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Rei (レイ, Rei?, Zero) is an Oni and Lum's ex-fiancee.

History[]

Rei first appears in manga chapter 6 To Kill with Love (愛で殺したい, Ai de koroshitai?) and TV anime episode 3a The Handsome Shapeshifter Rei Appears! (変身美男レイが来た!, Henshin Binan Rei ga Kuta!?)). He comes to Earth to retrieve Lum. Ataru Moroboshi tries to convince Lum that she should go back with her own kind, but Lum lies and says that Ataru's child is in her belly, which infuriates Rei. He challenges Ataru to a potato eating contest and loses. This is the first and last time that someone out-gluttons Rei. In the next chapter The Way to a Man's Heart (憎みきれないろくでなし, Nikumikire nai Rokudanashi?) (TV anime episode 3b Go away! Ladykiller! (くたばれ!イロ男!, Kutabare! Iro-otoko!?)) he continues to pester Lum about getting back together. Lum then agrees to do so but only if he can propose to her in Japanese. While looking at a cheat sheet he was able to, but Lum still refused, so he chased her and Ataru around town. This was the first and last time he was able to speak more than two words at a time.

Rei is the only character who surpasses Shūtarō Mendō as a ladykiller, but is quite dim-witted and a terrible glutton. Long ago both Lum and Ran were in love with him, but he got engaged to Lum, breaking Ran's heart. However, Rei's love for food and his shapeshifting eventually caused Lum to call off the engagement. He follows Lum to Earth but eventually starts dating Ran, though he seems to be more interested in the food that she cooks for him rather than Ran herself.

Xx Rei tiger-cow

Rei's true form.

Appearance[]

Powers and Abilities[]

  • Shape shifting - Rei has the unique ability to transform into an Ushitora (牛虎, Cow-Tiger?). Whenever he sees food he becomes excited and transforms into his Ushitora form.

Relationships[]

Lum

Rei was engaged to Lum before the start of the series, but she called it off because she now hates him due to his arrogance, his ugly transformation and his greedy glutton habits. When he first arrives, he still is in love with Lum, and tries to get her back from Ataru but only for her telling him to get lost. However, his interest in her eventually waned.

Ran

Ran was in love with Rei, just as Lum was. When Rei was engaged to Lum, Ran's heart was broken, and she dedicated herself to revenge on Lum. Eventually, due to Lum having no interest at all in him, Ran decided to pursue Rei for herself, eventually getting him to fall for her.

Kurama

Kurama fell for Rei while searching for a husband to replace Ataru. However, despite her Tengu servants' best efforts to hide it, she discovers his Ushitora form and is horrified causing Kurama of dumping Rei eventually just like when he was dumped by Lum.

Speech[]

Unlike the other Oni aliens, Rei usually only says a few words at a time. This is explained by his having a very poor grasp of Japanese; the only times he is seen stringing a coherent sentence together is when he is reading from a "Japanese for Dummies" translation guide. Despite this, he is able to convey a lot of information to other aliens, despite only making a single word or sound with perhaps a few gestures.

Whilst never explicitly attributed to his lacking intellect, it seems obvious that Rei's ineptitude with speaking is intended to showcase either his lackluster intelligence, his apathy to anything other than food or Lum, or both.

Trivia[]

  • The creature comes from the Chinese compass (for which the directions have then names of animals) signifying the unlucky direction of the northeast. It is the direction from which oni are said to enter the human world, and that is why they are depicted as mighty, horned creatures wearing tiger skins.
  • Rei in his cow-tiger form is featured in the 5000 yen bill in the anime version of Rumiko Takahashi's latest manga, Kyōkai no Rinne.
  • His first seiyū previously voiced Akauma from Fire Tripper, Narration from Kyōkai no Rinne and would provide the voice of CAO-2 in the reboot series.
  • His second seiyū previously voiced Refuto from Kyōkai no Rinne.
  • In his debut in the original anime when he got angry at the thought that Lum was pregnant because of Ataru, his cow-tiger form began to grow to such a gigantic size that they exceeded the size of buildings and compared to Tem who was barely tall. the same as Rei's pupils, being the only time that her form grows so much, since the rest of the series her cow-tiger form remains the same size.
    • Although this could just be an anime-exclusive joke referencing Kaiju Monsters as Godzilla.
  • When Rei debuts in the manga, his Ushitora form is drawn in a relatively realistic style, making him look genuinely menacing. In all subsequent appearances, it has a much goofier look, with more cartoonish proportions.

Media Appearances[]

Manga[]

  • Chapter 6
  • Chapter 7 (9 in wideban)
  • Chapter 8 (10 in wideban)
  • Chapter 19 (17 in wideban)
  • Chapter 55 (mentioned)
  • Chapter 56 (mentioned)
  • Chapter 61
  • Chapter 88
  • Chapter 110
  • Chapter 119
  • Chapter 124 (129 in wideban) (mentioned)
  • Chapters 150-151
    • Chapter 151 (mentioned)
  • Chapter 162
  • Chapter 171
  • Chapter 190
  • Chapters 207-208
  • Chapter 217 (mentioned)
  • Chapter 246
  • Chapter 260 (mentioned)
  • Chapters 266-267
  • Chapter 287
  • Chapter 312 (mentioned)
  • Chapter 325
  • Chapters 329-333 (331-335 in wideban)
    • Chapter 330 (332 in wideban)
    • Chapter 331 (333 in wideban)
  • Chapter 354
  • Chapters 356-366
    • Chapter 359
    • Chapter 360
    • Chapter 361
    • Chapter 362
    • Chapter 363
    • Chapter 364
    • Chapter 365
    • Chapter 366

Anime[]

Gallery[]

1981 Anime[]

Movies and OVAs[]

2022 Anime[]

References[]

  1. Tomobiki-cho, The Urusei Yatsura Website.
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