Season
overview:
This is a great season with a lot of laughs. This is probably the funniest Urusei Yatsura has been up to this point. On the flipside, there are also a few episodes that are all drama with few laughs. While not true to the manga, such episodes are pretty interesting to watch. Without a doubt, out of all the seasons directed by Oshii, this season is his strongest one. While movie 2 is still a ways away, the character designs and animation style of Beautiful Dreamer are beginning to show up in a few episodes.
Many of the episode notes below are from Animeigo, the original English language license-holder for Urusei Yatsura.
Episode 55: ダメッコ武蔵風雲録
Damekko Musashi fuuun roku (Children in Vain, Musashi, Signs of the Times)
Everyone is cast back to ancient Japanese where they are placed in a story with Ataru as a food thief with Onsen-Mark and Cherry as his occasional companions. Ataru ends up running from Sakura, Lum and Mendo with a giant monkey. In the end however, it is Onsen-Mark who comes out ahead.
Miyamoto Musashi, inventor of the "Nito" (two-sword) fighting style, was made famous in Japan by an author named Yoshioka Eiji, in a newspaper serial called "Miyamoto Musashi," which began serialization in 1935. The novel, while based on historical fact, contains considerable amounts of fiction as well.
Miyamoto Musashi (1584?-1645?) was born in what is now present-day Oaza Miyamoto, Sanumomura, Aida-gun, Okayama Prefecture. It was called Yoshino-gun, Mimasaka-no-kuni (Country of Mimasaka) in his time. His given name at birth was Bennosuke, a name which he himself later changed to Musashi. He also had the title of "Niten." His father, Munisai, died when he was seven. When he was seventeen, he took part in the famous Battle of Sekigahara, on the losing side.
At the age of twenty-one, he fought a duel in Kyoto with the Yoshiokas: Seijuuro, Denshichiro (brothers), and Matashichiro (son of Seijuuroo). Yoshioka Kempo, father of Seijuuro and Denshichiro, founded the Yoshioka-ryu (Yoshioka School of Kenjutsu [fencing]) toward the end of the Muromachi Period (1333-1572). Some people feel that Miyamoto was being excessively cruel, because he not only killed the two elder Yoshiokas, but also the young Matashichiro, who wanted to avenge his father and uncle. But the Yoshioka clan themselves did not see any particular unfairness, and not only supported Matashichiro's attempt at revenge, but also provided him with a musket for the purpose.
During that same year, he also took part in a competition with the famous Nara Hoozooin school of spear-fighting.
Between his twenty-second and twenty-eighth years, Miyamoto had a battle with Shishidoo Baiken(?), wielder of the kusari-gama (chain-and-sickle) at Iga, took part in a competition at Edo against Musoo Gonnosuke, who invented the Musoo style of staff fighting, and visited many Zen temples, including Daitokuji (whose master was Takuan Soohoo), to improve himself mentally.
In April, 1612, when Miyamoto was 29, he fought another duel, this time at Funajima, against Ganryruu Sasaki Kojiro, killing him (see below). The name of the island was later changed to Ganryuujima to honor the name of the fallen swordsman.
In the later years of his life, he became more interested in cultural matters, developing his skills as an artist and writer. In the latter field, he wrote a book on his "Niten-ichi-ryuu" (two-swords fighting style, also known as "Enmei-ryuu" and "Nitoo-ryuu"), as well as the legendary "Gorin no Sho" (The Book of Five Rings), which he finished in 1645, at the age of 62, not long before he died. His most famous work of art is the black-and-white brush painting, "Kosui Kigezu."
Character references:
Takuan: full name: Takuan Soohoo (1573-1645). Like Miyamoto, he was born in Mimasaka. Historically, he crossed paths with Musashi many times. Apparently, he assisted Muasashi's mental training while Musashi stayed in his temple, Daitokuji. He had an important role in Yoshikawa's book, but it is unclear whether he was really all that close to Miyamoto. It is possible that a radish of the same name took its name from this monk, but it cannot be said for certain that this is so.
Sasaki Kojiro (?-1612). He developed the Kempo Tsubame-gaeshi (Swallow Swoop Style) of Kenjutsu. In 1612, for historically unclear reasons, he would fight Miyamoto Musashi, at what would become known as the Duel of Ganryuujima. According to Yoshikawa, Musashi used a number of strategies, the first of which was to arrive three hours late for the duel. It was set for eight o'clock, and he didn't arrive until eleven. He used this strategy routinely, because it would offend and upset his opponents. Next, instead of regular swords, he fashioned a long, flat heavy sword out of one of the oars of his boat. Then he fought in shallow water, with the sun deliberately behind him. He chose this time of day because the sun would be high, and would also reflect well off the water, thus adding to the strain on Kojiro's eyes. Finally, waiting for the moment when Kojiro dropped his scabbard, Musashi said, "Kojiro, you lose!" Kojiro, startled, was caught completely unprepared when Musashi brought the boat oar squarely down on his head, killing him.
Supposedly, Musashi was a sneaky fighter, always choosing opponents that he knew he could defeat, and then applying strategies that would make his victory even more inevitable. But according to Yoshikawa, he had numerous ups and downs in his life as well, and in Yoshikawa's novel various (fictional) acquaintances appear in order to dramatize this. Chief among these was Matahachi, a childhood friend of Musashi's, his grandmother, Osugibaba, and Matahachi's fiancee, Otsu, who was later abandoned by Matahachi. Osugi held a grudge against Musashi, because she believed Matahachi left Otsu and never came back home after the Battle of Sekigahara because of Musashi. But the truth was that Matahachi simply found himself another woman, and didn't want to go back. But that didn't stop Osugi from laying all sorts of traps for Musashi throughout the course of the novel. Yoshikawa went to great lengths to make all the events in his novel, both real and fictional, as dramatic as possible.
