TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE— KORO SENSEI'S EMOTIONAL FAREWELL.

Sacrifice.

That’s the keyword today. 

It’s so often in our lives, we come to junctures where we have to painfully let go of certain things, with the hope that better days are ahead, or not.

Koro-Sensei’s death embodies that.

 Will you join me on a trip down memory lane?

The scene unfolds in Class 3-E’s Mountain Classroom. Koro-Sensei goes on a roll call, mentioning each class member’s name and adding hearty side notes. He ruminates on the time he’s had and acknowledges that value had been added to his life in the course of teaching this group of young assassins. He says all while fighting the pain inside him, struggling to keep it together before his students.

As earlier agreed, Nagisa— the main guy of the class —steps forward and stabs Koro-Sensei in the heart with a special rubber knife and in that moment, more than any other in his storied life, he felt atoned. He felt peace, and his face broke in a serene smile. A smile that gave it all away— he was proud of his transformation, and more importantly, he was proud of his students.

After he whispers “Congratulations on your graduation” and gives up the ghost, the students pay their last respects. Some break down in tears, others just stare into space, but one thing existed commonly in all their hearts; they’d never forget their teacher. They’d always remember his selflessness.

This scene, after being aired, triggered an emotional outpouring in fans worldwide, making it one of the most captivating scenes in all of anime.

Cinema and life lessons rolled into one.