Urusei Yatsura: TV Series Collection 04 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Urusei Yatsura: TV Series Collection 04 Blu-ray Movie Review

Urusei Yatsura Collection 4 is the final collection of episodes in the original series run. Created by Rumiko Takahashi (Ranma ½, Inuyasha), Urusei Yatsura features stunning animation production by acclaimed Studio DEEN (Maison Ikkoku, The Irresponsible Captain Tylor). Produced by Hiroshi Hasegawa (Ranma ½ , Urusei Yatsura: Lum The Forever), Makoto Kubo (Maison Ikkoku, The Irresponsible Captain Tylor), Tadashi Oka (Miyuki, Touch: Sebangou no Nai Ace), Takao Inoue, and Yūji Nunokawa (Osomatsu- kun, Naruto: Konoha Sports Festival), Urusei Yatsura Collection 4 contains episodes 150-195.

The theme music is composed by Yuichiro Oda. Broadcast on the Bandai Channel and the Fuji Television Network, Urusei Yatsura features the voices of Fumi Hirano and Toshio Furukawa. Urusei Yatsura Collection 4 is an essential set for fans of the series – bringing the finale to the series.

Lum (Fumi Hirano) and Ataru Moroboshi (Toshio Furukawa) have returned for one last time. As the series unwinds and reaches towards the series finale, the characters are reunited once more for an experience unlike any other. The characters once again face down their romantic entanglements as everything bubbles to the surface.

Even though it’s been a long time since Lum and Ataru first became intertwined in each other’s lives, the two offbeat characters continue to play an essential role for each other. Alien life and other strange creatures still play a part in the town of Tomobiki, too. The biggest issue – will Ataru ever stop his constant womanizing ways and remember Lum, who has been in love with him the entire time? Romance isn’t always easy and the clock is ticking towards the end of the series. Can the two find happiness once and for all?

What a fun cast of characters. The characters are essential to the success of Urusei Yatsura. Urusei Yatsura has a great leading cast for the central protagonists. It is hard to even imagine Urusei Yatsura without the main characters – what would the series even look like or resemble without the charming play between Lum and Ataru? These characters are at the heart of the entire program and why it was successful in Japan.

It takes a great cast of characters to make something special happen with anime. These characters are a wonderful part of the series and one of the main reasons why it has managed to earn a status as an important classic of Japanese animation. The character designs by Akemi Takada (Kimagure Orange Road, Maison Ikkoku) are well-done and bring to life the manga designs by original creator Rumiko Takahashi. The mecha designs by Masahiro Satō (Gold Lightan - The Golden Warrior, Dallos) add to the series artistic quality, too.

The animation is one of the best things about Urusei Yatsura. Urusei Yatsura is a beautiful looking anime classic and one that has such an undeniably charming vibe that is impossible to ignore. The aesthetic is phenomenal and it manages to imbue a sense of wonder into the production.

The classic hand-drawn animation is hypnotic and it easily pulls one into the charms of the series. One can easily enjoy these beautiful hand- drawn illustrations. The artwork also creates a feeling of nostalgia that is impossible to ignore.

The animators did great work with the series and bring to life the work of art director Torao Arai (Ranma ½: Nihao My Concubine, Urusei Yatsura: Only You). Arai is a gifted art director and alongside the rest of the animation team, Urusei Yatsura creates something special – something iconic. Something a bit like magic.

The cinematography by Nobuo Koyama (Grave of the Fireflies, Urusei Yatsura: Only You) and Yōichi Shimizu (Urusei Yatsura: Lum The Forever, God Mars) is impressive. The visual sensibilities of the production are well conveyed with good use of lighting and visual finesse. The cinematography highlights the animation and all of its beautiful artistic qualities well.

The original series score composed by Fumitaka Anzai (Legend of Basara, Urusei Yatsura: Only You), Katsu Hoshi (Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer, Ping Pong Club), Kōji Nishimura (Urusei Yatsura OVA, Urusei Yatsura: Only You), and Shinsuke Kazato (The Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Chie the Brat) is an impressive part of the series. One cannot even imagine the series without the charming soundtrack and the sense of wonder it creates. The music is integral to the series and one of the things that adds a lot of energy and fun to the comedy.

Written by Hisakazu Sou, Urusei Yatsura does a good job adapting the material of the creative genius Rumiko Takahashi. The writing has fun with the characters and the over-the-top antics on display. Something wondrous and special happens – the characters spring forth and the charm of these characters makes the series all the more essential in the legacy of classic anime.

Directed by Kazuo Yamazaki (Maison Ikkoku, A Wind Named Amnesia), Rumiko Takahashi’s gem is given justice with a beloved classic anime series. Urusei Yatsura Collection 4 brings the series to a close and fans won’t want to miss out on the last episodes of the fan-favorite classic series. The style evoked is creative and energetic. Director Yamazaki understands the material and what it takes to bring these comedic tales to life. It is never easy to say farewell to a beloved anime classic – or to any series one follows, for that matter – but fans will want to make sure to continue the journey for the finale to this beloved classic of Japanese animation.

Urusei Yatsura: TV Series Collection 04 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Urusei Yatsura Collection 4 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The series looks incredible in high-definition. Discotek Media did a terrific job bringing the series to physical media with a quality scan of the series. The filmic video presentation is impressive and does well to showcase the artistry of the animators.

The hand-drawn animation looks great on the release – with good colors and a nice sense of artistry on display with the quality encoding. The physical format continues to offer superior high-definition video to streaming video services – providing audiences with higher video bit-rates and higher quality compared to streaming (which provides video with more compression and lower bit-rates by comparison).

Urusei Yatsura: TV Series Collection 04 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio is crisp and engaging on the release. Dialogue is well reproduced and sounds excellent overall – a nice lossless encoding. The sound direction by Shigeharu Shiba (Angel's Egg, Future Boy Conan) is conveyed well with the audio presentation.

The score is a highlight of the audio presentation and the quality is apparent on the release. The lossless audio is an example of how physical media remains superior compared to streaming services – with superior bit-rates and higher-quality encoding. A great job by Discotek Media.

Urusei Yatsura: TV Series Collection 04 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes an o-card slipcover. The slipcover artwork is the same as the art featured underneath the slipcover. Discotek Media did a nice quality print on the slipcover and it adds a nice element of collectability to an already fantastic release. The set looks great when held in hand and it also will fit right in on any media shelf.

The set does lack on-disc supplemental features. Unfortunately, the lack of any on disc extras is the main area of the release that is disappointing. The release could have had some value added with some audio commentaries, interviews, and art galleries showcasing early sketches and designs – the absence of any art galleries being one of the most missed inclusions (as Discotek Media does a good job with this aspect on many releases).

Urusei Yatsura: TV Series Collection 04 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Urusei Yatsura Collection 4 brings the beloved anime classic to its finale. Fans of the charming anime gem will be thrilled that Discotek Media has finished bringing this series to Blu-ray disc (alongside Discotek's releases of the feature-films). The Blu-ray release has excellent video and audio. The presentation is certainly well worth the price of admission. The release also comes with a nice collectable slipcover. Unfortunately, the package does not include any on-disc bonus features. Nonetheless, Urusei Yatsura fans will want to own the release and add it to their physical media collections. Highly recommended.