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Urusei Yatsura is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from September 1978 to February 1987. Its 366 individual chapters were collected in 34 ''tankōbon'' volum ...
''
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
series features a large ensemble cast of characters created by
Rumiko Takahashi is a Japanese manga artist. With a career of several commercially successful works, beginning with ''Urusei Yatsura'' in 1978, she is one of Japan's best-known and wealthiest manga artists. Her works are known worldwide, where they have been tra ...
. It tells the story of Japanese teenager Ataru Moroboshi, and the alien Lum, who believes she is Ataru's wife after he accidentally proposes to her. The series contains many other characters, whose unusual characteristics and eccentric personalities drive most of the stories. In addition to
extraterrestrials Extraterrestrial life, or alien life (colloquially, aliens), is life that originates from another world rather than on Earth. No extraterrestrial life has yet been scientifically conclusively detected. Such life might range from simple forms ...
, it includes many appearances from figures in
Japanese mythology Japanese mythology is a collection of traditional stories, folktales, and beliefs that emerged in the islands of the Japanese archipelago. Shinto traditions are the cornerstones of Japanese mythology. The history of thousands of years of contac ...
and
history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
.


Main characters


Ataru Moroboshi

is the main
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
of the series. A 17-year-old lazy student at Tomobiki High School, Class 2–4, Ataru suffers from an incredible amount of bad luck, having been born on
Friday the 13th Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day in Western superstition. It occurs when the 13th day of the month in the Gregorian calendar falls on a Friday, which happens at least once every year but can occur up to three times in the same year ...
, during a major earthquake, and '' Butsumetsu'', the unluckiest day of the
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
calendar. Thanks to this lack of good fortune, his triumph in the game of tag that saves Earth from an Oni invasion turns into a defeat for him. His victory statement, intended to confirm his girlfriend Shinobu's promise to marry him if he won, is misinterpreted by Lum to be a marriage proposal. Much to his chagrin, she accepts. Lum's arrival strains Ataru's relationship with Shinobu. But Ataru has always been very lecherous. His main goal in life is to live in the center of a harem composed of exotic and beautiful women, including Lum and most of her alien friends. Usually, he just walks up to a woman he has never met before and asks for her name, phone number, and address. If Lum, who now views him as her husband, should witness these usually futile flirting efforts, she regularly zaps him with massive quantities of electricity, but they do nothing to slow him down. Ataru may come across as academically unaccomplished and unwilling to make an effort, but he is actually quite intelligent, able to manipulate situations to his advantage. Though he often tries to escape from Lum and openly flirts with other women, he begins to truly love Lum, while steadfastily refusing to admit it.


Lum

is the female protagonist of the series. She is a beautiful
Oni An ( ) is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. They are believed to live in caves or deep in the mountains or in hell. Oni are known for their superhuman strength and have been associated with powers like th ...
(translated in English as "
ogre An ogre (feminine: ogress) is a legendary monster depicted as a large, hideous, man-like being that eats ordinary human beings, especially infants and children. Ogres frequently feature in mythology, folklore, and fiction throughout the world ...
") alien who is capable of flying and generating electrical shocks and even lightning (resembling the thunder god
Raijin , also known as , , , , and Kamowakeikazuchi-no-kami is a god of lightning, thunder, and Storm, storms in Japanese mythology and the Shinto and Buddhism, Buddhist religion. He is typically depicted with fierce and aggressive facial expressions ...
). She is usually seen wearing her signature outfit of a tiger-striped
bikini A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit primarily worn by women that features one piece on top that covers the breasts, and a second piece on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but usually exposing the navel, and the back generally covering ...
and knee-high go-go boots. As an alien she has access to many bizarre gadgets whose use she does not always understand completely, often leading to comic results. After misinterpreting Ataru's words as a marriage proposal, Lum quickly agrees to marry the human. When Ataru unwittingly racks up an insurmountable amount of debt to an alien taxi driver who starts plundering oil from all over Earth, Lum agrees to pay off the debt in exchange for being allowed to live at the Moroboshi house. Although she is extremely popular with men, Lum's only dream in life is to be with Ataru, whom she calls her "Darling". If her and Ataru get into a fight, Lum may retreat to her spaceship that she keeps above the Moroboshi home. While generally good-natured, sweet, faithful, and innocent, Lum also has a very hot temper that is usually directed at Ataru when he leches on other women. She has a unique way of speaking, similar to that of young Japanese girls who are trying to be overly cute.


Humans


Shinobu Miyake

is Ataru's childhood friend and classmate. At the beginning of the series she is also Ataru's girlfriend, but Lum's arrival strains the relationship. Shinobu claims that if Ataru wins the game of tag, she would marry him, which encourages Ataru to win, but his victory cry leads to a misunderstanding where Lum agrees to marry him. Shinobu is a neat, sweet and petite young lady. Despite these feminine characteristics, she often displays super-human strength, able to easily throw the school desks or any other large/heavy object as needed; however, this strength tends to only show itself in anger involving either Lum or Ataru. When
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 ...
arrives at their school, Shinobu, like all the other girls in class, develops a crush on him at first sight. This causes her to question her feelings for Ataru, and turns the
love triangle A love triangle is a scenario or circumstance, usually depicted as a rivalry, in which two people are pursuing or involved in a romantic relationship with one person, or in which one person in a romantic relationship with someone is simultaneo ...
of her, Ataru and Lum, into a four-way entanglement. As the series progresses, however, Shinobu gives up on both Ataru and Shutaro and ends up meeting Inaba, whom she eventually goes steady with. She is voiced by
Saeko Shimazu is a Japanese actress, Voice acting in Japan, voice actress and narrator from Isehara, Kanagawa, Isehara. Shimazu is notable for having had voice roles in all four of the major anime television series based on the works of Rumiko Takahashi - she ...
(first series) and
Maaya Uchida is a Japanese actress and singer who works for I'm Enterprise. She won the Best Rookie Actress Award at the 8th Seiyu Awards. She is best known for her roles such as Fischl in ''Genshin Impact'', Rikka Takanashi in ''Love, Chunibyo & Other De ...
(second series) in Japanese, and Katherine Burten (''Those Obnoxious Aliens''), Danielle Sullivan (first series), Jeannette Ann Wallace (second movie) and Cat Thomas (second series) in English.


