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MANGA REVIEWS

Weekly Jump Briefs (continued)

JIGOKU SENSEI NU-BE-
story by Makura Shou, art by Okano Takeshi
Started in #38, 1993 (28 volumes available)

Overview: Nueno Meisuke, known as Nu-be-, is a teacher with strong psychic powers and the left hand of an oni (one form of Japanese devils). He uses his Buddhism knowledge and sometimes his oni hand to protect his students. His "weird" friends include Yukime the snow-queen, Tamamo the nine-tailed werefox, and Izuna, a shaman-to-be.
  In this update: (Issue #50) #253 The Oni Hand Goes Ballistic!
Kailung, with the oni hand he stole from Meisuke, goes on a spirit-killing spree. The spirits that were wounded visit Meisuke for help. He calls on Tamamo to heal the spirits; Kailung arrives at the school to "get rid" of the spirits. Meisuke asks Minki for help; Meisuke is now able to stand against Kailung with an oni hand of his own.

(Issue #51) #254 Conflict between an Oni Hand and an Oni Hand!
Minki agreed to be Meisuke's hand, but she didn't give him full control. Minki drags Meisuke's body to attack Kailung, but Meisuke gets covered with tags that drain his life. When she grudgingly agrees to let Meisuke control her powers, she helps him corner Kailung. Meanwhile, Tamamo and Yukime break the spell to enter campus, but sees Meisuke telling Kailung that he doesn't deserve to use the oni hand.

(Issue #52) #255 How to Use the Oni Hand
Kailung says that the oni hand is only good for killing and creating anger or sadness. He continues to attack Meisuke, who stands by his statement that he will use his oni hand only to protect his students. The oni hand on Kailung starts to take over his body. Meisuke fights the monster that Kailung turns into. Yukime asks Meisuke to kill the monster; Meisuke instead asks the creatures around him to absorb the extra energy the monster is spewing to return Kailung to human form. Meisuke gets his hand back, and Kailung returns to China to battle only the evil spirits.

(Issue #1) #256 Monster Circus Is In Town!
The students of the Nu-be- class meet a particular entourage of monsters who claim to be a circus group. The kids decide to help sell tickets. But when the circus opens, they find out that adults can't see the spirits that are performing the circus acts. Meisuke saves the day by increasing the adults' ability to see spirits.

(Issue #2/3) #257 Monster Girl High
Yukime tells Meisuke that she wants to go to high school like all the human girls. Meisuke does a web search and finds a high school just for female supernatural creatures. At first, she feels uneasy being seen with the weird creatures she meets at the school, but realizes that they weren't afraid of being friends with her, and they give her the friendship that she wanted.

(Issue #4/5) #258 The Legendary Tube-Fox
A sketchy woman asks Izuna to protect "the legendary tube." Izuna takes the tube and takes off when the woman is approached by evil-looking men with an evil-looking tube-fox. Izuna manages to elude the men, and the tube-fox hatches to reveal a big blob. The tube-fox keeps doing whatever it wants to do, but when the evil men show up at Izuna's doorstep while Meisuke is trying to figure out what its powers are, it protects Izuna and runs. Meisuke faces the evil men with his oni-tube-fox.


HARELUYA II BØY
by Umezawa Haruto
Started in #50, 1992 (31 volumes available)

Overview: The adventures of Hibino Hareluya, the "invincible man" whose back seemingly carries a serious arsenal of weapons, and his friends Ichijyou Makoto (a rocker), Okamoto Kiyoshirou (an aspiring artist), and Yamana Michiru (Kiyoshirou's girlfriend). In the latest story arc, Kiyoshirou decides to go to France to study art, and Michiru decides to take him on a trip to Kyoto with Hareluya and Makoto. But trouble strikes wherever Hareluya goes.
  In this update: (Issue #50) #286 Nightmare
Hareluya and Makoto catch the van. While Makoto goes in the back to save the girls, Hareluya crashes the windshield with his bat. Zoo grabs the steering wheel and floors it, keeping Hareluya glued to the windshield. Shu jumps out, fearing for his life, and Zoo careens the van into the side of a semi with Hareluya still on the hood.

(Issue #51) #287 Explosion!
Makoto, who was thrown out when Zoo floored the gas and was following on the scooter, hears the siren and sees the crumpled van. Zoo laughs that humans, the future, and dreams are all weak enough to be crushed easily... but Hareluya emerges out of the crash, unharmed thanks to the cushioning from many plastic bottles full of soft drinks (the semi's cargo).

(Issue #52) #288 Superstar
Makoto sees the stretcher carrying a figure from the accident, and rushes over. To his anger, it was Zoo. Makoto grabs Zoo and asks what he did with Hareluya, who grabs Makoto from behind and asks if anything was wrong with him.

(Issue #1) #289 A New Morning
Kiyoshirou is happy to hear from both the police and the invincible duo that all the Three Eyes have been caught. The next morning, Michiru wakes up to find a note from Kiyoshirou saying everything was all right—the girls were safe, and the Three Eyes were behind bars. That day, they head out to do the sightseeing they came to do. Kiyoshirou mentions that he had one place he wanted to go to...

(Issue #2/3) #290 Window of Understanding
As they tour through the places that each of the group (other than Hareluya) wanted to go, Makoto wonders if this trip will leave Kiyoshirou with one last bitter memory thanks to the Three Eyes. Michiru disagrees, saying that Kiyoshirou doesn't think that way. When they get to the place Kiyoshirou wanted to see, he thanks his friends for being able to meet them, being friends with them, and for being there at that time with him.

(Issue #4/5) #291 GROWING UP
Kiyoshirou successfully heads off to Paris, with everyone who knew him seeing him off at the airport. Basically everyone was doing well: Amamiya and Shiina were going to enter Rakuen High, Momiyama has a second year of being a 12th grader while Hareluya actually survived 10th grade and will be an 11th grader, and Eve graduated and was working at an SM club. On the way back from the sendoff, Makoto approaches Hareluya asking if he wants to start a band together.

Weekly Jump ©1998 Shueisha
¥220


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