SUMMARY
Ataru is the worlds
laziest, lecherous, looser. Everything he does winds up causing himself as
well as the people around him more trouble. Now, this waste of a human
being has been chosen to save the Earth from the Oni.
The Oni is a group of intergalactic invaders who have
come to take over Earth. According to their rules, Ataru has been chosen
by the Oni computer to fight their champion, the beautiful Lum. If he can
grab her horns on her head in a game of tag, the Earth will be saved. It
would seem to be a pretty simple contest, right?
Wrong!
Problem is, Lum can fly, and Ataru is one of the worse
athletes in the history of the Earth. After several failed attempts, he
manages to stop the invasion....sort of.
Due to an off handed comment in the heat of battle, Lum
is now convinced that Ataru wants to marry her. Now he is stuck with a
girl who will give him electric shocks if he so much as looks at another
woman. He also has to put up with Lum's family, ex boyfriends, and a
legion of male Lum fans who want to kill Ataru so that they can have the
lovely alien all to them selves.
It appears that Ataru's real girlfriend, Shinobu is the
only one to save him. Question is, why would she?
DVD VISION TEST
VIDEO: AnimEigo has done a fine job of transferring this
20 year old anime to DVD. The colors are solid, with no color bleeding,
wrinkles, or pixels to be seen. The image is sharp and the washed out look
of the original video is gone except for the opening. However, a lot of
the scratches and nicks still remain, especially in the opening segment.
AUDIO: The original Japanese 2.0 audio track is pretty
sharp and clear. Despite it being a 20 year and counting TV series, the it
sound almost like new. There is no mono hiss, and there is slight surround
sound mix. Audiophiles may be disappointed.
EDITS: Not a single frame has been edited. The original
open and close are still there, with optional subtitles.
EXTRAS: None on the disc. There is a set of Liner notes cards in the box,
with some explanations about the plethora of in jokes.
WIDESCREEN REVIEW
STORY: Based off of
the manga series by Rumiko Takahashi, Urusei Yatsura is a funny and
interesting take on Japanese life. Many of the typical conventions of life
in Japan (despite it being set in the 80, many of its themes are still current) are blown up way out of
context. At times a romantic comedy, at times slapstick, the team of
writers do a good job of balancing the two.
ACTING: With only the Japanese track to review, it is
pretty easy to sum up the acting. Wonderful. When anime really hit its
stride in the late 70's, early 80's, so did the voice acting. Never has a
voice sounded so perfect for a character as Fumi Hirano's Lum. With the
right mix of playful sexuality and strong femininity, she gives us the
voice to go with fan favorite Lum. The other great actor in UY is Toshio
Furukawa as Ataru. He screams well, his voice takes on a sort of a dreamy,
lecherous drawl that reminds me of Homer Simpson in one of his
"transcendent" moments. Like Lum, you can imagine another voice
doing it.
FAN SERVICE: Plenty. There is Lum, queen of the fan serv. Her sexy tiger
bikini, and the fact that she is topless in the first episode is a treat.
There are a coupe of other good looking characters, but Lum is the only
one you really notice.
Of course, the other type of fan service is there. There
are references to several classic anime as well as joke about Japanese
culture and history. While many may be obscure to American audiences,
those with a watchful eye will have a great time figuring out what they
are satirizing.
CONCLUSION
I love 80's anime. However, my tastes of that era run
closet to shows like Dirty Pair and Macross. Much like Baoh, I had no
interest in watching AnimEigo's release of Urusei Yatsura. I figured it
would be just another "boy has to decide which girl to be with"
stories that usually make me sick (Love Hina for example). To be fair, I
sat down and watched this movie with an open mind.
It was not as horrible as I excepted. Actually, it was
kind of fun.
This comedy has a lot of charm, despite everyone having
some sort of crippling emotional problem. Ataru is so focused on getting
women, that he over looks the very thing he really wants, companionship.
Lum, so convinced of her sexual and physical superiority, she can't see
that her actions cause everyone, even her Darling pain. Shinobu, Ataru's
long suffering girlfriend, is so angry at her stupid boyfriend, she
doesn't even try to listen to what he has to say. To be honest, most women
would have a hard time listing to that letch.
I am quite impressed at how they have people react if
aliens would suddenly start appearing. True to human nature, people would
be shocked and terrified, but after a few days, people would get used to
it. Also, if real aliens were as attractive as these, Earth men would lust
after a tiger bikini clad chick, and the women will swoon at the handsome
Rei, Lum's ex-boyfriend.
Urusei Yatsura is also a great way to gain some insight
into Japanese culture. Despite the numerous plays on Japanese family life,
you get an idea of what it must be like to be a man in a world that
emphasizes an almost chaste relationship women. Even though he lusts after
the otherworldly Lum, he is shocked when she says she wants to have sex
with him. Lum truly represents Western sexuality with her open advances
and strong independence. On the flip side is Shinobu, who stands by her
man, no matter what problems he faces, who is actually a closer match for
the oversexed, but very Japanese boy.
While
entertaining, UY is not a good first movie for the casual fan. Since this
release is Japanese only, newcomers may find it hard to get into because
they have to read subtitles. Also, if you like your anime bloody or action
packed, this one may not be for you.
Now, if you like comedies, either of the slapstick or
romantic variety, then Urusei Yatsura is for you. Fans of Rumiko Takahashi
other works like Ranma 1/2 will also enjoy this light hearted,
entertaining fare. Predating classics like Tenchi Muyo and Love Hina,
don't be afraid to pick up a copy. You will have a good time!
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