Ura Urashima (裏浦島) was a member of Team Uraotogi, during the Dark Tournament. His name, his appearance and the magical box he carries around, are all loosely based of off the legend about Urashima Taro, a young and handsome fisherman who saves a beautiful princess, disguised as a small turtle, from violent harassment. His name in the English manga is Reverse Urashima.
The original legendary character named Urashima Taro was an average sized man, about twenty years of age, with long black hair and a Japanese fisherman kimono. He fished using a long pole with a net tied at one end. As such Ura Urashima is quite of a contradiction to the original.
By far the shortest member of Team Uraotogi, Ura Urashima possesses a slightly endomorphic body structure, consisting of a rather stocky torso and a soft, round facial countenance. His jet-black hair, similar to that of Yusuke, is slicked-back, leaving just a few small bangs hanging down the middle of his widow peak forehead, while the rest of his facial mien is characterized by a wide, u-shaped chin; a small, slightly-protruding nose; and an ever-present sinister smirk. His clothes, typical fisherman garments, include a long-sleeved, turquoise shirt; short, black tights, which extend halfway down his shins; straw bottoms held up by a thin, black belt; and a small pair of sandals, identical to those worn by fellow teammates Onji and Shishiwakamaru. He wields a modern day fishing line, rather then a fishing net, as his weapon of choice.
After his death at the hands of Shishiwakamaru, Ura Urashima's true appearance is shown. He is a short, porcine demon with red skin. After looking at his corpse, Kurama reveals that he is a type of demon called an Illusion Beast.
Personality
Like the majority of his teammates, Ura Urashima possesses no integrity as a fighter, using whatever dishonorable tactics available in order to win any match. A master at deceptive strategy, Ura has both the ability and lack of principles to exploit opponents' emotions in order to facilitate victory, exemplified during his match against Kurama. When given the upper hand in battle, Ura is uncharitable and merciless, willing to ruthlessly kill an opponent without hesitation. However, in the face of death, he shows his true, cowardly personality, shamefully pleading with his opponent for sympathy on his spineless soul.
Synopsis
Dark Tournament Saga
Following Team Uraotogi's back-to-back losses to Team Urameshi in the the semifinals, Ura Urashima, one of only three living members of Team Uraotogi, steps into the stadium ring, preparing to square-off against Kurama for the round's third fight. As the match begins, Ura and Kurama unveil their individual lashing weapons- fishing pole and rose whip, respectively- and independently exhibit their skillful prowess prior to engaging in combat. Subsequently, Ura makes the first move, quickly slashing his fishing line at Kurama, who blocks the attack with an immediate crack of his rose whip, thus commencing the combat.
Shortly into the fight, Ura begins sending Kurama telepathic messages. Realizing that this type of communication is forbidden in the Dark Tournament, Kurama reluctantly hears Ura out, and is asked to kill him. Continuing the telepathic conversation, Ura Urashima states that:
According to the FUNimation dub. of the series: he joined Team Uraotogi for the sole purpose of providing money for his sick grandmother, and throughout his experience with Team Uraotogi, he has committed
Ura is frightened by Kurama's transformation into Yoko Kurama
unspeakable acts of violence towards others.
According to the original Japanese dialogue from the manga and the anime: Team Uraotogi was in truth, comprised out of reincarnations of classical fairy tale protagonists, but due to their demonic rebirth, the team's members presented opposite characteristics to those of the original fictional heroes. They became selfish and diabolical individuals, killing in the name of the demons that the original fairy tales where originally against. Inevitably, Ura had begone to realize that their actions were unlawful, and begins to fear the consequences.
Wanting to end the blood shed, Ura insists that his only option is to die in battle, once again asking Kurama to kill him.
Feeling empathy for his opponent, Kurama agrees to Ura's proposal, though refusing to kill him. Instead, Kurama demands that they fake Ura's death by briefly knocking him out, giving Ura an opportunity to live and to continue: supporting his grandmother (English version); living his life without the fear of opening the box that was given to him by the princess, from the original story about Urashima Taro (Japanese version). Thanking Kurama for his kindness, Ura ends the telepathic conversation, as Kurama prepares to carry out his foe's proposal. After receiving the cue from Ura, Kurama begins to crack his rose whip, hoping to hit his opponent just hard enough to drive him unconscious. However, just before Kurama's rose whip makes contact with its target, Ura suddenly dodges the attack, shifting behind Kurama's back and slashing him with his fishing line. Slightly wounded and exceedingly shocked, Kurama loses grasp of his rose whip and falls to the ground, knowing that he has just been cheated. Meanwhile, Ura, gleefully mocking Kurama's fall for his lies, laughs maniacally at his gullible and seemingly hopeless foe.
