This is a list of characters from the manga/anime series Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei. All the students in Nozomu Itoshiki's class are named after controversialsocial issues in Japanese society with the exception of Kafuka Fu'ura, whose real name has not been revealed.
The Itoshiki are a prestigious family in Kuraizawa (蔵井沢), Shinshū Prefecture (信州県, Shinshū ken), a parody of Karuizawa, Nagano, where they reside in a 70 hectare mansion, and have great influence in local affairs. As a running joke throughout the series, when the characters for "Itoshiki" (糸色) are written closely together, the resulting kanji can resemble zetsu (絶, "beyond"), which often undoes the next character it is appended to. Thus writing Itoshiki-ke (糸色家, "Itoshiki house") resembles zekke (絶家, "extinct family").[1] The manga eventually reveals that they aren't the original Itoshiki family, but merely the descendants of look-alikes paid to masquerade for the real family while they fled from those who wanted them dead. After the family vanished from the face of the earth, the look-alikes decided to remain as the Itoshiki family.
The main character, a high school teacher and the youngest son of the Itoshiki family. He always wears a hakama and kimono abroad, preferring flippant casual westernclothing in his hometown. When his name is written horizontally it resembles zetsubō (絶望, "beyond hope" or "despair"), befitting his extremely negative, paranoid and pessimistic attitude. He often shouts "I'm in despair! [topic at hand] has left me in despair!" and attempts suicide several times, though rarely with serious intent. Most of the main girls seem to have feelings for him but only because they misunderstand what he said to each of them (during the episodes introducing them). His negative personality started blossoming when he was in his first year of high school when he 'accidentally' joined a 'Negative' club. He is based upon the main character from Dazai Osamu's No Longer Human, which is both Nozomu's and the author's favorite novel.[citation needed]
Nozomu's younger sister, a seventeen-year-old ikebana master. When her name is written horizontally it resembles zetsurin (絶倫, "unequaled"), which describes her exceptional talent in various skills; however, calling her zetsurin evokes her fury, as the word is often used as slang for sexual prowess. She has revealed her willingness to marry out of the Itoshiki family in the hope of abandoning her unwanted name. Growing up privileged, she has misconceptions about poverty and engages in slum tourism. Rin eventually transfers to Nozomu's school and becomes a student in his class, after which she frequently faces the readers/audience with her backside (in a parody of Shin-chan, who is also voiced by Akiko Yajima).
The third son of the Itoshiki family, with an uncanny resemblance to Nozomu. He is a medical doctor at the private Itoshiki Clinic. When his name is written horizontally it resembles zetsumei (絶命, "extinction"), which explains why his hospital is rarely visited by the town's residents; he has a tendency to lose control of himself whenever he is referred to as "Zetsumei-sensei" ("Dr. Death").
The second son of the Itoshiki family, a surrealist painter who is quite full of himself. He has a wife named Yuka who is actually a large stain on the wall of his house. When his name is written horizontally it resembles zekkei (絶景, "superb scenery").
Enishi Itoshiki (糸色 縁, Itoshiki Enishi)
The first son of the Itoshiki family, Majiru's father, who has yet to appear in the series. He is described as a lawyer who resembles his brothers. His name becomes zetsuen (絶縁, "disinherited") when compressed, presumably hinting at his whereabouts. He is revealed to have started a posthumous marriage counseling business to help put dead souls to rest and divorce their ties from the world. He is also revealed to have been Nozomu's masked shadow doppelganger.
Nozomu's nephew, the son of Enishi. He was sent to live with Nozomu when his parents abandoned him. Although he is rather arrogant for his age, he is quite vulnerable to the psychological trauma caused by Nozomu's students. His name becomes zekkō (絶交, "breach in a relationship") when compressed. It is hinted he has feelings for Nozomu's student Kiri Komori but so seems to hide this and refer to her as his big sister. Even though he is young, he likes older women and already shows signs of perversion, especially an attraction to hair.
Hiroshi Itoshiki (糸色 大, Itoshiki Hiroshi)
The head of the Itoshiki family, a member of the National Diet. His name becomes zetsudai (絶大, "immense") when written horizontally.
Tae Itoshiki (糸色 妙, Itoshiki Tae)
Matriarch of the Itoshiki family. Her name becomes zetsumyō (絶妙, "exquisite") when written horizontally. She is a cookbook author.
The Itoshiki family butler. He is called Sebastian by the students. He is often seen attending to Rin. He is the true heir to the Itoshiki fortune, being the last descendant of the actual family that Nozomu's ancestors impersonated.
Nozomu Itoshiki's students
An image of most of the female members of the class. From left to right: Rin, Kiri, Nami, Matoi, Maria, Harumi, Kaere, Chiri, Abiru, Ai, Mayo, Meru, Manami, and Kafuka.
