Learn Japanese Through Anime Titles – Urusei Yatsura – うる星やつら

by | Dec 13, 2022 | Entertainment, Linguistics | 121 comments

File:Urusei Yatsura characters.jpg

Source: Wikipedia

For this installment of learning Japanese through anime titles we actually have the rare Japanese anime where they kept the original title for the English adaptations.  What I find interesting is the title is never explained for the English audience.

Urusei Yatsura (うる星やつら) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan’s Weekly Shōnen Sunday from September 1978 to February 1987. Its 366 individual chapters were published in 34 tankōbon volumes. It tells the story of Ataru Moroboshi, and the alien Lum, who believes she is Ataru’s wife after he accidentally proposes to her. The series makes heavy use of Japanese mythology, culture and puns. It was adapted into an anime television series produced by Kitty Films and broadcast on Fuji Television affiliates from October 1981, to March 1986, with 194 half-hour episodes. Twelve OVAs and six theatrical films followed, and the series was released on various home video formats.

Source: Wikipedia

うる星やつら is two words うる星 (urusei) and やつら (yatsura).

Urusei is actually masculine slang for the word うるさい (urusai) and can mean:

  1. annoying, troublesome, tiresome, persistent, importunate
  2. fussy, finicky, picky, particular, nagging, fastidious, bossy
  3. shut up!, be quiet!

There is also another meaning hidden in うる星.  The word is normally written in only hiragana and should be うるせい (urusei).   The character 星 can also be read as せい (sei), but this is not a normal usage.  星 is the character used for “heavenly bodies or stars”.  This is because Lum and her family and friends are all aliens.

Yatsura is also a masculine word.  “Yatsu” means “he, she, him, her (derogatory or familiar)” and when you add “ra” to it makes it plural and it becomes “they, those guys”.

In this case you can make multiple translations but I’d probably translate the title as “Annoying People”.  If you want to capture the title in masculine English it would have more of the nuance of “Annoying Assholes”.  The phrase is something much more likely to be said by a man than a woman.

____________

Rumiko Takahashi, the author of this manga, is very well known in Japan and also throughout the world.  Many of the tropes and the way the series is constructed are still used to this day.  The main character is basically abused by everyone in the show.  However, because he is such a lecherous jerk when he gets abused you don’t mind.  After that each episode it just repeats the same theme of him acting like a jerk and being abused.  After you know the basics of the characters you can watch any episode in most any order without much issue.  It’s the way that long running comics and cartoons work and Rumiko Takahashi helped greatly refine this formula to what we use today.

There is now a 2022 remake of the anime.  What has been interesting is reading the various reviews of the 2022 version.  The fans of the original anime and manga are generally happy with the remake, but the usual crop of  woke reviewers are unhappy because it retains the misogyny and violence of the original work.  These are the same people that hate South Park.

I’d never had a particular interest in the long running anime or the comic, but I decided to give the new remake a shot.  It’s obviously been done lovingly by the staff.  It also has top shelf young and old voice talent.  I’m glad I decided to watch it.  It’s nothing special, but simple mindless fun with an excellent group of voice talent.

About The Author

Sensei

Sensei

人代名詞は吾輩である。

121 Comments

  1. MikeS

    Mmmm…anime titties.

    • DEG

      I know. Every time I see an installment in this series, I think Sensei misspells “titties” as “titles”.

      • Count Potato

        #metoo

  2. MikeS

    I collect world coins from WWII, and for one period I was trying to learn enough Kanji to help me date Japanese money. It being dated by the Emperor’s reign didn’t help. I got OK at spotting the dates I was looking for, but never very comfortable. And after a collecting hiatus, it’s now all gone.

    Even though I have no desire to learn Japanese, these are fun. “Annoying People” should come in handy around here. 🧐

    Someone needs to follow Sensei’s lead and do something similar for Deutsch.

    • Sensei

      If somebody wants to blend something light hearted with any language and a bit of culture I’d be into that.

