I've always wished for a story that paints school life in a more realistic take. Everything from all the hurdles you'll go through, such as adapting from zero to making friends, forming groups. Experiencing love-life, the sweetness it brings, and the bitterness it might lead to, and the list goes on. You-Zitsu (Classroom of the Elite) is just that. However, there is one big exception: our main protagonist is surrounded by females from every corner. It's not a harem by any means, but it does have a trace of it. Nevertheless, sweet and sugar is just what sells best and looks good on paper. Seeing a lovely female on the cover is a strong tactic to bait the audience, and it works so damn well. It caught me after all and many of my fellow readers, I am sure. I ended up staying for far more than that. It's been a roller-coaster of an emotional ride, making me laugh and cry, feel pain, get enraged, and so much more. Oh, did I forgot to mention despite seeming like it takes place in a school. It's far more than that.

You-Zitsu is a strong character-driven story. Shougo clarifies how the characters think and shows it in a detailed manner, delving deep into the psyche and fleshing them out without cutting corners. Growth is done tastefully and at a realistic pace, not too quick, not too fast. One of the key components of growth: self-reflecting, and overcoming hurdles or issues of the characters is shown clearly before moving to the next step. Before all of that, the person you are introduced to might come off as generic, cliche, or too simple. It could be a guy that gets all the girls and is popular in the class—someone who makes everyone smile and feel warm and fuzzy inside and more. The thing is, the outer exterior is covering a more profound secret, filled with issues, difficulties, and other sorts of problems. You-Zitsu takes its time exploring each and every layer, so once all comes full circle. You'll grow such a strong emotional bond with the character that can not be bend or broken easily as before anymore. You-Zitsu shows how we humans are swift and flexible species that can turn from harmless animal to a vicious wild carnivore at the drop of a hat. It shows, among others, how we desperately protect our secrets, things we don't want others to find out.

The setting takes place in an environment where the students are forced to work together or fail together. If a single student does their own thing, not caring for their classmates. That will ultimately affect the whole class. It's needed to put at least the bare minimum of effort to work together and pass. The competitive environment is heavy and exhausting as every student gets placed in anything other than class A. They are competing against each other to take the first spot and undermine the other classes, totally crush them. While the current Class A is doing everything in its power to defend itself against incoming attacks. It's worth noting that each class has its own hierarchy they use to move forward. A brutal and vicious tyrant, an angel that takes on everyone's worries and sorrows, a smug queen that uses its student as chess pieces. Maybe even a class that has more leaders or several factions with their own ways to do things.

During the intense pressure, the students hiding behind a facade might be forcefully revealed if they don't manage to guard it. This further gives them room to reflect on themselves, learn, and gain experience by interacting and discussing with their fellow classmates. Advanced Nurturing High, the place where the story takes place, is unlike other schools. It's ruthless, vicious cause students easily get expelled, no one is safe, bizarre as the exam and test have unconventional practice that will boggle your mind. Heavenly and pleasant since students can buy everything with the points they can use on campus, but there is a big and dangerous catch. Besides, the school has one huge center, filled with shops, cafes, barbers, and other places to fill the student's daily needs.

Shougo is unlike the most Author you see nowadays, and his creativity is both brilliant and unique. His unusual approach with characters, heavily reliant on how humans behave and thinks. It takes a lot of courage, skill, and understanding to execute this complex and ambiguous writing. He intentionally misleads the readers just to suddenly surprise us on the next turn. But this style might be a double-edged sword that could make the story dull and tedious if not done with a heart and taking decisive actions. Shougo does not disappoint one bit. With the story so slow-paced, it makes sense. I wanna note that no volumes of You-Zitsu should be skipped. Read the .5 volumes as they are essential to the main plot. It both sets up the groundwork for the future. It gives you a different perspective on characters—something to really solidify your bond and appreciation for them. It's not limited to the main character, someone you didn't get to see much of in the whole numbered volumes might get more time to shine here. One more thing is that You-Zitsu is genuinely slow, and the first 3 volumes act as a prologue, so read 4 volumes before making any rash decisions. That's the point I was, without a shadow of a doubt, hooked.

