Urusei Yatsura: Extensive Study of Men and Women

Translated by: Dylan Acres
Thanks to Mitchell for scans and transcriptions.

The first attraction of Urusei Yatsura is, without a doubt, the beautiful guest characters who appear in every episode, including the regular characters Lum, Shinobu, and Sakura-sensei, as well as the "pretty girls" who, as the name suggests, are. Why do these "pretty girls" attract so many men's hearts? The first reason is, of course, the illustrations. The original work itself was a manga for boys drawn by a woman, so it had a mysterious charm that had never been seen before. The female characters drawn by a male manga artist tend to have a rawness that seems to embody men's desires. This is attractive in itself, but the "pretty girls" who appear in Urusei Yatsura were a fresh shock in that they have a feminine charm that only a woman can draw. Perhaps taking this into consideration, when it was made into an anime, the same female character designer was used, and it was a success. Moreover, these "pretty girls" are not just good-looking or have good figures. Each one has a complex personality and a rather twisted pattern of behavior. For example, Lum. With her western-sounding name, Lum, and the way she flies through the sky in her tiger-striped bikini, she is a truly modern, "intoxicated woman," but her devoted love for one man is reminiscent of an old-fashioned Japanese woman. For example, Shinobu is a quiet, good-natured high school girl, but once her emotions get the better of her, she's fine with a bookshelf. And when she's exposed to the poisonous atmosphere of the Urusei Yatsura world, even Ataru's mother, who is supposed to be an old woman by now, starts flirting with Rei. But it's these complex personalities and twisted patterns of behavior that make them such lively characters. And as you laugh at their exaggerated personalities and behavior, you realize that they are actually things that all humans have inside of them. The "beautiful girls" in Urusei Yatsura are truly human. And that, of course, makes them more attractive. There's no need for beauties who are just beautiful.

I draw them so they meet the highest standards of beauty. (Comment from Akemi Takada)

"When drawing female characters in Urusei Yatsura, the thing I pay the most attention to is to draw them so that they do not deviate from the standards of beauty. ^[1] I think there is a theory for drawing beautiful women. Whether it be the proportions, the balance of the face, or the placement of the eyes and nose. For example, if the nose is turned down, it will not be beautiful. But I don't hate drawing cute or pretty things, so it's not that difficult or difficult to draw them. However, there are so many beautiful women, so I try to change the atmosphere of each one in small details so that they do not look too similar. In fashion, I sometimes incorporate the latest trends, but it is quite difficult to do so because of the direction. As a hobby, I would like to make Lum dress in a Frazetta style (like the style that appears in Conan the Barbarian), but there is no such story." ^[2]

Men who live with their true feelings

They stand on the shoulders of all the misfortunes of the world and are extremely promiscuous towards women. But it is this very Ataru that has drawn Lum's heart so much that she won't let him go. And even the women who are pursued by Ataru, while disliking him, are somehow attracted to him. Why? Mendo and Ataru's classmates are not the only ones who wonder what is so good about such a frivolous man. But Ataru's charm lies precisely in his frivolity. The ability to see a woman and find her cute, and to immediately approach her, is truly valuable in today's society where regulations and oppression are rampant. And even for the women who are approached, even if their methods are a bit forceful, there is no way they won't feel good that their beauty has been recognized. In a way, Ataru is the ideal man. Ataru, who is true to his desires, is much deeper than a man who hides his interest in women and mopes around. And even his classmates who envy Ataru, and Mendo, who is just as stupid as Ataru but cannot go that far because of the reputation of the large conglomerate, are all living true to their own thoughts, even if they are not as straightforward as Ataru. The men in Urusei Yatsura live their lives clashing with each other about their true feelings, with Ataru at the center, who is the embodiment of desire. "

You can't hate the characters in Urusei Yatsura because they're kind." (Includes Comment from Fumi Hirano):

"Even though Urusei Yatsura has some science fiction elements and a fairy-tale-like story, I think it's still a school anime. The lines in the story are often words that we use every day or catchphrases. That's why the characters Lum and Ataru, who play an active role in the story, feel so real. But it's not just that that makes them feel real; I think it's their individuality that makes them so real. For example, I think Ataru is a typical example of a man. There are all kinds of people who do what they say and don't say, but I think men think, 'Oh, he's doing what he wants to do.' Normally, someone who is such a big womanizer would seem like a nasty kid, but for some reason, you can't hate him. I think that's because deep down inside Ataru is kind. You can't hate him because he's kind. This is something that can be said for all the characters in Urusei Yatsura. Urusei Yatsura has become a part of my life, so I want to treasure it."

First, please look at the series of pictures on the left. An electric toad flies towards Ataru, who has made a big show of showing off, followed by a rain of all sorts of household items. This is a familiar gag pattern from Urusei Yatsura, but if you're laughing out loud at this, I want you to think about it again. The timing of the electric toad flying in is a common gag, but does anything resonate with you when the furniture follows suit? Yes, it's that feeling in an elementary school classroom when one person starts to get bullied and everyone else gangs up on them and bullies them. When we were kids, there was always one or two people like this in every class who got bullied. Ataru is the bullied person in life. That's why Ataru's failures are funny, and when Ataru is hurt, it becomes a joke. However, if you laugh at it and then suddenly look back on your own life, you'll feel a sharp pain in your heart. The gags in Urusei Yatsura are things you think you're laughing at, but in fact you're laughing at your own life. Another funny thing about Urusei Yatsura is the characters, which are based on unique ideas. But if you think about why it's funny, it's because the yokai, who shouldn't have any sense of life in the first place, exude a very human air of life. The yokai who moves house with their belongings on their backs, Dracula who jumps off a chimney trying to look cool even though they can't fly properly, the flower fairy who failed the exam and can't become a second-class spirit, and Kasen who has forgotten how to sing. Because it's a story about youkai, we look at it as if it's something that doesn't concern us, but if it were a story about humans, we would all feel pain in our hearts. The gags in Urusei Yatsura are sharp and inextricably linked to the lessons of life.

