What first got my attention about Urusei Yatsura was the style of the show. Then I saw that David Production was making it, and I was sold (yes, I’m a JoJo fan).
It sets up the status quo from the very start: Ataru Moroboshi is a total womanizer, Lum will do anything to get a shred of affection out of her darling, Cherry will always be where you least expect him, etcetera, etcetera. I’ll be honest, the status quo started wearing me down by the end of the season. Episodes near the end that I would have considered a 7/10 earlier on ended up with 6/10 ratings. That’s only a minor step down, but I guess that once I realized it was going to be the same thing every episode, I stopped being as merciful.
That being said, I did enjoy the episode-to-episode antics a bunch. You don’t see a ton of anime these days relying almost 100% on slapstick for its comedy, but this one does quite well for itself. A ton of the gags had me laughing out loud because of the sheer absurdity, and most of the time, it was super creative in its execution. I’m not sure if it’s because of the writing, animation, or the source material, but it’s probably some combination of the three that really make the comedy in this show land, and make it unique.
Speaking of unique, the style of the show is impeccable. David Production is no stranger to unconventional art styles and uses of colour, but this takes the cake in terms of creativity. The way they adapted the style of the original manga (and by proxy, the way they remade the 1980’s anime) into the modern day looks and feels great. It doesn’t feel dated one bit (even when a VHS tape shows up), and that’s a huge win in the adaptation department. They managed to take source material from almost 50 years ago and make it feel right at home in the 2020’s; that’s a staggering feat.
Like I briefly mentioned earlier, some of the tropes it uses get stale after a while, but thankfully, they never get grating or make the show hard to watch. Despite the characters fitting into their own niche and rarely ever leaving it, they still manage to make creative scenarios and conflicts in which the characters can go wild. However, there are very rare moments we get to see a glint of actual development, and it’s so sweet to see when they do happen. I know it’s not the type of show that leans heavily into nuanced characters and satisfying character development, but I’m happy it found its own niche and sticks to it.
Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t even mention the music. Yes, the incidental score is good, but both OPs and EDs are absolute bangers. They’re of the never-skip calibre; the music is catchy from the very start, the visuals ooze with fun and style, and they all fit the vibe of the show to a tee.
Bottom line, if you love the unique style of the show, and can stand to see a lot of the same tropes get rinsed and repeated in fun and creative ways, give this show a shot.