Urusei Yatsura Movie 4: Lum the Forever Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

Urusei Yatsura Movie 4: Lum the Forever Blu-ray Movie Review

Urusei Yatsura –Lum The Forever is the fourth feature-film in the anime franchise. Based on the beloved manga created by Rumiko Takahashi, Urusei Yatsura –Lum The Forever is an entertaining entry in the popular franchise. Executive produced by Hidenori Taga (Maison Ikkoku, Urusei Yatsura: Only You), Urusei Yatsura –Lum The Forever was released in Japan on February 15, 1986. Distributed by TOHO, Urusei Yatsura –Lum The Forever is produced by Kitty Films (Maison Ikkoku, Ranma ½). The theme is performed by Kayoko Matsunaga (ending theme).

Urusei Yatsura –Lum The Forever features a genre blend including some spooky horror elements. Unlike the other films in the franchise, this one was conceived as an OVA production (direct-to-video). The film features voice performances by Fumi Hirano, Toshio Furukawa, Akira Kamiya, Issei Futamata, Kazue Komiya, Kazuko Sugiyama, Machiko Washio, Saeko Shimazu, Shigeru Chiba, and Shinji Nomura.

Lum (Fumi Hirano) and Ataru Moroboshi (Toshio Furukawa) return for another fun and exciting adventure in Tomobiki. The town has more adventures in store for Lum, Ataru, and their close friends. The entire gang has gotten together to make a movie! It isn’t long before it’s time for lights-camera-action. Yet things don’t end there. There are some supernatural and fantastical things happening in Tomobiki.

With a surprising twist of a branch, some of the beloved cherry trees begin taking to one another. Talking trees is only the start of the change of pace in Tomobiki as fantasy blends more into everyone’s lives and the film-production plans. The film production crew decided it was time to cut the tree down. Upon the executive decision of cutting down the tree, beautiful Lum loses her magic. Things start to fall apart. The gang find themselves becoming trapped inside movies.

The film continues to highlight the wonderful charisma of the cast of characters. Lum and Araru remain the essential leads of the film franchise. The characters add a lot of delightful charms in a variety of manners. The sense of adventure between the cast members adds a lot to the filmmaking.

The supporting cast of characters in Urusei Yatsura –Lum The Forever also includes impressive parts and vocal performances with Akira Kamiya as Shuutarou Mendou, Issei Futamata as Chibi, Kazue Komiya as Ran,  Kazuko Sugiyama as Ten, Machiko Washio as Sakura,  Saeko Shimazu as Shinobu Miyake, Shigeru Chiba as Megane,  and Shinji Nomura as Kakugari. The entire supporting voice cast does good work. Wonderful voice acting is essential to the filmmaking.

There is a lot to appreciate about the animation in Urusei Yatsura –Lum The Forever. The anime character designs by Akemi Takada (Kimagure Orange Road, Urusei Yatsura) are top-notch for the film. The design elements add a lot to the film with these characters showcasing their vibrant personalities. The animation also features exceptional art direction by Torao Arai (Urusei Yatsura, Tenchi the Movie - Tenchi Muyo in Love) and animation direction by Tsukasa Dokite (Urusei Yatsura, Dirty Pair). The team builds on the production with the team of animators finding creative ways to highlight the spooky and fun elements of the film.

The cinematography by Yōichi Shimizu (Urusei Yatsura, God Mars) adds a lot to the film. The visuals are compelling. The cinematography is darker and grittier than some of the other films in the franchise. It still retains colorful, fun, and vibrant elements too – but the animation team wanted something that would work well for the storyline. A good effort from Shimizu.

The score composed by Bun Itakura (Roujin Z, Urusei Yatsura OVA) is charming and adds a lot of fun delight to the production. The music is one of the highlights of the film. The score provides a nice backdrop to the fantasy elements. Even the darker horror elements in the film are enhanced with the score.

Directed by Kazuo Yamazaki (Maison Ikkoku, Slayers - The Motion Picture), Urusei Yatsura –Lum The Forever is an absolute blast. Even though the film was conceived as an OVA feature-film instead of as a theatrical feature I found it to be an enormous amount of fun. Written by Kazuo Yamazaki and co-screenwriter Toshiki Inoue (Dragon Ball, City Hunter), Urusei Yatsura –Lum The Forever is a good entry in the franchise. The screenwriters do a good job with handling the material and Yamazaki has a good vision as filmmaker. The filmmaking is visually creative and there are some compelling ideas showcased in the film – with the fantasy elements playing a big part in this installment in the film series.

Urusei Yatsura Movie 4: Lum the Forever Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Urusei Yatsura –Lum The Forever is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high- definition in the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The presentation on the release is excellent. Color reproduction is well handled on the release. Detail and clarity are excellent. The transfer shines with good line art and background art detail. The encoding capably handles the presentation with crisp visuals. The filmic presentation shines on the release.

Urusei Yatsura Movie 4: Lum the Forever Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options. The release is presented in English uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo, Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo (as a stereo remix), and Japanese 1.0 uncompressed PCM mono (the original audio mix). The lossless audio sounds crisp and engaging on the release. The audio quality is engaging and adds a lot to the viewing experience. The sound direction by Shigeharu Shiba (Future Boy Conan, Maison Ikkoku) is well preserved on the release and the dynamics of the presentation are superb. A good lossless encode by Discotek.

Urusei Yatsura Movie 4: Lum the Forever Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes with a well-designed o-card slipcover.

Theatrical Teaser (HD, 00:37)

Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:38)

Urusei Yatsura Movie 4: Lum the Forever Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Urusei Yatsura –Lum The Forever is an impressive entry in the anime film franchise. The entry has a nice blend of fantasy and horror in this genre gem in the franchise. Fans of Urusei Yatsura –Lum The Forever won't want to miss this entertaining entry. The Blu-ray release provides an excellent video and audio presentation. The release also comes with a nicely designed on-card slipcover. Highly recommended.