Teachers are supposed to inspire the younger generation to follow their dreams and achieve great things. However, our hero, Nozomu is not that teacher. Nozomu's probably the most depressive man in Japan—so depressive, in fact, that every little setback in life inspires yet another suicide attempt! But then why is being in Nozomu's class such a blast? Is it his quirky and endearing students? The bizarre adventures he leads them on? Or is there something after all to "the Power of Negative Thinking"? A wickedly twisted comedy by Koji Kumeta!

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. Zetsubousensei, who just wants to find the perfect place to die?