Hyouryuu Kyoushitsu
The Drifting Classroom
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Alternative Titles

Japanese: 漂流教室
English: The Drifting Classroom
More titles

Information

Type: Manga
Volumes: 11
Chapters: 44
Status: Finished
Published: 1972 to 1974
Genres: Horror Horror, Mystery Mystery, Sci-Fi Sci-Fi
Theme: Survival Survival
Demographic: Shounen Shounen
Serialization: Shounen Sunday
Authors: Umezu, Kazuo (Story & Art)

Statistics

Score: 7.381 (scored by 76917,691 users)
1 indicates a weighted score.
Ranked: #41312
2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity: #797
Members: 26,336
Favorites: 381

Resources

7.38
Ranked #4131Popularity #797Members 26,336
Add to My List
Volumes: /11
Chapters: /44

Synopsis

Sixth grader Shou Takamatsu is a troublemaker who refuses to grow up. However, one fateful day, his world is turned upside down, forcing him to quickly mature—or die. When Shou arrives at school that morning, an earthquake of mysterious origin strikes, and the campus is teleported to an empty wasteland, far removed from society. Not only do Shou and his peers face an immediate crisis of food shortage, they must also contend with other problems, including new and dangerous external threats, and rising conflict among the student body. With the adults having a hard time adjusting, Shou finds the immense responsibility to quickly adapt to his new dystopian reality a heavy burden on his small shoulders.

Written by the horror specialist Kazuo Umezu, Hyouryuu Kyoushitsu is regarded as a classic in its genre—a unique blend of the riveting mystery behind the entrapment of Shou and his classmates on the barren, hostile world, and their struggle for survival.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Background

Hyouryuu Kyoushitsu won the 20th Shogakukan Manga Award in 1975. It received a live-action film adaptation on July 11, 1987, as well as a loosely adapted television drama called Long Love Letter on January 9, 2002.

The series was published in English as The Drifting Classroom by VIZ Media under the VIZ Signature imprint from August 15, 2006 to April 15, 2008, and as omnibus volumes from October 15, 2019 to June 16, 2020. It was also published in Spanish by Ponent Mon from October 2008 to August 2010.

Characters


Reviews

Aug 13, 2025
If you want a horror manga that's closer to the traditional horror genre (Sci-fi alien looking creatures, giant bugs, old minded societal views...), or a horror manga that gives you a pretty unique story, then you should check it out. OR if you want a manga that shows adults beating the absolute sh*t out of children, then you def need to read it, I found it very funny.

Don't expect a fancy story, nor great characters, or impressive plot twists. But for what it had, and the way the main event's explanation was put, I think it was great. The main characters are children who have ...
Apr 28, 2023
I love “Lord of the Flies” style narratives.

A group of kids transported into what seems nothing like our world. The what, the when, and how the world reacts to it. Along these narratives, we slowly unravel the dangers of this new environment, the rules, and just when we actually understand it, it usually ends. It's a formula, and here we revolve around the critique on people. Rationality ends lives, and being able to make sense of your world, sometimes doesn't allow for anything new to get in. Chaos, murder, and the sad knowledge that children are in a horrible situation, and for being a 70s ...
Apr 8, 2022
Mixed Feelings
Well... that was a unique experience. It really feels like a horror version of "Lord of the Fireflies".
One thing that I learned from this manga... Sakiko is too precious for this world. She's the Best Girl in this manga BY FAR. As well as the Best Character in extension.

The story is quite good and bad at the same time. The story beats, the plot, was fine. But the execution and the pacing was kinda bad. It definitely didn't aged well.
The premise was pretty unique (for the time) and the problems that was thrown at the main cast were good and kept the story interesting ...

Interest Stacks

50 Entries · 46 Restacks
34 Entries · 63 Restacks

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Recent Forum Discussion

Poll: Hyouryuu Kyoushitsu Chapter 16 Discussion
KoniginElle - Jul 16, 2020
2 repliesby AugmentedTurnip »»
Aug 22, 6:01 PM
Otomo
twerp_ - May 29, 2015
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Jun 21, 1:57 PM
Poll: Hyouryuu Kyoushitsu Chapter 4 Discussion
gfsdfgsdgsdfgs - Mar 21, 2018
2 repliesby KAP494 »»
May 21, 8:35 PM
Poll: Hyouryuu Kyoushitsu Chapter 2 Discussion
gfsdfgsdgsdfgs - Mar 19, 2018
2 repliesby KAP494 »»
May 3, 7:12 PM
Poll: Hyouryuu Kyoushitsu Chapter 3 Discussion
KoniginElle - Jul 9, 2020
3 repliesby KAP494 »»
May 3, 6:49 PM