Hell Teacher Nube
Encyclopedia
is a horror-comedy manga
created by the collaborative efforts of writer and artist Takeshi Okano
in Shueisha
's manga anthology book Weekly Shōnen Jump
. The series ran for 276 chapters (not including the two pilot chapters where Nūbē was known as Nubo (ぬ〜ぼ〜 Nūbō)) from Issue 38, 1993 through Issue 24, 1999. A 48-episode anime
series based on the manga was created by Toei Animation
, and aired from 1996–1997 on Animax
and TV Asahi
. The anime resulted in three movies and three OVA
episodes. A spinoff story for Izuna Hazuki the itako
-girl, Izuna the Spiritual Medium (霊媒師いずな), has been running in Oh, Super Jump since July 2007.
The series follows , aka , the homeroom teacher for Class 5-3 at . More than a teacher, however, he is a skilled exorcist
, protecting the town of Dōmori from supernatural
threats with strength borrowed from a powerful demon sealed in his left hand—a technique he calls the .
chapters and anime
episodes is as follows: what seems like a normal day at Dōmori Elementary is disrupted by some weird phenomenon, usually targeting one of Nūbē's own students. Nūbē is forced into action, most often using the power of the Demon's Hand to assist in solving the problem, but occasionally the solution lies either in another of his spiritual weapons, or somehow reasoning with or appeasing the threatening entity. By the end, things always seem to get back to normal, with Nūbē and his students having learned something from the experience. Most of the series retains an episodic
formula, forgoing an over-arching storyline in favor of more character-driven action, although there are several recurring antagonist
s throughout, as well as some longer story arcs towards the end of the series.
created their universe of Nūbē as its own separate world, they were highly influenced by the works of several other author
s, anime
and manga artists in one way or another. For starters, Nūbē himself is a combination in design of Chirico Cuvie, main character of the anime Armored Trooper Votoms
and Black Jack
, from the classic medical manga
by Osamu Tezuka
. Similarly, several of the students gain their influence from series that have influenced the diversity of series nature: the school-comedy connection coming from the 1970s Jump
series Dokonjō Gaeru
, the horror side from Go Nagai
's classic Devilman
. Ritsuko-sensei's design is similar to many of the heroines of classic 1970s giant robot
anime, and Minako-sensei design is similar to Honey Kisaragi's design from Cutie Honey
. Finally, the yōkai
themselves are derived in design from the works of painter Sekien Toriyama, known for his art of the supernatural
.
Although there are many connections to the past in Nūbē, the series does acknowledge that it is one of many manga
that exist within the Weekly Shōnen Jump
anthology
. Since the series exists in then-modern 1990s Japan, it is merely one part of the world in which they live in. There are consistently jokes breaking the fourth wall
regarding Jump, whether it is Nūbē or one of his students reading the book or commenting about how the staff of the book may act regarding certain plot points. Similarly, several other Jump series occasionally receive mention either in tribute or for laughs. One of the consistent mentions regards Osamu Akimoto
's long running police-comedy manga Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo
: both series have a similar story style where most stories are just one chapter episodes, yet the characters still grow and change through their run like the serial manga (though some of the comments were in regard to Kochi Kame's extremely long run). Another consistent Jump target regarded Akira Toriyama
's action classic Dragon Ball. In this case, the tributes are varied, between the "artistic" appearance of characters like Son Goku or parodies of various attacks such as Nūbē going Super Saiyan or performing the fusion dance. Many other Jump manga from this era have also appeared in cameo within Nūbē as varied as Midori no Makibaou, Sexy Commando Gaiden: Sugoiyo! Masaru-san
, Yu-Gi-Oh and Rurouni Kenshin
!
Since the manga was a period of its time in the mid/late 1990s, the series did touch and joke about many of the things within Japanese culture during this period of time. The series made passing references to politicians (such as prime minister Morihiro Hosokawa
) and sports players, as well as having visual cameos of celebrities such as Takuya Kimura
of SMAP
and actress Ryōko Hirosue
. However, amidst the spiritual encounters, the manga also touched on various crazes and factors within the society of the era. One chapter involved a pager
s as part of a climax, while another involved the consequences of Hiroshi receiving his first personal computer
in a period where computers and the internet were becoming more prominent. Other chapters acknowledged video games such as Pokémon
and the "fighting monster" craze (followed up by a literal Pokémon parody in a volume page), the Tamagotchi
games, and the Gainax
series of Princess Maker
games. (Although a more well known Gainax creation, Neon Genesis Evangelion, got in a tiny reference in one of the other manga volumes, as does Cowboy Bebop
.)
in 1997. More recently, Nūbē and Yukime became support characters in the 2006 DS
game Jump Ultimate Stars
, with Hiroshi and Kyoko as help characters.
