Hell Teacher Nube 11

There are youkai who aren't merely those who rampage without reason...they have a means and are willing to use their cunning to get it done. One such is about to reveal himself...and Nube's toughest challenge yet is about to begin...

#11: Youko: Rampant Domination (beginning)

89.
Caption: —YOUKO VALLEY—

90.
Narrator: “AS SAID BY HOUBOKUSHI*, A RACCOON-FOX TRANSFORMS INTO A YOUKO WHEN THEY’VE REACHED 300 YEARS OF AGE AND WILL COMPREHEND THE “HUMAN-TRANSFORMATION JUTSU””. THE HUMAN-TRANSFORMATION JUTSU IS A JUTSU TO CHANGE INTO A HUMAN, AS IT IS READ.
*A TAO BOOK OF CHINA WHICH DISCUSSESS JUTSU OF ETERNAL YOUTH AND IMMORTALITY
(TN: A few notes:
1. “Houbokushi” is a book that actually exists and does explain many of the concepts as seen in Taoism, probably as stated here
2. “Raccoon-Fox” is the literal word that is stated here, in Japanese as “kori”. However, assumably it probably just refers to foxes in general since the real “raccoon-fox” lives in the southwestern US and Mexico, while Japan has merely raccoons, foxes or tanuki (raccoon dogs)
3. Youko…those we’ll probably find more about through the next few chapters)
Narrator: THE METHOD IS SAID TO BE “PLACE A SKULL ON TOP OF YOUR HEAD AND WORSHIP TO URSA MAJOR”…
SFX: GASHA

91.
“Youko”: NO GOOD!! This skull…doesn’t suit me either!
“Youko”: If I don’t use a skull that is the most suitable…I can’t perfect the human-transformation jutsu…
SFX: FUSHU
Narrator: SINCE ANCIENT TIMES, YOUKO HAVE USED THE HUMAN-TRANSFORMATION JUTSU AND BROUGHT CHAOS AND CALAMITY TO SOCIETY. THIS YOUKO, TAMAMO, NOW WILL CHANGE INTO A HUMAN AND DESCEND INTO THE HUMAN WORLD…BUT…
Tamamo: Crystal ball, reveal the possessor of the most suitable skull to me. I will obtain it without fail.

92.-93.
Tamamo: I see…this boy…

94.
Voice: Eh—so from here, we shall start the staff meeting.
Sign: STAFF OFFICE
Nube: FUA~~A (NU)
Ritsuko: Nueno-sensei, we’re in a meeting. Please act proper.
Nube: Ah, sorry Ritsuko-sensei.

95.
Nube: Well~~I was thinking of telling this to you…I was thinking of this funny story all of last night…
SFX: KORO
Ritsuko: Well, it’s for me?
Ritsuko: What sort of story is it? Tell me, tell me! (KYA KYA)
Nube: This is already my masterpiece!
Nube: “The tale of the ghost mansion”. Seeing an old mansion where they said a ghost emerged, I spoke like this: “I won’t fall for this mansion, a ghost has fallen for this mansion: it’s a ghost mansion”.
(TN: Another bizarre Nube joke here with an evolution of language, but this one I had to adjust as such:
“Boree Yashiki” = “I won’t fall for this mansion”; “boree” here is merely “Won’t fall for something”, as is said about this ghost-mansion.
“Borei Yashiki” = A fusion of the first “borei” and the last “bourei”, which I made work by the “a ghost has fallen for the mansion”
“Bourei Yashiki” = “ghost mansion”, which is the obvious punch line and the “ghost mansion” Nube based the story on)
SFX: PIKUN
Nube: How’s—that, amusi…
Ritsuko: KYAAA~~
Ritsuko: Stupid Nueno-sensei! In spite of you knowing I hate scary stories!!
Nube: Wa—so…sorr—y.
Teacher 1: Aa—h, it’s starting again…
Teacher 2: It’s a familiar couples manzai every time…(ke)
Ritsuko: Kya, I…I’m sorry.
Ritsuko: HA!

