Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 1 & 2 Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 1 & 2 Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Urusei Yatsura (2022) returns with a fantastic revival of the beloved classic anime series. The franchise picks up steam with new episodes featuring the fan-favorite characters. The series features original animation production by david production. Broadcast on the Fuji Television Network and Noitamina, Urusei Yatsura (2022) picks up steam and delivers something that fans won’t want to miss – the big return of a beloved anime gem.

Created by Rumiko Takahashi, Urusei Yatsura (2022) is well worth exploring and it certainly feels right at home alongside the original saga. The reboot features series production by Kazuki Ōshima, Masaki Hasebe, Noriko Fujimoto, Shūhō Kondō, and Yoshinori Takeeda. The series also features executive production by Atsuhiro Iwakami, Genichi Kimura, Hisashi Ishiwata, Nobumasa Sawabe, Ryō Fujita, Shuichirō Tanaka, and Yasushi Kuwata. Featuring the voices of Sumire Uesaka and Hiroshi Kamiya in the leading roles.

Just when you thought it was all over: the beloved classic anime Urusei Yatsura returns with brand new adventures. Lum (Sumire Uesaka) might be an alien and she might be of an intergalactic variety yet she is a gorgeous girl with a sweet and charming personality. What’s not to love?

As Lum finds herself in new misadventures, Lum finds herself in new predicaments with Ataru Moroboshi (Hiroshi Kamiya). Though Lum and Ataru share affection for one another, Ataru still can’t seem to stop his ladies man ways and behavior as he still peruses his ex-girlfriend and tons of other beautiful women along the way. Can romance win and bring together Lum and Ataru once and for all?

The characters are an essential ingredient to the production. Lum and Ataru are a lovable pair and it is always fun to spend time with these charming characters. The dynamics between the two characters remains essential to the series. It is something that was felt with the original manga and the original anime run and it is something which continues to help define the series with the reboot.

The cast is entertaining and the spirited personalities of these characters is something that rounds out the production. Lum is enormously delightful as a character and as a charming alien with good looks. Ataru is a bit different by comparison – the ladies’ man who seems unwilling to commit. This is an enormous part of the series and where a lot of the comedy comes from.

The character designs by Naoyuki Asano are true to the original anime and manga. The designs of Rumiko Takahashi may be given a modern polish with the anime reboot but thankfully these fun character designs remember to stay true to what came before. The designs certainly add to the production aesthetic and add to the inherent joy of the series.

The animation for Urusei Yatsura (2022) is outstanding and the art work far exceeded expectations. For a modern reboot of a personal favorite, the animation is a lot better than expected in many regards. The colorful art is a wonderful joy to experience.

The animation is ushered in by art directors Masanobu Nomura, Naoyuki Asano, Ryo Kobayashi, and Satoru Kiyomaru. What a blast it is to see so much attention to detail and care to staying true to the original. The style feels fresh and yet true to everything that came before. Exactly what one wants with a reboot.

The cinematography by Yuuichirou Nagata is a highlight of the rebooted series, too. The cinematography manages to showcases the colorful animation style and the crisp imagery on display. Nagata is talented as a cinematographer and the photography is well handled throughout. A great effort for the series reboot.

The score composed by Masaru Yokoyama adds something special to the production. The music is enormously important to the series and the craft of the production. The score helps to aid the fun aesthetic and the comedic tone of the program. Composer Yokoyama understands the balance of comedy and romance is important to the series. The music helps to highlight these qualities well.

Written by Yūko Kakihara, Urusei Yatsura (2022) has no easy task in adapting the beloved material of masterful manga artist Rumiko Takahashi. Rumiko Takahashi is one of the greatest manga artists. A genius and a master of her craft. Takahashi made something so endearing and classic that the fun creation has been a huge staple of Japanese animation for decades. The reboot does a good job exploring the characters again and keeping things entertaining for audiences – new and old.

Takahiro Kamei, Hideya Takahashi, and Yasuhiro Kimura handle the chief directing duties on the reboot of Urusei Yatsura (2022). Urusei Yatsura (2022) is well done and it does a solid job highlighting what audiences enjoyed about the original while bringing something new to the table at the same time. Outstanding.

Highlighting the breathtaking animation, the series does a good job of showcasing the art differences between the old and new adaptations of the series. While Urusei Yatsura (2022) won’t be able to strictly compare to the hand-drawn animation of the original classic anime, the new production is surprisingly vital and engaging. The artistry is something that makes the reboot well worth checking out and fans won’t want to overlook it.

Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 1 & 2 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released by Sentai Filmworks, Urusei Yatsura (2022) is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The series has a crisp, colorful, and engaging high-definition presentation. A beautiful encode of the series.

The animation is gorgeous and the aesthetic is beautiful on the release. The artistry of the production is so charming and the encoding capably presents the efforts of the animation team. The background animation, line art, and character animation are enormously colorful, crisp, and detailed.

The presentation is one of the most impressive looking modern anime series releases as of late. The art is enormously crisp and detailed – without any apparent softness to the image. There are many modern anime series which are less detailed looking compared to traditional hand-drawn animation – appearing even moderately softer compared to film based classic anime. For a modern anime production, created by Rumiko Takahashi, Urusei Yatsura (2022) looks outstanding and better than expected. Sentai delivers an exceptional encode.

It is worth noting that the physical media format continues to far outshine the streaming counterpart. Streaming video services provide video with lower bit-rates compared to Blu-ray and physical media. For video enthusiasts with decked out home theater gear, make no mistake – Blu-ray provides audiences the absolute best possible presentation quality achievable. For those seeking cutting edge video to experience the best of the best, Urusei Yatsura (2022) looks great on Blu-ray.

Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 1 & 2 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio quality on the release is outstanding. The clarity and crispness of the audio was sublime and it exceeded my expectations with enormous vitality and life to the stereo sound imaging. The sound design is well implemented and the dialogue is clear on the release. The score is well reproduced for the presentation, too. The encoding showcases the sound design in a fantastic manner.

One of the best things about Blu-ray disc is that it provides lossless audio quality. Streaming video services only provide lossy (non-lossess) audio quality and therefore only provide audio with more compression compared to the physical media counterpart. Audiophiles with expensive equipment and gear won't want to miss out on the sonic differences of the Blu-ray format. The sound direction by Yoshikazu Iwanami is well reproduced on the release. A nice presentation handled well by Sentai Filmworks.

Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 1 & 2 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release has a fantastic cover-art. The artwork looks great in hand. One thing I would have appreciated seeing, though – a slipcover (unfortunately, no slipcover is included on the set).

On disc supplements include:

Disc 2:

Japanese Promo Videos (HD, 00:49)

Episode Previews (HD, 5:52)

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 1:32)

Disc 4:

Episode Previews (HD, 5:52)

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 1:32)

Unfortunately, the set is close to barebones. A more expansive supplemental package would have added some extra value to the box-set. The set would have provided even more incentive to anime enthusiasts with some audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes documentaries, art galleries, and other supplements exploring the production of the series.

Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 1 & 2 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Urusei Yatsura (2022) is a charming and entertaining anime reboot. The series does a solid job of bringing back the beloved classic by creator Rumiko Takahashi. The aesthetic of the anime series is stunning and the modern animation looks more impressive than expected. The animators did a great job with the reboot.

The Blu-ray release provides an exceptional high-definition presentation and stunning lossless audio quality. The box-set could have used some more bonus features. Even so, fans will be pleased with the presentation quality and will surely want to add the release to their Urusei Yatsura collection. Highly recommended.