TV-Series
Description
Perm, whose real name is Kōsuke, is a supporting character in the anime and manga Urusei Yatsura. He is a classmate and friend of the protagonist Ataru Moroboshi, and a member of the group known as Lum's Stormtroopers, a fan club devoted to the alien girl Lum. His nickname comes from his hairstyle, a permanent wave. He is tall and skinny in build, with brown hair and black eyes.
As one of the Stormtroopers, Perm shares the group's defining trait, an intense and openly expressed crush on Lum. His devotion makes him act protectively and obsessively toward her, and it often turns him hostile to Ataru, whom he regards as a rival for her attention. The Stormtroopers repeatedly try to win Lum's affection or punish Ataru for his behavior, but their plans usually collapse in comedic failure. Despite this rivalry, Perm remains one of Ataru's school friends, and the group's antics are a running part of daily life at Tomobiki High School. Along with the other Stormtroopers, he sometimes cooperates with Ataru's rival Shutaro Mendo when they share a common goal of getting the better of Ataru.
Perm's motivation centers on Lum: he wants to protect her, win her love, and defeat anyone he sees as a threat to her happiness, above all Ataru. His role in the story is primarily comedic. He functions as part of the fan-club members who appear throughout the original anime, its films, and OVAs, providing supporting comic relief and reacting to the ever-escalating events around Ataru and Lum.
Of the Stormtroopers, Perm is generally considered the one with the most character development. He is the only member shown to have a girlfriend, which gives him a life outside the fan club and softens his obsessive side in later appearances.
In terms of abilities, Perm has no special powers or extraordinary skills. He is an ordinary high school student, though he serves as the captain of the boys' volleyball team. His most immediately recognizable trait is his permed hair, which also supplies his nickname.
Perm's place in the cast is closely tied to the manga character Kōsuke Shirai, one of Ataru's closest male friends. In the original anime, Shirai's role was largely taken over by the Stormtroopers, including Perm, whose real name is revealed as Kōsuke. The later 2022 anime adaptation instead uses Shirai as Ataru's friend, while the Stormtroopers rarely appear. Within the fan club, Perm and the other members address Lum as Lam-chan, and their schemes are usually organized by the bespectacled leader known as Megane.
As one of the Stormtroopers, Perm shares the group's defining trait, an intense and openly expressed crush on Lum. His devotion makes him act protectively and obsessively toward her, and it often turns him hostile to Ataru, whom he regards as a rival for her attention. The Stormtroopers repeatedly try to win Lum's affection or punish Ataru for his behavior, but their plans usually collapse in comedic failure. Despite this rivalry, Perm remains one of Ataru's school friends, and the group's antics are a running part of daily life at Tomobiki High School. Along with the other Stormtroopers, he sometimes cooperates with Ataru's rival Shutaro Mendo when they share a common goal of getting the better of Ataru.
Perm's motivation centers on Lum: he wants to protect her, win her love, and defeat anyone he sees as a threat to her happiness, above all Ataru. His role in the story is primarily comedic. He functions as part of the fan-club members who appear throughout the original anime, its films, and OVAs, providing supporting comic relief and reacting to the ever-escalating events around Ataru and Lum.
Of the Stormtroopers, Perm is generally considered the one with the most character development. He is the only member shown to have a girlfriend, which gives him a life outside the fan club and softens his obsessive side in later appearances.
In terms of abilities, Perm has no special powers or extraordinary skills. He is an ordinary high school student, though he serves as the captain of the boys' volleyball team. His most immediately recognizable trait is his permed hair, which also supplies his nickname.
Perm's place in the cast is closely tied to the manga character Kōsuke Shirai, one of Ataru's closest male friends. In the original anime, Shirai's role was largely taken over by the Stormtroopers, including Perm, whose real name is revealed as Kōsuke. The later 2022 anime adaptation instead uses Shirai as Ataru's friend, while the Stormtroopers rarely appear. Within the fan club, Perm and the other members address Lum as Lam-chan, and their schemes are usually organized by the bespectacled leader known as Megane.