Hell Teacher Nube 99

Possession is a common factor in the interactions of living and dead, but what about when it happens intentionally? As a certain nuisance for Nube is soon to find out, letting them in is the easy part...but dealing with them is harder!

#99: Itakogal Izuna Does Necromancy

67.
Nube: Hot~~
Nube: It’s intolerably hot. I have to drink even cool coffee.
SFX: Yoro yoro
Nube: Fufufu; at these moments, it’s convenient to have spiritual powers.
SFX: Kirari! | Pipipi…
Nube: Now!
SFX: Puchi
SFX: Panpakapa—n | Goto goto
Nube: I did it---! I struck it rich—

68.
Nube: (indecipherable cursing)
SFX: Ga—n
Caption: Both are hot
Nube: !?
Nube: What’s that? That crowd…?

69.
Izuna: Well, well, come on by and see it! The spiritual-power of the beautiful spiritually-powered girl Hadzuki Izuna!
Banner: Beautiful Spiritually-Powered Girl Izuna
Caption: Izuna: Originally from Akita, she was born into a lineage of generations of Itako, but she became truant in her training, headed to Tokyo and is attending Doumori Middle School.
(TN: Akita refers either to the town or prefecture in the Tohoku region of Japan on the Sea of Japan, which as we mentioned before is a hub of Itako spiritualism, moreso in fellow Tohoku prefecture Aomori)

70.
Nube: That’s…isn’t that Izuna!
Nube: Recently, she manipulated Kudagitsune with her inexperiencd spiritual power…and came to cause an uproar and yet…incorrigibly again she’s…
Caption: To know of this, see manga vol. 9!
Izuna: Well well, let us begin. 300 yen a person; it will be interesting.
Miki: Wow, amazing! Not seeing this is a loss! A spiritual power show of a real Itako!!
Caption: Hired Applauder
Nube: That Miki—
Izuna: Alright, you’ve gathered. Well, today will be special…
Izuna: I’m showing Itako necromancy!
(TN: A silly little pun that seems to be made here: the Japanese word for “necromancy” is “kuchiyose”, which is a combination of “kuchi” or “mouth” and the verb “yoseru”, which is “adding” or “collecting”…and note Izuna’s cute expression showing her “mouth” off; it could also be translated as it is in another manga as “summoning”)
Students: Wa—

71.
Nube: Necromancy!?
Caption:
Necromancy is a technique where a spirit possesses and talks through a person themselves…because it is a possession phenomenon that occurs artificially, it is a considerably dangerous technique. The Itako of Mt. Osore in Aomori Prefecture are well known for using this technique.
Izuna: Ha—the number of gods are the 98,007 gods of Shinto. The number of dead is on 12,004 spiritual grounds, surprise and present to me, wide Meidou.
(TN: Izuna’s “chant” here is a tad strange and tough to translate but basically it’s like this: the first part respects the “gods” of Shinto, while the second respects “the dead”; even though the kanji is “hotoke” and could also represent the kanji of Buddhism, it is the aspect of the people being buried there that gave me that interpretation. The last part about the wide “Meidou” is a Japanese word that literally translates into “Road of the Dark” with the “mei” generally used in compounds tied to the underworld)
Izuna: Guaa!! Kiee~~
Nube: Wa

72.
SFX: Gaku…
Izuna: Uh…I am…I am…the vice-general descendant from heaven, Mi…Mito Mitsukuni.
(TN: “Mito Mitsukuni” is in reference to Tokugawa Mitsukuni, a grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu notable as the second emperor of the Mito domain, (succeeding his father, Tokugawa Yorifusa) and notable for his connections towards China, even being said as one of the first men in Japan to have ever eaten ramen! He is notable for a fictional koudan [narrative tale] about him, which is called “Mito Mitsukuni Manyuuki” [The Elder Lord of Mito])
SFX: Butsu butsu…
Izuna: Hey, Hachibee, how long are you going to stuff your face with dango? Go and put some here. (another voice) Please hold on, retired master~
(TN: “Retired master” is “goinkyo”; “inkyo” is a “retired person” while the “go-“ is an expression of honor)
Children : Uwaa, she’s for real!
Izuna: Yay yay yay, do you not see this blizzard of cherry blossoms!
Miki: Ah! This time it’s the spirit of Tooyama Kishirou.
(TN: Tooyama Kinshirou is the lead character of a long-running J-drama called “Toyama no Kin-san” running between 1970 and 1996, about a sake-loving Edo-era playboy who is in actuality a magistrate trying to find corruption and evil in town. The “do you not see the blizzard of cherry blossoms” line is actually a line said by Kinshirou whenever he reveals his identity by showing off a trademark tattoo on his body identifying his true identity to the evil-doer)
SFX: Nugi (Strip)
Students: Uhyohyo, it’s real, it’s absolutely real.

