Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei - Episode 13 (Completed)

It would be clichéd in the extreme to say that I'm in despair at the fact that Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei has finished, but... well, I am. Throughout the entire run of both series, it has overall proved itself to be perhaps the funniest show to come out of Japan... no, anywhere, in a long, long time. Sure, it doesn't always hit the spot, but its hit to miss ratio is exceptional, especially considering the surreal nature of much of its commentary which often runs the risk of descending into "Huh?" territory if you don't get a particular frame of reference.

Anyhow, this episode begins by tackling the problem of 'strays', from demons through to baseball players who aren't wanted by their team any more. It isn't the funniest of segments, but has a few laugh out loud lines in there that redeem it somewhat. Then we learn the story of Meru's lack of voice, which leads her father to try and find someone to dub her voice with typically amusing consequences. Finally, Zetsubou Sensei despairs at the numerous assumptions in society, which I won't talk about any more otherwise I'd be guilty of assuming you've watched the episode.

So, the show is over, but who would bet against a third series, despite a mention of being 'afraid' of said third season? While I don't want to see this franchise dragged into the ground by running it until it bleeds unfunny jokes, I do feel that there's plenty of life in it yet, particularly when you consider that the manga is still going strong.

That aside, in a Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei-esque topsy-turvy fashion I seem to have written my conclusions about the series at the start of this entry, so in an equally fitting tribute I suppose I should close it in an equally surreal fashion. Halibut children.

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei - Episode 12

So, Zetsubou Sensei leads us on down the path of righteous weirdness for the penultimate time, and by this point there's little more to say about this series' brilliance that hasn't already been mentioned by me.

This episode starts off with an admonishment for a 'hard landing', particularly when it comes to holidays - In other words, you should make sure you wind down before your break begins, a sentiment I'm sure we can all agree whole-heartedly with. This isn't the best skit to come out of the series so far, but it does have its moments... Oh, and some hearty fan service too.

Then, poor old Nozomu finds himself getting caught up in other people's dramas, although that was eclipsed for me by the fact that this series has dared to sing happy birthday, in its entirety and without alteration - Considering that this song is copyrighted by some assholes who 'protect' their ridiculous intellectual property doggedly, I imagine some kind of Kaere-esque "I'll sue!" moment arriving soon enough.

Anyway, this episode saves the best until last, and delves into the world of swimming against the current - Not in a literal sense of course, but in a more subtle way. This segment is absolutely hilarious, from its Evangelion references through to the brief Che Guevara t-shirt buying skit, and that's without even mentioning the Winning Eleven gag. Pure genius, and a great reminder of just how good this series is when it hits the right notes. Again ,every moment is well worth watching, and with so much detail flying past in each episode I'm increasingly getting the feeling that I need to watch each episode multiple times to fully appreciate it.

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei - Episode 11

Two episodes of Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei in a single day? I know, I know, I'm spoiling myself.... Anyway, while episode eleven of this series doesn't reach the same comedic heights, it still fends for itself pretty well.

The majority of the episode is made up of a spoof detective drama, with our very own Zetsubou-sensei as the budding Sherlock Holmes who solves every case, but only after everyone involved has died. This was beautifully realised from beginning to end, and though it was a little lacking in the 'laugh out loud' department, there was amusement to be gathered from the anime-themed murders, including (of course) a Lillith-esque death from Evangelion, which is pretty much all it takes to win me over. Answers on a postcard (or a comment) if you figured out the anime series tied to every death in this segment.

The final segment of the episode involved making wishes, with Kafuka suggesting that wishes made in this life were bound to come true in the next. Again, it wasn't particularly hilarious, but was still amusing enough to be worthy of the series. Overall then, this wasn't a class A episode of Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, but it was still well worth watching.

With only two episodes left of this show, I truly am in despair... Where are my laughs going to come from when this series is done and dusted?

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei - Episode 10

By now it probably goes without saying that I'm completely enamoured of Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, after a slow start it has matched and, dare I say, even surpassed the original thirteen episodes of the show.

Episode ten able continues that tradition, kicking of with a discussion of 'detuning' rather than living to your full potential. What started as a bit of a stretched point soon hit all the right notes, taking in everything from the JSDF through to the revelation that even Chiri detunes when it comes to stabbing people. From there, we move on to the 'mini-propaganda' that is suggesting that otherwise ridiculous things "maybe" work (and what exactly is wrong with armpit tattoos anyway?), and the problem of being turned away as a first-timer, from which both teacher and students learn that both first-timers and regulars are way too much hassle to deal with... in anime circles at least.

By this point in the series, I'm convinced of only one thing, and that's that this show is genius. Almost every episode seems to get better at hitting the mark with the jokes, and even at predictable moments it works brilliantly. I'm not sure I'll ever look at comedy in anime the same way again after Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei's run is over, it'll be nigh-on impossible to either replace or replicate.

