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Upa (ウパ Upa), inmate number 58, is a supporting character of the Nanbaka web manga and anime. He is a former member of the Chinese Mafia[1] and an inmate of Nanba Prison, where he is held in cell eight of building five. He is 16 years old.




Appearance[]

Upa is thin and has a notably short stature, to the point that he could quite easily be mistaken for a child. He has white skin and gray eyes outlined with gray makeup. His hair is teal blue in color and has bangs that curl out to the sides, while the strands at the bottom curl in towards his neck. He bares red tattoos in the shape of angular spirals over his body; one on each cheek, and rows of them above and below each elbow and knee. He also sports a prominent stitched scar across the right side of his abdomen.[2]

Upa wears a navy blue inmates’ jumpsuit with short sleeves, fastened at the collar with a red ribbon. He also wears a blue and red Chinese cap, attached to a yellow talisman hanging over his face, and bears the Kanji for his ID number, written in red. He wears plain black shoes, and his ID‌ badge is pinned to the left side of his chest.

Personality[]

Upa is a rather serious person with a calm exterior, rarely showing much emotion. Like many residents of building five, he is shown to be prideful and has great self-confident in his abilities - he openly regards himself as a "gifted master" of qigong and refuses to share his techniques with those he does not deem talented enough, coming across as arrogant at times.[3] He is quite ambitious, prioritizing his goals above anything else and refusing to concede to anyone. Befitting of his prideful attitude, he is reluctant to admit being unable to do a task and cannot stand losing; he will instantly fly into a rage if he does so, exhibiting a child-like temper that differs from his mostly mature temperament.[4]

As a person who is willing to work hard to achieve his goals, Upa has a low tolerance for lazy and frivolous people and is very impatient with them. He can be very forthright and often harsh to such people, often seen referring to his cellmate Qi as "scum" or "trash"; he is shown to be downright rude at times, not only to fellow inmates but even prison guards.[5][6] Despite this frequently cold and brusque attitude, Upa has proven that he is capable of showing compassion and concern towards others, as shown when he prioritized Nico's safety over his own during his battle with Hachiman.[7]

Background[]

Episode19-0112

Upa as a member of the Chinese Mafia

Upa was born in China to a family that specialized in Qigong techniques. Even among his clan, he was considered exceptionally powerful to the point that he was revered by the rest of his family as a special existence.[8] One day, however, he was kidnapped by Hachiman's mafia who was forced to present his family with a false corpse to make it appear as if he was dead. Upa's organs were then sold to the black market for a large sum of money, causing him to become considerably ill and weak. He attempted to work for Hachiman in the hopes of buying them back, putting immense stress on his body in the process; though he received regular medicine from Qi, his health deteriorated faster than he could earn money and most of the staff were convinced that he would soon die. Knowing this, Qi eventually gave Upa some of his own organs, allowing him to regain health.[9]

Episode22-14

Upa receives a gift from his family

Eventually, the mafia was disbanded due to the members' betrayal of the boss and Upa, along with the others, was sent to Shisen Prison in China. There, he lived in fear of Enki's harsh treatment of inmates[10] and was unknowingly put on a list for illegal organ trafficking.[11] In such prison he met Samon Gokuu, who put him back into contact with his family; these actions caused Upa to gain respect for the officer. At an unknown point in time, he was transferred to Nanba Prison alongside Qi and Liang, where he began training under Samon.[12]

Plot[]

The New Year's Tournament Arc[]

Building 5 Arc[]

Trivia[]

  • His inmate number is written on the talisman on his forehead.
  • His likes are yogurt, anman, and talent.
  • His dislikes are slovenly people and deep fried foods.
  • His hobbies include morning tai chi and stamp collecting.
  • Upa's name is derived from the Mandarin words 五 wǔ, meaning "five", and 八 bā, meaning "eight", referencing his inmate number 58.
    • Alternatively, his name may be taken from the form of yoga Isha Upa, or from Buddhist monk Upagupta.
  • Upa's character design is based on that of a Jiangshi, a vampire from Chinese mythology.
  • He is the shortest known character who is not a young child.

