Shirai Kousuke (白井 コースケ, Shirai Kousuke?) is Moroboshi Ataru's classmate and best friend, excluded from the Anime in favor of Lum's Stormtroopers. He was voiced in 2010 OVA by Yamaguchi Kappei.
About
Kousuke is Ataru and Hokuto's best friend and the three of them are often seen causing trouble together. He has a girlfriend (who was willing to pose as Kumino Otoko for him), and has received Valentine's Day chocolate from other girls, meaning he is somehow popular with girls. Like Mendou Shuutarou and the other male students, he is also in love with Lum and will try to prevent her from kissing Ataru, trying to protect her purity. In the later half of the series, he and Hokuto begin to become victims of the daily shenanigans. In the anime he only ever appears as a background character, and his roles are always given to either Megane or Perm.
He and Hokuto appear in the first chapter of the manga, but are replaced by Lum's Stormtroopers in Chapter 3. Kousuke reappears shortly after Mendou debuts and quickly claims the position of main supporting character. In the anime, a lot of his major roles are taken by Megane, such as the Kumino Otoko plot and receiving a love letter from Lum in "Capture the Heart". In the final scene of Urusei Yatsura: Final Chapter, Perm watches on in Kousuke's place when Lum and Ataru embrace.
In "Farewell, Onsen-Mark", Onsen-Mark lists Ataru & Kousuke as the two most dangerous students in the troublesome Class 2-4.
His handwriting is messy and he has poor writing skills, which Mendou frequently insults him for. However, his writing skills are good enough to trick Ataru in the Kumino Otoko story.
Name Meaning
Kousuke's name comes from Shirai Kousuke (白井 康介, Shirai Kousuke?), and editor at Shogakukan at the time Urusei Yatsura was being serialized.
Trivia
- The first time Kousuke appears in episode of Urusei Yatsura is Goat and Cheese, but many fans believed his first appearance was in The Obstacle Course Swim Meet, which is not true
- The Obstacle Course Swim Meet was not the first time he had a speaking role. It was Goat and Cheese.
- His first movie appearance was in Urusei Yatsura 3: Remember My Love as very small cameo in the opening credits of the movie
- He makes a few cameos in The Final Chapter, but he does not speak and all his lines are given to Lum's Stormtroopers