GOODBYE, MR. DESPAIR
Nozomu Itoshiki is depressed. Very depressed. He’s certifiably suicidal, but he’s also the beloved s... read full description
Nozomu Itoshiki is depressed. Very depressed. He’s certifiably suicidal, but he’s also the beloved s... read full description
reviews
Sep 23, 2011
Alicia
rated it: 
When my teens described this book, I got a little nervous about them choosing it for manga book club: "It's about this teacher who keeps trying to kill himself-- but in a funny way!" They weren't wrong. It's obvious early on that Nozomu Itoshiki (a.k.a. Zetsubou-Sensei)doesn't actually want to die; he gets mad anytime someone accidentally makes his suicide attempts closer to successful. What he is is an over-the-top angst-ridden young adult more obsessed with the concept of death and
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May 17, 2011
VeganMedusa
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Oct 28, 2010
Chibineko
rated it:
I'm always divided on the madcap manga series. Sometimes they're great but other times they'll try just a little too hard & ruin the flow of the manga. Luckily for me, this was one of those mangas that was both madcap & highly enjoyable.
The manga follows the teacher Zetsubou, his desire to die & his students. Now to many this wouldn't seem like a silly & funny manga, but it is. Zetsubou's desire to die has met it's match with the peppy & upbeat Kafuka, who believes that there is some More...
The manga follows the teacher Zetsubou, his desire to die & his students. Now to many this wouldn't seem like a silly & funny manga, but it is. Zetsubou's desire to die has met it's match with the peppy & upbeat Kafuka, who believes that there is some More...
Oct 31, 2011
Sean
rated it:
You know those teachers in saccharine movies who teach a bunch of apathetic students how to live life to the fullest and overcome adversity? Nozomu Itoshiki is not one of them. His nickname, based upon an alternate reading of the kanji of his name, is Zebsubou-sensei, or Mr. Despair. He's the sort of evil mother who'll tell you that everything is dirt and life is just to die.
Zetsubou-sensei's introduction is the single funniest moment I've read since the Golgafrincham executive committee meeting. More...
Zetsubou-sensei's introduction is the single funniest moment I've read since the Golgafrincham executive committee meeting. More...
Jul 13, 2011
Matt
rated it:
Bottom Line: This series basically amounts to copious amounts of hilarious satire interspersed with cheeky characters, ridiculous premises, and subversion of all logic (sometimes all at once). And it's so very, very awesome.
I don't know what made me pick up this book to read. I had heard no reviews, positive or negative, but I had heard of it. When I saw it, I picked it up to read the summary/description on the back of the book. The next thing I knew, I had bought the first two volum More...
I don't know what made me pick up this book to read. I had heard no reviews, positive or negative, but I had heard of it. When I saw it, I picked it up to read the summary/description on the back of the book. The next thing I knew, I had bought the first two volum More...
Dec 14, 2010
Jacki
rated it: 
Summary: A string of odd students bring mayhem and misfortune to their suicidal, negative-minded teacher.
Characters: Zetsubou-sensei is the most relentlessly negative person imaginable. He could see the bad side of winning the lottery. While his shtick is a little funny at first, his shrieking paranoia and lack of any other defining characteristics quickly wears thin. He comes equipped with a large supporting cast of odd students, including a shut-in who refuses to leave the school, a More...
Characters: Zetsubou-sensei is the most relentlessly negative person imaginable. He could see the bad side of winning the lottery. While his shtick is a little funny at first, his shrieking paranoia and lack of any other defining characteristics quickly wears thin. He comes equipped with a large supporting cast of odd students, including a shut-in who refuses to leave the school, a More...
Feb 11, 2012
Misa
rated it:
Aw... 'The Power of Negative Thinking'...
I can't help but laugh at the pages. I just love all of the references that I'm picking up as I'm reading this book, too! I even used this book as an example in one my essays. It's made that much of an impact for me. -laugh-
I love the characters that they've introduced so far and since I've already read the second book, I know that they'll be introducing more later. I can't wait to find out more about his class and the many "suicid More...
I can't help but laugh at the pages. I just love all of the references that I'm picking up as I'm reading this book, too! I even used this book as an example in one my essays. It's made that much of an impact for me. -laugh-
I love the characters that they've introduced so far and since I've already read the second book, I know that they'll be introducing more later. I can't wait to find out more about his class and the many "suicid More...
May 13, 2009
Vicki
rated it: 
I enjoyed this manga a lot - its about a teacher who's a complete pessimist and a pupil who's a complete optimist, and all the other crazy pupils in their class. Its a good zany comedy with a cool dark/deadpan sense of humour.
The only thing that brings it down a bit for me (and is why I probably won't collect the whole series) is just that there are so many culturally specific references that need explaining (e.g. jokes that are funnier in Japanese because English just doesn't have t More...
The only thing that brings it down a bit for me (and is why I probably won't collect the whole series) is just that there are so many culturally specific references that need explaining (e.g. jokes that are funnier in Japanese because English just doesn't have t More...
