A Youth That Runs About (かけめぐる青春, Kakemeguru Seishun) and Desperate Situation (絶体絶命, Zettai Zetsumei) are the two segments of the first episode of the 2022 adaptation of Urusei Yatsura.
Summary[]
- a
Ataru Moroboshi, an unlovely flirtatious boy, has been chosen to fight an invading alien force's champion in a 10-day game of tag. If he loses the aliens will invade Earth, but if he wins, the aliens will go home. Ataru isn't at all willing to play tag until he sees the alien's champion: the beautiful Lum.
- b
Ataru tries to reconnect with Shinobu, but Lum jams the phone communications around town, making helicopters disappear. When Ataru tries to go visit Shinobu, Lum will increase the power of the jamming signal, with disastrous consequences to the entire town.
Plot[]
- a
Multiple Oni Dreadnoughts, all led by Lum's Father, begin to invade the world, as Ataru tries to talk to Shinobu about his feelings for her. She believes him for a moment, but by the second a gorgeous jogger passes by them, Ataru can't help, but compliment her causing Shinobu to lose it on Ataru. Dejected that Shinobu rejected him, the wandering monk Cherry ruses toward Ataru, believing he is about to jump off the bridge he was leaning over. Instead, Cherry manages to knock him off the bridge and into the stream of water below. Later by a vending machine, Ataru clarifies to Cherry that he wasn't going to jump off the bridge, even though Cherry saw the Shadow of Death surrounding him. To that, Ataru denotes that just because a girl dumped him doesn't mean he planned on killing himself; Cherry then proclaims that Ataru's face is one of a great disaster. Ataru then wraps Cherry in a bandage and tries to clarify what he meant, but Ataru doesn't want to hear it and tries to leave. However, Cherry appears before him again and formally introduces himself to Ataru.
Just then, Shinobu and Ataru's Mother appear before them, noting they were concerned for him. Right as Ataru asked about why government officials surround him and lead him back home where Lum's Father sat by the living room table with his father. Lum's Father greets Ataru, who throws beans at him as a way to expel him from his house, and Lum's Father jovially takes the gesture. A trio of Oni soldiers then stops Ataru, and Lum's Father informs Ataru to take a seat as he's not going anywhere. It turns out that the Oni invaders have chosen Ataru to partake in a game that if he wins, the Oni invaders will leave the Earth, but if he loses, they'll conquer it. The game that the Oni had in mind was Tag. As Ataru processes this, an Oni warps down from the mothership and introduces herself as Lum. Lum's father then explains the rules of the game to Ataru, who is it and must grab Lum's horns within ten days, to which, Ataru proclaims in a lewd way he'll accomplish it. This prompts Shinobu a painful rebuke from Shinobu who storms out of his home. Accepting the challenge, Lum's Father happily announces that the game will start the next day.
The following day, at a stadium filled with humans on one side and Oni on the other. At the start of the game, Ataru immediately tries to hug Lum, but she dodges it by flying into the air. Annoyed that Lum can fly, she tells Ataru that he should have studied more about her race before attempting to touch her. For the next nine days, Ataru struggles to even touch Lum, but to no avail, and the Earth's future seems bleak. Both of Ataru's parents note how Ataru will be treated like a pariah for failing to save the earth, and Cherry, who was also there, asks when Ataru was born. Hence Ataru's mother details his date of birth, and she and his father then detail all of the unfortunate mishaps that occurred after his birth. Hearing this prompts Cherry to claim Ataru is misfortune incarnate, leaving Ataru's parents to feel dejected by the news.
Laying on his futon bed in his room, Shinobu, Kōsuke and another friend, try to console the emaciated-looking Ataru. When Ataru snaps under pressure, Shinobu promises to marry Ataru if he succeeds, but Ataru believes it to be a bluff. On the other hand, Shinobu claims she's being honest, and Ataru takes it to heart.
On the last day of the game, Ataru earnestly struggles to try and capture Lum and finally manages to grab onto one of her legs. However, Lum then electro-shocks Ataru into submission and walks away. Despite being electrocuted, Ataru's determination to grab Lum's horns so he can marry Shinobu burns fiercely, and he tries again to grab Lum's horns. Managing to grab onto Lum again, Ataru accidentally removes her bra and uses it as a lure for him to finally grab onto Lum's horns. In the aftermath of this situation, Lum misunderstands Ataru's marriage proposal to Shinobu and agrees to marry him. Lum's Father also consents to the marriage, and Ataru again earns Shinobu's disdain.
