The appeal and evaluation of "Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei": A journey from despair to hope

"Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei": A strange school life that begins with despair

"Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei" is a TV anime series based on the original manga by Koji Kumeta, which aired from July 8 to September 23, 2007. This work is a comedy that depicts the interaction between a teacher with a hopeless mindset and his unique students, and is sprinkled with social satire and parody. Below, we will introduce detailed information and reviews of "Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei", as well as recommended points.

Overview

"Goodbye, Despair Teacher" is the story of a teacher who can only think negatively about everything, Itoshiki Nozomu (commonly known as "Zetsubou Sensei"), who is appointed as the homeroom teacher of class 2-he. His class is filled with unique students, including the positive-thinking Fuura Kafuka, the meticulous Kizu Chisato, and the reclusive Komori Kiri. The hopeless thinking of Zetsubou Sensei and the eccentric characters of the students intertwine to create a story that is both funny and moving.

Broadcast information

"Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei" was broadcast for a total of 12 episodes from July 8th to September 23rd, 2007. It was broadcast on TVK and UHF, and the broadcast times for each station are as follows.

• tvk: July 7, 2007 to September 22, 2007, every Saturday from 24:30 to 25:00
• Chiba TV: July 8, 2007 to September 23, 2007, every Sunday from 23:30 to 24:00
• Teletama: July 8, 2007 to September 23, 2007, every Sunday from 25:00 to 25:30
• Sun Television: July 9, 2007 to September 24, 2007, every Monday from 24:00 to 24:30
• TOKYO MX: July 9, 2007 to September 24, 2007, every Monday from 25:30 to 26:00

Staff and cast

The film was directed by Akiyuki Shinbo and animated by Shaft. The original story was written by Koji Kumeta, and character design and general animation direction was by Hideyuki Morioka. The main cast includes a stellar cast of voice actors, including Hiroshi Kamiya as Nozomu Itoshiki, Ai Nonaka as Kafura Kafuka, and Marina Inoue as Chisato Kizu.

story

Nozomi Itoshiki is a young man who can only think negatively about everything. His name, "Nozomi Itoshiki," can be read as "Despair" when written horizontally, so he is called Despair Sensei. He is assigned as the homeroom teacher for class 2-he at the school where Kafura Kafuka and her friends attend. However, class 2-he has many unique and troublesome students, including positive-thinking students, meticulous students, and recluses, unlike Nozomi. How will Despair Sensei's negative teachings affect the lives of his students, and how will he be affected by them? A hopeless school life is about to begin.

Character Introduction

The main characters are introduced below.

• Nozomu Itoshiki : Nicknamed "Despair Sensei." A super negative teacher in charge of class 2. A super annoying person who thinks negatively about everything that happens.
• Fuura Kafuka : A super positive girl in class 2. A female student with a positive outlook on everything that happens. This name is a pen name.
• Kizu Chisato : A super scrupulous girl in class 2. She has an obsessive class president personality and can't help but interject when something isn't done properly. She is the head of the tea ceremony club.
• Komori Kiri : A reclusive girl in class 2. She was able to attend school thanks to the efforts of teacher Itoshiki, but after that she became a "school-refusing girl" who shut herself in at school and never returned home.
• Matoi Tsuzuki : A stalker girl in class 2. She used to stalk her ex-boyfriend, but was fascinated by Mr. Itoshiki's accomplishments and now she's always following him around.
• Kimura Kaere : A bilingual girl who returned from overseas and is enrolled in class 2. She has two personalities: an overseas personality that is quick to complain, and an extremely modest Japanese personality.
• Kannai Maria Taro : A girl who is an illegal student in class 2. She came to Japan from Asia in a container, bought someone else's attendance number, and enrolled. She's a girl who makes you want to protect her for some reason.
• Koseki Abiru : A bandaged girl in class 2. Her father is suspected of domestic violence because she is always covered in open wounds. The truth is that she is an animal lover and the injuries she sustained were from playing with animals.
• Nami Hito : A normal girl in class 2. She has a habit of wanting to be treated specially by others, and although she tries various schemes to get people's attention, she never manages to do much.
• Harumi Fujiyoshi : A yaoi fan girl in class 2. She likes anime and manga, and her hobbies are making doujinshi and cosplaying. She gets a bit noisy when talking about boys' love.
• Otonashi Meru : A sharp-tongued email girl in class 2. She is extremely shy and can only communicate with others through email, but her emails are sharp-tongued. She feels uneasy in places where there is no signal.

episode

The subtitles and broadcast dates for each episode are as follows:

