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15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Belly laughs abound, 5 stars (hmmm . . . stars . . .), March 18, 2001
This review is from: Urusei Yatsura, TV Series 1 (Episodes 1-4) (DVD)
American anime fans who were not familiar with the comics printed in English more than a decade ago have probably spent the past 10+ years wondering what the fuss was about. (Well it certainly wasn't trying to explain the spelling and pronunciation of the title to people!) I'm sure there are as many answers to this mystery as there are fans, but the series would never have captured such a large international following if it weren't for the clownish personality found in the invading "space-demon" Lum. Much of the conflict in the story (especially this early on) seems to spring from her selfishness and her amoral world view. Here's a girl that puts the "I" back into ideology! If you can dig that kind of protagonist well then, there is another hero in the story to help you in those moments when you just can't take Lum's side; high school underclassman Ataru. As the unwilling object of Lum's desire he counter acts her histrionic antics with indignation and a comical inability to see the error of his own selfish machinations. And let's not forget Ataru's girlfriend Shinobu; You see Lum doesn't like Shinobu, not that it would matter if she did. Those of you wondering how this television series differs from the original manga will find that the character designs in these early episodes are simpler and less divergent from what was Rumiko Takahashi's emerging style as an illustrator. You will also find the key events from the manga series' initial installments intact; but you will be treated to some original detours, most notably a farcical time travel storyline. In order to introduce the series properly the first episode includes the infamous game of "tag" that American reviewers in the 1980s mischievously used to portray the series as a being raunchy comedy. Little did they know that it would soon be translated and people would learn that nothing (well maybe not nothing) could be further from the truth. In fact, hard core Urusei Yatsura fans insist that the series has only one innuendo-laced scene(and guess what, it's on this disc). Another key aspect of this volume is the introduction of two supporting characters. After all, it is in this stage of the story that we see the conflict between Shinobu and Lum erupt for the first time. From here on out it takes the form of an anticlimactic running gag. We also get to see Sakura, the school nurse introduced for the first time. I hate to tag a high school finish to this thing, but I might as well keep with the theme. So in conclu . . . er, uhm, . . .I mean in other words, Urusei Yatsura's transition into a television series is a Takahashi franchise that lives up the original material.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Old anime= Good Anime, October 28, 2001
This review is from: Urusei Yatsura, TV Series 1 (Episodes 1-4) (DVD)
Well that might not fit all series, but it certainly fits this series. The series first aired on television in Japan back in the year 1981, and soon became a massive success spawning 196 television episodes, 6 movies, and 11 OVAs. The manga series created by the extraordinarily talented mangaka Rumiko Takahashi lasted from 1977-1986 and was collected in 34 volumes. The series itself is one of the oddest series ever created in my own humble opinion. The first DVD involves the main character Ataru Moroboshi playing tag with an Oni, a japanese demon or in this case an alien from outer space, meeting another Oni named Ten who arrives in a peach like Momotaro in japanese folklore, a crazy Buddhist monk named sakuranbou, or cherry, another japanese figure from folklore: Kintaro, the gluttenous Oni, Rei, among many many others. The show is a good introduction to many aspects of Japan especially folklore and the lives of modern, middle class Japanese, but that might the series less appealing to others because it might be too japanese, but give it a shot any fan of anime should.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must see for any Ranma 1/2 fan., December 3, 2002
This review is from: Urusei Yatsura, TV Series 1 (Episodes 1-4) (DVD)
This story is about an alien oni race vent on conquering Earth, but to give Earthlings a chance they randomly choose a person, Ataru, to grab the very provocative Lum's horns. If Ataru manage to grab Lum's horns, Earth is spared and the Aliens will return home. From the moment I saw this TV show as a little girl in Japan, I was hooked. This show was so popular in Japan, every girl in Japan started calling their boyfriends "Darling". This story is a very funny romantic comedy that is a must for any Ranma 1/2 fan. Many colorful characters grace this show from the monstrously strong girl, Shinobu, to the very jealous rival of Lum, Lan, and this show have enough twists to keep you laughing. Buy this for any Anime fan and you won't be sorry.
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