Beautiful space alien princess Lum invades Earth in her UFO, and unlucky Ataru Moroboshi's world gets turned upside down! What unimaginable shenanigans will Lum bring to Ataru's life? One thing's for sure - nearly every moment is electrifying with her around!
Lum tries to encourage a Tomobiki High student to stand up for herself against some bullies and ends up facing off in the ring against the head of the Butsumetsu High delinquents. Good thing Lum has hidden strength to draw upon! Later, Mendo is called upon to save a fair maiden - by going on a date with her! But the peril Asuka faces is her own boy-phobia, so Mendo just keeps making things worse!
Characters[]
TBA
Chapters[]
Chapter #
Title
235
"A Valiant Duel - Part 1" (勇気ある決闘；前編, "Yuuki Arukettou; Zenpen")
Whilst flying over Tomobiki after school, Lum spots a gang of delinquents from Butsumetsu High harassing a Tomobiki High girl. She intervenes, downing the four with her lightning, and tries to give the girl a peptalk about having the courage to stand up to her bullies. Her good intentions backfire on her the next day when the girl announces she has challenged the boss of the delinquents, Soban, to duel Lum without her powers in three days. Wanting to make a good impression on the younger girl, Lum agrees to the terms, but Ataru and Mendo point out that this is a terrible idea; Lum doesn't have the super strength or combat training of other girls she knows, and relies on her electrokinetic abilities. Lum tries to prove them wrong, going to Ryunosuke Fujinami for advice on training, but is ultimately forced to concede they have a point. Instead, she resorts to alien steroids that will, for three days, give her superhuman strength. On the day of the battle, Lum's drugs give her a decisive edge... but her decision to take them so long ago backfires when they wear off right as the fight begins. She manages to take a second dose, only for Soban to knock the rest of her pills flying as he charges after her.
236
"A Valiant Duel - Part 2" (勇気ある決闘；後編, "Yuuki Arukettou; Koupen")
Lum struggles desperately to overcome Soban, the delinquent boss from Butsumetsu High. Her strength-enhancing pills have been scattered all over the field, and whilst she manages to grab them and swallow them, the boost becomes increasingly less effective. Worse, Soban is stupidly tough, and just keeps shrugging off Lum's attacks. Sakura distracts Soban with a ball and calls for a three minute break, but the brief respite does little to help Lum. In the end, she only wins thanks to assistance from Shinobu and Ataru, who distract Soban and dig a pit to bury him in. For the icing on the cake, the student Lum was trying to impress realizes that Lum was taking strength-enhancing drugs. But fortunate ultimately smiles and the girl does take Lum's pro-courage lesson to heart... even if her takeaway that courage means being willing to do whatever it takes to win isn't quite what Lum intended.
237
"Asuka Returns - Part 1" ("飛鳥ふたたび＝その１＝", Asuka Futatabi =sono 1=)
As evening falls at the Mizunokoji estate, Tobimaro finds his bath invaded by his younger sister Asuka, which is not only personally mortifying, but leaves him with broken bones from Asuka's well-intentioned hug, as well as eliciting the anger of his mother. After he regains consciousness, he is further horrified to find Asuka has snuck into his bed. He tries to explain that such behavior is completely inappropriate, but her total ignorance of the realities of men and women means his lectures just don't get through to her. Determined to try and break Asuka's phobia, the next morning, Mrs. Mizunokoji gives Asuka a letter and a new, more femininely flattering suit of armor for psychological comfort, and instructs her to deliver the letter to Shutaro Mendo at Tomobiki High School. Naturally, it goes horribly wrong; she is immobilized in fear by the sight of the male students, and when she tries to make contact with the female students, her armored visage scares them. The staff and male students are mobilized to arrest the "suspicious intruder", and chaos ensues. She does manage to spot Mendo in Class 2-4, where he must quickly explain who she is to his classmates, but when she tries to deliver her letter, the sight of Ataru sends her leaping away in a panic, causing her to crash into the school store - and right into the lap of a startled Ryunosuke Fujinami.
