| “ |
Sorry to keep you waiting! I'm Lum. |
” |
—Lum[src]
Lum (ラム, Ramu?), sometimes called Lum Invader, is the female protagonist of Urusei Yatsura. She is a Oni alien hailing from the planet Oniboshi. She was chosen to represent her kind in a game of tag against a human named Ataru Moroboshi to determine the fate of planet Earth. After Ataru defeats her, she misunderstands his victory chants as a proposal to marry her, thus she forces herself into his life and becomes Ataru's loving "wife' much to the latter's chagrin.
Biography[]
Lum meets Ataru Moroboshi when he was randomly selected by a computer to face her in a game of tag with the fate of the earth on the line. Ataru had been promised marriage by Shinobu Miyake if he could win, and upon catching Lum, he declared "Now I can get married!" and Lum mistook this as a proposal to herself and accepted it. As engagements are sacred on her planet, she's become completely determined to be married to Ataru for the rest of her life, falls completely in love with him, and refers to him as "Darling (ダーリン, Darling?)". Thus she's forced her way into his life as his "loving wife", and violently shocks him whenever he looks at or flirts with another girl (or if he does something to make her mad), but she always forgives him in the end.
Personality[]
Lum's a sweet, innocent, faithful, and good-natured girl, but she can also get jealous and get hot-tempered, usually due to Ataru and his incessant addiction of flirting. However, in early chapters of the manga and at least till the start of season 2 of the anime, Lum had a nasty streak, almost antagonistic towards many of the characters. She even hatched schemes to be with Ataru when Shinobu was involved.
Appearance[]
Lum is shown to be a very beautiful and voluptuous young woman with golden-brown eyes (blue in the original anime) and cyan shoulder length hair. Like all of her kind she has sharp teeth, pointy ears and small yellow horns. For her everyday attire she wears a strapless yellow tiger striped bikini with matching boots. When she is attending Tomobiki High School she wears the basic navy blue sailor suit for female students either winter or summer school uniform and wears black dress shoes and white socks in place of her boots and her neckerchief within her uniform is yellow as opposed to other female students including Shinobou are wearing their neckerchief in red. In one episode, her entire uniform also covers her yellow tiger stripped bikini.
Abilities[]
- Flight - Lum can fly up to various heights into the sky, according to her own free will.
- Electricity Manipulation - Lum can generate massive electrical discharges, usually from her hands. Her electric shocks are so powerful they are considered to have the raw energy of lightning.
- Genius-Level Intelligence - Lum is extremely smart being able to make various inventions even being show to have a mastery over chemistry having made a special lipstick that when worn by two people it would force them to lock lips with each other.
- Energy Storage - Lum can store big amounts of electricity in her body to supercharge her Electric shock, sometimes turning her body blue or gold in the process.
Weaknesses[]
- Horns - Lum's abilities are tied to her horns. Tying a special ribbon around them will severely weaken her powers.
- Jealousy - Lum's jealous attitude toward any woman Ataru meets can be catastrophic, such as causing a massive blackout just to prevent him and Shinobu from talking on the phone.
Relationships[]
Lum and Ataru's relationship is truly the most complicated in the series. When they first met, Lum didn't think much of Ataru, expecting an easy victory over him in the game of tag. However, his sheer determination and perhaps the cunning he showed in exploiting her modesty to defeat her on the final day seems to have impressed her, for when she mistakenly believed Ataru to be proposing to her, she accepted and became - in her eyes - his wife. From that point on, Lum becomes strongly infatuated with Ataru; though she is more sexually forward and aggressive in earlier chapters of the manga than she is later characterized as, she remains consistently portrayed as loyal and devoted to Ataru... and incensed that he refuses to return her commitment. Despite how often Ataru angers her with his thoughtlessness and denials of reciprocated feelings, Lum never loses faith in Ataru and remains convinced that they can, one day, be happy together... Even if she has to force the issue. In return, Ataru's feelings are more complex; initially, Ataru legitimately doesn't want Lum in his life, seeking to break up with her so he can rekindle his romantic relationship with Shinobu. However, he eventually comes to terms with Shinobu's dismissal of him in favor of Mendō, and seems to accept Lum as his wife to some degree. However, he is terrible about expressing any deep, sincere feelings for her, and spends the entire series mostly trying to deny that he loves her, instead clinging to his old routine of girl-chasing despite the constant angry reprimands and occasional electric shocks this provokes from the indignant oni. When he genuinely fears that Lum may be taken from him, though, he is able to fight through his repressed feelings and will move heaven and earth to destroy whatever is threatening their relationship. Ataru does gradually open up to subtler, more intimate displays of affection, even going on dates with Lum, but always balks at truly and unequivocally committing to her. The climax of the series does establish that Ataru does love her, he just can't muster the will to say it openly yet. An interesting aspect of this complicated relationship; Ataru never voluntarily kiss Lum in the entirety of the original manga series. They do, however, share a deliberate kiss in the final episode of the 1981 anime; "All-Star Banquet! We Are Immortal!", as well as an accidental kiss or two across the series - Ataru can also be seen kissing a shocked Lum at the climax of the ending theme Open Invitation.
