Hell Teacher Nube 118

Emotions are a troubling phenomenon, a spark that lights a flame of trouble. But in the case of a certain crazy kogal, her awakening feelings may cause even more problems...like sparking a literal fire that could bring her to cinders!

#118: The Enigmatic Human Combustion Phenomenon

89.
Caption: Doumori Middle School
Izuna: Y’don’t say—though—that’s totally-amazin’—totally-active?—it’s said like that—Feels like that? Like that?
Caption: Izuna: an Itakogal who calls herself Nube’s pupil.
Izuna: …Thus, I feel that when I write remarks in kogal words, they’re totally hard to read—(thus I’ll stop…)
(TN: This whole introductory scene with Izuna actually has her “attempting” to speak like a kogal, who usually speaks in ways with a lot of slang and the usage of “chou-“ (which usually stands for “super” but in their talk more like “totally”) I tried to make it as best as I could without reverting to, say, writing everything like an American valley girl)
SFX: Bo
“Girl”: ! I…Izuna!?
Izuna: Yes?

90.
SFX: Boa
Izuna: Kyaaaa!!

91.
Voice 1: What, what!?
Voice 2: Someone is burning up!
Voice 3: Izuna, Izuna—
SFX: Dosa | goooo…
Voice 1: Ah—that’s not good.
Voice 2: Why would she catch on fire!?
Voice 3: I don’t know: she suddenly was burning.
SFX: Pachi
SFX: Gaba
Izuna: Kyaaaaa
Izuna: No~~

92.
Voice: Hm—m…
Nube: Your body suddenly caught fire?
Bag: Potatoes
Izuna: Right! Thanks to that, I burned up my uniform…
Caption: Appears to be the uniform of her school before transferring
Izuna: Further, this hasn’t been once or twice. At first, it was that I was combusting once a date, but day by day the frequency has increased.
Nube: So you’ve come to be constantly burning up? Hahaha, it can’t be. (hold these a moment) It seems the cause is the fire of cigarettes, you delinquent girl.
SFX: Shu Poki
SFX: Shu shu shu poki poki poki

93.
SFX: Bo
Nube: !?
SFX: Goooo
Izuna: Kyaaa!!
Kyouko: Izuna-san!?
Miki: Big sister!?
SFX: Dosa
Miki: Hi!?
SFX: Muku!!
Izuna: Can I borrow an outfit, Miki-chan?
Izuna: See, it’s—like this!
Caption: We’ve having a lot of service this time, already!
(TN: The “service” here is obviously in reference to “fanservice”)
Kyouko: Y…your body doesn’t have even one burn, strange…
Miki: You would have appeared on Bankoku Bikkuri Show.
(TN: “Bankoku Bikkuri Show” is a Japanese variety show sponsored by Rohto Pharmaceuticals and run on Fuji TV that was on the air for periods between 1967-1971 with a brief revival in 1976)

94.
Izuna: Well!? Are you a bit worried seriously about this!? Teacher!
Nube: The potatoes, the potatoes~~ I had intended to get through the last five days until payday with this and yet~~
SFX: Boro boro…
Voice: The Human Combustion Phenomenon…
(TN: “Human Combustion Phenomenon” in Japanese is “Jintai Hakka Genshou”)
Voice: In 1886, Willy Blow of California was said to burn objects by just looking at them according to the San Francisco Bulletin. 1929, New York Times: A woman called Lily White of the Caribbean would several times in a day suddenly burn up her clothing, even as she walked outside. However, without bearing one burn on herself, she was always worried about her clothing…
(TN: I have had a hard time looking up the info regarding “Lily White” considering it is used for a ton of other things, including a Touhou character and a movement of anti-integration movement of southern Republicans in America. However, the term used here for “Caribbean” in Japanese is “Nishi Indo Shotori”, which is “West Indies” but is generally called the “Caribbean” in the West)
Izuna: I’m the same as this Lily White person.
Nube: Seems so.

95.
Nube: This sort of ignition is similar to the Poltergeist phenomenon; those are said to be caused by an unstable spirit, in particular with a child with a strong spiritual ability like you.
(TN: While there are many aspects or ideas regarding poltergeists in many cultures, the Japanese culture generally seems to connect them to strange spiritual phenomenon tied to people. One notable story involves a girl who was hired as a domestic servant of a court but ends up being sent away because she caused strange supernatural activities around them. In general, the poltergeist phenomenon is performed with a disturbance of a spiritually powerful person, generally a child, causing strange phenomenon around themselves disturbing others)
Caption: Borrowing Miki’s gym outfit.
Izuna: Wh…what does—that mean?
Nube: In brief…they’re caused by sexual desire that is suppressed in puberty. (He he he…) Generally it’s famous as a telekinetic power that flies out at a thing and moves it, but there is a prominent theory that even this ignition phenomenon is one of them.
SFX: Kaa~~
Nube: Isn’t thing perhaps that you’re in love? You delinquent girl!? (Ha ha ha…)
Izuna: Huh! I’m in love!? That’s promptly strange—huh!
SFX: Ata futa ata
Nube: Don’t be embarrassed. We’ll have a discussion.
Izuna: Heh! Discussing love with Nube; my bellybutton will serve tea!
(TN: The expression Izuna uses here may sound strange but in actuality it’s in reference to a shoujo gag manga called “Heso de Cha wo Wakazu”, which ran in Shueisha’s shoujo magazine Ribon between 1992 to 2000. The only slight adjustment is that Izuna uses “Ga” instead of “De”, which makes it “my bellybutton will serve tea” instead of the title which translates “I Serve Tea in my Bellybutton”)
SFX: Bo