The next day, Ataru sits by the tv with his family as he relishes a couple of girls doting on him. Out of nowhere, Lum appears, creating a loud explosion, and proclaims she'll be living with him from now on.
- b
Lum shocks Ataru in his room, claiming he's not allowed to cheat on her; Ataru claims he was merely trying to talk to Shinobu. After shocking him again, he breaks up with Lum and leaves his room. Believing he's finally free of Lum, a beat and battered Ataru heads downstairs to his home's telephone to call Shinobu, who is elated that Lum is finally out of the picture. On the other hand, Lum manages to connect to the call and claim they're still together, provoking Shinobu to break up with Ataru again.
Afterward, Ataru gets into an argument with his mother, and his father tries to distract them from it by redirecting their attention the news about a missing aircraft. Later, Ataru contacts Shinobu again, which Lum interrupts again, but Ataru manages to convince her to hear him out. Agitated over this, Lum amplifies her radio jamming signal causing a helicopter flying overhead to disappear. The event makes the news and features Ataru on his phone at the time of occurrence. Furthermore, the newscasters elaborate that Ataru was talking to Shinobu and Lum during the helicopter's disappearance, claiming their conversations have created a black hole of sorts.
Ataru, now determined to meet with Shinobu in person, decides to leave his house to accomplish this, and thus Lum creates a wicked thunderstorm outside. Before Ataru heads outside, his father gives him a raincoat he wore as a kid. The father-son bonding moment is interrupted by Cherry, who appears before them and claims he'll join Ataru in his "final moments". En route to Shinobu's home, a bolt of lightning strikes down a telephone pole, and Cherry tries to knock Ataru out of the way, but instead knocks him into it. In a fit of rage, Ataru picks up and slams Cherry with the telephone pole into a bolt of lightning; observing the scene from her ship, Lum amplifies the thunderstorm her ship created, causing a city-wide blackout. Once Ataru and Shinobu finally get together, Lum crashes her ship into the ground where they were located. Separated, Ataru tries to regroup with Shinobu, but mistakingly grabs onto Lum, causing Shinobu to slam a telephone poll into his head.
Eventually, Ataru is held responsible for the damage to the city and the two missing aircraft as Ataru fails to try and patch things up with Shinobu.
Cast[]
- Lum's Father
- Cherry
- Shinobu Miyake
- Ataru Moroboshi
- Ataru's Mother
- Ataru's Father
- Lum
- Kōsuke Shirai
- Hokuto
Trivia[]
- a
- Cherry explains that Ataru was a terrible luck star on him. He was born on a Friday, April the 13th, which plays on the following superstitions:
- Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day in Western superstition.
- April is the 4th month of the year, and the number 4 is an unlucky number in Japanese superstition
- In the scene where Lum first appears, an instrumental version of Lum no Love Song is played.
- While playing the game of tag, Ataru wears a t-shirt with the number 4 on it. That is considered a sign of bad luck.
- b
- According to a wall calendar on the Moroboshi's house, this episode takes place on a month that has 31 days and starts on a Sunday the 1st.
- This episode aired on October 2022, while its 1980s anime episode aired on October 1981, and its original manga chapter counterpart was published on August 1978.
- Given the fact that this series also appears to be taking place in the Showa era, the month of August 1978 complies with those requirements.
- In the scenes in Ataru's room, several posters reference the 1980s anime and other Rumiko Takahashi's works:
- A poster that shows a futuristic car, similar to Ataru's posters in the 1980s anime.
- A poster that shows a girl in a bikini, similar to posters that Ataru had in the 1980s anime, and that Godai (from "Maison Ikkoku") had in his room in that anime.
- A small flag that says "Tokeizaka" on it. Tokeizaka (sometimes translated as "Clock Hill") is the neighborhood in which the 1986 anime "Maison Ikkoku" took place.
Differences from the Manga[]
- a
- In the manga, Ataru snags Lum's bikini top (by hand) in the eighth day.
- She comes to his house that evening to demand it back.
