Would it be wrong to call this show “lovable?” It’s certainly weird, perhaps even disturbing. But it’s visually striking, and perhaps even a bit insightful.

A very, very Japanese series, I wouldn’t hold my breath for a U.S. release of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. The series opens with the protagonist attempting suicide in a grove of sakura trees; he is saved by a young girl, who’s perpetually cheerful to the point of delusion. It turns out that our perpetually suicidal deathknight wannabe is a high school teacher; one by one, he meets his deranged and unusual students.

This small look at this series doesn’t remotely do it justice: it’s humorous, quirky, and awesome.