TV-Series
Description
Nozomu Itoshiki, a high school teacher nicknamed "Zetsubou-sensei," bears a family name ("Itoshiki" - 糸色) and given name ("Nozomu" - 望) that combine horizontally to form "zetsubou" (絶望, despair). He consistently wears traditional Japanese attire — a kimono, hakama, and geta sandals — complemented by round glasses, a pale complexion, black hair, and green eyes.
His personality is defined by extreme pessimism, frequent declarations of "zetsuboushita" ("I'm in despair"), and recurrent suicide attempts using methods like hanging, poisoning, or carbon monoxide asphyxiation. He carries a suitcase containing nooses, poisons, and charcoal briquettes for this purpose. Despite these efforts, he consistently survives due to strong self-preservation instincts and interruptions by others, particularly students. His pervasive negativity originated after accidentally joining a "Negative Club" in high school. He maintains a "Suicide Partners" notebook listing individuals such as Kiri Komori as potential companions.
Professionally, he serves as homeroom teacher for Class 2-He. His teaching methods involve tangential rants about societal flaws and the futility of hope instead of standard curriculum. He assigns worksheets for students to list unattainable dreams ("despairs") rather than aspirations, aiming to demonstrate life's inherent hopelessness. Classroom interactions are frequently disrupted by his melodramatic reactions to minor grievances.
He belongs to the influential Itoshiki clan as the youngest son of Hiroshi and Tae, with siblings Enishi, Kei, Mikoto, and Rin. His family pressures him to marry before turning 25, which he resists. During omiai (marriage meetings), he avoids eye contact to nullify proposals, as his family interprets eye contact as binding marital consent.
Relationships with students are complex. Multiple female students, including Chiri Kitsu and Abiru Kobushi, develop romantic feelings for him, often stemming from misinterpretations of his statements. Kafuka Fuura, an ostensibly optimistic student, frequently manipulates situations to provoke jealousy or conflict among his admirers. Kafuka is later revealed to be a manifestation of An Akagi, a deceased girl whose memories and personality were transferred to classmates via donated tissues. After witnessing An's death in a hit-and-run accident, Nozomu eventually marries all female students embodying "Kafuka" to honor An's memory.
His development includes gaining the ability to see deceased individuals following numerous near-death experiences, blurring his existence between life and death. His suicide attempts evolve from genuine efforts to attention-seeking gestures as others increasingly dismiss them. Despite his apathetic demeanor, he occasionally shows concern for students, such as intervening when they face danger.
The manga concludes with him marrying all his female students in a symbolic gesture of devotion to An Akagi, resolving his avoidance of marriage while fulfilling his familial obligations.
His personality is defined by extreme pessimism, frequent declarations of "zetsuboushita" ("I'm in despair"), and recurrent suicide attempts using methods like hanging, poisoning, or carbon monoxide asphyxiation. He carries a suitcase containing nooses, poisons, and charcoal briquettes for this purpose. Despite these efforts, he consistently survives due to strong self-preservation instincts and interruptions by others, particularly students. His pervasive negativity originated after accidentally joining a "Negative Club" in high school. He maintains a "Suicide Partners" notebook listing individuals such as Kiri Komori as potential companions.
Professionally, he serves as homeroom teacher for Class 2-He. His teaching methods involve tangential rants about societal flaws and the futility of hope instead of standard curriculum. He assigns worksheets for students to list unattainable dreams ("despairs") rather than aspirations, aiming to demonstrate life's inherent hopelessness. Classroom interactions are frequently disrupted by his melodramatic reactions to minor grievances.
He belongs to the influential Itoshiki clan as the youngest son of Hiroshi and Tae, with siblings Enishi, Kei, Mikoto, and Rin. His family pressures him to marry before turning 25, which he resists. During omiai (marriage meetings), he avoids eye contact to nullify proposals, as his family interprets eye contact as binding marital consent.
Relationships with students are complex. Multiple female students, including Chiri Kitsu and Abiru Kobushi, develop romantic feelings for him, often stemming from misinterpretations of his statements. Kafuka Fuura, an ostensibly optimistic student, frequently manipulates situations to provoke jealousy or conflict among his admirers. Kafuka is later revealed to be a manifestation of An Akagi, a deceased girl whose memories and personality were transferred to classmates via donated tissues. After witnessing An's death in a hit-and-run accident, Nozomu eventually marries all female students embodying "Kafuka" to honor An's memory.
His development includes gaining the ability to see deceased individuals following numerous near-death experiences, blurring his existence between life and death. His suicide attempts evolve from genuine efforts to attention-seeking gestures as others increasingly dismiss them. Despite his apathetic demeanor, he occasionally shows concern for students, such as intervening when they face danger.
The manga concludes with him marrying all his female students in a symbolic gesture of devotion to An Akagi, resolving his avoidance of marriage while fulfilling his familial obligations.