Hell Teacher Nube 210

There are many youkai who are raised to destroy humans, but there are some who actually understand them better than others...but at a cost. Of course, who they are...may not be exactly how they appear to be!

#210: December! Namahage Appears!
(TN: The "December" used here is actually the term "Shiwasu", which is the traditional 12th lunar month of the Japanese calendar. With the switch over to the Gregorian calendar, it generally is the Japanese equivalent of "December")

135.
Voice: You dummy----is this a news story---!!
Sign: Shuei News
(TN: The "News" here is "shinbun" as in "newspaper", but considering that it probably would be too long on the sign here I just kept it simple)
Headline: Newly Documented! Mayor Fukujou Pulled Out 56 Nosehairs During a Meeting
(TN: There isn't a literal mayor named "Fukujou", but the words used for his name are actually part of the term "fukujoushi", which translates into "death during sexual intercourse")
Sign: Mayor
"Reporter": I...I thought it was a scoop but
Editor: Idiot! That's a foolish reason! You're useless
Editor: Really! If you have the free time to write that article, then how about investigate this incident!!
Headline: Murderer with Consecutive Robberies Hiding in Doumori Town!?
"Reporter": Yes
SFX: Kusu kusu kusu kusu (giggle giggle giggle giggle)

136.
(Title page...so what does that demonic being...have to do with this chapter? And that pathetic reporter!?)

137.
Kyouko: Is it New Years Eve---this year is over---
Miki: What will be this year's final youkai in Hell Teacher Nube---I'm certain it's a youkai that appears on New Years Eve--- (Kekeke...)
Kyouko: Hey hey
Nube: Hm--m, if speaking of New Years Eve
Nube: Namahage
Hiroshi: Ha ha ha, what's that weird name?
Kyouko: It's famous, dummy.

138.
Nube: Namahage is a kind of Oni that appears on New Years Eve as a youkai that was introduced in Akita Prefecture. It goes around from house to house so it can remonstrate lazy people and bad children, saying "Aren't you a bad child---"
(TN: We'll learn a bit more in the Supplementary)
Miki: Hm--ph, then there's no connection with us.
Makoto's Caption: Graffiti Demon
Miki's Caption: Erotic Grade Schooler
Hiroshi's Caption: Man Who Pees Outdoors
Kyouko's Caption: Violent Woman
Katsuya's Caption: Brittle Delinquent
Nube: You all will all be eaten by Namahage.
Kyouko: About that, we're having a end-of-year soba party at Hiroshi's place. Quicky go and buy the ingredients.
Nube: Oh, right. Today I've spurted ten thousand yen for this.
SFX: Hyu~~~
Nube: Waaa, it's in the river...

139.
"Reporter": Ah! That's terrible---!
SFX: Buaa
"Reporter": Too
SFX: Gachan!
SFX: Basha---n
Nube: ............

140.
"Reporter": That's good, I found it. Here.
Nube: Th...thank you.
Nube: Why would you go that far for a person you haven't seen or known?
"Repoter": No, no: I have a nature that I must come to help when I see a worried person. (Buakusho)
SFX: Buru buru gata gata
Makoto: He's a nice guy.
Miki: Dummy.
"Reporter": Well, that's no good. Got work, got work.
SFX: Sosokusa
Kyouko: Big brother, what is your job?
(TN: I know this guy isn't litearlly her "big brother" but she does call him "oniisan", so I had to respond as such)
Miki: At least give your name.
"Reporter": Me? I'm not particularly a suspicious person. I'm this--sort--of type.
Business Card:
Evangelist of Love and Justice
Shuei News Reporter
Oga Momotarou
Everyone: .........

