is a Japanese
manga series written and illustrated by
Rumiko Takahashi
is a Japanese manga artist. With a career of several commercially successful works, beginning with '' Urusei Yatsura'' in 1978, Takahashi is one of Japan's best-known and wealthiest manga artists. Her works are popular worldwide, where they have ...
. It was serialized in
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics ( manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.
Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the H ...
's ''
Weekly Shōnen Sunday
is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga magazine published in Japan by Shogakukan since March 1959. Contrary to its title, ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' issues are released on Wednesdays. ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' has sold over 1.8billion copies since 1986, ...
'' from September 1978 to February 1987. Its 366 individual chapters were published in 34 ''
tankōbon
is the Japanese term for a book that is not part of an anthology or corpus. In modern Japanese, the term is most often used in reference to individual volumes of a manga series: most series first appear as individual chapters in a weekly or ...
'' volumes. It tells the story of
Ataru Moroboshi
is a fictional character and protagonist of Rumiko Takahashi's manga and anime series ''Urusei Yatsura''.
Appearances
In ''Urusei Yatsura''
Ataru is a 17-year-old student at Tomobiki High School, Class 2-4. Born during a major earthquake ...
, and the alien
Lum, who believes she is Ataru's wife after he accidentally proposes to her. The series makes heavy use of
Japanese mythology,
culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...
and puns. It was adapted into an
anime
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
television series produced by
Kitty Films and broadcast on
Fuji Television
JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network S ...
affiliates from October 1981, to March 1986, with 194 half-hour episodes. Twelve
OVA
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
s and six theatrical films followed, and the series was released on various home video formats.
The manga series was republished in different formats in Japan.
Viz Media
VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...
released the series in North America in the 1990s under the names ''Lum * Urusei Yatsura'' and ''The Return of Lum'', but dropped it after eight issues. They re-licensed the manga and began releasing an omnibus edition under its original title with new translations in 2019. The television series, OVAs, and five of the films were released in North America with English subtitles, as well as a dub for the films by
AnimEigo
AnimEigo is an American entertainment company that licenses and distributes anime, samurai films and Japanese cinema. Founded in 1988 by Robert Woodhead and Roe R. Adams III, the company was one of the first in North America dedicated to lic ...
. They provided extensive notes on the series to allow people to understand the many cultural references and jokes in the series that would not normally be understood by non-Japanese. The remaining film, ''
Beautiful Dreamer'', was released bilingually by
Central Park Media. Five of the films, as well as the OVAs, are available from
MVM Films
MVM Entertainment, also known as MVM and MVM Films, is a British licensor and distributor of Japanese animation. The company also sub-licenses anime titles from US anime companies such as Media Blasters, Geneon, Nozomi Entertainment, Urban Visio ...
in the United Kingdom. The series was released on television in Southeast Asia as ''Lamu the Invader Girl''. A second anime television series adaptation of 46 episodes produced by
David Production
is a Japanese animation studio founded in September 2007 and is based in Nishitōkyō, Tokyo. Notable works from the studio include ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', '' Cells at Work!'', and ''Fire Force''.
Establishment
The company was founded b ...
premiered on Fuji TV's
Noitamina
is a Japanese programming block on Fuji TV devoted to anime, originally broadcast every Thursday late night/Friday morning from 00:45 to 1:15. It was launched with the intention of expanding the target audience beyond the typical young male dem ...
programming block in October 2022, exactly 41 years after the first premiered.
''Urusei Yatsura'' launched Takahashi's career and received positive reception in and out of Japan from fans and critics alike. The manga has over 35 million copies in circulation, making it one of the
best-selling manga series of all time. In 1980, it received the 26th
Shogakukan Manga Award
The is one of Japan's major manga awards, and is sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga and features candidates from a number of publishers. It is the oldest manga award in Japan, being given since ...
in the ''
shōnen'' category, as well as the 18th
Seiun Award
The is a Japanese speculative fiction award given each year for the best science fiction works and achievements during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by , the awards are given at the annual Japan Science Fiction Convention. ...
for the Best Comic category in 1987.
Plot
An alien race known as the
Oni
An is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. Oni are mostly known for their fierce and evil nature manifested in their propensity for murder and cannibalism. Notwithstanding their evil reputation, oni possess ...
arrive on Earth to invade the planet. Instead of taking over the planet by force, the Oni give humans a chance to fight for the rights to the planet by taking part in a competition. The competition is a variant of the game of
tag (known as "the game of the Oni" in Japanese), in which the human player must touch the horns on the head of the Oni player within one week. The computer-selected human player is
Ataru Moroboshi
is a fictional character and protagonist of Rumiko Takahashi's manga and anime series ''Urusei Yatsura''.