Despite the sudden way that Lum came into their lives, the Moroboshis take to Lum very quickly, perhaps due to the fact that they admit to having always wanted a daughter instead of a son. They are kind and accepting of their alien daughter-in-law, showering her with affection and welcoming her into their lives. Lum, in return, treats them with great affection and respect, easily comparable to her behavior towards her biological parents.
Lum and her parents have a very tight relationship, far more affectionate than that shared between Ataru and his parents. Both Lum's father and her mother love their daughter greatly, and she in return loves them dearly. She isn't afraid to put her foot down when she thinks they are overstepping, however, such as when her father tries to set her up with a new fiancé after he grows concerned that Ataru is mistreating her.
Lum and Shinobu initially hated each other; as Ataru's former girlfriend, Shinobu was bitterly jealous of Lum and constantly angered by her insistence on staying close to Ataru, whilst Lum distrusted and disliked Shinobu, and was quick to find some way to insult her. When Ataru brings up that her special "voodoo puppet" clay can be used for revenge, Lum immediately comes up with the idea of using it to hurt Shinobu, and in Rei's debut chapter, Lum actively cheers at the idea that Shinobu has been eaten by a rumored monster. However, once Shinobu lost interest in Ataru and instead moved on to romantically pursuing Mendō, her and Lum's relationship improved and they swiftly became civil to each other. They are perhaps not the closest of friends, but they do come to respect each other. It bears mentioning that they are on slightly better terms from the start in the animated adaptations, especially the 2022 one.
Mendō and Lum have a largely one-sided and somewhat inexplicable relationship. Shortly after encountering Lum, Mendō becomes infatuated with her and begins trying to court her, largely through subtly impressing her with his wealth and power, resulting in frequent invitations to his house or to other properties he owns or events he is leading as part of this effort. Even when interacting with her, Mendō is typically flirtatious, trying to seduce her with the same suave, debonair and charming behavior that makes other girls swoon at his feet. Mendō is baffled by his ongoing failures, and finds it ludicrous that Lum would seemingly prefer the poor, lower class Ataru Moroboshi as a lover instead. It's unclear why Mendō is so obsessed with Lum when he could get literally any other girl he wanted, although perhaps the rarity of her behavior in not falling for him at first meeting is part of what makes her appealing - or at least challenges his considerable ego. In return, Lum views Mendō as a friend at best; she enjoys hanging out with him and happily takes advantage of the opportunities that he provides, but she feels no romantic attraction to him. Indeed, Mendō's constant disparagement of Ataru angers Lum, and he is one of the few people other than Ataru to have experienced her wrathful lightning blasts.
The Stormtroopers are a band of Tomobiki High's geeks and losers who have collectively become sexually obsessed with Lum. They view her as the single most beautiful and desirable woman on Earth, if not in the universe, and they are utterly obsessed with her, and especially with the idea of somehow wooing her away from Ataru. In the manga, Lum regards them as little more than Ataru's friends or casual classmates, and largely ignores them, perhaps resulting in their disillusion and ultimate dissolution. In the 1981 anime, she considers them to be part of her friend circle, and though she doesn't return their feelings, she is happy to interact with them in a friendly environment. The 2022 anime falls somewhere between these two portrayals.
Lum's history with Rei is something of a mystery, but it seems that Ran and Lum both had crushes on Rei due to his handsome looks when they were pre-teens. Although Ran did apparently date Rei for a time, he fell in love with Lum and the two were briefly engaged. Unlike Ran, however, Lum came to realize that Rei's looks were his only virtue, and failed to make up for his stupidity, gluttony and propensity to transform into a hideous monster, and she ultimately called the wedding off some time before the series begins. Rei refuses to give up on Lum and sporadically comes to Earth, seeking in his own clumsy, dimwitted way to make Lum return to him, even though Lum is nakedly hostile towards him. After Ran comes to Earth, Rei begins spending more time with Ran, due to her constant provisions of food, but will stop whatever he's doing to hit on Lum, who is invariably angered by this behavior.