      I’ve always aimed to make them interesting enough so that neither a direct interest in either anime or Japanese is required.

      • Fourscore

        “Deutsch”

        Now as I recall MikeS may or may not have a German name. I nominate MikeS as the guy to enlighten us. Actually I am amazed that so many Glibs do have a second/third language capability. I wish my Dad had given us kids Latvian lessons, at least some profanity.

      • rhywun

        I have an English name 🙁

        My mom’s side is German but it was several generations removed. But I was already a language nut when by some weird fortune I was assigned German class in 7th grade and never looked back.

      • pistoffnick

        My Spanish teacher was smoking hot (especially after she started taking Accutane). She wore short red dresses and fuck-me-red pumps.

        I took Spanish from 7th grade on through 11th grade and sat in the front row.

      • Zwak, who has his own double cross to bear.

        My high school German teacher was a fresh outa college, super cutie. My college German teacher was a former body builder (not sure if East German)

        My learning fell off a bit in college.

      • Chafed

        And never stood up during class.

      • Sensei

        I’m always intrigued by the interplay of language and culture.

        For example status and in group and out group are culturally important in Japan and the language requires you to make distinctions explicit.

        In English we barely pay them any attention. Sure you speak more politely to a stranger, but make little more distinction after that point.

      • MikeS

        My last name may or may not be Schadenfreude.

      • UnCivilServant

        I thought it was Schwerpunkt.

        Or was it Schmirgel?

      • MikeS

        Schlemiel? Schlimazel?

      • MikeS
      • rhywun

        There it is.

      • MikeS

        Rhy, have I ever asked you: Do you happen to know the etymology behind the phrase Himmel, Arsch and Zwirn? I know the literal translation, and it’s usage, but not where the phrase originated. It seems like their must be a fable or something behind it, but I can’t figure it out.

      • MikeS

        Absoluter Hammer !!

        LOL. Stole that from the comments. Interesting tune. I kinda liked it.

      • rhywun

        Himmel, Arsch and Zwirn

        No, never heard of that.

    • dbleagle

      In my collection I have at least one coin from each American war, back to the War of 1812. My WWI and WWII are complete from type (less gold) but not complete for all dates and mints.

      • MikeS

        That’s very cool! My WWII collection is US type complete (about 50% from date/mint complete…the expensive 50%), but I have a long ways to complete my dream “all participant” type set. It may be my retirement project.

    • Don escaped Texas

      Deutsch

      I’m glad to kick in a paragraph on technical German, which is to say translate a dozen words that are obvious what they mean to a 12 year old.

      Muskegon alert: from Seminole to Chickasaw, they’re really really similar like, say, Swedish and Norwegian.

  3. Brochettaward

    You know what you can’t learn by watching anime? How to First. There is not one single documented First in any Japanese anime or manga. Not one.

    What are the Japanese hiding?

    • MikeS

      🥇1️⃣☝🏻

      • Brochettaward

        You know who knows nothing about the Great Schism between Eastern and Western Firsting? MikeS. Imposter with no First.

    • The Bearded Hobbit

      You know, Bro, your firsting thing was cool for a while. But now you’re looking like the 75 year old dude with his remaining hair in a ducktail and still storing a pack of Luckies in his white tee shirt (even though he quit smoking 40 years ago). You were cool once, time to move on. How about a tie-dyed tee shirt and granny glasses?

      • Brochettaward

        Just like Firsting, Lucky Stripes will never go out of style. And this is the exact sort of villainy I need to combat here and throughout the world.

      • Brochettaward

        *Strikes.

      • MikeS

        Lucky Strikes will never go out of style

        Friendly word of warning…you know…one Firster to another; don’t go Firsting in New Zealand.

      • Sean

        I think a site that allows SF’s “fiction” and a “pedophile” persona can allow room for other characters.

      • MikeS

        ↖ Points at Sean’s avatar

      • The Bearded Hobbit

        Just trying to be Ann Landers, here.

