Season 1 |
Season 2 |
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Episode Guide
Episode 1: Fantasy Balloon Gum/Love Knows No Barriers -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 2: Trickle of Memories / Album of Memories / The Home Visit Blues: Feuding Fujinami Edition -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 3: Electric Jungle -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 4: Love Thief / That Mizunokoji Girl -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 5: The Continuation of: That Mizunokoji Girl -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 6: Kotasu Love / Lum Becomes A Cow / The Home Visit Blues: Luxurious Mendo Edition -|Review Score – 2.5/5
Episode 7: Eerie Earmuffs / Family Tree -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 8: Open The Door – Part 1 -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 9: Open The Door – Part 2 | The Home Visit Blues: Prohibitive Miyake Edition -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 10: Haunted Mendo / Last Date -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 11: The Case of the Battered Principal / The Secret Flower Garden / The Home Visit Blues: Hellish Moroboshi Edition -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 12: Lovely Darling In Danger!! / Foxes In The Mountains / The Home Visit Blues: Mark Onsen Goes To Space -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 13: Wretched Shutaro!!! -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 14: Asuka Returns / A Stormy Date: Part 1 -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 15: A Stormy Date: Part 2 -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 16: Nagisa’s Fiance / The Fairy’s Parasol -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 17: One Night’s Peril / Deadly Peril in the Classroom -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 18: Flower Petals of Love and Courage -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 19: Lum’s Wrath / Steal My Heart -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 20: Boy Meets Girl: The Morning of Farewell -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 21: Boy Meets Girl: Are You Really Getting Married? -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 22: Boy Meets Girl: Crooked Heart -|Review Score – 2.5/5
Episode 23: Boy Meets Girl: I Want You When I Can’t Have You -|Review Score – 3/5
Anime remakes used to be a rarity in the industry. Only a select few anime of the retro era, specifically shonen, received new adaptations to gain a wider audience. Some notable ones include 2009’s Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and 2011’s Hunter x Hunter. While the latter’s manga is ongoing, audiences are happy with each remake’s fine attention to detail.
In 2022, David Production Studios, known for their stellar remake of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure received the opportunity to work on one of the oldest romantic comedies today called Urusei Yatsura. Unlike its 1980s predecessor, this remake spawned two seasons and adapted specific episodes and story arcs that long-time fans and newcomers would love.
Although Urusei Yatsura Season 1 offered fans hope for the future, Season 2 delivers little value and more of the same regarding its strong and weakest aspects. Season 2 shares a similar runtime and episode count as Season 1. In it, we continue following Lum and Ataru’s wacky and dramatic affairs. Many familiar faces join our protagonists on their outings, in addition, to several new characters.
Season 2’s plot structure is identical to Season 1’s format. Where one chapter may focus on a single story segment, others contain two or three side tales for fans to watch. Many episodes place our protagonists in imaginative and grounded situations. From time-travel shenanigans to wedding-crashing scenarios, fans will appreciate Season 2 for placing its cast in distinguishable and semi-memorable segments.
On that note, the anime’s comedy remains its best offering by a landslide. Much like Season 1, Season 2 has the cast engage in hilarious arguments, colorful slapstick, and outlandish activities. These will make it hard for folks not to giggle at each character’s misery or achievements. Additionally, several Season 2 segments contain great drama viewers may resonate with.
Two examples include the episodes centered around Shinobu, Inaba, and Asuka’s characters. Shinobu and Inaba’s relationship troubles may hit harder than Asuka’s issues with her family. This is due to the anime developing Shinobu and Inaba’s connection through its storytelling approach at a gradual pace. Season 2 also delves into its supporting cast’s dormant issues like Mendo’s fear of the dark, and presents others, like Ryonosuke, with obstacles to overcome.
Although these offerings sound fabulous, Season 2’s story has Season 1-related issues. For instance, Season 2 contains many insignificant side tales that hold no purpose outside of generating a laugh or “awe” from audiences. Onsen-Mark’s home visit subplot comes to mind. Although this full segment is funny, removing this entire side tale, in favor of fleshing out a more meaningful one would’ve been the better option.
One such tale that comes to mind is Ataru’s date with the ghostly Nozomi in episode 10. That segment suffers from audiences lacking little attachment to Nozomi. This is because the series doesn’t give her scenario the attention necessary for folks to care.
Next, the story often leaves matters unresolved for comedic purposes, which may annoy certain fans. This is problematic considering the characters involved go through multiple loops and hurdles to defeat their inner demons. This hampers these characters’ development and may entice folks to hold out less hope for others to develop profoundly. Also, Season 2’s comedy relies on similar jokes and gags to entice folks to laugh, which could be an issue for fans who crave varied humor.
Much like Season 2’s storyline, it’s returning and new cast members are fine. Ataru displays the same delinquent habits as in Season 1. He’ll flirt with any girl he finds attractive and showcases a touch of care for Lum and others when the narrative wants him to. As for Lum, she’s still the same wise yet hot-tempered female from Season 1, who has moments in Season 2, like Ataru, that’ll entertain audiences.
Unfortunately, the two’s “romance” takes a backseat throughout Season 2’s runtime. Again, this is due to the remake honing in on the humor rather than its romance. That said, the “character problem” returns in Season 2. The character problem refers to this anime’s insistence on introducing characters with unsatisfactory story arcs.
Nagisa and Shingo are new additions some fans won’t find memorable or appealing. Characters like these come off as meaningless obstacles to give our main cast something to do in the narrative. Fortunately, not every supporting character is like these two. Some characters have engaging segments like Shinobu’s romantic quarrel with Inaba and Season 2’s antagonist, Rupa, instigating tension between Lum and Ataru. Therefore, it’s best to anticipate little growth from this rom-com’s roster.
Visually, Urusei Yatsura Season 2 looks wonderful. Like Season 1, David Productions Studios did a fabulous job bringing Ataru, Lum, and the others into the modern anime era. Whether through action-heavy scenes or the ones where our characters traverse through Tomobiki Town, nothing in Season 2 looked uninspiring. Even the still art pieces, like the one used for this review, look astonishing. It wouldn’t be farfetched to say folks wouldn’t want a sequel film or season done in that art style.
Musically, Season 2 offers a nice soundtrack. The music never interferes with the storytelling. It occasionally elevates the tension in certain scenarios. The voice acting os fine along with this season’s new ending and opening songs even if Season 1’s songs were arguably better.
Nonetheless, Urusei Yatsura Season 2 aims to give new anime fans a taste of the classic anime era of storytelling. Unfortunately, this remake may not strike a chord with newer generations. Yet, older fans who grew up with Rumiko Takahashi’s (the series’s creator’s) work may look back on this remake fondly. Fans hoping for a masterful remake of this beloved 1980s classic may want to find a copy of the original series and experience it that way.
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Verdict - 6/10
6/10