Post by solidbatman on Jun 13, 2012 10:51:53 GMT -5
"]-Details-
Genre: Comedy/Parody/High School
Company: Shaft
Format: 12 Episodes
Date: Jul 7, 2007 to Sep 23, 2007
-Visuals- 8.5/10
To some the visuals may look minimalistic, and at times that is true. Static characters are normal and you will regularly see the same piece of animation used in the same episode. The bad aside, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, or So Long, Mr. Despair, is still a great looking show and the animation certainly fits the general insanity that the show is (more on that in a bit). Special praise goes out to whoever came up with the opening and ending animation. The opening prepares you perfectly for what you are about to watch and the ending is fairly haunting. The characters are all well drawn
-Sound- 9.7/10
Hey look! An anime with no annoying high pitched voices! And thats quite a feat for a show in which most characters are high school girls. In fact, I'd have to say SZS has realistic voice acting in a sense. I feel like that the voices the VA's use are voices I would hear walking down the streets of Japan (there is no dub as the show to my knowledge has not been licensed in the US). All of the background music is very well done, and the sound really shines in, again, the opening and ending themes. Kenji Ohtsuki, a Japanese rocker, joins forces with some of the voice actresses from the show to sing the opening song, which fits wonderfully with the animation. The end theme is sung by the voice actresses and the lyrics are disturbing. Then again, the show has some disturbing moments.
-Characters- 9/10
The one show where being a one dimensional character does not hurt the show. In fact, all of the characters are very one dimensional and outside of Nozomu and Kafuka, our two main characters, we don't see much in the way of character development. Each character represents an anime archetype or a social issue in Japan. Kafuka see's everything in an overly positive light ("It's not a trash can! It's a treasure chest for the homeless!"). Nozomu, our Mr. Despair, see's everything in a very negative light, and is always trying to find a way to kill himself. Ai apologizes for absolutely everything and finds a way to blame herself for anything that goes wrong. Chiri is a perfectionist who has no qualms about murdering people. The list goes on for the characters. The lack of character development really does not hurt the show because you don't ever ask yourself why the characters act the way they do. I found myself just accepting the fact that they just do.
-Story- 8.5/10
Nozomu Itoshki is a teacher who is caught trying to kill himself by Kafuka Fuura. She decides to pull down on Nozomu, who is hanging himself, therby choking him quicker. The rope breaks and Nozomu is saved. Kafuka then tells him that no one could commit suicide on a beautiful spring day. When he asks what he was just doing then, she responds, "Making yourself taller of course!" Nozomu then finds himself teaching the same class that Kafuka is in, along with other students each with a strange personality.
SZS is a very episodic work based off a manga of the same name. Rarely does a story arc last longer than half an episode. Pretty much, each episode tells two quick stories usually revolving around a social issue in Japan, or the adventures of a particular student. For example, the treatment of recluses, the protective impulse towards cute children, and certain sexual perversions of Japan. The characters are plopped into the issue and the viewer is rewarded with watching how each character responds to that situation.
-Overall- 9/10
I loved this show. It's extremely twisted, dark, and hilarious. That being said, it is not for everyone. It's very fast paced and does not have a long epic story line. If you don't mind offensive/dark/twisted/disturbing humor, I recommend this show.
