DESCRIPTION

CAST

ANIME ComedyZoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
MANGA ComedySayonara Zetsubou Sensei
SPECIAL ComedySayonara Zetsubou Sensei Special Omake
SPECIAL ComedySayonara Zetsubou Sensei Jo: Zetsubou Shoujo Senshuu

REVIEWS

• 

  Meistro

  77/100
  A sardonic take on Japanese customs with messed up characters

  

  Goodbye, Mr. Despair isn’t quite what I expected.

  From its title, premise and opening scene in the first episode, I had expected something just a little bit more morbid. As it is, the comedy in the series still possesses the macabre tone befitting such gallows humor, but it’s far more lighthearted than I would’ve liked from its satire. Instead of pondering melancholically on its somber topics like death, suicide, stalking, social withdrawal (hikikomorism), or just plain existential crisis, it merely plays out like a (slightly) more mature version of the equally frivolous Azumanga Daioh. In fact, much of its humor is derived from its wordplay of these otherwise serious Japanese issues, giving them an often clever subversion. Whereas Azumanga contains high school hijinks with its exaggerated slapstick, Despair applies similarly dumb boisterous fun to adult subject matter like social norms and social stigma. Where one episode might be lending comedic elements to issues like western culture shock or Japanese shame-guilt complex, another might be making light of child abuse or arranged marriages. Clearly, this isn’t your typical high school slice of life exploring teenage problems.

  Based on the 2005 manga of the same name by Kumeta Kōji, Goodbye, Mr. Despair explores the day-to-day life of the pessimistic high school teacher, Itoshiki Nozomu as he educates his fellow students about the negative aspects of Japanese life and culture. It’s not the first time an animé comedy has made fun of societal issues, but Despair contains a certain level of sardonicism and cleverness in its satire that resembles The Simpsons in the early ’90s and its grim mockery of American culture. Rather than just referencing such issues in their most superficial contexts like Gintama, Despair instead probes a little deeper by giving a nonsensical spin to an otherwise realistic topic. Often, these topics are explored via the character quirks of Itoshiki’s students, whose personality disorders are both subversions of animé character archetypes (particularly those of the “harem” genre composed of a single male lead and multiple female love interests) and a playful representation of Japanese societal problems.

  

  Whereas most harem animé would inject their characters with a certain appeal that would attract the viewers, Despair does the opposite and incorporate them with negative traits. Because they are all distinct individuals and there are so many of them, it can be a daunting task to describe them all (or for the reader to get through such a huge chunk of text), so I’m just going to briefly touch on some notable characters instead: Komori Kiri is a social recluse who ends up using various storage spaces as her new hideaway (including Itoshiki’s locker pictured above); Tsunetsuki Matoi is a stalker that clings to Itoshiki every step of the way (after getting bored of stalking a previous boy); Kitsu Chiri has OCD and demands everything to be precise and “proper” (acting like a class rep character in spite of not actually being one); Kobushi Abiru is an often bandaged student initially thought to be a victim of child abuse, but her wounds are revealed to be the result of her obsession with tugging on animal tails; and then there’s Fu’ura Kafuka, the hopelessly optimistic Pollyanna that counters Itoshiki’s pessimism with her unrealistic view that everything in the world is positive (she calls the trash bin a “treasure trove for the homeless”).

  Among the characters, there are total of 13 students and two teachers. That’s a lot of characters, so it’s no wonder that it took almost all 12 episodes to introduce each character and their quirk in the series. To top it all off, there’s the homeroom teacher, Itoshiki himself, the eternal pessimist that’s drowning in despair over the many aspects of Japanese society (often trivial aspects). But his biggest despair is revealed to be the ridiculous marriage tradition in his hometown, where a bride is arranged via eye-contact with another individual…

  Notably, all of the character names are based on the wordplay of their character traits: the kanji characters of Itoshiki Nozomu spell out “despair” when written horizontally; Komori Kiri is a play on the Japanese word for “recluse”; Tsunetsuki Matoi plays on “always following around”; Kitsu Chiri plays on “precisely”; and similarly, Kobushi Abiru plays on the Japanese expression, “to bathe in fists” that carries the connotation of domestic violence. Kafuka seems to be the only exception so far, but more might be revealed in the following season. With that said, it’s understandable for someone to be wary of a show that utilizes quirky character traits to drive the series, but fortunately, Despair doesn’t really feels like a cheap parody relying on silly gags alone, particularly because much like Simpsons and American culture, it uses those traits to say something witty and amusing about the often self-serious culture of Japan, whether it’s those festivals honoring the most trivial events, the public shaming of unethical individuals that influences a guilt complex on everyone, or just the exaggerated presumptions coming from both Japanese citizens towards western cultures and vice versa. It’s quite bold of the series to be that sardonic about Japan (even more so than Gintama’s superficial mockery) considering that it’s a nation built on manners and customs.