- The next day, her maneuverability is reduced by her arms crossed over her chest, but not enough for Ataru to succeed.
- The final day, Shinobu shouts out that she'll marry Ataru if he wins. That gives him the motivation to lure Lum in with her top and then grab her.
- b
The only noteworthy change is that the books on Ataru's bookshelf have discernable titles in the manga. In the anime, they are generic ones.
Gallery[]
_-_Cherry.png "E1a (2022) - Cherry.png (1.42 MB)")
_-_Ataru_told_Shinobu.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru told Shinobu.png (1 MB)")
_-_Shinobu_mad.png "E1a (2022) - Shinobu mad.png (955 KB)")
_-_Cherry_tells_Ataru_about_his_face.png "E1a (2022) - Cherry tells Ataru about his face.png (1.27 MB)")
_-_Shinobu,_Mother_and_Ataru.png "E1a (2022) - Shinobu, Mother and Ataru.png (1.34 MB)")
_-_Lum%27s_Father_appear_at_Ataru%27s_House.png "E1a (2022) - Lum's Father appear at Ataru's House.png (1.57 MB)")
_-_Lum%27s_Father_greet.png "E1a (2022) - Lum's Father greet.png (1.28 MB)")
_-_Lum%27s_Father_only_agrees_to_one_condition.png "E1a (2022) - Lum's Father only agrees to one condition.png (1.7 MB)")
_-_Lum%27s_Father_talks_about_Game_of_Tag.png "E1a (2022) - Lum's Father talks about Game of Tag.png (1.29 MB)")
_-_Ataru_and_Lum%27s_Father_looks_at_Lum.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru and Lum's Father looks at Lum.png (1.25 MB)")
_-_Lum_arrive.png "E1a (2022) - Lum arrive.png (2.08 MB)")
_-_Ataru_look_at_the_sight_of_Lum.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru look at the sight of Lum.png (845 KB)")
_-_Lum_introduce_herself.png "E1a (2022) - Lum introduce herself.png (1.13 MB)")
_-_Lum%27s_Father_explains_about_rule_of_Game_of_Tag.png "E1a (2022) - Lum's Father explains about rule of Game of Tag.png (1.62 MB)")
_-_Lum_mentions_she_is_not_easy_catch.png "E1a (2022) - Lum mentions she is not easy catch.png (1.23 MB)")
_-_Ataru_agree_to_play_Game_of_Tag.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru agree to play Game of Tag.png (968 KB)")
_-_Lum,_Lum%27s_Father_and_Ataru.png "E1a (2022) - Lum, Lum's Father and Ataru.png (1.53 MB)")
_-_Lum_on_first_day_of_Tag.png "E1a (2022) - Lum on first day of Tag.png (1.4 MB)")
_-_Ataru_on_first_day_of_Tag.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru on first day of Tag.png (1,016 KB)")
_-_Ataru_didn%27t_know_that_Lum_can_fly.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru didn't know that Lum can fly.png (1.66 MB)")
_-_Ataru_couldn%27t_catch_Lum.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru couldn't catch Lum.png (2.05 MB)")
_-_Shinobu,_K%C5%8Dsuke_and_Hokuto.png "E1a (2022) - Shinobu, Kōsuke and Hokuto.png (1.29 MB)")
_-_Lum_and_Ataru%27s_Game_of_Tag.png "E1a (2022) - Lum and Ataru's Game of Tag.png (1.97 MB)")
_-_Ataru_trying_to_catch_Lum.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru trying to catch Lum.png (1.71 MB)")
_-_Ataru%27s_Parents_and_Cherry.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru's Parents and Cherry.png (1.27 MB)")
_-_Ataru%27s_Parents_talks_about_his_bad_luck.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru's Parents talks about his bad luck.png (1.24 MB)")
