Review of Urusei Yatsura: Movie 6 - Always My Darling

Introduction

Rumiko Takahashi is one of the best-known manga artists, especially in the West. There are a host of anime series that are based on her works, and nearly all of them run into three figure episode numbers. Earlier this year, Inuyasha made its UK debut, and I have reviewed the first twelve episodes elsewhere on the site. But long running anime series rarely find an audience in the UK, and the numbers sufficient enough to justify a release schedule of up to 50 or more discs usually only apply in places like the US. In the UK, we have to make do with the spin offs and tie-ins, which can fit on fewer volumes. All we see of Ranma½ in the UK are the two movies. Yet another Rumiko Takahashi title, Urusei Yatsura has had better exposure, with around five hours of OVAs, as well as five of the six theatrical movies being released here on DVD. Of course the few hundred television episodes are nowhere to be seen.

When aliens from the planet Oniboshi invaded Earth, they offered a challenge. If Earth`s champion could defeat their own, then they would leave humanity in peace. But they would get to choose the champion. They chose eternal lecher Ataru Moroboshi, a teenager with only one thing on his mind. All he had to do to win was to catch the alien princess Lum, a task made easier by her obvious attractions. The downside was that she could fly. When all seemed lost, Ataru`s girlfriend offered to marry him, but when Ataru agreed, Lum got the wrong end of the stick, and accepted his `proposal`. Since then, Lum has become an ever-present part of Ataru`s life, making his life as a pervert extremely difficult, as her jealousy would manifest in the form of electric shocks. That was the premise of the series Urusei Yatsura, and as the show progressed a large cast of fascinating characters built up.

By all rights, the fifth movie should have been the final one. The clue is in the title, The Final Chapter. Based as it was on the final manga it provided some sense of closure for the characters as it brought the story full circle. But it was no less of a truism then than it is today; if a movie sells, make another one. For Urusei Yatsura`s tenth anniversary, Always My Darling was released.

Ataru Moroboshi`s day is about to get a lot more complicated. Halfway across the galaxy, a princess has discovered that Ataru is the most lecherous man in the universe, and she needs him, badly. Before your minds sink lower than Ataru`s, let me clarify. There exists, concealed on a mythical planetoid a temple, and in that temple is the universe`s most potent love potion, a treasure that can only be retrieved by the most lecherous man in existence. The princess Lupica is about to turn eighteen, and to ascend to the throne she needs to be married. Only she is unimpressed with the suitors thus far, and would far rather be with her childhood crush, the local tofu delivery boy. So Ataru is kidnapped, and Lum has to rescue him. Only the Love Potion is a big draw for Lum, who sees the chance to make Ataru faithful for a change.

Video

Another early DVD release from MVM and the age is certainly telling. With a 4:3 transfer that looks as if it has been taken from the VHS, it`s low resolution, soft and has some colour bleed. On the other hand, it`s clear and pretty free of print damage, and the animation isn`t hampered by the soft look.

Audio

Again, the sole Japanese soundtrack with burnt in English subtitles betrays an early disc. The dialogue is clear, and the straightforward DD 2.0 track has no flaws.

Features

The end theme plays in its entirety over the main menu. If you are so inclined, you can rip an mp3 of it to add to your music collection. Note: Do not do this! This is probably illegal, and you will probably end up in Guantanamo.

Conclusion

The sixth and thus far final movie in the Urusei Yatsura franchise could easily have been one trip to the well too many, but it manages to scrape by on entertainment value alone. Of course it conveniently forgets that the previous movie had provided some sort of closure for the characters, in which Ataru came as close as he possibly could to admitting his feelings for Lum.

In Always My Darling, Ataru is back to his venal, lecherous self, spending his free time girl hunting, and avoiding Lum`s electric shock therapy. It sticks to what the movies have done best, having one of the main characters kidnapped and the other setting off to rescue them, whether they want to be rescued or not. The trademark humour is there, the fast paced plot, the zany mentality all follow the same pattern as before. But I cannot deny that no matter how entertaining this film is, no matter how much I laughed at the silliness, the franchise is getting tired by this point, and it feels as if everyone involved is just going through the motions.

In many respects, despite Ataru and Lum being centre stage, the movie really isn`t about them. They spend the run time going through the same old routine. Princess Lupica, and her tofu-hunk Rio carry the emotional heart of the film. It`s about getting them to communicate their feelings to each other, and in that respect, the main characters are really just a means to an end. Fortunately Lupica`s story is enough to hold the attention. If there is something to add to Lum`s story, it`s that in this movie she comes to accept Ataru for who he is, rather than who she wants him to be, and at any other point this would be considerable character growth. It`s just that in the previous movie, Lum and Ataru`s story was given a satisfying conclusion, which makes this film`s developments really an afterthought.

Always My Darling is run of the mill in many respects, but still delivers 80 odd minutes of animated mayhem. It`s certainly entertaining, but not all that significant in the Urusei Yatsura canon.