dejuan02 - 2014-02-17 04:50:18

Shaft-a-Piece #1 Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica
Shaft-a-Piece #2 Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
Shaft-a-Piece #3 Bakemonogatari

Prologue:
Possibly the most demented show in Studio Shaft history Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is interesting. Studio Shaft is now known for Madoka and Monogatari yet SZS does not tend to get talked about and that is a shame. This show is quite experimental, disturbing and has a very sharp edge to its humour. The question is does that make it a good product or a failed experiment. This is Wexter and I present to you Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.

History:
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (Goodbye Mr. Despair) was first serialized as a manga in Kodansha’s Weekly Shounen Jump penned by Kōji Kumeta from 2005-2012. It was a grand total of 301 Chapters long or 30 Volumes a rather respectable milestone. Unfortunately Del Rey would only published eight volumes of the manga for a North American release before exiting the manga industry. As of March of 2012 Kodansha Comics has continued the series publishing another five volumes.

Studio SHAFT would release an anime adaptation of the series in 2007, directed by Akiyuki Shinbo (Madoka Magica, Bakemonogatari). On top of the already dark tone and comedy SHAFT and Shinbo had embellished the series with even more cynical satire of Japanese and Western culture (this can be easily seen with the messages that appear in the background). The Series began airing in Japan on July 7th and end on September 23rd of that year and would be 12 episodes long and receive two follow up seasons. The series would be licensed by Media Blasters and was planed to see a English-subtitled release in May of 2010 unfortunately eerily similar to its Manga, that was delayed till 2013 and much like other series planned for a 2013 release by Media Blasters was dropped. The series is still unreleased in North America.

Plot:
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is about a very depressed, pessimistic and morose high school teacher named Nozomu Itoshiki whom will attempt suicide over anything (hence our little disclaimer before the review). He is incharge of being a home room teacher of a class of mostly female students who may or may not have more psychological issues than him. More or less the plot is about Nozomu trying to help these students work through their issues much like another series named GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka). Now here is the interesting spin on this series is that Nozomu is not a normal teacher do to his clinical depression he gives them assignments that are designed for them to see dark parts of life and humanity as a whole. Now this is where the black comedy and satirical nature of the show shines because the plot is most of time focused on satirizing certain parts of japanese culture, this most of time can make some hilarious comedy from not so funny issues. Now this can lead to our first flaw which is that if you are not familiar with the subject material being satirized you will more then likely not get the joke and just be confused as to what is going on. This show is also very episodic and does not really have a plot to speak of, sure the main focus is on the class dynamic but you never really see much outside of that or any progression past that. This to some can also be seen as a negative as since there is no core romance, villain or journey that our hero goes through you will never see much progression past that one episode. Now the humor and snappy writing does makeup for that and the uniqueness of the show does help religate the lack of substance to an overarching plot to an afterthought.

Characters:
Nozomu Itoshiki is our protagonist and for the most part his character can be summed up as clinically depressed. Now the question as to if the characters are good or not can really depend on the person who is viewing them more so with Nozomu than any other character I have ever seen. As someone who has go through depression myself I can see Nozomu as a representation of our own nature when we are in that mindset. Friedrich Nietzsche describes humans as being that “Most people are far too much occupied with themselves to be malicious”, now this most certainly applies to Nozomu. He is not trying to be malicious with his very cold and cynical lessons but helpful. He teaches these students the harsh reality of life that no matter how much we want something we may never get it. Now he as a characters he is really well done he is likable but detestable and when we learn about his life and family we can almost sympathize with him and understand why he sees the world the way he does.

Now for the supporting cast we have a large group of very interesting people as we see their lives, thoughts and dreams we can almost see ourselves at that age. We all had our weird quirks when we were their age and the show just exaggerates those quirks for each character. There is a character who is very OCD and another who has a split personality depending on their situation and location. The most prominent of that supporting cast is Kafuka Fuura whom is the antithesis of Nozomu’s negativity she is nothing but positive. This is great counterbalance to the series as it adds levity to the very dark analize of our modern times with her youthful optimism.