96.
Nube: Ooh, she’s truly serving tea. Well, she has a useful body, hahaha…
Kyouko: Somehow Izuna-san has bad compatibility with Nube…
Miki: Big sis Izuna, you’re naked…
Izuna: Die! Stupid! No ability teacher!
Izuna: I’m totally angry!!
(TN: The “angry” here is tied to the word “muka”, which is short for “mukamuka”, an onomotopeia for “surging with anger”. Add in the “chou” part Izuna was experimenting with earlier and it somehow worked out)
Izuna: I was mistaken in consulting with that idiot! I’m spiritually powered! I can resolve this myself!
Caption: Kudagitsune: refer to manga vol. 9
Izuna: But since I can’t set this room on fire, if I don’t take a bath for a while…I give up~~

97.
SFX: Doki doki doki
SFX: Doki doki doki doki doki doki
SFX: Boko boko boko boko
Izuna: It’s hot~~
SFX: Zaba~~
Kudagitsune Flag: Lots of service

98.
Caption: The next day.
Izuna: I finally only have my summer outfit… (Achoo)
Izuna: Ah, Tomoko, good morning…
Tomoko: Ah, Izuna, morning, see—you—
SFX: So so kusa
Izuna: ……This is bad…with this, let alone my clothing, I may not have even my friends…
SFX: Hyuuu…
Kyouko: Izuna-sa—n
Miki: Big sister!!
Izuna: Ah.
Kyouko: We thought you had problems with what to wear…we’ve brought outfits we haven’t needed.
Miki: The worries of a woman aren’t for a woman after all.
SFX: Gusu
Izuna: Ku—so I can’t cry—damn this—

99.
Miki: But you can’t be carefree on this. From what I’ve investigated, there is a worst pattern for human combustion: Mrs. Maria of Florida in America ignited with a super-high fever and was annihilated leaving behind just her feet in 1951…!
Izuna: Do…don’t---be joking; no way, that!
Kyouko: Calm down, because we’ll cooperate on for everything!
Miki: Tell us the reason without being embarrassed!
Izuna: Actually…
Caption: —Doumori Center Boulevard—

100.
SFX: Shu—pusu pusu pusu
SFX: Gooo—
Nube: Hmph, I thought it was that after all.
Miki: Go away, Nube.
Kyouko: Shoo shoo!
Miki: Even so, we clearly have a source with that.
Izuna: Don’t tell anyone, in particular that no-ability teacher.
Kyouko: Alright, so attack him.
Izuna: Eeh!? Wh…why!?
Miki: So you can stop the combustion!
Kyouko: You’re building up stress because you can’t confess.

101.
Izuna: Even if you say that…thinking about another person’s business…
Kyouko: Whose! Pardon us!
Miki: It will be fine! Kyouko confesses her love every day to Hiroshi. You don’t want to die, do you!?
SFX: Jita bata jita bata
SFX: Doki doki doki doki doki doki doki doki
Izuna: Um!!
Boy: Eh?
SFX: Kaa~~
Sign: Corn Direct from the Delivery Area
SFX: Dopya~~
Boy: ?
SFX: Pon pon papan pan
People: Wa—Kya—

102.
Miki: One or two failures is an indispensable part
Pidgeons: Kurukku—kurukku—
Kyouko: Right—Miki has failed a million times.
Izuna: Are they having fun—with this?
Voice: What is that—what—
SFX: Don!
Boy: Are you alright?
Sign: Antarctic Experience
SFX: Dododododo
Boy: ?
Sign: It is -10 in this building
People: Gya~~wa—hie~~

103.
Miki: Big sis Izuna, you…you can do this! I’m certain he’s worrying about you too.
Izuna: Ye…yeah? (Ze~ha~ze~ha~)
Kyouko: A bit more effort! (to herself) It’s unusual she’s been an innocent up to here…
Izuna: A bit more effort. A bit more…
SFX: Bu bu bu bu
Boy: Hey, Saki-chan!
Saki: Mikihisa-kun!
Saki: I made you your bentou.
Mikihisa: Thank you as always.