  

  Unfortunately, this niched critique of its home country also means that many of its references can fly over the head of western viewers, myself included. Aside from references to other animé titles, there’s also an abundance of Japanese celebrities who are name-dropped throughout the series, which is to be expected of a satire comedy comparable to The Simpsons. Usually, this would merely be a minor annoyance and could be largely ignored. Unlike a more allegorical show like Revolutionary Girl Utena, these background texts (probably) only add flavor to the scenes rather than adding any meaningful context to the comedy. However, that’s like saying you don’t have to understand the vague references of ’70s pop culture in The Simpsons to enjoy the show, when the fact is that the understanding of such references is very much required to get the joke more often than not. It also really doesn’t help that this is a production of Studio SHAFT, famous (or infamous depending on whom you ask) for their insertion of referential texts into the background that flash by so fast any viewer would undoubtedly have to pause multiple times to catch them.

  While I recognize some of the animé references, it’s still a pain sometimes to pause every minute or so to see if there’s some interesting texts among the scenery. This is a fundamental issue of certain SHAFT titles like Bakemonogatari, and with the Monogatari series, the problem becomes even more apparent because they would flash by much faster than any human eye could catch. It’s probably not much of a problem to read them if you understand Japanese, but the subtitled versions of these texts can prove to be more challenging depending on the font size and type that the translator chooses. It’s just one reason I always hesitate when it comes to watching a SHAFT TV series (including Mr. Despair) in spite of Madoka Magica being my all time #1 favorite animé. While the annoyance of reading subtitled dialogue could be resolved by watching the English dub version, the same couldn’t be said for these background text references. Alongside Bakemonogatari, my enjoyment of these series has definitely been affected as the momentum of the story comes to a slow crawl.

  But these gripes are perhaps trivial annoyances at best because at the end of the day, what’s really driving a gag series like Despair is the characters more than the gags. Even though the series deliberately chooses to give them negative traits to show how silly the idolatry of these archetypes can be (with Sekiutsu “Maria” Taro being a blatant parody of “moe” characters people feel the intense desire to protect in animé), the fanbase still manages to have their choice of favorite girl (or in animé terms, their “waifu”) from the show. It goes to show that these characters are just compelling enough beyond their flaws to really capture the heart of its audience.

  

  Fitting to its parodic nature, the artstyle and music both exaggerate the ridiculous context of the script. Kumeta’s aesthetic choice of fashion for the characters belongs to the Taishō era of Japan (30th July 1912 to 25th December 1926), juxtaposing against the modern elements of the story (such as cellphone and contemporary architecture and shops). The score by Hasegawa Tomoki (known for his works in D.N.Angel, Nana and Gokusen) uses a mix of epic orchestra and wistful choir singing amidst the melodramatic musings of the characters whenever Itoshiki is in despair or whenever Matoi is stalking him. It’s a nice touch to further remind the audience how everything is a joke, and no subject matter is too serious to be made light of.

  On a personal level for me, someone who’s constantly attracted by depressing stories of death and gloom (probably due to some unresolved childhood issues), Goodbye, Mr. Despair might not be what I expected, that which being a comedy counterpart to something like Welcome to the N.H.K. that contemplates existential dread in a less exaggerated context, but it does work on its own merit of goofy characters making jokes about the societal flaws of Japan. In terms of such silliness, I still prefer Azumanga Daioh for its much more effective (and hilarious) slapstick technique or even Nichijou’s balls to the wall exaggeration of utterly mundane aspects. But for what it is, it does have sufficient charm and cleverness to make me consider following its second season in the future.

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• 

  Kenkorio

  85/100
  [BR/EN]Comédia "dark" com bons personagens e referências legais/Dark comedy with likeable characters and fun references

  __For the English Version, scroll Down__ __[Spoiler Free]__ # Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei! Zetsuboushita!

  "Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei", ou como dito em português, "Adeus, Professor Desespero", é a história de um professor do ensino médio, que por conta de uma das formas que o seu nome pode ser escrito, acaba formando a palavra "desespero", assim, sendo carinhosamente apelidado pelos seus alunos de "Professor Desespero", apelido esse que caiu muito bem já que a todo momento Nozomu Itoshiki, ou melhor, Zetsubou Sensei, está desesperado.
  ؜

  • História

  A história que nós observamos durante todas as temporadas do anime é puramente baseada em contexto. Apesar de haver uma progressão, os episódios são basicamente guiados por uma questão abordada no mesmo. Melhor dizendo, a história do anime basicamente gira em torno das situações que os personagens se encontram e em como elas serão resolvidas. O anime não adapta o mangá por completo, então acho válido informar que se você por algum acaso quiser ver a conclusão da obra, os últimos 10 capítulos do mangá cobrem o "último arco" e o desfecho da história.

