Koudo Ikusei is a government-sponsored school dedicated to educating and nurturing the next generation that will support the country. The plot revolves around Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, a socially awkward boy who struggles to communicate with others and fails to correctly associate with them. After barely passing the entrance exam, he ends up in D-class, where the school dumps its inferior students. Kiyotaka soon discovers that only the top students are given favorable treatment.
“Classroom of the Elite” has gained enormous popularity in just a few months since its release in 2017, and all credit goes to its captivating storyline and fascinating characters. The show’s second season aired from July 2022 to September 2022, and the third season will premiere in 2023, though no specific date has been announced. If you want to watch the series on Netflix, you should know that it is only available on Netflix Japan due to licensing agreements.
However, there is no need to despair. You can watch “Classroom of the Elite” on Netflix Japan even if you don’t live in Japan. We’ll use a VPN service to get a Japanese IP address and gain access to Netflix Japan from anywhere in the world.
Analysis: If you want to watch Classroom of the Elite on Netflix, you must live in a country where Netflix has licensing rights to the series. The series is available on Netflix Japan, but you cannot access it using your local IP address. We also need to fix the fact that the show doesn’t have English subtitles on Netflix Japan.
Solution: We will use a reputable VPN service to change our local IP address in order to watch Classroom of the Elite on Netflix Japan. Our online traffic is rerouted through a secure tunnel when we connect to a VPN server. This process encrypts our online data, hides our local IP address, and assigns us a new IP address based on the location of the server. Because our goal is to watch Netflix Japan, we will connect to a VPN server in Japan. We will also solve the language problem by using a third-party extension that allows us to add subtitles to Netflix in the language of our choice.
Here is a quick guide to streaming “Classroom of the Elite” on Netflix via VPN:
- Visit the official Surfshark website. The company has servers in Tokyo, Japan.
- To choose a plan, click the “Get SurfShark” button in the upper right corner.
- To complete the transaction, enter your email address and choose a payment method. (Surfshark will send you your login information via email.)
- Sign in to your SurfShark account to download the VPN app for your device and install it.
- Log in to the SurfShark app with the same credentials.
- Search for “Japan” in the “Locations” menu and connect to an available server.
When the connection is established, your local IP address will be replaced by a Japanese IP address. You can then access Netflix Japan from anywhere in the world and watch Classroom of the Elite in HD quality. Our guide, however, is incomplete because Netflix Japan does not provide English subtitles for the series. Subtital is my preferred extension for manually adding subtitles to Netflix. However, there are numerous options on the market that perform the same function, and you are free to use any of them.
Please follow the steps outlined below to add subtitles to Netflix for Classroom of the Elite:
- Navigate to the “Chrome Web Store” and search for Substital.
- Click the “Add to Chrome” button to install it.
- Play the “Classroom of the Elite” episode you want to watch.
- Launch Substital by clicking the puzzle-piece icon to the right of the search bar.
- Search for subtitles and enjoy the episode.

Here’s an image from the first episode of the series. Netflix only offers Japanese audio and subtitles, but I manually added English subtitles. This method allows you to watch Classroom of the Elite on Netflix Japan from anywhere in the world. Did you say you’ve never used a VPN service before and that this has perplexed you? Don’t be concerned. The remaining part of this article is dedicated to you. I’ll explain why we can’t watch Classroom of the Elite on Netflix from every country, how a VPN service can help us, and what to look for when selecting a VPN service. Let’s get started right away.
Understanding Netflix geo-restriction
Let’s start with why “Classroom of the Elite” isn’t available on Netflix in every country. In its license agreements, Netflix, as a for-profit company, takes into account the popularity of the content as well as the profitability of the deal. Although anime appeals to a diverse audience, it must be acknowledged that it is not as popular as other television shows and films. That is why Netflix is not battling for the licensing rights to every anime in every country.
When it comes to Classroom of the Elite, the subject of our article, I could only find one country where the series can be watched on Netflix, and that country is none other than Japan, the birthplace of anime. So, what happens if we try to stream “Classroom of the Elite” on Netflix outside of Japan?

Searching for “Classroom of the Elite” on Netflix outside of Japan yields no results, as shown above. If we are aware that a piece of content is available on a platform but are unable to access it from the country we are in, we are subject to geo-restriction. Unfortunately, Netflix takes a passive stance on this issue, with only a few sentences in the platform’s terms of service explaining the situation.

