"I thought, 'This person hasn't changed at all!'" Ryotaro Okiayu & Toshiyuki Morikawa talk about their first recording in 26 years! Report on the TV anime Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube special program packed with behind-the-scenes stories.

A special program titled "Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube 2nd Cour Climax Special" was broadcast exclusively for free on ABEMA on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube is a highly popular occult comic series written by Sho Makura and illustrated by Takeshi Okano, which was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump (Shueisha) from 1993 to 1999. The story is an occultic hero action series featuring Meisuke Nueno, also known as "Nube," a spiritualist teacher with a "Demon's Hand" (Oni no Te), who risks his life to protect his students from the threats of yokai and evil spirits.

The program featured live appearances by Ryotaro Okiayu (voice of Meisuke Nueno), Ryota Iwasaki (voice of Katsuya Kimura), and Toshiyuki Morikawa (voice of Kyosuke Tamamo), who shared behind-the-scenes stories from the recording sessions and their thoughts on the series.

■"I thought, 'This person hasn't changed at all!'" Ryotaro Okiayu & Toshiyuki Morikawa talk about recording together for the first time in 26 years, leaving Ryota Iwasaki deeply moved.

During the program, a segment titled "Yokai Appear Too!? Gacha Gacha Episode Talk!!" was held. The cast engaged in free-flowing conversation based on themes and yokai drawn from a gacha machine.

On the theme of "This person is as amazing as a yokai!", Okiayu first answered, "Original author Sho Makura-sensei," and revealed a behind-the-scenes tidbit: "He was in the studio for about 23 out of all 26 episodes (lol)." Iwasaki nodded vigorously, saying, "It’s rare for an original author to be on-site that much!" and expressed his excitement, saying, "Being able to work with the creator every week! As a fan, I was incredibly happy."

Furthermore, during the "Things I want to ask now!" talk, Iwasaki asked Okiayu and Morikawa—both of whom returned from the 1990s version—"What were your impressions of each other when you recorded as Nube and Tamamo for the first time in a while?" Morikawa laughed and said, "The moment we stood at the mic together in Episode 1, I thought, 'This person hasn't changed at all.' He changed so little that it’s almost like he's a yokai." He praised Okiayu, adding, "I was happy about that consistency. He even remembered those long sutras!" Okiayu bashfully replied, "I was working really hard for Episode 1," while adding, "I was happy too."

Regarding his feelings when the new anime was announced after about 26 years and his return was confirmed, Okiayu said with a laugh, "As the 'staying-behind' crew, I felt the two of us old guys had to give it our all." He commented, "I’ll keep doing my best." Morikawa responded with, "I look forward to working with you for a long time," giving a glimpse into the unique bond between the two who have supported the series for decades.