238
"Asuka Returns - Part 2" ("飛鳥ふたたび＝その2＝", Asuka Futatabi =sono 2=)
As the male students are rallied to hunt Asuka down, she takes one good look at Ryunosuke Fujinami and immediately presumes she's a man, thrusting her through a wall and fleeing in terror. Livid at being mistaken for a boy, Ryunosuke stubbornly gives chase, despite repeatedly blows from the androphobic supergal. She crosses paths with Ataru and Mendo, and Asuka manages to throw Mendo her mother's letter before she runs away. Ryunosuke's wounded pride forces her to go after Asuka, despite the girl's refusal to listen and the boys constantly popping up whenever Ryunosuke tries to bare her breasts and prove her womanhood to Asuka. Eventually, Asuka gets so scared she flees into one of the trees on the schoolyard, where she is confronted by her mother and brother. She tries to tell them what happened, and her mother becomes convinced that Ryunosuke is not only a boy, but in love with Asuka.
239
"Asuka Returns - Part 3" ("飛鳥ふたたび＝その3＝", Asuka Futatabi =sono 3=)
Convinced that Ryunosuke Fujinami's supposed crush will cure her daughter Asuka of her androphobia, Mrs. Mizunokoji orders Asuka to go and hug "him". Ryunosuke initially plays along, wanting to prove she's actually a girl, only to realize that Asuka's affections may be more terrifyingly dangerous than her fear! Soon, Ryunosuke is the one trying to run from Asuka, even as Mendo explains to Mrs. Mizunokoji that Ryunosuke is actually a crossdressing girl. Ultimately, Asuka does manage to catch and hug Ryunosuke... whereupon she decides that Ryunosuke must also be her big brother, because her sarashi are similar to the bandages Tobimaro is wearing for his busted ribs. Mrs. Mizunokoji is forced to concede that this plan was a flop.
Class 2-4 holds a vote to decide on next week's recreational activity for home room, and decide upon yaminabe, a collectively contributed hot pot eaten in the dark. After getting home, Lum makes some of her super-spicy oni cuisine, and despite his best efforts, forces Ataru to eat some. Sick of being forced to eat Lum's indigestible food, Ataru concocts a plan to get back at her, starting by asking what food she doesn't like. Her answer is an alien vegetable called "mogu-mogu". He asks Ten to buy him some, but after learning it'll take ten days, he decides to find a closer equivalent. Finally, he remembers that Lum hates garlic after an encounter with a man ordering gyoza at a local takeout place. He first tries to get back at Lum with some garlic breath, but she counters with an odor-neutralizer. So instead he decided to sneak raw garlic into the yaminabe. Ironically, Ten arrives just as the lights are switched off and contributes the mogu-mogu that Ataru asked for, whilst Ataru dumps in raw garlic and Lum fills it with her favorite spices and peppers. The end result is that the yaminabe is utterly inedible.
241
"Ice Cooler Relaxation" (アイスクーラー・リラックス, "Aisu kura * rirakkusu")
It's a swelteringly hot summer's day, and tempers are fraying fast in Class 2-4 at Tomobiki High School. Then they spot Lum, who is using a piece of alien technology to beat the heat. She explains her special cooling crystals generate cool, but require a state of mental neutrality to stay aloft over their user's heads. Still, even Onsen Mark asks Lum to share them with the class, because it's just too hot to focus otherwise. Initially, they seem to be a great success, but the downsides of needing to stay calm or else take a painful blow to the skull quickly become apparent. Worse, the ice crystals increase in size based on the user's stress level, and there's no way to remove them until they melt in an hour. Everybody starts trying to remove the ice quicker, to no avail. Ataru, Mendo, Kosuke and Lum get it worst because their efforts cause them to catch the eye of the principle, who once they have melted the ice angrily sentences them to stand in the hall balancing buckets on their heads.
242
"The Obstacle Swim Meet - Part 1" (障害物水泳大会；前編, "Za Shougaibutsu Suieitaikai; Zenpen")
It's evening at the Moroboshi household, and Lum is excitedly trying to decide on what swimsuit to wear for the "obstacle swim meet" that will be held tomorrow. Ataru is far less excited, regarding the concept skeptically, and plans to skip. He's not the only one with such plans the next day, but after Onsen Mark promises that those who ditch will receive five years of summer homework, all such thoughts are abandoned. Once he proclaims the winner will receive exemption from homework, they are actively eager to partake in the obstacle course race to the pool - though they are unaware that the Principal has another 'reward' in mind as well. They fight fiercely through a ludicrous array of obstacles, and finally they reach the pool. Here, Onsen Mark reluctantly informs them that the winner of the next phase will, in addition to the homework exemption, receive a kiss from the Principal.
