Urusei Yatsura (film series)

Lore & Background

The first four films were released during the television series: Urusei Yatsura: Only You (February 11, 1983) and Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer (February 11, 1984), both directed by Mamoru Oshii; Urusei Yatsura 3: Remember My Love (January 26, 1985) and Urusei Yatsura 4: Lum the Forever (February 22, 1986), both directed by Kazuo Yamazaki. After the television series ended, two more films were produced: Urusei Yatsura: The Final Chapter (February 6, 1988), directed by Satoshi Dezaki as a tenth anniversary celebration, and Urusei Yatsura: Always My Darling (November 2, 1991), directed by Katsuhisa Yamada. The OVAs were released between 1985 and 1991, beginning with Ryoko's September Tea Party on September 24, 1985, and ending with Terror of Girly-Eyes Measles and Date with a Spirit on June 21, 1991. A special, The Obstacle Course Swim Meet, premiered on December 23, 2008, at the It's a Rumic World exhibition, marking the first new animated content in 17 years.

Reader's Guide

The Urusei Yatsura film series is significant as an extension of the beloved anime and manga franchise, with each film offering distinct storytelling approaches. Only You was Rumiko Takahashi's favorite and considered most true to the original series, while Beautiful Dreamer, directed by Mamoru Oshii, deviated significantly and caused Takahashi to nearly reject the script. Beautiful Dreamer received mixed reception in Japan but is often regarded by fans as the best film in the series. The Final Chapter served as the official ending of the anime series, adapting the manga's final story. The OVAs were released theatrically before home video, and the series saw continued interest with a 2008 special. The films were distributed in North America by multiple companies, with Discotek Media acquiring rights to five films in 2020.

Did You Know?

• Only You was directed by Mamoru Oshii, who was frustrated by producer requests to alter the film.
• Beautiful Dreamer borrows heavily from the Japanese fairy tale of Urashima Tarō.
• Remember My Love does not feature Bulma from Dragon Ball, who debuted in her own anime series after this film's release.
• The OVAs were direct-to-video releases and were not shown theatrically first.