As Kurama slowly gets up from the ring floor, Ura quickly sets up a force field around the ring and introduces his next weapon, the Idunn Box, which he describes as having the ability to send Kurama into an age before he was even an infant, leaving him helpless against Ura's attacks. Without further ado, Ura opens the box, shrouding the entire ring in bluish smoke, acting as a trigger for the box's effects. Suddenly, much to the surprise and perturbation of Ura, Kurama's demon energy disappears completely, and instead a vastly stronger, much more peculiar sort of energy arises. Unexpectedly, Kurama exposes his true identity, having been returned to his previous form as the smoke begins to clear, a silver-haired demon possessing a strange, rather fox-like appearance. Introducing himself as Yoko Kurama, the legendary bandit thought to have been killed over a decade and a half prior to the Dark Tournament.
Reluctant to believe his own eyes, Ura, displaying considerable cowardice, pleads with the strengthened Kurama to spare his life. However, Kurama, wanting to know the secret of the Idunn Box, summons a much stronger version of his death plant and threatens to kill Ura unless he reveals the secrets behind the box's functioning. Now in tears, Ura explains that he has no knowledge of how the item works, stating that himself along with Makintaro and Kuro Momotaro, were once a trio of low-class demons until they were approached some time ago by Shishiwakamaru and Onji. Looking for fighters to fill their team, Onji presented the threesome with a set of items
Ura is killed by Shishwakamaru
(including the Idunn Box), which, according to Shishi and Onji, would help them become high-class demons. Ura also states that "Ura Urashima" is just a pseudonym (though he never actually reveals his true identity).
Before Ura can continue his story, Shishiwakamaru pulls out his Trial Sword, casting it through the force field and into the ring, where it stabs Ura in the neck, instantly killing him and ending the match. Kurama, still in his Yoko form, refers to the fallen Ura as a pathetic "lower-class beast, always the easiest to pawn." Regardless, the Yoko is slightly impressed by how easily the sword punctured through a force field of such caliber before he is again reverted to the form of Shuichi Minamino.
Ironically it was Urashima's own technique that ended up saving Kurama's life during the tournament finals. After Genkai had been assassinated by the Younger Toguro brother, Suzuki offered his assistance to Team Urameshi. He gave Kurama a vial containing the rejuvenating juice and fruit from which the Idunn Box's smoke was created from. This juice allowed Kurama to transform back into Yoko during his match with Karasu.
Techniques/Attacks
Fishing Line
Fishing Line: Similar to Kurama's rose whip, though not as powerful, Ura uses a long, bamboo fishing line as his primary weapon, lashing at his opponents with considerable skill, despite his low class.[1]
Force Field
The line can also be used as a powerful force field to enclose his opponents inside the ring, as seen during his match against Kurama. Despite his claims that it was stronger than even Ruka's (who is believed to be the most skilled barrier caster) it was not indestructible, as Shishiwakamaru had easily broken through the barrier, using his katana, the Banshee Shriek. Possibly, the exception to the field are attacks going inwards.[2]
Idunn Box (闇アイテム･逆玉手箱, Yami Aitemu･Gyaku Tama Tebako, literally translated as Dark Item･Reverse Jewel Hand Box): An invention of Suzuki's, the Idunn Box is a brown, rectangular container that releases a bluish-purple smoke which, when inhaled by anyone other than the box's possessor, regresses he or she back to an earlier stage of life. Used against Kurama, this only succeeded in regressing him to his original demon form.[3]
Idunn is the Norse goddess of youth, which is probably the inspiration for the FUNimation dub-name for this object.
Acoording to the original fairy tale, the Tama Tebako was a magical jewel box which transforms Urashima Taro into an old man after he opens it. As a spoof, the Idunn Box is it's direct opposite, transforming every person, other than the one who opened it, into a younger stage of their lives.
Telepathy: In the middle of his fight against Kurama, Ura Urashima displayed a level of telepathy, with which he communicates to Kurama about his tragic life (later revealed that the life story was actually a lie, fabricated by Ura Urashima in order to confuse his opponent).
Trivia
Ura Urashima is voiced by Vic Mignogna in FUNimation's dub. version of the anime. During this role, Mignogna used the same vocal work as he did for Edward Elric, the main protagonist of the Full Metal Alchemist franchise. Interestingly enough, Mignogna later voiced Team Toguro's team member Bui, although with a more mature sounding voice.
He reveals that Ura Urashima is not his true name, and is a fake identity he created to claim to be the demonic reincarnation of Urashimataro. This impllies that Makintaro and Kuro Momotaro are merely aliases as well.