Musashi was also considered something of a wild man, traveling alone from place to place, with little regard for what was considered good grooming and dress among the bushi (the warrior caste), and also engaged in conflict with various authority figures, including the Yoshiokas and the Hosokawas, all of which combined to make him a popular figure.
Another noteworthy point in this episode is the multitude of anachronisms. See how many you can spot.
Episode 56: 命かけます授業中!
Inochi kakemasu jugyouchuu (Risking One's Life in Class)
Ataru and friends defeat Ten with a barrage of snowballs, so Ten seek to take revenge in the classroom. Unfortunately, today Onsen-Mark demands complete silence in the class and the students do their best to comply.
"If you do something like that, your folks will be saddened!" This line is reminiscent of a typical episode of "Taiyo ni Hoero (Howl at the Sun)," a Japanese detective series. This sort of comment is typical of old-fashioned persuasion techniques on the part of police, trying to convince criminals to give up their evil ways.
"Do you make your customers eat soba so old that it's swelled up like udon?" Soba are thin buckwheat ramen, and udon are thick egg-flour ramen. When soba is left to sit too long in the broth, it absorbs the liquid content, swelling up. This indicates that it's fairly old.
"It was as if Friday the 13th, Butsumetsu, Sanrinbo, Tenchusatsu, the Grand Cross, and the Seventh Month of 1999 had all come together at once, and congealed!" Butsumetsu is bad luck because it is the day Buddha died, according to the Rokki, or Buddhist diary, which foretells days of good and bad luck based on certain events in the life of Buddha. See TV Set 3, Episode 10, Stories 19-20, "Pitter Patter Christmas Eve" for more details. If something is built on the day of Sanrinbo, it will catch fire, and not only burn down itself, but also three other houses in the neighborhood. Tenchuusatsu is from a method of foretune-telling introduced a decade or so ago, based on determining what days or years will be bad luck for one. We weren't able to determine what the Grand Cross means, but the Seventh Month of 1999 is from the prophecies of Nostradamus, who supposedly foretold some great disaster for Earth at that time.
"Come on, Tentaman!" This sort of gattai (combination) robot is one of the most abundant themes in anime.
There is no new episode of Urusei Yatsura airing the following week.
Episode 57: 夫婦げんか食うか食われるか!?
Fuufugenka kuukakuwareruka!? (Is a Husband & Wife Quarrel Survival of the Fittest?)
Lum's mother boots her husband out of the house, so he comes to stay with Lum. He then visits the school for a day and gives a speech about being married, which ultimately gets interrupted by Lum's mother.
"Ran...?" "...Away...?" "...From home?" This is an attempt to deal with the exaggerated repetition of "I." "E." "DE." (Run Away From Home) that the Moroboshis use in reply to Lum's statement of same.
"The way of men!" "The way of men!" "The way of men!" The visual following this scene is a parody of the Toei Movie Logo. It is also a parody of Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo (It's Tough to Be a Man), the longest-running film series in the world, about the life and times of Tora-san, a ne'er-do-well travelling salesman.
Episode 58: ミス雪の女王キッスを奪え!
Misu yuki no jyoou kissu wo ubae! (Getting a Kiss from Miss Snow!)
Lum gets Ataru to go on a ski trip with her, but Mendo, Shinobu, and Lum's guards find out and tail along to cause static, Ataru enters a ski contest. The one who finds a small treasure chest on the mountain and brings it in, wins a kiss from Miss Snow!
"What induced you to treat me to okonomiyaki all of a sudden?" Okonomiyaki is a pancake-like snack food, with many combinations of ingredients.
"And now, here she is, Miss Snow Queen!" As the Queen struts down the stage, look for Minky Momo in the crowd.
"I don't know, but I do know this: 'V for VICTORY!'" "Sign wa V" (The Sign is V) was a TV drama popular around 20 years ago, about a girl's volleyball team. Very soap-opera-like.
"I love your manliness, Shiruo!" "Menko..." Shiruo means soup-guy, and Menko means noodle-girl. The reason these characters are here is for no reason at all. Really.
No new episode of Urusei Yatsura aired the following week.
Episode 59: 恐怖の聖バレンタインデー
Kyoufu no sei Barentaindee (St. Valentine's Day Horror)
Mako, a small girl, falls in love with Ten-chan, but Ten cannot stand her. Lum and Ataru prove to only be more trouble for Jariten as both of them try to help Mako get Ten-chan; at least when Lum and Ataru are not too busy fighting amongst themselves.
"It's a day when girls confess their love to guys by giving them chocolate." Modern Japanese Valentine's Day celebrations involve women of all ages giving men chocolate. Legend has it that this all started about 40 years ago, when the head of a Japanese chocolate company went abroad and learned of St. Valentine's Day. Seeing the commercial possibilities inherent in the event, he imported it as a means to boost business, and invented the concept of "Girl Choco," or chocolate given as an obligation by women to men in certain situations, i.e., the workplace. In the recent economic hard times, however, this "custom" has largely fallen by the wayside, and a larger percentage of Valentine's Day confectionary is romantically oriented. To give men an opportunity to repay the debt incurred from receiving Girl Choco, the chocolate manufacturers most thoughtfully invented "White Day" (March 14th), wherein the men give chocolate and other gifts back to the women.