Appearances
In ''Urusei Yatsura''
Ataru is a 17-year-old student at Tomobiki High School, Class 2-4. Born during a major earthquake ...
, a lecherous, unlucky and academically unsuccessful high school student from the fictional in
Nerima
is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The ward refers to itself as Nerima City.
, the ward has an estimated population of 721,858, with 323,296 households and a population density of 15,013 persons per km2, while 15,326 foreign residents are r ...
, Japan, and the Oni player is
Lum, daughter of the leader of the alien invaders. Despite his initial reluctance to take part in the competition, Ataru becomes interested in the game when he meets Lum. When the competition begins, Lum surprises everyone by flying away and Ataru finds himself unable to catch her. Before the last day of the competition, Ataru's girlfriend
Shinobu Miyake
The ''Urusei Yatsura'' manga series features a large ensemble cast of characters created by Rumiko Takahashi. It tells the story of Japanese teenager Ataru Moroboshi, and the alien Lum, who believes she is Ataru's wife after he accidentally pr ...
encourages Ataru by pledging to marry him if he wins. On the final day of the competition, Ataru wins the game by stealing Lum's bikini top, which prevents her from protecting her horns in favor of protecting her modesty. In celebrating his victory, Ataru expresses his joy at being able to get married; however, Lum misinterprets this as a proposal from Ataru and accepts on the competition's worldwide live television broadcast. Despite the misunderstanding, Lum falls in love with Ataru and moves into his house.
Despite Ataru's lack of interest in Lum and attempts to rekindle his relationship with Shinobu, Lum frequently interferes and Shinobu loses interest in Ataru. Still, Ataru's flirtatious nature persists despite Lum's attention. Lum attempts to stop him from flirting, which results in Ataru receiving powerful electric shock attacks from Lum as punishment. Two characteristics of Ataru are particularly strong: his pervertedness and his bad luck that draws to him all bizarre residents of the planet, the spirit world and even the galaxy. Later Lum begins attending the same school as Ataru despite his objections. Lum develops a
fan base
A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant p ...
of admirers among the boys of the school, including
Shutaro Mendo
The ''Urusei Yatsura'' manga series features a large ensemble cast of characters created by Rumiko Takahashi. It tells the story of Japanese teenager Ataru Moroboshi, and the alien Lum, who believes she is Ataru's wife after he accidentally pr ...
, the rich and handsome heir to a large corporation that all the girls from Tomobiki have a crush on. Despite their romantic interest, none of Lum's admirers will risk upsetting Lum by trying to force her and Ataru apart, although this does not stop them from trying to get Ataru punished due to his bad behavior, and interfering every time the two get close.
Production
In 1977, Rumiko Takahashi created the short story ''Those Selfish Aliens'' that was nominated for
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics ( manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.
Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the H ...
's ''Best New Comic Artist'' award. This would serve as the basis for creating ''Urusei Yatsura'' which was first published a year later when Takahashi was 21 years old. The series was her first major work, having previously only published short stories and is a combination of
romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...
,
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
, suburban life, and
Japanese folktales.
"Urusai Yatsura" means "those annoying guys" (or neighbors), and "sei" means star or planet, so Uru**sei** Yatsura is a
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
pun
A pun, also known as paronomasia, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use of homophoni ...
that roughly translates to "Those Obnoxious Aliens".
The series first appeared in Shogakukan's ''
Weekly Shonen Sunday'' in September 1978.
At the start of the series it was only scheduled to run for 5 chapters. Ataru was the central character and each chapter would feature a different strange character. The character of Lum was only going to appear in the first chapter and was not in the second chapter; however, Takahashi decided to re-include her in the third chapter. The series was not an instant success and chapters were initially published sporadically. Between May and September 1978 she simultaneously worked on a series called ''Dust Spot''; however, the increasing popularity of ''Urusei Yatsura'' caused her to focus on ''Urusei'' and the series became a regular serialization from the middle of 1979.
Takahashi said that she had been dreaming about the overall universe of ''Urusei Yatsura'' since she was very young. She said that the series "really includes everything I ever wanted to do. I love science fiction because sci-fi has tremendous flexibility. I adopted the science fiction-style for the series because then I could write any way I wanted to".
