Urusei Yatsura’s first teaser re-introduces an ’80s anime icon to modern audiences
A promotional teaser for the new Urusei Yatsura anime premiered on the show’s official website today, offering a glimpse of David Production’s upcoming take on the iconic sci-fi rom-com series set to air this October.
The new series is based on Rumiko Takahashi’s 1978 manga, which follows the story of Ataru Moroboshi, a lecherous high school student who is selected to defend Earth against an alien invasion by playing a game of tag against Lum, a blue-haired tiger-striped bikini-clad alien princess. Upon winning the game, Ataru inadvertently finds himself in a love triangle between his girlfriend Shinobu and the hot-tempered Lum, who misinterprets his cries of happiness as a marriage proposal.
The original Urusei Yatsura anime, which premiered in 1981 and ran until 1986, is commonly cited as one of the quintessential works of ’80s anime, inspiring stylistic tropes and visual trends which would influence Japanese anime rom-coms for decades and elevate Lum to the status of a Japanese pop-cultural icon.
Takahiro Kamei, who worked as an episode director on JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, is serving as series director. Masaru Yokoyama (Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, 2019’s Fruits Basket), is composing the music, while Naoyuki Asano (Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!) is serving as character designer.
Announced last December, this new series will adapt select stories from the original manga and run for a minimum of four cours (approx. 48 episodes), or a full year, although it is not yet known if the series will air consecutively.
The teaser itself certainly looks impressive, cramming an abundance of frenetic wackiness and eccentric characters into the space of 30-seconds. Still, the new series has some big shoes to fill, as the original 1981 anime was the directorial debut of none other than Mamoru Oshii, who would later go on to direct the 1995 Ghost in the Shell film as well as several television and film installments in the Mobile Police Patlabor series.
The new Urusei Yatsura anime will air in Japan on Fuji TV in October during the Noitamina programming block, as well as other channels to mark the 100th anniversary of Shogakukan, the manga’s publisher.
