Hell Teacher Nube 60

In a world of youkai, is there such an existence as...fairies? Hiroshi may not be the best student to ask, but even this block-headed jock may find out that something cute may be of help to him from the flowers...

Vol. 8: Season of the Yukionna
#60: Kodama

7.
Commentary:
*Manjushage (Red Spider Lily): Bloom around the autumn equinox. Due to a legend that they suck human souls, they’re not really liked in spite of their beauty. Also known as “Hell Flower”, “Ghost Flower”.
(TN: A bit more information to help along for understanding the focus of this chapter: the Red Spider Lily (Lycoris Radiata) is a peculiar flower that blooms in the late summer [essentially, as the commentary states, near the autumn equinox in September and remains green and vibrant in the winter, only dying out in the spring. Though the flower is native to Asia, it was one of the first Japanese plants brought to America by botany enthusiast William Roberts in 1854. [A year after Perry opened the nation] and is mostly found today outside Asia in the southern US due to the flower’s preference for warmth. The name “Manjusaka”, which is another name for them, is in reference to a legend where two elves, Manju and Saka, fell in love as opposed to protecting the flower they were supposed to and were subsequently punished by Amateratsu to never meet again. The flowers also have a name of “Higanbana” in Japanese [I chose to use “Red Spider Lily” due to that name translating into it], which is named after the opposite shore of the Sanzu River and thus allows for it to be used in funerals. Aside to their association with death and funerals, Red Spider Lilies are also notable as natural pest control, with their poisonous bulbs keeping animals away from homes or rice paddies)

8.
Voice: Hey, do you believe in fairies? They can be seen just by pure-hearted people.
Miki: And when you meet a fairy, one of your wishes will come true. That’s a fairy tale—
(TN: It’s weird that we have Miki talking about “fairies” and mentioning “fairy-tales”, especially considering the Japanese word for “fairy tale” is “meruhen”/”Melhen”. Thus…it works but it’s sort of ironic)
SFX: Wa—
Kyouko: Enough! Help me with flower-bed maintenance without chattering~~
SFX: Hyu~~
SFX: Bon

9.
Hiroshi: He—y, didn’t the ball fly here--?
SFX: Zuka zuka zuka
Kyouko: Just a moment—don’t step on the flowers--!
Hiroshi: ??
Miki: What were you thinking about this sacred flowerbed—
Kyouko: Really, men who don’t have the heart to admire flowers are the worst—
Miki: Right--!!
Hiroshi: What, what!! Is this about me--! I did see those flowers and thought they were pretty.
Hiroshi: N
Hiroshi: I love such flowers that quietly bloom on the side of the road over flowers that are planted in a bed. Even so, these are pretty flowers…what are their names?
Hiroshi: N?
SFX: Shu—shu—

10.
“Fairy 1”: Good day! (heart)
“Fairy 2”: We are the fairies of the Manjushage!
(TN: When the two “fairies” introduce themselves, they actually do so in Chinese such as their garb. However, it is translated through katakana into Japanese for readers…and likewise, to English for this translation.)
SFX: Powa
“Fairies”: Ah~~an idiot dad is rewarded with children~~his mind is dumb and his face is bad~~But he’s a genius at holding a ball; he’ll end up as Zico or Alcindo.
(TN: Refer back to chp. 40 for more info on these two notable Brazilian soccer players and their impact in Japan)
SFX: Shan shan shan
“Fairies”: This is good for you. In detail, we’re Hiroshi’s allies.
SFX: Asoresore