Nozomu Itoshiki is the homeroom teacher for class 2-へ (2-He; the hiragana character へ is the sixth in iroha order, making it equivalent to "2-6" or "2-F" in more common terms). There are 32 students altogether, though many have yet to be introduced in the series. For a variety of reasons, the entire class ends up repeating their second year with Nozomu multiple times, but the characters themselves never age. It is eventually revealed that every character in the class has attempted suicide after falling into despair. Their lives were saved by transplants from Kafuka's corpse, allowing them to see her as a result. The manga version also reveals that the girls of the class have been possessed by the spirits of girls from the Showa era who had killed themselves, and that Nozomu is an exorcist that became their teacher so that the souls of the dead girls could finish their education and move on.
A somewhat strange and exceedingly optimistic student who always sees everything in the single most positive light possible due to a brain abnormality that causes increased serotonin output: the polar opposite of Nozomu, who sees only the dark side of things and is constantly in despair. She often has bizarre, childishly optimistic explanations for grim situations, calling suicide by hanging "becoming taller" and the act of stalking "deep love" and does not believe in the existence of hikikomori or illegal immigrants outside the realm of fiction. She enjoys giving whimsical nicknames to people (much to their annoyance), and has a strange obsession with aliens. Her cheerfulness apparently conceals a traumatic past. Her father is portrayed as trying to hang himself on multiple occasions, as did her mother at least once.
At one point, her mother was possessed by demons. In addition, her recent actions; watching the school burn down with a satisfied grin, and the more harmless act of disguising herself as a college student and making food for Nozomu and his nephew (giving them food poisoning) hint at a much darker personality. Another hint is the fact that one or more of the other characters are mortally terrified of her; for example, when Kafuka teaches Meru about communication through eye contact, Meru can sense only bloodlust in her eyes. Kafuka's depiction with a bandaged right wrist in this scene may or may not be an indication that she attempted to cut her wrist. More hints of her ultimately sadistic temperament can be seen in the endings. Also on at least one occasion, she sensed the existence of demons in the area.
Kafuka Fūra is a pen name, taken from the name of author Franz Kafka, and is quite at odds with her sunny attitude. Her real name has not been officially revealed; however, she was referred to as "An-chan" in a flashback,[2][3] and the surname "Akagi" appears in the attendance book,[4][5] leading fans to speculate that her real name is An Akagi (赤木 杏, Akagi An).[6] In another flashback, she had a name tag that said "An" on it.[7] This would parallel Nozomu's comment in the first chapter about her personality resembling Anne of Green Gables (赤毛のアン, Akage no An). It may also refer to akagi (赤来, "red future"), considering Nozumu's fate whenever he is near her. For example, her attempt to save him at the start nearly killed him instead. In fact, this becomes a running gag in the series, with Kafuka frequently coming across Nozomu in the process of attempting to kill himself, hurriedly intervening and (whether accidentally or deliberately) nearly getting him killed anyway; on each of these occasions, Nozomu reacts by, ironically and in complete ignorance of the situation prior to Kafuka's intervention, asking in protest what she would have done if she had killed him.
Near the end of the manga, it is revealed that Kafuka, renamed so from the "Metamorphosis" book she was carrying, had died prior to the beginning of the series and having her organs donated to a cast of characters that incidentally make up the majority of Nozomu's class. However, she was "too optimistic to die", and thus possessed one of the main female characters in every scene of the series. In the final chapter, the female students that had fallen for Nozomu hold a symbolic wedding ceremony with him, allowing both themselves and Kafuka to "marry" their beloved teacher. In a bonus chapter in the final volume, however, the ending plays out much differently: Nozomu officially marries the girls and moves to an isolated island, where he divorces and remarries each one every day depending on which girl Kafuka is currently controlling. The final chapter shows that Kafuka has entirely subverted the personalities of the twelve female students that married Nozomu, to the point where all of Nozomu's children look and act like her despite not being biologically related to her. The final page shows the girls adding a new "Kafuka" to the harem via a blood transfusion to a female reporter who was injured in a boat crash having come to interview the strange family.
Chiri is a meddlesome and dictatorial girl who imposes her will on not just the class, but, on occasions, the entire world. She demands all people and things to be overliterally categorical, and forces anything that is variable, irregular, or open-ended to pick a lane, whether or not these lanes are good, feasible, or physically possible. Her name derives from the Japanese word kitchiri (きっちり, "precisely"), often used to describe her exhaustively fastidious and consistent lifestyle—which is laudable in some aspects, but counterproductive in many others, such as her preference for worse, but matching, grades over better but mismatching ones. She scrupulously parts her hair exactly down the middle, but struggles to achieve sub-micron precision. In later chapters, she wears a hairband.
Chiri resorts to violence in many situations, often wielding a common household shovel as both a blunt and cutting weapon. She is prone to rampages and murder, and is a wanted fugitive and the target of manhunts. She is also versed in violent revolutions and purges throughout history, and has designs to conquer the country, and the world, through bloody insurrection. She also practices occultism and witchcraft, especially the ushi no toki mairi (丑の時参り) curse ritual, and possesses a third eye as a pun on senrigan (千里眼, "clairvoyance").
