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Urusei Yatsura tankoban
volume 25

Chapter 257: Yume de aetara; genjitsu-hen
(If we meet in our dreams; Reality Chapter)
On her spaceship, Lum is taking care of a "dream berry" plant. When ingested these berries will make that person sleep and give them beautiful dreams. Ten wants one, but Lum tells him that these berries are only for her. Ten later finds Sakura who mentions she hasn't been sleeping very well lately. He feels sorry for her and takes one of the berries from Lum's plant to give to Sakura. That night Sakura tries the berry and falls asleep. For the next two nights she has the most hideous dreams of her all alone with Ataru trapped in some romantic costumed fantasy. The dream Ataru showers her with words of love and it always ends up with a passionate kiss, and Sakura waking up screaming. Two nights in a row is too much to be a coincidence so she goes to question Ataru. Even before she describes what happened, Lum already knows exactly what the dreams were about. It seems the dream berries will contain very specific dreams designed by the one who grows the plant. Since Lum was trying to make romantic dreams of her and Ataru, by eating the berries, Sakura has put herself into Lum's ideal dream world; A dream where Ataru is unconditionally in love with her. Lum breaks the news that the final dream will be a wedding. Sakura's afraid of what that will entail so Lum volunteers to help by eating one of the berries and sharing the dream with Sakura. But then Ataru eats one of the berries too. Now Lum, Sakura, the dream Ataru and the real Ataru are all in the dream.

Chapter 258: Yume de aetara; Daigessen
(If we meet in our dreams; Decisive Battle)
Sakura is still stuck in a series of stupid fantasies with the dream Ataru. After a long while Lum and Ataru arrive on a pterodactyl. Lum steps in to take Sakura's place and marry the dream Ataru. However the dream is out of Lum's control now and this Ataru will only accept Sakura. The real Ataru keeps trying to run off with Sakura. Lum keeps trying to get in the way of the dream Ataru who will stop at nothing to take Sakura away and marry her. All the while the scene keeps changing from weird fantasy to even more ludicrous fantasy sequences. The dream Ataru eventually becomes a super-powered rocket-punching android with infinite powers. He traps Lum in a bubble and goes after Sakura. Sakura tries to use Ataru's girl-chasing tendencies against him, but it doesn't work. The dream Ataru was made to be a faithful lover so he can't be distracted, unlike real one. The dream Ataru flies off with Sakura. Lum tries to use her electricity to break the bubble, but hurts herself in the process. The real Ataru runs off to get Sakura, but he can't bring himself to abandon Lum when she's hurt, so he brings her with him on piggyback. Together they hurry to stop the wedding...but they're too late. The groom has kissed the bride and the dream is complete. Sakura is understandably grossed-out, but there's no real damage done. Everyone wakes up no worse for wear. Lum's happy enough though that she was able to share a kind moment with the real Ataru, even if it was in a dream.

Chapter 259: Shuunen no katachi
(The shape of tenacity)
Kitsune goes to a night time primary school for animal kids. There the cat teacher gives them an exercise; to draw a "suki na mono" (something you like/love). Everyone else draws toys and food. Kitsune draws a picture of Shinobu. The teacher then tells them the homework assignment is to bring whatever it is each kid drew to next class for show and tell. He warns that if anyone forgets to bring it he'll personally break it. He mentions that cat's are tenacious and never forget. This makes Kitsune think that he may have doomed Shinobu to a violent death so he rushes off to find her. The story deals with the next day when Kitsune is looking all over for Shinobu. All the while Shinobu and the entire 2-4 class is being kept after school for detention just because some of the students (mostly boys) didn't do their homework. The little fox eventually finds them and to get out of detention, the whole class rallies behind Kitsune's cause. They all go together to the animal school. They make it to the class in time and Shinobu wants to give that teacher a piece of her mind. But it looks like the cat teacher completely forgot about the homework he assigned.

Chapter 260: Oden ni himeta koi
(Love hidden in the oden)
Ran is making a big pot of oden (Japanese stew) for Rei which includes komashidake mushrooms that should cause him to fall in love with her. After stepping out for an ingredient, Ran returns home and is greeted with the sight of Kotatsu-neko finishing off the pot of oden. At first she's angry, but it turns to fear as she sees the hearts in his eyes. Ran tries to get away, but the ghost cat keeps closely stalking her everywhere she goes. She comes to the conclusion that because of the oden, Kotatsu-neko is obsessively in love with her. To help Ran, Lum uses anti-komashidake mushrooms to make a recipe to reverse the love spell. Kotatsu-neko seems too lovelorn to accept food, but he especially won't eat Lum's horrible cuisine. Instead he gives Lum a present to give to Ran, which turns out to be a pretty apron. Ran is starting to get really worried. She shudders to imagine a lifetime serving a stupid looking cat, although Lum doesn't think it's much worse than a life with Rei who's a stupid looking tiger-cow. Ran decides to make more of the oden to give to Rei before it's too late. As she finishes, Kotatsu-neko bursts through the door and Ran cowers. But he goes straight for the oden. It seems Kotatsu-neko was in love with the taste of Ran's oden, not Ran herself.

