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Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei.


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darkchibi07



Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 5459
PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 8:49 pm Reply with quote
Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei

This is a new anime series directed by Akiyuki Shinbo with animation done by SHAFT. And you can figure out that this is comedy series. But unlike his previous comedy works like Pani Poni Dash and Negima!?, this is more of a dark comedy tale of a teacher, Nozomu Itoshiki, who's ridiculously depressed and despises the world. The first episode started out with him trying to hang himself until a cute girl named Kafuka Fuura stopped him. She's a total contrast him in which she's blooming with lots of hope. Of course she can be a little dense considering she though the teacher was trying to get taller. Hell, she mentioned that's what her parents tried to do! Laughing Shocked

There are a few recognizable gags here and there like the "changing blackboards" thing, but the way they censored the fanservice is so damn FUNNY; they basically covered the "tasty" moments with some picture of bald guy who's expression changes depending of what's covering! Laughing Laughing

The color pallet goes for the old film style (like something out of the early 1900s), but it doesn't skimp on the darker moments. The OP sequence is basically a running old film strip with flashing credits while the ED sequence is just flat out creepy! It's safe to say the style seems to border on what Shinbo used to do in his darker works like the Soultaker but a bit more subdued.

Luckily this series will only last 12 episodes so hopefully this won't get skimped half way through (he's seems to drop the ball in the 24/26 episode series). Really cool stuff! Cool
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 9902
Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 9:00 pm Reply with quote
It would be rather difficult to watch or discuss this anime with someone who has never read its manga.
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LuckySleven



Joined: 13 Mar 2007
Posts: 426
Location: Refer to page 2
PostPosted: Fri Jul 13, 2007 6:54 pm Reply with quote
I was able to watch the first episode and found it pretty funny. I liked how he took a survey of everyone's ideal future that they'll hope to be. He basically said all of them were hopeless but there was one by Suzuki who had written "Momogi Animation Animation Academy Tokyo, Momogi Animation Animation Academy Osaka, and Momogi Animation Animation Academy Fukuoka." But Itoshiki said his was of thinking was hopeless so it was acceptable. I like the animation, it has a dark comedic feel to it. The seiyu of Itoshiki, Hiroshi Kamiya, has an acceptable voice which adds a sense of relief. Sometimes I wish I can get taller. Laughing
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digitalkikka



Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 462
Location: Chicago, Illinois
PostPosted: Fri Jul 13, 2007 9:13 pm Reply with quote
I watched the first episode today and it was... interesting. It was nice to see something so different compared to what else is airing this Summer and I really loved the look of the series. I didn't find it that funny, though-- it had a few good moments but it started feeling kind of repetitive after a while.

I'm not sure whether I want to follow this one or not... the animation has me interested, but nothing else about it really captured my attention... except maybe the ED which I loved (bother song and animation).

dormcat wrote:
It would be rather difficult to watch or discuss this anime with someone who has never read its manga.


So is this the type of anime that you'd appreciate and enjoy more if you've already read the manga? I usually prefer to watch an anime and then read the manga but I keep reading comments like this that make me think I might like the show better if I try the manga first.
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darkchibi07



Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 5459
PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 9:05 pm Reply with quote
Oh wow, Episode 2 was just......wow!

spoiler[- So the teacher and Kafuka were able to get a hikikomori named Kiri Komori out of her room and make her go back to school. This unfortunately led to Kiri to reside in various parts of the school!

- Later the two of them dealt with Matoi Tsunetsuki who's extremely obsessive to her ex-boyfriend to a point that she stalks him. Stuff happens (including the teacher's comment that if you really love the person, you should commit suicide together Laughing), and Matoi ended up having the hots for the teacher and stalks him (plus a string of other stalkers).

- There's also a scene of Kitsu going a bit nuts over trying to cut a strawberry-topped cake evenly among a bunch of people that keeps on coming. Laughing

]


Man, that Kafuka has some weird way in looking at the "positive" outlook of these characters to a point that she doesn't believe them to exist except in news stories and such. I thought the way she interpreted Matoi as her way of showing her "intense love" was hilarious. Why am I getting a feeling Kafuka has some really dark secret that's she keeps on repressing? Rolling Eyes

On the blackboard side, I found this amusing!



Other moments include:

spoiler[- Kiri actually threw her TV which showed Lucky Channel at her door when trying to escape! Laughing Laughing

- After getting Kiri outside, the teacher told her that if she wanted to die she should ask her. He then wrote her name into his Death Note!

- The chain of stalkers was just gold!]
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LuckySleven



Joined: 13 Mar 2007
Posts: 426
Location: Refer to page 2
PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:38 pm Reply with quote
I thought this episode was gold. spoiler[That chain of stalkers was just funny. One person leading after another.]

Quote:
spoiler[- Kiri actually threw her TV which showed Lucky Channel at her door when trying to escape! Laughing Laughing]

Also when they were showing Matoi's various pictures of her and her past boyfriends there was one guy who was wearing a shirt with spoiler[Konata's face on it.]

The way they got the hikikomori out of her room was funny too. Laughing
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Stupidman007



Joined: 02 Feb 2006
Posts: 394
PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:19 pm Reply with quote
Absolutely loved episode 2, one of the funniest episode of anime I've ever seen.

I didn't bother pausing for the references to other stuff in the background, but the main stuff were funny enough already.
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darkchibi07



Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 5459
PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:29 am Reply with quote
LuckySleven wrote:
I thought this episode was gold. spoiler[That chain of stalkers was just funny. One person leading after another.]

