Hell Teacher Nube 146

There are some supernatural powers that can cause immense harm...and yet there are some that may change the world! Could perhaps the greatest, most powerful ability out there be possessed by...a mermaid with a microphone!?

#146: Hayame: Idol Debut!?

111.
Nube: Eh? Aramakijake!? At this time?
(TN: The thing that Nube is commenting about is called “aramakijake”, which is generally called merely “aramaki” but sometimes has the “jake” ending to emphasize that it is a salmon. While “aramaki” on its own could refer to a salmon, it is also an expression for a salt-preserved fish of any kind that is usually wrapped in bamboo leaves and presented during New Years as a present. I was thinking of using “bamboo-wrapped salmon”, but the term isn’t really well known here so I kept the Japanese “aramakijake”)
Delivery Man: Yep: it’s addressed to Nueno-sensei of Doumori Elementary.
Nube: Wow (heart) That’s a huge salmon. I can eat that for two months.
Miki: Amazing: do you have a relative in Hokkaido?
(TN: In general, salmon fishing in Japan is mostly seen in and around Hokkaido)
Nube: No, I don’t but I’m happy that someone did this.
SFX: Bita bita
Package: Aramakijake
Nube: Eh?

112.
Hayame: Fu—that was difficult.

113.
Nube: Ha…Hayame-kun!
Students: Wa—a mermaid.
(TN: I don’t know whether to make it “a mermaid” or “the mermaid”, particularly since Kyouko knows of Hayame…but since she’s gasping with the rest of the class, I went with the mass thought that this is “a” mermaid, not a specific mermaid that “the” would emphasize)
Hayame: H~~i good day—
Nube: Wh…why were you in some aramakijake!
Hayame: Eh, it would have been better to come as mezashi?
(TN: “Mezashi” is dried sardines held together by bamboo skewer or string piercing the eye socket)
Nube: No, that’s—not it, why did you come!?
Hayame: Here, u…m, actually I found this in the sea.
Nube: What’s this: Idol Birth: recording tonight at Doumori Hall…
Page:
Idol Birth (Idol Tanjou)
Entire Nation on the TV Asahi Networks
(TN: TV Asahi, based out of Tokyo, is a system of broadcast networks based around the Tokyo area but with its programming shown in various regional networks throughout Japan, thus why I ended up using “networks” here)
Kyouko: Ah—she’s doing that.
Makoto: If she becomes champion, she can make a debut.
Hayame: Yep, I’m thinking of appearing in that.

114.
Nube: No way—how can a youkai be an idol! What will you do if you stand out in front of the public and it’s leaked out that you’re a youkai!? You’ll be captured and be placed on exhibition!
Hayame: That’s~~I want to be there~~I have self-confidence~~
Nube: If I say no way, then no way!!
Kyouko: That’s—not fine, Nube.
Students: Boo—boo—boo—
Nube: Uh.
Girl 1: We can sympathize as girls who have the same dream!
Girl 2: That’s—right, that’s—right.
SFX: Uru uru uru
Nube: Understood, understood; then I’ll speak of my surprise with karaoke. I’ll observe your skill in that sort of singing. (to himself) Hmph: I’ll severely criticize her; she won’t have self-confidence and go home.
(TN: “Speak of surprise” was in Japanese “gyafun to iwaseru”, “gyafun” is a tough to translate expression but for the most part translates into “step out with a yell of surprise”)
Hayame: Really—
Hayame: So then, I’ll immediately
SFX: Paaa…

115.
Hayame: Transform into a human--!!
Nube: Don’t~~
SFX: Gabaa—tone
Sign: Doumori Karaoke Heaven
Miki: Ba—ri—Ba—ri—Sa—ikyo—o—Number—One—
(TN: The song Miki is singing is…well, Nube’s theme song: “Baribari Saikyou Number One” [“Hard-Working Strongest Number One”] by the band Feel So Bad is the opening theme song to the “Hell Teacher Nube” anime series, which was on the air at the time of this chapter)
Nube: Ahahahaha…