Since childhood, Chiri has suffered from hallucinations and paranoia, and is accustomed to seeing frightening visions and imaginary enemies. Due to her disturbing delusions, Chiri had no childhood friends other than Harumi. She developed an unrequited desire for endearment, and became a third wheel or uninvited guest on many occasions. Lacking awareness of social cues, she is often oblivious to being snubbed, but is highly sensitive once made aware.
Chiri's many dangerous proclivities inspire deference and fear from her peers. Despite this, she is usually cordial and friendly with the class until provoked, and her dangerous impulses are sometimes restrained or foiled by others.
After accidentally sharing an infirmary cot with Zetsubou-sensei, Chiri became at once intent on marrying him, persisting despite being highly critical of his sloth and hypocrisy. Chiri's pursuit of Zetsubou-sensei is inevitably commandeering and heavy-handed (to the extent of single-handedly wiping out the rest of the human race), and, upon being rejected by him or sensing competition from others, she is swift to deliver vengeance.
Starting in the second season of the anime, Chiri's spoken punctuation became visible on-screen as a running joke.
Abiru is a habitually bandaged girl who is always impassive and deadpan, except when gleefully interacting with or discussing animals. Her name derives from "to bathe in fists" (拳[を]浴びる, kobushi [o] abiru), describing the extent of her injuries. After the class at first believed her to be a domestic violence victim, they learned that she engages in dangerous horseplay with animals to satisfy her fetish for tails. Later, it is shown that she also suffers injuries from being absentminded and accident-prone, and she is a poor athlete despite being advantageously tall. Abiru's left eye, which is always bandaged, is differently-colored due to a cornea transplant.
Abiru often delivers blunt, scathing comments that cut through oblique statements and pretenses. Despite clumsiness, she can nimbly sling bandages as weapons or prehensile ropes to ensnare objects and people.
Abiru's infatuation with Zetsubou-sensei stems from wishing to put a tail on him, and she is disappointed that he never spontaenously grows a tail. Nevertheless, she aggressively competes with the other students for his affection.
In the anime, Abiru is often juxtaposed with images of giraffes as a running joke.
Kiri is an extreme hikikomori (ひきこもり) who never ventures outdoors, indulging exclusively in indoor and domestic activity. Her name derives from komorikiri (籠もりきり, "recluse"), describing her lifestyle. Having no need for dressing up, Kiri always wears ungroomed long hair, casual clothes or undergarments, and a blanket. Despite relocating from her own home to live at school, she never attends class. The rest of the class, however, is sympathetic when she is in need.
Kiri is usually preoccupied watching TV or going online while barricading her room. After Zetsubou-sensei's house is destroyed, and he and Majiru also move into the school, Kiri becomes their domestic caretaker, handling all housework unconditionally. She and Majiru soon bond in a sibling-like fashion. Normally reserved, Kiri can be ill-tempered when provoked.
Because Zetsubou-sensei passively acquiesces to rooming with Kiri, she becomes possessive of him in a wifelike manner. Kiri's territoriality over Zetsubou-sensei is particularly threatened by Matoi's intrusion into their "home", and the vendetta between the two girls often escalates into outright brawls.
Early on, Kafuka baselessly declares Kiri to be a zashiki-warashi (座敷童子), who mystically guards homes against ruin. Though nobody takes this seriously, later, the school building indeed collapses as soon as Kiri exits the grounds.
Matoi is a zealous stalker devoted to hounding her love interests at every opportunity. Her name derives from tsune [ni] tsukimatoi (常[に]付き纏い, "always following around"). After latching on to Zetsubou-sensei, she began dressing exclusively in hakamas to match his image, and follows him at all hours to all places, disregarding all else. In class, rather than take a seat, she hides inside the lectern. Despite Matoi's flagrant invasion of his personal space and private affairs, Zetsubou-sensei is immediately resigned to this outcome and does little to discourage it.
Matoi usually appears near Zetsubou-sensei without warning, inevitably surprising him every time. She often backs up his topical discussions with her own knowledge, and leads the class to various bizarre, allegorical places where many illustrative examples of a topic can be found. Habitually hiding behind telephone poles, Matoi is even able to uproot a pole to use as a club. Due to her clandestine activities, she can also operate spy equipment, such as decoders and surveillance devices.
Nami is a girl distinguished by being mundane, typical, and run-of-the-mill in every respect. Her name derives from hitonami (人並み), which can be translated as "normal", "ordinary", "average", and the like.[8] Even though Nami's kneejerk protest against being labeled "normal" becomes her catchphrase, and she pulls various attention-seeking stunts, Nami almost always fails to behave in any exceptional or surprising way.