Shutaro Mendo

is heir to the Mendo conglomerate with staggering wealth and its own private
army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
. Upon his transfer to Tomobiki High, he and Ataru immediately become enemies. Although very handsome, charming, and intelligent, on occasions Mendo succumbs to lechery and resembles Ataru, just more respectful and sophisticated in his approach. The two are much more alike than either would like to admit. Shutaro takes his role as heir to the vast Mendo fortune extremely seriously. A descendant of a
samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
family, Shutaro often carries a
katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...
with him, which at any moment could be flying at Ataru's face. He has a team of men in sunglasses who act as his personal retainers. Mendo is fond of octopuses and keeps a large number of them as loyal pets. He has a sibling rivalry with his younger sister, Ryoko. Mendo is
narcissistic Narcissism is a self-centered personality style characterized as having an excessive preoccupation with oneself and one's own needs, often at the expense of others. Narcissism, named after the Greek mythological figure ''Narcissus'', has evolv ...
, overly dramatic,
claustrophobic Claustrophobia is a fear of confined spaces. It is triggered by many situations or stimuli, including elevators, especially when crowded to capacity, windowless rooms, and hotel rooms with closed doors and sealed windows. Even bedrooms with a l ...
and afraid of the dark. But due to his vanity, his phobias incredibly disappear when a girl can see him. Ataru often plays on Mendo's fears by putting a large bell over him, forming a dark enclosed area where a girl can not see him. However, this has resulted in him breaking these bells out of sheer terror. The girls at school have formed a
fan club A fan club is an organized group of fans, generally of a celebrity. Most fan clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to support them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the pers ...
for Mendo and they will do anything to protect him. Though Shinobu is the closest thing he has to a girlfriend, Mendo has feelings for Lum, tolerating Ataru's presence in order to be close to her. He is voiced by
Akira Kamiya is a Japanese voice actor. He played several notable roles in Japanese manga and anime television series, including Kenshiro in ''Fist of the North Star'', Ryo Saeba in '' City Hunter'', Shutaro Mendo in ''Urusei Yatsura'' and Kogoro Mori (fir ...
(first series) and
Mamoru Miyano is a Japanese actor and singer. He is best known for his roles in ''Death Note'', ''Steins;Gate'', ''Mobile Suit Gundam 00'', '' Durarara!!'', '' Soul Eater'', ''Wolf's Rain'', '' Ouran High School Host Club'', '' Ajin: Demi-Human'', '' Fullmeta ...
(second series) in Japanese, and by Robert Rogan, Russell Wait (Animax), Brian Hudson, Vinnie Penna in various English dubs, and Jack Stansbury (second series).


Cherry

is a wandering Buddhist
monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
who often appears out of nowhere predicting doom for Ataru. In the anime, his arrival is followed immediately by a large explosion (which can be merely comedic or causing actual damage to the area). His real name is , which literally means "cherry" in Japanese. But because the
kanji are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are ...
can be read to mean "deranged monk," a phrase that is quite accurate in describing him, he prefers to be called by the English word as he thinks that the monastic life is very similar to a cherry "sweet outside and all core inside". Cherry has amazing spiritual powers, but does not always seem to be in complete control of them. His ugly face and very short stature are frequently used for comedic effect, or even as a defense against attackers. Cherry has made a vow of
asceticism Asceticism is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures through self-discipline, self-imposed poverty, and simple living, often for the purpose of pursuing Spirituality, spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world ...
, living in a tent in an empty lot not far from Ataru's house. However, his vow apparently does not apply to food, as he is exceedingly gluttonous, and often offers his services in exchange for a free meal (or simply blatantly eating other's food despite not planning to help with anything). Cherry is voiced by Ichiro Nagai (first series) and
Wataru Takagi is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Chiba Prefecture. He is affiliated with Arts Vision. He is best known for his roles in ''One Piece'' (as Bellamy), ''Bleach'' (as Ganju Shiba), ''Detective Conan'' (as Genta Kojima and Wataru Takagi) ...
(second series) in Japanese, and by Eric Paisley (''Those Obnoxious Aliens'') and
John Swasey John Allan Swasey is an American voice actor, ADR director, and screenwriter. He has provided voices for English-language versions of Japanese anime series and video games. His most notable roles include Gendo Ikari in the '' Rebuild of Evan ...
(second series) in English.