References[]

  1. Nanbaka Web Manga: Chapter 86
  2. Nanbaka Web Manga: Chapter 90
  3. Nanbaka Web Manga: Chapter 19
  4. Nanbaka Web Manga: Chapter 50
  5. Nanbaka Web Manga: Chapter 19
  6. Nanbaka Web Manga: Chapter 146.1
  7. Nanbaka Web Manga: Chapter 85
  8. Nanbaka Web Manga: Chapter 90
  9. Nanbaka Web Manga: Chapter 90
  10. Nanbaka Web Manga: Chapter 75
  11. Nanbaka Web Manga: Chapter 115
  12. Nanbaka Web Manga: Chapter 92

Navigation[]

Characters
Main Jyugo  |  Uno  |  Rock  |  Nico  |  Hajime Sugoroku
Inmates Tsukumo  |  Honey  |  Trois  |  Musashi  |  Liang  |  Upa  |  Qi  |  Fuji-san  |  Kusatsu  |  Enki Gokuu  |  Ruka Gojou  |  Hachiman  |  Ikkaku  |  Zakuro  |  Baio  |  Hakushaku  |  Tsumuji  |  Torooru  |  Aki  |  Haru  |  Hina  |  Murakami  |  Yupiter  |  Sith  |  Tora  |  Hachi  |  Mike  |  Nina  |  Mina  |  Shina  |  D  |  Nile  |  Mummy  |  Ishal  |  Rage  |  Shijima  |  Burogu
Guards Seitarou Tanabata  |  Yamato Godai  |  Samon Gokuu  |  Kenshirou Yozakura  |  Kiji Mitsuba  |  Inori Hakkai  |  Damian  |  Mao Nimaijita  |  Nijimasu Nanairo  |  Tomato Ichijou  |  Hitoshi Sugoroku |  Houzuki Sanzou  |  Daisen Rokuriki  |  Daisen Kokoriki  |  Daisen Youriki  |  Genrou Byakuya  |  Ahato  |  Sanohana Hiiragi  |  Inohana Tsubaki  |  Shinohana Sazanka  |  Ninohana Kikiyou  |  Rianni Ju-ichigo  |  Scara B Kepri  |  Taiga Nikaidou |  Tatsumi Jubaco |  Koisuke Kyuubi  |  Yamada Orochi  |  Tanaka Midzuchi  |  Haruin  |  Rorotto
Nanba Staff Momoko Hyakushiki  |  Shin Sauzando  |  Chikako Senryoubako  |  Mitsuru Hitokoe  |  Dread  | Shiro  |  Okina Otogi  |  Kazari Otogi  |  KAGU-8  |  Ringo Shirayuki  |  Komachi |  V | Hiiro Kisaragi
Zodiac Police Jemi Sandra  |  Jenny Sandra  |  Tauro Twisters  |  Taurus Twisters  |  Akua Jyuunoichi  |  Uoza Jyuunoji |  Leon Faiburg  |  Jimi Sandra  |  Jini Sandra
Antagonists Man with the Scar  |  Elf  |  Fourth  |  Six  |  Mei Yomidou  |  Ido Yomidou  |  Isou  |  Manji Yorozu  |  Kojiro  |  Kujaku  |  Yakumo  |  Ikkaku  |  Tsu-in  |  Jin
Other Hanzou Hattori  |  Noriko Sanzou  |  Hihi Gokuu  |  Rokudo

 |  Nadeshiko Godai  |  Navarin Godai  |  Jun  |  Ban  |  Mikazuki  |  Natsumi |  Kakei  |  Chimney  |  Sophia Valentine  |  Ram  |  Touko  |  Camilla Valentine  |  Researcher 001  |  Researcher 002

Animals Kuu  |  Haku  |  Yamatomaru  |  Kuroko  |  Majiro  |  Chojiro  |  Sugar  |  Torashiro
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