[ She wanted the reader to be completely surprised by the next panel and used slapstick comedy to create a reaction in the reader.] When Takahashi ran out of ideas she would create new characters. Takahashi shared a small 150-square-foot apartment with her assistants, and slept in a closet due to a lack of space. While writing ''Urusei Yatsura'' she also began work on ''Maison Ikkoku
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Big Comic Spirits'' from 1980 to 1987, with the chapters collected into 15 ''tankōbon'' volumes. ' ...
'' and used this experience as well as her university experience as the basis for the setting of that series. Character names often carry extra meanings used to describe a characters personality or other traits. For example, the name Ataru Moroboshi refers to being hit by a star, a reference to the aliens and other people who gather around him. The name Shinobu suggests a patient character; however, this in contrast to the character's actual personality.[ In a similar way, the setting for the series is "Tomobiki", which means "friend taking". Tomobiki is also the name of a superstitious day in the old Japanese calendar system considered to have "no winners or losers" and occurred on every sixth day. Funerals rarely took place on this day as it was believed more deaths would soon follow.][ Lum was named after Agnes Lum, a bikini model during the 1970s. Lum's use of the English word "Darling" in reference to Ataru was to emphasize her status as a foreigner, as well as a play on the name Darrin, the husband figure from '' Bewitched''.
The characters of Megane, Perm, Kakugari and Chibi are recurring characters throughout the first anime adaptation; however, in the manga they are nameless fans of Lum who appear less after Mendo is introduced.] In contrast the character Kosuke Shirai plays a large role in the manga, but does not appear in the first anime series. His role is often performed by Perm. The second half of the first anime adaptation is closer to the manga than the first half. In 2022, Takahashi said that ''Urusei Yatsura'' ended because she saw that Shinobu was happy after the character Inaba had been introduced. Takahashi has stated that she will not produce any more content for the series.
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi
is a Japanese manga artist. With a career of several commercially successful works, beginning with '' Urusei Yatsura'' in 1978, Takahashi is one of Japan's best-known and wealthiest manga artists. Her works are popular worldwide, where they have ...
, ''Urusei Yatsura'' began sporadic serialization on September 24, 1978, in that year's 39th issue of Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics ( manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.
Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the H ...
's anthology magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday
is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga magazine published in Japan by Shogakukan since March 1959. Contrary to its title, ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' issues are released on Wednesdays. ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' has sold over 1.8billion copies since 1986, ...
'' until the middle of 1979 when it became a regular serialization. It ended in 1987's eighth issue on February 4, after publishing 366 chapters and almost 6,000 pages. A total of 34 individual volumes with 11 chapters each were released in ''tankōbon
is the Japanese term for a book that is not part of an anthology or corpus. In modern Japanese, the term is most often used in reference to individual volumes of a manga series: most series first appear as individual chapters in a weekly or ...
'' format between 1980 and March 1987. After the tenth anniversary of start of the series, it was printed in 15 '' wideban'' editions between July 1989 and August 1990. Each volume contained around 25 chapters, and were printed on higher-quality paper, with new inserts. A '' bunkoban'' edition of the series was released over 17 volumes between August 1998 and December 1999. Each volume contains forewords by other manga creators discussing the influence the series had on them. A "My First Big" edition was printed between July 2000 and September 2004. This edition was similar to the ''tankōbon'' but used low-quality paper and were sold at a low price. A '' shinsoban'' edition over 34 volumes was released between November 17, 2006, and March 18, 2008. This edition was also similar to the ''tankōbon'' but used new cover artwork and included a section that displayed artwork from current manga artists.
After requests from fans, Viz Media
VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...
licensed the series for release in English across North America under the title of ''Lum * Urusei Yatsura''. Despite a strong start, the series was dropped after 8 issues. The series was then reintroduced in the monthly Viz publication ''Animerica
''Animerica'' was a monthly magazine published by Viz Media
VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ ...
'' and because of the long gap the series was retitled ''The Return of Lum''. To start, chapters were published monthly in ''Animerica''; however, due to reader feedback and an increased popularity of the series it was decided to release it as an individual monthly publication. The English release finished in 1998 and is now out of print. The first 11 volumes of the Japanese release were covered, but several chapters were excluded and a total 9 English volumes of the series were released.
On July 19, 2018, Viz announced that they re-licensed the manga with plans to release it in a 2-in-1 omnibus edition with new translations. Based on the Japanese ''shinsoban'', the first volume was published on February 19, 2019.