      • Brochettaward

        If UCS is roasting you for your outdated references, you may not be the guy to diss on Firsting being out of style old man.

      • UnCivilServant

        Doesn’t mean he’s wrong.

        In fact, it supports the claim, since it’s in the same frame of reference.

      • Brochettaward

        That doesn’t even begin to make sense. So you are saying that the more out of style someone is, the more aware they are of what is in style and to make a determination on it?

        Go second in the corner.

      • UnCivilServant

        No, sad man, we recognize you references, so you must be at least as out of style as we are, but more likely more so.

        Update your material, it’s so stale it’s fossilized.

      • MikeS

        If providing fresh material was a requirement here, the majority of us wouldn’t be allowed in.

      • Brochettaward

        You sound like the old man telling the kids to turn down their crazy rock and roll music because it’s too darn loud, UCS.

        There have been Firsters since the dawn of the time. It is timeless.

      • rhywun

        Like the video.

    • Brochettaward

      Well, it was developed by the Israelis so undoubtedly the US government is using it. I’m fairly certain the US has been directly linked to the Pegasus program, though I’m too lazy to look that up at the moment. I’ve heard of it before.

      I don’t think there should be any controversy in saying that everything anyone does online is monitored. All of your devices are monitored in some form or fashion. They may not have complete access to your phone, but they have enough data to pretty do what they want.

      • Brochettaward

        U.S. government documents disclosed by The New York Times in November 2022 show that the FBI not only acquired spyware services from NSO, possibly for counterintelligence purposes, but also contemplated deploying them, including on U.S. targets. (An FBI spokesperson told the Times that “there has been no operational use of the NSO product to support any FBI investigation.”)

        If this is true, it’s only because they are using their own tools they developed and have kept secret.

      • Brochettaward

        The US may also just prefer it’s broad net approach to sweeping up pretty much all data. No one else has the resources the US government does to collect all that shit. They don’t need some piece of malware most of the time because they are getting everything. And no offense to Pat, but I don’t think his advice is really effective at preventing that.

      • MikeS

        most of the time because they are getting everything

        That’s my assumption. The only hope AT THIS TIME is that it’s data overload and they can’t possibly sift through it all.

        Yet.

    • rhywun

      Girls just wanna lecture you from the Leader of the Free World™️’s podium. 🙄

      How disappointing.

    • rhywun

      I remember her bad-ass live performance of “True Colors” on Howard Stern.

      Now they are both political tools.

      • Festus

        I want my 1983 back, Golldarnnit!

      • UnCivilServant

        I’d be too young for that to be a good year for me.

      • Festus

        Wait staff at the Country club. College-aged kids getting up to shennanigans was very fun. That movie “Waiting” was pretty accurate.

      • Festus

        Of course there was “Ladies Night” on Tuesday. Many pinches and pokes. They didn’t tip well either. Some of them were actually in my parents’ sociial circles which made it even more awkward. “Good Evening, Mrs. Cooper” and then she full-on grabs your ass with a two handed G.I. Joe kung-fu grip while you are filling the water glasses. Come on, I dated your daughter’s best friend…

      • rhywun

        “You’re looking very nice today, Mrs. Cleaver.”

      • Lackadaisical

        That’s effed up.

      • rhywun

        Hell… I want my 2003 or so back, when that awesomeness happened.

      • Zwak, who has his own double cross to bear.

        ’93 and ’03, both good years, both right before my marriages.

        Hmm… Might have to rethink that.

      • Chafed

        It’s clear you should never get married in a year ending in 3.

      • Chafed

        Thinking about Howard Stern makes me sad. I was such a fan. He was the last guy I expected to sell out.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        Even when he was good he had a bit of an air of desperation of wanting to fit in and be respected by his peers, meaning the celebrity types. Well he has that now, he just had to sell his soul to get it if he ever had a soul in the first place.

    • Chafed

      That was pretty innocuous.

  4. Sean

    Morning Glibs.

    Yay. Messy early morning forecast for tomorrow.