Endings:
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
created by the collaborative efforts of writer and artist Takeshi Okano
Takeshi Okano
is a Japanese manga artist known both for his own works as well as being the collaborative artist with manga writers such as Shou Makura and Tatsuya Hamazaki.Okano made his manga debut with Shueisha in 1987 with the one shot...
in Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
's manga anthology book Weekly Shōnen Jump
Weekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
. The series ran for 276 chapters (not including the two pilot chapters where Nūbē was known as Nubo (ぬ〜ぼ〜 Nūbō)) from Issue 38, 1993 through Issue 24, 1999. A 48-episode anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series based on the manga was created by Toei Animation
Toei Animation
Toei Animation Co., Ltd. is a Japanese animation studio owned by Toei Co., Ltd. The studio was founded in 1948 as Japan Animated Films . In 1956, Toei purchased the studio and it was reincorporated under its current name...
, and aired from 1996–1997 on Animax
Animax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
and TV Asahi
TV Asahi
, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
. The anime resulted in three movies and three OVA
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
episodes. A spinoff story for Izuna Hazuki the itako
Itako
An itako is a traditional, blind, usually female shaman from northern Japan.Itako are said to have the ability to communicate with the dead, even to evil spirits due to their intense spiritual power. They also are said to have the power to remove evil spirit from one's body and mind...
-girl, Izuna the Spiritual Medium (霊媒師いずな), has been running in Oh, Super Jump since July 2007.
The series follows , aka , the homeroom teacher for Class 5-3 at . More than a teacher, however, he is a skilled exorcist
Exorcist
In some religions an exorcist is a person who is believed to be able to cast out the devil or other demons. A priest, a nun, a monk, a healer, a shaman or other specially prepared or instructed person can be an exorcist...
, protecting the town of Dōmori from supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
threats with strength borrowed from a powerful demon sealed in his left hand—a technique he calls the .
Plot
The basic formula for the mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
chapters and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
episodes is as follows: what seems like a normal day at Dōmori Elementary is disrupted by some weird phenomenon, usually targeting one of Nūbē's own students. Nūbē is forced into action, most often using the power of the Demon's Hand to assist in solving the problem, but occasionally the solution lies either in another of his spiritual weapons, or somehow reasoning with or appeasing the threatening entity. By the end, things always seem to get back to normal, with Nūbē and his students having learned something from the experience. Most of the series retains an episodic
Episodic
Episodic can refer to* The nature of television series that are divided into short programs. See Episode* Episodic memory relates to the types of memory that result from specific incidents in a lifetime...
formula, forgoing an over-arching storyline in favor of more character-driven action, although there are several recurring antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
s throughout, as well as some longer story arcs towards the end of the series.
Characters
The characters in Hell Teacher Nūbē can be divided into several distinct groups, each one separate from the others, yet consistently interacting with the others.- The first group is the staff of Dōmori Elementary, made up of the teachers and other adults (mostly) who assist in the education and welfare of the students. These include Nūbē, his "perverted obsession" Ritsuko Takahashi, and other teachers of the school, as well as the principal.
- The second is the student body of Dōmori Elementary, each of whom brings a different personality and set of experiences brought both to their education and experiences with the supernatural. Most of these characters are the students of Nūbē's class 5-3, but also includes other students in other classes, both in the fifth and other grades (such as Hiroshi's soccer teammates and Makoto's "girlfriend", Ai Shinozaki).
- The third are the various yōkai Nūbē and the citizens of Dōmori encounter. Many of these spirits appear once and never appear again after their chapter of focus. Others show up at least that one time, and then cameo here and there during certain chapters where various spirits reappear for the better or worse of Nūbē and the others. And still others, such as the yōkoKitsuneis the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume...
Tamamo and the yuki-onnaYuki-onnais a spirit or yōkai in Japanese folklore. She is a popular figure in Japanese literature, manga, and animation. Yuki-onna is sometimes confused with Yama-uba , but they are not the same.-Appearance:...
Yukime, end up becoming intertwined in the events of Doumori, either assisting or tormenting Nūbē as they feel at that moment! - The last group of characters are humans who do not quite fit in any of the other categories, yet consistently are connected to the affairs of Nūbē or his students. These include other exorcists like "itako-girl" Izuna Hazuki and crooked Buddhist priest Oshō, normal recurring characters, and even the parents of the 5-3 students!
