Urusei Yatsura: A Chaotic Comedic Classic from the 80s
Urusei Yatsura is perhaps one of the most iconic animes to ever be created, as it is perhaps the first anime to give rise to the “fantasy girlfriend” genre. Though well-known in Japan, it is obscure throughout most of the western world, which is truly unfortunate. Rumiko Takahashi, the creator of this anime also created Ranma ½ and Inuyasha, two other wildly popular classics. However, out of the three, of course Urusei Yatsura has a special place in my heart. Apart from its retro feel and Lum’s charm, the ridiculousness of the story, whimsical characters, and its occasional heartfelt moments are what make Urusei Yatsura so memorable.
Lum’s (ラム) character design was based off of Chinese- Hawaiian model Agnes Lum (アグネス・ラム ), who rose to prominence in Japan during the 70s Courtesy of Victor Japan
The story begins when Mr. Invader, ruler of the alien Oni (the aliens are based on mythological demon creatures Oni 鬼) plan on taking over the Earth unless an individual can defeat his daughter Lum in a game of tag; if the person touches her horns, Earth is saved. Ataru Moroboshi, a lecherous high school student, is randomly selected by a computer to challenge her. Seeing Lum, she is a beautiful alien princess with green hair and green eyes and only wears a tiger striped bikini. Of course, Ataru is enthralled competing with a pretty girl. Falling into a depression after failing multiple times, his girlfriend Shinobu states that if he is victorious, she will marry him. Motivated by this deal, he successfully grabs her horns, saving the world from invasion.
However, the second he utters: “Now I can get married,” Lum mistakes his sly comment as a marriage proposal, and declares herself his wife, calling him his “darling” (and continues to call him this throughout the show). Before Ataru can interject, she warns him that if he is to ever cheat on her, she will use her special abilities to electrocute him, and proceeds to shock him with the wrath of Zeus’s thunder. From there, the story begins, and Ataru’s life becomes more and more chaotic throughout the show as he is forced into the world of misfortune, experiencing bizarre phenomenon with situations ranging from being stranded on an island with mushrooms which if consumed will manifest your true desires, giant protozoa seeking revenge, a Sakura tree which eats live octopus, a handsome alien man who transforms into an emotionally unstable cow, encountering a Dracula with a Lolita complex, or encountering a girl with a brother complex. It is extremely hard to pinpoint what kind of plot this show follows, as each episode is its own mess, but it is this surreal chaos which makes the show incredibly hilarious.
The opening theme songs adds to the appeal of the show, and Urusei Yatsura successfully delivers catchy tunes which will engrain themselves into the viewer’s head. Mainly, these are flirtatious, cheerful, up-tempo and of course, 80s themed songs focusing on Lum’s pursuit of Ataru, as he constantly tries to avoid her by persistently hitting on other women throughout the show. With this in mind, it also adds a layer of pity for poor Lum, as the viewer sympathizes with her struggle to win him over. The fact that such an individual would reject a beautiful space princess is beyond common sense.
This is not a show in which characters are portrayed as righteous, heroic individuals. In fact, every single character has a twist or deep flaw to them. As mentioned before, Ataru cannot resist beautiful women. He constantly hits on the school counselor, gropes women, forces himself upon women; he is the ultimate misogynistic, lecherous bastard. Another character, Shutaro Mendou, is the future heir of a conglomerate. Although academically smart, wealthy, handsome, and appears to be a man of values, he gives into temptation, is very weak, egotistical, and afraid of dark spaces.
Though the men are mostly hopeless, the women are tough as nails. For example, Ran is Lum’s friend/foe who puts up a cutesy façade, seemingly the epitome of femininity. However, whenever she fails to control her emotion, her womanly, high-pitched voice is replaced with a gruff, Kansai accent (think of the stereotypical “tough guy” accent in anime). As Lum stole her lover many years ago, she constantly attempts to suck the life out of Ataru, or find ways to kill her. Shinobu literally has superhuman strength, allowing her to juggle desks, and Ryuunosuke, a girl, though forcefully raised as a boy by her ignorant father, constantly fends off Ataru’s sexual advances by delivering brutal punches.
The show actually delivers messages about the role of women that were ahead of its time, especially during 80s Japan. In one episode, Ryuunosuke attempts to find ways to become womanlier but to no avail. Her teacher, a male, tries to help her in her quest for femininity, but ends up placing Ryuunosuke in uncomfortable situations; it is unnatural for her to act like a stereotypical woman. In the ending scene, Lum tells her “Remember, the clothes make the girl [but] real women fight for what’s important.” The original meaning could have been lost in the westernized translation, but it shows that Takahashi is spreading the message that a real woman is strong and should act in a way they find themselves comfortable with and that it is acceptable to not conform to societal norms.
Indeed Lum intruded upon his and Shinobu’s relationship and insists on being his wife, but whether or not Lum’s obsessive behavior is psychotic or not is a topic of discussion for another time. However, she is a perfect counterweight to Ataru’s lecherous character. With her superior presence, she submits Ataru to painful shocks of divine retribution, which prevent further sexual harassment and little by little, Ataru begins to fall for her; this is a wonderful case of Stockholm Syndrome. Whenever an episode focuses on their relationship, and progresses in character development, the viewers feel fulfilled as he finally makes progress into becoming a more honest partner. Lum is perhaps the ideal woman a man could possibly dream of. Apart from her beautiful appearance, she is furiously faithful and the embodiment of unconditional love. No matter how many times Ataru betrays her, she sticks by his side, refusing to let go no matter what her peers say. In one episode, Ataru was tricked by his classmates by giving him a fake love letter from a woman hilariously named Kumino Otoko (this is a pun for boys of the classroom: 組 classroom= kumi, の indicates possession= no, 男 otoko= boys). She sees him foolishly accept the letter, and outright declares that his ironclad will to date this woman is unbreakable. After electrocuting him with the wrath of Thor, she heads back to her UFO heartbroken and in tears. However, she overhears his classmates’ scheme for her to break up with him. She discovered that they were hiring a beautiful girl to pretend to be Kumino, and when he would attempt to sexually harass her, a wrestler would be there to strangle him, and a school reporter would record the event to start a smear campaign on Ataru. She interferes in their scheme by posing as Kumino at the destination of their fake date, and slyly dragging Ataru out, saving him from ridicule. She explains the entire situation to him, scolding him for being such a fool. As Lum looks out into the distance Ataru watches the snowflakes dance around her and for a second, he is enthralled by her beauty. For the first time he feels genuine gratitude and starts to feel a glimmer of attraction for Lum. She wraps a scarf around his neck she had knitted for his Christmas present. Just before she begins to fly back home by herself, assuming Ataru would not appreciate her company, he grabs her hand and offers to walk home with her. Alas, he began to fall in love with her. While the chaotic comedy is an important aspect of Urusei Yatsura, really, the best and most heartfelt parts of the show are the episodes which focus on the development of Lum and Ataru’s relationship.
Lum Courtesy of Kitty Films
There is no doubt as to why this show has left viewers with such a memorable feeling in their hearts after finishing this series. It has an amazing soundtrack, it is the perfect balance of chaotic, comedic and emotional. Rumiko Takahashi’s 80s classic is genuinely a masterpiece and needs more recognition. All the characters are wonderfully flawed, Takahashi’s message that women are tough as nails is absolutely wonderful for the time, it is comedic havoc, but most importantly it does a splendid job at delivering heartfelt, romantic moments.
Featured Image– Lum forcing Ataru to marry him Courtesy of Kitty Films
by Wesly Wong