Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 3 & 4 Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 3 & 4 Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 3 & 4 Collection continues the new anime adaptation of the beloved manga classic created by Rumiko Takahashi (Ranma ½, Inuyasha). Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 3 & 4 features superb animation produced by david production (Monster Hunter Stories RIDE ON, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean). Urusei Yatsura features the voices of Hiroshi Kamiya and Sumire Uesaka.

Ataru Moroboshi (Hiroshi Kamiya) and Lum (Sumire Uesaka) are back. The beloved characters have returned for more hijinks and adventures. Ataru and Lum are no ordinary beings – both have their personal quirks.

Ataru remains a womanizer who is always chasing one woman after another. Meanwhile, Lum remains the lovable alien with a gorgeous bikini. The characters find more unexpectedly exciting adventures with other aliens, time travel, and much more. And, of course, Ataru and Lum are in for more than each bargained for because of living together under one roof.

The characters are at the heart of the anime. Ataru and Lum are wonderful lead characters. Each of the characters has a wonderful personality. The duality between the two lead protagonists is something which cause a lot of joy in the production. It is easy to enjoy the antics of Ataru and his womanizing ways, which is a huge part of the charm of the series. Lum is also a great and bubbly alien princess character who is always fun to spend time around.

The character designs by Naoyuki Asano (Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, Mr. Osomatsu) are charming and a total delight. Asano is a gifted character designer and the efforts here are superb in updating original manga designs. The designs are faithful to the original while providing something special, engaging, and fun for the updated anime adaptation.

The mechanical designs by JNTHED (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury) and Yoshihiro Sono (Vampire in the Garden) add to the production, too. There are a lot of great design elements featured. Well-done.

Urusei Yatsura features excellent art direction by Masanobu Nomura (Arjuna, Blue Drop). The animation is wonderful and there is so much beauty to the production. The art style is incredible – bringing great energy to the series. The aesthetic is both true to the original manga and the original anime. The first anime adaptation created an iconic style. The new adaptation manages to remain faithful while also providing an updated style that doesn’t disappoint.

The cinematography by Yuuichirou Nagata (Release the Spyce, Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts) is wonderful. The visuals are lush and beautiful to behold – there is so much charm to the style of the cinematography. The bright colors are outstanding and this is one of the most visually rewarding aesthetics for a modern anime series. Much of this aesthetic quality is achieved with the sleek cinematography.

Featuring a score composed by Masaru Yokoyama (Arakawa Under the Bridge, Classroom of the Elite), Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 3 & 4 Collection continues to offer a fun and engaging score for the series. Amazing music and so effective for the anime series. The score is fun, charming, and a delight. Yokoyama is a talented composer.

Written by Yūko Kakihara (Pokémon Journeys: The Series, Dragon Ball Daima), Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 3 & 4 continues the comedic fun. The hilarious hijinks of the series is something audiences love about the anime. The enduring legacy of the anime is in part due to the comedy. Kakihara handles the character moments and comedic aspects well. The results work well – with the characters having plenty of fun moments to be at the forefront of the comedy. Both the alien pop princess aspect with Lum is fun, alongside the womanizing Ataru. What’s not to love?

Directed by Takahiro Kamei (Sagrada Reset, Captain Tsubasa), Hideya Takahashi (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, Platinum End), and Yasuhiro Kimura (Castle Town Dandelion, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind), Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 3 & 4 is an entertaining update on the franchise. A nice take on the classic favorite and one that finds inspiration in bringing new tales with these beloved characters.

Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 3 & 4 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Sentai Filmworks, Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 3 & 4 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high- definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. An impressive high-definition presentation. The picture quality looks outstanding on the release.

Colors "pop" with incredible depth. The high-definition video presentation has impressive detail and there is much worth celebrating – from the background animation to line art. The animation is remarkably crisp and has excellent depth. A superb encoding effort by Sentai Filmworks.

Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 3 & 4 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The Blu-ray release preserves the sound direction by Yoshikazu Iwanami (Alderamin on the Sky, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure). The lossless audio quality is exceptional – crisp and well detailed. Dialogue is clear on the release. The score is well reproduced. Soundstaging is excellent, too.

The release does not include an English dubbed option. For some dub fans, it might seem like a slight disappointment that the release does not include an English dub. However, the lossless Japanese audio mix is top-notch and has great clarity. Fans who prefer the original language version will have little to complain about with regards to the release.

Audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts will appreciate the quality increase of physical media and what it delivers. Physical media offers true lossless audio quality (with better bit-depth and higher bit-rates). Streaming video services provide audio in a lossy (non-lossless) audio quality with more audio compression. For enthusiasts wanting the best possible audio achievable with their home theater equipment, there are good gains for physical media fans.

Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 3 & 4 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes in a standard Blu-ray case. The release does not come with an o-card slipcover. The release does not include additional DVD copies or other pack-in bonuses.

On disc supplements:

Disc 2:

Web Previews (HD, 6:24)

Japanese Promos (HD, 2:23)

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 1:32)

Disc 4:

Web Previews (HD, 6:20)

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 1:32)

Unfortunately, the one aspect of the release that is disappointing is the supplemental package. The release could have been much better with a more well-rounded bonus features collection for fans. The set would have been superior with the addition of audio commentaries, making-of documentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, cast/crew interviews, photo galleries, and art galleries.

Enthusiasts want as many bonus features as possible – even more-so in the streaming era. Sometimes fans opt to stream once over a physical purchase if there aren't enough enticing bonus features. It is also great to make a set with as much value for collectors as possible.

I would have also liked to see deluxe collectors edition options – perhaps a steelbook box-set version or a limited deluxe edition featuring collectors packaging and additional physical swag. Perhaps Sentai can re-release this in the future with additional collectables and a steelbook edition would be welcome. One of the best things about physical media is the fact it is physical by nature – something to hold in one's hands.

Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 3 & 4 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Urusei Yatsura: Seasons 3 & 4 Collection provides an outstanding collection for fans of the beloved anime franchise. Fans of the beloved anime classic will appreciate the updated version of the fan-favorite series. Creator Rumiko Takahashi (Ranma ½, Inuyasha) made one of the most popular productions in anime and manga history.

The Blu-ray release provides exceptional high-definition video quality and lossless audio quality. Supplements are limited and that is the one real drawback to the release. Nonetheless, Urusei Yatsura fans are strongly encouraged to consider a purchase. The set will make a great addition alongside the other seasons of the reboot as well as the original classic anime (available separately from Discotek Media). Highly recommended.