"It means that he's accepted the girl's love for him." "A...A...Accepted her love?!" On the other hand, the above explanation does not necessarily make Lum's statement here true. Most of this story centers around Lum and Mako's determination to misunderstand the workings of Japanese Valentine's Day, so as to justify their actions.
"I'd prefer Okonomiyaki now." Okonomiyaki is a sort of pancake, with small pieces of various vegetables baked into it.
"Swastika figure lock!" The Manji, or Buddhist cross, is the original symbol which was reversed to become the swastika. The bizarre wrestling hold which Lum is putting on Ataru resembles the shape of the manji.
Episode 60: ラブラブキャッチボール!
Rabu rabu cyattchi booru! (Love, Love, Catchball!)
Lum brings Jariten a pair of crystal spheres which each has an eye on it; one is red with a heart for females, the other blue with a star for males. If the correctly gendered person gazes into the eye, it will reveal one's destined mate. Lum, Shinobu, Sakura, and Ran all meet to use these crystals; Ataru, Mendo, and Tsubame soon arrives and are shocked by the results of what is shown.
"Two o'clock at Cafe Tokeizaka? Sure! I'm not busy." Tokeizaka is the name of the fictional neighborhood setting of "Maison Ikkoku," which Takahashi Rumiko was writing -- simultaneously with Urusei Yatsura -- during this period (c.1983). Note also all the clocks and clock sounds in the cafe -- "tokei," as in "Tokeizaka," is Japanese for clock.
"Ah, Waiter. One extra-large American coffee, strong, please!" In Japan, "American coffee" is a weak blend, as opposed to stronger Japanese and European blends. By trying to order "strong" American coffee, Ataru shows how little he knows about the subject. Also, "oomori" sounds as strange to Japanese ears as "extra-large" would sound to American ears when applied to ordering coffee, tea or similar drinks.
"Shinobu, you have to end up marrying the man you've seen in there!" "N...N...No way!" The in-joke here is in the video. The scene is a parody of the climactic scenes from each installment of Fujiko F. Fujio A's classic series, "Warau Salesman" (Laughing Salesman). In this series, the title character, Fukuzo Moguro (whose name is itself a pun, roughly translating as "Mourning Clothes Happiness Maker") gives various people what they think will make them happy. Naturally, there is always a catch, and when the victim falls for it, Moguro appears, with a grin that seems fixed on his face, and pronounces their doom. In addition to some five volumes of manga originally published in the 1960's, an animated version was aired on late-night TV in Japan (c. 1990).
Episode 61: 面堂家仮面ぶとう会
Mendo kamen budoukai (The Mendo Family's Masquerade Ball)
Ryoko invites Ataru over for a masquerade and Mendo gets hundreds of more guests to also show up for a masquerade battle. Ataru tries desperately to get to Ryoko despite the attempts of Lum, Mendo, and others.
The key pun of this story is in its title. "Butokai" is normally written with a pair of kanji that mean "ball." "Kamen butookai" would then mean "fancy dress ball" or "masquerade ball." But by using a different pair of kanji for the "butoo" in "butookai," a pair which means "martial arts," the meaning of "kamen butokai" instead becomes "masked martial arts party." The confusion surrounding this notion is central to this episode.
When Ten shouts "CHARGE!" Torajima follows up with "Miaowdachi!" This is a cat-speak mangling of "Ninodachi," which refers to the classic stance of a Nino, or Deva, which is typically very strong and solid immovable once it places itself somewhere.
"Heroes are supposed to come and go like the wind." The original line is a riff on "Hayate no yoo ni arawarete, hayate no yoo ni satte yuku" (He appears like the wind, and leaves like the wind), a lyric from the theme song to "Gekko Kamen" (Moonlight Mask), possibly the earliest Japanese masked, motorcycle riding mystery hero (c. 1962-63). Most Japanese heroes since can be said to owe a debt to Gekko Kamen for their existence.
Kamishibai are a collection of illustrations on paper which together told a story. The kamishibai artist would elaborate with words and sound effects to entertain the kids who came to see. The line in question refers to one way the performers would make money at this: show a little bit, then get kids to buy candy before showing any more.
Among the characters appearing in the fight scene: Majinger Z (note Koji Kabuto getting kicked out of helicopter when "Majinger Z" gets kicked), Elle, Masked Bride, the Zaku from the original Kidoo Senshi Gundam, ET, Alien, Char Azanable, Mr. Spock, Gekko Kamen, and Darth Vader.
"Ataru...here I go!" This line is a play on "Amuro, ikimasu!" from the original Kido "Want some Meow-cotine?" This is a takeoff on Senshi Gundam (in which Toshio Furukawa had the slogan from a well-known Japanese a supporting role as Kai Shiden) cigarette commercial of the period, "Nicotine-suru?" (Want some nicotine?)
"Little kids don't go smoking Meowld Sevens, you jerk!" Mild Seven is a popular brand of Japanese cigarette, of which "Meowld Seven" is the version that cats smoke (supposedly).
"This is all there is for kids who won't buy candy." This line is a reference to kamishibai (paper plays), an entertainment form popular in the decades immediately following the war. Entertainers would travel from place to place, and the shows they put on consisted of a series
"Is this where the grape harvest is being held?" "Budoogari" is essentially a do-it-yourself grape harvest. It's a pun on the similarity in pronunciation to "Butookai."
"Two people are death!" The original, "Ninin ga shi!" comes from Kuku (Nine-nine), the Japanese multiplication tables. It's normally the expression for "Two times two is four," but "shi," which is one reading of the kanji for four, is also the reading of the kanji for "death." It should hardly come as a surprise, then, that four is considered an unlucky number in Japan.