73.
Nube: Hey!!
Nube: What are you doing gathering just these lower-grade kids!
Miki: Ge
Izuna: Ge, Nube-sensei, no…this is…well…um.
SFX: Atafuta (hastily)
Nube: Generally, you shouldn’t be able to do necromancy with your lack of training.
Student: Eh, she’s a fake?
Izuna: Well about that—I had a crisis in spending money this month—
Nube: Don’t make excuses!
Nube: Well then: it’s ten years too early for a novice like you to make an occupation with spiritual powers; don’t do it again!
Student 1: Chie
Student 2: Going home, going home.
Izuna: Nothing I can do; shall we close up shop?
SFX: Shibu shibu
Voice: Miss Itako.
SFX: Kucha kucha

74.
Voice: Can you really call up dead people?
Voice: What!?
Nube: You really want to do this that’s like doing necromancy?
Kyouko: What, again?
Izuna: Yes, it’s because I’m a bottom-of-the-barrel Itako. I can’t do necromancy after all.
(TN: “Bottom of the barrel” is “Hashikure”, which is the “bottom end”)
Nube: If that’s the case, then what about if you return to your old home and train? I don’t know this.
Izuna: What; I asked you having anticipated the true power of a spiritually powered person like you.

75.
Nube: Necromancy is a dangerous technique where a spirit enters into your body. It can’t extremely be done by a money-intended Kogal like you. It’s just impossible.
SFX: Muka!
Izuna: Ah—that so? I won’t ask anymore--!
SFX: Don!
Hiroshi: Your voice~~
Miki: What are you doing?
Izuna: I have no choice: I’ll do this alone. Loan me a classroom.
Hiroshi: Eh?
Kyouko: But this is dangerous…
Izuna: It will be fine, because I saw the way to do this done by an old woman in the countryside. If merely an evil spirit gets into me, save me even if you have to hit me.
Izuna: Well, let me begin; this time for real!
SFX: Jara

76.
Izuna: The number of gods are the 98,007 gods of Shinto. The number of dead is on 12,004 spiritual grounds, surprise and present to me, wide Meidou.
SFX: Kiiiiin
Izuna: Come and approach. Come and approach
SFX: Zuzu…zuzuzu…
Izuna: I charm and call you out; I don’t have a divine blessing, but come and approach.
“Ghosts” Uuh—hii~~
Izuna: No good…spirits don’t have connection are rapidly being called and coming…There are spirits that I really wanted to call myself but I can’t do so.

77.
Izuna: Talk through me…Talk through meeeeee~~
“Ghosts”: Oooh…oooooh…
Izuna: Talk through me~~!!
SFX: Hyu
Izuna: !
SFX: Ba
Izuna: Again…

78.
Izuna: What shameless spirits…I didn’t call all of you. And yet they’re scrambling to go inside of me…
Izuna: Kya!
SFX: Don!
Izuna: Gieeee, the pain, the pain~~ I’ve been killed~~!!
SFX: Goki goki goki
Izuna: Ha, get out!!
SFX: Buri
SFX: Don
Izuna: Weep weep weep, this is sad—why am I hated~~can someone be my friend~~~

79.
SFX: Buri
Izuna: You’re noisy!
SFX: Doon!
Hiroshi: Wa
Izuna: Mhm~~m! A living body is great after all~~! (Haa haa) Boy, Shall you do a good thing with your big sister?
Izuna: Damn it--! I can’t control them after all! (Haa…haa…)

80.
Izuna: !!
SFX: Guooo…
“Ghosts”: Talk through me~~
Izuna: Kyaaaaaa!!
SFX: Don don don
Miki: No~~big sis Izuna~~
Hiroshi: No, around ten of them have gone in!!

81.
Nube: Byakue Reibakuju!!
SFX: Bari bari bari bari
Kyouko: Nube!!
SFX: Za za Dosa
Izuna: Te!
Nube: You dummy! How many times will it take to understand if I tell you! You aren’t qualified to use spiritual power!!
SFX: Pan

82.
Izuna: Shut up, stupid, 0-ability teacher.
Miki: Nube, actually…Izuna-san yesterday…
Older Girl: Well, big sister Izuna.
Little Girl: Can you really call our mother? Today is mother’s birthday and we’re giving her presents.
Izuna: Leave this to me. I was tired after the show yesterday, but today I’ll be fine.

