothers' failure, such as with Sudo's assault and the "Deserted Island Special Test."
Koudo Ikusei Senior High may not physically exterminate the incompetent students, but anyone who fails an exam is deemed inadequate and immediately expelled, no questions asked. While individual evaluations do count in one's favor, at the end of the day, those with deep enough pockets can do pretty much whatever they please, and write a cheque for the consequences. Overall, the Stuggler Social Darwinist trope with a slight Evolutionary Biologist mentality is what is most exploited by the school system in Classroom of the Elite.
Season 2 of Classroom of the Elite is now streaming on Crunchyroll.