Music/Sound Design:

The sound design needs some mention for this series as it does add some interesting points to the series. It is far more comical and over the top and help emphasis the over the top nature of the series. The music is also very nice with its more traditional Japanese feeling and sometimes it also throws in some techno and rock into the mix making this OST a very pleasing listen. I would not say that it is not something I would listen to on its own but it is very well used in the series. Now the opening though "Hito Toshite Jiku ga Bureteiru" by Kenji Ohtsuki is just my all time favorite opening for any anime. It fits the show so well the lyrics the instrumental pieces come together to create this disturbing but pleasant sound. The animation for it is also amazing SHAFT is known for their phenomenal opening animations but Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is just them at their best, with its imagery and fluidity it is so good. Now unfortunately the second opening not so much. "Gōin ni Mai Yeah", is a good opening but not as good as the first one I wish SHAFT just kept using the first opening as the only opening considering it is only 12 episodes long and interestingly in that second opening if you look for it you will find this note from SHAFT on the topic "The opening was not changed because of complaints.". The ending theme "Zessei Bijin" is also a good ending theme and a nice closing song to each episode.

Sub vs. Dub
Now for this part there is no dub for the series and for some that can be considered a negative for me though the Japanese cast is more than fine for your audible pleasure. You will notice right away studio SHAFT veteran Hiroshi Kamiya who would later voice Koyomi Araragi from Bakemonogatari and he voiced several characters in this series. You will also hear the voices of the lovely Akiko Yajima, Ai Nonaka, Marina Inoue and Yū Kobayashi.

Art and Animation:
You can tell that in this series Shaft was trying to find their style and it was interesting from a animation point of view to see the blending of textures and gradients being used with more traditional animation in its earlier untested form. This style was also rather common practise with American Cartoons from the early 2000’s though here it works a fair bit better as it seems far more refined and not as cheap as it could have looked. Unfortunately the technique that Shaft is now known for is not as fleshed out and you can tell that in a fair number of scenes the animation style felt more experimental with some textures looking out of place and some times made the animation look choppy and not as fluid as it could have been. Though the animation itself does add a fair bit to the comedy and the backgrounds are very well detailed and there is always something going on and even though this series is from 2007 it holds up very well and shows why SHAFT is such a powerhouse nowadays.

Epilogue:
Overall I very much enjoyed this series and though I do not believe this series is on the same level of quality as SHAFT’s later works it is really well done. I very much look forward to viewing the sequels because at this point Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei has built a very strong foundation that it’s sequels can only build on. Now for some the more satirical and black comedy style of the series may be a turn off I would say check it out at some point it is well worth your time. For I give Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei an 8/10 and a recommendation to buy it on Blu-ray or DVD whenever that may be since Media Blasters has no plans in the near future to do so.

Pros
- Interesting Characters
- Enjoyable Japanese Dub
- My All-time Favorite Opening
- Very Visually Unique and Striking Series
- A Fantastic Use of Satirical and Black Comedy

Cons
- Inconsistent Animation
- Bit too Episodic
- Can be Hit or Miss with Some of the Humor Depending on the Audience

Where can I watch or purchase Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei?
As of right now there is no easy way to watch the series since the Publisher for the Anime has no clear release dates and is yet to be made available on Crunchyroll and Daisuki for free legal streams. Will update this part of the review if this changes. Though the manga is being redistributed and continued thanks to the fine people at Kodansha Comics!

For those who enjoyed Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei check out either
Great Teacher Onizuka (1999 - 2000) Studio Pierrot
Maria†Holic (2008 - 2009) Studio SHAFT

ukuhlman - 2013-12-01 05:02:38

As always, my reviews are spoiler free.

This review covers all seasons and OVAs.

Shaft, a studio best known for Bakemonogatari, has always stood apart from the crowd. Their approach to every genre has been consistently different, resulting in many polarizing anime and some incredibly popular works like Bakemonogatari. Note: Shaft is often adapting these works from other material so they cannot be given full credit.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (hereafter SZS), or Goodbye Mr. Despair, is a comedy series by Shaft adapted from a manga by Kouji Kumeta. It follows Nozomu Itoshiki, a new high school teacher, and his class of very odd students. SZS can be applauded for its ability to act as a form of social criticism while still maintaining its merit as a standalone comedy.