Lum and Benten became fast friends when they met in school as little children, despite the rivalry between their two races. The two of them were the delinquents of their school, and fast friends, with that friendship remaining firm into the present day of the series. The only slight wrinkle in their relationship is the yearly Setsubun duel, where their two races compete in ritualized games, but it's established that the two girls consider this more a form of playful roughhousing than a serious grudge, and they quickly go back to being friends as soon as the "victor" is decided. This strong bond is emphasized in one chapter, when Ran reveals that each of them was responsible for breaking something precious to the other as a child; rather than starting to fight, each apologizes and forgives the other, spontaneously coming clean about other misdeeds they covered up. Their strong bond makes an interesting contrast to the bitter and soured friendship of Lum and Ran.
Although Oyuki is the first of Lum's childhood friends to enter the series, her and Lum's relationship is never explored in as much depth as Lum's relationships with Benten and Ran. Oyuki and Lum became friends in school as little children; whilst Oyuki would not actively partake in Lum and Benten's mischief-making, or at least not often, she would happily enjoy the spoils from things like their beating up other schoolkids and stealing their lunches. The two have a polite and typically feminine friendship, devoid of the roughhousing and playful fights that characterize Lum's relationship with Benten, but they are strong supporters of each other and will come through when the other needs something.
Having grown up on the same planet, Lum and Ran were fast friends as children, but their relationship was always somewhat one-sided, with the more confident and assertive Lum tending to unthinkingly bully and browbeat the meeker, more timid Ran. Lum's mischievous and somewhat irresponsible nature often led to her unintentionally getting Ran in trouble, such as nearly getting her crushed by an alien dinosaur or repeatedly getting her spanked by her harridan of a mother by framing her for wetting their shared bed during sleepovers, whilst Lum invariably escaped without any problem. In fact, Ran's mother would often berate Ran for not being as "good" as Lum, to the indignation of Ran, who knew that Lum was far from the little angel her mother thought she was. These minor grievances built up over time until Ran became filled with resentment towards Lum, with the kicker being when Rei, whom Ran was in love with, fell in love with Lum and the two were engaged - only for Lum to suddenly call off the engagement and instead leave oni space to settle on Earth. This is the last straw for Ran, who follows Lum to Earth looking for revenge. Initially, she is fixated on the idea of using her youth-sapping kiss to drain the life from Lum's new fiancé, Ataru Moroboshi, but after repeated failures she gives up on this particular pursuit. Whilst she still thirsts for revenge, she instead comes to focus her attention largely on trying to woo the now-single Rei. Ran's bitterness towards Lum defines their modern relationship, and is so bad that in one chapter, Ran is willing to sacrifice Lum to the cooking pot of a cannibalistic alien witch in exchange for alien delicacies for her beloved Rei. In contrast, Lum genuinely did think of Ran as a friend, and would love to reconcile, though she grows to distrust Ran after repeatedly being exposed to how petty and vengeful her former friend is. Despite this hostility towards her, Lum still tries to be the better woman and extend the hand of reconciliation, such as when she tries to nurse Ran after she becomes ill.
Speech[]
Lum refers to herself in the first person as "uchi (うち, uchi?)" and she's famous for usually ending her sentences with "~datcha (～だっちゃ, ~datcha?)". When used by itself, "datcha" means "Yes". A similar speech pattern appears in Takahashi's debut work Katte na Yatsura, where the Dappya add "dappya (だっぴゃ, dappya?)" at the end of all their sentences.
Appellations[]
| Name | What They Call Lum | What Lum Calls Them |
|---|---|---|
| Ataru Moroboshi | Lum | Darling |
| Shinobu Miyake | Lum | Shinobu |
| Shūtarō Mendō | Lum-san | Shūtarō |
| Ryūnosuke Fujinami | Lum | Ryūnosuke |
| Kōsuke Shirai / Lum's Stormtroopers | Lum-chan | Unknown |
| Megane | Lum-san | Megane |
| Ten | Lum-chan | Ten-chan |
| Cherry | Unknown | Cherry |
| Sakura | Lum | Sakura |
| Ataru's Mother | Lum(-chan) | Mother-in-law |
| Ataru's Father | Lum | Father-in-law |
| Onsen-Mark | Lum | Sensei |
| Hanawa | Lum-kun | Sensei |
| Tomobiki High School Principal | Lum-kun | Kōchō (Principal) |
| Ryūnosuke's Father | Unknown | Oji-san |
| Ran | Lum-chan | Ran-chan |
| Rei | Lum | Rei |
| Benten | Lum | Benten |
| Oyuki | Lum-san | Oyuki-chan |
| Lum's Father | Lum(-chan) | Tou-chan |
| Lum's Mother | Lum | Kaa-chan |
| Kurama | Oni Woman | Kurama |
| Ryōko Mendō | Oni Woman | Ryōko |
Quotes[]
- "Darling!"