_-_Mother_wished_she_never_given_birth_to_Ataru.png "E1a (2022) - Mother wished she never given birth to Ataru.png (785 KB)")
_-_Shinobu,_K%C5%8Dsuke_and_Hokuto_talks_with_Ataru.png "E1a (2022) - Shinobu, Kōsuke and Hokuto talks with Ataru.png (895 KB)")
_-_Shinobu_agrees_to_marry_Ataru_if_he_wins.png "E1a (2022) - Shinobu agrees to marry Ataru if he wins.png (842 KB)")
_-_Ataru_ready_for_tomorrow.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru ready for tomorrow.png (1.68 MB)")
_-_Ataru_caught_Lum%27s_leg.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru caught Lum's leg.png (1.75 MB)")
_-_Lum_uses_her_power_after_Ataru_catch_her_leg.png "E1a (2022) - Lum uses her power after Ataru catch her leg.png (2.14 MB)")
_-_Lum_shocks_on_Ataru.png "E1a (2022) - Lum shocks on Ataru.png (1.78 MB)")
_-_Ataru_stands_up.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru stands up.png (1.25 MB)")
_-_Lum_surprised_Ataru_can_still_move.png "E1a (2022) - Lum surprised Ataru can still move.png (1.76 MB)")
_-_Ataru_imagines_Shinobu%27s_Wedding.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru imagines Shinobu's Wedding.png (1.13 MB)")
_-_Ataru_holds_Lum.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru holds Lum.png (1.42 MB)")
_-_Ataru_holding_Lum%27s_upper_outfit.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru holding Lum's upper outfit.png (1.58 MB)")
_-_Lum%27s_Father_shocked_that_Ataru_getting_win.png "E1a (2022) - Lum's Father shocked that Ataru getting win.png (1.24 MB)")
_-_Ataru_caught_Lum%27s_horns.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru caught Lum's horns.png (884 KB)")
_-_Ataru_is_the_Winner.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru is the Winner.png (1.9 MB)")
_-_Lum_smiles.png "E1a (2022) - Lum smiles.png (1.25 MB)")
_-_Shinobu_happy_for_Ataru.png "E1a (2022) - Shinobu happy for Ataru.png (1.59 MB)")
_-_Lum_agrees_to_marry_Ataru.png "E1a (2022) - Lum agrees to marry Ataru.png (1.18 MB)")
_-_Lum%27s_Father_tells_Ataru_to_treat_Lum.png "E1a (2022) - Lum's Father tells Ataru to treat Lum.png (1.59 MB)")
_-_Shinobu_upset_at_Ataru_for_Lum%27s_marriage_proposal.png "E1a (2022) - Shinobu upset at Ataru for Lum's marriage proposal.png (1.7 MB)")
_-_Father,_Mother_and_Ataru_watched_News.png "E1a (2022) - Father, Mother and Ataru watched News.png (1.37 MB)")
_-_Lum_shows_up_on_Ataru%27s_House.png "E1a (2022) - Lum shows up on Ataru's House.png (1.47 MB)")
_-_Ataru_being_shocked_by_Lum.png "E1a (2022) - Ataru being shocked by Lum.png (1.63 MB)")
_-_Ataru_can%27t_take_Lum_anymore.png "E1b (2022) - Ataru can't take Lum anymore.png (1.74 MB)")
_-_Lum_crying.png "E1b (2022) - Lum crying.png (1.47 MB)")
_-_Atari_scared_of_Lum_get_mad.png "E1b (2022) - Atari scared of Lum get mad.png (1.86 MB)")
_-_Shinobu_angry_to_hear_Lum%27s_voice.png "E1b (2022) - Shinobu angry to hear Lum's voice.png (1.15 MB)")
_-_Shinobu_yelling_at_Ataru_over_phone.png "E1b (2022) - Shinobu yelling at Ataru over phone.png (1.43 MB)")
_-_Ataru_crying_while_Mother_talk_with_neighbor.png "E1b (2022) - Ataru crying while Mother talk with neighbor.png (1.25 MB)")
_-_Lum_spy_on_Ataru.png "E1b (2022) - Lum spy on Ataru.png (1.64 MB)")