- The statement: “You may access the Netflix content primarily within the country in which you have established your account and only in geographic locations where we offer your subscription plan and have licensed such content. The content that may be available will vary by geographic location and will change from time to time.”
At the very least, we now understand what caused the situation. In the following section, I will explain what we will do to resolve the issue.
Watch Classroom of the Elite on Netflix via VPN
Netflix uses IP addresses to determine a user’s geographic location. That is, when we log into Netflix, we are presented with a library of content based on our IP address. “Classroom of the Elite,” as previously stated, is only available on Netflix Japan. In this case, it is obvious that we require a Japanese IP address in order to access Netflix Japan.
To obtain a Japanese IP address, we will use a professional VPN service. VPNs are useful tools for maintaining online privacy and security. When we connect to a VPN server, our online traffic is encrypted, and we are assigned a new IP address based on the location of the VPN server, allowing us to hide our true location.
In other words, by connecting to the VPN’s Japan server, we will gain access to Netflix Japan while also increasing our online security and privacy.
Choosing the best VPN for the Classroom of the Elite
The VPN service we use must have servers in Japanese data centers in order for us to get a Japanese IP address. This is the only way we can watch Netflix Japan without physically visiting the country. Unfortunately, no free services meet this requirement.
Second, a base connection is unsatisfactory for us. Given that Japan is an island nation, the servers of the VPN service we select must be equipped with the technology to provide us with an uninterrupted streaming experience. We cannot, of course, ignore such an important issue as service pricing.
SurfShark was the VPN service that satisfied me after I evaluated all of the options on the market using these criteria. It is one of the most affordable options on the market, has lightning-fast dedicated servers, and allows us to watch Classroom of the Elite on Netflix Japan from anywhere in the world. If you’re into numbers, my most recent speed test with SurfShark’s Tokyo server produced a download speed of 94 Mbps.
To use this service, please follow the steps below:
- Visit SurfShark VPN.
- Choose a subscription plan and fill out the purchase form. (By opting for a longer plan, you can save up to 80% on your monthly payments.)
- Make your payment using the method of your choice.
Once your payment has been processed, your login information will be emailed to you. This step may take several minutes.
VPN app installation
Now we’ll download and install the VPN app on the device we’ll be using to watch Classroom of the Elite on Netflix.
- Return to the SurfShark homepage.
- Click the “Log in” button in the upper right corner of the page and enter your login information.
- You can install the VPN app on your device by downloading it from the “Apps and Extensions” menu.
In order to avoid future issues, give SurfShark all of the permissions it requests when you install it.
Connecting to the Japan VPN server
Now it’s time to locate and connect to SurfShark’s Japan server. Don’t worry; SurfShark is a simple service that anyone can use.
- Launch SurfShark on your device.
- Select the “Locations” menu from the app’s interface.
- Enter “Japan” into the search bar and connect to an available server.

Your SurfShark icon will turn green once the connection is established. That means you can watch Netflix Japan from wherever you are.
Streaming Classroom of the Elite on Netflix
We’ve finished the first part of the guide, and if everything went well, we should now have a Japanese IP address. Let’s check Netflix again.
- Verify that you are connected to the SurfShark Japan server.
- Launch the Netflix app or visit the Netflix website at https://www.netflix.com/.
- Search for “Classroom of the Elite.“

Our efforts appear to have been rewarded, as Classroom of the Elite is now available on Netflix in two seasons.

We managed to overcome geo-restrictions, and if you speak Japanese, you can begin watching the series right away. If you don’t know, please keep reading because I’ll show you how to manually add subtitles to Netflix.
Adding subtitles to Classroom of the Elite on Netflix
As of now, Japan is our only option for watching Classroom of the Elite on Netflix. Unfortunately, Netflix Japan does not offer any language options aside from Japanese. As a result, we will use a third-party browser extension and manually add the subtitles to Netflix. I’ll use Substital in this guide, but you can look for other options if you prefer.
Please follow the steps below to manually add subtitles to Netflix:
- If you use Chrome, Substital can be found in the Chrome Web Store; if you use another browser, Substital’s homepage can be found at https://substital.com/.
- Click the “Add to Chrome” button to install Substital.
- Play the episode of Classroom of the Elite that you want to watch on Netflix.
- Click the puzzle icon next to the search bar and launch Substital.

