Speaking of Hana-Kimi...
As mentioned in previous posts, romance nearly always has a "container," an underlying context that holds the meeting, dating, confession, consummation (hug, kiss, sex), as well as the long-term plans of a couple.
High school is rather like the Titanic here--only less tragic. It supplies an automatic chronological container, replete with obstacles and authority figures and rules and an end date. A great deal of anime and manga and live action shojo/BL takes place in high school (far too many for me to attempt to list here--see narrowed list below).
Assassination Classroom is a great example of how a singularly ridiculous premise can be contained by the high school context. Not only does the high school contain the student assassins, assassin mentors, an evil (but effective) principal, bullying students, and the target...it supplies instant theme.
Love & hate are bound up in high school. I have a crystal clear memory of standing in a school corridor staring through the window-paned outside door and thinking, "I could just go. I could just run. I could escape."
Need the boundaries. Hate the institution. Loathe the authority figures. Admire and like them at the same time.
Assassination Classroom bypasses the subtlety: hate the teacher, love the teacher. Defend the teacher, try to kill the teacher.
In the meantime...figure out the real enemies.
Assassination Classroom underscores a truth revealed by numerous studies: kids who complete high school, no matter how reluctantly, do better in the long run than kids who drop out. The latter group can still succeed but it is difficult. There is something about "hanging in there" till the end of the slog and making it work that equips students for the rest of life. Assassination Classroom brings the reality home. Forget pass/fail. Do or die!
Regarding romance and high school (where the high school is used for its plausible setting and chronological order), check out Hana-Kimi, My School President, Mars, His Favorite, Seven Days, Otomen, Just Around the Corner, Kare First Love, and Only the Ring Finger Knows.
See also Interview with the Translator posts about high school and high school rules and school trips.
