さよなら絶望先生 [Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei] #25

Volume 25 of Koji Kumeta's sardonic slice-of-school-life series arrives with a cover that's all quiet elegance — a young woman in a vibrant pink floral kimono and dark hakama stands poised, handbag in hand, shielding her eyes as if scanning the horizon with wry composure. The traditional Japanese attire gives the image a graceful, almost formal atmosphere that plays beautifully against the series' reputation for absurdist humor. Published by Kōdansha, this penultimate stretch of the run is a great time to be following along with Kumeta's uniquely offbeat world.