Chapter 261: Fuke yuku aki no imo no kanashiki
(Shedding tears for the last potato of autumn)
Lum comes to see Ataru out in his backyard preparing an open fire for roasting sweet potatoes. He adds a whole garlic to the fire to give it that smokey taste. Lum starts reacting badly to the garlic smoke and complains to Ataru that he's doing it so he won't have to share (Lum's race has a strong allergy to garlic). Ataru pays no mind and just continues spreading the smoke, which drives Lum away. That night, alone in his room he finds a juice can with alien writing on his table and decides to drink it. Lum comes through the window and is shocked to see what he did, but Ataru is pretty flippant about it. Then suddenly Lum starts to cry and flies off, leaving Ataru confused as to what just happened. Throughout the next day Lum keeps crying and it seems it was because of something Ataru did. Ataru buys her a juice to make up for the one he took, but she doesn't want it. Ataru feels vaguely guilty yet angry because he's can't figure out why she's acting so overly emotional. He later catches Lum talking to Ran about the sweet potato incident and starting to cry again. He thinks that Lum's being manipulative, trying to make him feel guilty over such a such a petty thing as food. He sees no reason to make up with her, but he still feels guilty. A while later we catch up with Lum on her UFO using a new one of those alien cans from earlier as an eye wash. As we've seen before, Oni have an extreme allergy to garlic. It seems that garlic smoke of Ataru's gave Lum an eye infection that made her unable to stop shedding tears. The can Ataru drank was actually eye medicine needed to cure it. So it seems Lum was never actually sad or angry with Ataru. Later Ataru tries to make things up with Lum by giving her a big pile of roasted sweet potatoes. Lum is touched and decides it's for the best if she doesn't tell him what really happened.

Chapter 262: Kaze hikaba
(In case of a cold...)
Oyuki has caught a really nasty cold. The bad thing about it is that as Oyuki's cold causes her temperature to drop lower and lower below zero, her freezing powers become more and more erratic. Oyuki comes to Lum's class for help. Her powers are so out of control now that she's on the verge of destroying Neptune. Because all of the medical technology on her planet has been frozen solid, she's come to Earth to get help to get the ingredients for an old Chinese remedy which requires a wisker of a certain cat. The cat just happens to look just like Kotatsu-neko. Oyuki's powers are already turning the school into a frozen hell. To keep from dying a horrible icy death, all the students work together to find Kotatsu-neko and pluck a couple of his wiskers. But the cat's not willing to part with them for anything and soon he's fighting off the whole school. Oyuki tries to reason with the cat, but he's not co-operating no matter how much he's backed into a corner. Finally Oyuki freezes him solid (ever so nicely). Now she just has to wait for him to thaw so she can get at his wiskers. The problem is that nothing's ever going to thaw as long as Oyuki has a cold. Looks like they're doomed.

Chapter 263: Mochi soudatsu kouchou kyouzohai
(sticky rice cake contest, sculpt the Principal)
It's mochitsuki time in Tomobiki. Mochitsuki is a Japanese custom that takes place near the end of the year when communities get together and take turns pounding steamed sticky rice into blobs of doughy rice cake (called mochi) using a mallet and mortar. In the spirit of this tradition the faculty of Tomobiki High School call the students to an assembly in the gym. All the different classes are split up, each given traditional uniforms to wear along with mallets and mortars full of mochi. Class will be pitted against class in a no-holds-barred contest to make a sculpture out of the Principal out of mochi. Each homeroom must obtain more mochi from the other classes...by any means possible. Since the 2-4 homeroom class is full of superhuman freaks (as Ran points out) the balance of power is tipped too much in their favor. To give them a handicap the faculty attaches heavy balls and chains to the arms and legs of the 2-4 students. The 2-4 class feel they're being discriminated against, especially when the other classes all get together and gang up on them. Things escalate into a full-scale battle with mochi flying all over and hitting the floor and walls. Even with the balls and chains, after a long fight, it's the 2-4 class that emerge victorious. They completed a giant mochi sculpture of the principal which has become filthy with dirt, footprints, mallets and other junk accumulated during the fight. The class is pleased about their win until they find out the winners have to eat the mochi.

Chapter 264: Toki wa kanenari
(Ringing in the new year)
An old priest friend of Sakura's recruits Ataru, Lum, Mendo, Shinobu and Ryuunosuke to help him ring his giant shrine bell for the traditional New Years Eve ritual. Strangely when they meet him, the priest's head and hands are all bandaged. He says that he is too weak and needs strong bodies. The gang find the bell surrounded in a boxing ring. Inside the ring they notice that the massive bell is missing the large swinging log that is traditionally used to strike the bell and cause it to ring. Without it, the Priest can't properly ring in the New Year. He's desperate so he promises the UY gang baskets full of "kane" (money) if they can ring it for him. Each member of the group uses their own special talents to ring the bell using fists, flying kicks and their whole bodies. Mendo even uses his trademark scaredy-cat shrine bell technique. After the ordeal the five of them are all in great throbbing pains from repeatidly hitting the metal bell and they want their "kane" (money). The priest rewards them with "kane" (bells) of different sizes depending on how many times each person rang the bell.