  

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  • Personagens

  Apesar de serem simples, os personagens da obra são bem trabalhados e carismáticos. Cada personagem no anime possui uma característica que definirá o tipo de humor trabalhado nas cenas que eles estão presentes. O elenco é vasto e há personagens de todos os tipos (em sua maioria, personagens femininas). Exemplificando, irei falar sobre o Zetsubou Sensei e a Kafuka Fuura, os dois personagens principais da obra.

  • Nozomu Itoshiki

  O professor da classe 2-F e personagem principal da obra, como o seu apelido sugere, é um professor que está a todo tempo desesperado por conta das questões que aparecem durante o Anime. Possui sua famosa fala "Zetsuboushita!" (Estou em desespero!) e a todo momento entra em mal-entendidos, assim, desenvolvendo as relações com seus alunos e pessoas ao seu redor.

  • Kafuka Fuura Uma garota otimista que vê praticamente tudo pelo seu "lado bom". Sendo a primeira a ter contato com o professor, Kafuka leva a vida tentando enxergar o lado bom de todas as coisas e acredita que coisas mais pesadas não podem estar acontecendo na escola em que ela estuda por ser algo que "apenas se vê na televisão".

    ؜

  • Áudio/Visual

  A trilha sonora do anime se encaixa muito bem nas cenas e com o tema do anime. As openings e endings são maravilhosas, em especial para as openings que além de terem um ótimo visual, as músicas são muito boas e viciantes, facilmente entram nas minhas favoritas. Um dos motivos que me fez querer assistir o anime foi justamente o aspecto visual. O visual simples e marcante é bem utilizado, ainda mais com a técnica "Unmoving Plaid" (técnica que quando os personagens se movem, a textura de suas roupas se mantém, assim como no desenho "Chowder" ou no anime "Gankutsuou"), dando um charme a mais na obra. O estilo da Shaft de animação e direção agregaram bastante pra obra, e em minha opinião, a escolha de estúdio foi excelente para adaptar uma obra como essa.

  

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  • Divertimento

  O anime todo é bem divertido de se assistir, ainda mais quando o seu conhecimento sobre a cultura japonesa é um pouco mais aprofundado, já que boa parte do humor é feita através de referências a outros animes ou até a própria cultura nipônica. Apesar disso, ainda é possível aproveitar a obra sem pegar boa parte das referências (admito que isso aconteceu comigo algumas vezes).

  

  ؜

  • Conclusão

  Se você procura um anime com um humor mais pesado, lotado de referências e com bons personagens, Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei pode ser a escolha perfeita para você.

  

  ؜

  __English Version__

  Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei!

  Zetsuboushita!

  "Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei", or in english, "Goodbye, Mr. Despair", is a story about a highschool teacher, and because of a way that his name can be written, the word "Despair" is formed, that said, his students starts to call him by the nickname "Mr. Despair", nickname that fitted well as Nozomu Itoshiki is always in despair.
  ؜

  • Story

  The story that follows all seasons of the anime is purely based in context. Besides it having little progression, the episodes are basically guided by a question that appears in the chapter. In other words, the story is oriented in the situation a character is in and how they will solve it. The anime doesn't adapt all of the manga, so it is valid to state that if you want the ending of the story, you should read the last 10 chapters of the manga.

  

  ؜

  • Characters

  Although the characters are simple, they are really well worked and charismatic. Each character has their own characteristic that defines the type of comedy that will be presented in the scene they are on. The cast is big and has characters of every type (in its majority female). Exemplifying, I will talk about Zetsubou Sensei and Kafufa Fuura, the main characters of the show.

  • Nozomu Itoshiki

  The teacher of class 2-F and main character of the show, as his nickname suggests, is a teacher that is always in despair because of the issues that appear throughout the anime. He has his famous speech "Zetsuboushita!" (Im in despair!) and all the time is involved in misunderstandings that shape the relationship with his students and people arround him.

  • Kafuka Fuura An optimist girl that sees pretty much everything on its "good side". Being the first to make contact with the teacher, Kafuka lives trying to see the good side of everything and believes that heavy themes can't be happening on the same school as she studies because those things "only happens on TV".

