An interview with screenwriter Makoto Uezu and producer Naoto Shoji, who brought us 'Assassination Classroom: Everyone's Time,' the film that concludes the anime's 10th anniversary project.
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the TV anime's broadcast, the project 'Assassination Classroom: 10th Anniversary Time ' concluded with the completely new film 'Assassination Classroom: Everyone's Time, ' which premiered nationwide on March 20, 2026 (Friday). To celebrate its release, we interviewed
'Assassination Classroom: Everyone's Time' will be released nationwide on Friday, March 20, 2026.
https://www.ansatsu-anime.com/
GIGAZINE (hereinafter referred to as G):
In researching for this interview, I discovered that Mr. Uezu has worked on many projects and appeared in numerous interviews. I was particularly struck by his mention of watching ' Anime Daisuki! ' (1987-1995), which aired on Yomiuri TV. I myself think I became a bit strange after watching 'Anime Daisuki!' (laughs).
Screenwriter Makoto Uezu (hereinafter, Uezu):
It might seem strange to talk about Yomiuri TV in the context of a Fuji TV production, but please make sure to mention it in large letters. I, too, was captivated by 'Anime Daisuki!' (laughs). About 15 years ago, I wrote about 10 articles about OVAs, so please take a look.
G:
This is from Febri's article, right? She talks about it with such passion that I thought, 'Wow, I'm in a similar situation!'
Makoto Uezu ① The switch that turns a 'child' into an 'otaku': 'Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor' | Febri
https://febri.jp/febri_talk/uezu_makoto_1/
Uezu:
I can proudly say, 'A hardcore otaku has amassed a fortune!' (laughs)
G:
(laughs) How about Shoji-san?
Producer Naoto Shoji (hereinafter, Shoji):
I'm a little younger than that; I turned 33 this year.
G:
If I recall correctly, the TV anime 'Assassination Classroom' aired in 2015, and the second season aired in 2016...
Shoji (paper screen):
That's right. I joined the company in the year the show started airing.
G:
The trailer for this film has received a huge response (730,000 views at the time of publication), with many positive comments such as 'The animation is amazing' and 'I'm glad that it perfectly captures the atmosphere of the original TV anime series.' Was there a specific request to 'respect the atmosphere of the original' during the production of this film?
[Official Trailer] Assassination Classroom: Everyone's Time (Theatrical Version) - Opening nationwide on Friday, March 20, 2026 - YouTube
Shoji (paper screen):
I spoke with Studio Hibari , who are in charge of animation production, and they said that while there are many updated aspects to how things were made back then, they made an effort to utilize the original settings and characters while also creating new characters that would fit in well. This time, since it's a movie, there are many aspects where the quality has improved, but I think the reason why fans are appreciating it in that way is because it was made with the existence of the TV series in mind.
G:
You've been involved with the 'Assassination Classroom' project for 10 years, though not continuously. What are your thoughts on that experience, Mr. Uezu?
Uezu:
'Assassination Classroom' was already complete in terms of its visuals when it was a TV series 10 years ago, so there were no issues. The foundation was so well-made that there was no particular discussion about 'updating' it when we made the movie. Needless to say, all the staff thought that it would be best to deliver the original 'classic flavor' as it was.
G:
From the very beginning, the primary focus was on creating something that would please the fans.
Uezu:
That's right. We never said 'Let's do it that way' during our meetings, but it just naturally happened that way from the beginning. The staff who worked on the TV series for a total of four seasons created it with incredible camaraderie and love, so we didn't want to tarnish our own work. The fact that we were able to recreate that feeling even after 10 years is a testament to the bond we formed through our passionate work.
G:
This was mentioned at an Assassination Classroom event held in November 2025, where Uezu said that when they were planning the movie, he wanted to 'tell a story that hasn't been told before.'
Uezu:
When I was first called in for a meeting because they wanted to make an anime as part of their 10th-anniversary project, I had this idea within me for the past 10 years: 'I want to somehow animate the episodes that weren't covered in the TV series.' I went into the meeting hoping to get my final, top choice approved, whether it was a 'completely original story,' 'covering the stories that were already animated,' or 'finally animating the episodes that weren't covered in the TV series.' It turned out that most of the staff were thinking the same thing, and there was a unanimous agreement that 'animating the episodes that weren't covered' was the best option.
G:
oh!
Uezu:
I admit I used my veteran skills to steer the conversation in that direction (laughs). I've been doing this for over 20 years, and I'm a seasoned veteran when it comes to anime meetings, so I tried to create a flow that would make it easier for everyone to agree by saying, 'Isn't this what everyone wants to do?'