Anime
The series was adapted by Kitty Films into an animated television series that aired on Fuji TV
JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network S ...
from October 14, 1981, to March 19, 1986. The first-season episodes would often consist of two fifteen-minute stories per episode, making a total of 194 episodes with 213 stories. The first 106 episodes were directed by Mamoru Oshii
is a Japanese filmmaker, television director and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of acclaimed anime films, including '' Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer'' (1984), ''Angel's Egg'' (1985), ...
and the remainder by Kazuo Yamazaki. Six opening theme songs and nine closing themes were used during the series.
On December 10, 1983, the first VHS release of the series was made available in Japan. The series was also released on fifty LaserDiscs. Another VHS release across fifty cassettes began on March 17, 1998, and concluded on April 19, 2000. Two DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
boxed sets of the series were released between December 8, 2000, and March 9, 2001. These were followed by fifty individual volumes between August 24, 2001, and August 23, 2002. To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the anime a new HD transfer was created and released on Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
in Japan. The first Blu-ray boxed set of the series was released on March 27, 2013, with the fourth box set scheduled for release on March 23, 2014. To promote the Blu-ray, the anime was rebroadcast in high definition on Kids Station Kids Station ( Japanese: キッズステーション, ''Kizzu Sutēshon'') is a Japanese children's television channel showing anime and other cartoon material. Kids Station also airs some anime aimed at teens and adults during the night, such as '' ...
.
During 1992, the series was licensed for a North American release by AnimEigo
AnimEigo is an American entertainment company that licenses and distributes anime, samurai films and Japanese cinema. Founded in 1988 by Robert Woodhead and Roe R. Adams III, the company was one of the first in North America dedicated to lic ...
. Their VHS release began in October of the same year and was among the first anime titles to receive a subtitled North American release. However, the release schedule was erratic. The episodes were also released on LaserDisc in 1993. The first two episodes were released with an English dub on March 29, 1995, as ''Those Obnoxious Aliens''. Anime Projects released the series in the United Kingdom from April 25, 1994. AnimEigo later released the series on DVD. The series was available in box set format as well as individual releases. A total of 10 boxed sets and 50 individual DVDs were released between March 27, 2001, and June 20, 2006. Each DVD and VHS contained Liner notes explaining the cultural references and puns from the series. A fan group known as "Lum's Stormtroopers" convinced the Californian public television station KTEH KTEH may refer to:
* KTEH-LP, a low-power radio station (98.9 FM) licensed to serve Los Molinos, California, United States
* KQEH, a television station (channel 50, virtual 54) licensed to serve San Jose, California, which held the call sign ...
to broadcast subtitled episodes of the series in 1998. AnimeEigo's license later expired, and has confirmed that the series is out of print as of September 2011. An improvisational dub of the first and third episodes was broadcast on BBC Choice
BBC Choice was a British digital television channel which was owned by the BBC and was launched on 23 September 1998. It was the first British TV channel to broadcast exclusively in digital format, as well as the BBC's second non-analogue-terres ...
in 2000 as part of a "Japan Night" special as ''Lum the Invader Girl''. During their panel at Otakon 2022, Discotek Media
Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series.
Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...
announced that they licensed the anime series.
On January 1, 2022, a second television series adaptation was announced and premiered on Fuji TV's Noitamina
is a Japanese programming block on Fuji TV devoted to anime, originally broadcast every Thursday late night/Friday morning from 00:45 to 1:15. It was launched with the intention of expanding the target audience beyond the typical young male dem ...
programming block on October 14, 2022. The series is produced by David Production
is a Japanese animation studio founded in September 2007 and is based in Nishitōkyō, Tokyo. Notable works from the studio include ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', '' Cells at Work!'', and ''Fire Force''.
Establishment
The company was founded b ...
and directed by Hideya Takahashi and Yasuhiro Kimura, with scripts written by Yūko Kakihara, character designs by Naoyuki Asano, Takahiro Komei serving as series director and Masaru Yokoyama
is a Japanese composer and arranger, known for his work on television dramas and anime series.
Biography
Yokoyama was born in Nagano Prefecture. He started to take piano lessons at the age of three, taught by his aunt who is an alumna of Kunit ...
composing the music. The series was ordered for 46 episodes of four cours, with the first two-cour season set for broadcast. Sentai Filmworks
Sentai Filmworks, LLC or just Sentai, is an American entertainment company owned by AMC Networks. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is S ...
has licensed the series in North America, Europe, Oceania, and selected Latin American and Asian territories.
