Urusei Yatsura (2022): A Blast from the Past with a New Twist

Urusei Yatsura (2022)

What would it be like if aliens invaded Earth? We have seen many movies and series about it, each telling a different story from various perspectives. There’s no doubt that you’ve thought about it at some point too, but have you ever seen such a situation through a comedic lens? You can always count on anime to answer such unorthodox questions, so let’s get to it!

Urusei Yatsura is a 23-episode TV anime series that aired from the 14th of October 2022 until the 24th of March 2023, becoming a fall 2022 series. It was produced by Aniplex, Dentsu, Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Fuji TV, Shogakukan, and Fuji Creative, licensed by Sentai Filmworks, and brought to life by Studio David Production.

Producer Kondou Shuuhou and directors Kimura Yasuhiro, Takahashi Hideya, and Kamei Takahiro spearheaded the project. It features comedy, romance, and sci-fi genres alongside the central theme of gag humor. The anime was targeted at the Shounen demographic and received a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years of age or older.

The anime series is based on the source manga “Those Obnoxious Aliens.” It ran for 34 volumes from the 30th of August 1978 until the 21st of January 1987. This was the work of author and artist Takahashi Rumiko, which was serialized in Shounen Sunday. An alternative TV anime series of the same name ran for 195 episodes in the fall of 1981. This was the work of Studio Pierrot and Studio Deen, which also followed the same source manga. A sequel anime series titled “Urusei Yatsura (2022) 2nd Season” will air in 2024 for 23 episodes.

The story is set on a fictional Earth where some peculiar aliens known as the “Oni” threaten to invade the planet. But they do promise to leave under one condition: a randomly chosen human being must achieve victory in a one-on-one game of tag against their chosen alien competitor. This particular alien is none other than Lum, the beautiful and curvy daughter of the Oni leader.

Meanwhile, the supposedly "lucky" human selected for the game is the perverted and unlucky high school boy, Ataru Moroboshi. He is granted ten days to try and grab Lum's horns, but he soon realizes how impossible the task is in the face of Lum's extraterrestrial powers. A “hero” like this needs motivation, right? Thus, he ends up driven by the promise of marriage from his childhood friend, Shinobu Miyake. As such, Ataru finally manages to catch Lum off guard but mistakenly grabs hold of her bikini top before eventually achieving his true goal.

While the taxing game has concluded, Lum somehow misunderstands that she is the one Ataru desires to marry. In response, she even decides to move in with him! Now poor Ataru must constantly shake off the clingy Lum, all while trying desperately to reconcile with his desired fiancée. Seeing how Ataru's “heroic” feat resulted in such disastrous outcomes, we begin to wonder if Lady Luck will ever be on his side!

First things first, Urusei Yatsura (2022) is a remake of the much older series. Was this a necessary remake? No. But is it a good series? Yes. This is not an exact copy of the older anime either, so you can enjoy it whether you're a veteran or a newbie. David Production Studio has honestly done a fantastic job revitalizing an old classic, making it more attractive and accessible for newer audiences, all while maintaining the same charm that made it such a groundbreaking show back then.

While it still follows the same general storyline, they made some refreshing changes and built a new experience for everyone. This is the remake of a revolutionary series that marked the origins of many typical anime tropes. The best example is how Lum is widely regarded as the first tsundere.

This is your anime if you want an excellent way to wind down after a hectic day or week. The series follows an episodic format while showcasing many slice-of-life aspects and utilizing a “Monster of the Week” storytelling style. Please note that there is no overarching plot here, but we meet many new and colorful characters as the series progresses. Each character also personifies some kind of anime archetype, most of which you’d laughably recognize.

This show runs almost entirely on these tropes, which may have been overused into the ground by now but were innovative and fresh ideas back then. Each episode is playful and full of fun antics guaranteed to make you laugh at some point. While it may sometimes feel repetitive, everything just works as it is, and there really isn’t much to complain about here. Ataru will always be the idiotic MC we know and love, sprinting alongside a cast of lovable and memorable characters.

In the art and animation department, the art style remains true to the original work while fitting in perfectly with modern anime in terms of quality and appeal. The highlights are the bright, shiny colors, the iconic eyes, the nostalgic old-school anime style, and the character designs in general. The studio deserves a round of applause for handling them so well. On the other hand, the animation isn’t groundbreaking but retains top quality and consistency, even for a gimmick Slice of Life series.

The audio department was handled well too. The opening themes are "Aiue" by MAISONdes featuring Minami, SAKURAmoti, and “I Wanna Muchuu” by MAISONdes featuring asmi, Three. The ending themes are Tokyo Shandy Rendez-vous by MAISONdes featuring KAF, TSUMIKI; Ai Tarinai by MAISONdes featuring yama, NITO; Mou Ii mon by MAISONdes featuring KANKAN, ⌘HYNOME; and TORAE NO HIME by MAISONdes featuring Muto, Sohbana.

All of these were great or decent, with stunning performances. Finally, the voice acting was superbly done, perfectly reflecting the characters’ personalities and invigorating the comedy. The OSTs were nothing extraordinary, but they did their part without issue.

Overall, Urusei Yatsura (2022) is an excellent modern remake of a classic series that indeed influenced all of the romance anime that came after it. While it may not be perfect or the ideal watch for modern audiences, it’s an enjoyable ride that offers loveable characters, solid comedy, and beautiful artwork. The faults are so insignificant that you’d forget them mere seconds after noticing them, so give this hilarious show a watch. I personally cannot wait for Season 2 because this season was executed so well and is highly recommended!