Quote:
spoiler[- Kiri actually threw her TV which showed Lucky Channel at her door when trying to escape! Laughing Laughing]

Also when they were showing Matoi's various pictures of her and her past boyfriends there was one guy who was wearing a shirt with spoiler[Konata's face on it.]

The way they got the hikikomori out of her room was funny too. Laughing


I should also add that when spoiler[Nozomu opened up his suicide kit for Matoi, inside the kit was a CD of the Best of Enya. When the heck did listening to Enya inflict suicidal tendencies?! Shocked Laughing ]

Man, I should start inputing these into the Trivia section.
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shh227



Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 24
PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 2:31 pm Reply with quote
I like episode 2 better than episode 1 because it introduce the hiki girl and the stalker girl which was very funny. I have not seen anything as funny as this since school rumble. Hopefully the comedy will stay at a good level. I think that this is going to be the best anime trhis summer too.
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Samurai-with-glasses



Joined: 17 Aug 2005
Posts: 628
PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 7:57 am Reply with quote
I just tried this one out. Not disappointed here -- in fact, pleasantly surprised! I'm going to follow this one 'til it's finished run, and totally buy it if it gets licensed here.

I always like it when shonen comedies get some other kind of male protagonists than the usual loser pervert or the equally usual badass hero with a heart of gold crap. And Mr. Despair is as awesome as it gets. Laughing

Episode 2 was funnier than episode 1 in my opinion. The poor teacher didn't know what he got himself into when he tried to help the hikkikomori and the stalker girl.

spoiler[By the way, was he stalking her when he entered the boyfriend's room...? Razz]

I can't catch most of the blackboard jokes so far but it's okay; something to look forward to for the second and third viewing and so on (I usually rewatch comedies more than dramas). Also, does anyone knows who's the bald guy is?

Oh, and I completely agree with every comment so far. [Except dormcat's, and not because of disagreement but because of my ignorance of the issue =)] There.

Edit: Forgot to mention this, but I really like the animation and the song for the OP and ED. They fit in very well with the show's tone IMO; the ED animation style especially reminds me of Welcome to the NHK's opening animation, which I really like. Snazzy.
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HitokiriShadow



Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 6251
PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:27 am Reply with quote
I finally got around to watching this. Wow, this is hilariously awesome. Kafuka is the most insanely optimistic character since, well, probably ever.

Best line of episode 3: spoiler[Japanese people are nice to children!]

The random references and gags are amusing as well, but that's more or less normal for SHAFT. This is probably the show of theirs I've enjoyed it in the most, though. It has plenty of gags even outside of the random stuff on the screen and I think the ones here are better than in the other shows I've seen. I saw the first episode of Pani Poni Dash and I found it uninteresting and never continued. I liked what I saw of Negima!? (first 6 episodes, I think), and the sight gags were decent but with Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei, I'm really liking the random crap they have in the episodes.
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Hisdon



Joined: 18 Mar 2006
Posts: 411
Location: Poquoson, VA
PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:38 am Reply with quote
dormcat wrote:
It would be rather difficult to watch or discuss this anime with someone who has never read its manga.


I'm curious what you mean by this. Is this like Negima!?, a comedy spin off of the manga?
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dormcat
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Joined: 08 Dec 2003
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Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:43 am Reply with quote
Hisdon wrote:
dormcat wrote:
It would be rather difficult to watch or discuss this anime with someone who has never read its manga.

I'm curious what you mean by this. Is this like Negima!?, a comedy spin off of the manga?

Not quite, but because many of those gags and trivia are way too obscure for those who are outside the Japanese cultural influence. Most gags have references of Japanese cultural, social, political, or showbiz issues. For example: jokes written into names of characters would never be apprehensible to those who can't read kanji.
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abunai
Old Regular


Joined: 05 Mar 2004
Posts: 5463
Location: 露命
PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:50 am Reply with quote
dormcat wrote:
Hisdon wrote:
dormcat wrote:
It would be rather difficult to watch or discuss this anime with someone who has never read its manga.

I'm curious what you mean by this. Is this like Negima!?, a comedy spin off of the manga?

Not quite, but because many of those gags and trivia are way too obscure for those who are outside the Japanese cultural influence. Most gags have references of Japanese cultural, social, political, or showbiz issues. For example: jokes written into names of characters would never be apprehensible to those who can't read kanji.

True enough, but hardly so great a problem as all that -- after all, this kind of joke is easily explainable to anyone who has an interest. I imagine a licensed DVD edition could get around any such problems with a booklet explaining the kanji jokes and some of the more obscure but high-profile Japanese cultural references.

I think an anime's "obscurity level" is indicated by how often you have to pause to explain the in-jokes and references to ippanjin. That being the case, I'd say that the number of trivia entries in ANN's Encyclopedia, divided by the number of episodes currently out, is a good indicator of obscurity. Which places Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei at a much less obscure level than Lucky Star.

- abunai
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 9902
Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:56 am Reply with quote
abunai wrote:
I think an anime's "obscurity level" is indicated by how often you have to pause to explain the in-jokes and references to ippanjin. That being the case, I'd say that the number of trivia entries in ANN's Encyclopedia, divided by the number of episodes currently out, is a good indicator of obscurity. Which places Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei at a much less obscure level than Lucky Star.

Of respective anime versions, I agree. However, it's completely the opposite in the respective manga version. Take a look at this.
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