|
Ataru Moroboshi is the main protagonist the 1978-1987 romantic comedy manga series Urusei Yatsura, as well as its 1981-1986 and 2022 anime television series adaptations of the same name. He is the most lecherous teenager in the universe. At times he shows extreme intelligence while running away from Lum and he possesses the endurance abilities of a cockroach and regenerative abilities of a lizard.
In the Japanese version of anime, he is voiced by Toshio Furukawa in the original series and by Hiroshi Kamiya in the 2022 reboot. In the English version of anime, he was voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas for Episodes 1-2 of AnimEigo, Steve Rassin for Movies 1, 3-6, late Cole Rassin as child for Movie 1, and Vinnie Penna for Movie 2 (who also voiced Shūtarō Mendō), Nathan Wilson in the 2022 reboot in English.
Appearance
He has brown colors for eyes and hair.
Personality
Ataru is known for being the most lecherous being in the universe with a funny personality, and has no interest in studies. Whenever he sees or hears a pretty girl, he immediately pounces upon them and asks for their address and telephone number. Everyone living in Tomobiki calls him as a pervert.
No matter how much Ataru gets beatings by women, he keeps on coming again and again which shows he sub-consciously enjoys getting abused by women. Because almost nobody has any real respect and love for him, Ataru comes off as being very carefree and rebellious without a care for the world and often likes to do things his own way.
At first glance, Ataru may come off as somewhat of an idiot but he has shown from time to time to be an expert in escaping from others, often using intelligent and clever ideas. In spite of his selfish behavior and questionable ethics, however, he is deep down a gold hearted person with a sense of nobility. It's for this reason that Lum is in love with because she is the only one that sees the good in him and though he constantly tries to ignore her, he has shown throughout that he does indeed care about her and that she is the one girl he actually loves most.
History
Ataru first meet Lum when he was randomly selected by a computer to face her in a game of tag with the fate of the earth on the line. Ataru had been promised marriage by Shinobu if he could win, so upon catching Lum he declared "Now I can get married!" Lum mistook this as a proposal to herself and accepted it.
Relationships
- Lum Invader - Ataru met Lum when he was randomly selected by a computer to represent mankind in a game of tag with the fate of the Earth on the line (Lum herself represented the Oni race). When it looked like Ataru would fail, Shinobu (his girlfriend at the time) promised to marry him if he won. Determined to do "the stuff that married people do", he succeeded in catching Lum and then loudly declared "Now I can get married!!" However, Lum mistook this as a proposal to herself and the two were immediately engaged. In the beginning he is cold-hearted towards her and saw her as a nuisance preventing him from girl hunting, but by the time of the story "A Night Alone!!" (夜を二人で!! ,, Yoru wo Futari de!!?) (Vol. 18) he was completely okay with sharing a bed with her. He is also shown to be quite jealous if another guy gets to close to Lum (ex: Rei, Shuutaro, Shingo, the Dolphin, etc). In the story "The Gloves of Love and War" (愛と闘魂のグローブ,, Ai to Tokon no Gurōbu?) (Vol. 21), in which he accidentally puts on boxing gloves that force him to grab and punch anyone who gets close enough to him, he continuously puts his own face in front of Lum's each time she gets too close, punching himself instead. This is just one of many instances when Ataru does everything he can to protect Lum from physical harm. Near the end of the series, in the story introducing Inaba, he decides to protect the future where he and Lum get married. In the final story they have another game of tag, this time with the Earth's memory of Lum and everything that has happened since her arrival on the line. Lum will let him win if he just says "I love you", but he refuses and tries to catch her himself. However, in the end, he indirectly says "I'll love you forever" when Lum sees that he had kept something of hers (her old horns). She allows him to catch her and continues to live on Earth with him. In the last panel of the series, Lum says that one day she'll make him actually say it, to which Ataru responds "Only on my deathbed".
Trivia
- His first Japanese voice actor, Toshio Furukawa, also voiced Ataru's father from the 2022 reboot and Piccolo Jr. in Dragon Ball Z.
- His second Japanese voice actor, Hiroshi Kamiya, also voiced Levi Ackerman in Attack on Titan, Kusuo Saiki in The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., Trafalgar D. Water Law in One Piece, Yato in Noragami, Shizuo Heiwajima in Durarara!!, Koji Minamoto, Lobomon, Beowolfmon, MagnaGarurumon, and KendoGarurumon in Digimon Frontier, Mephisto Pheles in Blue Exorcist, Koyomi Araragi in Nisemonogatari, Tieria Erde in Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Takashi Natsume in Natsume's Book of Friends, Quon Miduchi in Towa no Quon, Nagamasa Azai in Samurai Warriors 2, Naoya in Megami Ibunroku Devil Survivor, Choromatsu Matsuno in Osomatsu-kun, Jean-Bot in Ultraman series, Kau in Bucky: The Incredible Kid or Bucky: Searching for World 0, Jean in Queen's Blade, Ranpo Edogawa in Bungo Stray Dogs, and Gamma 1 in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
- His first voice actor, Michael Sinterniklaass, also voiced Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 series), Mahad in Yu-Gi-Oh!, Christopher Thorndyke (Older) in Sonic X, Mikey in Kappa Mikey, Ikkaku Madarame in Bleach, Utakata in Naruto Shippuden, Kenji Koiso in Summer Wars, Moritaka Mashiro in Bakuman, Funshine Bear & Bedtime Bear in Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot, Cozy Heart Penguin in Care Bears and Cousins, and Pipimi in Pop Team Epic.
- His English voice actor (Movie 2 only), Vinnie Penna, also voiced Joey Wheeler in Yu-Gi-Oh! and Michelangelo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 series).
- Originally Shinobu's boyfriend, he was coupled to Lum due to her extreme popularity during the early days of Urusei Yatsura, which caused a whole re-scripting of the series.
- Ataru's role was to be Shinobu's boyfriend, in a plot where he would be courted by various alien girls throughout the manga, and Lum would just be one of many who would try to steal Ataru's love from Shinobu. Lum's popularity turned out to be so high that the editors suggested to Rumiko Takahashi (UY's author) to change the plot, where Ataru and Lum were effectively progressing as a couple, as Lum was "better in every way" than Shinobu as love interest. You could say that the original plot ended the moment Lum debuted, and she actually stole Ataru's love from Shinobu.
- That being said, Urusei Yatsura's main character according to Rumiko Takahashi, is Ataru. Not anyone else, not even Lum.
External Links
 Heroes
| ||
|
Ataru Moroboshi |
Lum Invader |
Shinobu Miyake |
Ten |
Shūtarō Mendō |
Sakura |
Benten |
Oyuki |
Ran |
Cherry |
Ryūnosuke Fujinami |
Kotatsu-neko | ||