Sakura

is a
Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...
priestess or ''
miko A , or shrine maiden,Groemer, 28. is a young priestess who works at a Shinto shrine. were once likely seen as Shamanism, shamans,Picken, 140. but are understood in modern Japanese culture to be an institutionalized role in daily life, trained ...
'', who also makes a living as the school nurse at Tomobiki High. She first appears as a sickly young woman who offers to exorcise Ataru's evil spirits. During the process the spirits who inhabit her transfer themselves to the unlucky young man, rendering her perfectly healthy. Soon afterward, she takes the job as Tomobiki High's school nurse. Her mother is Cherry's younger twin sister, but unlike them, Sakura is tall, slender and physically attractive. This causes her an incredible number of problems; from the lecherous boys of the school, to even hordes of demons, her beauty draws a lot of unwanted attention. She is engaged to who studied sorcery in the West, although he is not particularly good at it. Like her uncle, Sakura possesses an unbelievably enormous appetite, which sometimes see them get into fights over food. Sakura is extremely powerful and can summon foul and baleful creatures from Japanese folklore, by virtue of her mystical training. Voiced by
Machiko Washio is a Japanese actress who works in both live action as well as voice over work for anime. She is known as the voice of Sakura in ''Urusei Yatsura''. Filmography Live action films *'' The Red Spectacles'' (1987) (Midori Washio) *''The Black Hou ...
(first series) and
Miyuki Sawashiro is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator. She has played voice roles in a number of Japanese anime/games including ''Beelzebub'', Bishamon in '' Noragami'', Petit Charat/Puchiko in '' Di Gi Charat'', Mint in '' Galaxy Angel'', Sinon in ...
(second series) in Japanese, and by Karen McIntyre (films) and Brianna Roberts (second series) in English.


Ryunosuke Fujinami

, nicknamed , is a female student at Tomobiki High who has been raised as a boy by her eccentric father. Wanting a male heir to take over the family's beach cafe, Ryunosuke's father gave her a masculine name and raised her as a boy her whole life. Although Ryunosuke is interested in living like a girl, her father does everything he can to prevent this and denies her the chance to even try on female clothing. As such she wears the male student uniform at school, and is often treated as male. Ryunosuke is kind, but has been raised to fight and is constantly antagonized by her father into destructive fights, one of which results in the family cafe being destroyed. The two move to Tomobiki and move into the high school, which Ryunosuke attends while her father runs the school shop. Members of both sexes are attracted to Ryunosuke; for example, she receives more
Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...
cards than even Mendo, due to getting them from boys and girls alike. She is quite sensitive about being called a boy, and will do almost anything to convince the unknowing person that she is in fact a girl; often when this happens, her father will suddenly show up just to interfere and keep them believing that she is a boy. Ryunosuke's greatest desire is to behave appropriately for her gender, but she had no female role models growing up and therefore does not really know what that entails. Exacerbating this is the fact that Ryunosuke's father has often lied to her to suit his own desires, and she never had any reason not to believe him. But since associating with people other than her father, she is learning that many things he said were lies, and now knows better than to believe him. About the only thing he can consistently trick her with is information about her mother, of which he never really reveals anything, using it as yet another way to trick or just make fun of Ryunosuke. Late in the series, Ryunosuke encounters the ghosts of her father's friend and his son, Nagisa, whom it had been decided would marry Ryunosuke. Events happen and Nagisa gets brought back to life. However, he has the same, though reversed, quirk in his upbringing as Ryunosuke: he was raised as a girl, and as such acts like and dresses as a girl. Despite this, he is even stronger than Ryunosuke, which she doesn't really like. As things happen, he ends up moving in with Ryunosuke and her father. ''
Animerica ''Animerica'' was a monthly magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), ...
'' cited the gender-bending Ryunosuke as a prototype for Ukyo Kuonji in Takahashi's later series ''
Ranma ½ is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from August 1987 to March 1996, with the chapters collected in 38 volumes by Shogakukan. The story revolves a ...
''. Ryunosuke is voiced by
Mayumi Tanaka (born January 15, 1955) is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator. She voiced Monkey D. Luffy in '' One Piece''; Krillin, Yajirobe and Uranai Baba in '' Dragon Ball; Ryunosuke Fujinami in '' Urusei Yatsura; Koenma in '' Yu Yu Hakus ...
(first series) and
Ayahi Takagaki is a Japanese actress and singer. She had her first major voice acting roles in 2007, voicing Jasmine in ''Deltora Quest (anime), Deltora Quest'' and Lucia Nahashi in ''Venus Versus Virus''. Her career as a musician began with her performance o ...
(second series) in Japanese, and by Morgan Jarrett in English.


Hot Springs Emblem

is the homeroom teacher of Ataru's class at Tomobiki High. A middle-aged man, his only interest is to teach, but he fails due to the constant interruptions during class. His nickname literally translates to "''
onsen In Japan, are hot springs and the bathing facilities and Ryokan (inn), traditional inns around them. There are approximately 25,000 hot spring sources throughout Japan, and approximately 3,000 ''onsen'' establishments use naturally hot water ...
'' mark", a reference to the Japanese symbol that represents
hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...
s which is printed all over his clothing (in the anime, the symbol is only on his tie and the back of his jacket). Early in the series, he claims to have a wife and children. In the anime, he lives the life of a loser, residing in a
flophouse A flophouse (American English) or doss-house (British English) is a place that has very low-cost lodging, providing space to sleep and minimal amenities. Characteristics Historically, flophouses, or British "doss-houses", have been used for ove ...
apartment, with an unrequited love for Sakura. He is voiced by Michihiro Ikemizu (first series) and
Kenta Miyake is a Japanese voice actor and narrator. He is affiliated with 81 Produce. Biography Miyake wanted to become a voice actor after admiring an actress. After attending the Amusement Media Research Institute and joining 81 Produce, he replaced se ...
(second series) in Japanese, and by Bradley Evans (public TV and movies 3–6), Sean Barret (BBC 3), T. Roy Barnes (movie 2), and
David Wald David Wald is an American voice actor who voices in English dubs of Japanese anime. Some of his major roles include: Gajeel Redfox in ''Fairy Tail'', Hannes in ''Attack on Titan'', Bulat in ''Akame ga Kill!'', and Master Chief in ''Halo Legen ...
(second series) in English.