243
"The Obstacle Swim Meet - Part 2" (障害物水泳大会；後編, "Za Shougaibutsu Suieitaikai; Koupen")
Naturally, everybody's enthusiasm goes right out the window. Ataru tries to argue that they should be given a kiss from Sakura instead, but they are all bundled up and thrown into the pool before being told to play water basketball. Initially, they decide to throw the game, but their teachers anticipated this and gave them balls with bombs inside of them. This makes them a little more enthusiastic. Eventually, after half the students are wiped out, the teachers dump angry eels into the water for a swim race. These eels attack Lum, and Ataru goes to her rescue; she is delighted, unaware that his true motive is to stop her from using her electro-shock to defend herself. Ironically, she ends up zapping the whole pool anyway trying to save Ataru from being bitten by an eel. This leaves Lum seemingly the only one conscious, as everyone else plays dead to avoid winning the kiss. Then Kotatsu Neko comes out and rolls them all over face-down, forcing them to come up for air. This leaves only six competitors; Ataru, Lum, Mendo, Shinobu, Ryunosuke and Kosuke. They attack Onsen Mark when he apologizes to them for the Principal's scheme, and the Principal asks Kotatsu Neko to stop them. The bakeneko does so, and is crowned the winner, causing the principal to kiss his paw.
244
"Battle: A Mendo Family Fireworks Event" (合戦！面堂家花火大会, "Kassen! Mendo-ke Hanabitaikai")
One scorching summer's day, Ryoko Mendo plays a prank on her brother Shutaro Mendo by feeding him a firecracker as he sleeps. In anger, he declares a fireworks event. That night, Ataru Moroboshi, Lum and Shinobu Miyake are invited to the Mendo estate, along with a great number of other people. They are told this event is a competition; they are divided into two teams representing the two siblings, who have to hunt down and trigger the fireworks launchers hidden around the estate. Whichever team launches the most, wins. Of course, it's not that simple; there are mines and other booby traps to contend with. Initially, Ryoko seems to be winning, but then Lum eats an umeboshi and gets drunk, and she singlehandedly turns the tide for Shutaro, resulting in a draw.
245
"The Golden Age of the Beach Cafe" (浜茶屋繁盛記, "Hamachaya Hanjouki")
Ataru Moroboshi, Lum, Shutaro Mendo and Shinobu Miyake arrive at the beach, and find that Ryunosuke Fujinami and her father have set up a rental Hamachaya... unfortunately, it's in a terrible location, and Ryunosuke's father is trying to compensate by hiring cute waitresses. Which of course infuriates his daughter because he won't let her try her hand at the role. When the quartet don't have the money to pay for their meal, they offer to work it off for the Fujinamis, who reluctantly agree. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, their successes at attracting customers are made pointless because Mr. Fujinami is terrible at customer service. Lum tries to be helpful by asking some of her alien friends to visit, who don't mind Mr. Fujinami's terrible manners... unfortunately, they all pay in alien currency that is absolutely worthless.
Ran makes a date appointment with her beloved Rei by videophone, only to discover that she has run completely out of money in order to pay for the absurd amounts of food that she uses to keep Rei interested. She tries to beg money from Lum, who refuses and instead suggests that Ran get a part-time job if she wants money so much. Ran refuses, after a failed attempt to put Lum to work instead, and then gets the idea to visit Oyuki and beg money from her instead. Benten, who is visiting Neptune at the time, scoffs at Ran's behavior, but Oyuki agrees to help Ran earn some money... if it's for a good cause. Ran spins a story about needing the cash to rescue a rabbit from a carnivorous tree she met, and Oyuki decides to help her. But she demands half the profit for her troubles. They set up a stall at a Tomobiki festival and, after Benten beats up some would-be shake-down men for Ran, they are soon raking in the profit. Ran gets greedy and tries to run away with all the money, causing a lot of damage in the process. In the end, it's for nought as Oyuki freezes her in a block of ice and takes all the money for herself.
