Swimsuit Rhapsody (水着ラプソディー, Mizugi Rapusodeī?) is the 288th chapter of the Urusei Yatsura manga. On the opening day of the Tomobiki High School's pool, Ryuunosuke is the only one left without a swimsuit. Her father won't let her have one and so, Ataru and Shuutarou decide that she must defeat him with a cunning tactic rather than the same old direct attacks. They advice her to exchange the thing that is the most important to him for a suit. When she asks him what he loves the most, he replies that it is her. Enraged, she takes Ataru and Shuutarou's tip to "use her head" and delivers a headbutt and knocks Mr. Fujinami out. She wins her swimsuit in the end, but unfortunately it is not what she thought it would be.
Plot Summary[]
Introduction[]
One summer morning while on her way to school, Lum hears students talk about swimsuits and it being a hot day. She remembers that it is the opening of the school's pool. In the school store, Ryuunosuke is battling it out with her father, to get herself a school girl swimsuit. Every year, he gives her the usual boy swimsuit, but this year she insists she needs a girl swimsuit. He says there aren't any such things and even begins to wonder if there's something called "girl swimsuit". Just then, Lum arrives at the store and asks for a swimsuit and the man readily gives her one, with no hesitation. Seeing all the swimsuits hidden inside his shirt, Ryuunosuke tries to pull them out but her father hits her and knocks her down.
Operation Get that Swimsuit[]
Lum takes Ryuunosuke to the clinic where Sakura tends to her injury. She comments that Ryuunosuke indeed has a cruel father and saying she had guessed this would happen, offers Ryuunosuke the girls' swimsuit she had hidden there for her. Ataru appears out of nowhere and tries to take it, but ends up getting a whack from Lum's giant hammer. Sakura tells Ryuunosuke she can keep it but Ryuunosuke is hesitant to take it. Her father interferes at that moment, remarking he's proud of what she has become due to his training. He advises her to take the things she wants by force and never accept anything offered to her. Hearing this, Sakura sends him flying. She then asks Ryuunosuke if she would be able to change that attitude of hers but Ryuunosuke asks her to leave her alone. She accepts the fact that as long as she cannot overcome her father's dominance over her, she can never act and live as a true woman and enjoy her womanhood. Sakura says that Ryuunosuke cannot defeat her father in her current state. Although she is on par with her father in terms of power, speed, and tactics, she lacks one important quality that he has – cunningness. Ryuunosuke is somewhat shocked to hear this, and so Ataru explains what cunningness means to her...
Ryuunosuke's father shows off the swimsuit
Back at the store, Mr. Funjinami is busy giving out things the students request. He is unaware that Ataru and Ryuunosuke are spying on him from behind and they have been planning a strategy. They decide to attack him from the back but Ryuunosuke is doubtful of that approach. Ataru assures her that there's nothing wrong with being unfair as long as it is a strategy and lends her a giant hammer. Ryuunosuke leaps high and raises the hammer to hit her father but he quickly dodges it, pops a blown paper cover at her (to create a distraction) and kicks her out. Ataru is upset and shouts at her for yelling before hitting him but Ryuunosuke lashes back at him saying that she is not very quick.
In the class, Ryuunosuke, Lum, Ataru, and Shinobu discuss the events and circumstances. Shinobu states that there's no way Ryuunosuke can become cunning and the person herself concurs, saying she hates 'imitating' others. Shuutarou, who had been listening to what the group were talking, steps up and inquires Ryuunosuke what is most important to her father. Just then, it hits for Shinobu that she could get that thing and exchange it for her swimsuit. Ataru praises Shuutarou for giving them a sense of direction and Shuutarou begins to boast that his mind does happen to be far more superior than Ataru's tiny one, and the two get into a brawl. Meanwhile, Ryuunosuke has made up her mind to go with what Shinobu and Shuutarou has said. She returns to her father and asks him what is the most important thing to him. Mr. Fujinami is confused why did she ask something all of a sudden but Ryuunosuke asks him to spit it out anyway. She thinks for a moment and replies that the most important thing to him is his daughter, Ryuunosuke!
Final tactic[]
Ryuunosuke's uses her headbutt
The two boys and Ryuunosuke scream at him for lying and Shuutarou decides to test him by threatening to wound (or kill) Ryuunosuke if he does not give them a school swimsuit. Ataru joins hand with Shuutarou and without any delay, the old man takes out a swimsuit and gives it to them. Ataru's a bit cynical, however, and asks him if it really is a girl swimsuit, prompting Mr. Funjinami to unpack and show it to them; the two parties decide to exchange the stuffs. Ataru and Shuutarou return Ryuunosuke to her father but he acts as if he's skeptical if she really is her daughter, compelling the boys to unbutton her shirt and reveal it is really his daughter. However, Ryuunosuke kicks both of them away and begins Mr. Fujinami sympathizing for the two boys and asks Ryuunosuke if she's so desperate to get a swimsuit that she used a makeshift. But, she just challenges him to a match outside the school. Mr. Fujinami asks her to calm down and offers her lunch – a bowl of rice – as she can't fight on empty stomach. Luckily, Ryuunosuke tests the rice by dumping it into a fishbowl. The two fishes inside are knocked out and this clears her suspicion that he had adulterated the food. She tosses his bowl of rice away and the fight between the two commences. The Principal who happens to pass by asks Lum (who had been standing outside watching the father and daughter all along) what is going on inside. As she begins to explain, they see Ryuunosuke sent flying through the store window. Ataru and Shuutarou pick her up and tell her to use her head (they presumably meant think well) as repeating the same attacks over and over again won't help.
Ryuunosuke's swimsuit?
Ryuunosuke takes their advice literally, lifts up the Principal and flashes his bald head at her father. This is enough to divert his attention and she charges in at her father, gives him a headbutt and knocks him out. Everyone's surprised that she managed to beat him, really using her 'head'. Ryuunosuke father admits his defeat and gives her the swimsuit but asks her to put it on out of his sight. In the end, however, it turns out to be just a boy's wrestling uniform leaving Ryuunosuke enraged. As the rest of the group watch Ryuunosuke chasing her father, Ataru, lost in his perverted thoughts, thinks of taking off her chest wrap and Lum declares that it's essential to learn to doubt people lest you should end up getting cheated.
Characters in order of appearance[]
- Lum
- Fujinami Ryuunosuke
- Ryuunosuke's Father
- Sakura
- Moroboshi Ataru
- Miyake Shinobu
- Mendou Shuutarou
- Tomobiki High School Principal
Quotes[]
- "School swimsuits for girls? Do those really exist?" – Ryuunosuke's Father
- "I cannot truly enjoy my womanhood if I cannot overcome his authority..." - Fujinami Ryuunosuke