- "Darling, you idiot!"
- "One, two, three! DIVINE RETRIBUTION!!!"
- "We're going to make a baby on Saturday night!"
- "Darling! Shinobu can go to hell!"
- "Darling, you IDIOT! Do ya wanna really forget about me!?"
- "Oooh! I will never marry such a tacky man! Tacky tacky tacky!!"
- "Umeboshi? GIVE ME UMEBOSHI!"
- "Teacher, husbands and wives should always be together, whether it's raining or windy, in the house, or even at school!"
- "Thank you, Ran. I will think hard about this..."
- "Even if it takes a "lifetime", I'll make ya say it!"
- "Will this be okay? I mean, she doesn't seem to know what darling can be like sometimes..."
Trivia[]
- Lum's name comes from a bikini model called Agnes Lum.
- Lum is often believed to be the protagonist of the series due to her popularity. However, Rumiko Takahashi has stated on many occasions that she had always meant for Ataru to be the protagonist.
- Originally, Lum was not supposed to be a main character. She was meant to be a one time character and Shinobu was to take her place as the main love interest. However, fans loved Lum so much, that Lum became a main character; which is why Lum was absent for some of the first chapters of Urusei Yatsura.
- When Lum's horns are removed, her electric and flying abilities disappear and she becomes a regular girl.
- Lum's Zodiac Sign is the Tiger Striped Unicorn.
- Lum drinks Tabasco as if it were juice and the food she cooks is violently spicy. Eating umeboshi causes her to get drunk and she dislikes garlic.
- Lum is immune to any form of electricity, as a result she can store any extra electricity in her body to power up her attack. However, if she has too much electricity stored in her body, her body and clothes grow blue and anything she touches, she electrifies it.
- Lum likes the taste of electricity, she claims it taste like candy.
- Whenever she delivers divine retribution to Ataru, she sometimes adopts the pose of Ultraman preforming his Specium Beam attack.
- One of Lum's more infamous gags is her tendency to electrocute Ataru Moroboshi whilst happily embracing him. In the 1981 anime, this is even given the name "expression of love", and in Episode 5, one of the complaints that prompts Ataru to run away from home is a local electrician complaining about how much overtime he has had to work due to Lum's "expressions of love" shorting out the local transformers, implying she does this quite frequently. However, the gag is short-lived; in the manga, she only consciously does it 5 times - three times when she returns in Chapter 3, and once each in Chapter 4 and Chapter 27. She then does it whilst drunk on umeboshi in Chapter 112 and whilst under the effects of the Soul-Snatch Sugar/Heartstealers candy in Chapter 354, which also marks the only time where it is called "expression of love" in the manga. It only appears marginally more frequently in the first 42 episodes of the 1981 anime; after episode 42, its last appearances are in one of Ataru's imagine spots in Episode 60 and in the Catch the Heart (OVA).
- Ataru and Lum kiss a grand total of three times in the 1981 anime, not counting Ataru kissing Lum in the final moments of the ending theme Open Invitation and do not kiss at all in the manga.
- In Episode 5, Lum kisses Ataru against his will.
- In Episode 59, Lum catches an explosion-thrust Ataru and pulls him into a kiss he is implied to return.
- In Episode 194, Ataru deliberately kisses Lum whilst they are trapped together, the only time he initiates a kiss.
- Ryoko, like Lum, is an alien woman who can fly, fire some sort of energy from their body/hands, and at times, Ryoko is even portrayed as an Oni. To complete this loop, Ryoko's first canonical appearance was actually a split second cameo in Ranma ½. Some art of Ryoko even in Lum's signature bikini has been made by several manga artist.
- Kanna from the short-story The Executive's Dog as part of the Rumiko Takahashi Anthology series Rumic Theater.
- The mother of Kyoukai no Rinne's protagonist Sakura Mamiya (in fact, her color scheme may be a strong reference to Lum, and she is physically similar to Fumi Hirano).
Gallery[]
1981 Anime[]
Manga[]
Movies and OVAs[]
2022 Anime[]
.png "Lum and Shinobu wears Bunny outfits (2022).png (1.27 MB)")
.png "Lum, Shinobu, Ryunosuke suited up (2022).png (2.37 MB)")
Artwork[]
Other[]