    ؜

  • Audio/Visual

  The anime soundtrack fits well in the scenes and with the main theme. The openings and endings are wonderful, in special the openings that have such nice visuals and the songs are really good and catchy, being some of my favorites. One of the reasons that made me start watching the show was its visual aspect. The simple and remarking visual is really well used, further more with the "Unmoving Plaid" technique (technique that when a character moves, the texture of its clothing remain still, like on the cartoon "Chowder" or "Gankutsuou" anime), giving the show a bit more charm. Shaft's animation and direction style added a lot to the anime, and in my opinion, the studio choice was excellent to adapt this work.

  

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  • Enjoyment

  The anime is really fun to watch, adding more to the experience if your knowledge of japanese culture is a little more in-depth, as a great part of the comedy is made through references to other anime or the japanese culture itself. Nevertheless, it is possible to enjoy the show without getting all the references (I admit that this happened to me a few times).

  

  ؜

  • Conclusion

  If you're looking for an anime with dark humor, full of references and with great characters, Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei may be the perfect choice for you.

  
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• 

  chibister

  75/100
  An underrrated satire which emphasizes some deep problems in Japan and society.

  There are two reasons as to why I started watching Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

  1. The creator of the series: Kouji Kumeta
  2. The voice actor of Nozomu Itoshiki : Hiroshi Kamiya.

  As to why, it is because I just finished Kakushigoto and I got to know that, Kumeta-San has more gag manga written and Kamiya-San has also played as the VA for Kakushi Gotou. Of course they do not have to be relatable, but I was more curious and I started this anime.

  Starting with OST.

  OP:
  "Hito toshite Jiku ga Bureteiru" by Kenji Ohtsuki feat. Ai Nonaka, Marina Inoue, Yu Kobayashi, Miyuki Sawashiro & Ryoko Shintani
  The video of this song was too unique for me. Like that video had no influence on the anime at all. Honestly, I was getting weirded out whenever I watch it expect for the part where Itoshki's face is zoomed. I even found it disturbing at some places, though I liked the song when I only heard the audio ans did not watch the video.

  There is a second OP for episodes 10 and 11:
  "Gouin ni Mai Yeah~" by Ai Nonaka, Marina Inoue, Yu Kobayashi, Miyuki Sawashiro & Ryoko Shintani
  I like this OP more. It gives me the vibes and the video is also really good with a splash of colours to my taste.

  ED:
  "Zessei Bijin" by Ai Nonaka, Marina Inoue, Yu Kobayashi & Ryoko Shintani
  Even though the video is a bit not to my preference, it is actually a nice song and I like how they show the females in Kimonos.

  Remaining OSTs:
  The music is timely and is very suitable to the anime. It isn't very strong music to dominate the anime. It is subtle (though at places like where Itoshki falls into despair, it becomes a little intense), and matches the pace of the anime. Tomoki Hasegawa has done a really great job. I haven't watched any other anime which include his works and because of which I cannot talk about his style, but this anime has a really nice music which doesn't make you feel any heavy-hearted moments. Just the right touch needed for anime on humour.

  Character Development

  There are 15 students along with two staff who are focus of this anime. Each character is given ample screen time with some parts dedicated to themselves. This impressed me a lot, because usually side characters do no have a lot of development.

  Each character has a quality(?) quirk(?) trait(?) (trait sounds better) trait. Like Itoshki is always in despair. Every smallest thing in this world sends him into the abyss of despair. And to counter with his pessimistic nature, Kafuka Fuura an extremely optimistic and strange character is the other lead. Each character has their own traits and they are reflected in their names. Nozomu Itoshiki when written horizontally means "Despair". And many characters have names like that. Each character is messed up, though not possible to exist, it is evident they are designed to portray a flaw with as much pun as possible.

  By the end of twelve episodes, the viewers will be familiar with the students.

  Animation

  The animation tries an old-ish style but pulls it off great. Hideyuki Morioka has done a great job on the animation and character design. He is a staff on various amazing anime like D.Grey-Man, Enen no Shouboutai and many more of them.

  Episodes

  Each episode covers one of the problem of the society, but blends it with such humour that it doesn't look dark or hypocritical. Just as what we expect from a well-written satire.

  The first episode introduces Itoshki, Kafuka and other main characters. The second episode shows us a Hikkikomori and a stalker. The third episode focuses on attitudes of foreigners and Japanese; and immigrants too. The fourth episode focuses on apparent Domestic Vlioence, animal rights; and people who can't talk but be abusive on mails.

  Each episode has it's own topic(s) and is very funny even if one is spoiled.

  Plot

  It is a simple plot compiling the daily life of Itoshki Sensei and his students while covering various topics day-to-day and Itoshki falling into despair.

  My Overall View

  It is one underrated anime which needs more attention. And I loved it and enjoyed thoroughly.

  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO WATCH

  My only problem is Usui. Usui from Maid-Sama is my husbando whom I'm planning to marry, but Usui from this anime ruins my Usui. REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

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