Urusei Yatsura movies

[chronoclast]

I need some help with this. I've been wanting to see Urusei Yatsura, mostly because of Mamoru Oshii, but the tv series is just way too much for me to try to buy. So that brings me to the movies. Is it necessary to see the tv series with any of them or are they self contained? I'm most interested in the first two that Oshii directed, especially due to how well regarded Beautiful Dreamer is, but I'd like to know if it would be worth picking up the latter four too?

[Dissonance]

You could probably watch and enjoy the movies without seeing any of the TV series. The movies are self contained, although they assume that the viewer is already familiar with the huge ensemble cast. It's not ideal, but you can always read up on the story and characters at Tomobiki-cho (http://www.furinkan.com/uy/).

Personally, I would only recommend that you watch the first two movies. The rest are okay but largely forgettable.

[Mank]

You could probably watch and enjoy the movies without seeing any of the TV series. The movies are self contained, although they assume that the viewer is already familiar with the huge ensemble cast. It's not ideal, but you can always read up on the story and characters at Tomobiki-cho (http://www.furinkan.com/uy/).

Personally, I would only recommend that you watch the first two movies. The rest are okay but largely forgettable.

What about 5? I wouldn't call the true ending to the series THAT forgettable...

[Dissonance]

What about 5? I wouldn't call the true ending to the series THAT forgettable...
You're perfectly entitled not to. Me, I've owned it for at least ten years and have watched it once. That says it all, really!

[jcrharris]

As far as the movies go...

The first 2 are the best but it doesn't mean you should completely skip the others. Movie 5 is must viewing if you want some resolution to the series. I personally cannot sit through Lum The Forever again due to its nigh-incomprehensible story. Movie 3 (Remember My Love) is ok but not great. For all that is holy, skip Movie 6 (Always My Darling) as it is just plain not good, especially compared to the Ranma movie it got double billed with (Chinese Dream aka The good Ranma movie).

If you want full on laughs the first movie (Only You) is best and for really deep story and one of the greatest 'I figured it all out' scenes in anime Beautiful Dreamer (Movie 2) is a must.

Also putting some money down on the OVAs might not be a bad idea as well, as they are all top notch (Inaba The Dreamer especially) and won't run you as much as the TV series (though if you look on Amazon you can get singles of the TV series used at a reasonable price).

James

[djanss]

I need some help with this. I've been wanting to see Urusei Yatsura, mostly because of Mamoru Oshii, but the tv series is just way too much for me to try to buy. So that brings me to the movies. Is it necessary to see the tv series with any of them or are they self contained? I'm most interested in the first two that Oshii directed, especially due to how well regarded Beautiful Dreamer is, but I'd like to know if it would be worth picking up the latter four too?

Taking questions in order:

- With UY, we could explain the plot, but it still wouldn't help. ] ;)
Most of the Season 1 For Dummies essentials (and we'll skip over the argument about why not to watch Season 1 in its entirety) are neatly summed up in one half-hour recap episode on Vol. 6 (http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Urusei_Yatsura_TV_Series/70020060) which is as much TV minimum as you'll need to get your feet wet for the features.

- ...After which, the story, characters and animation quality start taking on a little more professional polish with #1, "Only You", which was made to be the default introductory mainstream-identification cash-in on the first season-and-a-half (and as "self-contained" as it could humanly ever be, a la Ranma Movie 1), but is far enough into the "good Lum" phase enough to be watchable.

- #2, "Beautiful Dreamer" is Oshii's "art" film--and improves on #3 & 4 in that it has large doses of the show's actual humor in it--but still plays itself as a change-of-pace "eerie" mystery that will otherwise further baffle anyone still trying to make it through the concept and characters. Don't underestimate that it's one of the Anime Hall of Fame classics, though.

- After that, every other film during the regular run tried to follow Dreamer's "eerie" lead, but Kazuo Yamazaki was too sentimental and fantasy-laden to pick up on Oshii's surreal act for #'s 3 and 4--
3's nice and sentimental for what it is, but 4 turned out to be an embarrassment: If it doesn't make sense, it wasn't supposed to (it was supposed to be "abstract" art), and is just shy of completely humorless.

- #5 was the "Final Chapter" gimmick, but feels too tied to Rumiko's gimmicky manga stories, and has thin sub-TV animation, but at least it's funnier than #4...
And #6?...Ohhh, #6. :( Suffice to say, it was a 10th-anniversary reunion, but otherwise, oyyyy, don't even ask.

(We continue to applaud anyone taking the time to introduce themselves to Lum & Ataru, just so long as they do it carefully:
Start with the recap, and if it looks funny, go to the features and TV-volume upwards or downwards from there at your discretion--And if not quite...don't worry, it gets a LOT better.)

[Glorian]

I started with the first two movies to see if I liked Urusei Yatsura, and I found them to be fairly self-contained (although some things might be unclear, the movies are understandable and enjoyable in their own right).

The first movie is rather like an extended length episode of the TV series in terms of writing and tone, while the second movie has a more distinctive style (and is one of my all time favorite anime).

I also rather enjoyed the third movie (although it wasn't as strong as the first two), and I would suggest picking it up if you liked the first two (just don't expect it to outdo Beautiful Dreamer). It's more of a lighter romantic fantasy. In fact, I would say that each of the first three movies strongly illustrates one aspect of the series: the first is centered on comedy, the second is centered on story, and the third is centered on romance. That doesn't mean that there isn't, say, comedy in Beautiful Dreamer, it's just that the emphasis is different.

Four, five, and six weren't that great, so I wouldn't recommend them unless you're a big Urusei Yatsura fan that just has to see everything in the franchise.

[Steve_the_Talking_Pie]

I would check out the first couple discs of the TV and then same random discs. It's good to understand the initial storyline, and become accustomed to the quirks of the various characters.

I have only seen Movie 2: Beautiful Dreamer. It is considered a staple of anime movies. The surreal atmosphere and whimsical acting plays well together.

[Njr Scrawl]

1st 2 movies are the best. You need the first few TV volumes to appreciate movie 2 = Beautiful Dreamer, & how that movie improves & twists the lower quality TV start.