Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei

Nozomu Itoshiki teaches high school with a worldview so bleak that even minor setbacks can plunge him into spiraling despair—sometimes to the point of attempting to take his own life. His day-to-day miseries become the springboard for sharp, satirical humor rooted in contemporary Japanese society and cultural quirks.

Much of Itoshiki’s misadventure comes from the students around him: Kiri Komori, who withdraws so completely she won’t even leave the school; Abiru Kobushi, a puzzling girl who often turns up covered in serious, unexplained injuries; and Kafuka Fuura, whose relentless optimism makes her the perfect foil to her teacher’s gloom. With a classroom full of similarly odd personalities, the comedy leans into parody and gag-driven chaos while keeping its eye on modern life.