Urusei Yatsura: OVA Series Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Urusei Yatsura: OVA Series Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Urusei Yatsura is back! The Urusei Yatsura OVA series brings back the beloved anime series. Based on the manga by Rumiko Takahashi, Urusei Yatsura is executive produced by Hidenori Taga (Maison Ikkoku, The Legend of the Galactic Heroes). Produced by Akira Watanabe, Masao Maruyama (Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Record of Lodoss War), Yoko Matsushita (Maison Ikkoku, Ranma ½), Urusei Yatsura features a creative energy that is remarkable. Urusei Yatsura features top-notch animation production by Magic Bus (Demon Lord Dante, Cobra The Animation) and Studio DEEN (Angel's Egg, Sasaki and Miyano). Urusei Yatsura is a beloved classic for a reason. The series has plenty of comedy and adventure.

Ataru and Lum are back at it! Lum remains the lovable alien from outer-space with a bodacious body and a ever-so-sweet demeanor. Ataru is the in-over-his-head ladies man always getting into trouble with the women he romances left and right. Ataru, Lum, and the other residents of Tomobiki Town continue to have fun adventures with the cast of characters back for thrilling adventures. The series returns with special OVA episodes (direct-to- video) and the journey continues with aliens, ninjas, romance, and unexpected hijinks.

The character designs by Akemi Takada (Kimagure Orange Road, Patlabor the Mobile Police) and Atsushi Shigeta (Brain Powered) are an impressive part of the production. The character designs provide a sense of whimsy and style. The character art is fantastic and stays true to the original anime series.

The animation is exceptional and the iconic style of the classic series returns. The OVA productions feature art direction by Kayoko Koitabashi (Shibuya Honky Tonk, Taiman Blues: Ladies Hen Mayumi) and Kazushige Takatō (The Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Soccer Fever). The team of animators involved with the series production brought their best to the series and the iconic anime characters. A great animated production and there is so much to appreciate about the artistry.

The cinematography by Akihiko Takahashi (All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku, Patlabor 2: The Movie), Kinichi Ishikawa (Record of Lodoss War, A Wind Named Amnesia), Nobuo Koyam (Grave of the Fireflies, Night on the Galactic Railroad), and Takeshi Fukuda (Dragon Ball Z, Fairy Princess Minky Momo) is impressive. The cinematography is one of the best qualities of the series. The cinematography team brought their best visual sensibilities to the world of Urusei Yatsura.

The score composed by Bun Itakura, Fumitaka Anzai, Izumi Kobayashi, Kōji Nishimura, Masamichi Amano, Masaru Hoshi, Mickie Yoshino, and Shinsuke Kazato is excellent. The music provides great whimsy and excitement. The score is a perfect backdrop to the sense of adventure the series creates.

Written by Hidehiro Fujiwara and Tatsuhiko Urahata (Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, Hi Score Girl) and the other OVA writers, it is fun to revisit Urusei Yatsura. Urusei Yatsura is a legendary classic with good reason. The Urusei Yatsura series lovable cast of characters and comedic adventures have made it a genre favorite with anime fans.

Chief direction by Kazuo Yamazaki (Maison Ikkoku, Slayers - The Motion Picture) and Setsuko Shibuichi (Damekko Dōbutsu, Yukan Club) brings Urusei Yatsura to its height of fun. The Urusei Yatsura world is always great to go back to. Urusei Yatsura delivers comedy, action, and adventure in spades and these filmmakers bring the iconic characters back with the OVA. Fans of Urusei Yatsura won’t want to miss it.

Urusei Yatsura: OVA Series Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Urusei Yatsura OVA is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition. The high- definition presentation is engaging with impressive color reproduction and an enormous visual style. The cinematography shines on the release. Colors "pop" and the detail remains notable. Discotek Media capably handled the encoding for the OVA.

Urusei Yatsura: OVA Series Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The sound direction by Shigeharu Shiba (Castle in the Sky, Future Boy Conan) is well reproduced. The audio presentation is top-notch and one of the highlights of the release. The score is crisp and engaging. Dialogue is well done and sounds great on the release. The English subtitles are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors. No English dub option is provided on the OVA.

Urusei Yatsura: OVA Series Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The first print run of the release includes a nice o-card slipcover. The slipcover and the under-slipcover artwork remain the same. Despite no "dual cover" effect, the release looks nice. The collectable slip is something that will look great in hand and on a shelf.

On disc:

Art Gallery includes 55 click-through slides of artwork.  

Urusei Yatsura: OVA Series Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Urusei Yatsura OVA is a fun continuation of the beloved anime classic. Fans of the original anime television series and theatrical feature series will be thrilled with the adventure continuing. The production features excellent animation. The beloved characters have returned. The Blu-ray is presented with excellent high-definition video and lossless audio. The first print run also has a wonderfully designed o-card slipcover sure to please collectors. Highly recommended.