The following contains spoilers for Episode 14 of Urusei Yatsura, “That Mizunokoji Boy/Love Letter Trouble,” now streaming onHiDive.
The newest episode of Urusei Yatsura introduces another classic character back into the new series; Tobimaro Mizunokoji, the childhood rival of Shutaro Mendo. Tobimaro, also known as Ton by Mendo, isn’t as popular as some of the other classic characters that have already appeared so far, but he’s a fun character that often ends up being the butt of many jokes.
Aside from Tobimaro, the episode also focuses on the odd relationship between Mendo and his sister Ryoko. Ryokowas introduced in an earlier episodeas an impish prankster, and that reputation is only solidified by her actions this episode. Ryoko has always been a source of hilarity in the original series, and it’s great to see that continue in the reboot.
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“That Mizunokoji Boy”
During a sports tournament being held at Tomobiki High, Ataru and Mendo face off in a baseball match. Unbeknownst to the others, Ataru is planning on throwing the match in order to win a bet. He lobs the ball to Mendo slowly, but Mendo hits a foul ball that strikes a young man hiding in the trees. When they go to check on him, Mendo recognizes him as Tobimaro Mizunokoji,his childhood friend and rival. In the past, they competed frequently, and after a relatively bad loss, Tobimaro fled to the mountains to train rigorously for revenge.
Now returned after some grueling training, Tobimaro demands another rematch, but Mendo refuses since the sports tournament is still going on. However, Ryoko arrives and asks Ataru to put Tobimaro on his team. When Ataru and Mendo ask why Ryoko wants to help out Tobimaro, she explains it is because Tobimaro is her first love. Mendo then decides to accept Tobimaro’s challenge on the condition that Ryoko gives up on Tobimaro if he loses. Ataru is still reluctant since he still wants to throw the match, but when he sees how terrible Tobimaro is at baseball, he quickly agrees.
Mendo is now pitching, and Ataru puts Tobimaro up as batter. Tobimaro ends up striking out, just as Ataru wishes. However, Ryoko’s kuroko quickly start to interfere in the match and allow Tobimaro to hit the ball. A furious Ataru runs after the kuroko with the ball, desperate to stop Tobimaro from getting a home run. Ataru manages to get the ball and rushes to touch Tobimaro with it, but right before they reach home plate, they fall into a trap hole. Ryoko reveals that this whole time she was hoping to get them to fall for the trap, and the match ends unresolved.
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“Love Letter Trouble”
A missing Mendo prompts Ryoko to walk their family’s pet octopuses in his place. As she approaches a nearby bridge, Tobimaro is waiting below to hand a letter to who he believes is Mendo. Ryoko receives the letter instead, and due to the ambiguous nature of the message,believes it to be a love letter inviting her on a date. Mendo soon appears, revealing that he was missing due to another of Ryoko’s insane pranks, and sees the letter as well. Also believing the letter to be romantic in nature, he tells Ryoko that she is forbidden from leaving the estate, but she easily subdues him.
At Ataru’s house, Ataru receives a message from Ryoko asking for help, and he quickly accepts. Ryoko immediately appears and takes him away in a palanquin, and she begs him to save her from Mendo, who she claims is hunting her for no good reason. Ataru falls for her lies hook, line, and sinker, while Lum finds the letter that Ryoko received from Tobimaro.
Ryoko eventually arrives at the place where Tobimaro called Mendo out to, along with Ataru and Lum. Ryoko reveals to Ataru that she only asked for his help to keep Mendo from interfering, but Ataru persists nevertheless. He is only stopped when Mendo appears disguised as one of Ryoko’s kuroko. Tobimaro immediately demands a fight, but the misunderstanding with the letter causes Mendo to believe Tobimaro is doing all of this to date Ryoko. He tells Tobimaro that he can’t date Ryoko until he beats him, which causes Ataru to interfere in the fight so he can get the right to date Ryoko. The confusion is compounded when the letter is brought up, and while Tobimaro insists it is a letter of challenge, the others can only read it as a love letter. Mendo immediately starts fighting Tobimaro, with Ryoko frequently interfering in the fight. Despite all of her actions being meant to assist Tobimaro, he ends up being beat up by her instead. Regardless, Ryoko’s lovers play ends up convincing Mendo that Tobimaro and Ryoko’s love is true, and he decides to acknowledge their relationship despite Tobimaro insisting that he does not love Ryoko.
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Mendo Family Insanity
While this episode is mostly here to introduce Tobimaro to the cast, it does focus more on establishing the more peculiar aspects of the Mendo family, particularly the relationship between Mendo and his sister Ryoko. While Ryoko’s introductory episode already established that Mendo is frequently the subject of Ryoko’s pranks, this episode makes it clear just how often Mendo is the subject ofRyoko’s often dangerous and extreme pranks.
Despite that, the episode’s two stories do a good job of establishing Tobimaro’s character as a passionate, yet bumbling character who is frequently the subject of bad luck and suffering on par with Ataru. Tobimaro’s interactions with Mendo and Ryoko are outlandishly hilarious, and he’s sure to appear whenever they’re around.