G:
Since we've been talking about your career, I'd like to ask a question that's a little removed from your work. I read that for the first few years after your debut, you were constantly dragged to drinking parties, which was quite a challenge, but that this has completely stopped since the pandemic, which marked a shift from the 'medieval' to the 'modern' era. It's been six years since the pandemic began, what is the situation like now?
Anime Tomatsune #59 (Aired November 12, 2025) - YouTube
Uezu:
I wonder if there have been any updates since we first talked about this. Before the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020, the 'medieval way of making anime' was to hold drinking parties for everything. However, since the pandemic, everything has changed drastically, and the anime industry has stopped gathering in person as much, with meetings being held online and conferences being held remotely. I'm doing this interview remotely as well, but this kind of thing is no longer unusual. Director Kitamura of this film is in Osaka, and we made the anime by communicating online with us in Tokyo. This is the 'modern way of making anime.'
G:
Mr. Uezu has an official website, and his blog still contains articles dating back to 2006.
Makoto Uezu Official Genius Ahomageddon
https://uezu.soregashi.com/
Uezu:
Even so, when I moved to Tokyo to start my new job, I erased all traces of my past (lol).
G:
all!
Uezu:
I think it would be difficult now, but back then the internet wasn't as widespread, so it worked out... I wonder if 'worked out' is the right word (laughs). Well, all I did was close down the site that was on Geocities .
G:
You have a site on Geocities?!
Uezu:
I was a funny guy on internet text sites . It was the part where ' Chiyu, age 12, is like a classmate on the web.'
G:
That's why we're seeing phrases like 'mutual linking' popping up here and there... GIGAZINE's previous form also started in April 2000, so we can't help but feel like this is relevant to us.
Uezu:
You were laughing at things like '
G:
I'm definitely from that generation. When I look at his blog, I see things like ' W-ZERO 3 ' in some of the oldest posts, and I'm like, 'Wow! This guy!!'
The editor-in-chief of GIGAZINE also owned a 'W-ZERO 3'.
I bought Willcom's 'W-ZERO3,' here's a quick photo review - GIGAZINE
G:
Were you the type of person who made sure to acquire those kinds of things from an early age?
Uezu:
I'm a true all-around otaku, so I love PCs and gadgets. I was a kid who made 'homepages' even before the internet became so widespread, and some of them even 'went viral,' leading to people from companies in Tokyo asking me, 'If you're not working, would you like to come work for us?' I was one of the people behind those text-based websites, which GIGAZINE readers might have even read.
G:
That's why you've appeared on Kaazu SP 's radio show.
Genius Ahomageddon BLOG - Makoto Uezu Official: Shameful Archives.
https://uezu.blog.shinobi.jp/%E9%9B%91%E8%A8%98%E3%83%BBmemo/%E6%81%A5%E3%81%AE%E3%81%8A%E8%94%B5%E5%87%BA%E3%81%97%E3%80%82
Uezu:
He's actually one of the people I befriended when I first came to Tokyo, someone I recognized as 'the web guy!' However, I thought I'd erased all traces of him, so this is the first time I've been asked about this in an interview.
Shoji (paper screen):
Did you delete it? (lol)
Uezu:
That's right. You've done quite a bit of research... You're like a detective! (laughs)
G:
While researching Mr. Uezu, I came across a lot of interesting anecdotes, not just those related to 'Assassination Classroom,' so I couldn't help but ask him about them. He wrote the scripts for all episodes of both TV series of 'Assassination Classroom.' Was there a reason or trigger for him to decide to write the scripts for all the episodes?
Uezu:
...It's youth.
G:
(lol)
Uezu:
I was young and just wanted to do my best. I wanted to work hard to become a full-fledged screenwriter. It was also the first time I was in charge of the title for 'Weekly Shonen Jump,' and it was a time slot that Fuji TV was heavily promoting, so I thought, 'I can't believe I've been given such a big opportunity as a newcomer,' and I approached the job thinking that this was the time to stake my life on it.
G:
Was this the first time you were in charge of writing the script for all episodes?
Uezu:
I've worked on over 600 episodes in total, so my memory is a bit hazy, and the order might be slightly mixed up, but I wrote the scripts for all episodes of ' Devil Survivor 2 ' (2013). After that, I also worked on ' Airborne Dragons ' (2020).
G:
The TV series 'Assassination Classroom' has four seasons in total, two seasons per season. Writing the scripts for all of them must have been an incredibly laborious task. How did you manage to find the time to write them all?
Uezu:
The answer is simple: 'I did my best' (lol).
