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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 somehow managed to save the Earth from the Oni, a group of intergalactic invaders who came to take over Earth. 

Due to an off handed comment in the heat of battle, Lum, the champion for the Oni, 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, a legion of male Lum fans who want to kill Ataru, and his long suffering girlfriend, Shinobu, who also wants to kill him.

What seems to be the final nail in Ataru's coffin comes in the form of a wedding invitation.  It seems that Ataru is engaged to a woman named "Elle" from Planet Elle.  Everyone, from Shnobu to Lum is out for Ataru's blood.  When he willingly decides to go ahead with the wedding plans, Lum hatches a desperate plan.

Lum will kidnap Ataru and force him to marry her.  With help of her friend Benten, she kidnaps everyone who was invited to Elle's wedding, and sets out for her home world.

Elle is not one to take this laying down.  Soon an intergalactic war erupts, with Ataru as the prize.

What is the universe coming to?

DVD VISION TEST

VIDEO: AnimEigo has done a fine job of transferring this 20 year old movie 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. 

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.

The English 2.0 is very well done, but it's not as sharp as it's predecessor.  It does have a fuller sound, and better directionality.

EDITS: Not a single frame has been edited. The original open and close are still there, with optional subtitles.

EXTRAS: The most I have seen on any AnimEigo release (except for You're Under Arrest).  You have the English voice actors (who didn't make the cut) auditions.  You can see the faces of the lovely ladies and cool dudes say their lines during the "Behind the Scenes" segment.  Detailed character bios, info on the English voice actors for Lum and Ataru, and an extensive image gallery.

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. Tomoko Komparu understands the characters, and has given us something a little more than a typical TV episode.

ACTING: With the Japanese cast, it is pretty easy to sum up the acting. Wonderful. 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 this fan favorite. 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. 

As for the English dub, very well done.  I love Steve Rassin's Ataru.  I don't think there is anyone out there that could match Toshio Furukawa's portrayal, but he did it.  His evil "lust laugh" was perfect, as was his ability to switch from serious to lecherous in a snap.

While no one can be as good as Fumi Hirano's Lum, Shannon Settlemyre comes very close.  She has the right mix of playfulness and cuteness, but lacks some of the sexiness of her Japanese counterpart.  She does understand the character, and I look forward to hearing her voice on other projects. 

FAN SERVICE: Not much in the nudity/panty shots category. There are quite a few shots of girls in their lingerie or battle uniforms.  

On the other hand, there is a lot of visual gags for Leji Matsumodo and other science fiction series.  The ships are very similar to the designs of the Tiger fighters from Yamato.  One of the "Invaders" is a close proximity of Captain Harlock.  There are also several "Battlestar Glactica" in jokes as well.

CONCLUSION

Most movies from popular TV shows usually wind up being nothing more than extended 90 minute episodes.  The same can be said for this movie.  However, while all the familiar elements are there, they are presented in a way that renewed my love for this off-the- wall comedy.

Let me say first, the formula is pretty standard.  Ataru wants every woman he can find, and despite being attacked, beaten, and electrocuted, he doesn't get that Lum is deeply in love with him.  Despite everyone trying to change him, he stays the same perverted, lecherous, unlucky dork he always was.  In case you were wondering, no, you don't get any kind of resolution on the Lum-Ataru-Shinobu equation.

Never would I have expected so much fun from a Mamoru Oshii film.  Known for his moody, avant guard films like "Avalon" and "Ghost In the Shell", this one looks and feels quite different.  It's full of energy, great physical comedy, and tons of lovely ladies.  There are no dark machines or evil puppet masters to be found here.  Thanks to the writing of Tomoko Komparu, the comedic tone of the series is maintianed, and Oshii only gives us a few brief moments of introspection.

Most of the main characters get pushed into the background while others like Benten, Megane, and Mr. Invader get some much needed screen time.  One of my favorites, Lum's mom, makes an all too brief appearance.  Her whacked out speech patterns (along with Oni subtitles from AnimEigo) always makes me chuckle.

One thing I found interesting is how much the animation improved as the movie progressed.  At first, the animation looked like typical TV animation.  Then, as things moved along, the level of detail inherent in all Mamoru Oshii films started to show it's self.  While Studio Perrot's animation style never changes, Mamoru Oshi was able to make the most of the people he had working for him.

Now, I am sure that many of your purists out there were shocked to hear that AnimEigo was actually dubbing this movie. I know because I felt the same way.  However, I was quite pleased with the result.  My first experience with new dubbing studio Swirl Recording & Films Inc. was a pleasant one. While no one can replace Scout Houle's wonderful Costal Carolina Studios, Swirl is a worthy successor to the great work CCS provided .  The voices fit the characters, and director Shannon Settlemyre did a fine job at ensuring that the cast stayed on track.  They also did a great job at keeping the dialogue as close to the original script as they could.  I am looking forward to seeing what Swirl Recording & Films Inc. does next. 

I think this is the best disc that AnimEigo has made.  Taking a cue from their You're Under Arrest boxset, they have included some of the most interesting features to date.  I absolutely love watching the voice actors go through their paces.  I found the character bio quite well done, and the extensive image gallery a treasure. Even the main menu is cute and fun.  I hope that future releases are just as entertaining.

No matter if you are first time watcher, or a total fan, you won't go wrong with Urusei Yatsura Movie 1: Only You.  With plenty of  slapstick comedy, beautiful ladies, and a excellent presentation, this one is a keeper!

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