96.
Tamamo: This is surprising; a beautiful woman like you has appeared in this place…
Ritsuko: HA…
Tamamo: It’s splendid that you’re a tomboy, but it would be terrible if you were in too high spirits and got hurt…shouldn’t you be much more graceful…huh?
SFX: PO~~… / GA—N
Ritsuko: Ah…yes…I’ll be careful from now on…
Principal: Ah—this here is student-teacher Tamamo Kyousuke-kun. Please do well in coaching him, everyone.
Tamamo: Kuku…these dimwits…they don’t know I’m a youko.
Tamamo: Well then…the charge of the Tateno Hiroshi in question is…mu!?

97.
SFX: GOGOGO
Tamamo: Th…this aura…it isn’t ordinary! Has he discovered my true identity!?
Tamamo: This man…I can’t be negligent with him…(out loud) Pleased to meet you.
SFX: GARURURU…
Nube: This guy~~he put his hand on Ritsuko-sensei’s shoulder~~
Nube: Um—may I introduce student-teacher Tamamo-sensei…
Girls: Kya—how attractice—(WAAAAA) What an amaz—ingly great man--!!
Girl 1: He’s a million times dreamier than Nube!
Girl 2: The difference of heaven and hell--!
(TN: The actual expression for this difference is “tsuki to suppon” or “the moon and a snapping turtle”)
Nube: Um…
Miki: Hey hey, do you think as such, Kyouko!
Kyouko: Ye—ah, I have a bit of a thin line to such…

98.
Miki: That’s—right~~Kyouko has strange tastes~~like in Hiroshi and Nube.
Kyouko: Someday you’re going to get that mouth sewn shu—t.
SFX: JI--…
Book: SOCIAL STUDIES LAND CLASSIFICATION (OKANO INSTITUTE)
Tamamo: Tateno Hiroshi-kun…right?
Real Magazine: SHONEN JUMP
Hiroshi: UWA~~O
Tamamo: You’re the soccer-genius boy. Right? Actually I really love soccer.
Hiroshi: Ah…re…really?
Katsuya: Hiroshi, you’re fa—mous.
Tamamo: I want to get along with you.
SFX: JIRO JIRO
Hiroshi: Yo…you—do? I like you too, teacher.

99.
Tamamo: As I thought, it’s got a good shape…I will take this skull without fail…
Nube: How? This man…Am I imagining he has a scent like a beast?
Nube: Well, the all-grades soccer tournament is finally coming in a week. So here, we’ll be doing soccer in phys-ed today!
Nube: So then, first the model of the teacher—
Akira: He…hey, look there!
Miki: Amazing!

100.
Students: OOH~~OOH~~
Kyouko: Amazing, the ball is like it’s alive!
Hiroshi: If…if he can do—that, then can’t you!?
SFX: GUWA
SFX: BASHU
Tamamo: Nueno-sensei.
SFX: ZA ZA
Tamamo: Won’t you have a match with me?

101.
Students: WA—WA—WA—
SFX: SHU!
Nube: Ku
Tamamo: Chi

102.
Tamamo: Fufun…he’s become frantic without having the popularity of the students but…I wasn’t serious with this match from the start…
Tamamo: MY PURPOSE IS JUST TO PULL IN TATENO HIROSHI…YOU’LL BE A CLOWN, NUENO!
SFX: KATSU
SFX: BO!
Nube: Huh…The ball became a skull!?
Tamamo: I’ve got it.
SFX: FUTSU

103.
SFX: SUPAA—N
Miki: NICE--!
Akira: Tamamo-sensei won--!
Hiroshi: Amazi—ng, Tamamo-sensei, I respect you! I’ll be your pupil! I’ll be with you my entire life.
Kyouko: Enough--! Can you stop with those kicks like over there!
Nube: That now was…
Nube: THE HALLUCINATION JUTSU
(TN: “Hallucination” is “Genshi”, which visually is a “visual hallucination”)
Nube: Kyouko, take Hiroshi to my place later.
Kyouko: Eh?
Nube: I’m going to grasp…his true identity.

