Nozomu Itoshiki is depressed. Very depressed. He’s certifiably suicidal, but he’s also the beloved schoolteacher of a class of unique students, each charming in her own way: The stalker. The shut-in. The obsessive-compulsive. The girl who comes to class every day with strange bruises. And Kafuka, the most optimistic girl in the world, who knows that every cloud has a silver lining. For all of them, it’s a special time, when the right teacher can have a lasting positive effect on their lives. But is that teacher Itoshiki, a.k.a. Zetsubou-sensei, who just wants to find the perfect place to die?
Chapter 19: That Is Why You Are to Flee, Follow Me! Philostratus
Previous chapter: Be mindful of first-timers; please use spoiler text for any spoilers. __________
>That Is Why You Are to Flee, Follow Me! Philostratus This is a reference to Osamu Dazai’s 1940 short story Hashire Melos (“Run, Melos!”), based on the ancient Greek legend of Damon and Pythias. In the story, Melos is sentenced to death by the king, but asks for a reprieve to attend his sister’s wedding. The king grants his wish, but takes Melos’s friend Selinuntius hostage, promising to kill him in three days if Melos does not return. On the way back, Melos encounters many obstacles, but he valiantly struggles to return so that his friend may live.
>Criticism training vs. escape training Nozomu talks about initiating into “criticism training.” Then Chiri sarcastically butts in with, “Don’t you mean escape training?” since Nozomu’s always figuring out ways to get out of teaching class. It’s a pun since both of these words are pronounced the same (Hitan Kunren); they’re just spelled using different kanji characters.
>Derizon In the original Japanese, “derision” is barizogon (“abusive language”). When Nozumu says, “The barizogons are flying about,” Maria imagines it’s a scary-looking monster, since her grasp of Japanese isn’t all that great.
>Pierced Jizo Jizo is a bodhisattva worshiped in Japan as the guardian deity of children, particularly children who died before their parents. He’s sometimes depicted with pierced ears.
>Full -> Relative This is a reference to phimosis, a medical condition in which the foreskin of the penis won't retract properly. Phimosis in older children and adults can vary in severity, with some men able to retract their foreskin partially (relative phimosis), and some completely unable to retract their foreskin even in the flaccid state (full phimosis). Cosmetic surgeons like the Ueno Clinic (see note for page ) make a big deal about the dangers of phimosis.
And that's all for today. Do you take criticism well? At the very least, I'd hope you're used to your posts being criticized by know. While I can't promise we have any beautiful women on hand, I'm sure some posters here would love to insult you if you feel you aren't trained enough in that regard. See you tomorrow.
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>Manjin The word manjin on the back of the man’s shirt is written with the character for man (as in “manga”) and jin (person). As the kanji man can be used to mean “morally corrupt,” the word could mean either “manga man” or something like “degenerate man.”
>know Note that that was an intentional misspelling I left in, so people could criticize my English proficiency. Definitely not a mistake.
Jack Jones
there's 1 Tsunetsuki and 1 pantyshot this chapter
Colton Hall
>Do you take criticism well? I'm initially afraid of being criticized on my posts so I leave the thread. If I find the thread again half a day later, I work up the courage to read the replies.
Colton Lopez
thanks for the dump OP. >do you take criticism well? yes, i'm the shittiest of 4 brothers so i'm used to having every little thing i do be nitpicked and criticized. it's at the point where i don't think anyone's got anything new to say to me, so it rolls right off of me.