Films
During the television run of the first series, four theatrical films were produced. '' Urusei Yatsura: Only You'' was directed by Mamoru Oshii
is a Japanese filmmaker, television director and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of acclaimed anime films, including '' Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer'' (1984), ''Angel's Egg'' (1985), ...
and began showing in Japanese cinemas on February 11, 1983. '' Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer'' was directed by Mamoru Oshii and was released on February 11, 1984. ''Urusei Yatsura 3: Remember My Love'' was directed by Kazuo Yamazaki and released on January 26, 1985. ''Urusei Yatsura 4: Lum the Forever'' was directed again by Kazuo Yamazaki and released on February 22, 1986.
After the conclusion of the first television series, two more films were produced. A year after the television series finished, ''Urusei Yatsura: The Final Chapter'' was directed by Satoshi Dezaki
is an anime director, producer, and screenwriter. After graduating from Tokyo Metropolitan North High School, he attended Hosei University. His younger brother was the late anime director Osamu Dezaki.
Brief history
Dezaki was born in Tokyo, J ...
and was released on February 6, 1988, as a tenth-anniversary celebration. It was shown as a double bill with a ''Maison Ikkoku
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Big Comic Spirits'' from 1980 to 1987, with the chapters collected into 15 ''tankōbon'' volumes. ' ...
'' film. The final film, ''Urusei Yatsura: Always My Darling'', was directed by Katsuhisa Yamada and was released on August 18, 1991. In North America, ''Beautiful Dreamer'' was released by Central Park Media. The remaining five films were released by AnimEigo in North America and MVM Films
MVM Entertainment, also known as MVM and MVM Films, is a British licensor and distributor of Japanese animation. The company also sub-licenses anime titles from US anime companies such as Media Blasters, Geneon, Nozomi Entertainment, Urban Visio ...
in the United Kingdom.[ After re-releasing ''Beautiful Dreamer'' in North America in 2018, ]Discotek Media
Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series.
Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...
acquired the rights to the other five films in 2020.
OVA releases
On September 24, 1985, the special ''Ryoko's September Tea Party'' was released consisting of a mixture of previously broadcast footage with 15 minutes of new material. A year later on September 15, 1986, ''Memorial Album'' was released, mixing new and old footage. On July 18, 1987, the TV special ''Inaba the Dreammaker'' was broadcast before being released to video. It was followed by ''Raging Sherbet'' on December 2, 1988, and by ''Nagisa's Fiancé'' four days later on December 8. ''The Electric Household Guard'' was released on August 21, 1989, and followed by ''I Howl at the Moon'' on September 1. They were followed by ''Goat and Cheese'' on December 21 and ''Catch the Heart'' on December 27, 1989. Finally, ''Terror of Girly-Eyes Measles'' and ''Date with a Spirit'' were released on June 21, 1991. The OVAs were released in North America by AnimEigo
AnimEigo is an American entertainment company that licenses and distributes anime, samurai films and Japanese cinema. Founded in 1988 by Robert Woodhead and Roe R. Adams III, the company was one of the first in North America dedicated to lic ...
who released them individually over six discs.[ In the UK they were released as a three-disc collection by MVM on September 6, 2004.
On December 23, 2008, a special was shown at the ''It's a Rumic World'' exhibition of Rumiko Takahashi's works. Entitled ''The Obstacle Course Swim Meet'', it was the first animated content for the series in 17 years. On January 29, 2010, a boxed set was released featuring all of the recent Rumiko Takahashi specials from the Rumic World exhibition. Entitled ''It's a Rumic World'', the boxed set contains ''The Obstacle Course Swim'' as well as a figure of Lum.
]
Video games
Many video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedbac ...
have been produced based on the series. The first game to be released was a handheld electronic game
Handheld electronic games are very small, portable devices for playing interactive electronic games, often miniaturized versions of video games. The controls, display and speakers are all part of a single unit. Rather than a general-purpose ...
, released by Bandai
is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...
in 1982. Following it were microcomputer games, as well as , which was released by Jaleco for the Famicom
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redes ...
on October 23, 1986, exclusively in Japan. The latter was developed by Tose
() (also called Tose Software) is a Japanese video game development company based in Kyoto. It is mostly known for developing Nintendo's Game & Watch ports and remakes#Game & Watch Gallery series, ''Game & Watch Gallery'' series, various ''Drago ...
as a port of the unrelated arcade game '' Momoko 120%''. In 1987, ''Urusei Yatsura'' was released by Micro Cabin for the Fujitsu FM-7
The FM-7 ("Fujitsu Micro 7") is a home computer created by Fujitsu. It was first released in 1982 and was sold in Japan and Spain. It is a stripped-down version of Fujitsu's earlier FM-8 computer, and during development it was referred to as th ...