    😒

    • UnCivilServant

      Well, you see, once the boat is under the water, all the fancy communications and location electronics can’t get a signal and it’s just two guys from joisy against an angry, empty ocean of saltwater.

      The sea is still unforgiving as ever.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      The 30-foot Catalina sailboat left from a marina just outside Cape May, New Jersey, on Nov. 26 and was headed to Marathon, Florida.

      The boaters were last heard from on December 3 after they departed Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, on their way to Jupiter, Florida.

      Kevin Hyde, 64, Joe DiTommasso, 76, and DiTommasso’s dog were found Tuesday afternoon in the ocean more than 200 miles east of Delaware

      Coast Guard officials said the boat was without fuel and power, making their radios and navigation equipment, including GPS, inoperable.

      I used to sail and I’ve done the open ocean. It sounds to me like they were woefully unprepared. In this day and age you should have a solar panel and hand crank generator on an open ocean boat. Besides which, you’re really pushing your luck in a thirty foot boat offshore.

      There are a lot of people with boats who have no idea what they’re doing.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        They at least should have been able to determine which direction was west and headed that way to get closer to shore. Instead it sounds like they just let the Gulf Stream carry them. That’s what you do when you’re in a raft, not a sailboat.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Picked up by a tanker a couple of hundred miles north of where they were last seen when they were supposed to be headed south.

      • slumbrew

        were found Tuesday afternoon in the ocean

        That’s some terrible writing, implying they were in the water.

        They were adrift on the sailboat.

      • Sean

        There are a lot of people with boats who have no idea what they’re doing.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      “more than half the people injured or killed in traffic crashes had one or more drugs, or alcohol, in their bloodstreams.”

      With the exception of short lived drugs which includes alcohol, presence in the bloodstream doesn’t necessarily mean much. Did the corpse in question smoke a couple joints an hour ago or yesterday? A lot of those tests have trouble distinguishing that.

      • UnCivilServant

        That sounds like it’s including passemgers. Get t-boned by a truck whose brakes failed but your dead passenger had something in his system? that’s on the list now.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        Missed that part. Yeah, when they start messing with the numbers with little tricks like that the conclusions can pretty much be thrown in the trash.

      • Rat on a train

        with COVID drugs

    • Fourscore

      Clearly, a ban on high capacity magazines would eliminate these unnecessary deaths. That’s the approach MN is taking.

    • Sensei

      The poor cook, he caught the fits
      And threw away all my grits
      And then he took and he ate up all of my corn
      Let me go home
      Why don’t they let me go home?
      This is the worst trip I’ve ever been on

    • Rat on a train

      See Mexico. This is what happens when you run out of corn.

  5. Stinky Wizzleteats

    “Ectolife: The World’s First Artificial Womb Facility”
    https://youtu.be/O2RIvJ1U7RE

    I can see some positive applications for this but, holy hell, what a creepy vid. Also, Brave New World…

    • Not Adahn

      That’s going to put an end to the Violinist analogy.

      I’m assuming that when a woman wants to terminate her pregnancy, the fetus will be placed into one of these and the cost of the procedure will be paid for by the man the mother designates as the father (at least in CA).

  6. Gender Traitor

    Good morning, Stinky, Sean, and U!

    Didn’t get my entire evaluation yesterday, but my boss told me my final score, which determines what percentage of a raise I qualify for – less the “advance” on our annual raises that we were given midyear to help us keep up with inflation. The other (even slightly better) news is that the remaining percentage will be applied to the midyear increased pay rate, NOT the previous pay rate, so the total annual increase will be ever so slightly higher than it would have been otherwise. 😉

    Of course, it still probably doesn’t keep up with inflation. 😒

    • UnCivilServant

      Unless you’ve suddenly developed a performance issue or are going to be given new goals for the coming year, how long could the complete evaluation take to deliver?

      • Gender Traitor

        Not long – my boss just hadn’t yet filled out the obligatory verbal explanations for the scores, so he wasn’t ready to print it out for me to sign. He’s very happy with his handful of direct reports, but he hates doing evaluations.