83.
Izuna: The wind-direction is fi—ne.
Older Boy: Hurry, hurry
Younger Girl: I’m excited.
Older Girl: My heart is throbbing.
Younger Boy: It’s been 3 years, mother.
Izuna: So then…
SFX: Kohon…
Izuna: I have to skillfully do it this time. Itako blood flows in me…
Nube: Namu Daiji Daihi Kyuugu Kyuunan: from the realm of the dead, let these children’s mother…
SFX: Kiiiin

84.
SFX: Su
Izuna: Shinichi. Yoshiko. Katsuo. Kimie.
Children: Eh, our names…

85.
Nube: Really…if you said so from the start, then I would have cooperated and yet
Miki: Izuna-san was embarrassed because of her personality.
Nube: I thought she only thought about making money but she…may become a good Itako…
Izuna: Are you satisfied?
Kids: Yep!
Izuna: I’m glad.
Izuna: My fee is a hundred-thousand yen; will you steadily pay me? If you can, how about a loan? Hmm?
Kids: A hundred-thousand…

86.
RETURN OF THE GREAT YOUKAI ENCYCLOPEDIA

#31: Necromancy

There was a tune called “Itako Love” by “Kinniku Shoujo Tai”, which is lead by Ohtsuki Kenji. The main character, whose beloved lover had died, made a request to an Itako who performed necromancy. And thus, he lived together with the Itako whose lover’s soul entered into her. The reason is that it was because he loved not the body of the girl but her soul that he was indifferent that her body was the Itako. It is a tune that sings of the ultimate platonic love. (There are opinions that speak about what came of the Itako’s civil liberties but)

Putting that digression aside, if you speak about the Itako of Mt. Osore in Aomori Prefecture, they’re famous for being able to do necromancy. Necromancy is a technique where the soul of the dead possesses your own body and speaks through you, like as explained in this story. If you ask “can they really do that?”, then I can only answer “Huh?” With parts that are shown on spirit features on TV, they’re quite fake but…however, they truly may be able to. They seem to on those ESP programs, but even people who have ESP and spiritual abilities truly are under mental strain when they’re surrounded by a great number of staff and cameras of the TV channel and come to not able to demonstrate this ability. Even so, due to the conditions of the schedule for the side of the TV channel, they are said to misrepresent it with a pre-arranged performance. Therefore if you’ve wanted to see real necromancy, you can only go to Mt. Osore after all.

Incidentally, according to another opinion, necromancy isn’t the summoning of spirits; they read the hearts of their client and are said to project to themselves the image that is harbored by the person. Therefore, they can also do necromancy on the spirits of people who are living and can reasonably do necromancy of the spirits of foreign actors. (With this case, they speak in voices that are dubbed into Japanese) There are many theories for this, but it’s best to ascertain it with your own eyes. Furthermore, with the people that are Itako generally old ladies, I think a beautiful girl Itako is not so bad. Seemingly don’t go into strange expectations.

(TN: “Kinniku Shoujo Tai”, which literally translates into “Muscle-Girl Band” with “band” being more along the lines of an obi or sash, is a notable Japanese band originally created in the late 70s and who didn’t become a mainstream act until 1988 and was notable in the 1990s. “ITAKO Love ~ Blue Heart~”, is a song from their first mainstream album, 1988’s “Buddha L”. Kenji Ohtsuki was the lead singer who emerged through “Kinniku Shoujo Tai” but is more notable, at least in the US, for some of his bizarre, over the top singles tied to various anime series, in particular “Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei” and “Welcome to the N.H.K.”)

TN: Well...this is the song that was mentioned...well above. Might as well make it our BG music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DeM22ZnWhE

(Honestly if I knew that guy was going to be used here I would have connected it back to the scenario two chapters ago and used one of the "Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei" songs then)

Honestly, who isn't surprised to see Izuna back in the series at this point? As I may have mentioned back with the "poll" at the end of vol. 11, the fact that we had a cute teenage female running around with Itako powers and causing this much mischief is something that wasn't going to go unnoticed, so obviously Izuna was going to come back to cause more mischief. But...the way she did it this time around was weird yet at the same time interesting, making bizarre claims regarding her knowledge as an Itako in necromancy, then utterly screwing up when she needed to use necromancy for real to help those kids. Honestly it's hard for her to be convinced even by Nube to go back home if she's so obsessed in making the big time in Japan, but he's never really going to give it up until...well either she actually gains the power to use her abilities fully or she finally just goes back to Tohoku and back to her training. (and it's not like she's anything like Anna so I doubt she's going to follow in those footsteps) As for the "spirits" possessed by Izuna...somehow I sort of wonder what the pervy one was considering there was no real identification of wanting to be killed or the sorrow of life like the other two ghosts...but at least they weren't fictional characters like...um, the first strip show Izuna pulls. (Yeah, that's one thing you have to get used to with Izuna, she's just really easy for pulling out the fanservice compared to way curvier characters...but then again it's usually just for the butt of jokes) Of course, Izuna will ultimately show her well-intention time and again...she just needs to be straightened out about how to use it. (or to not charge on all of her "incidents")