A new anime version of the popular manga "Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube," which was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha), will be broadcast on TV Asahi from 11:15 pm on July 2nd. This is the first time a new anime version of "Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube" has been produced in about 26 years, since the OVA "Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube: The Greatest Battle in History! Zetsuki Raijuu!!," released in 1999. It is also a hot topic that Ryotaro Okiayu , who played the main character Meisuke Nueno(Nube ) in the TV anime, movie anime, and OVA broadcast from 1996 to 1997, will be reprising his role. Okiayu said, "I've always been prepared and mentally prepared to play Nube," so we asked him about his thoughts on the new work.
◇ "I want to voice Nube again" - the miracle of being able to play the role again
"Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube" is a manga written by Makura Shou and illustrated by Okano Takeshi, which was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" from 1993 to 1999. The story follows Meisuke Nueno(Nube), a young teacher who is assigned to Domori Elementary School, who solves a series of incidents with the power of a "demon hand" that resides in his left arm. Even after the series ended in "Weekly Shonen Jump", sequels were produced, and the first new series in four years, "Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube Kai", began serialization in "Saikyō Jump" (same publisher), while "Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube PLUS" began serialization in "Shonen Jump+" (same publisher), which has also attracted attention.
Okiayu said that he first learned about the production of the new anime "around two years ago," and recalled, "Even before I found out about the new anime, I saw "Nube meeting" written on the schedule, and I thought, 'What is that? A meeting?', but it turned out to be about a re-imagining."
"During a meeting, the staff member said that they had received a message from Professor Makura and Professor Okano, saying, 'We would like you to protect the students of Class 5-3 once again.' Of course, I was very motivated, and I had always wondered if it would be made into a film or an anime again, and I had always wanted to voice Nube again, no matter what form it took. I have occasionally been teased in other works, and have appeared in Jump games, but it had been quite a while since Nube was made into a film on its own, so I was very happy, and I was also very moved by the messages from the teachers, so I was grateful and accepted the offer."
The TV anime series "Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube," which aired from 1996 to 1997, was the first time that Okiayu, who was in his 20s at the time, played the lead role in a TV series. Among the cast members including Yoshiko Fujita, who played Hiroshi Tatsuno, and Mina Tominaga, who played Miki Hosokawa, Okiayu, who was a young actor, recalls, "I was exhausted every time."
"It was the first time I had the opportunity to go to the same studio every week for an entire year to play the main character, so I was really motivated, and I gave it my all so much that I was in a daze after it was over. I put a lot of effort into every production, but this was a role and production that required a lot of energy, so I was exhausted every time. My impression is that after recording, we all went out for drinks and meals to let off some steam."
Okiayu has a special feeling for Nube, as he said at AnimeJapan 2025 held in March this year that he is "like my alter ego."
"I only played the role as a regular for a year, but I think it's because I really put my life and soul into it at the time that I still feel that it's a production that I've always wanted to do. I have similar feelings about each production, but it was only when I got the opportunity to do it again in this reboot that I realized how important it is. After all, after nearly 30 years, there's always the possibility that the cast will change. So I think it's very important that I'm in a condition to do it now, and it feels like a miracle that I came across this timing."
◇ Nube's desire to "protect his students" - the new film is quite scary!?
What were Okiayu's thoughts as he once again took on the role of Nube, a character he has a strong attachment to? Before the announcement of the new anime, Okiayu had narrated the 30th anniversary promotional video for the original work, but he said that this was a kind of "test."
"The PV was also a confirmation recording to let everyone know what condition I'm in now in preparation for the re-imaging of ' Nube.' Even though I don't think it's changed, my voice and the environment inside my mouth have changed since the early days of the TV series 26 or 27 years ago, and the sound has changed considerably, and it's become a little lower-pitched. So, although I don't feel like I did back then, I've always maintained that I have no problem playing the role. It was only a short comment, but it was a chance to confirm that 'This is what it sounds like now as Nube.' I was nervous, though."
After that, he said he wasn't scared at all when he went to record the new anime with the new cast.
"During the time I wasn't involved with ' Nube', I wasn't reading the original manga thoroughly, but I was always prepared and mentally prepared to play the role, and that feeling never faded. Even during the recording, I wasn't that scared, and I just felt like I could get along with everyone."
Okiayu says that the thing he values most when playing the Nube is the feeling of "protecting the students."
"Basically, I'm just rooted in the idea of 'protecting the students,' and then I respond to the script's progression and instructions from the director. I believe that if I keep that at the core, I'll be able to manage whatever comes my way. I think everyone can sense this, but Nube is not perfect. He has the desire to 'protect the students,' and he does win in the end, but he's generally a Nube mess. He doesn't win perfectly, he's always fighting desperately, and there are times when he wins with his soul. That's what makes him easy to empathize with and what makes him so reliable. If you put yourself in the student's shoes, you'll feel like 'Thank you for risking your life to protect me,' but in another scene you'll be like ' Nube, buy me some ramen,' so there's a contrast and I think it will be fun to watch."
During the recording of the new anime, there was a moment when he once again realized the charm of Nube.
"There were many people among the cast who watched the Heisei version of the anime in real time, and they told me, 'I really loved Nueno-sensei, and I wanted to be in Class 5-3.' I was like, 'Oh really?' in a very objective way (laughs). At the time there was no internet, and we participated in the recordings without receiving any feedback from users, so I thought, 'I guess that's how everyone felt.' With this adaptation into a film, I've had more opportunities to hear this, and it reminded me of how many people felt at the time."
In the new anime, Nube will be active in the Reiwa era. We asked him about the highlights of the new anime.
"Famous characters from ' Nube' such as Tamamo and Yukime, who have appeared in previous films, will also make an appearance, and I think there will be some characters that haven't appeared in previous films. I think the new film will be quite scary. The director also wants to bring out a horror element, and I think that will really come through in the film. I can really feel the passion of the staff."
The new anime will be broadcast on TV Asahi's nationwide anime slot "IMAnimation W" from 11:15 pm on July 2nd. The first episode will be a one-hour special, with two episodes broadcast consecutively, and subsequent episodes will be broadcast every Wednesday from 11:45 pm (excluding some regions). It will be split into two seasons, with the second season starting in January 2026.