Allow me to explain how this anime has become my go-to source for satirical humor.

Story - 9/10

Nozomu Itoshiki is a man plagued by despair. He is so upset, in fact, that the story commences as he attempts suicide on his first day of teaching. This will not be the last time he tries to end it all in the series. In fact, he carries around a kit with him so he is prepared to shuffle off his mortal coil anytime and anywhere.

However, as he hangs limp from a sakura tree, his complete opposite appears: a girl named Kafuka Fuura who tells him that no one could try to die on such a beautiful day. She is the definition of positivity; she decides that he wasn’t trying to kill himself, but make himself taller! After all, her parents had tried making themselves taller after some of their harder times in life as well.

If you can’t tell by now, much of the humor in SZS is very dark. This is something that the viewer should know going into the series. As I mentioned, Shaft has a tendency to be polarizing, and SZS is a prime example. Its combination of this grim humor and the social commentary (which I shall explain momentarily) could range from hilarious to highly offensive depending on the viewer.

When Nozomu does begin to teach, he is introduced to a class of very strange students. Each of them has something very peculiar about them, from obsessive-compulsive-disorder-level perfectionism to being unable to speak save for texting. These characters are crafted the way they are for a reason, as SZS is as much of a social commentary as it is a comedy (think The Onion). Nozomu’s students represent specific problems with Japan, and they are used for the anime’s setup with jokes, with Nozomu usually explaining some problem with Japan, taking it to an extreme level, and then shouting “I’m in despair!” and trying to hang himself.

Personally, I thought the vast majority of the jokes were hilarious, but it will depend on your personal tastes as well as your knowledge of Japan’s culture (and I don’t mean “otaku” culture). It makes thousands of references as well, both to other anime and to real life pop culture events. Because of this, I would recommend this to “experienced” anime fans. I don’t think someone who has seen fewer than 200 or so series would understand many of the anime references, and even then there will be a lot that goes over their head. The references to Japanese culture will require knowledge of the country and often of the language itself. That being said, if you don’t mind feeling left out of the loop on some of the references, then anyone can enjoy this series. It is the type of anime that one can watch again and appreciate more a second time once they have more experience.

Animation - 8/10

The animation in SZS is a bit strange, and quite hard for me to describe. It is unique and has no problem abruptly changing style to fit the mood or follow through with the gag. In any case, I liked it.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and there's plenty from season 1 in this review. Animation does improve over time, albeit slightly.

Sound - 9/10

Shaft must have used dump trucks to carry all the cash that they needed to pay the voice acting staff of SZS. The entire cast is made up of big name actors who do an absolutely fantastic job.

On top of that, the soundtrack is amazing, if a bit strange. With great backing tracks and several unforgettable openings, the soundtrack will not disappoint.

Characters - 10/10

It’s not often I can confidently say that an anime has a flawless cast, but it would be unfair to say anything else of SZS. Every character is given a great personality for use in comedy and a perfect voice actor/actress to match. The real accomplishment though is that each of them represents a problem present in Japanese society, with their names even being a reference to said problems. One might think this would have a “preachy” feel to it, as so many social commentaries do. However, they are pulled off so well you forget you are actually being lectured a bit (kind of like an animated Onion).

Here’s a basic rundown of some of my favorites in the class (besides Kafuka and Nozomu).

Chiri Kitsu – a girl whose life must be perfectly organized with every detail exactly in place. This is shown by her carefully 50/50 parted hair. Her name can be arranged to read “to bury” which is fitting as she often uses a shovel in fits of violence caused by her obsessive tendencies. She seems to represent Japan’s insistence on perfection in daily life.

