Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e 0

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Classroom of the Elite 0, Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e Volume 0

Japanese: ようこそ実力至上主義の教室へ0

Information

Type: Light Novel

Volumes: 1

Chapters: 8

Status: Finished

Published: Dec 23, 2022

Genre: Drama

Theme: Psychological

Serialization: None

Authors: Tomose, Shunsaku (Art), Kinugasa, Shougo (Story)

Statistics

Score: 8.35¹ (scored by 1,846 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #299²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #6763

Members: 3,702

Favorites: 73

Resources

Wikipedia

8.35

Ranked #299Popularity #6763Members 3,702

Light NovelTomose, Shunsaku (Art), Kinugasa, Shougo (Story)

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Volumes: /1

Chapters: /8

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Synopsis

This may be a story of the past that had been concealed, and mustn't be seen.

About 20 years before Kiyotaka Ayanokouji enrolled at Advanced Nurturing High School. There was a man. Atsuomi Ayanokouji, aged 31. A politician. Atsuomi was born as a "have-not" in Japan's society of disparity, but there was one thing he possessed more than anybody else: his uncontrollable, ever-expanding "ambition."

Atsuomi had been doing dirty work for Jinnosuke Naoe, the head of the Naoe faction that he was a part of. As a chance to reward all the hard work that he had done, Naoe offers him a top-secret project: the founding of an institution for a "Talented Persons Nurturing Program," which is under the direct control of the government. Atsuomi, who is busy pursuing his ambitions, brings them to fruition and names the institution he establishes the White Room. He had also started on another project: to get his own biological child to join him in the White Room.

This is the beginning of everything. A story about the "dissection" of Kiyotaka Ayanokouji. Within a cold white room, what does the future look like in the eyes of a young child?

(Source: Kadokawa, translated)

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Background

Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e 0 was included with volume 1 of the limited-edition Blu-Ray/DVD of Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e 2nd Season.

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Related Entries

More characters
Characters

Ayanokouji, Kiyotaka

Main

Ayanokouji, Atsuomi

Main

Sakayanagi, Arisu

Supporting

Ishigami, Kyou

Supporting

Tsukishiro, Tokinari

Supporting

Kanzaki, Ryuuji

Supporting

Yuki

Supporting

Sakayanagi, Narumori

Supporting

Kijima

Supporting

Shirou

Supporting

Reviews

Aug 10, 2025

Meeka_

Recommended

This volume is extremely important to read if one wants to understand the White Room better.

A lot of details about Ayanokouji's childhood is mentioned for this volume, giving the reader a new perspective of Ayanokouji behaviours. It also gives an insight into the White Room, the organisation as a whole and Ayanokouji's father. Most questions I had about the White Room were answered with this volume. It was also interesting seeing how Ayanokouji's father behaved since he is usually only seen as powerful and heartless.

While the main focus was on Ayanokouji and his father, the other White Room students like Shiro but also Yuki were ...

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Jul 11, 2024

iamnottesslol

Recommended

Spoiler

"To have someone to protect you is to be weak at the same time." - Atsuomi Ayanokoji

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[SPOILER] tag just in case.

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Along with many other people in the [Classroom of The Elite] fanbase, I started off as an anime-only fan. When I first saw Ayanokoji's dad, I instantly detested him with every fibre of my being. I thought he was a cold-blooded, selfish, disgusting person. Don't get me wrong though, I still see him as such. However, despite my hatred for this character, I still have great appreciation for him, since he allowed me to look at this story with a completely different point of view.

...

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Apr 17, 2026

abystoma2

Mixed Feelings

COTE is a series that I personally consider terribly written. So color me surprised when I found out that the Volume 0 is pretty readable for a change.

The first half of this novel is a welcomed change of pace, with the protagonist being an adult man who has character flaws but they aren’t overcompensated by absurd garystueness. That is instantly an insane improvement over the main series. Now we have a character that feels more like an actual human, despite some peculiar ways of thinking, who is tackling more relatable issues, such as politics, society and dealing with pressure of superiors while still trying to ... accomplish own goals. The political side of things is well described and the social commentary on machinations going on there is appreciated. The inner thoughts no longer feel like pretentious or like a chuunibyou poser, unlike with Ayanokouji junior. Turns out that Kinugasa just can’t write believable inner thoughts of younger character, but with character closer to the author’s age the lacking ability to construct a different mind is not so pronounced.

Unfortunately, the narrator switches back to young Ayanokouji later in the novel and this fault is suddenly glaring, as we have the inner monologue of a literal toddler with though process of an adult. You can make in-word excuses as much you want, this is way too overdone and breaks suspension of disbelief. Unless they are injecting some supernatural serum into babies in the White Room, this goes so much against basic children psychology that trying to rationally explain it in the narration hurts the immersion more than handwaving it as rule of cool would.

Another infuriating thing is that the story setting has pretty decent foundation for interesting psychological drama and yet it gets thrown out so a generic self-insert protagonist could be build from them. I don’t think the author actually realizes the consequences the story beats should have on the character. Ayanokouji should not behave like asocial but charismatic person, he should be barely behaving as a human with the procedure that was done to him. He should not feel simply “intelligent” to the other characters, he should feel straight up alien. Even if characters wouldn’t be willing to view him as something separate from fully ensouled humans, they should at least perceive him as weird and turboautistic at *minimum*. No matter how many times you try to lampshade this by having side characters calling Ayanokouji “monster” it doesn’t matter when he doesn’t actually behave like one and when he is able to form form social relationship well enough in the main series.

So rather than fascinating psychological horror describing consequences of abuse beyond comprehension that this franchise could have been we just get nerds fantasy of what being a chad is like. The more background details of the plot get revealed, the more lazy writing of the main story looks, because how do you make a set up so interesting and then fail to properly utilize it at all.

That said, fans of COTE are sure to like this novel, and non-fans might find it interesting as a glimpse of what could have been.