I've never seen or read a romance development that felt more realistic than You-Zitsu. Mind you, it's not the core genre either. Love simply doesn't come out of nowhere. It's not the typical boy fall in love with a girl just because he is cool or she is cute. No. Hell, feelings of love itself don't even exist at first. At some point in the story, there comes a situation that gets the two parties together for whatever reason it might be. But at this point, they will only be acquainted, might really come to hate or loathe each other, but they are aware of each other's existence at the very least. Then one step at a time, they grow closer as they experience all kinds of difficulties and interact with each other. This goes on to deliver one of the most impressive, complex, charming, and realistic paintings of romance I have ever come across in fiction. You-Zitsu does this and much else with brilliance and a clear sense of direction, as noted. Everything is cohesive and fits together, there are times I have been confused, but things always make sense when the Author wants us to not feel like dorks anymore.

What is You-Zitsu really about? It's about self-acceptance and maturity. We follow the journey of many, but at the core, there is the dull loner Ayankokouji Kiyotaka who likes to spend time alone rather than with others. However, that's only on the surface-level as Kiyotaka is hiding a lot of things about him. It's too hard to talk about this man without going into spoilers. So let's just leave it at that he is one of my all-time favorite character. Oh, let me also tell you this and more that he is one of the biggest reasons You-Zitsu is a blast. His growth throughout the first part of You-Zitsu is so damn satisfying, rewarding, and worthwhile. He is an extremely well-written protagonist with tons of layers to himself. To put it in a nutshell, You-Zitsu is a thrilling journey about humanizing Kiytoaka from his current self to someone who can ease into society and express genuine emotions.

Did I forget to mention that You-Zitsu has an incredible illustrator? Not only are the volume cover always eye-catching. Shunsaku Tomose's art-work is seriously stunning, especially those detailed colored illustrations he makes. He is continuously improving from volume to volume, and the illustrations are slowly increasing per volume. But I know what you are after, and I am here to confirm that females are voluptuously well-drawn. Many got plump and savory thighs and a drop-dead gorgeous design. Expect to see all kinds of variations of them. Ranging from an adorable big-brained smug queen with some insanely addictive facial expressions. A two-faced thot with some brain damage and serious issues she has to work out. One charming ice-cold princess that grows warmer as we progress. A waifu that spreads burst of sunshine wherever she threads and a got a very energetic and lively personality: a gyaru that is ineffably adorable and an absolute cinnamon roll. She got the right amount of tsundere and sweet with a refreshing and realistic nature. We even got one of those shy cuties that ooze of pure must protect energy. Did I mention we got an explosive tomboy tsundere with one hell of an impressive kick and sharp tongue? The list goes on.

Do you need any other reason to read You-Zitsu, then it's for the female that is not only candy for the eyes but well-written, fleshed out, and developed. No one feels like a cheap imitation of the other, and they all got clear and distinct quirks. I won't lie. That's partly why I picked up You-Zitsu, but it sure shattered my expectations both the male and female and how they are tackled. The Author, Shougo Kinugasa, is seriously no question asked one of the most ingenious writers I have come across. I cannot stress that enough. This is a masterpiece. I can see the most prominent issue being the pacing or how, at times, Shougo tends to repeat himself. It also felt a bit abrupt when jumping to places at times. This is merely a nitpick. I doubt many would notice unless you read the novel more than once or are very picky. Plus, Shougo clearly got better at writing and explaining, and the pacing felt even better. As of this moment, You-Zitsu is split into two parts depicting the first year and the second year. The latter is only getting started, but so much excitement has already been built up events foreshadowed, so it's gonna be a banger, no doubt. It also seems like the excellent waifus design with a complex personality will keep on piling. And you know what, I so damn wholeheartedly welcome it.

Let's say you are an Anime or a Manga fan. What should you go with, you ask? Manga has not got the best art. It cuts stuff out and burns through content fast, and Kiyotaka's depiction is nothing like the novels. It ruins his character and possibly the experience of You-Zitsu. If you've read the novels, I felt the manga was a good way to visually see how the events might be depicted if you could see it. But it's not a recommended way to get into the novels. Then there's the anime, which is lackluster and feels more like an advertisement for the light novel. Not to mention, the director was biased and gave all the spotlight to his favored female. When in actual fact, many other females should've had a moment to shine. On top, the art-syle is inconsistent, it looks good at times, but more often than not, it's derpy. If you want the finer details and true depiction as the Author intended. The light novel is the best way to go. As a whole, You-Zitsu is about the students' everyday school-life as they mature into adulthood. I can almost guarantee you might end up falling in love if you really give it a chance. Don't rush it. Just read it at your own pace. The translations that are out are pretty good, making it smooth to read and easy to visualize as you burn through the content. I didn't feel it was overwhelming or grew dull. I was reading one volume after the other quite effortlessly and having a big blast about it. This is easily no question asked, taking a spot in my favorite, and it got my absolute seal of approval.