Search - Urusei Yatsura - Movie 1 - Only You on DVD

Gotta love the petals

Kit | New York, NY | 03/07/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Only You" is probably one of my favorite Urusei Yatsura movies, tied along with "Beautiful Dreamer" and "The Final Chapter". If you're a casual viewer, you might want to check out the TV series and get to know the characters before diving into this one. But if you're an established UY fan, then this will be a real treat.

The movie puts the usual slapstick comedy in the back, and prefers to focus on the more heartwrenching scenes. Don't get me wrong, there are enough things to laugh at, such as the UY trademark subtle face expressions (of which Ataru is a master at), good ol' tiger-bull Rei's obliviousness, and the monk Cherry's appearances -- but the primary focus of the film is set on scenes that squeezes your heart.

And the scenes are, fortunately, quite well done. I'm a man, and I'm not afraid to admit that the "Lum in space" scene with "Lum no Ballad" playing in the background got me choked up -- and I'm usually quite apathetic to scenes like that in movies. Ataru watching with fear and concern for Lum in the back of a fighter jet is another tug. And of course, the final scene at the end alone is worth the time and money for any long time UY fans -- those that've seen the movie will know exactly what I'm talking about.

Unfortunately, as with any movie, there tend to be a few flaws. For one, the humans don't really get to do anything. This includes Mendou, Shinobu, Megane & Fan club, Cherry, and especially Sakura. Sure, Mendou, Shinobu, and Megane fare better than the others, but for the better part of the movie, they were just "there" for the sake of appearances. Cherry gets a bit of spotlight early on, but then disappears. I get the feeling that Sakura was just brought in to appease the Sakura fans since she had a few lines but did absolutely nothing else.

On the other hand, if you're a fan of the aliens (especially Benten), then you're in for a treat. Benten shows up A LOT, Oyuki gets some scenes, and even Rei jumps into the action. Ran also helps out, as do Mr. Invader himself. You'll even hear a few lines from the Crow Princess, Kurama.

Another flaw would be the characterization of Ellie. For a main villain, she seemed rather one-dimensional. Her design is good, and she can definitely compete with the other UY females in terms of beauty.... but when it comes to personality, we aren't given much about her. Reasons for why she did her malicious deeds are never explained, and nothing is said about how she came to be. And worse of all, just when we're about to get a glimpse of the surface below, the movie's about over. Sigh.

All in all, if you 1) are familar with Urusei Yatsura and its characters, 2) are a big fan of the Lum+Ataru relationship (and who isn't?), and 3) don't mind a few flaws, then you need to see this movie, no questions asked."

Always a great anime classic....

David E.Finley | Palm Springs, California United States | 12/26/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"But I have a problem with this DVD. This would have been a GREAT DVD If Mr. Woodhouse would have put a WIDESCREEN version out, and had dropped the assinine dub. Diddn't the Dub of episode one teach him anything?Well, at least UY is still coming out on DVD, so I guess I should be somewhat greateful."

What on (Insert name of planet)?

Ion Zone | Deep Space | 02/09/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The He-Man Rejects face off against the Flash-Gorden Fan club in a very watchable film."