Aliens


Benten

is a member of the Fukujin alien clan and a childhood friend of Lum, Oyuki, and Ran, whom she attended elementary school with. Benten is a "space biker chick" who wears a plate-mail bikini, rides around the sky on an airbike, and carries a high-tech bazooka. Her clan and Lum's Oni clan hold an annual battle on their home planet during its spring equinox. Aside from being a good hand-to-hand fighter and having the aforementioned bazooka, she appears to have no special powers. As children, Benten and Lum often instigated trouble that usually resulted in Ran getting hurt. Her character is named after
Benzaiten is an East Asian Buddhism, East Asian Buddhist Dharmapala, goddess who originated from the Hindu Saraswati, the patroness of speech, the arts, and learning. Worship of Benzaiten arrived in Japan during the sixth through eighth centuries, mai ...
, the
Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...
goddess of knowledge, art, and beauty.


Oyuki

is the queen of
Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is the List of Solar System objects by size, fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 t ...
, a frozen, snowy planet populated entirely by women, as most of the men go off to find work. She is a childhood friend of Lum, Benten, and Ran, whom she attended elementary school with. Of the four of them she is the only one who was never in trouble, due to her cool level-headedness, she would decline to take part. Oyuki is clearly patterned after the ''
yuki-onna is a spirit or yōkai in Japanese folklore that is often depicted in Japanese literature, films, or animation. She may also go by such names as ''yuki-musume'', cited by (雪娘, "snow daughter"), ''yukihime'' (雪姫, "snow princess"), ''yuki- ...
'' (literally "snow woman") of Japanese folklore, having the power to control and create ice, snow, and extreme cold. She uses fourth-dimensional passages to travel or send items through. Typically dressed in a long, elegant
kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn Garment collars in hanfu#Youren (right lapel), left side wrapped over ri ...
, she is soft-spoken, regal in demeanor and very slow to show anger. Ran seems able to feel Oyuki's anger, real or imagined, though she is never believed by others when she shows fear about it. She is voiced by
Noriko Ohara , née Ohara, better known by her stage name , was a Japanese actress and narrator. Career She was previously represented by Aoni Production, then Production Baobab, but was later freelance. She is best known for the roles of Nobita Nobi ...
(first series) and
Saori Hayami is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with I'm Enterprise. As a singer, she is signed to Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Hayami won the 10th Seiyu Awards for Best Supporting Actress. Biography Hayami became interested in voice ...
(second series) in Japanese, and by Jamie Phelps in English.


Ran

is an alien of unspecified race and planet. During childhood, Ran became best friends with Lum, Benten, and Oyuki, whom she attended elementary school with. As a child, Ran was often hurt or got into trouble because of the antics of the more carefree and irresponsible Lum. The two were also both in love with Rei, who became Lum's fiancé. For these reasons, Ran comes to Earth in order to get revenge against Lum. By enrolling in Tomobiki High and pretending to be human, Ran plans to steal Ataru from Lum, just so she can kiss him and drain his youth away. However, after finally managing to do so, it fails due to a youth potion that Ataru accidentally takes. Form then on, Ran changes tactics to getting revenge 'directly' on Lum, usually dragging in everyone nearby as well; these bouts of revenge are usually triggered by her calm and friendly reminiscing of the past leading her to remember something unpleasant.


Rei

is a very handsome oni and Lum's ex-fiancé, who woos almost any girl that sees his face, often causing despair to other males when their girlfriend/wife go after him. When he gets excited, Rei transforms into an "''
ushi-oni The , or ''gyūki'', is a yōkai from the folklore of western Japan. The folklore describes more than one kind of ''ushi-oni'', but the depiction of a bovine-headed monster occurs in most. ''Ushi-oni'' generally appear on beaches and attack pe ...
''", a huge creature resembling a cross between a tiger and a bull. He has an insatiable appetite, seemingly caring about nothing but food. Unable to speak Japanese, Rei can only speak 1-5 words at a time, usually needing notes to do so. When younger, Ran and Lum were both in love with Rei for his looks; he became engaged to Lum, breaking Ran's heart and driving her to hate and seek revenge against her childhood friend. Lum eventually broke up with Rei, no longer able to tolerate his low, simple intelligence and insatiable appetite; however, he followed her to Earth to regain her love. He is extremely jealous of Ataru and transforms when enraged. Rei is voiced by
Tesshō Genda (sometimes credited as Tessyou Genda, Tetsuaki Genda, or Tetsusyo Genda) is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce. When he debuted, he used his real name, as artist name. Because h ...
(first series) and
Katsuyuki Konishi is a Japanese voice actor from Wakayama, Japan. He is affiliated with Ken Production. His debut role was Volfogg/Big Volfogg in '' GaoGaiGar''. He is most well known for portraying Kamina in '' Gurren Lagann'', Laxus Dreyar in '' Fairy Tail'' ...
(second series) in Japanese, and by Jeremy Griffin in the English dub of the movies. In the English dub ''Lum the Invader Girl'' that aired in the UK, Rei's name was Anglicized to "Raymond".