Episode 62: 宇宙かぜパニック!
Uchuu kaze panikku! (Space Cold Panic!)
Lum catches a cold from her father when he visits and she wears a sick-mask to keep the virus from spreading. Megane and friends pay Ataru to get them Lum's mask since it was on Lum's face, but it turns out the virus has a peculiar effect on humans; it causes contacted areas to become orange-green striped.
The opening narration is a parody of the classic opening narration of "Uchuu Senkan Yamato" (Space Battleship Yamato).
"Yeah, there's a Torajima SSX flu epidemic this year..." The "SSX" here is probably a reference to "Waga Seishun no Arcadia Mugen Kido SSX", a popular if brief Captain Harlock TV series that aired at this time.
"They say that cute big-breasted girls don't catch colds!" is a play on the saying, "Baka wa kaze o hikanai" (Idiots don't catch colds). Ataru uses an absurd rendering of the readings of the "Ba" and "Ka" in Baka in an attempt to keep Lum from killing him: "Ba" from "Basuto" (Bust) and "Ka" from "Kawaii" (Cute). As Megane points out, it's a shaky dodge at best.
"Space has multitudes of mysteries beyond the ability of mankind to comprehend, after all!" The visual which follows this line -- the finger-touch scene -- is another jab at ET, which was highly popular in Japan.
The ending narration is another parody, this time of the Japanese translation of the opening narration to the original Star Trek TV Series.
Episode 63: 竜之介登場! 海が好きっ!!
Ryunosuke toujou! Umi ga suki!! (Ryunosuke Arrives! I Love the Sea!)
Ataru, Lum, Shinobu, and Mendo go to the beach and meet Ryunosuke and her father who break into fights every few minutes. The following day Ryunosuke and her father show up at school as Mr. Fujinami just got a job running the bookstore. With Ryunosuke joining the class at Tomobiki, she begins to explain more of her unique problems trying to discover her femininity.
The training that Ryunosuke receives from his father is a parody of the method used in the famous anime series "Ashita no Joe," which revolved around an aspiring boxer, Joe, a loner who is taken under the wing of a grizzled old trainer. Just think of a younger and much more melodramatic version of "Rocky" and you'll have the idea.
Hamajaya literally means "Beach-side Cafe." It goes without saying that real beach-side cafes don't stay open during the winter. Mr. Fujinami is claiming his family invented the concept.
"Cross-Counter Punches" is a reference to a famous "Ashita no Joe" fight. Both Joe and his opponent, Rikishi, landed simultaneous punches with all their strength behind them. Joe was seriously injured, and Rikishi eventually died. This episode was so famous that it has been endlessly copied and parodied by many other shows. The phrase "Cross-Counter" is about as well-known in Japan as "Where's the Beef?" is in the United States.
Episode 64: さよならの季節
Sayonara no kisetsu (Goodbye Season)
Ataru and Megane spend an afternoon talking and Shinobu eavesdrops on the conversation which makes everyone think Ataru is going to give up Lum to someone. Shinobu believes Mendo will be the first choice so she sends a secret force out to intercept Ataru but Megane shows up to see that Ataru gets to school and deliver a speech that shocks everyone.
"The sound of the bells of Gion Shouja..." "...carries the haunting tune of impermanence." is a poem from the famous "Tale of Heikei." It is a reference to the fact that power and prosperity never last, that they are always destroyed by pride.
"Tomorrow, hurry! Hurry, hurry...! I'm Megane, who has just begun to walk..." is a parody of a famous old song called "Spring, hurry!" which you can listen to here.
"I hate you stars, I really hate you moon." - This is a reference to the "I hate clouds" line from "The Flowers Were Scary" (花はおそかった/Hana ha osokatta) by Katsuhiko Miki (美樹克彦).
"Boy am I stoked!" - This is a reference to Star of the Giants (巨人の星/Kyojin no Hoshi).
"Who knows what love lurks in the hearts of men?" The actual line is "Who knows the heart of the water, 100 feet below?" It's weird, it's untranslateable, and it's the perfect starting point for a certain un-named pun-obsessed staff member...
Shinobu's chart of relationships at Tomobiki High includes characters from Maison Ikkoku as well.
"Heading toward Kemo in the Third District." -The girl on the phone is monitoring Ataru and says he's headed Kemo's way. The next scene shows a girl in glasses who is likely supposed to be Kemo Kobiru, the early career alias of Rumiko Takahashi.
A Musashi Chronicles of Wind and Thunderposter can be seen on a marquee in the background of one scene. This is a callback to episode 55.
Onsen-Mark is teaching English from a book with Betty Boop on the cover.
There is no new episode of Urusei Yatsura airing the following two weeks.
Episode 65: ランちゃんのデート大作戦!
Ran-chan no deeto taisaku ikusa! (Ran-chan's Great Date Plan)
Ran meets and falls in love with Ryunosuke and asks Ryunosuke out on a date. Ryunosuke agrees because she wants to learn how to be feminine by watching Ran. Despite Lum and Ataru's efforts, Ran refuses to believe Ryu is a girl.
The title of this episode, "Ran-chan no Deeto Daisakusen" is a play on the popular TV show, "Spy Daisakusen," better know by it's US title, "Mission:Impossible."
"Antonio's Special Destruction Hold" is the special finishing technique of Antonio Inoki, one-time king of Japanese pro-wrestling, and more recently the one and only Diet member of the Sports Peace Party. During the Gulf War, Inoki flew to Iraq in an attempt to get the hostages freed. He didn't.