104.
Tamamo: Fu…the hearts of children are easy to infect. In spite of him being close to Nueno until earlier…Now he’s completely my slave…alright…soon I will move to execute the plan…
Tamamo: Hiroshi-kun…can’t you come with me for a bit?
Tamamo: ? What are you making?
Hiroshi: A misanga. I was thinking giving this to you, teacher.
(TN: A “misanga” is an international good luck charm made of floss, thread or gimp made with a pattern of knots. Though well known in Asia, the bracelet is actually based on the Portugese word for “bead” (miçanga) and has it’s origin from Brazil)
Tamamo: I’ll tie it on. Give me a hand.
Kyouko: You can wear those on both hands and feet.
Tamamo: This scrap of cloth…humans are stupid animals…
Hiroshi: What are we doing in some gym storehouse?
Tamamo: Fufu…there’s a thing I want to show you.

105.
SFX: GACHAN!
SFX: GACHA!!
SFX: GOGOGOGOGO
Hiroshi: Wh…what? That weird tool…
Tamamo: KUBI-SASUMATA: an heirloom sent down for generations in my family.
(TN: “Kubi-sasumata” = “Head Sasumata”; a “sasumata”, also known as a “Japanese mancatcher”, is a device that is a pole with an implement at the end as well as reinforcing spikes, usually used for the arrest and capture of criminals even today)
Tamamo: I hook and raise the head like this.
Hiroshi: SA!
Tamamo: I can take out the skull as if peeling the skin off a shrimp with the lever principal.
Hiroshi: You’re joking? Teacher…

106.
Tamamo: I’M NOT JOKING, HIROSHI-KUN!
SFX: BUWAAAA
Hiroshi: !!
Hiroshi: A TAIL!? YOU’RE A YOUKAI!?
Tamamo: That’s right, my name is Youko Tamamo. Don’t struggle! I’ll cure you here!
Hiroshi: Help me--!

107.
Voice: Namu Daiji Daihi Kyuugu Kyuunan
Voice: Koudai Reikan Byakue Kannon
Tamamo: Wh…what, my limbs can’t move!
Voice: If you’ve taken the form of a human, then you should have investigated human society much more. A person who wears misanga on their arms and legs isn’t vulgar
Tamamo: WHAT!?
Nube: Thinking about that matter, he made misanga with the Byakue-Kannon.
Tamamo: Y…you’re Nueno!

108.
Tamamo: Hiroshi-kun! You and this teacher…
Hiroshi: Obviously! Nube-sensei has saved me many timesuntil now. Since you appear as a slightly cool teacher, it should be easy for you to transfer.
Nube: You’ve lost, Tamamo: now quietly…
Tamamo: Don’t be joking: did you think you could hurt me with this shabby sutra!!
SFX: BUCHI…
Tamamo: I have the pride of a youko! No one will get in my way of perfecting the Human-Transformation Jutsu!
Nube: HIROSHI!

TN: Alright: time to do a bit of research: for those of you who have the Yusuke Murata posters of the Jump characters from 2008's 40th anniversary of the magazine, turn to the one page that is the second of the "black-background" poster (not the pirate ship one...though Nube is on the first of that set...right between Reborn and Momotarou) and look right to the left of...whom I assume is Youko Kurama from "Yu Yu Hakusho"...just below Frieza's finger. Yep...there he is...Tamamo in the flesh. (well OK, not quite: he's supposed to be a blond as Makura/Okano reveal later due to the "Tamamo-no-Mae" connection, but he's white haired in the anime so it works) Yeah...it's sort of hard to explain Tamamo with a poster when explaining the chapter with his first appearance...but I just sort of wanted to point that out because...well, he's Tamamo. So with that trivia out of the way...this is Tamamo's first apperance...and as you can see, he's obviously someone way scarier that is an actual threat to Nube in many ways than he has experienced. He's cunning with his plot, he easily seduces everyone around him making them for fools, he's a bishonen in looks (though he hates that skull and wants Hiroshi's), and he just sees Nube as a threat to make him look bad so he can win Hiroshi over. (then again...Nube does a good job in that himself) You can probably see why he's so different...and why we may be seeing more of him from here on. (but who knows: maybe Murata could have just liked him and he's just in this story arc...yeah right)

BTW: I liked Miki and Kyouko's little "conversation"...particularly since it's the only time Miki feels normal the whole volume! (well normal as in how she was in vol. 1 and later...)