Synopsis:
Nueno Mesuke, better known as "Nube", is a school teacher who does more than just teach. You see, Nube's left hand is a huge, nasty-looking demon's claw. He uses it to get rid of malicious demons, ghosts, spirits and other supernatural beings that are giving his students a hard time. Nube's left hand was normal, until one fateful day when he exorcised an extremely powerful demon from a child. He was outmatched and lost his left hand. The only way to fight it was to let it enter his body. As a result, Nube has a demonic left hand where his own hand used to be. To educate and protect -- that's what Jigoku Sensei Nube does.

Review:
One of the lesser known anime titles on the web, Jigoku Sensei Nube has long been one of my all-time favorite manga series. I've never missed an issue! I've only recently seen the anime version and I was pleased to find that it is faithful to the manga.

The plot may sound dark and gloomy, but Jigoku Sensei Nube really took me by surprise with its consistent humor! When Nube isn't risking his life fighting demons, he's a pretty normal guy. He's silly, horny, and always broke. He's also pretty clueless with women. With all the ghost-busting he does I'm amazed that he has any time left to teach. Demons seem to attack, harass or possess his students on a daily basis. He also doesn't seem to mind his left hand very much, as none of the episodes show him trying to find any kind of "cure" for it.

Nube's students and fellow teachers are also very well-characterized. In addition to that a few benign spirits regularly show up to aid him or woo him. The very lovable Yukime is one such character. She's a spirit and she's in love with Nube! As a Christian, I probably shouldn't be watching it as it focuses on the occult. However, I feel this is a matter of discernment. Jigoku Sensei Nube isn't about Satanism or devil worship, it is clearly a fantasy about a man fighting evil spirits. Black magic and witchcraft do come into play at times, but this is never portrayed as something one should take up. Nube doesn't worship any kind of demon, he just uses the one embedded in his hand to fight evil. Live-action shows like "Charmed" and "Buffy" do much more to glamorize witchcraft and the occult. If this anime ever comes your way, catch it!

Miscellanies:
Jigoku Sensei Nube's anime art is cuter and a bit more refined compared to the manga art.

Screenshots:
Sorry, no screenshots available.

Shopping:

This series has not been released in the US.

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