"The world is one family... We're all brothers! Prosperity for all! Pray for the national safety!" is a parody of a famous telephone commercial.
Episode 66: はっぴいバースデーマイダーリン
Happi baasudee mai daarin (Happy Birthday My Darling)
It is Ataru's birthday and Lum wants to know what he wants. He wants to be free from her for at least his birthday. So Ataru goes through the entire day never meeting Lum until an accidental meeting at night when he's happy to meet her.
In the scene where Ataru tries to hint that his birthday is coming up, he is reading the film-comic of the first Urusei Yatsura movie, "Only You."
Ne-Ne Time: "Ne Ne Shiyoo..." is kid's language. "Ne Ne" is a kids word for sleep, so "Ne Ne Shiyo" means "let's go to sleep." Why is this in the liner notes? Because AnimEigo Chairman James Ueki (currently aged 3) does a fair Ten-imitation most nights, and his long-suffering parents, in an attempt at long time-delay revenge, wish to embarrass him in a few years when he reads this...
"April 13th." April is the 4th month, and 4 is an unlucky number in Japan because it can be pronounced the same as "death." The 13th needs no explanation, it goes without saying that Ataru was born on a Friday. Even more dire, he was born on "Butsumetsu," the unluckiest day in the Buddist calendar.
Lum spies an advertisement for Laughing Target, which is another Rumiko Takahashi story, part of her "Rumic World" series. The film she goes to see is the OVA of the story.
Ataru's sniping at the calendar is probably a parody of "Golgo 13"
Episode 67: 地獄のキャンプに 桃源郷を見た!
Jigoku no kyampu ni tougenkyou wo mita! (Seeing Shangri-La as a Hell Camp!)
Lum, Ataru, Mendo, Megane, and Perm are camping. Mendo, Megane, and Perm painfully find out Lum's cooking is terribly hot and spicy; and Ataru, Mendo, and Perm set out at night to go hunting. They find a rabbit, bit it tries to offer them other food options. The next day, everyone is fishing and discovers a huge peach with Cherry inside, Cherry shows them where to get the peaches and they end up meeting some priests and having a race.
It is unclear if Akemi Takada (the character designer for the series) was the animation director on the full episode, it is thought she only made corrections on someone else's work. This is the only episode where she served in this role if so.
It is an anime tradition that the cooking of strange female characters often redefines the term "dreadful." Lum is no exception, and may well be the worst offender in this regard.
Note the continuity error: the hare is in Ataru's hands, then suddenly he is on the ground.
Rainbowman: Rainbowman was the hero of a popular live-action special-effects sci-fi show, one of the many in the same genre as "Power Rangers." As recounted in the theme song Rainbowman trains in the mountains of India, thus the reference by Ataru.
The Legend of Momotaro ("Peach Boy") tells of an old childless couple, Ojiisan and Obaasan, who found a large peach drifting down a stream one day, when Obaasan went to do her laundry. When they opened it, out sprang Momotaro When he grew up, he went to hunt the Oni, who had stolen all the wealth of the people years before. Along the way, he met a dog, a monkey, and a pheasant, all of whom joined him when he gave them one of his "Nippon-ichi no kibidango" (Steamed shiratamako flour with white sugar on top; they taste like rice-cakes.) When they reached Oni-ga-shima ("Oni Island") in the Inland Sea, a great battle took place, and Momotaro took all the treasures back to the people from whom they had been stolen. He also ensured that Ojiichan and Obaachan would be well taken care of in their old(er) age. Tougenkyou is apparently where Momotaro got put in the peach in the first place.
'Is it the famous "Peach Boy picked a peck of pickled peaches" peach?': The original phrase "Sumomo mo momo mo momo no uchi" is just a tongue-twister. It just means "Pickled peaches, peaches... they are all peaches."
The sword, Peach-Petal: The name of the sword, "Momotaro-maru," literally means "a valued object of Momotaro's"
Ataru's number is of course 4, considered to be very unlucky since it can be pronounced the same as "death" in Japanese.
There is no new episode of Urusei Yatsura the following week.
Episode 68: 花ムコの名は竜之介
Hanamako no na wa Ryunosuke (The Groom's Name is Ryunosuke)
Kurama's karasu-tengu meet Ryunosuke and decide she is perfect for their princess, until they discover she's a girl. As a result the tengu they get a sex-change gun which accidentally hits Ataru.
All the gifts the Tengu bring are traditional engagement gifts.
"That bouncy feeling..." is a parody of a detergent commercial.
The Sex Change Cannon (Improved Version): Fans of Uchuu-senkan Yamato (or Star Blazers) know that the Yamato's most powerful weapon was the so-called "Wave-Motion Cannon," a giant particle-accelerator-like device that was capable of releasing an enormous burst of particle plasma. It required so much energy and time to charge the cannon during the process. In "Yamato", these scenes were always shown in great detail (can you say "reusing footage? We knew you could...).
Multiple exposure effect: Ryunosuke and her father seem to blur because they move so fast. This anime effect, called Electronic Acceleration, was first made popular by the anime/manga Cyborg 009. Cyborg 009 & Co. were able to engage in this mode, where they moved at speeds so fast that they were unable to be seen by ordinary people.
Episode 69: ビンづめレター海辺の怪!
Bindzume retaa umibeno kai! (Bottled Letter Seashore Mystery)
Lum, Ataru, Ten, Shinobu, and Mendo are vacationing at the seashore. The boys each get a bottle with a love letter from a young woman who convinces them to stay at a weird hotel run by an old woman and a giant man.
