Interest
Assassination Classroom's Koro-sensei Conducts Tokyo Train
posted on by Eric Stimson
A lucky 200 fans got some idea of what being in the Assassination Classroom must be like on June 28. On that day, a special "Koro-Train" ran on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line in northwest Tokyo, with none other than Koro-sensei (played by Jun Fukuyama) as the conductor. The fans were chosen beforehand by lottery.
The Koro-Train was decked out in Assassination Classroom wrapping and included several decorations on the inside, including anime character designs and exhibits with cast autographs. The passengers got to hear train announcements by Koro-sensei, including his brand of humor and class rules. Sadly, the train only traveled to Toshimaen, a 14-minute ride, and only ran twice. At the end of the trip Koro-sensei disembarked and met with the passengers on the platform, allowing everyone to take their picture with the mysterious alien.
Fukuyama greatly enjoyed the experience, having never spoken into a conductor's microphone before. "It reminded me of recording demo tapes by myself at home when I was a beginner," he said. "I couldn't hear anyone's reactions when I spoke, and I didn't know how I sounded." Meeting the fans also reminded him how much Assassination Classroom was loved.
Although Assassination Classroom's first season ended in June, a second season will come in 2016. As Japan heavily relies on rail transport, decorating trains with anime art is not a new way of promoting anime; previous collaborations include Yo-kai Watch, Girls und Panzer and Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn.