Examples of Nami's normalcy include following trendy movies, products, and fashions; having common knowledge and making common mistakes; being seen at popular venues; being a sentimental romantic; and using clichés and truisms. She also often mishears unfamiliar words, and tells dull, aimless anecdotes. Later, Nami's gluttony and yo-yo dieting becomes a running joke, and she routinely relies on food metaphors to understand new concepts. The rest of the class sometimes struggles to conceal their ennui when subjected to Nami's predictable habits.
In the planning stages of Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei, Nami was originally planned to be the main heroine.[9]
Tarō Maria Sekiutsu (関内・マリア・太郎, Sekiutsu Maria Tarō)
An undocumented immigrant of unconfirmed nationality, though various clues (her Hispanicized real first name, dark-brown skin tone, civil status, and the war-torn state of her country of former habitual residence, which is within Asia) have shown that she is most likely Filipino (who are the 3rd largest foreign community in Japan). In one episode, however, she references Thai boxer Napa Kiatwanchai, suggesting that she may be Thai.
She is nicknamed "Mataro" by Kafuka, although she refers to herself (as do most others) as simply "Maria". She purchased the koseki of a male student and is attending school under his name. She is fascinated by "Japan's abundance" and hoards food and refuse she finds on the ground or in garbage cans for her massive family, who all live in a one-room apartment. While Maria frequently displays wild behavior and an unusual abhorrence to panties and shoes, her impoverished appearance and status, coupled with a bright smile, often encourage people to happily give her things.
The name "Sekiutsu Tarō" derives from seki-uttarou (籍売ったろう), which means "I'll sell my name", which the original owner of the name in fact did for the sake of gaining true freedom. Because of their optimistic personalities, Kafuka and Maria get along quite well. After spending some time with her, Chiri takes it upon herself to watch over Maria after being touched by her unwavering optimism and love for Japan. When the class was asked to expose a secret about themselves (Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei episode 08) Maria said she was a boy, although this has not been mentioned again.
Meru Otonashi (音無 芽留, Otonashi Meru)
A very shy girl who does not talk and only communicates via text messaging on her cell phone; she is notably and viciously abusive in her e-mails. Her family name, Otonashi, means "soundless", and her given name derives from the loan word"mail" (メール, mēru). Her e-mail address is hazukashigariyasan (恥ずかしがり屋さん, "full of shyness"). She is called "MeruMeru" by her father. Aside from a few weak sounds and squeaks, she is essentially mute, and any attempt to speak will cause her to uncontrollably sputter in a horrific, dial tone-esque language.
Meru's family seems ridiculously rich, as her father is able to set up an audition for people to try and dub her voice in real time. In the anime, her voice actress changes every episode and is chosen at random, and is credited with, at most, a short sequence of nonsense characters[10] with the exception of episode 6 of Zoku, where she is voiced by Chiwa Saito. On a later chapter, in theme with the current gag of that chapter, she lost her phone and was unable to communicate with anyone. Due to the gag, everyone did not acknowledge her as Meru due to her defining character as a character who talks via cellphone, so when Kafuka believes that she really is Meru, she finally muttered a soft "Thank You" in tears.
A returnee to Japan suffering from dissociative identity disorder. One is an ultimately Japanese woman named Kaede, a very gentle personality well-versed in Japanese culture. The other is a foreigner named Kaere who is disgusted by Japanese culture and touts the bizarre ways of the country she is supposedly from, though what country she comes from is never explained (it is hinted that it may be Russia or the United States). Kaere is easily offended and constantly threatens to sue everyone.
Kaede/Kaere likes to pretend to be good at speaking English, but her English actually sounds horrifyingly bad, although this had to be pointed out by a foreigner for anyone to notice. She unfortunately adopts the latter personality more often. Her given name derives from Japanese kaere (帰れ), the imperative form of the verb kaeru (帰る, "to return; to go back"), and also from Kaela Kimura, a Japanese idol. She provides many panty shots, often with strange images on her panties. She possessed a third personality, a balance between the two, until she came to 2-He, where her interactions with the other students triggered a psychotic breakdown. A running gag is that she possesses a horrible singing voice. Her embarrassing wish is revealed to be able see a green kappa in person.
A shy, insecure girl who constantly apologizes for trivial matters and things she didn't even do. At one point she was mistaken by several boys as a tsundere. Her name in Eastern order sounds like kagai (加害, "perpetrate"), and is most likely borrowed from former Morning Musume member Ai Kago. She seems to like red king crabs, receiving a printed t-shirt of it from Kino and buying a box of it at a convenience store. She is revealed to also be a female ninja as her last name due to a pun on her name being the same character as the two top ninja training school in Japan.