• Episode 1: "Goodbye, Mr. Despair" / "After all, when you think of school, you think of hot springs" (2007/07/07)
• Episode 2: "When I came out of the tunnel, it was white (※There is no one in front of me, but you are behind me)" / "I will teach you about true deep love" (2007/07/14)
• Episode 3: "Go over that country ("We have to stick together no matter what")" / "Great country. I went there!" (2007/07/21)
• Episode 4: "I can't give in, I can't give in" / "Please don't bully my favorite child" (2007/07/28)
• Episode 5: "Comparing the size of the body (removing stains and poison)" / "Oh, a situation that tends to be cut these days" (2007/08/04)
• Episode 6: "Jump before you meet" / "The moment our eyes meet, the match is made. We will get married immediately" (2007/08/11)
• Episode 7: "Confessions of a Pseudonym (One morning Gregor Samsa woke up to find himself carrying a portable shrine)" / "It's a bad habit of Japanese people. They get carried away by the portable shrine and immediately start dancing!" (2007/08/18)
• Episode 8: "I am destined to be a shadow (That's why I'm running away! Follow me, Philostratus!)" / "I'd like to ask for guidance on evacuation training" (2007/08/25)
• Episode 9: "Evening primroses on Mt. Fuji are wrong (I was planning to prove it this New Year)" / "I might be a pervert who wants to talk to high school girls" (2007/09/01)
• Episode 10: "A man of culture was sheltering from the rain under the Rashomon Gate (he had to bake some fresh yatsuhashi)" / "For the timid, reconnaissance is essential!" (2007/09/08)
• Episode 11: "That's no good. There's an original story, isn't there?" / "If it's more interesting than the original story, it would be disrespectful to the original author!" / "If eternal rest is not possible, at least hibernation..." (2007/09/15)
• Episode 12: "What a nuisance!" / "Well, this is too much evidence!" (2007/09/22)

Related Titles

"Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei" has the following related works:

• Goodbye, Mr. Despair
• Punishment: Goodbye, Mr. Despair
• Goku: Goodbye, Mr. Despair
• Penance: Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei Bangaichi
• Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei Blu-ray BOX Commemorative Edition

Theme songs and music

The opening and ending themes are as follows:

• OP1
  • Song title: I'm off-center as a person
  • Lyricist: Kenji Ohtsuki
  • Composer: NARASAKI
  • Arrangement: NARASAKI
  • Sung by: Kenji Ohtsuki and the Despair Girls (Kaori Fuura, Chisato Kizu, Kaere Kimura, Maria Taro Kannai, Nami Hito)
• OP2
  • Song name: Forceful My Yeah~
  • Lyricist: Murano Chokkyu
  • Composer: Ruka Kawada
  • Arrangement: Ruka Kawada
  • Sung by: Despair Girls (Kaori Fuura, Chisato Kizu, Kaere Kimura, Nami Hito)
• ED1
  • Song Name: Peerless Beauty
  • Lyricist: Tadanayasanatsumi
  • Composer: Yukari Hashimoto
  • Arrangement: Yukari Hashimoto
  • Sung by: Despair Girls (Kaori Fuura, Chisato Kizu, Kaere Kimura, Nami Hito)

Rating and Recommended Points

"Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei" is a work that is characterized by its unique humor and social satire. The negative thoughts of Zetsubou Sensei and the unique characters of the students intersect to create laughter and emotion. Below is a detailed review of the evaluation and recommended points.

evaluation

"Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei" is highly acclaimed as an anime adaptation that brings out the charm of the original work to the fullest. In particular, the direction of Director Akiyuki Shinbo and the animation production of Shaft are a perfect match, faithfully recreating the atmosphere of the original work. In addition, the performances of the voice actors, including Hiroshi Kamiya, have also been highly praised, further bringing out the individuality of the characters.

In terms of story, the show has been praised for maintaining a consistent tone throughout, while each episode tackles a different theme. The hopeless thoughts of Mr. Despair and the eccentric behavior of his students intertwine, creating laughter and emotion that keeps viewers hooked. Social satire and parody are also sprinkled throughout the show, providing deep insight and humor.

Recommended points

The reasons why we recommend "Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei" are as follows.

• Unique humor : The humor that emerges from the mix of Zetsubou Sensei's negative thoughts and the unique behavior of his students is unique and not found in other anime. You'll laugh while also feeling a deep insight.
• Social satire and parody : The film is filled with social satire and parody, and contains many elements that make the viewer think. In particular, the scenes that satirize the problems of modern society are not to be missed.
• Character appeal : The characters, including Zetsubou Sensei, are all unique and attractive. In particular, the characters' characteristics stand out, such as Kaori Fuura's positive thinking and Chisato Kizu's punctuality.
• Voice Actors : The voice actors, including Hiroshi Kamiya, bring out the individuality of the characters. In particular, the hopeless lines of Zetsubou-sensei and the unique lines of the students are portrayed even more appealingly through the voice actors' acting skills.
• Akiyuki Shinbo's direction : Akiyuki Shinbo's direction faithfully reproduces the atmosphere of the original work while adding some unique animation touches. The visual beauty and camerawork in particular are worth seeing.

summary

"Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei" is a comedy anime that depicts the interactions between a teacher with a hopeless mindset and his unique students. It is characterized by its unique humor and social satire, and has the appeal to attract viewers. In particular, there are many highlights, such as the personalities of the characters, the performances of the voice actors, and the direction of director Akiyuki Shinbo. This is a work that I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to enjoy a strange school life that begins in despair.