This penultimate episode of Classroom’s third season sees the third years and Manabu off, and begins with his graduation address to the school. It’s a sober yet stirring speech, and while you could call some of its content clichéd, there’s a reason clichés are cliches: shit works. He tells anyone in the room with doubts to keep moving forward fearlessly, and the world will welcome them with warm arms. Suzune is clearly listening to her brother intently.
Class C has been demoted back to Class D, but Chabashira-sensei wants to impart on all of them how much progress they’ve made in the past year, and that improvement will be something to build on for the next. Ichinose’s class took a licking from Ryuuen and the former Class D, but she keeps on ticking, taking it as a valuable lesson. As for their alliance, Suzune ends it, wanting to pursue Class B or higher with her and her Class’s own strength. No hard feelings.
The term year may be ending, but Ayanokouji is looking to the next one as prepared as possible. The day after he calls a suspended Sakayanagi, a secret meeting is arranged with him, Arisu, Chabashira, and Mashima. He reports that Chairman Sakayanagi’s suspension and the special exam results were set up by Tsukishiro. They’re willing to hear him out, and Arisu is willing to side with him—at least until her dad is back in charge.
Ayanokouji’s primary goal in all of this is survival, and the protection of the three years he has at this school, because he’s all but convinced he’ll be headed right back to the White Room after graduation to mentor the next wave of subjects. In the meantime, both Ayanokouji and Suzune attend the swanky graduation party, but she doesn’t approach her brother, feeling like it would be unbecoming of someone trying to step out of his shadow.
Ayanokouji hangs back, and eventually gets a moment with Manabu, who wanted to see him anyway. He asks Ayanokouji to tell Suzune to meet him by the front gate at noon on his last day of school. When that day and hour arrive, Ayanokouji meets him there first. Manabu expresses his gratitude for what Ayanokouji has done for his sister, but now expects more of him. He doesn’t like Ayanokouji hiding his talent or living under the radar. Ayanokouji says he’ll give it some thought.
After they shake hands and Manabu sets off, Suzune finally arrives, wearing a cute pink cardigan, blue skirt … and newly, dramatically shortened hair. “I see you’ve changed,” her brother remarks, and it’s a line with multiple meanings. For while Suzune may think she’s made no progress and her brother is repulsed by her, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
In one of the more genuinely heartwarming scenes of the entire run of CoE, Manabu makes clear that he has every confidence that Suzune has what it takes to become a great leader and person, and is already well on her way. He also tells her he pushed her away so that she would be freed from her illusion of him and stand on her own.
He also apologizes for lying when he said he preferred long hair, because he knew she liked having short hair and wanted to test if she’d take him seriously. In that regard, the Suzune of a year ago would have never come to him as she is now, with her hair back to the way she prefers.
As he expresses how much he cares for her and draws her into a loving hug, a joyfully tearful Suzune tells him his lies are the reason she’s there right now. It’s a hell of an emotional catharsis for these two that’s been three seasons in the making, all thanks to our boy Ayanokouji. That said, I somewhat doubt next week’s finale will keep these feel-good vibes going.
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