Search - Urusei Yatsura OVA, Vol. 1: Inaba the Dreammaker on DVD

Essential prequel for Urusei Yatsura #5

Mark Crispin | Bainbridge Island, WA USA | 04/11/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I haven't seen the DVD yet, so this review is based upon my having the Japanese laser disc as well as seeing the world premiere in Meguro Public Hall in Tokyo Japan back in July 1987.

Although released in video as an OVA, it was originally shown in film to members of Kitty Animation Circle who went to the 1987 KAC taikai. It tells the Inaba-kun story in the manga, and is a prequel to the "Boy Meets Girl" story in the final manga volume, which was subsequently animated as "Urusei Yatsura Kanketsuhen" ("final story).

I hope that this DVD contains the uncut version shown at the KAC taikai; the LD release had several scenes cut and consequently was several minutes shorter.

Here's a brief summary of the story that I wrote in 1987:

Shinobu, Ataru, and Lum get involved with what appears to be a man in a rabbit suit, named Inaba-kun ("kun" is a man's word, like "san" but less formal). They end up in space surrounded by many doors. Each door is a possible path of fate. They all scatter to find their ideal fate, but their hopes are dashed.

In one fate, Ataru marries Shinobu and fathers Kokeru, Lum marries Rei, and Ran is even more spiteful and evil than before. In another fate, Rei and Ran are married, but Lum marries Mendou and Ataru is his servant. etc. etc.

Inaba-kun offers to let them create their ideal fates by creating their own door-knobs to as yet incomplete doors. Shinobu's is heart-shaped, Lum's has a tiger pattern, and Ataru's has a star (Moroboshi = "all stars"). Before they can use them, they are captured by the other rabbit people, who prepare to boil Inaba-kun alive for letting mortals control fate. They reckoned without Shinobu's strength when angry, and the gang escapes.

They immediately seek to try their knobs, but they are again ambushed by the other rabbit people, and Lum's knob is lost. Ataru escapes with his knob, and uses it. He sees himself surrounded by every girl he has ever wanted, all in eager attendance upon him. All except Lum -- he forgot to include her in his "ideal" fate! He sees his older self in tears at not having Lum. Ataru flees the scene, removes the knob, and discards it.

We see Shinobu's ideal fate; an older Ataru is still chasing after girls, and an older Lum (dressed like Lum's mother) is pursuing him with lightning bolts. In other words, Shinobu's ideal fate is for nothing to change, and she expresses complete satisfaction with it. She is a sensible girl.

Meanwhile, Lum is furious at Ataru and is chasing him around the doors of fate. The rabbit people are trying to catch the gang, but only end up getting fried by one of Lum's lightning bolts. They are getting truly pissed! Finally, they send a hail of doors at the gang, who end up getting buried under the rubble.

They eventually get out, and we see yet another fate; it is outside a church, and all the Tomobiki people are there to be at Lum's wedding. The groom is clearly Ataru, but we never see his face... This fate is also destroyed by the rabbit people

Presently, the gang is on the run again from the rabbit people, and Inaba-kun pushes them back through the door to Tomobiki and seals it. Evidentally, he makes his peace with the rabbit people, because the last scene is of him back at work, maintaining the doors of fate. He sees something; it is Lum's lost doorknob. He picks it up, puts it on a door, and walks on.


In the KAC magazine shortly thereafter, a Japanese reviewer criticized the film, saying that the producer did not truly understand the love between Ataru and Lum. Specifically, in the scene right after the door with the marriage of Lum and Ataru is destroyed, Lum and Ataru just hold themselves, suggesting that their love is ordinary; but if it is ordinary, why do they quarrel so much and why would Ataru give up his dream of a harem? The reviewer felt that this was an inconsistency and not in accord with the original author's intentions."