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei - Episode 9

After skimping on the laughs last time around, episode nine of Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei brings madcap humour aplenty to the table, even if some of the segments of the show are so insane I can't really be too sure what the Hell's going on.

The main storylines (if you can call them that) of this episode sees Maria doing her utmost to stop people spacing out (which makes me glad she doesn't know where I work...), while Chiri decides that the only way to become loved is by being ditzy, which does make her look oddly cute in all fairness, but her idea of how to be ditzy is borderline lethal to anyone in the vicinity.

Oh, and if that doesn't sound crazy enough for you, Zetsubou Sensei himself fights the monolith from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, amongst other things. No, I'm not quite sure where that came from either, but who cares as long as it's funny?

So, once again this show's decidedly weird humour manages to hit the mark enough to leave me giggling with both glee and amusement as it manages to balance each running gag within an episode just right so as not to bore you before moving on to something fresh and equally bizarre. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to be on my guard from surprise inspections...

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei - Episode 8

After a couple of fantastic episodes recently, here we are again for some more despair and wackiness courtesy of Nozomu Itoshiki and company.

On the menu for this episode is being treated like a spy everywhere you go, 'May exposure' (where a front that is put up in April dissolves to reveal the hideous truth come may - Something to watch for with the forthcoming Spring anime season perhaps?), and the complaint that things which are 'half and half' usually aren't, an issue which is taken to extreme lengths by (who else?) Chiri Kitsu. While the episode still has its amusing moments, it doesn't hit the laugh out loud funny of the last two episodes, which only serves to highlight the hit-and-miss foundation on which the series is built.

Even on an off-day, you can't help but delight in the show's blatant fan-service that often gets worked into jokes, the often weird continuity (Chri's openly violent tendencies, and Kafuka's hidden agendas behind that cheerful complexion), and even the fact that you can often pre-empt what the characters are going to say and do next now that we know them and their foibles so well. These are all things which can serve to ruin other shows, but somehow Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei not only gets away with it, but makes it thoroughly enjoyable in the process. Episode eight may not be the best example of what the series can offer by a long way, yet it still succeeds in holding my attention.

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei - Episode 7

Is there such a thing as too much Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei? After that long drought, followed by three episodes in close proximity, I can categorically say - No.

Aside from a couple of segments that were in keeping with the general scheme of Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, taking in those annoying 'jokes' that people have heard a million times (in particular, I had to laugh out loud at the mention of Winning Eleven 11... you have to wonder if it'll happen) and seeing Nozomu Itoshiki find himself with an addiction to qualifications in an effort to become a permanent examinee and thus get an easier passage through life.

Away from that more traditional role, episode seven of the series went down the route that it seems no comedy anime can resist - The pardoy. Thus, Zetsubou Sensei got the magical girl treatment, with 'Zetsubou' channel also bringing us some hilarious takes on children's TV and cooking programmes, amongst other things.

For some reason, the final 'examinee' section of the episode also decided to take in as many animation styles as possible, some of which were truly rubbish to the point of amusement, while somehow appealing to my artistic sensibilities. You've got to hand it to the team behind this anime, they've managed to take randomness to some whole new levels, and to be honest I could have watched some of those parody skits all day. Brilliant stuff, and recent episodes seem to have seen a real return to form after the series stuttered a little for an episode or two earlier in its run.

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei - Episode 6

After so long without a dose of Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei for the soul, much like buses two come along at once, and once again this show manages to squarely hit the spot in episode six.

Amongst the topics covered in this episode are wisdom teeth (referred to as 'teeth unknown to parents' in Japan), which soon devolves into a wider examination of things that parents don't get told, as well as Nozomu Itoshiki's despair at the world where everything is reported, a trend which he tries to buck but, naturally, fails miserably.

If all of that sounds like rather normal fare, and you're expecting something along the lines of episode five's relative normalcy, forget it. Sandwiched inbetween those two sketches is a discourse and demonstration of the dangers of the dream sequence in a show which takes in some rather bizarre territory, and then just to confuse everyone further still the aforementioned wisdom teeth segment of the episode sees the various voice actors and actresses swapping characters faster than.... well, a very fast thing.

It's simply tricks like the above which would be annoying or just plain stupid in the hands of anyone else, yet Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei not only carries it off, it makes it pretty damn funny in the process. Besides all that, what other show would have the meaning of the universe revealed by a gossiping old woman in an apartment block, or question whether babies dream of inheritance and large accident compensation pay-outs? As I've said many a time before, this is a really hit-and-miss series, and its humour is very much an acquired taste (you don't have to be mad to watch this show, but it helps), but with its constant stream of dialogue, visual gags and the like, it rarely fails to meet its laughter quota.