116.
Nube: Alright, then—shall you take up song? (to himself) Anyhow, here’s where she has her self-confidence, right here.
Hayame: Ye—p.
Kyouko: Hyu—hyu--! You can do this—Hayame-sa—n.
Nube: Ha ha ha: before that, isn’t it that you haven’t read the lyrics!? (Ke ke ke…)
Hayame: That’s not so!! I’ll read them!!
Nube: Then, read this.
Page: Kashi (Lyrics)
Hayame: Song…u~~m, u~~m.
(TN: The joke here involves Hayame’s inability to read the kanji for “kashi”; while she does acknowledge the first kanji, she reads it as “uta”, which is “song”, instead of in combination with the other kanji leading to the proper reading of “kashi” and thus into its meaning of “lyrics”)
Nube: Well, you’ve done it adequately.
Hayame: That’s—fine--, because though I can’t read the characters, I remember the lyrics…
SFX: Pi pi
Hayame: 302 – B04, “Rejected Sadness”.
(TN: The songs in this chapter are for the most part made up and, thus, will be given by their English title. The Japanese title of this song, incidentally, is “Furarete Kanashii”, which literally translates likewise into “Rejected Sadness”)

117.
Hayame: (singing) I’ve been rejected; this sadness~~
SFX: Kiii
SFX: Parin! | Bishi
Hayame: (singing) I can’t stop my tears. On this rainy route to home~~
SFX: Guoo…
Nube: Huh…

118.
Hayame : (singing) I can’t live anymore—his back is becoming smaller—
Nube: Uh uh…
Miki: Hikku…ekku…
Kyouko: O~~i oi oi
Miki: These lyrics are…coming to pierce into my heart…
Kyouko: What a beautiful singing voice…I’ve been deeply moved~~~
Nube: Damn it…mermaids…there’s a youryoku in the songs of mermaids…
(TN: Remember: “youryoku” is usually seen here as “bewitching power” or as in the “power of a youkai”, thus Nube is talking about the strange “bewitching power” or “youryoku” in Hayame’s song)
Nube: The Age of Exploration in the 15th Century…they say the singing voices of mermaids puzzled sunk many ships…
(TN: Just a slight note: “Age of Exploration” in Japanese is known as “Daikoukai Jidai”, which literally translates into “The Great Era of Sailing/Voyages”)
Hiroshi: Bravo! One more song~~!
Katsuya: Encore, encore
Nube: Cease that.

119.
Hayame: I~~love you~~it’s strongly taken hold of me~~I love, I love, I love only you~~~
Kyouko: Amazing—genius!! One more song!
Nube: Stop—it’s a youryoku—
Hayame: I am the champ~~It’s a Right, It’s a Left, It’s a Hook, It’s a Cross, It’s an Upper, It’s a Knockout. Yay yay.

120.
Hayame: Ah, rabbits go boing. Frogs go boing. I want to drink my mama’s breast.
Hayame: The wind cuts on my shoulder~~The chivalrous path of a man~~~~

121.
Hayame: Well then—how was that--!?
Hayame: Ara?
SFX: Mero mero (Fallen down)
(TN: The “meromero” here refers to “fallen down drunk”, but can also be used as an onomatopoeia for being drunk on emotion such as love…or just fallen down)
Hayame: Well, teacher, I’m skilled at singing. How about I appear on Idol Birth?
Nube: You~~can’t!!
Nube: There will be a major panic if your singing voice goes out to the entire country by TV. This isn’t a question on if you’re skilled or if you’re unskilled. This is an absolute no!!
SFX: Shun…
Nube: Well, don’t get so down…well, at least you’ll watch as the audience and you’ll go home.
Hayame: Alright.

122.
Caption: Doumori Hall
Announcer: Everyone of Doumori town, tonight you’re an idol and I’m an idol. Let us start “Idol Birth”. Today we’ll be meeting with a real idol: Uchimura Yuuki-san.
Hiroshi: Ah, it’s Uchimura Yuuki, who’s at the peak of popularity now.
Nube: That’s the reason for the crowd.
SFX: Su

123.
Audience: Yuu—ki-cha—n
Man: ? What’s with that woman…
SFX: Butsu butsu butsu butsu (Grumble grumble)
Announcer: So then before we begin our final selection, we’ll go ahead with a song by Yuuki-chan.
Technician: Ah, hey!
SFX: Ba!
Yuuki: Kya!!
SFX: Gashi
Tan Woman: How dare you reject me—I come from nowhere and this woman is an idol—

124.
Voice 1: Y…you failed the morning preliminary.
Tan Woman: Shut up. I will be made an idol.
SFX: Ki—wa—
Hayame: That woman…her pitiful heart is…her heart is crying.
Nube: Eh.
Nube: Hayame!? Where are you going!
SFX: Da
Sign: Dressing Room
SFX: Suta
Tan Woman: Wh…what? You’re not going to appear.