247
"Last Date" (最後のデート, "Saigo no De-to")
Ataru Moroboshi and Lum are summoned to Sakura's shrine for a very odd request; Sakura wants Ataru to go on a date with the ghost of a sickly girl who fell in love with Ataru after watching him through her window from afar. Whilst initially reluctant, Ataru ultimately agrees... though he's not happy when she explains she wants him to wear the woolen clothes she knitted for him as she lay dying, it being a sweltering summer's day. But Ataru toughs it out for the girl's sake, and they have a pleasant day together. Finally, beneath the brilliant white light of a firework's display, she is finally put to rest, her heart at peace. The next day, Ataru and Lum visit her grave to pay their final respects, with Lum obliquely noting how proud she is to have seen this nobler side to Ataru.
248
"The Great Escape and Hullabaloo" (大脱走・大騒動, "Daidassou Oosoudo")
Ataru buys a tiny little blowfish with the intent of fattening it up to make fugu. Whilst he and Lum are out, however, a naive Ten gives the blowfish one of his mutagenic oni candies. The blowfish grows to be as big as Ten, able to fly and spit paralytic venom, and blasts its unwitting savior before flying off. It starts randomly attacking people around town, but an unlikely alliance of Lum and Ryunosuke's father finally manages to corral the creature and reverse the mutation.
The Spice Girl Gang comes up with another plan to defeat their self-declared archenemy of Lum. This time, it's seducing Ataru Moroboshi, Lum's reluctant husband. They fly to Earth and try to put their plans in action, but fail; not only are they very inept at flirting, but Ataru does have standards and isn't attracted to (what he thinks are) grade schoolers. Not even spraying him with a libido-booster works, and that's the final straw, causing them to give up and go home.
250
"Kotatsu Love" (コタツにかけた愛, "Kotatsu ni kaketa ai")
Kotatsu Neko buys a kotatsu at an antique shop and brings it to the Moroboshi household to try it out. To his great surprise, when he gets the blanket ready, the kotatsu springs to life and fights its way free. Even when he finally gets the blanket on and plugged in, courtesy of help from Ataru, Lum and Cherry, the kotatsu responds by emitting blasts of frigid cold instead of heat. Ataru suggests that the bakeneko might be better off getting rid of the obviously cursed item, but Kotatsu Neko's pride won't accept it. Examining the kotatsu, they discover a Mendo family crest, and Shutaro Mendo conveniently shows up to explain that the cursed kotatsu abhors heat, having been carved from the wood of the Lone Antarctic Cedar. He then assures Kotatsu Neko that he can surely tame the cursed table and leaves. But, several days of struggle later, Kotatsu Neko admits defeat. He does find a use for it by using it to pull a sled, however.
251
"Vestiges of a Wife" (妻は面影の中に, "Tsuma wa omokage no naka ni")
One day, the Tomobiki High School Principal approaches Ryunosuke's father and asks if he's ever considered remarriage, considering how hard it must be to be a single parent. Mr. Fujinami dismisses the idea, but that evening, he asks Ryunosuke Fujinami to wear some of her mother's clothes - specifically, the outfit she was wearing when he met her at an amusement park one summer. Ryunosuke is initially delighted... but that changes to bitter rage when it turns out that what her dad wants her to wear isn't one of her mom's dresses, but the superhero costume she would perform in to pay her way through college.
252
"A Stormy Date - Part 1" (嵐を呼ぶデート＝その１＝, "Arashi o yobu deeto, =sono 1=")
Dawn breaks over the Mizunokoji estate, and to his horror, Tobimaro Mizunokoji wakes to discover his naive little sister Asuka Mizunokoji has snuck into his bed again. This is the last straw for their mother, who goes to the Mendo Estate and asks Shutaro Mendo if he will agree to go on a date with her daughter, being the only man she doesn't fear apart from Tobimaro. Mendo agrees, but the plan is complicated by the jealous Ryoko Mendo, who summons Ataru Moroboshi to thwart Mrs. Mizunokoji's plans to get Asuka to wed Shutaro. Lum tags along because she goes wherever Ataru goes. Enamored with Asuka's beauty, Shutaro Mendo agrees. That evening, Mrs. Mizunokoji informs her children of her plan; Asuka is to visit the Mendo estate on the coming Sunday. When the day comes, the entirety of Mendo's goon squad dress up in stupid costumes to hide that they are men as Asuka and her mother arrive. Mendo and Asuka are delighted to see each other... but Asuka's super strength and overly enthusiastic approach to affection leave a sour taste on the encounter. Meanwhile, Lum sneaks onto the grounds disguised as a Mizunokoji guard, determined to winkle out Ataru.