The strength of the gags, which are enhanced by the three parties of scriptwriter, director, and animation!! (Includes Comment from Keiji Hayakawa):

The gags in Urusei Yatsura are difficult because they have to show what is shown in the original frames as a continuous sequence within a set time. I try hard to avoid creating a gap between my sense of humor and the viewer's sense of humor. However, the humor in the anime Urusei Yatsura has started to take root recently, so I don't have as much trouble with the gap as I used to. The humor in Urusei Yatsura is created by the three parties of scriptwriting, direction, and animation, each of which tries to make it more exciting, so even if it's a joke that you would normally shy away from, it's easy for the viewer to accept it as something fun and make them laugh.

Men and women play tag

There's a famous quote that says that romance always begins with unrequited love, but doesn't it ultimately mean that a relationship between a man and a woman is one in which one person is chasing the other? In that sense, it's very suggestive that Urusei Yatsura begins with a story about playing tag. And Lum, who was supposed to be the one running away at first, was caught just once by Ataru, so from then on she became the demon, as per her own style, and just chased after Ataru, who never seemed to be caught. And this game of playing tag doesn't just involve Lum chasing Ataru, but also Lum, Ataru running away, and another girl, Shinobu and Kurama competing with each other to catch Ataru, and then Shinobu, who is chasing Ataru, Lum, and the llamas, and Mendo, and it goes on and on. So, to summarize this special feature, I have made a diagram of the aspects of playing tag in "Urusei Yatsura", focusing on Ataru. That is the "Urusei Yatsura Game of Tag Diagram" on the left. In this diagram, the pursuer and the pursued flow from top to bottom. In other words, those in higher positions are chasing those in lower positions. Let me explain in a little more detail. First, Ataru's mother is chasing Rei. Rei, Ataru's classmates, and Dracula are chasing Lum. Lum is of course chasing Ataru. Shinobu, Ran, and Kurama are also chasing Ataru. Ataru is just chasing the girls. The girls are just running away from Ataru. If possible, they would like to run off the page like this. Then, Ten-chan is chasing Sakura-san, and Mendo is chasing all the girls just as much as Ataru (however, since this diagram is centered on Ataru, some of Mendo's arrows have been omitted). This diagram is of course a diagram of male-female relationships in Urusei Yatsura, but it may also be a microcosm of life itself.

Urusei is a drama that never ends

I wouldn't go so far as to say that Urusei Yatsura is a miniature version of life, but I do see it as a caricature of human relationships, particularly relationships between men and women. And there are things that are not allowed in this work. For example, something like Ataru and Sakura getting together exists as a pattern that is not allowed in Urusei Yatsura. Certainly, there are various possible couple combinations, but they are not conclusive. This is a prerequisite for making a game of tag work; the two are chasing each other, but they never catch up, and they just keep going round and round. I am always thinking about how to portray this world not as one that ends with Lum and Ataru getting married, but as one that continues on forever, that will not change even after a hundred years. So, it is being made into a movie in February, and I believe that unlike television, in order to make a movie you have to use your power to pull it forward. Naturally, the method of expression and the way the screen is made are based on the premise that it will be made as a movie film, and the layout and storyboard of the relationship between Ataru and Lum, as well as the rhythm and flow of the drawings, will be important to create it as a movie. Also, how to portray the individuality of the characters is an important point.

Announcement of the production of the movie adaptation of "Urusei Yatsura"

A big event called "Urusei Yatsura Fan Gathering" has been decided to be held on Saturday, September 18th, to bring together Urusei Yatsura fans and coincide with the announcement of the theatrical film production in February of next year. The event will be held at Chiyoda Public Hall in Tokyo, and the program will include an advance screening of the Urusei Yatsura TV episode (to be aired on September 22nd), skits by the cast, a guest corner featuring the original author, Rumiko Takahashi, a character costume show, a production announcement of the film, and a raffle with prizes such as cel drawings. To apply for participation in this event, which will be released in February of next year (nationwide through Toho), please send a postcard to the address listed on the left. The participation fee is 800 yen (bring it in on the day, 500 yen for fan club members - please write your membership number on the postcard). The deadline is postmarked by September 11th.

〒150 Shibuya Post Office P.O. Box 2
"Urusei Yatsura" Events Office
*If there are many applications, a lottery will be held. Those who do not have an admission ticket will not be able to enter.

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Footnotes

• [1] Akemi Takada (高田明美) is the famed character designer of Urusei Yatsura and a full interview with her is available here.
• [2] Frank Frazetta (1928-2010) was an American artist known for his artwork of beautiful, buxom women in skimpy bikini-like armor and chain mail. He was often referred to as the "Godfather of Fantasy Art." Like Rumiko Takahashi he is also in the "Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame" for illustrators.

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