A married high-schooler who works multiple jobs to pay off her husband's debts. Her name derives from okusama-nami (奥様な身, "a married person") It is revealed in episode 5 of Zan that her husband is unfaithful and she's aware of it. A running gag from her is that whenever she contribute to the topic of the chapter, it would always lead to her saying it's okay not to pay the debts, in which Itoshiki would retort saying that it's better to pay. As she is considered a mother, she has a screwed maternal instincts that usually leads to kidnapping various people on the topic of the chapter. She was able to "hostage" all of these people in an expensive mansion saying that she has a beneficiary, in which Itoshiki retorted that it's better to use the money to pay back her debt instead. It was also revealed that she has tried multiple times to divorce her husband but was unable to. In one chapter when she becomes a personification of a herb, Itoshiki tries to dry her but was arrested because of a pun of her name which spells out marijuana, a substance highly illegal in Japan.
An evil-looking girl who compulsively commits malicious acts (such as putting sticks up the rear ends of dogs) so as to be scolded. Not wanting to be accused of reacting to stereotypes, people simply assume she is a good girl who only looks evil and whatever she did was not her doing. Just as with most girls in the class, she has developed a crush on Nozomu (due to him calling her out), but can only express her love through harming him. Maria made the comment of her being a tsundere. Her name derives from mita mama yo (見たままよ, "exactly what it looks like").
A very open-minded girl that can not refuse to entertain new ideas and let other people express their ideas, even if it means possible negative effects on herself or her property. Kanako is depicted as being perpetually lost in thought and carrying a care-free stare; it cannot be ruled out that her mannerisms lend themselves to drug usage. Her name derives from the phrase ōraka na ko (大らかな子, "big-hearted girl). She usually wears her hair in a pony tail restrained by a large ribbon and keeps her hands buried inside the sleeves of her school uniform; possibly because it is a size or two too big for her. The zipper on the side of her skirt is always open an ostensibly welcoming manner.
A girl that works as a street-vendor to earn money. She partners up with Nezu, and together they employ rather questionable business methods. Her name is a pun on maruchi-shōhō (マルチ商法, "multi-level marketing"). She often sells luxurious items, such as premium cuts of fish, at a cheap price.
A merchant girl and friends with Shōko. Her name is a pun on nezumi-kō (ネズミ講, "pyramid scheme"). In partnership with Shōko, she sells common complimentary items, such as block of ice, with a hefty price tag. She is usually the ones who initiates the scam and lead to most of the class caught up in her business deals. She created an idol group along with Shoko that includes Nami.
Kotonon (ことのん)
A net idol. Her website of heavily photoshopped images is extremely popular; in reality she is overweight and unattractive, and wears Gothic Lolita-fashion. Her name is derived from voice actress Kotono Mitsuishi. She is very narcissistic and thinks that she is the prettiest girl in class.
A tea ceremony club member who likes Kino, but despairs at his fashion sense. Her surname is a pun on marui (丸い, "round-shaped") and her first name means circle. She can be identified with her double bun hairstyle. She is only a provisional tea club member because she Chiri will not allow her to join half-heartedly. She is also extremely lucky and Chiri considers her a "time-thief" based on the current gag in that chapter. She usually appears in chapters regarding love.
A fan of yaoi and cat ears, and a doujin artist. She has an innate coupling instinct, imagining slash pairings between all sorts of (male) characters, her favorite couple being Pine × Napple, though apparently she cannot accept boys' love in real life. Her tastes are considered unusual, even abnormal, which often puts her at odds with Chiri. She possesses amazing natural athletic abilities, with various athletic clubs chasing her for recruitment. Her three older brothers are all involved in the anime industry, and according to her mother, she was an accidental child. She and Chiri have known each other since they were both children so both of them have a strong friendship (although Chiri insists that it's called rivalry). Her name is a combination of fujoshi (腐女子, "rotten girl", a term used by yaoi fangirls to describe themselves) and Harumi (晴海), the previous site of Comiket before it moved to Tokyo Big Sight.
Another friend of Kino and Haga who is nearly as negative as Nozomu. In the manga, Aoyama was also given the responsibility to become the substitute 'Mr. Despair' which he keeps up for a couple chapters. He gave up his post after the girls in the class keep bringing up more disturbing things that inadvertently make him look on the brighter side of things. Identified as the one with red glasses.
The actual class president of 2-He, who is ignored to the point of literally vanishing; only when his baldness is exposed does he become visible to others. In the anime, he has a major crush on Abiru, but leers after most female students (especially Kaere), who naturally do not notice he is there. His name is a pun on the phrase kage ga usui (影が薄い, "overshadowed"), referring to his lack of presence. The usui (薄い) also refers to his thinning hairline. He admits that he has a leg fetish. It seems he was turned into a masochist by Chie-sensei.
Jun is described in episode 4 of the second season as "Genius Storyteller"; there is no story he can't tell. His name comes from the bookstore Junkudo-Shoten (ジュンク堂書店, Junkudō Shōten) and Jun Kudō (工藤 淳, Kudō Jun), its founder. His stories usually drive other characters to tears even though some of his stories have a mocking purpose. He has previously checked out every book in the library Nozomu wants to read, and lives with his grandfather (a reference to Seiji Amasawa in Whisper of the Heart). His parents, who were Christian, disowned him for getting a blood transfusion and led to an attempted suicide and a transplant from Kafuka's corpse. He is shown to live on the same island as Nozomu and his "wives", but escaped the fate that befell the girls for an unknown reason, though it is possible that, due to him living at the island's church, he was able to have Kafuka's spirit exorcised from his body.