(Everyone laughs)
G:
Literally, 'I did my best.'
Uezu:
Yes, I did my best. Around the same time, I was also writing 'Devil Survivor 2' and ' Arpeggio of Blue Steel ' (2013), as well as ' Danganronpa THE ANIMATION ' and ' Yuki Yuna is a Hero ' (2014). It was the time in my life when I was writing the most books simultaneously.
G:
Five works?!
Uezu:
Back then, the wave of 'work-style reform' hadn't yet reached the anime industry, and it was a time when everyone was like, 'All-nighters are fine.'
Shoji (paper screen):
That's right...
Uezu:
Back in the day, animation studios were like 24-hour, sleepless cities, with people sleeping on the floor. Then the wave of 'work-style reform' came, and all of that was banned, so those crazy ways of working became impossible, and things became cleaner.
G:
I see... I noticed in one of your blog posts that you mentioned 'agreements to be made in advance when placing an order.' What kind of things should be decided beforehand?
Uezu:
My style is to decide on regulations and rules in a meeting beforehand, such as 'what we're going to do' and 'what we're not going to do,' before starting the actual work. It was the same with 'Assassination Classroom'; we decided in a meeting things like 'we won't do this in the story' and 'this is what will be included.' That's one of the reasons we were able to meet the deadline. I don't think about it when I get home; everything is decided in the meeting room.
G:
Also in the blog, there was a mention that autocratic people are not good.
Uezu:
I'm what you might call a 'consultative' writer. I'm not satisfied unless everyone on the team who helped me is happy with the result, everyone gets a chance to shine, and everyone enjoys the process. It's not good if I think, 'I don't care how tough things are on set or how unpleasant it is for some people, my script is great.' That's what I would call being a 'one-man show.'
G:
In the case of this project, how were meetings and other discussions conducted?
Uezu:
The script meetings themselves follow the most orthodox style. We decide on the content in preliminary meetings, and when it comes to submitting the manuscript, I don't deviate from the agreed-upon format, so the producers, directors, and original authors check it. We have meetings to discuss those checks together, so we held weekly meetings to complete the script.
Shoji (paper screen):
We didn't do much remote work this time.
Uezu:
This time, since it wasn't a TV series but a single project, we met in person to work on it.
G:
In the TV series, you established a collaborative relationship with the original author, Yusei Matsui, and he provided full cooperation on the script for the theatrical film released in 2016. I believe the production of this film overlapped with the serialization of Mr. Matsui's '
Uezu:
In terms of full cooperation, it's exactly the same, isn't it?
Shoji (paper screen):
Yes, that's right. Basically, we would propose a direction we wanted to take, and then at key points, we would have Professor Matsui review it and give us his feedback, such as 'Please do it this way,' which we would then use to make revisions.
Uezu:
The TV series from 10 years ago was made before the pandemic, and it was what you might call 'medieval animation production,' so after every meeting, it was like, 'Alright, let's go out for drinks!'
G:
(lol)
Uezu:
We were a team that loved to have fun, so we often got Professor Matsui involved, and we had drinking parties and board game sessions. We spent a lot of time together and were able to build a relationship of trust, which is why I was entrusted with writing all the scripts, and why I was given this opportunity again in this capacity 10 years later. Having fun is an important part of it, isn't it?
G:
I see. I'd also like to ask Producer Shoji: You've been involved in anime production since around 2021, and you've worked on long-running series like '
Shoji (paper screen):
There are differences between creating a new work and working on a completed project, but I feel that making another new film based on a project that was completed 10 years ago is a rare experience.
G:
When did the idea for this 10th-anniversary project, which includes re-broadcasting the TV series and this new theatrical film, first come about?
Shoji (paper screen):
I think it was more than three years ago. The reruns are scheduled to start in April 2025, so we started working on securing the time slot more than a year in advance. Assassination Classroom is a work that still has a huge following, and the radio show that was broadcast on Bunka Broadcasting's Chou! A&G+ 10 years ago was also very popular.
Assassination Classroom Anime Radio Time ~Class 3-E's Koro-Pachi Sensei!~ | Assassination Classroom | Artists & Works | Avex Portal
https://avexnet.jp/contents/ANKYO-XXXX-XXXX/news/1034202
Shoji (paper screen):
Since this time the theme is 'reunion,' we planned the 'Assassination Classroom All Night Nippon GOLD' broadcast last August with the idea that 'it would be great if we could have everyone participate, receive emails, and respond to comments.'