_-_Mother_argue_with_Ataru.png "E1b (2022) - Mother argue with Ataru.png (1.07 MB)")
_-_Ataru_and_Mother_still_argue.png "E1b (2022) - Ataru and Mother still argue.png (1.32 MB)")
_-_Father_try_distract_them_while_still_agrues.png "E1b (2022) - Father try distract them while still agrues.png (1.29 MB)")
_-_Lum_interrupts_their_phone.png "E1b (2022) - Lum interrupts their phone.png (1.14 MB)")
_-_Lum_upset_that_they_can%27t_hear_her_voice.png "E1b (2022) - Lum upset that they can't hear her voice.png (1.75 MB)")
_-_Ataru_looks_at_the_sky.png "E1b (2022) - Ataru looks at the sky.png (1.14 MB)")
_-_Mother_and_Father_shocked_at_Breaking_News.png "E1b (2022) - Mother and Father shocked at Breaking News.png (910 KB)")
_-_Lum_getting_mad_at_Shinobu.png "E1b (2022) - Lum getting mad at Shinobu.png (1.28 MB)")
_-_Lum_talk_after_turn_on.png "E1b (2022) - Lum talk after turn on.png (1.66 MB)")
_-_Ataru_wears_his_Mask.png "E1b (2022) - Ataru wears his Mask.png (899 KB)")
_-_Father_give_his_raincoat_to_Ataru.png "E1b (2022) - Father give his raincoat to Ataru.png (1.2 MB)")
_-_Ataru_and_Father%27s_touching_moment.png "E1b (2022) - Ataru and Father's touching moment.png (982 KB)")
_-_Cherry_appeared.png "E1b (2022) - Cherry appeared.png (1.02 MB)")
_-_Ataru_ready_to_go.png "E1b (2022) - Ataru ready to go.png (1.63 MB)")
_-_Ataru_and_Cherry.png "E1b (2022) - Ataru and Cherry.png (1.9 MB)")
_-_Cherry_pushed_Ataru.png "E1b (2022) - Cherry pushed Ataru.png (1.94 MB)")
_-_Ataru_hits_Cherry.png "E1b (2022) - Ataru hits Cherry.png (1.25 MB)")
_-_Shinobu_go_to_see_Ataru.png "E1b (2022) - Shinobu go to see Ataru.png (759 KB)")
_-_Lum_watched_Shinobu_and_Ataru.png "E1b (2022) - Lum watched Shinobu and Ataru.png (1.07 MB)")
_-_Lum_turn_it_on.png "E1b (2022) - Lum turn it on.png (1.45 MB)")
_-_Ataru_calling_Shinobu%27s_name.png "E1b (2022) - Ataru calling Shinobu's name.png (522 KB)")
_-_Shinobu_calling_Ataru%27s_name.png "E1b (2022) - Shinobu calling Ataru's name.png (421 KB)")
_-_Shinobu_and_Ataru_reunited.png "E1b (2022) - Shinobu and Ataru reunited.png (552 KB)")
_-_Ataru_holds_Shinobu%27s_hand.png "E1b (2022) - Ataru holds Shinobu's hand.png (1.24 MB)")
_-_Lum_very_angry.png "E1b (2022) - Lum very angry.png (1.54 MB)")
_-_Lum%27s_ship_arrives_in_front_of_Ataru_%26_Shinobu.png "E1b (2022) - Lum's ship arrives in front of Ataru & Shinobu.png (1.4 MB)")
_-_Shinobu_and_Ataru_shocked.png "E1b (2022) - Shinobu and Ataru shocked.png (1.27 MB)")
_-_Father_and_Mother_having_drinks.png "E1b (2022) - Father and Mother having drinks.png (933 KB)")
_-_Ataru_hugs.png "E1b (2022) - Ataru hugs.png (677 KB)")
_-_Ataru_shock_to_see_he_hugs_Lum.png "E1b (2022) - Ataru shock to see he hugs Lum.png (750 KB)")
_-_Shinobu.png "E1b (2022) - Shinobu.png (1.23 MB)")
_-_Shinobu_mad_at_Ataru.png "E1b (2022) - Shinobu mad at Ataru.png (1.37 MB)")
_-_Ataru_and_Lum.png "E1b (2022) - Ataru and Lum.png (1.59 MB)")
_-_Shinobu_leaving_Ataru_with_Lum.png "E1b (2022) - Shinobu leaving Ataru with Lum.png (1.78 MB)")
_-_Parents_looks_at_Ataru_and_Lum.png "E1b (2022) - Parents looks at Ataru and Lum.png (1.58 MB)")
_-_End_scene_of_Ataru_and_Lum.png "E1b (2022) - End scene of Ataru and Lum.png (2.39 MB)")