Back to Fran_Man's Profile Fran_Man's Profile

In 2025 with anime becoming ever more popular in America and other places I still find myself surprised that certain great anime go unnoticed and underrated. Despite its massive influence on the medium, Urusei Yatsura would be one of these anime. Urusei Yatsura is the grandfather of comedy anime that completely changed the medium and its ripples of influence can still be seen today.

The premise of the show is rather simple. An alien girl named Lum comes down from space and falls in love with a flirty high school boy named Atrau who wants nothing to do with her and only wants to get ... with other girls. Now you combine a glutinous monk, a mega rich snob, a sexy priest/nurse, a girl with super strength, a cute girl who is secretly menacing, and tons of obnoxious aliens and you have the show. While some of these characters may sound cliche today, these tropes were fresh at the time of creation and basically established many of the most significant anime staples. Lum practically invented waifu culture! When watching the show every joke feels fresh and not oversaturated like many modern comedies. The cast of characters are able to operate in both wild sci-fi settings and down to Earth high school settings which is a testament to Rumiko Takahashi’s ability to write good characters.

Besides establishing most major character archetypes for romcoms. Urusei Yatsura can also be credited with helping change the animation style of this period from more slender and sharp characters of 70s anime to more rounded and soft characters as we know today. As far as the quality of animation goes, it’s charming and colorful and improves greatly as the show progresses. Of course the animation was limited in some aspects because of the time of production, so certain scenes can appear dated. Overall it’s very well done for its time and can be looked back at nostalgically.

Urusei Yatsura is also credited with being one of the first anime to include pop songs in its soundtrack. Yet another feat which started a trend that still exists today. Now anime and pop are synonymous. The soundtrack is filled with catchy songs that get stuck in your head and make you feel like you are in 1980s Japan. During UY’s original run in Japan, they made great sales selling the openings as records.

One of the most interesting aspects of the show is its use of surrealism. Throughout many episodes we see strange dream sequences, eeriness, as well as off putting settings and actions. This uneasiness is enchanting and makes the show much more interesting than a simple comedy. You can see the staff had greater visions and really cared about their work. The surrealism can be seen to a greater extent in the second movie. The ability for the characters to be used in instances of comedy and in more artistic ways shows the versatility of the characters and the genius of the writing. The show was ahead of its time in many ways.

Many of the characters in UY are based on Japanese mythology. The most obvious being Lum and her family who are oni, which are ogres or demons in Japanese folklore who wear tiger stripes and have horns. The stories also follow Japanese myth, some of which are more subtle and others are obvious retelling of classic tales. Even the characters who are not directly based on a myth have stereotypical Japanese qualities. Mendou is basically a modern day samurai who hails from an ancient clan and Megane’s demeanor is extremely serious besides his philosophical outbursts which are oftentimes fascist sounding which is strangely fitting. Most characters also will unexpectedly display qualities of seriousness which plays into the stereotypical Japanese nature. This juxtaposition between seriousness and cometic is hilarious and done very well and can be seen in many comedy anime today.

The only quarrels I have with UY is the fact that the show lasts so long sometimes it can get repetitive. Many of the same jokes, gags , and storylines are repeated over the course of the very long series. I suppose this repetition of jokes was a sort of prelude to the trope and camp of comedic anime to come. The show is better watched over a longer course of time and not binged so that it feels more fresh. Without this show, anime would probably look completely different. It helped grow the medium in several different aspects. Not only is Urusei Yatsura historically significant but it is also an entertaining watch with memorable characters and episodes. UY is a show that made me feel nostalgic for a time when I wasn't yet born and a culture I’ve never been a part of. Anyone who considers themself a fan of anime should give Urusei Yatsura a watch.