When it was first announced that there would be a reboot of the Urusei Yatsura series, I was genuinely surprised. The series already has some fairly beloved anime adaptations and original animations. Given the tropes that the original manga spearheaded back in the eighties, I just wasn’t sure if there was a place for Urusei Yatsura in this day and age. Thankfully, I ended up eating my words, as this modern-day adaptation is probably one of the more expressive and colorful reboots we’ve gotten in quite some time. It’s not exactly as one-to-one as the original manga, as there are some stories shifted around from what I’ve heard, but I was fairly shocked at how much I ended up enjoying this series under a more modern lens. How do these final ten episodes hold up? As we approach the conclusion, does this reboot stick to the landing?
That’s a little hard to say, considering that these last ten episodes are handled a little differently than the rest of the series. The first five episodes here are treated much like the rest of the series, with each episode divided into skits and those skits showcasing different members of the cast in a variety of different wacky scenarios. Some skits are better than others because of their slapstick and creativity, such as the heart candy episode. Others are a bit bogged down either because of repetitiveness, revolve around characters that I do not find interesting, or the material is just a bit dated. After watching the entire show, I have barely heard any jokes that revolve around Ran or Rei that have made me laugh, so any focus they get feels like a waste of time. Also, incest jokes get stale pretty fast.
However, the show’s gorgeous presentation carries even the most mundane skit. It’s bright, colorful, and bursting at the seams with strong comedic cuts and character animation. I don’t think there’s a single bad-looking episode in this entire series, let alone these final ten episodes. Something is always moving, and I can’t recall any moments of repeated animation. Even if the series isn’t a perfect adaptation of the original manga, you can still tell there’s a fantastic level of care that has gone into celebrating the source material as much as possible. There are dozens of callbacks in the opening and casting that scream how much the people working on the show care about it, and even if this series doesn’t end up being up your alley, I don’t want anyone ever to take that away from them. Plus, some of the recurring music themes, particularly the track “No Sugar Added,” have become so ingrained in my brain after so many episodes that the use of it is bound to get me emotional.
So, the first five episodes are more of the same. What about the final five episodes? Well, that’s where the series abandons its more episodic nature and goes for an overarching narrative that builds into the conclusion. Before this point, I think only one other story arc went on for more than two episodes. This one focuses on other aliens coming down and whisking Lum away under the pretense that she is supposed to be betrothed to this other guy. In reality, the whole thing is just an excuse to introduce two new characters whose only purpose is to serve as a massive parallel to Ataru and Lum’s stubborn dynamic. You have misunderstanding stacking on top of misunderstanding, and both characters are doubling down hard even when they’re supposed to be in the wrong about the situation. All of that culminates in a finale where it appears as if the world’s fate is at stake…but in reality, it’s something much simpler.
This adaptation has done a lot with Lum and Ataru’s relationship. Yes, there is the classic slapstick dynamic between them, with Ataru always chasing after other women and Lum cranking everything up to eleven. Still, the show did an amazing job balancing all that with quieter moments. There are a lot of subtle moments, and even entire skits are dedicated solely to showing just how much these two care for each other. Weirdly, the dynamic still works, even if it is dated. Plenty of moments show Ataru genuinely cares about Lum more than anybody else and that’s why he treats her so differently. Lum has moments where she has to accept that Ataru will never stop being his over-the-top, sleazy self, but she shows that she cares where it matters. This finale would have benefited from having more of those quieter moments. Instead, the finale almost feels like one extended metaphor for two teenagers bashing their heads against the wall, waiting to see who will collapse first.
The slapstick is still funny, but you could’ve told the story the finale wanted to tell in half of the episodes. The fact that much of this finale is predicated on characters that we barely knew up until now and who feel like alternate versions of our main couple doesn’t help. I can point to a couple of scenes throughout the show that probably would’ve made for a better overarching conclusion because there is a point where too much yelling feels like noise at the end. Then again, that is still the heart of Urusei Yatsura.
It’s a series that prides itself on that bombasticness and wears its heart on its sleeve. It’s a series that stubbornly sticks to its guns like the main characters. Then, underneath all that noise, at the very end where it counts, you see that heart shine through. Is it a little underwhelming? Yes. Could the show have ended with a stronger sense of finality rather than the typical “I guess they’ll never learn” message? Yeah, probably. But I do have to respect that the show committed to itself until the very end.
Whether or not people will prefer this reboot to the original manga or to the other anime adaptations we had is hard to say. I cannot speak for all of them, nor do I fancy myself as an expert on the franchise. But as a casual anime enjoyer who likes seeing if certain things stand the test of time, I can’t deny that I walked away from this series with a smile. I’m glad I got to experience it, even if parts still show their age. Not all the characters are amazing, and not all the jokes land, but when it hits, it does hit, and I can see why people still revel in this franchise decades later. If you’re in the mood for a wacky and over-the-top comedy, then it’s worth checking out this reboot. Grab the series by the horns and tune into the crazy adventures of our stubborn cast.
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