Urusei Yatsura: Only You
Urusei Yatsura: Only You | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japanese name | |||||
Kanji | うる星やつら オンリー・ユー | ||||
| |||||
Directed by | Mamoru Oshii | ||||
Written by | Tomoko Konparu[1] | ||||
Based on | Urusei Yatsura by Rumiko Takahashi | ||||
Produced by | Yuji Nunokawa[1] | ||||
Cinematography | Akio Wakana[1] | ||||
Music by | Izumi Kobayashi Fumitaka Anzai Koji Nishimura Masamichi Amano | ||||
Production companies | |||||
Distributed by | Toho | ||||
Release date |
| ||||
Running time | 101 minutes | ||||
Country | Japan | ||||
Language | Japanese |
Urusei Yatsura: Only You (Japanese: うる星やつら オンリー・ユー, Hepburn: Urusei Yatsura Onri Yu) is a 1983 Japanese animated fantasy comedy film directed by Mamoru Oshii in his film directorial debut.[2][3] It is the first in the Urusei Yatsura film series based on the manga of the same name by Rumiko Takahashi. It was released in Japan on February 11, Friday 1983[1][3] during the second season of the series.
Voice cast
[edit]Character | Voice |
---|---|
Ataru Moroboshi | Toshio Furukawa |
Lum | Fumi Hirano |
Shinobu Miyake | Saeko Shimazu |
Shutaro Mendou | Akira Kamiya |
Ten | Kazuko Sugiyama |
Cherry | Ichirō Nagai |
Sakura | Machiko Washio |
Megane | Shigeru Chiba |
Perm | Akira Murayama |
Elle | Yoshiko Sakakibara Shiori (child) |
Nanabake Rose | Hiroko Maruyama |
Chibi | Issei Futamata |
Barbara | Naoko Kyoda |
Assistant Driver | Bin Shimada |
Kakugari | Shinji Nomura |
Guard A | Hideyuki Tanaka |
Guard B | Yoku Shioya |
Commander | Mugihito |
Announcer | Hiroshi Izawa |
Oni Commander | Kazuyo Aoki |
Child A | Kazuki Suzuki |
Child B | Nariko Fujieda |
Ataru's Father | Kenichi Ogata |
Ataru's Mother | Natsumi Sakuma |
Planet Elle Commander | Kiyomi Hanasaki Kumiko Takizawa Sanae Takagi Yuuko Masutani |
Oyuki | Noriko Ohara |
Princess Kurama | Rihoko Yoshida |
Lum's Father | Ritsuo Sawa |
Lum's Mother | Reiko Yamada |
Rei | Tessho Genda |
Driver | Yuuichi Sakuraniwa |
Production
[edit]Only You borrows heavily from the Japanese fairy tale of Urashima Tarō. The fairy tale would later inspire the film's sequel, Beautiful Dreamer.[4] In an interview featured in Art Handbook in 2000, Oshii expressed disappointment with the film, claiming "It's no film. It failed to be a film."[5]
Release
[edit]Only You was released theatrically in Japan on February 11, 1983 where it was distributed by Toho.[1] AnimEigo released the film in North America on subtitled-LaserDisc on November 11, 1992 as Urusei Yatsura Movie 1–Only You, and then on VHS on June 29, 1995.[1] They later released it on DVD with an English-language dub on October 21, 2003. Discotek Media acquired the North American rights in 2020 and released it on Blu-ray on December 31, 2021, including the AnimEigo dub.[6]
Reception
[edit]Allen Divers of Anime News Network gave the subtitled version of the film an overall grade of "A", and the dubbed version a "B" grade, writing that "Despite its age, Urusei Yatsura is a solid series of the romantic comedy genre that has aged very well. Its simple designs and over the top characters makes it a joy for all who watch it. Newer fans may be at a loss as they struggle with the archaic look of the series, but can see the origins of many more current series they enjoy now. Urusei Yatsura is one of the original wacky love tales that helped define the entire genre. Without it and many of Rumiko Takahashi's other works, the romantic comedy genre would not be what it is today. Old school fans will enjoy what this movie has to offer, and those new to the series can sit back and enjoy it as well. A classic story given the royal treatment".[7]
Jasper Sharp of Midnight Eye wrote that the film "throws the viewer completely in at the deep-end, assuming at least some knowledge of the characters and their relationships is in place, though it shouldn't take too long for newcomers to find their feet."[2] Dani Moure of Mania.com called the film "a lot of fun, and for the most part [...] very enjoyable."[8] Chris Beveridge, also of Mania.com, wrote that "the budget is bigger and the designs are more detailed."[9]
References
[edit]Footnotes
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Galbraith IV 2008, p. 333.
- ^ a b Sharp, Jasper (7 March 2006). "Midnight Eye review: Urusei Yatsura: Only You (Urusei Yatsura Onri Yu, 1983, Mamoru OSHII)". Midnight Eye. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ a b "うる星やつら オンリー・ユー(1983)". Allcinema.net (in Japanese). Stingray. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ Shamoon 2016, p. 50.
- ^ Oguro, Yuichiro (September 15, 2000). "ロングインタビュー 押井守のアニメスタイル". Notebook of Art. 53 (793): 66. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
- ^ "North American Anime, Manga Releases, December 26-January 1". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
- ^ Divers, Allen (3 February 2004). "Urusei Yatsura: Only You DVD". Anime News Network. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ Dani Moure. "Urusei Yatsura Movie 1: Only You". Mania.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ Chris Beveridge. "Urusei Yatsura Movie 1: Only You". Mania.com. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
Sources
[edit]- Galbraith IV, Stuart (2008). The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-1461673743.
- Shamoon, Deborah (2016). Folktales and Fairy Tales: Traditions and Texts from around the World (2nd ed.). ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1610692540. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
External links
[edit]- Urusei Yatsura: Only You at IMDb
- Urusei Yatsura: Only You (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- 1983 films
- Anime film stubs
- 1980s fantasy comedy films
- 1983 anime films
- 1983 comedy films
- 1983 directorial debut films
- Japanese animated comedy films
- Anime films based on manga
- Comedy anime and manga
- Films based on works by Rumiko Takahashi
- Films directed by Mamoru Oshii
- 1980s Japanese-language films
- Japanese animated fantasy films
- Japanese fantasy comedy films
- Toho animated films
- Urusei Yatsura
- Films scored by Masamichi Amano