253
"A Stormy Date - Part 2" (嵐を呼ぶデート＝その2＝, "Arashi o yobu deeto, =sono 2=")
As Mrs. Mizunokoji retreats to visit with Mr. and Mrs. Mendo, Shutaro Mendo and Asuka Mizunokoji are left behind to their date. Mendo is worried, given Asuka's dangerous strength, and tries to come up with a quiet, demure activity where she won't end up killing him. Meanwhile, Lum hunts for Ataru, and figuring he must be in disguise, she orders all of Mendo's goon into a convenient moat to zap them unconscious, winnowing out Ataru's hiding place. This backfires when one goon goes running to report what happened to Mendo, and inadvertently triggers a panic attack from her. She crushes Mendo's ribs, knocking him unconscious. Fortunately, one of Ryoko's kuroko shows up and "body-puppets" Mendo to take her elsewhere to continue the date. Meanwhile, Tobimaro arrives to spy on the proceedings, and is intercepted by Ryoko. Lum comes by, hunting Ataru, and discovers he is the kuroko puppeteerring Mendo, inadvertently revealing his face to Asuka. Terrified, she instinctively launches Ataru away and goes running in search of Mendo or Tobimaro. By this point, however, Mendo's goons have regained consciousness and stripped off their soaked costumes, and the result is catastrophic.
254
"A Stormy Date - Part 3" (嵐を呼ぶデート＝その3＝, "Arashi o yobu deeto, =sono 3=")
Still trapped sharing the same set of clothes with Ataru Moroboshi, Shutaro Mendo finds himself put in the unexpected position of being begged by his goons to save them from Asuka Mizunokoji, now in a panic-stricken rampage. As Mendo goes in search of her, with Ataru tagging along, a well-intentioned Lum finds Asuka and leads her to a tank, intending for her to drive away in it. Instead, Asuka rips it apart with her bare hands to fashion makeshift armor, which she finds a psychological comforter. Mendo arrives and tries to talk her down, but Ataru can't resist poking his head out of hiding when he's so close to a cute girl, and Asuka sends them flying. Asuka goes running away and is found by the kuroko, who bring her to Ryoko. Who of course makes this worse by asserting that Mendo and Ataru stuck in the same set of clothes is actually Mendo reverting to his monstrous true form, trying to make Asuka afraid of Mendo.
255
"A Stormy Date - Part 4" (嵐を呼ぶデート＝その4＝, "Arashi o yobu deeto, =sono 4=")
Ataru and Mendo listen to Ryoko lying to Asuka about Mendo actually being a two-headed alien monster. Mendo is naturally offended by his sister's latest ploy, but Ataru points out that this might be a good thing; Asuka is so naive and specifically androphobic that she actually may be less afraid of Mendo if she believes that he's an alien monster. It doesn't actually work, and Lum confirming that there is an alien race who look similar to Ryoko's story doesn't help. But eventually Ataru and Mendo are freed, which is when Asuka's mother arrives. Scolding her daughter, she declares it's time to fight fire with fire; as Ataru gave Asuka her androphobia, then if she can stop being scared of Ataru, she should logically stop being scared of men as a whole. Though Mendo and Lum protest that this is a terrible idea, Mrs. Mizunokoji beats her daughter into submission and chains her to Ataru, then threatens to kill Tobimaro if Asuka doesn't sincerely try to have a date with Ataru. Wanting to be helpful, Lum ties a blindfold around Asuka's eyes, which seems to work a little, and she escorts the chained pair into the garden. Ataru, naturally, can only think of ditching his escort to be alone with Asuka.
256
"A Stormy Date - Part 5" (嵐を呼ぶデート＝その5＝, "Arashi o yobu deeto, =sono 5=")
Lum tries her best to chaperone Ataru and Asuka on their forced date, but Ataru's lechery won't be constrained. Which, of course, triggers a blind panic from Asuka, during which she tears a path of destruction through the Mendo mansion. Realizing that Tobimaro's mother will seriously hurt Tobimaro if Asuka doesn't get a grip, Ryoko decides to intervene, approaching Asuka as she unwittingly beats up Ataru. Playing on Asuka's love for Tobimaro (and loathing of Ataru), Ryoko talks Asuka into fighting her mother to rescue her brother. Driven by a mixture of love and terror, Asuka gives it her all, but is ultimately defeated. Still, her resistance (and all the property damage) convinces her mother that this experiment was, sadly, a failure.