Influences and Homages
Although Shou and OkanoTakeshi Okano
is a Japanese manga artist known both for his own works as well as being the collaborative artist with manga writers such as Shou Makura and Tatsuya Hamazaki.Okano made his manga debut with Shueisha in 1987 with the one shot...
created their universe of Nūbē as its own separate world, they were highly influenced by the works of several other author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
s, anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and manga artists in one way or another. For starters, Nūbē himself is a combination in design of Chirico Cuvie, main character of the anime Armored Trooper Votoms
Armored Trooper Votoms
is a 52-episode anime television series, created by Ryosuke Takahashi and Sunrise, featuring mechanical designs by Kunio Okawara. The series originally aired in Japan from April 1, 1983 to March 23, 1984 on TV Tokyo...
and Black Jack
Black Jack (character)
is a fictional character created by Osamu Tezuka, introduced in Weekly Shōnen Champion on November 19, 1973.-Character:Black Jack is a medical mercenary, selling his skills to the highest bidder. He is a shadowy figure, with a black cape, eerie black-and-white hair, and stitched-up scars worming...
, from the classic medical manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
by Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka
was a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion and Black Jack...
. Similarly, several of the students gain their influence from series that have influenced the diversity of series nature: the school-comedy connection coming from the 1970s Jump
Weekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
series Dokonjō Gaeru
Dokonjo Gaeru
' is a manga and anime series created by Yasumi Yoshizawa.-Summary:While frog Pyonkichi is hopping in an empty lot in Nerima, Tokyo's Shakujii Park, middle schooler Hiroshi trips over a rock and squashes him. However, Pyonkichi is reborn as an imprint on the front of Hiroshi's shirt and now gives...
, the horror side from Go Nagai
Go Nagai
, better known by the penname , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with Meakashi Polikichi, but is best known for creating Cutie Honey, Devilman, and Mazinger Z in the 1970s. In 2005, he became a...
's classic Devilman
Devilman
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai which originally started as an anime adaptation of the concept of Nagai's previous manga series, Demon Lord Dante. A 39 episode anime series was developed by Toei in 1972 and Nagai began Devilman as a manga in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen...
. Ritsuko-sensei's design is similar to many of the heroines of classic 1970s giant robot
Giant Robot
Giant Robot may refer to:* Giant Robot , magazine of Asian American popular culture* Mecha, a piloted or remote-controlled limbed vehicle* Giant Robot Week, week-long event that aired on Cartoon Network's Toonami in 2003...
anime, and Minako-sensei design is similar to Honey Kisaragi's design from Cutie Honey
Cutie Honey
is a Japanese media franchise created by Go Nagai. Cutie Honey first appears on volume 41 of the 1973 edition of Shōnen Champion. According to Nagai, she is the first female to be the protagonist of a shōnen manga series....
. Finally, the yōkai
Yōkai
are a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore. The word yōkai is made up of the kanji for "otherworldly" and "weird". Yōkai range eclectically from the malevolent to the mischievous, or occasionally bring good fortune to those who encounter them...
themselves are derived in design from the works of painter Sekien Toriyama, known for his art of the supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
.
Although there are many connections to the past in Nūbē, the series does acknowledge that it is one of many manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
that exist within the Weekly Shōnen Jump
Weekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
. Since the series exists in then-modern 1990s Japan, it is merely one part of the world in which they live in. There are consistently jokes breaking the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
regarding Jump, whether it is Nūbē or one of his students reading the book or commenting about how the staff of the book may act regarding certain plot points. Similarly, several other Jump series occasionally receive mention either in tribute or for laughs. One of the consistent mentions regards Osamu Akimoto
Osamu Akimoto
is a Japanese manga artist born on December 11, 1952 in Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan. He is best known for his long running series Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo, which has been continuously published in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1976...
's long running police-comedy manga Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo
Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo
, full title , is a long-running comedy manga by Osamu Akimoto. It has been continuously serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump since September 1976, with over 1700 chapters published, making it the longest-running manga series in history...
: both series have a similar story style where most stories are just one chapter episodes, yet the characters still grow and change through their run like the serial manga (though some of the comments were in regard to Kochi Kame
Akira Toriyama
is a Japanese manga artist and game artist known mostly for his creation of Dragon Ball in 1984. Toriyama admires Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy and was impressed by Walt Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which he remembers for the great art...
's action classic Dragon Ball. In this case, the tributes are varied, between the "artistic" appearance of characters like Son Goku or parodies of various attacks such as Nūbē going Super Saiyan or performing the fusion dance. Many other Jump manga from this era have also appeared in cameo within Nūbē as varied as Midori no Makibaou, Sexy Commando Gaiden: Sugoiyo! Masaru-san
Sexy Commando Gaiden: Sugoiyo! Masaru-san
is a Japanese manga turned anime that enjoys a large cult following in Japan.It was the first series written by Kyosuke Usuta, and was one of the first "gag/nonsense" manga which have become popular in the recent decade in Japanese publications. The manga appeared in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1995...