Kuniya is described in episode 10 of the second season as "Library committee member, hates losing. Supposed to appear as a rival character to Jun Kudō, but his strange clothes and interest in Kaga Ai are now his most notable traits." His fashion sense is terrible; a scene in the manga showed strange underwear hanging from his balcony. His mother is a fashion designer and was the one who designed Kino's clothes. He relatively had fashionable clothes but started to become weird when her mother was fired. However, that doesn't seem to be the reason for his horrible fashion sense. His name comes from the Books Kinokuniya chain.
A student with a butch haircut like a jizō. He read a pornography named "Bishōjo in Northern Europe" (北欧の美少女, Hokuō no Bishōjo), so he is sometime called "Hokuō" (北欧). He wears an earring in chapter 19 (episode 8 of the anime's first season), earning the nickname "Pierced Jizō" (ピアス地蔵, Piasu Jizō). He has more appearance on the manga than in the anime.
The real Tarō Sekiutsu who sold his own family register to Tarō Maria Sekiutsu. The origin of the name is the same as Maria and refers to him. He sold his name as it was the only possession he had left which prevented him from experiencing complete and total freedom. He is usually found in random places like Kiri Komori and is seen sitting in a cardboard box selling his possessions, wearing a lamp shade over his head with holes for his eyes.
Wataru is a hardcore otaku who puts more priority on his hobby than anything else, even once rushing into his burning house rescue his possessions, despite his sister also being trapped inside. His name comes from Manseibashi o wataru (万世橋を渡る, "to cross over Mansei Bridge"); Mansei Bridge is a bridge that connects Chiyoda and Akihabara. He is not in Nozomu's class, but from the neighboring Class 2-ほ (2-Ho, "2-5", "2-E"). He sometimes wears a stereotypical hero costume with a mask and cape.
A former male student of Class 2-He. He leaves the class by the promotion. He is an otaku who wants to be an animator. He looks like Wataru Manseibashi but with a different hairstyle. His surname, Suzuki, can mean "to continue", and his given name is likely derived from (sono ko) which means "that child", therefore his full name roughly translates to "the child that continued"; a reference to his promotion. It is also likely to be a reference to "Sonoko Suzuki" (鈴木園子), a character from Detective Conan.
A former male student of Class 2-He. He leaves the class by the promotion. He belongs to the soccer club.
Shun Honoi (本能井 駿, Honoi Shun)
A former male student of Class 2-He that has transferred to another school. Apparently nobody remaining in the class knew who he was. His name is a pun on the phase "hon no isshun" (ほんの一瞬) which means "only for a moment".
The school counselor. Her name can also be read "Niichie", a reference to Friedrich Nietzsche. She has an excellent figure and a large bust, which is admired by the local people during the swimming pool scene. A case of sexual fetishism features her as a sadist rebuking various masochistic males, often featured in the beginning of various episodes. Nozomu usually does anything she orders him to do (like getting Kiri Komori back to school) as he states her eyes are terrifying, but he goes to her anytime he has one of his suicidal breakdowns brought on because of a random conspiracy theory. She once stated she had three husbands. Terrifyingly beautiful, she once had hoped to be an idol but was rejected because she looks "too pretty". Her recurring gag in the series is that her clothes will always be stolen and is replaced by a high school uniform.
School teacher, Nozomu's colleague. He is generally gentle, but he is also unusually aware of his surroundings, and his back is covered with a large tattoo that suggests a past with the yakuza. He is a fan of Nightmare.
Mr. Parachutist (天下り様, Amakudari-sama)
A middle-aged man who came to 2-He from the Ministry of Education via "golden parachute," which launches a discussion of "descent" from one sector of life to another and leads to Nozomu re-visiting his previous life.
The self-proclaimed "old friend" of Nozomu Itoshiki, who, like Nozomu, likes old things. It is later found out that they weren't old friends (旧友, kyūyū), but rather "one-day friends" (1日友, ichinichitomo) in elementary school. His name is a reference to the anime series Ikkyū-san. He attempted to marry Rin, thus gaining an "old name" and becoming a member of an "old family", but Kafuka thwarted him in his advances. He is the only person who can do a half smile and it seems he always does so.
Disheveled, unshaven, and overworked self-insert of the author.
Maeda-kun (前田君)
Voiced by: Himself (first season's stage name is MAEDAX and second season's is MAEDAX G and third season is MAEDAX Roman or MAEDAX R)
The bald, bespectacled model of the character is Kumeta's assistant, Maeda. Appears often in the animated version in self-imposed restraint marks. He plays the voice of himself.
