So ever since I read the description for the this show, I’ve been looking forward to this show for quite a while. Adding to that, I never even watched the 2 previous series preceding this specific iteration. Would I understand, or let alone, appreciate a show like this? After watching the first 21 minutes on ZOMGanime, I came to a simple conclusion: “meh…”

Meh? Why meh? Actually, I’m asking myself the same question. Unlike many of the other review/outlooks, I’ll try to be short this go-round. Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (ZSZS) is just a weird fucking show. That’s almost all I can think to say at the moment. It’s like Azumanga Daioh + Samurai Champloo + Cowboy Bebop + Soul Eater + Couple Other Shows = ZSZS. The humor is definitely quirky and there are a number of funny exploits you’d love to hear about. However, I think it’s best just to watch it yourself. I wouldn’t be doing you or myself justice by merely rattling something off much funnier seen than heard.

Here’s a little background from Wiki, since I don’t feel like summarizing myself:

Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei revolves around a very pessimistic high school teacher named Nozomu Itoshiki who, at the very beginning of the series, tries to hang himself on a sakura tree. Despite this effort of self-destruction, he is saved by an extremely optimistic girl known only as Kafuka Fuura (though in her effort to save his life, she almost kills him). She explains to him that it is simply unimaginable that he would hang himself on such a nice day, especially in front of such beautiful trees. She decides to nickname Nozomu “Pink Supervisor” (????, Momoiro Kakarich?^?), and offers to pay him fifty yen to call him by that nickname. After having enough of the strange girl, Nozomu bolts to the school and starts his homeroom class, but the attempt to escape was in vain as he finds that the girl is one of his students. Not only that, but Kafuka is just the tip of the iceberg: each and every student in his class represents a new personality quirk or bizarre obsession, posing challenges that the suicidally-inclined teacher must overcome in spite of himself.

Each chapter or episode of the series revolves around a particular aspect of life, Japanese culture, or a common phrase in the Japanese language. Typically, this involves the subject being taken either to its most logical extreme (a discussion of amakudari, the practice of “descending” from the public to the private sector, results in Nozomu “descending” until he reaches his previous life), or taken literally (in Nozomu’s family, omiai, normally a meeting between a potential match in an arranged marriage, is instead a marriage concluded by eye-contact). On other occasions, Nozomu challenges his students to think about the negative aspects of something usually considered positive. These in-depth, off-kilter analyses (along with the reactions of the students according to their own personality quirks) are usually brought to a head with a punchline based on the overall premise, or more rarely, a non-sequitur gag or piece of fan service.

What I will talk about, however, is something that kind of bothered me a little bit. In spite of the great artistry and off-the-wall humor. Near the end of the show, I started asking myself when it was gonna end…and not in the good way. Usually the first episode to a new series is supposed to be funny or sad or whatever leaving the viewer wanting more, but I didn’t feel that. Since I haven’t seen the series prior to this, I suppose I can’t be too hard on it considering this show might take off immediately from the 2nd season’s last episode. But (yeah, another “but”) something just wasn’t right.

You know when you watch a comedian, and they say something funny and the audience laughs a lot? Yeah, that’s good. The show definitely did that. But on the other hand, you know when a comedian notices the laughs and tries to run with it as long as he can? Yeahh….this show did exactly that. It was not good. Ok fine, I guess when I think about it, there is definitely some things that just never get old or not funny, but again, this episode didn’t seem to grasp the aforementioned concept.

Now don’t get me wrong, this isn’t to say the show sucked or anything, but it is something that can bring down the show if it keeps up. The art was great, the character design seemed pretty unique, but if something doesn’t change with the humor thing…I might have to drop this show. For now, I’ll keep watching it since I think it has a lot of potential.

Production Value: 10/10
Soundtrack: 8/10
Innovation: 8/10
Pacing: 7/10
Mushyness: 2/10
Main Character Traits: Logical, dry, satirical, suicidal, caring, weird
Overall Score so far: 5/10 – I’ve looked forward to the show for quite a while & everything’s on point, but the humor seems to get a bit old after a while. Such a unique show, but something’s missing. I want to give it chance, so I’ll keep watching.