Not to be confused with GTO!

Lesson of the Evil had everything to please the seinen fans with a dark and bloody story and yet…

A promising start
The manga starts well even very well. The main character - Seiji Hasumi - is a competent English teacher. He takes care of a difficult class like in GTO but do not be fooled! Hasumi has nothing to do with the famous Onizuka.

Annihilate whatever the method is!
Behind his appearance as a kind, talented and attentive teacher hides a real psychopath. Thus in the first volumes, we witness a strategic fight to bring down all those who would stand in his way. Its goal: annihilate each individual and for that all means are good: manipulation, treason, murder...

Killing for pleasure and only for pleasure
The strategic aspect was the strength of the manga but, unfortunately, this aspect was diminished with each volume. The rhythm accelerated during the last volumes illustrating perhaps the madness of the character but I think it made lose the thread and the interest of the manga: the strategy and the manipulation.

Not convinced... Watch the movie!
Adapted from Yusuke Kishi's novel which strongly inspired the manga, the film was released in Japan in 2012. You certainly tell yourself that this film is not worth watching like most adaptations and yet... The film sums up the manga well. If the story quickly turns into a massacre, the performance of the main actor - Hideaki Ito - is worth to watch. His dark humor and charisma make him the perfect psychopath.

In summary
Lesson of the Evil is a short manga since it includes a total of 9 volumes. If the potential was here thanks to the beautiful drawings, the dark universe and the charismatic and detestable main character, the manga changes it dynamics towards half of the story. As a result: manipulation is replaced by massacre, there are no other words... Too bad.