A vastly underrated space fantasy!
Not everyone will like Lum & the crazy antics that abound in Takahashi's first major series. It's a gem in the rough with some parts of it that obviously need a bit of polishing up, which does occur as the series progresses & Takahashi gets used to writing for a long-running series.
The book starts off with the unlucky & letcherous Ataru coming home from school only to discover that he's been chosen to be the champion of Earth. His challenge? To take the head invader's beautiful daughter on in a game of tag. The only drawback is that she can fly & shoot out electric sparks. After Ataru wins (minor spoiler) he says something that is misinterpreted as a marraige proposal to Lum & ends up having her fall in love with him. Further stories surround Ataru's chronic bad luck as well as him trying to keep the attentions of various women (who would rather have nothing to do with him) while avoiding the beautiful & jealous Lum.
I love this series. It will always be one of the best things that Takahashi has released, second only to her magnum opus Ranma 1/2. Some may not like the series & prefer her more action heavy work such as InuYasha, but they'd be missing out on something wonderful by passing this series over. To be honest, I'm really confused as to why this isn't getting as much recognition as her other works! Even today Urusei Yatsura still enjoys a wide fanbase in Japan & is considered a staple of the manga world.
5/5
A perfect collection of obnoxious aliens...
Finding good manga is difficult work. Book stores often have lumbering piles of it stretching on for yards (some now complete in size with mainstream fiction). Where should the uninitiated start? Probably with the most "popular." That works. Unfortunately, anyone using this tactic will probably not stumble upon "Urusei Yatsura" (roughly "Those Obnoxious Aliens") by the now very accomplished Rumiko Takahashi, who also penned "Inu Yasha" and "Ranma 1/2." That's too bad, because the tales collected in this aptly titled "Perfect Collection," though dating back to the 1970s, stand the test of time. Fans of "Ranma 1/2" will recognize the satirical method, rhythms, and characterizations at work. As the series progresses - this book contains eighteen stories - other similarities emerge. New characters enter with bizarre, and often amusing, powers. These gradual additions keep the story going in much the same way as "Ranma 1/2." Plus, there's the insanity. Many of the stories end with hopelessly multiplying demons or monsters, satirical violence, or, well, insanity. The emphasis remains on humor throughout.
On the topic of insanity, the storyline of "Urusei Yatsura" bursts with it. Ataru Moroboshi, an incessant womanizer with putrid luck, gets randomly selected in a contest to save the earth from alien domination. He has to grab the horns of Lum, a character that often appears on "hottest anime babes" lists. The challenge excites his hormones as well as the jealousy of his girlfriend, Shinobu. In true manga fashion, Ataru uses Lum's bikini top to his advantage. Hint: she loses it (the hint probably wasn't necessary). Shinobu promises to marry Ataru if he defeats Lum. In the carnage, Lum thinks Ataru wants to marry her. A group of Lum fanatics and a member of the Interplanetary Taxi Driver's Union (a very entertaining Deus Ex Machina) force Ataru into accepting Lum into the Moroboshi house. The main tension then evolves into a love triangle between Ataru, Lum, and Shinobu. New characters, mostly attractive girls, come along to challenge Lum's dominance over Ataru. This proves almost impossible since Ataru turns to jelly at the mere sight of kawaii babes.
Another familiar character is the monk Cherry. Sharing some similarities with Happosai from "Ranma 1/2," he prophesies doom for Ataru at every opportunity. Cherry's battle with Tsubame Ozuno in "Disco Inferno" where each summon ridiculous spirits, including "Super-Batman," provides the book's most chaotic scene. Takahashi sprinkles "Urusei Yatsura" with satires of Japanese culture and family life. And it's funny even in translation. Also, though this volume contains some of her earliest work, the art still shines. She has a real penchant for depicting sumptuous female figures. As such, Lum remains the focus, so much so that this collection splashes her name in neon across the cover. More probably know "Lum" than "Urusei Yatsura." That's unfortunate, because this series has much more to offer than just a shapely bikini-clad fang-toothed alien. It's an all around manga classic that's hilarious, well-drawn, erotic, and demented all at once. This "Perfect Collection" provides a great introduction to one of manga's masterworks.
Weird, goof ball humor is not missing here...
OKKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY... Urusei Yatsura is weird. No, I'm not kidding. Somehow, it never fails to amaze me how all of Rumiko Takahashi's characters (and storylines)always make me happy...great book, though.
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