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei - Episode 5

Almost a month without watching a single episode of this show? Yes, I was well and truly in despair thanks to a lack of witty weirdness courtesy of everyone's favourite teacher.

While episode four didn't particularly hit the right notes for me, episode five of Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei was a definite return to form, stringing together some wonderfully bizarre trains of thought and backing up with enough decent sight and set-piece gags to make me burst out laughinng on numerous occasions. Amongst the topics for discussion this time around was how everything in the world can be split into science, athletics and liberal arts (which made a frightening amount of sense in places), how Japanese 'fortune bags' prove that there's nothing good about leftovers, and that people shouldn't expect to be rewarded for acts of kindness.

It's this kind of thing which has really sealed Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei's irreverent style, and quite simply, it's what it does best, bombarding the viewer with informations and jokes aplenty safe in the knowledge that enough of it will stick to make for an enjoyable experience, with this particular episode probably the best example of what the series is capable of in quite a while. You can never quite tell whether the odd animation in places (showing just characters feet for entire segments) is there to make it cheap to produce or to add to the style, but again, it really doesn't matter when all is said and done. Simply put, when it's on-form this often hit and miss show is sheer genius.

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei - Episode 4

I've been in despair without my fix of humorous weirdness recently, so thank God for a new episode of Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. While this particular episode was perhaps a little more hit and miss than the opening few parts of this series, it still managed to squeeze in a few genuinely laugh out loud moments, as well as the amusing (not to mention true) premise running through the entire episode that people are always distracted from the main point of things by something irrelevant - A problem which apparently affects invading alien leaders as well as humans, which is always good to know.

Speaking of which, full marks have to go to this episode for its parody of Asuka's rampage in Unit 02 during End of Evangelion, starring a giant Chiri with a shovel. Yes, I'm a huge Eva geek, so it made my day.

That aside, this honestly wasn't the best episode Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei has had to offer by some distance, yet even on an off-day where the animation seemed to take a downward turn and the fan service went almost through the roof it manages to remain hugely watchable. Besides, let's face it, nothing else can challenge this anime for its surrealist factor, so it's rather short of competition.

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei - Episode 3

I shouldn't laugh, and I swear I hadn't misheard it, but I was watching a news report today about an aircraft co-pilot who had a mental breakdown mid-flight, and it noted that he was carried off the plane after it had made its emergency landing shouting "I'm in despair!!". Which brings me to episode three of Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei...

While you can never really be sure what to expect of this series (which is half the joy of the whole experience), the opening segment can only be described as beautifully realised, yet a rather odd experience. From then on, we enter much more familiar territory, with certain trains of thought being grasped upon, fleshed out, and then taken to extreme and long-winded lengths. It's as hit and miss as always, but the entire segment surrounding dropping bombshells casually into a conversation, then at the other extreme making everyday remarks sound like like major incidents had me almost literally rolling on the floor with laughter - Chiri Kitsu's revelation in that segment alone is worth watching the episode for.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei certainly makes you work for your enjoyment, flinging information and jokes at you at break-neck speed, and delighting in throwing several threads of dialogue and the like at you at once (try keeping up with all the various things going on in the opening segment without developing a headache - go on, I dare you), but if you can live with that (and you should be able to in this information age) then you'll be rewarded grandly with one of the most surreal yet amusing things I've ever had the joy of watching. If this show's rather unique brand of humour is your kind of thing, it really shouldn't be missed.

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei - Episodes 1 & 2

If ever proof was needed that things don't always have to make perfect sense to be funny, then (in my book) Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei could quite possibly be put up alongside Monty Python's Flying Circus and the stand-up comedy of Ross Noble as conclusive evidence along those lines.

It's really no secret that I loved every episode of this show's first season, and the return of the unfortunately named teacher (whatever happened to calling him Pink Supervisor anyhow?) can only be greeted with joy myself.

The first two episodes of Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (even the show's title is a play on words, which gets it bonus points from the start) seem to have taken the show's early success in its first season as proof that the surrealist boat can be pushed out even further the first time around. Thus, what little continuity existed previously gets completely blown out the window, the jokes become ever weirder (and indeed harder to follow, with a huge chunk of episode two seeing the characters talking complete nonsense, which is then translated into something slightly less nonsensical (although only just). In theory it probably shouldn't be funny, but in reality it's hilarious stuff. I would provide more examples of the kind of bizarre humour to be expected here, but I really don't want to spoil any of the surprises... Oh, okay, Kafuka Fūra putting lyrics to Träumerei is definitely not to be missed. Speaking of which, has anyone else spotted the clues to Kafuka's real name?

Overall, much like its first series, Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is most definitely an acquired taste... The marmite of anime if you will. Some people no doubt simply won't get it, while others will absolutely relish every moment of humour and clever little snippets of wordplay and inside jokes. Feel free to park me well and truly in column B on that one.