141.
Hiroshi, Kyouko & Miki: Suspicious.
Kyouko: Big brother, you're a news reporter?
Oga: Yes...hmm?
Cats: Nya--nya--
Oga: Pitiful; so, please buy some warm thing with this.
Everyone: He's for real. Real stupid.
Oga: Actually I'm now searching for material on a robbing murderer that's in this town; if you have something, please tell me.
Kyouko: Ah--you're doing it for news. That's it.
Hiroshi: Understood.
Oga: So then.
SFX: Biii...
Sign: Danger!! No Tresspassing

142.
Oga: Heeve, ho, heeve, ho
SFX: Bari bari bari bari
Oga: Here.
Kyouko: Are you doing these things every day?
Miki: You're living well.
Oga: Yeees
Voice: Kya--that baby is---
SFX: Gara gara gara | Goooo...
SFX: Ba

143.
Nube: Huh...! Youki!? It can't be, he's...
Voice: Th...thank you very much.
Nube: ...
Nube: Ah, hey, wait you
SFX: Buroro...
Oga: Well since I'm in a hurry

144.
Nube: That youki is truly that of an Oni...it can't be, from hell again...!!
(TN: Yeah...and considering we're two chapters past the whole Zekki arc...)
Kyouko: Hey, Nube, what's wrong? You were pondering.
Hiroshi: Your face color is blue.
Nube: N? Yes.
Katsuya: Let's buy those ingredients quickly and have that party at Hiroshi's.
Voice: Pardon u--s.
Hiroshi: Since father isn't here with his work, don't be reserved.
SFX: Gara

145.
Hiroshi: Huh? This room has an amount of untidyness that much...
SFX: Gashi!
Hiroshi: !!
Murderer: Don't move! If you move, he won't live.
Nube: You!
Kyouko: Th...that's the rumored...robbing murderer...
Murderer: Bing--bong, that's who I am.

146.
Murderer: Here!
Nube: Don't be unreasonable! If you take the money, then quickly get out
Murderer: Ha! Isn't that funny, dummy. I've killed three people.
Murderer: You intruding on work and, in retaliation, I'll show a bit of blood.
SFX: Dosu
SFX: Koso
Nube: !!
Nube: Oga Momotarou...he's...

147.
Voice: Ha~~ha ha ha ha ha
Murderer: Who is that!
SFX: Don
Oga: On--e: Evil that runs rampant in the world of man
Oga: Tw--o: With persistant love and a faithful soul
SFX: Meki meki
Oga: Thr---ee: I will magnificently slash you down
(TN: "Slash you down" is a translation of the term "tatakkiru", which is a fusion of "tataku" or "to strike" and "kiru" or "to slash")
SFX: Meki meki meki

148.
Oga: Meet Namahage, the Oni that works on New Years Eve!!
SFX: Iyo----pon pon pon pon
(TN: Imagine an old fashion SFX, akin to what you occasionally hear in the "Tenchi Muyo" anime, when listening to that sound effect just now)
Murderer: Wh...what are you---

149.
Oga: Aren't you a bad---child---
SFX: Batsu
Miki: Kya---
SFX: Supa supa supa
Nube: Yo...you're an Oni?
Oga: Yes, the same kind.
(TN: It's hard to say what Oga/Namahage means when he says "the same kind", whether it be "a similar to an Oni" or "similar to Baki, who is an Oni" if he can sense Nube's hand about now)
Oga: I am Namahage; my family is an Oni family that has lived above ground since several hundred years before. We've come to like the animal called "human" and, as such, have taken root in human society where we've decided to live. We like humans...human love...emotions...sympathy...

150.
Oga: New Years Eve...my family remonstrates those who have done to break it down. That is law.
SFX: Sha
Murderer: Hi
Nube: Are you killing him? Stop it.
Murderer: Th...that monster. If it's come to this, then I'll kill all of you before he can do that---
Kyouko: Kyaa!!
Nube: Kyouko
Oga: Aren't you a bad~~~child~~~

151.
Murderer: Hi~~~
SFX: Pyu pyu pyu---
Oga: I'll end this!
SFX: Batsu

152.
Nube: It's not good...to kill people. Even if they are villains.
Oga: ...Aren't you soft. With that, I can't go through justice. Though if this was God, he'd say to kil humans for justice...
SFX: Fu
Oga: Well, if you're stopping me to here, then I'll go off without killing today.
SFX: Su
Oga: Farewell
SFX: Ba

