There is a scene in which Lum asks Ruu the Magician if he's either a racoon, like Oshima, or a fox. In Japanese folklore, foxes and racoons are portrayed as shape-shifters and tricksters.

Most of the girls in Ataru's harem world are characters who appeared in the Urusei Yatsura TV series, with the exception of: Elle, the antagonist from the first UY movie Urusei Yatsura 1: Onri yû (1983). Maris from Rumik World: Za chojo (1992) (V), she is seen riding an airbike past Ataru and Lahla.

The stamps that Lahla puts on Ataru's forehead are what Japanese teachers put on their students' papers.

Ataru looks out of his window and sees a shooting star after Lum disappears. In Japan, shooting stars are considered bad omens.

There is an animator's gag during the sequence when Ruu transforms from a pierrot to a magician. Immediately after Ruu snaps his fingers, there is a single-frame shot of a red Volkswagen Beetle.

There is another hidden animator's bit in the scene where Atara and Lala are going through the vortex. As Ataru's face is being smushed, one can pause and see a woman with a slogan on her shirt.

After Ataru is transformed into a hippo, Mendou utters "Baka kaba!". This is a play on the words "baka" (stupid) and "kaba" (hippo).

Sakura and Cherry trade puns as they arrive at Tomobiki Marchenland. Sakura states that she has "munasawagi", an "uneasy feeling". While Cherry munches on sweet potatoes, he says he has the same feeling, to which Sakura responds that he is simply feeling "muneyaki", meaning "heartburn".