Kasu & Bozu are terms from the card game of Hanafuda, which is what Lum and Shinobu are playing.
Episode 70: 激烈登場! 水乃小路トンちゃん!!
Gekiretsu toujou! Mizunokoji Ton-chan! (Dramatic Appearance! Mizunokoji Ton-chan!)
Tobimaro, Mendo's childhood rival and Ryoko's love interest, arrives to compete against his old friend and rival, Mendo, in a high-stakes game of baseball.
Koshien Stadium is very prestigious baseball stadium where annual high school tournaments take place. It's the ultimate goal for aspiring players, and the process to get there is highly selective. Winners will certainly be called heroes in their home towns, and may even be scouted by many professional teams who shop around for their future members there. On the other hand, Losers are known to pack home a bagful of treasured Koshien dirt!
"Hey, kids! Unhand that turtle!" is yet another reference to the legend of Urashima Taro. In the legend, Taro finds a sea turtle that had washed up on a beach, and was being tormented by some cruel children. He rescued the turtle, and in return, the turtle took him to Dragon Palace, where he was wined and dined by the Princess of the Palace. When Taro decided to leave, the Princess gave him a box as a going-away present, with a warning that he must never open it. After returning to the land, Taro discovered that over 100 years had passed, even though he had only been away a few days. He finds that all his friends have aged and died, and that his village has changed so much as to be unrecognizable. Finally, Taro opens the box, and the gas that was contained within released him from the magic that had retarded his aging, swiftly turning him into an extremely old man.
Dominance and Submission: "Shiyuu" can mean 2 things in different context: 1) male & female 2) victory. Tobimaro is talking about the latter, but while trying to make sure that he's not talking about the former, he himself gets it mixed up. Needless to say, this is an Excedrin headache for translators, but we think our version comes close to preserving the puns.
Tobimaro Mizonokoji family name is a play on "Mizuno", a famous sporting-goods company.
Buke & Kuge: During the Kamakura Era, there were two opposing groups of people. Buke were the soldiers, and the Kuge were mostly 'bureaucrats'. Mendo's family are Buke, and Mizunokoji's are Kuge, and the rivalry is still going strong!
Tobimaro's training: This is all a parody of "Kyojin no Hoshi", a serious anime/manga drama from the early 70's or late 60's, whose main character, Hyuma Hoshi, is a boy who trains hard, thanks to his no-mercy father, to become the pitcher for Yomiuri Giants [the most popular team in Japanese Baseball]. Hyuma's father was perhaps the least lenient man in the entire universe, as well a semi-alcoholic, who'd beat his son into training hard for baseball. Tobimaro is portrayed as a Hyuma Hoshi-like character here. The "in" drawing-style of that era made the eyes 'sparkle' to dramatize many characters, although it eventually became so passe that newer non-serious anime/manga made mockery out of it. Thus the outrageous sparkles in Tobimaro's eyes.
The entire baseball game is a parody of every sports-related anime show ever done, past, present and future.
The burly sportscaster is a caricature of Shigeo Nagashima, "Mr. Baseball," one of the most popular Japanese baseball stars of all time.
No new episode of Urusei Yatsura aired the following week.
Episode 71: しのぶのシンデレラストーリー
Shinobu no shinderera sutorrii (Shinobu's Cinderella Story)
Shinobu helps a handsome, dashing, young man hide from some ugly dagger street rejects. Buts the goons continue to track both Shinobu and the man. Even some police are after the man, and Ataru, Lum, Megane and friends get in on the act.
Inspector Torii and his coat: The inspector is based upon a character from "Taiyou ni Hoero", a classic 70's TV show about a police department in Tokyo. This character was most often seen wearing a long coat, Columbo-style --- so often that it was very rare to see him without the coat --- hence the inseparable association (and the "Damn, it's hot!" joke - because he rarely took it off).
Episode 72: ラムちゃんの理由なき反抗
Lum-chan no ryuunakihankou (Lum-chan the Ruthless Rebel)
Lum, Ataru, Mendo, Ryunosuke, Shinobu, and Lum's Stormtroopers make a movie featuring everyone as super-powered beings with Ataru as the saint of love.
Utagoe Cafe: Before karaoke machines were invented and spread locust-like across the Land of the Rising Sun, those who wished to down a few belts and belt out a few tunes went to "Utagoe" sing-along bars, where they could sing, accompanied by live musicians.
Watching movies is bad enough: The joke here is that Ryunosuke's father, who has been teaching (and forcing) her to be a male, has also been instilling many bizarre (and almost always wrong) ideas into her head. For example, in one instance, young Ryunosuke was shown a Matsutake Mushroom (an expensive delicacy), but told by her father that it was an "Evil Mushroom". He told her to duck and to look away while he chased it away; this was his excuse to enjoy it all by himself, of course. Ryunosuke finally gets to taste Matsutake at Tomobiki High, in an act of rebellion against her father's teachings.
A... A-An Electronic Acceleration Device!: A reference to the classic manga and TV anime series, "Cyborg 009". The device allowed movement speed faster than the eye could follow.
"Let us get rid of our old clothes and head for that mountain together!" This phrase (and the song that accompanies it) is based on an old, classic movie series called "Aoi Sanmyaku", which portrayed the lives of youths and their struggles before getting married.
"Who the hell gave me the geese?!" This sequence starts out with Unbaba calling the Tomobiki students "'fraidycat losers" or more literally "goosebumped-losers". A pun is completed when geese come flying out, bumping into Unbaba.