, Yu-Gi-Oh and Rurouni Kenshin
Rurouni Kenshin
, also known as Rurouni Kenshin and Samurai X, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The fictional setting takes place during the early Meiji period in Japan. The story is about a fictional assassin named Himura Kenshin, from the Bakumatsu who becomes a wanderer to...
!
Since the manga was a period of its time in the mid/late 1990s, the series did touch and joke about many of the things within Japanese culture during this period of time. The series made passing references to politicians (such as prime minister Morihiro Hosokawa
Morihiro Hosokawa
is a Japanese politician who was the 79th Prime Minister of Japan from August 9, 1993 to April 28, 1994. His coalition was the first non-Liberal Democratic Party government since 1955.- Early life :...
) and sports players, as well as having visual cameos of celebrities such as Takuya Kimura
Takuya Kimura
, nicknamed , is a Japanese singer and actor. He is also a member of the Japanese idol group SMAP. Most of the TV dramas he starred in produced high ratings in Japan...
of SMAP
SMAP
SMAP is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. While originally consisting of six members, the current group members are Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori...
and actress Ryōko Hirosue
Ryoko Hirosue
is a Japanese actress and pop star, best known in the West for her roles in the Luc Besson-produced Wasabi and the Academy Award-winning Japanese film Departures. She also starred in a comedy series Yasuko to Kenji in 2008.- Early life :...
. However, amidst the spiritual encounters, the manga also touched on various crazes and factors within the society of the era. One chapter involved a pager
Pager
A pager is a simple personal telecommunications device for short messages. A one-way numeric pager can only receive a message consisting of a few digits, typically a phone number that the user is then requested to call...
s as part of a climax, while another involved the consequences of Hiroshi receiving his first personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
in a period where computers and the internet were becoming more prominent. Other chapters acknowledged video games such as Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
and the "fighting monster" craze (followed up by a literal Pokémon parody in a volume page), the Tamagotchi
Tamagotchi
The is a handheld digital pet, created in Japan by Akihiro Yokoi of WiZ and Aki Maita of Bandai. It was first sold by Bandai in 1996 in Japan. As of 2010, over 76 million Tamagotchis have been sold world-wide...
games, and the Gainax
Gainax
is a Japanese anime studio famous for productions such as Gunbuster, The Wings of Honneamise, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann which have gone on to critical acclaim and commercial success, as well as for their association with...
series of Princess Maker
Princess Maker
is a series of Japanese life simulation bishōjo games by the computer game and anime production company Gainax. The first Princess Maker, while popular enough to be translated into Chinese, was never released in the United States. Princess Maker 2 was translated by for a North American release,...
games. (Although a more well known Gainax creation, Neon Genesis Evangelion, got in a tiny reference in one of the other manga volumes, as does Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop
is a critically acclaimed and award-winning 1998 Japanese anime series directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, written by Keiko Nobumoto, and produced by Sunrise. Its 26 episodes comprise a complete storyline: set in 2071, the series follows the adventures, misadventures and tragedies of five bounty...
.)
Nūbē in Other Media
A video game was released in Japan on the Sony PlayStationPlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
in 1997. More recently, Nūbē and Yukime became support characters in the 2006 DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
game Jump Ultimate Stars
Jump Ultimate Stars
is a fighting video game developed by Ganbarion and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It is the sequel to Jump Super Stars, also released for the DS. The game was released in Japan on November 23, 2006...
, with Hiroshi and Kyoko as help characters.
Theme songs
Opening:- Baribari Saikyou No. 1 (The No. 1 Greatest Hard-Worker) by Feel So Bad (TV Series)
- News na Gakkou (School News) by Sigetaka Takayama & Himawari Kids (OAVs)
Endings:
- Mienai Chikara ~Invisible One~Mienai Chikara ~Invisible One~"Mienai Chikara ~Invisible One~ / Move" is the nineteenth single and first Double A-side by B'z, released on March 6, 1996. The release is one of the band's many number-one singles in the Oricon chart. "Mienai Chikara ~Invisible One~" was used as the first ending theme of anime series Hell Teacher...
(Unseen Power ~Invisible One~) by B'zB'zis a Japanese hard rock duo, composed of and .B'z has released 45 consecutive #1 singles, 24 #1 albums, and sold more than 79 million records in Japan alone...
(TV Series - Eps. 1-29) - Spirit by Pamelah (TV Series - Eps. 30-47)
- Baribari Saikyou No. 1 (TV Series - Ep. 48)
- Hurt by CASHCashIn common language cash refers to money in the physical form of currency, such as banknotes and coins.In bookkeeping and finance, cash refers to current assets comprising currency or currency equivalents that can be accessed immediately or near-immediately...
(OAVs)