Ten

is Lum's young Oni alien cousin who starts living with her on Earth. He has a single horn on his head, can breathe fire, flies very slowly, and wears a tiger-striped
diaper A diaper (, North American English) or a nappy (British English, Australian English, Hiberno-English) is a type of underwear that allows the wearer to urinate or defecate without using a toilet, by absorbing or containing waste products to p ...
. Ten and Ataru utterly loathe each other and often fight, with Ten spewing fire at him, destroying their surroundings, and often hitting someone else instead. They tend to display some similarities in their personalities, including girl-chasing. In some ways they are similar to brothers. Ten has a crush on Sakura, but unlike Ataru he is more successful in getting close to her by using his age-based cuteness and presumed innocence. He is often called by the male characters. In Japanese, adding "jari-" is similar to "twerp" or "brat". Ten's parents are never around as they work a lot; is an airbike-riding firefighter who hates anyone who plays with fire, thus the usually fire-spewing
pyromaniac Pyromania is an impulse-control disorder in which individuals repeatedly fail to resist impulses to deliberately start fires, to relieve some tension or for instant gratification. The term ''pyromania'' comes from the Greek word (''pyr'', 'fi ...
Ten is on his best behavior when she does check-in on him. Ten appears much earlier in the anime than in the manga. In the anime he comes to Earth in a spaceship inside a "peach" to live with Lum when his Oni powers first manifest. Ten is voiced by
Kazuko Sugiyama , known by her stage name , is a Japanese actress and Voice acting in Japan, voice actress who was born in Nagoya and works for Aoni Production. In February 2010, she received a "Merit Award" from the 4th Seiyu Awards. Filmography Anime *Hanak ...
(first series) and
Aoi Yūki , better known by her stage name , is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer represented by Aoni Production. She voiced Nodoka Hanadera/Cure Grace in ''Healin' Good Pretty Cure'', Madoka Kaname in ''Puella Magi Madoka Magica'', Tsuyu Asui ...
(second series) in Japanese, and by Mindy L. Lyons (''Those Obnoxious Aliens''),
Shannon Settlemyre Shannon Settlemyre (born June 4, 1979, in New Hanover County, North Carolina) is an American voice actress and Dubbing (filmmaking), ADR voice director best known for providing the English voice of Lum (Urusei Yatsura), Lum in the ''Urusei Yatsura ...
(movie 1, 3–6) and Paula Parker (movie 2) in English.


Kurama

is the humanoid princess of the ''Karasutengu'' (" crow goblin") alien race. With their race dying out and no humanoid men on their planet, Kurama was placed in a cryogenic sleep while her talking crow attendants search other planets for a suitable mate who is to awaken her with a kiss. Unfortunately for her, one chooses Ataru for the job. Although she has no desire to sleep with him, Kurama can not help but want Ataru when she sees he is already claimed by Lum and Shinobu, and goes to great lengths to turn the perverted letch into a man worthy of fathering her children. However, she everntually finds the task impossible and tries to avoid Ataru. Kurama's father was
Yoshitsune Minamoto was a commander of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian period, Heian and early Kamakura period, Kamakura periods. During the Genpei War, he led a series of battles that toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-br ...
, a legendary figure of Japanese history, whom she considers to be her ideal man. It was also later found that the current mating traditions of her race were set in place by an ancient ancestor who had his children the same way, and merely wanted that memory to last forever. However, this reason had been untold to the immediately following generation and as such all to follow, leading to Kurama's eventual discovery and great annoyance at it having caused her so much troubles. Kurama attacks with a large leaf, usually by simply blowing people away with wind, but it also has various other functions. She is voiced by
Rihoko Yoshida is a Japanese businesswoman and a former voice actress. Among her most noteworthy roles are Megu-chan in '' Majokko Megu-chan'', Monsley in '' Future Boy Conan'', Maria Grace Fleed in '' UFO Robo Grendizer'', Michiru in ''Getter Robo'', Klara ...
(first series) and
Nana Mizuki , better known by the stage name , is a Japanese voice actress, singer, and narrator. She is represented by the agency StarCrew. Mizuki was trained as an enka singer, releasing one single under her birth name in 1993 and made her debut as a voic ...
(second series) in Japanese, and by Daisy Talley (movie 1), Stacey Jefferson (BBC 3) and Chaney Moore (Sentai Filmworks) in English.


Recurring characters


Ryoko Mendo

is the younger sister of Shutaro. Ryoko is a spoiled girl whose only amusement seems to be the creation and execution of elaborate plans intended to drive her older brother mad. Sometimes, just for fun, she flirts with Ataru, whom her brother has banned from setting foot inside the massive Mendo mansion (not that it ever stops him). Her schemes frequently drag Lum and her friends along and result in massive physical damage to all involved, especially Shutaro, except herself. She is attended to by masked ''
kuroko are stagehands in traditional Japanese theatre, who dress all in black. Lexical background 黒衣 is primarily read 'kurogo,' differentiating from the other readings kokui/kokue/kuroginu "black clothes" – the go/gi suffix underlining th ...
'' who perform her every wish. Ryoko says she is in love with Shutaro's rival Tobimaro Mizunokoji, but we're not sure if she's serious, since she has said the same thing about Ataru and her brother's personal guard. She excels at playing the innocent bystander, even as she sets up all the carnage that surrounds her. Ryoko is voiced by
Mami Koyama is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator affiliated with Aoni Production. Her best-known voice roles include Ophiuchus Shaina in ''Saint Seiya'', Arale Norimaki in '' Dr. Slump'', Minky Momo in '' Magical Princess Minky Momo'', Lunc ...
(first series) and
Marina Inoue is a Japanese voice actress and narrator from Tokyo, Japan. She is affiliated with Aoni Production. She was signed into Aniplex until 2007. She was chosen out of 2,000 people from the "Gonna be a star" auditions (hosted by Sony Music Entertain ...
(second series) in Japanese, and by Michele Seidman (TV and movie 3 dub) and
Toni Barry Toni Barry (born 26 June 1961) is a British voice actress. She is also known to fans of the television show ''Press Gang'' as Spike's American girlfriend Zoe. Selected filmography *''Project A-ko'' – Asa *'' Dangaioh'' – Dira (uncredited) ...
(BBC 3) in English.


