Chapter 235: 勇気ある決闘；前編 Yuuki Arukettou; Zenpen (A Valiant Duel - Part 1) An innocent schoolgirl is being harrassed by Soban and his gang of hooligans. Lum decides to defend her and challenges Soban to hand to hand combat. Lum is pretty confident until it begins to set in that without her powers, she is not very strong unlike her friends, Shinobu and Ryunosuke, who have been able to deal with Soban in the past. Lum decides to call upon her alien technology to aid her once again. She takes special pills that give her incredible superhuman strength and the next day, dressed like a Chinese kenpo fighter, she takes on Soban. But as soon as she starts the pill wears off and Soban tackles her, causing the rest of her supply go spilling in all directions.
Butsumetsu High is named after the unluckiest day in the Rokuyo six-day week, which is itself named for the Buddha's death.
100 yen is about one dollar.
As the gang from Butsumetsu High bullies the girl, a sign for Maison Ikkoku in Big Comic Spirits can be seen. Maison Ikkoku was running concurrently with Urusei Yatsura, and when this chapter was originally published the 79th chapter of Maison Ikkoku would be on newsstands.
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A: Where will I be when this issue comes out? Oh you wandering traveller!
Chapter 236: 勇気ある決闘；後編 Yuuki Arukettou; Kouhen (A Valiant Duel - Part 2) The fight is not going too well for Lum. She is able to take a few super-strength pills and land some good punches, but it is not enough to keep Soban away especially since the pills only last for only a few seconds. To compensate, Lum takes a huge handfull of pills, but now Soban has run off fighting Mendo, Ryunosuke, Shinobu and Ataru. While this is going on Ataru and company dig a huge pit and fill it up once Soban falls in.
A: I've been to Onomichi, Kanazawa, and Noto. It's been a long time since I've spread my wings!!
Chapter 237: 飛鳥ふたたび＝その１＝ Asuka Futatabi =sono 1= (Asuka Returns - Part 1) To keep Asuka out of her brother's hair (and bath), Mrs. Mizunokoji sends Asuka to Tomobiki High School to deliver a message to Mendo. In the ensuing panic, Asuka runs into Ryunosuke.
Tobimaro gets a massive nosebleed as Asuka bursts into the bath naked. This is of course a recurring gag in manga and anime and signifies sexual arousal.
Asuka's character shares much in common with the 1961 science-fiction short story Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut. In the story Harrison is forced to wear weights and a other objects to "handicap" himself so that he is no better than anyone else in society, however wearing the weights makes him stronger and faster.
Hanawa makes an appearance in a single panel after not appearing in the series for quite some time.
Ryunosuke is reading an issue of Shonen Sunday at the end of the chapter.
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A: We are currently making arrangements to publish a one-shot in the special issue of Shonen Sunday. I'll do my best, so thank you!!
Chapter 238: 飛鳥ふたたび＝その２＝ Asuka Futatabi =sono 2= (Asuka Returns - Part 2) Asuka successfully delivers the message to Mendo, but now she must deal with a relentless pursuit from Ryunosuke, who is quite upset at being mistaken for a boy. Unfortunately, Ryu's attempts to show Asuka her feminine "attributes" only succeeds in attracting more boys.
Ryunosuke's bust wrap is a sarashi (晒し) which you can read more in depthly on here at the site.
School stores (学校の売店) are small stores that are housed within public schools and usually sell everything from school supplies to snack foods.
A kotatsu is a low wooden table with a hearter underneath it. A kotatsu quilt goes over the top and hangs down the side to retain the heat.
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A: I'm looking forward to seeing "Raiders 2"... I'm going to see it!!
Webmasters' Note: "Raiders 2" is, of course, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Chapter 239: 飛鳥ふたたび＝その３＝ Asuka Futatabi =sono 3= (Asuka Returns - Part 3) The tables turn as Mrs. Mizunokoji directs Asuka to pursue Ryunosuke. Asuka discovers a similarity between Ryu and Tomibaro.
"We're dealing with a living mobile-suit!" - This is a reference to Mobile Suit Gundam, a very popular mecha anime series about giant battle robots that first aired in 1979 and still has not lost its popularity today.
All of the examples of who Mrs. Mizunokoji finds attractive are well-known doodle characters in Japan" Kawaii Cook-san (かわいいコックさん),the old man doodle is known as Tsuru Sanha Maru Maru Mushi (つる三ハまるまるむし),the characters in his name are drawn to make the face with maru being the circle, and the Heno Heno Moheji (へのへのもへじ) doodle that makes up the face of Mr. Mizunokoji.
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A: Lately I've been listening to tapes of Yuming. This helps get the work done.
Webmasters' Note: Yuming is the nickname of musician Yumi Matsutoya.
Chapter 240: 必殺！ヤミナベ Hissatsu! Yaminabe (Lethal Attack: Yaminabe!) Ataru leads a class vote to cook a yaminabe as the next homeroom recreation project. Lum wants to contribute her culinary skills to the project, but Ataru is determined to thwart her.