Chapter 265: Kamukamu eburibodee
(Bite Down Everybody)
Once again, Ten is being bullied by Ataru and can't defend himself. He watches an alien TV shopping show for kids that advertises "sandwich nail color" which somehow can be used to get even with bullies without having to get one's hands dirty. Ten orders some and tries to use the nailpolish on Ataru while he sleeps. Lum half asleep catches him and almost uses the nailpolish on herself, but Ten stops her by saying it's for Ataru. Lum thinks it's a nice present and helps Ten paints the nailpolish on Ataru's hand (her drowsiness is making her act kind of loopy). The next day strange things keep happening to Ataru. Just about everything that comes near him sandwiches itself onto his hands. Doors close on his hand, clothing and shoes stick to his hand, desks and pails seem to crush onto his hand, Mendo's sword bends over his hand. Even when he first runs into Lum, she seems forced to keep biting his hands. She figures out this is the prank nailpolish seen on TV that makes everything from people to inanimate objects bite the hands that wear it. While they're discussing it, Ten tries causing trouble for Ataru in his stealth bodysuit (which makes him look like a moth) and makes him invisible. Ten tells Ataru to beg him for forgiveness if he wants the special nailpolish remover. Ataru seems to give in almost too easily as he kneels on the floor and prostrates himself before Ten. As his hands hit the floor, the entire classroom buckles and closes in on everyone like that garbage compactor from Star Wars. Knowing the power of the nailpolish, of course that's exactly what Ataru meant to do.

Chapter 266: Haatobureiku Crossin' ; zenpen
(Heartbreak Crossin' - first part)
Lum's getting ready to attend a New Years party taking place at Mendo's estate. She can't find her other earring but she's running late so she takes off without it. Ten finds a box containing a locket that looks like half a heart. Thinking it's her earring, Ten goes to the party to bring it to her. Lum however doesn't seem very happy to see it. She yells at Ten to hurry up and put it back where he found it. Ataru sees the locket but Ten won't give it since it seems really important to Lum. Ataru opens the locket and sees Rei's picture inside. Getting jealous he takes it out on her. Just then tiger-cow Rei comes crashing through the wall on a jet pack and comes after Lum. Rei becomes distracted by the party food. Lum explains how Rei was brought here because Ataru opened the locket. Apparently when Lum and Rei were engaged, Lum bought a magical charm locket that contained both their pictures. Lum took the half with Rei's picture, and she gave the half with her picture to Rei. One of the powers of this locket was that no matter how far apart they were, just by opening the locket and gazing at the picture, the other half of the locket would seek it out its counterpart and instantly come together. But back then Rei thought it was food and ate his half of the locket. Lum's locket brought him to the party so Rei must still have half the locket in his stomach. But that's not what really worries Lum. She tells Ataru and Mendo that the locket has another more terrible function. It's told that when the love between the couple is broken, by joining the two halves of the locket, the love will be repaired. In other words putting the locket back together could force her to fall in love with Rei again, which is her worst nightmare. Rei overhears this and regurgitates his half of the locket. He tries to rejoin it to Lum's half, but Mendo is able to grab it from him and pass it to Ataru. He then sends Ataru flying off on a jetpack to get it away from Rei. At that moment, Ran sees a shooting star and has a feeling that she's going to see Rei tonight.

Chapter 267: Haatobureiku Crossin' ; kouhen
(Heartbreak Crossin' - last part)
After flying away from the party with Lum's picture locket in-hand, Ataru lands on Ran's spaceship. Ran notices the locket and opens it finding a photograph of Lum inside (which makes her think Ataru is finally showing interest in Lum). Because she opened the locket, Lum (who is holding the other half of the locket) is brought to Ran's place, along with Rei who followed her. Mendo explains the locket's function and Ran tries to destroy it, but Rei nearly convinces her to hand it over. Ran doesn't give in and passes it to Lum. Lum flies away and tries to destroy it with a rock, however it's too durable to smash. Rei finds her and they fight over it. Kotatsuneko opens it to look inside. Meanwhile Ran is trying to use a big gun to destroy Rei's half of the locket, but it starts moving away attracted to the other half. Ran holds onto it as the two halves come together, but Rei tricks her by giving her a hug and then quickly joining the two halves into one locket. Now that the locket is one again, will Lum and Rei's love be repaired as well? Not really. The locket just plays a recorded loop that says "don't abandon me!" over and over. Apprently a flimsy attempt to mend a broken relationship.

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