Tobimaro Mizunokoji

is the son of the Mizunokoji
sporting goods Sports equipment, also called sporting goods, are the tools, materials, apparel, and gear, which varies in shapes, size, and usage in a particular sport. It includes balls, nets, rackets, protective gears like helmets, goggles, etc. Since the p ...
empire, and Shutaro's rival. Nicknamed by Shutaro, the two have been rivals since childhood due to the Mendo family being of samurai lineage and the Mizunokoji family an aristrocatic lineage. After Tobimaro lost a baseball-related altercation as children, he has trained in the mountains for revenge, coming down once a year to challenge Shutaro; to-date, all eleven matches have been draws. Despite his immense wealth, he does not take advantage of it the way his rival does, choosing instead to dress in a ragged samurai robe and carries his bats on his back. Also unlike his rival, Tobimaro's personal retainers are all women in sunglasses. He has also shown the odd ability to eat nearly anything that enters his mouth and fully regurgitate it, most notably baseballs. Tobimaro takes a warrior's approach to the game of baseball, believing it to be about life and death, and no place for women. There is however a woman in his life: Shutaro's sister Ryoko, who scares him to death because of her love of torture. After he learns of his own sister, Asuka, and her quickly developed terror of males, Tobimaro refuses to accept her mistaken love for him, despite the frequent pain and extreme bodily damage that results. Though he carries himself with an air of nobility, his clumsiness ruins the effect. His eyes have star-shaped pupils, something Takahashi did as a spoof of a 1970s sports manga; she later made it a defining characteristic of the entire Mizunokoji family (except Tobimaro's father, who is the adopted son-in-law of the Mizunokoji family). In Japanese, Tobimaro is voiced by
Kazuhiko Inoue is a Japanese actor, voice actor, narrator and singer. His notable works include Anthony Brown in '' Candy Candy'', Joe Shimamura in the 1979 iteration of '' Cyborg 009'', Jerid Messa in '' Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam'', Kakashi Hatake in ''Naruto ...
and
Bin Shimada Bin Shimada (; born November 20, 1954) is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narratorDoi, Hitoshi.Shimada Bin. ''Seiyuu Database''. July 17, 2010Archivedby WebCite July 20, 2010. affiliated with the talent management firm Aoni Production. Film ...
in the first series, and by
Yuki Kaji is a Japanese actor, voice actor and singer affiliated with the agency VIMS. Biography He was part of the four-unit singing group G.Addict, which was part of the ''Goulart Knights'' project, He has hosted the web radio show since April 13 ...
in the second series. In English, he is voiced by Scott Whiteside (public TV and movie 4) and David Jarvis (BBC 3).


Asuka Mizunokoji

is Tobimaro's sister. The very beautiful and petite girl was isolated, according to the Mizonokoji family's tradition, from any and all males from the moment of her birth until the age of 16, at which time an
omiai , or as it is properly known in Japan with the honorific prefix , is a Japanese traditional custom which relates closely to Western matchmaking, in which a woman and a man are introduced to each other to consider the possibility of marriage. T ...
will be held for her to get married. As such, even her brother was unaware of her existence until then. Thanks to her daily training and the genetics she inherited from her mother, she is insanely strong (once tearing a completely armored tank apart and fashioning it into a makeshift suit of armor on herself with her bare hands), as well as very athletic (being able to run 100 metres within 12 seconds, while wearing her 200 kilogram suit of armour). Nevertheless, she is extremely timid and deathly afraid of males (as a result of her isolation), in part because the first one she ever met was Ataru Moroboshi. Now whenever she sees one, she pushes him away, screams "Eek! A maaan!" , and runs in terror at high speed from all males, not heeding any obstacles unfortunate to be in her path (such as buildings). Due to her being raised not even knowing the existence of or what a "male" is, Asuka is very confused about gender roles and family ties. Due to an early explanation on the subject, which was not received clearly, she feels romantic urges toward her elder brother, Tobimaro, and often sneaks into his bed at night. In addition, she believes Shuutaro Mendo is also her “big brother” because she once overheard Ryoko Mendo refer to him that way. Asuka is engaged to Shuutaro in an Omiai, by arrangement of their parents, as a means of ending the age-old Mendo-Mizunokoji family rivalry. Unfortunately, as a simple "light hug" from her causes multiple broken bones and internal injuries, it seems unlikely that this relationship will ever be consummated, as Shuutaro is rather terrified of being crushed. She is voiced by
Sumi Shimamoto , known professionally as , is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator of film, anime and video games. She has voice acted in Hayao Miyazaki's movies '' Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'', '' The Castle of Cagliostro'', '' My Neighbor ...
(first series) and M.A.O (second series) in Japanese.


Kotatsu Kitty

is the very large spirit of a cat from the
Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
who died after his owners threw him out into the cold. After being brought to the Moroboshi house by Ten, he discovers a love of ''
kotatsu A is a low, wooden table frame covered by a ''futon'', or heavy blanket, upon which a table top sits. Underneath is a heat source, formerly a charcoal brazier but now Electricity, electric, often built into the table itself. ''Kotatsu'' are ...
''. He then makes numerous further appearances, usually seen drinking tea or eating ''
taiyaki is a Japanese fish-shaped cake, commonly sold as street food. It imitates the shape of , which it is named after. The most common filling is anko. Some shops even sell with , gyoza filling, or a sausage inside. Smaller, differently shaped ve ...
'' at a ''kotatsu'', often with the principal. After Kotatsu Kitty's introductory chapter, Takahashi's editor at the time liked the character so much that he asked her to have him reappear. The artist said he was fun and easy to draw. Kotatsu Kitty is voiced by
Tomohiro Nishimura is a Japanese actor, voice actor, singer-songwriter, theatre director and sound director. He used to be employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce, but today he is freelance. He is often mixed up with Tomomichi Nishimura. Since 2003, Nish ...
in Japanese.