This episode is packed with film references including Ashes and Diamonds by Adrzej Wajda, Sailor Suit and Machine Gun by Shinji Soma and Aoi Sanmyaku by Tadashi Imai. First noticed by eboha.
Episode 73: 大勝負! サクラVS錯乱坊!!
Taishoubu! Sakura vs. Sakuranbo!! (The Big Showdown! Sakura vs. Sakuranbo)
One day, Lum makes some of her wonderful cooking for Ataru. But Sakura and Cherry show up and have a psychic battle.
"The gods will be upset if you waste your food!" The idea behind this old saying is that one should respect the food and its makers; wasting food is thus an act of disrespect.
The Goldfish Man: Like ice-cream trucks, goldfish dealers roam about the town streets in the summertime selling the bagged pets. They are not as common today as they were decades ago. Other seasonal pet-dealers of this sort sell fireflies and crickets.
Temples: Before their spirits were called upon, Cherry and Sakura recite names of temples (which also include shrines and cemetaries). They are among the oldest in a region that is collectively known as Musashino, which now covers pretty much the entire Tokyo area.
The names that Cherry and Sakura intone also happen to be the names of stations on one of the more heavily travelled JR mass-transit commuter lines.
Tentoji-Udon is Tempura Udon, consisting of thick buckwheat noodles with Egg-Batter-Fried goodies in an Eggdrop-in-broth soup.
Episode 74: 怪談! 柳のオジジ!!
Kaidan! Yanagi no ojiji!! (Ghost Story! Old Man Willow!)
Onsen-Mark tells the students a few ghost stories related to the high school, in particular, about a willow tree. Mocking the story, Ataru writes "Mendo's an idiot" on the willow in marker. The tree sprouts forth an old man who tries to avenge itself on Ataru by tricking him into searching for treasure on the school grounds. But Mendo and Onsen-Mark are also at the school that night checking about ghost stories.
Willow trees have long been a favorite subject in ghost stories. Many classic tales associate these trees with ghosts and other creatures.
Ataru's graffiti on the willow tree: The image is an octopus face, and captioned "idiot/jerk". Mendo keeps octopi as pets; they are in fact emblazoned on his family crest. In the comic version, the familiar "Waaan, semaiyo! Kuraiyo! Kowaiyo!" (Arrrgh! It's cramped! It's dark! I'm scared!) is also captioned in large letters surrounding the face of the octopus.
Waidan vs. Kaidan: "Waidan" are stories that are sensational in nature, e.g. "smut". "Kaidan" include "ghost" and other frightening stories. The closest we could come in English is "gross" and "ghost" stories.
Tomobiki High's 7 Legends: As Ataru mentions, legends like these do indeed exist in virtually every school. Many times they are used by upperclassmen to frighten younger students. Several of the seven legends have been mentioned before in the series.
The Solingen Knife: Solingen is a city in Germany that is famous for producing cutlery of high quality (and price).
"After being moused around... it was only a cat!" - Onsen-Mark actually says "Taizan meidou shite neko ippiki". This line is based on a proverb, "taizan meidou shite nezumi ippiki", which literally means, "after all the commotion, only a mouse", somewhat similar to an English expression, "much ado about nothing". Here, Onsen improvised a pun by substituting "neko" (cat) for "nezumi" (mouse).
Tsukune University's Professor Kusaya: The jokes here are: "Kusaya" sounds like "Kusaiya", which means "it stinks". Tsukune-Age and Tsukune-Yaki are ground fish meat, which are mixed with other ingredients (such as egg) before made into little balls. These are then fried (-Age) or baked (-Yaki). They look like, well, little turds, though we are told they taste much better than they look!
"The Holy Wine, with which to bless the sword": In the days of samurai, the warriors used to spit out wine to cleanse and to bless their swords.
"A drop of wine... is like a sacred grain of rice... One must not commit such a sin.": It is said that a grain of rice takes an entire year to grow, and thus the wasting of rice is a sinful act. Rice is also the key component in Sake (rice-wine), hence the equation.
Personal-belongings inspections: It may seem awfully strange, but many grade- and high-schools hold these inspections regularly, the idea being that no "illicit" items be brought to school. Other common regulations and restrictions include dress and personal-appearance codes.
"It's Educational" Alibi Establishment Notes
Episode 75: そして誰もいなくなったっちゃ!?
Soshite daremo inakunattaccha!? (And Then There Were None)
Lum, Ataru, Shinobu, Mendo, Onsen-Mark, Sakura, Cherry, and Lum's guard are all at a mansion on an island by invitation. Little by little, each of them are murdered until only Ataru is left.
"Two parts have been skipped, so there are four remaining. But the last line doesn't apply, so only three are really left." - Onsen
Onsen is referring to a variation of the famous Mother Goose rhyme.
Who saw him die?
"I," said the Fly,
"With my little eye, I saw him die."
Who caught his blood?
"I," said the Fish,
"With my little dish, I caught his blood."
Who'll make his shroud?
"I," said the Beetle,
"With my thread and needle, I'll make his shroud."
Who'll dig his grave?
"I," said the Owl,
"With my spade and trowel, I'll dig his grave."
Who'll be the parson?
"I," said the Rook,
"With my little book. I'll be the parson."
Who'll be the clerk?
"I," said the Lark,
"I'll say Amen in the dark; I'll be the clerk."
Who'll be chief mourner?
"I," said the Dove,
"I mourn for my love; I'll be chief mourner."
Who'll bear the torch?
"I," said the Linnet,
"I'll come in a minute, I'll bear the torch."
Who'll sing his dirge?