11.
SFX: Pashi!
Hiroshi: (makes weird sounds)
Kyouko: Eh—you’ve caught fairies?
SFX: Koku koku (nod nod)
Miki: What, what?
SFX: Mowa…
Miki: A stinky.
(TN: Miki’s “stinky” comment is in reference to “nigirippe”, which is a common prank involving “capturing” a fart in hand and then releasing it for others to smell)
Hiroshi: ?
Hiroshi: It’s true. There truly were fairies on top of that flower…
Kyouko: Yuck! Aren’t those red spider lilies!!
Hiroshi: Red spider lilies…?
Kyouko: They’re flowers that don’t hold good omens, also being called “Hell Flowers” and “Ghost Flowers”.
Miki: You’re pleased with these flowers of all things.
Kyouko & Miki: What you saw wasn’t fairies but youkai, wasn’t it?
Hiroshi: They’re so pretty and yet…

12.
Nube: What’s that, flower fairies?
Hiroshi: Yes…two girls the size of a thumb…
Nube: Hm—m…those were Kodama.
Hiroshi: Kodama?
Nube: Like how humans and animals have spirit bodies, there are spirits in plants as well. They’re Kodama, written as “spirit of trees”.
(TN: As stated, while “ki” represents “tree” or “wood”, it is read as “kodama” and applies for all plant spirits)
Nube: Even plants have feelings like humans do, such as joy, sadness or terror. However, since there isn’t a distinct will to the extent of humans in plants, their spirit can’t be materialized, but
Nube: At their most sensitive period of midway-sense in going from children to being adults similar to all of you, they exactly match with our wavelength by chance, take on human form and can be seen.

13.
Nube: In fairy tales, here have been introduced fairies such as Issun-Boushi, Thumbelina and Kaguya-Hime, but they too may have been Kodama.
(TN: A little bit of knowledge regarding these three “small tales”:
-Issun-Boushi, a “Tom Thumb” equivalent in Japanese folklore, involves a boy who was born to an elderly couple while being no bigger than a fingertip. Ultimately he becomes the companion for a princess, where he eventually defeats an oni (from the inside) and gains “Uchide’s Mallet” which allows for him to grow to human size and eventually marry the princess.
-Thumbelina, also known in Japanese as “Oyayubi-Hime”, is actually a creation of Danish fairy-tale writer Hans Christian Andersen, first published in a book of tales in 1835. The tale involves a similarly small female who goes through various trials of nearly getting married to several animals, including a toad, a beetle and a mole before finding her beloved in a male fairy and becoming one herself.
-Kaguya-Hime is the main subject of a tale known as “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter”, another Japanese folktale. This tale involves a girl who was found by a bamboo cutter within a stalk of bamboo, raised as his daughter, and then ultimately returns to her ultimate fate to be the princess of the moon)
Nube: Since the personality of a Kodama resembles the person who has projected their will to them, perhaps they’re Kodama who can’t think of anything with their thoughtlessness. (Ahahaha)
Hiroshi: ………
SFX: Wa—wa—
Soccer Player: The district preliminaries are real soon. We’ll absolutely win—this.
Hiroshi: We’ve been practicing frantically until now.

14.
Voices: Haro haro—hero hero—
Kodama 1: Ah—even a pig can be stirred up and kick a ball~~
SFX: Shan shan
Kodama 2: Kicking a ball, that does hurt~~even a cat or a shakushi has to do its best.
(TN: “shakushi” is a large spoon usually used for stirring or serving rice; the expression is tied to “neko mo shakushi mo”, which figuratively stands for “anything and everything”)
SFX: Shan
Kodama: Power will be loaned out; by us.
SFX: Kyuuu~~
SFX: Dogoo---n | Ga

15.
Player 1: What: the ball was brightened with that shot now.
SFX: Zawa zawa
Player 2: Hiroshi, is that a new weapon~!?
Kodama 1: Ah, that’s what happens with our assistance.
Kodama 2: It can be used by idiots and Hiroshi.
Hiroshi: Ri….right: their singing is sending a thing that’s like power to me…I’m very glad I said “they’re pretty flowers”…they are my allies…
Narrator: And so…
Caption: Boy’s Soccer Doumori District Preliminaries
Caption: Hiroshi’s superhuman-activities began!
Voice: It…it flew.

