Editing Urusei Yatsura (section)

==Production==
In 1977, Rumiko Takahashi created the short story ''Those Selfish Aliens''<!--''Katte na Yatsura'',勝手なやつら--> that was nominated for [[Shogakukan]]'s Best New Comic Artist award. This would serve as the basis for creating ''Urusei Yatsura'' which was first published a year later when Takahashi was 20 years old. The series was her first major work, having previously only published short stories, and is a combination of [[romantic comedy]], [[science fiction]], suburban life, and [[Japanese folktales]].<ref name=Animericaissue2>{{cite journal|journal=[[Animerica]]|title=The Wacky World of Rumiko Takahashi|first1=Seiji|last1=Horibuchi|first2=Gerard|last2=Jones|first3=Trish|last3=Ledoux|volume=1|issue=2|pages=4–11}}</ref><ref name="Anime encyclopaedia">{{cite book|title=The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917|last1=Clements|first1=Jonathan|author1-link=Jonathan Clements|last2=McCarthy|first2=Helen|author2-link=Helen McCarthy|year=2006|page=[https://archive.org/details/animeencyclopedi00clem_0/page/377 377]|isbn=1-933330-10-4|title-link=The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917|publisher=Stone Bridge Press |edition=Revised and Expanded }}</ref> The title of the series is an [[Japanese wordplay|untranslatable pun]] on the word {{Nihongo||うるさい|urusai}}, meaning "noisy" or "obnoxious", but written with the [[Chinese character]] for "planet";<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Ledoux |editor1-first=Trish |title=Anime Interviews: The First Five Years Of Animerica, Anime & Manga Monthly (1992-1997) |date=1997 |publisher=[[Viz Media]] |isbn=9781569312209}}</ref> the title can be translated roughly into English as "Those Obnoxious Aliens".<ref name=linernotes>{{cite web|url=http://archive.animeigo.com/liner/out-print/urusei-yatsura-tv-series.html|title=Urusei Yatsura volumes 1-10 Liner Notes|publisher=[[AnimEigo]]|access-date=January 2, 2010}}</ref> The series first appeared in Shogakukan's ''[[Weekly Shonen Sunday]]'' in September 1978.<ref name="MM17"/> At the start of the series it was only scheduled to run for 5 chapters. Ataru was the central character and each chapter would feature a different strange character. The character of Lum was only going to appear in the first chapter and was not in the second chapter; however, Takahashi decided to re-include her in the third chapter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://natalie.mu/comic/pp/rumic35/page/3|title=「るーみっくわーるど35~SHOWTIME&ALL-STAR~高橋留美子画業35周年インタービュー (3/5)|publisher=[[Natalie (website)|Comic Natalie]]|access-date=January 27, 2014}}</ref> The series was not an instant success and chapters were initially published sporadically. Between May and September 1978 she simultaneously worked on a series called ''Dust Spot''; however, the increasing popularity of ''Urusei Yatsura'' caused her to focus on ''Urusei'' and the series became a regular serialization from the middle of 1979.<ref name="MM17"/>