May 16, 2010
Kit
rated it:
The setup for this adult-ish manga is simple if weird: a suicidal teacher is stopped from hanging himself by a student whose optimism goes way over the border into ditziness (she doesn't ever seem to notice anything awful, even if it's right in front of her). Their class is composed of kids with every personality disorder known and some that are probably made up. Many of the jokes require a lot of background knowledge of Japanese culture, but the basic premise is clear enough. The funniest episo
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Nov 10, 2009
Beth
rated it:
The tale of a suicidal (though not diligent about it) high-school teacher and the very strange girls in his homeroom class. It's a comedy.
The art is good, the characters are amusing: Supremely-Optimist girl (even more so than me!), Stalker Girl, Talks-Only-Via-Text-Message girl and so on. Sensei is negative and a bit sarcastic, but there's something kind of endearing about him. Besides his glasses and adorkable traditional wardrobe, that is.
I like it despite the panty sh More...
The art is good, the characters are amusing: Supremely-Optimist girl (even more so than me!), Stalker Girl, Talks-Only-Via-Text-Message girl and so on. Sensei is negative and a bit sarcastic, but there's something kind of endearing about him. Besides his glasses and adorkable traditional wardrobe, that is.
I like it despite the panty sh More...
Sep 02, 2010
Wendy
rated it:
Decided to read after I saw the anime. Kumeta satirises a great deal of Japanese culture through this work - for those not familiar enough with Japan, the English DelRay translation contains notes at the end of each volume to provide more context. A good way to learn some more obscure cultural references!
It definitely character-driven, although don't expect an over-arching plot so much as a series of running gags. I love this series because it appeals to my bizarre sense of humour an More...
It definitely character-driven, although don't expect an over-arching plot so much as a series of running gags. I love this series because it appeals to my bizarre sense of humour an More...
Jul 23, 2011
Timothy
rated it:
A wickedly dark comedy where the main character is a high school teacher who is constantly in depression (the Mr. "Despair") as he comes with all the negatives and tragedies in life. Balancing this out is his classroom of eclectic students, each seeming with a personal disorder of their own, with the lead being a girl who is always cheerful and seeing things to the positive, even to the most absurd levels (think Pollyanna's 'glad game' except you also believe in extraterrestrials, spi
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Jan 03, 2012
LeAnn
rated it:
If you go into reading this book knowing its black humor you will be less stunned by some of the content and be able to enjoy it more. It is Rated 16+ probably for adult issues such as suicide, abuse and mental illness. It is a very dark book with characters such as Split Personality Girl, Poison Email Girl, Truant Cutter Girl, Domestic Violence Victim Girl and, of course, Mr. Despair, who is the girls' suicidal teacher. It starts out with one of the girls finding Mr. Despair attempting suici
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Nov 30, 2009
Sean
rated it:
A funny, very sarcastic series about a suicidal teacher and his very disfunctional all-girl classroom. There are a lot of references to Japanese culture I needed explanations for, and some amusing lists.
Aug 05, 2010
Mike
rated it: 
Meh. Just wasn't into it. Plus, all the inside jokes are lost in translation. There were 10 pages explaining the puns and cultural references. Worst manga I've ever read.
Apr 07, 2010
A very tragic comedy about a deeply depressed teacher, whose attempts to commit suicide are constantly foiled, try to console his 32 students with their own weird problems
Aug 03, 2009
Neil
rated it:
A screwed-up teacher gives screwed-up lessons to a class full of screwed-up students. No one learns anything. It's like Dead Poets Society for nihilists.
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May 28, 2011
Alexa
rated it:
Satire. I laughed my head off most of the way through this book. It really starts off with a bang. By the end, everything is a little crazy, but still funny.
Jul 02, 2010
Bianca
rated it:
Lovely art and some decent humour, but not really enough story or characters I care about. I'm not sure I'll pick up the next volume.
Mar 09, 2009
Trip
rated it:
Persons of a sensitive disposition should avoid this work of dark humor. Twisted and somewhat morbid people, go for it.
Apr 11, 2011
Starkville Public Library
rated it:
Nozomu Itoshiki is depressed and has lost the will to live. Itoshiki is also a school teacher with a quirky class of students. Most of the students have their own troubles, but Itoshiki and company are constantly confronted with the ever-positive Kafuka, who sees the best in everything.
Feb 28, 2011
Juniper
rated it:
Full of references I can't say as I "got" all of the jokes but I loved the drawing style and the overall theme
Jul 30, 2011
Shaun
rated it:
This comic is actually a lot of fun. There's quite a bit of Japanese language wordplay and puns that don't translate so well, but it's pretty funny even if you're not getting everything. The art itself is beautiful and more than makes up for any narrative shortfalls it has.
Aug 01, 2011
Morbus
rated it:
Started out great, then devolved into "how weird can I make a student" chapters.
Jun 09, 2009
Iroquois
rated it:
I dont care for Manga but I enjoyed it, if only for the quintessentially Japanese references and style of writing. Totemo omoshiroii desu ne!!!!