        In our little group at least, we don’t really have goals other than “keep doing what you’re doing and keep up with what needs to be done.”

      • UnCivilServant

        I figured something like that happened. I am two and a half years behind on preparing the performance plans for my direct reports.

        Thankfully it has zero impact on their paycheck unless it is both filed and Unsatisfactory. If not file or if satisfactory, everything proceeds as per normal.

      • Gender Traitor

        And yet, even without a current performance plan, I bet your folks have a pretty good idea what they should be doing most days.

    • DEG

      You had asked about my job search. Good stuff is happening. I’ll say more when I sign paperwork.

      • Gender Traitor

        That’s wonderful! Can’t wait to hear more about it! 😃

      • R.J.

        Excellent news.

    • Lackadaisical

      Sounds familiar, at least your work was smart enough to give two sets of raises. I just started at my job otherwise I would have felt really put out.

      • UnCivilServant

        We’re in between contracts, I don’t get a raise.

      • Not Adahn

        I have a FWB who is applying for a job with NYS. It’s a $20k pay cut, but the retirement package makes up for it.

      • UnCivilServant

        Unless said FWB has previous State Service, they’ll end of Tier 6, which is… not great.

      • Not Adahn

        She does, and she’s close to retirement age, so the pay cut doesn’t affect too many years of her working life.

        She has been hinting that she might need to find cheaper accomodations. I’m not going to offer to let her move in with me.

      • UnCivilServant

        In that case, she only needs to stay at the new job for 5 years to maximize the final average salary. Normally it’s the last three years, but any substantial jump just before those three years extends the calculation to factor in the two previous, even if they were from decades before due to leaving and returning.

  7. Lackadaisical

    #Worldle #327 1/6 (100%)
    🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
    ⭐⭐⭐🏙️🪙

    Got everything with no misses. Although it was an easy one, that’s a lot of guesses.

  8. DEG

    Mornin’ all. A little late start to the day. Off to the gym.

  9. Not Adahn

    For this installment of learning Japanese through anime titles we actually have the rare Japanese anime where they kept the original title for the English adaptations. What I find interesting is the title is never explained for the English audience.

    Baka Sensei Shinji!

    • Sensei

      Thanks for the one on topic post!

      That one I never watched.

      • Not Adahn

        Buh?

        Again, I must say: Buh?

      • Not Adahn

        I imagine if you’ve watched a lot of anime, going back and watching NGE might be like those people who watched the Lord of the Rings movies and couldn’t understand why the books were so popular since they were derivative of D&D and Warcraft.

      • Sensei

        One of the posts I was going to do was “Goblin Slayer”.

        The title is simply katakana English in Japanese. It’s straight up out of the D&D universe. The very first episode is a graphic sexual assault and the usual woke freaked out.

        I almost didn’t watch it because I wasn’t sure what direction is was going, but the assault and the violence were absolutely part of the story and what makes it interesting. It’s “real” in the sense that characters actually get violently injured and and killed. No happy go lucky fantasy adventure.

      • Sensei

        I kid, I kid…

  10. Fourscore

    I hated evaluations, both in the army, where average good people were 98/99. A 97 was time to thing of a new career. IRL I gave a manager a “Cannot hit an inside curve” and no one ever questioned it. HR/Personnel was concerned about timeliness and tidy.

    I had a few that left voluntarily because they didn’t like “the working conditions”.

    • Rat on a train

      I worked in a joint office with Air Force. Your rater could be Army, Air Force or DOD civilian depending on your position. The Air Force guys pleaded that anything but a top rating was a career killer. A mid value for the Army was fine.

      • Fourscore

        My rater in a joint office was an old Navy mustang , he understood the army system, the reviewer was an army LTC. Worked out well

  11. Scruffy Nerfherder

    Dammit, I hate Windows

    *grumble grumble*

    • Not Adahn

      They can be a bitch to clean.

      • Rat on a train

        wipe it with a cloth