Hello, darlings! Welcome back to #LumSquad, a podcast hosted by @LumRanmaYasha and @ProdTally devoted to the wonderful and wacky world of Rumiko Takahashi’s Urusei Yatsura!

Rising up like a tidal wave and roaring like a dragon, Ryuunosuke Fujinami has finally arrived!

At long last, english manga fans finally get to meet the last and arguably most important member of Urusei Yatsura‘s main cast – a manly girl who yearns to be feminine whose character and stories bear no small resemblance to Rumiko Takahashi’s later work, Ranma 1/2!

We discuss Ryuunosuke’s significance as an early gender non-conforming female character in Rumiko Takahashi’s work, as well as the trans-feminine and queer subtext in her characterization and storylines. We debate both the positive and negatives of Ryuunosuke as queer representation and how she fares against queer rep and subtext in Takahashi’s later works. We also dig into what makes her a compelling character and why Takahashi seemed particularly fond of her, to the point she overtakes an entire volume of the series immediately upon her introduction and becomes the third most storied character in the series from there on out! Her stories give us a lot of feels, so listen to us gush about what makes her such a special character!

But this volume doesn’t just feature Ryuunosuke! We’ve also got the introduction of Ten’s zealous firefighting mom, return appearances by Kurama and Benten, Onsen-Mark’s last-ditch attempt at revenge, and so much more! So listen to us ride the rocky waves of this eclectic volume and sink in all this classic Urusei Yatsura weirdness!

Download Here! 

PODCAST BREAKDOWN:

00:22 – Updates & News!

05:26 – In Memoriam: Akira Ito

08:16 – Volume 8 Intro & Ryunosuke Hype! 

09:57 – Urusei Yatsura Movies streaming on Crunchyroll, coming to blu-ray 

13:35 – Volume 8 Overview 

15:49 – Family Feud
20:38 – Hello, Sailor Suit!
24:37 – Bloomer Bloopers
28:25 – Ran, Scent of a Woman, Part 1
33:19 – Ran, Scent of a Woman, Part 2
38:35 – The Arduous Path to Womanhood
46:52 – Proof of a Womanhood
50:40 – Art is a Sport!
54:05 – The Female Groom
57:48 – Ataru Becomes a Woman
1:02:32 – Sex-Change Shenanigans

1:06:00 – Urusei Yatsura Data File 15

1:09:00 – Late Autumn… and Matsutake
1:14:00 – Haunted Bottle
1:17:40 – My Mom the Firefighter, Part 1
1:20:46 – My Mom the Firefighter, Part 2
1:25:30 – Love – Darling in Danger
1:28:52 – The Wild Christmas Tree Party
1:32:00 – Slumbering Family Heirloom
1:34:15 – Ryunosuke’s Quality Family Time
1:37:35 – Lum’s Wrath
1:41:15 – So Long, Hot Springs Emblem
1:46:25 – It’s Our Setsubun Festival Feud! 

1:53:15 – Urusei Yatsura Data File 16

1:59:58 – Wrap-Up 

Music Featured:

“Lum’s Love Song [instrumental]” by Izumi Kobayashi
“Lum’s Love Song [Instrumental 2]” by Izumi Kobayashi
“Lum’s Love Song” by Yuko Matsutani, lyrics by Akita Ito
“Uchuu wa Tai Hen Da! DA DA Mix” from Shudai-ka Best 10 Remix ~ Dance Tracks

Enjoy the show, and follow us on twitter at @Lum_Squad, on tumblr at lumsquad.tumblr.com, and subscribe to us on Youtube! You can follow the hosts on twitter at @LumRanmaYasha and @ProdTally. Don’t forget to also like and subscribe to us on Youtube and iTunes and leave us reviews to help us curate the show and create better content! If there are any topics you would like to see us talk about on the show, drop us a line in the comments below, or e-mail us at lumsquadpod@gmail.com! Thanks for listening!

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About The Author Siddharth Gupta

Siddharth Gupta is an illustrator, animator, and writer based in Minnesota. They graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Animation from the School of Visual Arts, and have worked on projects for the University of Minnesota and the Shreya R. Dixit Foundation. An avid animation and comics fan since childhood, they've turned their passion towards being both a creator and a critic. They credit their love for both mediums to Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball, which has also defined their artistic and comedic sensibilities. A frequent visitor to their local comic book shop, they are an avid reader and collector, particularly fond of manga. Their favorite comics include The Adventures of Tintin by Herge, Bloom County by Berkeley Breathed, and pretty much anything and everything by Rumiko Takahashi.

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