The Best Episodes of Urusei Yatsura Season 1

To save Earth, unlucky Ataru must win a high-stakes game of tag against a beautiful alien. Luckily his friend Shinobu has offered a helping hand (in marriage) as motivation!

Director: Hideya Takahashi

Writer: Yuko Kakihara

Ataru can run, but he can't hide — not from Lum, and not from the gorgeous shrine maiden Sakura's eagle eyes. She can tell at a glance that he's in dire need of exorcism!

Director: Yasuhiro Kimura

Writer: Yuko Kakihara

Two's company. Three's a crowd. And when a FOURTH party enters the Lum/Ataru/Shinobu situation? Things get pretty scary in Ataru's already complex love life!

Director: Takahiro Kamei

Writer: Yuko Kakihara

Lum ain't the only alien princess in town. The new arrival has her sights set on a certain boy — but her vassals are keeping a scandalous secret from their ruler!

Director: Kyohei Suzuki

Writer: Yuko Kakihara

Hellooooo, nurse! A new nurse just started working at Ataru's school, and she's a total babe… but wait. Does she look familiar?

Director: Shugo Tsuneoka

Writer: Yuko Kakihara

They say all's fair in love and war, and that's why Lum drags Ataru kicking and screaming onto a battlefield!

Director: Koichi Chigira

Writer: Yuko Kakihara

A monster lurks in the depths of the hotel pool, but it's not half as creepy as the ne'er-do-wells lurking around Nurse Sakura at the beach…

Director: Junichi Yamamoto

Writer: Yuko Kakihara

Is Ataru seeing double, or are there really two hot new transfer students at school? And what does the super cute newbie Ran want from him and Lum!?

Director: Sho Sugawara, Daisuke Kurose, Yukio Kuroda

Writer: Yuko Kakihara, Hiroko Kanasugi

An ominous omen. A pessimistic portent. A scary sign. Call it whatever you want, but one thing is clear: Fate will not be kind to Ataru today!

Director: Yutaka Kagawa

Writer: Yuta Suzuki

Are aliens invading again? Nope — it’s just Ataru, Meno and Lum’s mothers invading Parents’ Day! But a language barrier may turn this meeting of the moms into pure mania.

Director: Shugo Tsuneoka, Jiro Fujimoto

Writer: Yuko Kakihara

What’s this? A handkerchief? It smells divine, so it MUST belong to a total hottie. Definitely not a nightmare creature or anything like that. Ataru’s nose cannot be fooled!

Director: Yumeko Iwaoka

Writer: Hayashi Mori

Lum’s cousin Ten thinks Lum should look for greener romantic pastures! And if Lum can’t see reason, Ten will burn her relationship with Ataru to the ground.

Director: Tatsu Yamamoto

Writer: Hiroko Kanasugi

The girls in class aren’t the only snacks Ataru has his eye on. When teachers crack down on off-campus snacking, a no-holds-barred snack battle begins!

Director: Fumihiro Ueno

Writer: Yuko Kakihara

All’s fair in love and… baseball? It’s time for a showdown on the baseball diamond! And once the dust settles, a “love letter” stirs up trouble.

Director: Takahiro Kamei, Junya Sanetoshi, Yuki Morita

Writer: Hayashi Mori

Lum and Ran are friends, but one can best describe their relationship as prickly.

Director: Sho Sugawara, Eiichi Kuboyama

Writer: Yuko Kakihara

Ataru and his friends were supposed to have a fun beach trip, but they find themselves swept up in Ryunosuke’s family drama instead!

Director: Daisuke Kurose, Yukio Kuroda

Writer: Yuko Kakihara

Ryunosuke teams up with three delinquents to help Shinobu ward off an unwanted suitor. Later, Ataru’s family must be careful what they wish for.

Director: Shugo Tsuneoka

Writer: Hiroko Kanasugi

There is nothing suspicious about the lipstick Lum wants to put on Ataru. Nope, nothing suspicious at all. Later, Ataru’s class takes the dreaded Yaminabe food challenge!

Director: Yumeko Iwaoka

Writer: Hayashi Mori

Pro tip: never hurt an octopus’ feelings and never give an oni pickled plums.

Director: Yoshinobu Kasai

Writer: Yuta Suzuki

Three punks challenge Lum and her friends to a duel after stealing Benten’s precious chain.

Director: Yasuhiro Kimura

Writer: Hiroko Kanasugi

Lum and her friends worry the past will come back to haunt them. Later, Mendo’s life becomes much more complicated thanks to a voodoo doll.

Director: Sho Sugawara

Writer: Hayashi Mori

Lum is quite the handful, no matter what size she is. Later, a shapeshifting fox takes a liking to Shinobu.

Director: Yuichi Nakazawa

Writer: Yuta Suzuki

The finalists have different motives. Lum wants Ataru’s attention, Ran wants to get in Lum’s way, Shinobu and Sakura want the money, and Ryunosuke has something to prove.

Director: Yusuke Kubo, Kiyomitsu Sato

Writer: Hiroko Kanasugi

Surely Ataru wouldn’t misuse bubble gum that has the power to create whatever he wants. But would that be worse than Lum losing the ability to speak other languages?

Director: Shugo Tsuneoka, Eiichi Kuboyama

Writer: Hayashi Mori

Ryunosuke grew up without a mother and wants to know more about her. Unfortunately, her father is keeping an important detail from her.

Director: Yumeko Iwaoka

Writer: Yuta Suzuki