Substital will now detect the video you’re watching automatically. When you click on the video’s title, you’ll be taken to a search bar where you can look for subtitles in your preferred language.

As a result of this search, I was unable to locate English subtitles for Classroom of the Elite. In such a case, we need to download the subtitles from another website.
Note: I found the subtitles in Subscene, but there were no results when I searched for “Classroom of the Elite,” and I could only find the subtitles by searching “Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e.“
Furthermore, when manually adding subtitles, Substital only accepts the “.srt” file format. If the subtitle file you downloaded is in a different format, you will need to use a converter.

Here’s the final result! We were able to get around both the geographical restrictions and the language barrier. You can use this method to watch Classroom of the Elite on Netflix from anywhere in the world. By the way, the Subsital icon on the right side of the screen allows you to change the text color, background color, font size, and synchronization settings.
VPNs for streaming Classroom of the Elite on Netflix (3 Alternatives)
We were able to watch Classroom of the Elite on Netflix Japan after connecting to SurfShark’s Tokyo servers. However, we know that platforms are not particularly friendly to VPN traffic, and no one can guarantee that a VPN service that works well today will not be blocked tomorrow. We can’t afford to ignore such a possibility, so it’s best to find out ahead of time what alternative VPN services we can use to avoid being caught off guard. Here are three other VPN options for getting a Japanese IP address:
AtlasVPN
AtlasVPN is NordVPN’s sister company that focuses on streaming services. Atlas VPN expands your reach by providing over 750 servers in 42 different locations. Japan is, of course, within AtlasVPN’s coverage, and the company has dedicated servers in Tokyo.
My most recent speed test with AtlasVPN’s Japan server yielded a download speed of 34 Mbps. With this performance, AtlasVPN falls to the bottom of our list, but considering that we need a speed of 25 Mbps to watch Netflix in HD quality, it is more than adequate for a smooth streaming experience.
Here is an advantage that will entice you: AtlasVPN offers more features at a lower price. A single AtlasVPN account allows for an unlimited number of simultaneous connections and costs only $2.05 per month.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN, without a doubt, is one of the biggest players in the VPN market. With more than thirteen years of expertise in the field, ExpressVPN operates thousands of servers in 94 countries. Moreover, ExpressVPN has chosen to spread its Japanese servers to Shibuya, Yokohama, and Tokyo.
This variety reveals its benefits in speed tests. I recently tested ExpressVPN’s Tokyo server and received a download speed of 72 Mbps. As a result, ExpressVPN is the fastest of our three alternatives.
Unfortunately, quality comes at a cost, and ExpressVPN is more expensive than our other options. The basic plan from ExpressVPN costs $6.67 per month and allows for five simultaneous connections.
CyberGhost
If you’re looking for a VPN service for streaming, CyberGhost is a reliable option. CyberGhost offers worldwide coverage with over 9000 servers in 91 countries. Furthermore, the company has 109 servers in Tokyo, Japan.
In CyberGhost’s app, there is a “For Streaming” category where you can find dedicated servers for a variety of digital platforms. My most recent speed test using CyberGhost’s Tokyo server resulted in a download speed of 43 Mbps. This level of performance is adequate for a smooth streaming experience.
Finally, CyberGhost has a reasonable pricing policy. A single CyberGhost account can support up to seven simultaneous connections, and the most basic plan is only $2.29 per month.
Summing up the Classroom of the Elite on Netflix article
Classroom of the Elite is a popular anime series among fans of the genre. However, it appears that Netflix is not paying any particular attention to it. Classroom of the Elite is only available on Netflix Japan due to licensing agreements, and if we want to watch the show on Netflix, we must first overcome the geo-restriction.
As we learned in the article, using a reputable VPN service is the simplest and most cost-effective way to circumvent geo-restrictions. We can only get a Japanese IP address and watch Classroom of the Elite on Netflix from anywhere in the world by connecting to a VPN server in Japanese data centers. My top picks for this task are SurfShark, AtlasVPN, ExpressVPN, and CyberGhost.
Even though we can stream Netflix Japan with a VPN, we must not lose sight of another issue that must be addressed. “Classroom of the Elite” is only available in Japanese on Netflix Japan. If you don’t speak Japanese, like me, you can manually add subtitles in any language to Netflix using Subsital or a similar browser extension.

I’ve been a translator for many years. During this time, geo-restriction has always been the most problematic issue in the many countries I’ve visited. I’m here to tell you about my experience.