and was released for the MSX computer.
was released by Hudson Soft for the PC Engine CD
The TurboGrafx-16, known as the outside North America, is a home video game console designed by Hudson Soft and sold by NEC Home Electronics. It was the first console marketed in the fourth generation, commonly known as the 16-bit era, though ...
on June 29, 1990, with an optional music CD available. It was rated 25.78 out of 30 by ''PC Engine Fan
PC Engine Fan was a Japanese magazine dedicated to the PC Engine, published by Tokuma Shoten. It ran from 1988 to 1996.
History
The first issue of ''PC Engine Fan'' was published in late 1988. The magazine originated as a section in ''Family Compu ...
'' magazine. was released by Yanoman for the Nintendo Game Boy
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same t ...
on July 3, 1992. was released by Game Arts
is a Japan, Japanese video game developer, developer and video game publisher, publisher of video games located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda, Tokyo. Originally established in 1985 as a computer software company, it expanded into producing for a nu ...
for the Sega Mega-CD
The Sega CD, released as the in most regions outside North America and Brazil, is a CD-ROM accessory for the Sega Genesis produced by Sega as part of the fourth generation of video game consoles. It was released on December 12, 1991, in Japan, ...
on April 15, 1994. was released for the Nintendo DS by Marvelous on October 20, 2005.
Other media
A large number of LP albums were released after the series began broadcasting. The first soundtrack album was ''Music Capsule'', which was released on April 21, 1982, and a follow-up, ''Music Capsule 2'', was released on September 21, 1983. A compilation, ''The Hit Parade'', was released in July 1983, and ''The Hit Parade 2'' was released on May 25, 1985. A cover album by Yuko Matsutani Yuko may refer to:
* Yuko (judo) (''yūkō''), a score in judo competition
* Yuko (Ukrainian band), a Ukrainian band
* Yūko, a Japanese female given name (including a list of persons with the name)
* Yuko, a Belgian band
* Yuko people
Yukpa is ...
, ''Yuko Matsutani Songbook'', was released on May 21, 1984. Lum's voice actress Fumi Hirano
is a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and essayist who voiced Lum in the anime series ''Urusei Yatsura''.
Fumi attended Tamagawa University in Machida, Tokyo where she graduated with a degree in Theatre from the Department of Fine Art ...
also released a cover album, ''Fumi no Lum Song'', which was released on September 21, 1985.
Two books collecting all of Takahashi's color artwork from the series were released under the title ''Urusei Yatsura: Perfect Color Edition''. Both books were released on January 18, 2016, and include a new interview with Takahashi.
Reception
''Urusei Yatsura'' won the 26th Shogakukan Manga Award
The is one of Japan's major manga awards, and is sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga and features candidates from a number of publishers. It is the oldest manga award in Japan, being given since ...
in the '' shōnen'' category in 1980. The manga was awarded the 18th Seiun Award
The is a Japanese speculative fiction award given each year for the best science fiction works and achievements during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by , the awards are given at the annual Japan Science Fiction Convention. ...
for Best Comic category in 1987. ''Urusei Yatsura'' has over 35 million copies in circulation. In 1985, the franchise generated () in merchandise sales.
In '' Manga: The Complete Guide'', Jason Thompson referred to ''Urusei Yatsura'' as "A slapstick combination of sci-fi, fairy-tale and ghost-story elements with plenty of cute girls." He also noted that Lum is "the original otaku
is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in '' Manga Burikko''. may be used as a pejorat ...
dream girl." He awarded the series four stars out of four. Graham Higgins
Graham Higgins (born 1953) is a British writer and artist, designer and lecturer.
Biography
Higgins' association with comics began with independent publishers Birmingham's Ar-Zak Press and Knockabout Comics. He has drawn cartoons and covers for ...
of ''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' praised the series. He further wrote that the experience of reading ''Urusei Yatsura'' is "a bit like channel-hopping between '' The Outer Limits'', '' Neighbours'', and '' Star Trek''." In an interview with Ex.org, Fred Schodt
Frederik L. Schodt (born January 22, 1950) is an American translator, interpreter and writer.
Biography
Schodt's father was in the US foreign service, and he grew up in Norway, Australia, and Japan. The family first went to Japan in 1965 wh ...
expressed surprise at the popularity of the original English release of the manga as he believed the cultural differences would be a problem. Reviewing the 2019 English release of the manga, Arpad Lep of ''Comics Beat
Heidi MacDonald (born November 15) is a writer and editor in the field of comic books based in New York City. She runs the comics industry news blog '' The Beat''.