Kaere Kimura – a student returning from Japan who suffers a mental breakdown in class and splits into two personalities. Kaede is the quintessential Japanese woman, but more often Kaere will manifest herself. She acts as a stereotypical American (at least to someone Japanese maybe), threating to sue everyone and complaining about the country. Her name comes from the word “kaere” which means “Go home!” in Japanese. This is an obvious shot at the foreigners living in Japan. Panty flash.

Kiri Komori – a hikikomori who hides under a blanket. She was forced to come to school by Nozomu near the beginning of the series, so she shuts herself in there. She appears randomly around the school such as in lockers and bathroom stalls. Her name is adapted from the word “komorikiri” which roughly translates to “one who stays in the mist or out of sight (or indoors). It doesn’t take a genius to figure this one out.

Maria – an illegal immigrant (presumably from a 3^rd world country) who purchases the class registration of another student and attends class. She is constantly scrounging for valuables and food, calling Japan a great country due to its abundant wealth. She likely represents the large homeless and jobless Chinese/Korean/east Asian immigrant population in Japan.

Meru Otonashi – a girl glued to her cell phone due to incredible shyness. She never truly speaks at any point during the series, instead using her phone to send texts (onomatopoeia-ized as “meru meru” or “mail mail”). While she is too shy to speak, her texts are vicious and degrading. This likely refers to the over-connected population who spends more time communicating virtually than in person.

Matoi Tsunetsuki – Nozomu’s stalker. She falls in love with him after breaking up with her boyfriend (who she also stalked). She can constantly be seen in the background of scenes watching Nozomu without his knowledge. Her name is some manner of pun about “dangling, following, or chasing.” She is a nod to the stalking problem Japan has faced.

These are just a few of the great characters that make up Nozomu’s class. Each and every one of them is deserving of praise.

Enjoyment - 9/10

If satire is something remotely interesting to you, I strongly recommend giving this series a shot. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei will leave veteran anime fans pleased with its references to anime and Japanese culture, and newer fans can learn a bit and appreciate the more low-brow jokes. All in all, SZS is unrivaled as a comedy and commentary.

johnston.dianna - 2013-08-22 04:49:49

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is arguably the funniest anime out there. It has wonderful satire, play on words, outrageous irregularities, and a great cast of characters.

Story:

The story follows Nozomu Itoshiki, an incredibly depressed high school teacher, after one of his students, the unbelievably optimistic Kafuka Fuura, prevents him from killing himself. The story continues on from there by introducing and following a new character with each episode. The basis of each episode reveals a student's extravagant quirk and how Itoshiki and his students handle said quirk. In other episodes Itoshiki and his students will witness an event and analyze it satirically. Each episode is wild. unique, and above all else unpredictable.

Animation:

The animation fits the wild comedy and story perfectly. The overall art is simple, yet beautiful and admirable. It's the details, especially the facial expressions, that contribute to the anime's wonderful animation. There is also various random shots of unrelated material that piles onto the humor. A face of a Japanese man is used as a censor/cover for some odd reason. The viewer acknowledges the "wtf factor" and laughs it off.

Sound:

The music is absolutely wonderful. The little soundbites that they have (STRRRRRRRIKE) keep the humor more dazzling and hilarious. Nothing really pops in this anime as far as the sound goes.

Character

Without the characters there would be no Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei. Each character in this show has a unique personality trait/disorder that sets them apart from other characters. Although it's hard to remember all their names, the viewer will be able to recognize them based on how they approach the subject of the episode and their actions in said episode.

Enjoyment:

This is one of the funniest shows I've seen in a long time. However, part of this enjoyment stems from the amount of anime I've seen. By being exposed to Japanese culture to a certain extent I was able to understand the humor behind Sayonara Zetsobou-Sensei. Which means this isn't an entry level anime. To truly appreciate this anime viewers should continue to expose oneself to anime, particularly slice of life anime to understand the humor. It's not pretentious it is simply a matter of getting that maximum enjoyment out of this show.

Overall:

No doubt 10/10 with stars all around. I would highly recommend this to veteran anime watchers who are looking for a hilarious comedy to watch. Newcomers are more than welcome to watch, but proceed with caution. This show has a lot to offer and can be highly enjoyed when watched at the right time.