Principal

The unnamed of Tomobiki High is a balding man who wears glasses. He is always very calm, rarely reacting to the strange things that happen at the school. He often organizes strange competitions and outings for the students that are intended to increase school spirit, but they never turn out as he plans. The principle is often seen with Kotatsu Kitty. The principal is voiced by
Tomomichi Nishimura is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator who works for Arts Vision. He is most known for the roles of the Narrator of ''YuYu Hakusho'', Tsuchikage Ohnoki (''Naruto''), Mitsuyoshi Anzai (''Slam Dunk''), Shibaraku Tsurugibe ('' Mashin Hero ...
in Japanese.


Kosuke Shirai

is Ataru's freckled classmate and best friend. He is often involved with Ataru's usual mischief. Though he seems to be in love with Lum and Sakura like all of the male students, he has a girlfriend of his own. The only animation that Kosuke appears in is ''The Obstacle Course Swim Meet'' OVA. In the other animated adaptations, his roles are given to Lum's Stormtroopers, usually Perm. He gets his name from Takahashi's then-editor at
Shogakukan is a Japanese publisher of comics, magazines, light novels, dictionaries, literature, non-fiction, home media, and other media in Japan. Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but ...
. Kosuke is voiced by
Kappei Yamaguchi , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese actor, voice actor, and '' rakugoka'' affiliated with Gokū and 21st Century Fox.Doi, Hitoshi"Yamaguchi Kappei" ''Seiyuu Database''. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2011. After making his ...
in Japanese.


Ryunosuke's father

is an overbearing and domineering man who forces his daughter, Ryunosuke Fujinami, to act like a male. The Fujinami family has run a small beach cafe for three generations, and he desires a male heir to one day take over the business from him. However, his late wife left him only a daughter, so he gave her the masculine name Ryunosuke and raises her as a boy. Although Ryunosuke is interested in living like a girl, her father does everything he can to prevent this and denies her the chance to even try on female clothing. Having raised Ryunosuke to fight, the two constantly get into fist fights, one of which results in the family cafe being destroyed. The two move to Tomobiki and move into the high school, where Ryunosuke enrolls and her father runs the school shop in order to save up money and rebuild the cafe. Mr. Fujinami also lies to his daughter about anything to suit his needs or desires, and has done so since she was a child. Growing up, Ryunosuke had no reason to doubt him and always believed it; but now that she is older and is actually associating with people other than her father, she is learning that many things he said were lies, and knows better than to believe him. The thing Mr. Fujinami lies about most is his wife, only willing to say general things like "she was beautiful", but never giving any real information; this is a difficult thing for Ryunosuke to try to counter, since she sincerely wants to know about her mother, leading her to often fall for some trick at the hands of her father. However, it is possible that he has forgotten what she looks like altogether. Ryunosuke's father is always wearing a shirt with printed on it, while the name of the family cafe is "We ❤ the Ocean". He is voiced by Masahiro Anzai (first series) and
Shigeru Chiba , known by the stage name , is a Japanese actor, voice actor, narrator, talent and sound director from Kikuchi, Kumamoto. He is affiliated with the talent management firm 81 Produce. He is most known for the roles of Yoshihiro Kira from '' Jo ...
(second series) in Japanese and Langley McArol in English.


Ataru's parents

is a typical
salaryman The term is a Japanese word for salary, salaried workers. In Japanese popular culture, it is portrayed as a white-collar worker who shows unwavering loyalty and commitment to his employer, prioritizing work over anything else, including family. ...
. Wearing a
yukata A is an unlined cotton summer kimono, worn in casual settings such as summer festivals and to nearby bathhouses. The name is translated literally as "bathing cloth" and originally were worn as bathrobes; their modern use is much broader, and ar ...
around the house, he desires a nice and quiet homelife. In the anime his home is frequently destroyed, causing him to lament over the mortgage. He's most often portrayed reading the newspaper, something he appears to have endless copies of as he pulls another one out after someone takes his away or destroys it. Quiet, timid, and possessing very little dignity, he tries his best to hide his face behind the newspaper during bad situations, often wishing he'd be treated better since he's the sole provider for the family. Like his wife, he tends to treat their "daughter-in-law" better than their son as they prefer having a daughter (especially compared to their lecherous fool of a son). He is voiced by Kenichi Ogata (first series) and
Toshio Furukawa is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator affiliated with Aoni Production. He is married to fellow voice actress Shino Kakinuma. Career He became famous for his roles in his career as Kagege (''Sgt. Frog''), Kai Shiden (''Mobile Suit G ...
(second series) in Japanese, by Marc Matney (public TV), Alan Marsh (BBC3), Jerry Winsett (movies 1 and 3–6), and
Larry Robinson Larry Clark Robinson (born June 2, 1951) is a Canadian former ice hockey coach, executive and player. His coaching career includes head coaching positions with the New Jersey Devils (which he held on two occasions), as well as the Los Angeles Ki ...
(movie 2) in English. is a typical
housewife A housewife (also known as a homemaker or a stay-at-home mother/mom/mum) is a woman whose role is running or managing her family's home—housekeeping, which may include Parenting, caring for her children; cleaning and maintaining the home; Sew ...
. In early chapters, she often says when Ataru causes problems. Mrs. Moroboshi is frequently so embarrassed by Ataru's antics that she is afraid to show her face in public (for good reason, because Ataru is a constant source of juicy gossip for her neighbours), and especially dreads going to his school for parent-teacher conferences. She sometimes dreams that a handsome young man (like Rei) will take her away from her miserable life. At numerous times she has shown to have been part of the source of Ataru's personality, acting selfishly, shifting blame, and yelling (though more often in frustration). Despite this, she also shows her caring nature, such as increasing her husband's lunch money while they were nearly out of money. She is voiced by Natsumi Sakuma (first series) and
Keiko Toda is a Japanese actress, singer and narrator. Her most famous role is the voice of the children's hero Anpanman on the long running anime ''Soreike! Anpanman''. She was also the voice of Thomas the Tank Engine in the Japanese dub of ''Thomas & F ...
(second series) in Japanese, by Dorothy Rankin (public TV), Stacey Jefferson (BBC3), Belinda Keller (movies 1 and 3–6), and Jackie Tantillo (movie 2) in English.