Yaminabe literally means "dark hot pot," and is an exciting kind of dinner party where each guest brings a surprise ingredient to add to the hot pot. To really spice things up you can eat in the dark.
Gateball is a Japanese sport inspired by croquet.
Gyoza are a type of dumpling with a thin wrapper that are often filled with a mixture of ground meat, vegetables, various flavorings and lots of garlic.
Ohagi are Japanese sweets, sometimes also called botamochi. They are made from anko (sweet azuki bean paste) packed around balls of glutinous rice and sometimes sprinkled with toppings like kinako (toasted soybean powder), matcha powder or sesame seeds.
Daifuku means "great good luck," which might be referring to the sweet filling hidden inside the mochi wrapper. Daifuku are traditionally filled with anko, but fruit and chocolate are other popular options.
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A: I saw Ai no Monogatari at work. I was deeply moved by Tomoyo-chan's cuteness.
Chapter 241: アイスクーラー・リラックス Aisu kura * rirakkusu (Ice Cooler Relaxation) On a sweltering day at Tomobiki High, Lum introduces her classmates to "Ice Coolers;" iceballs that float above your head to keep you cool. But the class quickly learns the that "ice coolers" grow if you don't relax, and will fall on your head if you suddenly lose your composure.
A kotatsu is a low wooden table with a hearter underneath it. A kotatsu quilt goes over the top and hangs down the side to retain the heat.
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A: The schedule is tight because of the special issue. It's a tough time of year.
Chapter 242: ザ・障害物水泳大会；前編 Za Shougaibutsu Suieitaikai; Zenpen (The Obstacle Swim Meet - Part 1) It is the day of the "Obstacle Swimming Contest" at Tomobiki High, and the students must make their way from the auditorium to the pool, overcoming all sorts of obstacles along the way.
This issue of Shonen Sunday has a feature and photo spread of Kirara and Urara, who would go on to perform the theme song for the Maris the Chojo OVA.
Bread-eating races are a common event at Japanese school sports day festivals. Participants have to eat (or sometimes just grab) a dangling baked good using only their mouths before racing to the finish line.
Natto are fermented soybeans. They are considered a health food and an acquired taste since they have a unique aroma and a sticky, slimy texture.
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A: Right now I'm writing A Mermaid Never Smiles for the special issue. Please look forward to it! ❤
Chapter 243: ザ・障害物水泳大会；後編 Za Shougaibutsu Suieitaikai; Kouhen (The Obstacle Swim Meet - Part 2) The students reach the pool and play a game of water polo, but Onsen-Mark has made a few changes to the game to keep it interesting - an exploding ball and a pool filled with moray eels.
Jigoro Kano (1860-1938), educator, founder of Judo, and the first Asian member of the International Olympic Committee insisted on the importance of swimming education and made it a compulsory subject in a teacher-training curriculum. In 1955 the passenger boat “Shiunmaru” sank and 100 children drowned beside a lifeboat because none of them could swim, the government decided to allocate funding in the budget for the construction of swimming pools in all schools by 1966. The Tokyo Olympic Games were held in 1964 and swimming races became very popular.
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A: On July 31st, I will go to Hokkaido for an autograph session. I'm really looking forward to it, thinking it will be cooler there than in Tokyo!!
Chapter 244: 合戦！面堂家花火大会 Kassen! Mendo-ke Hanabitaikai (Battle: A Mendo Family Fireworks Event) Ryoko invites Ataru and his friends to watch the fireworks at the Mendo House. The gang quickly finds out that the Mendos take their fireworks battles very seriously.
Published In:
Shonen Sunday 1984 Vol. 35
Urusei Yatsura Tankobon Vol. 23 ch. 10
Urusei Yatsura Wideban Vol. 11 ch. 4
Urusei Yatsura Bunkoban Vol. 13 ch. 4
Urusei Yatsura Shinsoban Vol. 23 ch. 10
Publication Date: August 1, 1984
Pages: 16 (black and white)
Anime Adaptation:
None
Notes:
"The work of a master!" - In the original Japanese, Ataru calls out "Tamaya!" it is the name of a famous fireworks maker from the Edo-period, and people often name-check Tamaya or Kagiya (another Edo-period fireworks master) when they see impressive fireworks displays. You can watch our Rumic Mini video discussing this at our YouTube channel.
One of the Sunglasses Brigade calls Mendo "waka", which means "young master." This is the only instance it is untranslated in the English edition.
Lum's pose as she drunkenly blasts her electricity is a parody of Ultraman's beam pose.
Published Happy Talk (ハッピー・トーク) between this chapter and 245 as well as Maison Ikkokuchapter 84.
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A: It's summer. I want to go to the sea....or at least the pool. I miss the water!
Chapter 245: 浜茶屋繁盛記 Hamachaya Hanjouki (The Golden Age of the Beach Cafe) Business is slow at the Hamachaya, so Mr. Fujinami hires Lum and Shinobu to distribute advertising flyers to the kids on the beach.