"I," said the thrush,
"As I sing in the bush I'll sing his dirge."
Who'll bear the pall?
"We," said the Wren,
"Both the cock and the hen; We'll bear the pall."
Who'll carry his coffin?
"I," said the Kite,
"If it be in the night, I'll carry his coffin."
Who'll toll the bell?
"I," said the Bull,
"Because I can pull, I'll toll the bell."
All the birds of the air fell to sighing and sobbing
When they heard the bell toll for poor Cock Robin.
Episode 76: 火消しママ参上!
Hikeshi mama sanjou! (Firefighter Mommy Visits!)
Ten's firefighter mother arrives and gives Ataru a bell to ring in case he happens to find a fire that needs extinguishing, namely one by Ten-chan. Ten desperately tries to fry Ataru without letting him ring the bell, but Mother keeps popping up with a storm of water.
"Carrying her fire target in one hand, Ten's mother has travelled a long way..." - Lum
Ten's mother's "fire target," or "matoi," is what the firefighters during the Edo Period used to carry around to identify themselves. In the decades prior to that, it functioned as a kind of status symbol used by warlords, especially during combat.
"Ma'am! Melon-bread for me! The melon-bread, I said!"
The so-called "melon-bread" ("Meron-pan") often pops up in anime because it is such a common snack-food. It is a kind of a pastry, about 5 inches in diameter, a pale citron in color. The name comes from the fact that the original recipe called for melon extract. As everyone knows, melons are painfully expensive in Japan, so generally there's no melon in melon-bread these days!
Episode 77: ダーリンが死んじゃう!?
Darrin ga shinjau!? (Darling's Dying)
Ran makes some special cakes for Rei for a picnic. These act as about ten times the food they are and Ataru accidentally eats one of these nearly dies. Lum tries desperately to save her darling and ends up trying to track down Ran in another world to find a cure.
Ran's chant is based on passages from Black Magic books and Hebrew texts, some of which were made popular in Japan through such manga titles as "Akuma-kun" ("Li'l Devil") whose main character often used the phrase.
"Darling, here... Your mother asked me to give them to you." - Lum "For me?! I see... even she can act like a mother!" - Ataru
Lum flashes two 1000-yen bills (each roughly equivalent to ten US dollars.)
"Poison?! Can you save him?!" - Lum
"Don't worry, miss. We're completely prepared." - Doctor
Here, the joke is that Cherry has made a typical Buddhist funeral arrangement.
"New Year's Cards should be mailed by December 20th!" - Mr. Postbox
The postbox, as seen here, is the traditional type found throughout Japan.
The New Year's phrase comes from the Japanese postal service, which runs massive ad campaigns each year to make sure that the New Year's Cards (called "nengajou") are mailed on time. There is another reason for this - the Cards bought at post offices are also lottery tickets, which is a huge money spinner.
"P...Pardon me... Have you seen a girl who looks like this?" - Lum "I am looking upon one right now." - Man
"No! I said, have you seen a girl who looks like THIS!" - Lum
This sequence is a twisted parody of the samurai-movie classic, "Lone Wolf and Cub," whose main character, Ogami Itto, along with his son, Daigoro, are presented here Urusei Yatsura-style!
"We're leaving, Kyodaigoro." - Ogami
Here "Kyodaigoro" works as an in-joke. It's based on "Daigoro", the name of Ogami Itto's son, and "Kyodai," or "gigantic," as in Kyodaigoro's large head!
"If you play a round of golf with me and win, then I won't mind telling you!" - The Queen
In this "Alice in Wonderland" parody, the Queen is drawn like a sumo wrestler in drag!
Episode 78: みじめ! 愛とさすらいの母!?
Mijime! Ai to sasurai no haha!? (Pitiful! Mother of Love and Banishment!?)
Ataru's mother is knocked unconscious during a fight at the mall and has several nightmares that each begin with her waking from unconsciousness. One time she comes home to find she's grown old. Another time she comes home to meet herself.
This episode was very divisive in Japan when it first aired given that Mamoru Oshii was severely repremanded when the episode was submitted. Upper management had warned him that his frequent use of in jokes and references to film and other anime was overdone to such an extent that episodes became meaningless. It was said that a station refused to air this episode but relented due to having nothing else to air in place. The concept of this episode would go on to be an important influence for the second Urusei Yatsura film, Beautiful Dreamer. While many critics disliked the episode many others consider it a masterpiece.
"Good day, Ma'am... I'm with the Diefast Life Insurance..." - Salesman. The salesman is a representative of "Hayajini Seimei Co." whose name can be rendered as "Quickdeath" or "Diefast"!
Mrs. Moroboshi wears an apron with a Piyo Piyo chick on it, a reference to Kyoko Otonashi from Maison Ikkoku.
"...a turtle and a crane slipped... in the eve before this sunset... Who's facing behind you?"
These lines come from "Kagome Kagome," a song from a children's game that is a few centuries old. It is partly nonsense, although there are scholars who believe that the song was actually created as a secret coded message during the Edo Period! Whatever the case, the game is still played by Japanese children to this day. The song is also suggested as a possible origin for the name of the heroine of Rumiko Takahashi's later series Inuyasha.
"I am a psychoanalyst, specializing in middle-aged women. My name is Jigolo. Have you forgotten?" Yet another very subtle pun. While conventions suggest that the name be spelled out "Jigoro",we changed "r" to "l" for obvious reasons!
"Tis a pool of laughter!" - Mrs.Moroboshi. This is a pun on "Oara Kaisuiyokujo," a name of a maritime park, and "oowarai," which means a "big laugh!"