Another assistant of the author. Although unlike Maeda-kun he rarely shows up, but often talked about by the author. He was based from Kenjiro Hata, former assistant of the author and current author of Hayate no Gotoku.
Chiri's older sister, and in contrast to her, a complete slob who creates disarray and spreads trash by her mere presence. According to Harumi, Tane would not have been so dirty had it not been for Chiri. In a flashback, a young Chiri and Tane were shown with a pet goldfish. Chiri suggests cleaning the goldfish by pouring shampoo into the tank, which Tane tried convincing her not to. Tane then leaps into a pile of mud and distracts Chiri from drowning the fish in shampoo, which Nozomu understands as a way to suppress Chiri's proper behavior. Tane also expressed that if it were up to her, she would like to be able to dress up nicely and go on dates like a typical girl. Like some of the other girls in Nozomu's class, Tane also develops a crush on him. Her name derives from the Japanese word kittane (汚ったね, "dirty", in broken Tokyo dialect form).
College Girl Student (隣の女子大生, Tonari no Joshidaisei)
She is a "college student" living beside Nozomu's house, who often gives him food. Nozomu seems to have a crush on her, having a picture of her at home, and often blushes when he talks to her. She is Kafuka Fuura in disguise wearing a wig and often gives Nozomu and Maijiru food poisoning. She belongs to the idol group "AKaBane84" as Nari Oto (尾吐菜梨, Oto Nari). Her name derives from the Japanese word otonari (お隣, "neighbor").
First-year Student from Next Door (隣の校舎の一年生, Tonari no kōsha no ichinensei)
Real name unknown. She appeared in chapter 128 to give Nozomu a love letter with the words "I like you" (好きです) on it. It is speculated that she is Kafuka in disguise. She also works in a maid cafe.
Abiru's Father (小節あびるの父親, Kobushi Abiru no Chichioya)
The judge of "The Mystery Darkness Court." The long-haired woman who put on the mask of the half drawn game from the middle. Most characters assume she is Chiri, who later appears contemporaneously with the judge, disproving this.
A foreigner who went to Japan and tries to force open anything and everything around him. He is Kafuka's friend and he is nicknamed as Goku by her, which could be a reference to either a main character from the novel Journey to the West, or the main character from the manga and anime Dragon Ball. He is based on Commodore Matthew C. Perry.
A Shōgun with extremely long chonmage. He is personification of the cold waves from the Siberian High. He said that he wanted to quit on being the General of Winter and is currently searching for another General-level work
One of the famous Vocaloid characters. She joined an audition for the voice of Meru, but failed. Her voice in the anime was not created using the Vocaloid synthesizer, but rather voiced by her original voice provider Saki Fujita.
A deformation of a chick of an emperor penguin. It has appeared in the scenery since chapter 20. Its face resembles a deformed three-sided yin-yang. General Winter yields to this creature because it has a title of an emperor on its name.
The 90th Prime Minister of Japan. His likeness has appeared in the scenery with "Depression-ful Country" (鬱くしい國, Utsu-kushii Kuni) (parodying his slogan "Beautiful Country" (美しい国, Utsukushii Kuni)) since chapter 67.
Kiyohiko (きよ彦)
A man with sharp head. He has appeared in the scenery since an extra chapter in Magazine Dragon December 12, 2007 (a supplement of Weekly Shonen Magazine).
Tsubouchi Chitan (坪内地丹)
Character from Katte ni Kaizō. He has appeared in the scenery since riding a train on chapter 3.
Trivia
There was a cameo of Akiyuki Shinbo (director of this anime) on episode 10 of the second season wherein he along with some people discuss on how this anime should end. The introductory "The Story Until Now" segments in Zan and Goku were voiced by Chiwa Saito.
↑ Her family name "根津" is written as "ねづ" in Kana. "づ" of "ねづ" is romanized as "zu" according to Wikipedia:Manual of Style MOS:JP#Romanization. However, "づ" is also spelled as "dzu" or sometimes "dsu" in respect of the accuracy. "zu" is essentially for "ず" which is another Kana.
The female students who perform in Opening/Ending themes are often credited together as "Despair Girls" (絶望少女達, Zetsubō Shōjotachi).
Ai Nonaka is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She works for Aoni Production and was formerly a member of the voice actor unit Drops, which included fellow voice actor Akemi Kanda, Tomoko Kaneda, Mariko Kōda, and Ryōko Shiraishi. In high school in Fukuoka, she was head of the drama club and her ambition was to play male roles in the famous all-female Takarazuka Revue.
Asami Sanada is a Japanese actress from Nagano Prefecture. She voiced the role of Vita in the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha series, Jun Sakurada in the Rozen Maiden series, Kurumi Tokisaki in the Date A Live series, Sawako Yamanaka in the K-On! series, and Dejiko in Di Gi Charat.
