うる星やつら episode 83 (TV anime)
Urusei Yatsura 83

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

It is breakfast time and young “Ten-chan” is annoyed with Ataru already working on his fourth serving of rice. When Ataru steals food off of Ten-chan’s plate, Ten-chan counters with a fire breath attack. However, Ataru is prepared for this with goggles and a frying pan to block the flames. One Ten-chan has exhausted his breath attack, Ataru tosses a large rubber ball into Ten-chan’s mouth, then uses the alien boy as a basketball outside. He then uses the frying pan to knock Ten-chan for a home run. As Ten-chan ponders how Ataru has beaten him so many times, Ataru gets another whack on him for a line drive hit.

Ten-chan decides he’s had enough and is going to take Ataru down. His first act is to set a rope trap in the school hallway, but Ataru simply doesn’t trip on it. Instead, Ten-chan is dragged into the hall and then trodden upon by a group of guys. Ten-chan then digs a small pit in the baseball field for Ataru, but Ataru fills it and Megane packs it with a roller. Ten-chan tries to run over Ataru with his super-charged alien scooter, but misses and sends himself into orbit instead. Depressed by his failures, Ten-chan floats home and is encountered by Cherry. While Ten-chan doesn’t want to talk, he agrees to use the iron clogs Cherry gave him for training to defeat Ataru. Lum comes by and gives him some body strengthening spring-thing as well.

Lum is reading and Ataru is working on a model in the bedroom that night when Ten-chan finally gets home. He “clomps” his way slowly upstairs and after a long while, makes it to the bedroom. A mild taunt by Ataru has Ten-chan abandon the training items and flee to the attic. Ataru tells Lum that Ten-chan will be OK. The following morning, Ataru’s mother asks where Ten-chan is since he didn’t join them for breakfast. Ataru makes light of the matter. As he and Lum go to school, he sees a symbol on the ground and sees a cat in the alley. The cat has a challenge from Ten-chan and Ataru is happy to accept, telling Lum-chan that he’ll catch up later.

Ataru and Ten-chan face each other in a field and as Ten-chan flies to attack, Ataru is ready with the frying pan. While Ataru scores a hit, the frying pan is heavily damaged and Ataru is jarred by the impact. Ten-chan had placed an iron pot on his head and disguised it as a hat. He then decides to unleash his ultimate attack on Ataru, leaving the latter screaming. Ataru returns to school with his right arm bandaged and in a sling. His classmates are stunned by this since Ataru is so indestructible. However, the passage of time leaves everyone suspicious, leading Lum to unwrap Ataru’s arm in class. This reveals Ten-chan, who has bitten Ataru and won’t release. Ataru won’t give up either though.

Thoughts/Review:

I don’t know if was the extended break I took from the series or what, but I have to say that I actually laughed and enjoyed this episode a great deal. Ten-chan is a character I’ve always found annoying, so I rather enjoyed seeing Ataru giving that little brat beating after beating — the home run talk (whenever Ataru whacked him with a frying pan) being especially enjoyable. Cherry’s having Ten-chan wear iron clogs (and the jokes that resulted from that) made me laugh.

As to Ten-chan’s ultimate technique, I figured that when Ataru had his arm over-bandaged (combined with him pounding said arm against things at times), Ten-chan was there somehow but I couldn’t figure out how. I guess the idea of Ten-chan just biting Ataru and not releasing just never occurred to me, but it was amusing just the same.

One thing I rather enjoyed outside of the Ten-chan abuse was how Lum and Ataru were. While Ten-chan was slowly “clumping” his way up the stairs in the iron cogs, Ataru and Lum were quietly doing their own thing in the bedroom. I found that to be my ideal of a good relationship — being together but doing your own thing without annoying the other person. Also, I liked Lum and Ataru’s trips to school together.

As an episode to mark my return the the Urusei Yatsura series, I have to say this is a good one. I hope for more goodness to come.