Career
MacDonald is a former editor for DC Comics' Vertigo imprint and '' Disney ...
'' called ''Urusei Yatsura'' an impressive, essential debut by a living legend of comics, where "many themes and archetypes integral to her whole body of writing emerge already very well-developed." He compared its story to those by Shigeru Mizuki
was a Japanese manga artist and historian, best known for his manga series ''GeGeGe no Kitarō''. Born in a hospital in Osaka and raised in the city of Sakaiminato, Tottori, he later moved to Chōfu, Tokyo where he remained until his death ...
and its art, which he had strong praise for and noted gets better in just the first two volumes alone, to that of Go Nagai
, better known by the pen name , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with ''Meakashi Polikichi'', but is best known for creating popular 1970s ...
. Lep said Takahashi nails the many gags and physical comedy, with the series' stability from the never-changing sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...
elements of "Disappointed parents. Put-upon girlfriend. Insatiable yokai. Weird uncle. And our hero, a total loser" being fun and always staying fresh.
''RightStuf
Right Stuf Inc. (formerly known as The Right Stuf International Inc.) is an American video publisher and distributor of video programming that specializes in Asian entertainment (anime and live action films). The company since 2022 is owned by ...
'' wrote that Takahashi excels at creating characters who play off of each other perfectly and ''Urusei Yatsura''s normally "calm ndinnocent", but hot-tempered, Lum serves as a wonderful foil
Foil may refer to:
Materials
* Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine
* Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal
* Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food
* Tin foil, metal foil ...
to the "idiotic, lecherous, and lazy" Ataru. Nick Benefield of ''Operation Rainfall
Operation Rainfall, commonly known as oprainfall, was a video game-oriented fan campaign founded to promote the release of games not available in North America. Initially aimed at promoting the North American release of three games on the aging ...
'' enjoyed that each chapter stands on its own and can largely be read in any order, as well as the manga's "heavy-handed usage" of puns, visual gags, and parodies of other works. He took issue with some of Viz's English translation decisions, not enjoying the amount of American slang used and feeling that terms such as "Oni" and "Karasutengu" should have been left untranslated, but acknowledged its improvement over their original 1990s translation. In a critical review of the first volume, Elias Rosner of ''Multiversity Comics'' praised her clear artwork, facial expressions and comedic timing for slapstick comedy, and stated "In spite of Takahashi’s always lively artwork and sharp eye for slapstick, ''Urusei Yatsura'' is not for everyone. Volume 1 does a brilliant job of introducing the absurdity of the world and the endearing obnoxiousness of its characters. Considering this work debuted over 40 years ago, the ways in which it has remained strong should be commended and fans of Takahashi’s works will enjoy seeing her journey as a storyteller, which has only begun in here".
Influence and legacy
The series has been credited by Jonathan Clements in ''Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime and Manga Trade'' as influencing multiple other "geek gets girl" works including ''Tenchi Muyo!
is a Japanese anime, light novel and manga franchise. The original series began with a six-episode OVA called created by Masaki Kajishima and directed by Hiroki Hayashi, and released in Japan on September 25, 1992. The series was ...
'' and ''Love Hina
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ken Akamatsu. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from October 1998 to October 2001, with the chapters collected into 14 ''tankōbon'' volumes by Kodansha. The ...
''. Tokyo Movie Shinsha
, formerly known as the , also known as or , is a Japanese animation studio established on October 22, 1946.
TMS is one of the oldest and most famous anime studios in Japan, best known for numerous anime franchises such as ''Lupin the Third'', ...
produced the series ''Galaxy High School
is a science fiction animated series that premiered on September 13, 1986 on CBS and ran for 13 episodes until December 6, 1986. The series was created by Chris Columbus and featured music and a theme song composed by Don Felder. The series wa ...
'' for CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
as an attempt to create a similar series for the American market. The school scenario is reversed to be based around humans attending a high school for aliens.
In 1992, the singer Matthew Sweet
Sidney Matthew Sweet (born October 6, 1964) is an American alternative rock/power pop singer-songwriter and musician who was part of the burgeoning music scene in Athens, Georgia, during the 1980s before gaining commercial success in the 1990 ...
released the single "I've Been Waiting", the video of which features images of Lum from the series. Lum also makes smaller appearances in his videos for "The Ugly Truth", as a keychain and "Sick of Myself", in a framed picture on his wall. In 1993, a band
The A Band are a British musical collective formed in Nottingham in the late 1980s. In 2005, The Wire compared the band's importance to that of AMM and SME, and noted their lack of musical training.
