Short one today as I’m suffering from a bad back.
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Another introductory episode. This time for Princess Kurama.
Princess Kurama is the leader of the Karastengu, an alien race who resemble the Karasu-Tengu crow demons of legend. As their race produce no humanoid males, they are on the hunt for a suitably handsome humanoid for their Princess to mate with.
Unfortunately the Tengu given this task goes on a bender, and brings back Ataru. Ataru is first distressed, thinking she will be a grotesque long nosed ogre, but when he sees the sleeping princess, he is more than willing to awaken her with a kiss.
Kurama tries to make Ataru suitable, but to no avail. Eventually she is forced to use an “anima beam” to raise Ataru’s feminine side. Unfortunately Lum blasts her, causing the beam to completely feminise Ataru.
And it turns out Ataru’s female side is just as girl crazy as his male side…
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The second story is another attempt by Kurama to rehabilitate Ataru, this time sending him into a psychedelic dream world designed to traumatise him into fearing women.
This is arguably the first foray into full blown psychedelia for the show, and it’s something the show will return to frequently. It peaks with episode 81, which I will have a lot to write about. Here it feels like them testing the waters, developing the dream-like quality a lot of future episodes will have.
Anyway, it appears to work, but Lum’s cleavage soon snaps Ataru out of it. However this isn’t the last we will see of Kurama and her search for a suitable mate.
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Kurama is voiced by Rihoko Yoshida. Other notable roles include Michiru in Getter Robo, Miwa in Jeeg, Meg in Majokko Megu-chan, Tickle in Majokko Tickle and Klara in Heidi (making 3/4 of the main Heidi cast appearing in UY).
Both stories were written by Akira Nakahara. The first had Keiji Hayakawa storyboarding and directing, with Asami Endo on animation direction.
The second story had Tameo Kohanawa (Thundercats, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn) making their first appearance as storyboarder and director. Yuji Yatabe was on animation direction.