153.
Arrow-Page: Heaven's Punishment
Nube: Namahage, the Oni of justice? What you said was...you're a formidable person.
Miki: He may be much cooler than even you after his transformation, Nube.
TV: Yuku-Toshi Kuru-Toshi
(TN: "Yuku-Toshi Kuru-Toshi" (literally "The Leaving Year, The Coming Year") is a TV program usually airing on TV network NHK that is their New Year's broadcast showing the celebrations and the various temples where the new year comes in through)
Bottle: Shichimi
(TN: "Shichimi", liteally "seven flavors" is a combination of seven flavors that is a common seasoning in Japan, made up of mostly coarsely ground red pepper but also including ground sichuan pepper (Sansho), roast orange peel, black sesame seed, white sesame seed, hemp seed, ground ginger, and nori seaweed)
Nube: Ignoring
SFX: Go~~~~n...
Editor: The article....!?
Oga: U--m...

154.
Nube -sensei's
(Useless) SUPPLEMENTAL EXPLANATION
#39: Namahage

"Namahage" has occurred since antiquity on the Lunar calendar New Years in the Oga region of Akita Prefecture and is a famous custom even nationally. The origin of it's name is said to come from "Rip off lazy habits" and possesses the character as a god that remonstrates human laziness. They wear a mask that's like the drawing in the front page of this chapter, have disheveled head-hair and have with them a straw raincoat and a knife. What are called Akaoni and Aooni are the red being a male and the blue being a female Namahage.

The origin of Namahage is ancient, going back to Emperor Wu of the Han in Ancient China. The origin is that there were five faithful Oni who worked becoming the hands and feet of Wu, but they were permitted to run riot as they like just on the Lunar New Year as a reward that opposed their their manner of serious work.

(TN: A few things:
1. As a reminder, "Akita Prefecture" is a prefecture on the Northwestern-corner of the island of Honshu in the Tohoku region.
2. "Rip off lazy habits" is literally in Japanese "namakeguse wo hagu", with the "nama" and "hage" being fused together for the name of the youkai/oni.
3. A "straw raincoat" refers to a "mino", which is a raincoat made of straw typically seen worn by traditional Japanese.
4. While I don't know the legend too well, there is a legendary pair of Oni, red and blue, which, as stated here, are most likely of the Namahage family. Wish I had more but that's all I have for the moment.
5. "Emperor Wu", also known as "Butei" in Japanese, was the greatest emperor of the Han dynasty, the leader who lead to China having a major period of expansion as well as preached the usage of Confucianism as part of his law of the land.)

TN: So then...if it wasn't New Years Eve, would Namahage have done anything...or would Oga just be his typical weird self? I know, dumb question considering the chapter itself was rather interesting and I didn't really have too much to complain about outside that. I actually do like the concept of Namahage being a clan of Oni who belives in the good of man and, unlike Nube, believes that the weeds should be pulled to protect those that are decent and good. In some ways I sort of imagined Namahage a bit like Light from "Death Note": someone blinded by his concepts of the good of man that he is willing to kill the "evil ones" thinking that it is the only way to save decent people. But without getting into the moral implications of all this (the idea that people can change, not to mention all the paranoia and complexities that confronted Light for his murderous actions just to claim he was "decent"), you could say Oga/Namahage was a much simpler version since...well, he's an Oni and Oni can probably kill with no real doubt or feelings of it being pure murder, merely saving those they think are good. Of course, what made Nube conflict with his actions is simple enough: he believes in the good of all people and that those who do bad can be stopped without having to go to such drastic measures. Nube could sound a bit like a cop...or in some cases a bit like a traditional "superhero" who rather see justice rather than just kill in order to make a point. (there is more to it than that but I don't want to start a moral debate on the actions that should be done to punish one that has done wrong) Probably the kicker though that made the chapter fun was that even with the power and awesome nature of Namahage, Oga is just such a doofus in typical terms. Somehow seeing him do simple things that really seem foolish just to help others shows he is good nature though rather naive on what "the right thing" is. At least with that side of him, you don't have to worry about moral debates all the time...