104.
Voie: Oh—oh—in front of the public…
Miki: What, he has a girl…she seems serious and quiet. The exact-opposite type to big sister Izuna…
Kyouko: Miki!
SFX: Shu~~…shu~~…
Nube: No…her spiritual power is rising abnormally. With this, she’ll burn exceeding the power that protects her body from the flames…it’s a meltdown.
Kyouko & Miki: Eh?
SFX: Bou

105.
SFX: Goo
Man: Ow!?
Nube: Does she plan to jump into the sea to put it out!? That’s dangerous! If she touches the water at that high temperature, she’ll create an explosion of water vapor!
Nube: If it’s come to this, then I can only erase her memory with the Oni no Te! Namu Daiji Daihi Kyuugu Kyuunan…

106.
Nube: !?
SFX: Su…
Izuna: You dummy—
SFX: Shuuu
Izuna: Haa…haa…
Nube: She clamped it down…
Miki: Izuna-san…

107.
Izuna: Am I sad…it’s merely…a broken heart… (Gusu)
Nube: The resolution of stress by all people is a thing that is already learned somewhere in life. The first time you can control your heart is when you are called an adult. Spiritual power is the same thing…Izuna is yet another step closer to being an adult spiritualist.
Miki: Has Nube done that?
Nube: Hey, delinquent girl! That was a burning love! (Here, you’ll catch cold)
Izuna: He…he saw that?
Nube: Eh?
SFX: Cheri cheri cheri…
Nube: Ugya—hot—
SFX: Booo
Izuna: It seems I’ve come to control my combustion phenomenon. Again I’m majorly closer to being a future great spiritualist!

108.
NUBE’S WEIRD FILES

#9: Human Combustion Phenomenon

The Stephen King novel “Firestarter” (Japanese Name: “Charlie the Flame Girl”) is a tale of a girl who can cause fire with psychic ability. This sort of ability is thought of as a thing where they pursue an outlet for emotional stress and explode; it is a thing that strongly sensitive in puberty, particularly mostly seen in girls. However since spontaneous combustion of the human body comes forth without distinction to age or gender, it may hold yet another source.

Human Combustion Phenomenon is a mysterious phenomenon that has occurred frequently since quite long ago. At any rate, Lucretius, a philosopher of ancient Rome, had expressed an opinion about this phenomenon. The incident of Mrs. Mary Liza’s death by fire, which was introduced in this chapter, is particularly famous, but an incident of the wife of the brothers Banji, which occurred in Cassino, Italy in 1731, presented quite a shock to the people of the time and it was used as materials for works of literary masters Dickens, Melville and Zola.

There was a mysterious phenomenon that one day, a body that didn’t have any previous notice suddenly caught fire and burned to death in the twinkle of an eye. There was no means they could escape with not completely understanding its source. In the interval you’ve been reading this manga like this now, your body may suddenly catch fire. Even if that’s so, you can only surrender if you have the bad luck. But then, that person died without realizing they were burning.
(TN: A few things:
1. Its really strange but “Charlie the Flame Girl” [Honoo no Shoujo Charlie] was only the name of the 1984 film adaptation of the 1981 Stephen King novel “Firestarter”, directed by Mark Lester and starring Drew Barrymore. “Firestarter” was likewise the name of the Japanese version of the novel itself.
2. Titus Lucretius Carus [usually known as just “Lucretius”], was a Roman poet and philosopher mostly known for his poem “De rerun natura” [“On the Nature of Things”]. The poem itself explained the Epicurean concepts about the nature of the mind and soul and explaining the phenomenon of the world and physical principals guided by chance as opposed to the whims and design of gods.
3. While I’ve had a hard time of finding incidents of a female catching fire, I was able to make out that Charles Dickens’ usage of this was most likely his novel “Great Expectations”, when Miss Havisham’s dress caught fire. The Emile Zola reference was in the novel "Work"; and while I couldn't quite find a work by Herman Melville that actually shows a person catching fire, his initial description of Captain Ahab in his seminal work "Moby Dick" mentions him as:
"He looked like a man cut away from the stake, when the fire has overrunningly wasted all the limbs without consuming them, or taking away one particle from their compacted aged robustness...")

TN: People who probably are into the "perverted side" of Nube has to love this volume so far: last chapter we had Ritsuko-sensei's weird "boob incident" and this chapter has Izuna burning up her clothes nearly every other page to utter nudity. In fact, it's to the point that even her own Kudagitsune have realized that Izuna is merely for the most part a fanservice character who is there to bug Nube every once in a while leading to all sorts of weird stuff...yeah there's way more merit and meat to Izuna than that but it is something to think about with how her last couple chapters have turned out. For the most part, this chapter seems to exhibit Izuna in a different manner than usual that actually allowed for a weird development: as outgoing as the Itakogal is on the outside, she's still a bit of a prude sexually and that's probably what lead to...well, full-frontal every other page. Of course, getting advice on how to handle love matters is probably one thing you really should avoid Nube at all costs with (even though he sort of knew that it was love that made her burn so badly), but he did somehow figure it out regardless as much as she probably doesn't want to admit it. While this was a great chapter for Izuna, I really like how Kyouko and Miki were handled here too: it was a girl matter so the girls for the most part worked together to make sure Izuna figured it out, kept the middle schooler in line...and for the most part prune their wardrobes of outfits they haven't worn in volumes. (yeah, a lot of classic outfits were burned away thanks to Izuna's ability) Though regarding Izuna's love problems and possible prudishness...it's weird thinking about it in particular since...well, with some of the weird stuff that happens in her seinen spinoff, you have to get yourself together regarding...that. But hey, even if she sucks at love, Izuna's always going to be around for slightly embarrassing fanservice...