Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube

Episode 6

Urban legends have long been a fertile source from which Japanese horror media plunders, and Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube is no exception, with its fairly straight adaptation of the “Teketeke” story, previously the subject of at least two low-budget live-action movies. The rather gruesome gist is at some point in the past, a young girl was bisected by a train, and subsequently her legless spirit chases after unwary people, asking them if they “still need their legs,” before tearing off their limbs.

Poor little impressionable Makoto, minding his own business, streaming a generic tokusatsu show, unwisely keeps watching when the algorithm redirects him to YouTuber Mr. Horrific's creepy stream about Teketeke. Mr. Horrific preys on the gullible, terrifying them out of their wits about the Teketeke spirit, convincing them that even just hearing the story means Teketeke will visit within three days to perform amateur body modification surgery. Makoto swallows the grift hook, line, and sinker, desperate to become a paid subscriber to the internet charlatan's channel if only to learn the “true” spell to ward off Teketeke's limb-lopping advances. His sensible mother's refusal to countenance such nonsense only causes his anxiety to spiral. Much as in our own world, social media influencers are the true source of all that is evil.

Teacher Nube's complete lack of communication skills fail to assuage Makoto's fears, as the poor wee lad begins to spread hysteria through the school and suddenly everyone, including perpetually-terrified Ms. Ritsuko, shudders at the prospect of Teketeke's seemingly inevitable visit. As Nube informs other students (but not Makoto himself), Teketeke is likely appear because of Makoto's intense fear. Obviously, today was the absolute best day for both Makoto's parents to work late, leaving the trembling latchkey kid at home alone in the dark, empty house, when of course Teketeke appears from the shadows under his desk (an appropriately unsettling scene), and chases him through the hallway.

Always looking out for his students' wellbeing, even when a few words from him could probably have prevented this entire situation, Nube bursts in and saves Makoto. Although he uses his demon hand, it's not with the intent of violence. Instead, he uses it to allow Makoto to perceive Teketeke's true motivations and history, and it's incredibly tragic. Teketeke's just a normal schoolgirl whose spirit desperately wants to move on, but the fears of those who have heard her story keep her tethered to this world as a vengeful ghost. She's trapped in a monstrous hell of others' creation, and only once she's been forgotten about, or at least once she's no longer feared, will she be able to move on. I like that the supernatural problem in this episode is resolved with compassion and empathy rather than violence and conflict, with the entity in question as much of a victim as little Makoto. While Mr Horrific's arguably deserved and bloody fate is somewhat cathartic, I worry that the livestream of his comeuppance will only solidify Teketeke's story in the public consciousness, meaning her purgatorial existence is likely to continue for a long time to come…

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Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube is currently streaming on YouTube.