16.
Nube: Going like this, the Prefectural Tournament is certain.
Hiroshi: Hahaha, it’s because of the Kodama’s assistance.
Kyouko: Just a moment, Hiroshi. Please look: these flowers that please you look terrible.
Hiroshi: Nube, is this a habit of using the power of the Kodama?
Nube: ………………
Kodama: Haro haro hero hero
SFX: Shan shan shan shan

17.
Kodama: Ah…idiots must die~~we’ll dance until we die, yeah yeah yeah.
Nube: Those are Kodama?
Hiroshi: Well, why does my head hurt--?
Hiroshi: Hey, you two, you shouldn’t assist me anymore.
Kodama: This is assisting unknowingly.
Hiroshi: I’ll sufficiently win with just my own effort.
Kodama: He’s being modest thinking about winning.
Hiroshi: Shut up—don’t dance anymore. Understood!?
Kyouko: Wh…what…?
Miki: He’s angry with flowers…
Hiroshi: Chi: the flowers are dying—but they don’t know of it. They really are fairies who can’t think of anything with their thoughtlessness—

18.
SFX: Ow~~~\
Hiroshi: Damn it—tomorrow is the last match of the district preliminaries and yet...
Sign: Doumori District Preliminaries Finals
SFX: Wa—wa—
Kyouko: We defeated 7 grade schools in this district and are finally in the finals.
Girl: It’s an easy win with Hiroshi.
Sign: Certain Victory
Nube: It’s because we’re in an absurdly great mood whenever the match is at our school.

19.
SFX: Wa—wa—
Referee: Kick off
SFX: Uzu uzu uzu
Hiroshi: Don’t sing—alright--!
SFX: Ki
Hiroshi: Ku
SFX: Zuki
Hiroshi: Gu
SFX: Zuki

20.
Hiroshi: Haa haa haa
SFX: Zuki zuki
Kyouko: What’s wrong; he seems in a bad mood.
SFX: Zawa zawa
Sign: You can do it! Doumori Elementary
Nube: Hmm.
Hiroshi: Damn, the wound is deeper than I thought. But I can’t lose. I must win, I must win…
SFX: Zun!

21.
Kodama: We were born so we could sing just one song.
Hiroshi: !! (to himself) They’re…
Nube: Let them sing, Hiroshi.
Nube: They’re Kodama who were born in reaction to your thoughts. They’re spiritual bodies who exist just so they could save you; just so they could assist you.
SFX: Paaa

22.-23.
Kodama: (singing) We were born so we could sing just one song. We were born so we could sing just one love. We were born so we could sing just one dream.
-“Ai Yori Aoi Umi”, Shang Shang Typhoon
(TN: Shang Shang Typhoon is a Japanese band popular in the 1980s and 1990s that was a blend of the music of Okinawa, min’yo singing and various Japanese elements. “Ai Yori Aoi Umi” [More Than Love - The Blue Sea], the song sung by the Kodama at this point, is a song notable for a 1991 campaign for flights to Okinawa by JAL [Japan Airlines])
Hiroshi: Th…thank you! The pain in my leg is withdrawing, like it was a lie.
Hiroshi: If it’s like that, I can do this.
Hiroshi: They’re assisting me by risking their lives; I can’t lose--!

24.
Kyouko: You did it, Hiroshi. You achieved a hat trick.
Katsuya: That’s great, you’re representing the district.
Hiroshi: Not at all…..
Hiroshi: This isn’t good at all.
Hiroshi: You dummies—

25.
Miki: He’s so effeminate—in spite of being a man, they’re only flowers.
Kyouko: Did he love those flowers like that?
Nube: Hiroshi. Its fine: they’re still alive.
Hiroshi: Oh, that’s—right. Ah, they’re here too. I’m glad—I’m glad—
Hiroshi: Al—right, let’s plant this bulb in the flower bed! We’ll be filled with red spider lilies throughout the school!
Kyouko: Hiroshi…Hiroshi…are you alright?