Takahashi said that she had been dreaming about the overall universe of ''Urusei Yatsura'' since she was very young. She said that the series "really includes everything I ever wanted to do. I love science fiction because sci-fi has tremendous flexibility. I adopted the science fiction-style for the series because then I could write any way I wanted to".<ref name=Animericaissue2/> She wanted the reader to be completely surprised by the next panel and used slapstick comedy to create a reaction in the reader.<ref name="MM17">{{cite journal|title=Manga Mania|issn=0968-9575|date=December 1994|number=20|pages=38–41|publisher=[[Manga Entertainment|Manga Publishing]]}}</ref> When Takahashi ran out of ideas she would create new characters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.furinkan.com/takahashi/takahashi4.html|title=Toriyama/Takahashi interview|last=Smith|first=Toren|publisher=Furinkan.com|access-date=February 6, 2010}}</ref> Takahashi shared a small 150-square-foot apartment with her assistants, and slept in a closet due to a lack of space. While writing ''Urusei Yatsura'' she also began work on ''[[Maison Ikkoku]]'' and used this experience as well as her university experience as the basis for the setting of that series.<ref name="MM17"/> Character names often carry extra meanings used to describe a characters personality or other traits. For example, the name Ataru Moroboshi refers to being hit by a star, a reference to the aliens and other people who gather around him. The name Shinobu suggests a patient character; however, this in contrast to the character's actual personality.<ref name=linernotes/> In a similar way, the setting for the series is "Tomobiki", which means "friend taking". Tomobiki is also the name of a superstitious day in the old Japanese calendar system considered to have "no winners or losers" and occurred on every sixth day. Funerals rarely took place on this day as it was believed more deaths would soon follow.<ref name=linernotes/><ref>{{cite book|title=We Japanese|last=De Garis|first=Frederic|isbn=9781136183676|page= 292|publisher=[[Routledge]]|date=September 5, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=We Japanese|last=De Garis|first=Frederic|isbn=9781136183676|page= 28|publisher=[[Routledge]]|date=September 5, 2013}}</ref> Lum was named after [[Agnes Lum]], a bikini model during the 1970s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://natalie.mu/comic/pp/rumic35/page/4|title=Rūmic World 35 ~ Shotime & All-Star Takahashi RUmiko gashū 35 shūnen Interview (4/5)|publisher=[[Natalie (website)|Comic Natalie]]|script-title=ja:「るーみっくわーるど35~SHOWTIME&ALL-STAR~高橋留美子画業35周年インタービュー (4/5)|access-date=January 27, 2014}}. Takahashi replies: "ラムの名前をいただいたアグネス・ラムの胸のラインは.. (Agnes Lum from whom I borrowed Lum's name <!--has lovely bust-line curvature-->..)".</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Ruh|first=Brian|title=Stray Dog of Anime: The Films of Mamoru Oshii|publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]]|year=2004|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UnQeG3Gdij4C&pg=PA18|page=18|isbn=1403963347}}</ref> Lum's use of the English word "Darling" in reference to Ataru was to emphasize her status as a foreigner, as well as a play on the name [[Darrin Stephens|Darrin]], the husband figure from ''[[Bewitched]]''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Watching Anime, Reading Manga: 25 Years of Essays and Reviews|last=Patten|first=Fred|author-link=Fred Patten|year=2004|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=81Y1TVYQSrEC&pg=PT155|page=89|isbn=1-880656-92-2|publisher=Stone Bridge Press}}</ref>

The characters of Megane, Perm, Kakugari and Chibi are recurring characters throughout the first anime adaptation; however, in the manga they are nameless fans of Lum who appear less after Mendo is introduced.<ref name="Furinkan.com Q+A">{{cite web|url=https://www.furinkan.com/uy/misc/faq.html|title=Frequently asked Questions|publisher=Furinkan.com|access-date=January 2, 2010}}</ref> In contrast the character Kosuke Shirai plays a large role in the manga, but does not appear in the first anime series. His role is often performed by Perm.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.furinkan.com/uy/characters/minor.html|title=Other Characters|publisher=Furinkan.com|access-date=January 2, 2010}}</ref> The second half of the first anime adaptation is closer to the manga than the first half.<ref name="Furinkan.com Q+A"/> In 2022, Takahashi said that ''Urusei Yatsura'' ended because she saw that Shinobu was happy after the character Inaba had been introduced.<ref>{{cite tweet |user=rumicworld1010 |author-link=Rumiko Takahashi |number=1515630851815776260 |date=April 17, 2022 |script-title=ja:三宅しのぶ:十回連載時、あたると結婚する未来を描いたのですが、どう解決できるかずっと気になっていました。パラレルワールドとドアを思いつき、因幡も出すことができ、これでしのぶも幸せにできると思いました。うる星の連載が終了したのは、しのぶの幸せが見えたから。|trans-title= |language=Japanese |access-date=August 13, 2022}}</ref> Takahashi has stated that she will not produce any more content for the series.<ref name="Takahashi interview">{{cite web|url=https://www.furinkan.com/features/interviews/karvonen.html|title=A Talk With Takahashi|last=Karvonen|first=K.J|publisher=Furinkan.com|access-date=January 2, 2010}}</ref>