125.
Hayame: Yes. But listen to Hayame’s song for just a bit.
SFX: Suu
Hayame: Loneley, when I am sad, when I’m in pain, please listen to my song just a while.

126.
Hayame: Please remember kindness just a while.
Hayame: Can you remember the smile of your mother when you were born?
Hayame: Can you remember when everyone met and was delighted with you.
Technician: He…hey, start the music! Light, camera, put it on the girl.
Hayame: People can really become much kinder.

127.
Hayame: Do not forget; kindness can be remembered by you.
SFX: Karan
Hayame: Even your heart is filled with kindness. It’s truly filled with kindness.

128.
Hayame: Everyone, everyone, remember. My song. Remember the feeling of kindness.

129.
Nube: Amazing youryoku…it’s tens of times…hundreds of times when she was in the karaoke earlier…when she sings seriously, then to here…
Kyouko: Now this isn’t her voice…it’s telepathy that echoes in the heart.
Kyouko: To everywhere…
Kyouko: To everyone…

130.
Nube: Hayame…has no need to become some idol…anytime, anywhere…if she sings with all her heart, her song will reach to any heart…she may be the greatest super idol on Earth…
Audience: Wa—wa—

131.
Nube: Really…if you truly had an idol debut like that, then it could become a terrible thing.
Hayame: I had caused you trouble no—matter what.
Nube: But it may be good to sing with all your heart once in a while. For mankind.
Hayame: Huh?
Narrator: At a moment when you suddenly have a feeling of kindness…that is…

132.
Commemoration of 3 years of serialization:
NUBE-SENSEI’S ACCUSATION TRIAL
Defendant: Nueno Meisuke
Nube: Me…Me yet again?

(Evidence #5)
Hey Nube! You generally did make a lie!

What was with No. 25 of the Youkai Encyclopedia in manga Vol. 11! Ohranger is a continuation of Gorangers? You’re outrageously mistaken! “Goranger” was an original work of Ishimori (currently: Ishinomori) Shoutarou and it’s continuation was just “JAKQ Dengekitai”! Since the Sentai series that have been done now were the original works of Yatsute Saburou and began from “Battle Fever J” in Showa 54 (1979), they’re completely differnet things! You didn’t write a suitable thing with not researching it well!

Caption: This is the proof

#25: Shikidama

Long ago, there was a program called “Goranger”. It was an incredibly popular program and even now they are televising the sequel of the sequel of the sequel of…(ellipsis)…the sequel. (Speaking to the adult readers, the show televising now is one called “Ohranger”. To know detailed about it, please ask the kids in your neighborhood.) These Goranger were a monumental program that effectively utilizes Shikidama.

Nube: Is…is that so? Makoto!?
Makoto: It is. The “Super Sentai series” that they’re doing now have “Battle Fever J” as the first work; Goranger has no connection to it.
Nube: Bu…but…they resemble in names and appearance…even if you say they’re not connected, this isn’t understood by ordinary people who aren’t maniacs, is it!?
Makoto: I was a tad overspeaking in saying they weren’t connected. They’re not connected, but Goranger is now the “starting point” of the Super Sentai series. Actual CDs and such are of the “Toei Sentai Hero Series” and Goranger and JAKQ both are recorded on there together.
Nube: So…so then, I was not necessarily mistaken?
Makoto: You were mistaken saying they were continuations.
Nube: Aah, enough, I don’t get this reason!