The line-up of the group has never been f ...
from Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
formed under the name "Urusei Yatsura" as a tribute. On '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', anime references were frequently added as in-jokes and homages by Senior Illustrator Rick Sternbach. In the episode "Up the Long Ladder
"Up the Long Ladder" is the eighteenth episode of the second season of the syndicated American science fiction television show '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', the 44th episode overall, first broadcast on May 22, 1989.
Set in the 24th ...
", two ships named ''Urusei Yatsura'' and ''Tomobiki'' can be seen on a graphical display. Another reference appears in the episode "The Icarus Factor
"The Icarus Factor" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. It is the 40th episode overall, first broadcast on April 24, 1989.
Set in the 24th ce ...
" where William Riker and his father have an Anbo-Jitsu
The fictional '' Star Trek'' universe includes a variety of sports, games and other pastimes. Some of these fictional recreational activities are closely associated with one race, although they may have gained adherents from other backgrounds. Oth ...
match, a fictional futuristic sightless sport that takes place in a ring where each fighter uses a stick to attack the other. Japanese characters featured on the costumes and set of this scene are references to the main characters of Urusei Yatsura. Lum and Ten make a cameo as passing pedestrians in one panel of the first issue of Futurama Comics
''Futurama Comics'' is a comic book series based on the television show ''Futurama'' published by Bongo Comics. It has been published bi-monthly in the United States since November 2000 (apart from a brief break for the crossover). It has been p ...
.
A life-size bronze statue of Lum was erected at Ōizumi-gakuen Station
is a railway station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line in Nerima, Tokyo, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Seibu Railway.
Lines
Ōizumi-gakuen Station is served by the Seibu Ikebukuro Line from in Tokyo, with some services inter-runni ...
in 2015. On 5 August 2000, the now defunct BBC Choice
BBC Choice was a British digital television channel which was owned by the BBC and was launched on 23 September 1998. It was the first British TV channel to broadcast exclusively in digital format, as well as the BBC's second non-analogue-terres ...
channel made a dub of 2 spared episodes that featured the voice talents of comedian Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Britain'' (2003–2006, 2020) and '' Come Fl ...
as Ataru and Anna Friel
Anna Louise Friel (born 12 July 1976) is an English actress. Born in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, she has been acting professionally since age 13. Friel achieved fame with her portrayal of Beth Jordache on the British soap opera '' Brookside'' ...
as Lum for a weekend block dedicated to Japan-themed programming, Japan TV. The dub itself was later repeated on the following night. In 2019, Tokyo Gas
, founded in 1885, is the primary provider of natural gas to the main cities of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Yamanashi, and Nagano. , Tokyo Gas is the largest natural gas utility in Japan.
Timeline
*October 1, ...
released a series of commercials parodying ''Urusei Yatsura'', featuring Kyoko Fukada
is a very common feminine Japanese given name. Not to be confused with Kiyoko.
Possible writings
The final syllable "ko" is typically written with the kanji character for child, 子. It is a common suffix to female names in Japan.
The first s ...
as Lum and Shin Terada as Ten.
Use of Japanese culture
The series is considered an excellent source for references to Japanese culture and mythology. The manga makes heavy use of Japanese literature, folklore, history and pop culture. Examples of literature and folklore include '' The Tale of Genji'' and Urashima Tarō
is the protagonist of a Japanese fairy tale (''otogi banashi''), who in a typical modern version is a fisherman rewarded for rescuing a turtle, and carried on its back to the Dragon Palace (Ryūgū-jō) beneath the sea. There he is entertained ...
. Many of the characters in the series are derived from mythological creatures. In some cases the creatures themselves appeared, and in other cases a character was designed to incorporate the characteristics of a mythological creature.
Stories and situations made use of these mythological elements to create jokes and draw comparisons with the original mythology. For example, the Oni choose tag to decide their contest with Earth because the Japanese word for Tag, ''Onigokko'', means "game of the Oni". When Ataru grabs Lum's horns during their contest and she misunderstands his statement that he can get married, it is a reference to the myth that grabbing the horns of an Oni will make your dream come true.[
]
See also
*
References
External links
''Urusei Yatsura'' manga at Viz Media
''Urusei Yatsura'' anime at Studio Pierrot
*
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