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Rating: Japan, late '70s. The Earth is threatened by an alien race suddenly appearing out of nowhere, the Oni. The only hope for the survival of the blue planet is to defeat the representative of the invading people, as the two best warriors from both sides will face off in a no-holds-barred duel. Too bad that the valiant Earthling chosen by the Oni’s great chief is a lazy student perpetually attracted to female figures, Ataru Moroboshi, and the Oni warrior is none other than the agile and beautiful daughter of the chief, Lum. Will Ataru succeed in saving his people? This is how Lum begins, the anime based on the first work of the "queen of manga" Rumiko Takahashi, destined to write other important pages in the art of comics ("Ranma 1/2" to name just one). "Those loud guys from the star Uru," as the Italian translation of the original title goes, is one of the most famous and beloved animated series of all time, with almost two hundred episodes and six films from 1981 to '86 that have made it a cult that still today can boast new fans and an enviable freshness in content and dialogue.
In the end, Ataru managed to grab Lum by her horns, a symbol of Yin, thus ending the duel and starting with the new companion (from now on she will call him only her "Darling!") an impressive series of adventures populated by the most bizarre characters; aliens or Earthlings, it doesn’t matter – the universe of this series is a continuous grafting of strange figures. Set in a small suburb of Tokyo, between Tomobiki High School (a true nest of idle people in a hormonal crisis) and Ataru's house (whose parents will disown him more than once during the story), this animated series focuses on the Japanese youth culture of the late '70s, capturing its most extroverted and life-open side. In their multi-colored delirium, the adventures of Lum, Ataru, and all their company mirror those of any group of young people from any culture. Love as the main theme, sexuality, and the generational clash during the adolescent crisis are tackled with an energetic and vital approach that leaves the viewer pleasantly impressed. Watching Lum is fun; you laugh a lot, and sometimes the adventures told are so incredibly original that in their being out of the ordinary, you wonder where the line is between the author's uncontainable imagination and the most provocative absurdity. From the first season, spicier and lighter, the episodes evolve into more complex, serious, and sometimes moving stories; other themes are addressed, such as racism, and the love between Lum and the "idiot" Ataru will grow amidst misunderstandings and obstacles of all sorts (see episode 62, with a subtly beautiful finale that leaves you breathless).
The character of Lum deserves the last lines. Designed based on the model Agnes Lum (hence the name), she sports a tiger-striped bikini (the striped attire is the official uniform of the Oni) for much of the series but also dresses in civilian clothes. She can fly, deliver powerful electric shocks, and above all, she's extremely jealous and often devises devious plans to prevent Ataru from cheating on her, but in the end, her naivety and pure spirit always make her come out on top.
In Italy, it was only broadcast by private networks, often censored, but it is fully available on DVD.
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