26.
RETURN OF THE GREAT YOUKAI ENCYCLOPEDIA

#1: Kodama

The Great Youkai Encyclopedia, which completed within comic Vol. 5, has come back! The title was puzzled many ways on whether to call it “Great Youkai Encyclopedia Super S” or “Great Youkai Encyclopedia Z”, but eventually it came to be “Return Of—“. The title has changed, but the contents haven’t changed at all. Sorry about that.

Well then, though the saying that there are things like feelings in plants has been said since extremely long ago, the people who know of this is many. The Kodama introduced this time is a spirit of these plants. In tales of small people that exist in many part of the world, many are told in a form that connects them to these plants, such as living in forests or appearing within a flower. They too are all a kind of Kodama.

As passive youkai, Kodama don’t possess a thing called a definite will. They just react to the will of people who they are acquainted with, which is surely a plant-like spiritual body. In regards to this, there also exist plant youkai who clearly possess an aggressive will. “Jubokko” are those that suck the blood of people who pass by them. Since it’s been said that they transformed into youkai a large amount of blood was shed in wars and they sucked the blood, it’s hard to say that they’re pure plant spirits but…there are many more youkai that are related to plants other than these, but since I think we’ll be introducing them in the story at any rate, we’ll do so again at the next chance.

(TN: A few things:
1. Obviously the “Z” and “Super S” bit was in connection to sequel series for a couple of popular anime of the period: “Dragon Ball” and “Sailor Moon”. Strangely, though, Sailor Moon Super S wasn’t even on the air when this chapter was released…but was out by the release of this manga volume in 1995. (it was still “Sailor Moon S” when the chapter was published in Jump) I do actually have one strange coincidence connecting Nube and SM…but I’ll speak of that at another time.
2. A bit more about “Jubokko”: read with the kanji that translates it as “arbor tree”, they usually grow near areas where a battle had occurred and bleed red blood similar to a human. Notably the branch of a jubokko can be used, with permission, to heal or purify anyone)

TN: And now for a little bit of music to accompany my commentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3p3kOIlBrM

(screams) NO NO NO, YOU IDIOT BLOCKHEAD! THE OTHER SONG!!! THE OTHER ONE!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWiprRlDxII

(There...perfect)

It's weird to see someone like Hiroshi give appreciation and love to spirits as cute as the Kodama, considering that they really aren't his type of youkai. Cute Chinese flower girls (I wish I could call them fairies but we know otherwise) are probably the weirdest choice for youkai, but they were loyal, honest and a little dumb...just like he was. The main crux of the chapter that gave it the strength that it had, luckily, was mostly in Hiroshi's dis-appreciation for the Kodama and his understanding that not only were the youkai silly (even though he loved the flowers they came from), that they essentially helped him cheat in the district preliminaries. For someone like Hiroshi, effort and hard work is the key behind all of his work playing soccer and having flower spirits helping him along the way wasn't his means of trying to figure out how to win. But at the same time, the Kodama's whole purpose in life was to help Hiroshi, whether it seemed like cheating or not. That's why they were born and that's what they exerted themselves to the end for. The ending was a tad weird due to how the two fairies hid in the bulb exhausted while Hiroshi plots to plant spider lilies around campus, but in a way it was a poignant end: the duo did all they could and helped Hiroshi survive all the way to the end of his match, regardless of his injury he got for nearly spiting them. It's a cute chapter ultimately and just allowed for this other side to the idiot that we don't usually see...well, most of the time.

BTW: about that explosion earlier...it was ironic that this chapter does actually refer to "Thumbelina" as a possible Kodama...and that 1994, the year this chapter came out, also was the same year of the infamous Don Bluth version of her tale. Nothing against Bluth (who draws really great girls BTW), but I heard this film was terrible and the whole comment reading her tale reminded me of that awful song...but that is more the fault of Barry Manilow, not Bluth. Moral: Bluth is cool, but this movie supposedly stinks. (so listen to some Shang Shang Typhoon to wipe it away)