Urusei Yatsura Movie 6: Always, My Darling Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Urusei Yatsura Movie 6: Always, My Darling Blu-ray Movie Review

Urusei Yatsura – Always My Darling is the sixth feature film in the anime franchise. Based on the beloved manga by creator Rumiko Takahashi, Urusei Yatsura – Movie 6 – Always My Darling debuted as part of a double-feature bill alongside Ranma ½: Big Trouble in Nekonron, China (the first theatrical feature-film in the Ranma ½ anime universe). Executive produced by Hidenori Taga (Maison Ikkoku, Urusei Yatsura: Only You), Urusei Yatsura – Always My Darling was considered a 10^th anniversary feature-film special released in Japanese cinemas on August 18, 1991.

With animation production by Kitty Films (Maison Ikkoku, Ranma ½), Urusei Yatsura – Always My Darling also comes from producer, Urusei Yatsura – Always My Darling is another testament to the enduring legacy of the franchise. Produced by Yoko Matsushita (Maison Ikkoku, Ranma ½), Urusei Yatsura – Always My Darling features a theme song composed and arranged by Ichiro Hata. The performance of the theme is by Miho Yonemitsu, Ryoko Shinohara, and Yuko Anai. The film has voice performances by Toshio Furukawa, Fumi Hirano, Naoko Matsui, Shinnosuke Furumoto, Akira Kamiya, Ichirō Nagai, Issei Futamata, Kazue Komiya, Kazuko Sugiyama, Machiko Washio, Noriko Ohara, Saeko Shimazu, Shigeru Chiba, Shinji Nomura, and Yūko Mita.

Audiences might have thought the whole story was over with the previous film in the saga but endings sometimes lead to new beginnings. Urusei Yatsura – Always My Darling brings back the beloved characters of the Urusei Yatsura universe one more time. The journey isn’t over – things escalate when Ataru Moroboshi (Toshio Furukawa) ends up as the only person alive able to get a magical love-potion. Lupica (Naoko Matsui) wants the love potion in order to allure the heart of a simplistic tofu delivery man.

Lupica might be beautiful and she could just see if he is interested in going out with her but she is too afraid to ask him out herself. Best option: love-potion magic! Yet the plans to procure the love-potion from Ataru backfires on Lupica big-time: now Ataru finds himself falling in love with Lupica (he’s head over heels). Love makes Ataru as love-sick as a puppy-dog. Now Ataru finds he is even barking just as loud as a hot- diggity-dog! Can the love-potion be reversed? Can Lum (Fumi Hirano) come to the rescue of Ataru and set things right?

The sixth Urusei Yatsura feature continues to be a great showcase for the cast of characters. The film franchise wouldn’t be the same without Lum or Ataru. These enduring and lovable leads make the franchise enduring in a meaningful way. Toshio Furukawa and Fumi Hirano deliver great voice performances for these leading roles (respectively).

The supporting voice cast for does great work with Urusei Yatsura – Always My Darling. The supporting cast is highlighted well. There is a lot to appreciate in the film. The vocal performances of Naoko Matsui as Lupica, Shinnosuke Furumoto as Rio, Akira Kamiya as Mendou, Ichirō Nagai as Sakuramboo, Issei Futamata as Chibi, Kazue Komiya as Ran, Kazuko Sugiyama as Ten, Machiko Washio as Sakura, Noriko Ohara as Oyuki, Saeko Shimazu as Shinobu, Shigeru Chiba as Megane, Shinji Nomura as Kakugari, and Yūko Mita as Benten add up to something special.

The character designs by Kumiko Takahashi (Cardcaptor Sakura, CLAMP in Wonderland) are excellent and add a lot to the production. The designs by Takahashi stay true to the manga and add some fun elements for the anime. The design work is first-rate.

The animation is impressive and there is plenty to appreciate about the art style in the sixth feature film. The animation features quality art direction by Shinichi Uehara (Kids on the Slope, Ninja Scroll) and animation direction by Kumiko Takahashi (A Wind Named Amnesia, City Hunter). The artistry is an essential component of the film and the animators did their best with the production. Great work from the animation team.

The cinematography by Hitoshi Yamaguchi (Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust) adds beautiful visual flourishes to the film, too. The cinematography shines with classical style, imbuing the film with a radiance that reflects the cell-based hand drawn animation is a fun, compelling, and memorable way. Yamaguchi finds the right cinematographic visual balance for Urusei Yatsura – Always My Darling.

The score composed by Mitsuru Kotaki (Aru Kararu no Isan, Super Zugan) is fun and a good part of the equation. The music is a nice backdrop to the adventure. The score highlights the action beats and a comedic undertone is showcased as well.

Written by Hideo Takayashiki (Maison Ikkoku, The Adventures of Gamba) and Tomoko Konparu (Urusei Yatsura: Only You, Urusei Yatsura: Remember My Love), Urusei Yatsura – Always My Darling has some weaknesses in the scripting. The film lacks as cohesive a story as some of the other films and it feels a little lackluster as a story compared to the previous entry. This makes the film a less enjoyable one in some respects even though it is still decently written and entertaining on the whole.

Directed by Katsuhisa Yamada (Dragon Warrior, Mazinger Z), Urusei Yatsura – Always My Darling feels a little inconsistent compared to earlier entries in the franchise. Urusei Yatsura – Always My Darling isn’t perfect and it has some rough edges. The film feels less ambitious than some of the other entries in the series. Even so, Yamada still imbues some fun elements into the film, and the production values remain great. Urusei Yatsura – Always My Darling doesn’t live up to expectations when stacked up beside the previous film (or the best films in the franchise) but it remains an entertaining film and one fans will certainly want to see nonetheless.

Urusei Yatsura Movie 6: Always, My Darling Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Urusei Yatsura – Always My Darling is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high- definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The high-definition presentation on the release is impressive and there are a lot of elements in the video presentation to appreciate. Line art and background animation appears well detailed. The colorful and robust animation is brought to life with a good scan of the film. The film exhibits some signs of slight wear with occasional scratches or dirt but is largely a good print of the film. The cinematic transfer certainly impresses and the encoding quality by Discotek Media makes the release all the more enjoyable.

Urusei Yatsura Movie 6: Always, My Darling Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo and Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The lossless audio on the release is impressive and well rounded. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The soundtrack is beautifully reproduced and the score makes a solid impression. The stereo audio capably preserves the sound direction by Shigeharu Shiba (Maison Ikkoku, Ranma ½). A quality lossless audio presentation by Discotek Media.

Urusei Yatsura Movie 6: Always, My Darling Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes with a beautiful o-card slipcover.

Theatrical Teaser (HD, 00:42)

Urusei Yatsura Movie 6: Always, My Darling Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Urusei Yatsura – Always My Darling is a fun and charming film in the franchise. The film might not stack up as well compared to earlier entries in the series but it is nonetheless a charming film and nice as an installment in the beloved franchise. Longtime fans won't want to miss it. The Blu-ray release has an impressive video and audio presentation. The release also comes with a nicely designed o-card slipcover. Recommended.