At first glance, this week’s column seems like an unimaginative stunt; about all these two books have in common is their titles, as one is a “geek’s diet memoir” and the other a tribute to “the power of negative thinking.” But probe a little deeper, and you’ll see that Toshio Okada’s relentless optimism is the perfect foil for Nozomu Itoshiki’s profound pessimism; Okada is Pooh to Itoshiki’s Eeyore. So without further ado, I present Sayonara, Mr. Fatty! (Vertical, Inc.) and Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei (Del Rey).

SAYONARA, MR. FATTY! A GEEK’S DIET MEMOIR

BY TOSHIO OKADA, TRANSLATED BY MIZUO TOYOSHIMA • VERTICAL, INC. • 192 pp.

Known as the ota-king (king of otaku) in his native Japan, Toshio Okada has enjoyed a long career, first as the co-founder of the Gainax animation studio, then as a pop-culture critic and lecturer at Tokyo University. For much of his time in the public eye, Okada was obese, topping the scale at 260 pounds. He tried several programs before devising the “recording diet,” a plan that required him to make note of everything he ate. After following the program for one year, the newly-trim Okada penned a weight-loss memoir in which he promised readers that they, too, could slim down without fasting, restricting themselves to grapefuit, or joining a gym; the only equipment they’d need was “a notebook and a pen.”

From a medical and psychological standpoint, Okada’s method makes good sense; he outlines a step-by-step plan for determining how much readers eat, when and why they eat, and how their eating patterns correspond to fluctuations in their weight. He then encourages readers to use that information to develop more sensible eating habits by limiting daily caloric intake and controlling portion size. Anyone hoping for a quick fix may be surprised to learn that Okada did, in fact, do many of the things he pooh-poohs in the introduction, such as eating diet foods, curtailing his intake of fatty dishes, and counting his daily steps with a pedometer. Not all of his advice is scientifically sound, either; he suggests that massage may be conducive to weight loss, and encourages readers to try alternate diet plans when they begin to plateau on the recording diet. (They just need to record everything they eat, whether it’s an Atkins diet or an all-carrot regimen.) For readers tired of the medical scare tactics and psychological scolding found in many diet books, however, Okada’s cheerful, chatty memoir may be the ticket to a healthier relationship with food, empowering them to monitor and manage what they eat without guilt.

The bottom line: There’s a reason the publisher labeled it a diet “memoir”: some of Okada’s advice wouldn’t fly with registered dietitians. Still, his positive tone and frank discussion of his old eating habits make this a worthwhile book for anyone struggling with his weight.

Review copy provided by Vertical, Inc.

SAYONARA, ZETSUBOU-SENSEI: THE POWER OF NEGATIVE THINKING, VOL. 2

BY KOJI KUMETA • DEL REY • 176 pp. • RATING: OLDER TEEN (16+)

The second volume of Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei finds Nozomu Itoshiki chaperoning his students to the annual Tanabata Festival, fending off an overzealous Commodore Perry impersonator, and returning to his hometown for a mi-ai (an interview between the prospective bride and groom in an arranged marriage). As with volume one, some of the humor transcends culture; you don’t need an intimate knowledge of Toson Shimazaki’s poetry to chuckle at the “criticism training” curriculum that Itoshiki unveils in chapter 19. (It’s basically an officially sanctioned opportunity for the students to insult one another, plunging the classroom into chaos.) Many of the jokes sent me scrambling for the translation notes, however, as they alluded to Taisho-era authors, C-list Japanese celebrities, salaryman manga, and popular tourist destinations within Japan. Even with the punchlines explained, many of the jokes were too culturally specific to be truly funny — and that’s my main beef with this black-hearted comedy. I grasp that it’s a satire (the back cover describes Kumeta as “Japan’s most savage satirist”), but can’t appreciate the nuances that would allow me to experience it as such.

The bottom line: I love the art, I love the idea, but I just don’t find Zetsubou-Sensei terribly funny.