Judgment:
Guilty.
(But actually this too was known by the authors and written like that on purpose. That’s because we thought it would be easy to understand by readers like that. By the way: Ohranger is already over, and now it’s “Carranger”. What Rangers will be next?)
(TN: We’re really diving right back into syntax regarding Super Sentai, so I’m going to have to go a bit in depth of matters regarding the whole history to understand what was just said about the connection of series:
1. As stated prior, the first two Super Sentai series, “Himitsu Sentai Goranger” and “JAKQ Dengekitai”, were originally released back to back as merely “Sentai” series created by Shotaro Ishinomori. They were live-action action shows that utilized concepts akin to two of his previous notable works: the “costumed hero” of Kamen Rider and the “team of heroes” of Cyborg 009. While Goranger was a success, the darker feel of JAKQ was considered a turn-off for many of the fans who were typically attracted to these types of shows, ending the concept by the end of 1977.
2. In 1978, Toei entered a three year deal with Marvel Comics, who was trying to get a foothold into the Japanese market at the time. Under the name of “Saburo Yatsude” (a collective name for Toei Company TV producers who contribute to the various anime and tokusatsu shows that they make), the first series to emerge from the Toei/Marvel deal was the live-action version of Spider-man, which was done as a Tokusatsu show. This was the series that introduced the concepts of giant robots and monsters being used at the climax of an episode, making the show wildly popular with Toei’s desired demographic.
3. As the second show that was part of the Marvel/Toei deal, Toei (also under the “Saburo Yatsude” name) chose to take their idea of Captain America and modify it using a more international feel, bringing back the team concepts of the earlier Sentai series while adding in the successes of Spider-man, including the giant monsters and robots. This series which premiered in 1979, “Battle Fever J”, was likewise popular and notable with children and would begin the sequence of “Super Sentai” that continued onwards from there. (Incidentally the next Super Sentai series, “Denshi Sentai Denjiman”, was also with Marvel’s support, but they had little to no connection to this show and the contract ended quietly while the legacy continued on)
4. The factor of when Goranger and JAKQ were counted as part of Super Sentai was a nebulous thing until around this period when the Nube chapters came out considering it took a while for Toei to acknowledge them as part of canon. When the Super Sentai format had its 10th anniversary in 1989, it only acknowledged all of the series that were part of said format, from “Battle Fever J” to the ’89 Sentai: “Kousoku Sentai Turboranger”. However, in 1995, Ohranger became the first series to acknowledge Goranger and JAKQ as part of Super Sentai canon, in honor of the 20th anniversary of Goranger. (Even though Ohranger was the 19th series) Since then, both series have been actively seen as part of the stories, with even Big 1, the flashy and famous “5th hero” of JAKQ playing an important role in another anniversary movie around the time of the 2001 series: “Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger”.
5. Finally, let’s get up to speed with something I should have mentioned long ago: around the time of this Nube chapter/explanation, the Super Sentai series on air was “Gekisou Sentai Carranger”, a series that, you could say, has a slight connection to Nube: both Carranger and the Nube anime aired every Saturday night in 1996! I’ll be getting a bit more into Carranger a bit later since…well, in a couple volumes, it will have its own Nube-based parody like Kakuranger and Ohranger before it…then again, since Carranger was a parody-based sentai already…well, I guess we shouldn’t think too hard. And as for what was next…well, look up “Denji Sentai Megaranger”)

TN: I know some of you are probably expecting a certain song after all the Super Sentai talk here, but I think this is more appropriate background music for this chapter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmDudvBZrB8

(If you have to put up with Miki singing that, then you might as well hear the real version...and the epic Beethoven homage this song gives off)

It's really tough to say whether or not Nube was wrong or right with his treatment of Hayame in this chapter. Obviously Hayame has given him many problems before (see the whole entry last chapter about the sailor fuku bit from vol. 10), and of course he would know that the power of a mermaid's song was enough to literally change emotions and make one feel things that they really shouldn't want or need to. But the problem is simply that as much as Hayame is a mermaid, she's still also a girl (sure she's hundreds of years old but her eternal youth makes her a girl)...and to hold back on girl's dream, no matter how dangerous it could be with the implications of literally changing people's emotions with just one note, will really peeve off a lot of people. It's a tough call to figure out whether Nube or Hayame was the right one regarding whether or not she should sing: you want to believe in Nube and his feelings of not wanting Hayame's powers to overwhelm, but you sort of also want Hayame to get the freedom to do what she wants when she wants to being just another girl to so many others. Obviously the power both had a lot of problems (see the whole karaoke sequence) and did turn out ultimately to be utterly convenient in saving the idol show, so it's just a double-edged sword. Though...the whole "she ends up making everyone in the world feel her feelings of kindness" towards the end did feel a tad cheesy in a "this is how powerful she really is" kind of way...but then again this is a mermaid who can also make you essentially immortal so of course we knew of Hayame's potential power regardless of how braindead she can be at times. Oh...though regardless of my feelings regarding certain aspects of plot, it's always fun to have Hayame around if only for all the cute facial expressions, like all the ones on pg. 114...who can say no to the faces she gives on that page?