Nurse Angel Ririka SOS is a Japanese manga series created by music producer and television writer Yasushi Akimoto and manga creator Koi Ikeno. The manga was serialized in Shueisha's shōjo manga magazine Ribon from January 1995 to June 1996, and subsequently collected into four bound volumes published by Shueisha. The story follows Ririka Moriya, an elementary school student who receives the power to transform into the legendary guardian, Nurse Angel. As Nurse Angel, she is the only person capable of protecting the Earth from world-destroying invaders.
Futakoi is a light novel, visual novel and anime television series created by Hina Futaba and Mutsumi Sasaki. The anime aired in Japan in 2004. It replaced Sister Princess as Dengeki G's Magazine premiere flagship title. It tells the story of a boy named Nozomu Futami who goes back to his hometown, moves in near a shrine and encounters beautiful six pairs of twin girls.
Kōji Kumeta is a Japanese manga artist. His most famous works are Go!! Southern Ice Hockey Club, Katteni Kaizō, Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei, and Joshiraku. The bulk of Kumeta's work was published in Weekly Shōnen Sunday, until the abrupt cancellation of Katteni Kaizō, which resulted in him transferring from Shogakukan to Kodansha. As of 2014, he has gone freelance. His most recent serializations were Studio Pulp for Rakuen Le Paradis of Hakusensha and Kakushigoto in Monthly Shōnen Magazine, both of which concluded their run in 2020.
Asuka Tanii, is a Japanese voice actress.
Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kōji Kumeta. It was serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine from April 2005 to June 2012, with its chapters collected in 30 tankōbon volumes. The series follows Nozomu Itoshiki, a teacher who takes all aspects of life, word, and culture in the most negative light possible. The series satirizes politics, media, and Japanese society.
Minami-ke is a Japanese manga series by Koharu Sakuraba, creator of Kyō no Go no Ni. It has been serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Magazine since March 2004. The series focuses on the everyday life of three sisters: Haruka, Kana, and Chiaki Minami. An anime series produced by Daume aired in 2007. Asread produced a second season in 2008 titled Minami-ke: Okawari, a third season in 2009 titled Minami-ke: Okaeri, and an original video animation (OVA) episode in 2009 titled Minami-ke: Betsubara. In 2012, Feel produced another OVA titled Minami-ke: Omatase, followed by a fourth anime series in 2013 titled Minami-ke: Tadaima. A fifth anime series was announced in 2024.
Aki Sora is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masahiro Itosugi. It was first published in September 2007 by Akita Shoten. It started serialization in the ninth volume and was concluded in Volume 25 of Akita Shoten's seinen manga magazine Champion Red Ichigo. An OVA adaptation by Hoods Entertainment was released with the third volume of the manga on December 17, 2008. A second OVA adaptation, called Aki Sora ~Yume no Naka~ (あきそら～夢の中～) was released by Pony Canyon in two parts; the first part released on July 30, 2009, and the second part released on November 17, 2009. In April 2011, Itosugi announced that there will be no more printings of volumes 1 and 3 due to Bill 156.
Happy Happy Clover is a Japanese Slice of life manga series created and illustrated by Sayuri Tatsuyama, serialized in Shogakukan's shōjo magazine Ciao from August 2005 to November 2008. Five tankōbon volumes were serialized in April 2006 to November 2008. Viz Media currently holds the license for the manga series. An anime adaptation by Group TAC officially aired on TV Aichi from July 6, 2007 to 28 September 2007, adapting some of the chapters from the first three volumes.
Hanamaru Kindergarten is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuto and published by Square Enix. The series follows Anzu, a kindergarten girl who is in love with her teacher and tries to win his affection but always fails. It has been adapted into an anime television series animated by Gainax and broadcast in Japan from January to March 2010.
Nozomu is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
Rainbow Days is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Minami Mizuno. It was serialized in Shueisha's shōjo manga magazine Bessatsu Margaret from December 2011 to March 2017, with its chapters collected in sixteen tankōbon volumes. A drama CD was released with the seventh volume of the manga in October 2014. A 24-episode anime adaptation produced by Production Reed aired between January and June 2016. A live-action film was released in 2018.
Rilu Rilu Fairilu is a character franchise created in collaboration by Sanrio and Sega Sammy Holdings, illustrated by character designer Ai Setani (Kirimichan). It is the second Sanrio franchise that was handled by two companies, the first being Jewelpet. The franchise was officially launched in December 2015.
Koro Sensei Quest is a manga written by Kizuku Watanabe and illustrated by Jo Aoto. The manga is a spin-off of Yūsei Matsui's Assassination Classroom that features the original cast of the original manga.
Kakushigoto: My Dad's Secret Ambition is a Japanese manga series by Kōji Kumeta. It was serialized in Kodansha's shōnen mangaMonthly Shōnen Magazine from December 2015 to July 2020, with its chapters collected in twelve tankōbon volumes. A 12-episode anime television series adaptation produced by Ajia-do Animation Works aired from April to June 2020. A compilation anime film premiered in July 2021.
Nami is used as both a given name and surname.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