Lum's parents

is a huge, pudgy oni, and tends to be loud and scary. However, he is just as afraid of his wife as Ataru is of Lum, as evidenced by the time that she threw her husband out of the house when he got mad at her for trying to put him on a diet. is a pretty woman who can only speak in the oni language, which appears in the manga as
Mahjong tiles Mahjong tiles () are tiles of Chinese origin that are used to play mahjong as well as mahjong solitaire and other games. Although they are most commonly tiles, they may refer to playing cards with similar contents as well. Development The ...
, and in the subtitled anime as Greek lettering. In the anime, she can produce electric shocks, like Lum. Both parents can also fly, but they never show any other obvious powers. Lum's father is voiced by Ritsuo Sawa (first series) and
Rikiya Koyama is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator currently affiliated with Haiyuza Theatre Company. He has done popular voicing roles in '' Hajime no Ippo'', ''Utawarerumono'', '' Kamen no Maid Guy'' and ''Yakuza'', and has become well known for vo ...
(second series) in Japanese, and David Krause (''Those Obnoxious Aliens'') and Anthony Lawson (movies) in English. Lum's mother is voiced by Reiko Yamada (first series) and
Fumi Hirano is a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and essayist. She voiced Lum in the anime series ''Urusei Yatsura''. She attended Tamagawa University in Machida, Tokyo, where she graduated with a degree in Theatre from the Department of Fine ...
(second series) in Japanese, and Kristen Foster in English.


Lum's Stormtroopers

are four boys from the same class as Ataru who are in love with Lum and have sworn to protect her from Ataru. They are best friends but often end up fighting amongst themselves when the situation involves Lum. In the original manga, the four characters are unnamed and appear less after Mendo makes his debut.


Megane

is the leader of the Stormtroopers, whose nickname means "eyeglasses". His real name is (" Alvin Seville" in most foreign dubs), revealed in the final episode of the anime. An ''
otaku is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, such as anime, manga, video games, computers or other highly enthusiastic hobbies. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in '' Manga Burikko''. ...
'' in every sense, he loves Lum immensely, and has sworn to serve her. Megane has a strong personality and generally directs the schemes of the Stormtroopers to gain Lum's attention (though mostly for himself). He closely monitors the actions of the others to prevent them from looking at other girls, and to ensure their complete loyalty to Lum. Though usually antagonistic towards Ataru, he often hangs out with him in his spare time. He is often given to loud, rambling philosophical musings and outbursts, and seems to have an affinity for
fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...
and
communism Communism () is a political sociology, sociopolitical, political philosophy, philosophical, and economic ideology, economic ideology within the history of socialism, socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a ...
. He is voiced by Chiba Shigeru in Japanese, by Marc Garber (''Those Obnoxious Aliens''), Colin Hackman, and Craig Wollman (movies) in English.


Perm

is one of the Stormtroopers, whose nickname is derived from his hairstyle. He is tall and skinny (though his nameless manga counterpart has quite a fatter form) and his real name is Kosuke. The anime's version of the character is the counterpart to the manga's Kosuke Shirai. Perm displays the most character development, including being the only one of the Stormtroopers to have a visible girlfriend. He is voiced by Akira Murayama in Japanese, by Adrian Monte, and Jonathan Guggenheim (''Those Obnoxious Aliens'') in English.


Chibi

, real name , is a Stormtrooper often seen with Kakugari. His nickname is derived from his height; " chibi" means "small" or "short". He is a timid crybaby, speaks with a cracked voice, and is often beaten up by the rest of the gang. He also has buck teeth (though his nameless manga counterpart does not have this). He is voiced by
Issei Futamata is a Japanese voice actor and narrator. He is best known for the roles of Skullomania (''Street Fighter EX'' and '' Fighting EX Layer''), Yusaku Godai ('' Maison Ikkoku''), Chibi (''Urusei Yatsura''), Kiyoshi Shusse ('' High School! Kimengumi' ...
in Japanese, and
Steven Paul Steven Paul (born May 16, 1959) is an American independent filmmaker, actor, and talent manager. He is the chairman, founder and CEO of Crystal Sky Pictures. Life and career Paul was born in New York City. His mother, Dorothy Koster Paul, was ...
in English.


Kakugari

, real name , is a Stormtrooper with a large build. His nickname is derived from his hairstyle; "kakugari" means "
crew cut A crew cut is a type of haircut in which the upright hair on the top of the head is cut relatively short, graduated in length from the longest hair that forms a short pomp (Pompadour (hairstyle), pompadour) at the front hairline to the shortest a ...
". He is the least used of the Stormtroopers, often seen with Chibi. He is also the one who beats up Chibi the most. He is voiced by Shinji Nomura in Japanese, and Langley McArol in English.


References


''Urusei Yatsura'' manga

Entire series *Takahashi, Rumiko. ''Urusei Yatsura''. 17 vols. San Francisco:
Viz Media Viz Media, LLC is an American entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California, focused on publishing manga, and distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. The company was founded in 1986 as Viz, ...
, 2019–2023. Individual volumes * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Other sources


External links


''Urusei Yatsura'' characters at Tomobiki-cho

''Urusei Yatsura'' manga at Viz Media

''Urusei Yatsura'' anime at Studio Pierrot
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Urusei Yatsura Characters
Urusei Yatsura is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from September 1978 to February 1987. Its 366 individual chapters were collected in 34 ''tankōbon'' volum ...