Anime 10th Anniversary Project Part 2: 'Assassination Classroom All Night Nippon GOLD' Announcement Video - YouTube
G:
The trailer has garnered an incredible 730,000 views (as of the time of publication), and there's been a lot of positive feedback from fans. As a producer, what are your thoughts on the film's reception before its release?
Shoji (paper screen):
When we held the premiere screening, I'm sure there were many people who had loved 'Assassination Classroom' for a long time, but I also heard that some people were moved to tears. I also had the opportunity to meet Jun Fukuyama , who plays Koro -sensei , and Nobuhiko Okamoto, who plays Karma Akabane, for an interview before the premiere screening, and they told me that the film was 'incredibly interesting,' which made me feel that it was truly worthwhile to have made it.
Uezu:
I played the role myself! (laughs)
Shoji (paper screen):
No, no, I was really relieved (laughs). Some of the cast members were crying at the private screening for those involved.
Uezu:
Of course, there are feelings and memories that come to mind from those 10 years.
Shoji (paper screen):
If not only the audience but also the performers felt that way, then I truly felt that it was all worthwhile.
G:
I previously read that Mr. Uezu highly praised the animation structure of the OVA 'Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor ' (1989). This work is also based on a manga serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump, so how did you approach the overall structure when you were in charge of series composition and writing the scripts for all the episodes?
Uezu:
I pride myself on having exceptionally high skills as an otaku, and I believe that my proficiency has been honed over time. Having worked professionally for several years leading up to 'Assassination Classroom,' I have a good understanding of what viewers who are looking forward to 'Assassination Classroom' want. When the anime is finished, I can see the finished product—something that doesn't fall flat, doesn't feel cringey, and is a good 'Assassination Classroom.'
G:
Wow...
Uezu:
This is what it means to be a highly skilled otaku. In order to bring that finished product to fruition, I'm very articulate and resourceful in meetings.
G:
I see (lol)
Uezu:
As an otaku user, I can sense alerts like, 'That's a terrible way to make it, I'm not going to watch it.' Or, 'This manga should be animated in this way.'
G:
(lol)
Uezu:
Of course, there are resource and budget constraints on set, so I'm good at taking those into account and proposing a format that won't inconvenience or disappoint users. I believe I'm in charge of series composition because I have that skill. We conduct the composition meetings for Assassination Classroom in that way as well.
G:
I read that Mr. Uezu is the type of person who visualizes images while writing a script; is that also a factor?
Uezu:
Yes, I'm the best artist among the screenwriters (laughs).
G:
(lol)
Uezu:
I decide on all the finished images before writing the script.
G:
Oh, really?!
Uezu:
We decide everything, from whether to show the character's feet or their back, and incorporate it into the script. The storyboard is created by simply visualizing the script from the beginning.
G:
amazing…….
Uezu:
Yes, it is a selling point. However, I'm just putting it into words here; I think all well-written screenplays are like that. The script is written with the finished film in mind, and then the text is written with that in mind.
G:
I see, everything is easy to understand, and it's very helpful.
Uezu:
That's what a series writer does. They take what everyone is pondering and say, 'Hmm...' and give it form, saying, 'Isn't it like this?' The director is the main character, but the series writer is like the one running things behind the scenes. For example, Hotohara is the MC of '
G:
I now understand why 'Assassination Classroom' has become such a captivating work for fans; it's because it was created in this way. Thank you very much for today.
Uezu Shoji:
thank you very much.
'Assassination Classroom: Everyone's Time' is a huge hit, showing in theaters since March 20, 2026 (Friday). Several episodes that were not animated during the TV anime series, such as the extra episode 'Izakaya Azusa,' have been animated with the same atmosphere as the original, making it a must-see for fans.
The opening sequence is available on YouTube for a limited time.
[Opening scene of the main film] 'Assassination Classroom: Everyone's Time' movie is a huge hit and now showing in theaters!! - YouTube
◆ 'Assassination Classroom: Everyone's Time' (Theatrical Version)
Released nationwide on Friday, March 20, 2026.
Original work: 'Assassination Classroom' by Yusei Matsui (published by Shueisha Jump Comics)
Cast: Jun Fukuyama, Mai Fuchigami, Aya Suzaki, Nobuhiko Okamoto, and others
Director: Masaki Kitamura
Screenplay: Makoto Uezu
Music: Yoshiaki Dewa, Toru Ishizuka
Theme song: 'Teacher' / Tomonari Sora (cutting edge)
Distributed by Avex Film Labels
Credit: ©松井優征／集英社・アニメ「暗殺教室」製作委員会 2025
Official website: https://ansatsu-anime.com/
Official X: @ansatsu_anime #Assassination Classroom the Movie
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