The Connections Project

Ataru Moroboshi

Lum and Ataru are "married", much to Ataru's chagrin. In actuality, Ataru only agreed to the marriage, and to letting Lum live with him, under great duress. Lum lives in Ataru's closet. Lum actively displays her affection for Ataru, but Ataru seems to scorn her-- although, there are hints here and there that he really does return her affection.

These two main characters met each other when Lum's father was planning to invade Earth. Mr. Invader agreed not to invade the Earth if Ataru could beat Lum in a seven-day game of tag. Ataru managed to pull it off on the final day (much to the relief of mankind). Due to ambiguities in the Japanese language, Lum mistook his victory cries as a marriage proposal, and that's how the whole show started.

Ataru unswervingly lusts after Shinobu. Her feelings for him vary throughout the show. In the early episodes, the affection is mutual. Later, she grows colder and colder to Ataru as she falls for Mendou.

We don't know how Ataru and Shinobu met each other, but they seem to be friends from early childhood. In the first episode of the show, they are boyfriend-girlfriend, and Shinobu even promises to marry Ataru if he can win the game of tag against the Invaders.

Ataru and Mendou are bitter enemies almost from their first meeting until the very end of the series. They fight over almost every female character. They are constantly locked in a kind of competition to prove who's the better man. Despite their mutual animosity, it's often hinted that the two are actually very similar personalities beneath their outer appearance.

Ataru and Mendou met each other when Mendou first parachuted into Tomobiki High School. Ataru narrowly beat Mendou in a fierce election for class president.

The two characters represent class war: Mendou was born into a megaconglomerate family with ludicrous fortunes while Ataru suffers a lower-middle-class lifestyle.

At the best of times, Ataru and Ten-chan tolerate each other; more often, they wage full-out warfare. While Ataru is a lot bigger and physically stronger, Ten can fly and breathe fire, making the two an even match. Each is constantly trying to torment the other. Ten lives in Ataru's closet with Lum. Despite Ten's young age, he and Ataru often vie against each other over various girls.

Ataru and Megane switch from friend to foe and back to friend again all the time. One episode they might work close together and be closest buddies, and the next episode they're violently opposed to each other. Very often, conflict arises because Megane lusts after Ataru's wife Lum.

Cherry seems to appear almost everywhere Ataru goes. He constantly prophesies doom and gloom in Ataru's near future, which Ataru inevitably ignores. Cherry has noble intentions but, like everyone else who suffers the monk, Ataru finds him irritating and annoying. It isn't unusual for Ataru to physically attack Cherry, usually in some comical way.