This page is the mad creation of Mene
Urusei Utsura (Those Anoying Aliens) was Rumiko Takahashi's first series. Anyone who is familar with her later works may be surprised at how radically different the drawings are to her later works. But that is not the only surprising thing one can see looking at 'Lum". It can also be noted that the models for most of her later characters can be found in this series.
To begin with there is Ataru. When Masion Ikkoku begins Yousaku is almost exactly like the hormone crazed Ataru. Ataru's obession with females can even be traced all the way to Haposai of Ranma 1/2. Then there is Shinobu, the jelous girl friend and tomboy. Shades of her can be seen in Akane, Kyoko, and even in a very refined in Kagome of Inu-Yasha. To explain that further it is a bit by diffusion. Shinobu is the precursor to Kyoko, who is the precursor to Akane, and some of those Akane traces are past on to Kagome, attaching her to Shinobu. Lum is not as easy to throw into this chain of evolving characters. She has the jelousy factor, that can be seen in later Takahashi heroines, but also this tremenous devotion and overt love for Ataru that doesn't usually show up in the denial ridden heroines of her other works. The closest one can compare her to is the powerful Shampoo. Hey they're even both foriegn. Mendo's sleeze and charm rub off on Mitaka and later in a literally dumber version in Kuno and love struck boy in Inu-Yasha. So where do Rei and Sakura fit into all of this? They are arch-types unto themselves. As Ataru is the obligatory pervert and Cherry the obnoxious old guy, Sakura is the ultimate beauty standard. The woman every guy drools over and that she turns down. The woman who has more than just looks on her side and isn't quite what she seems. Rei is the token bishonen. Dumb as a brick, but he's sooo beautiful! All the main characters fit into neat little catogories.
In short 'Lum' has it all;The Bish, the Hentai, the jelous girl friend, the rich rival, etc, ect. It is interesting to note that in the sequal The Return of Lum Rumiko Takahashi plays up on these facts. Sakura is ultra beautiful, the most voluptous, the only one with shine in her hair and a curl to it. Shinobu is ultra tom boy even down to her figure. The humour is more sophisticate, though at the same time a little base. Well I hope you have enjoyed Mene's theorizing about 'Lum'!