Urusei Yatsura 2: Byûtifuru dorîmâ

I went into this film knowing almost nothing about "Urusei Yatsura" - literally just recognized Lum and Ataru from pop culture. For some reason, I decided to jump straight into the second movie without any background. I had seen people on Twitter calling it "a film that flopped on release but later became a cult classic," and that intrigued me enough to check it out.

The verdict? It was absolutely fantastic! I think my lack of familiarity with the source material actually helped me enjoy it more, allowing me to experience Mamoru Oshii's vision without any preconceptions. In fact, I'd argue newcomers might appreciate this film more than hardcore fans of the series.

What surprised me most was how horror-influenced it felt. The scene with the carnival performers wandering through the empty town was genuinely creepy, and the hibernation pod awakening sequence gave me serious chills. The blurring between dreams and reality reminded me a lot of "A Nightmare on Elm Street," with a similar unsettling atmosphere I wasn't expecting.

It's mind-blowing that this came out in 1984 - nine years before "Groundhog Day" popularized the time loop concept in Western cinema! The ending sequence where dreams keep repeating also reminded me of the "Infinity Train" arc in "Demon Slayer." This film's influence on later works must be enormous.

The visuals are absolutely stunning. The empty night school, Lum floating before the massive water tank - the film creates this dreamlike, ethereal beauty that completely captivated me. I loved Oshii's philosophical questioning throughout (the nature of dreams vs. Reality). The concept that an "unchanging daily life" seems appealing but actually prevents growth is pretty profound.

One line that really struck me was when Ataru says: "To keep loving someone, I need to remain free from them." That resonated far beyond just romance - it speaks to all relationships. The idea that maintaining some independence is crucial to truly loving someone... I found that incredibly relatable.

Seeing Lum in a school uniform instead of her usual tiger bikini was also a refreshing change (even with my limited knowledge, I knew about her iconic outfit, lol). She looked cute in the uniform too!

I can totally understand why hardcore fans might have been upset - "This isn't Urusei Yatsura!" - but as a newcomer, I appreciated Oshii using these characters to express his unique artistic vision. It felt like watching an experimental arthouse film that happened to feature familiar characters.

After it ended, I felt this lingering sense of "Wait, is the reality I'm in right now actually real?" It's incredible that an anime from 40+ years ago doesn't feel dated at all - if anything, it feels fresh and thought-provoking even by today's standards.

For my Twitter follow-up, I'm planning to write: "I get why it flopped initially, but I totally understand why it later became considered a masterpiece." I'd recommend this to anyone, even without knowledge of the original series. A genuine classic of animation that deserves more attention in the West!

Once in your life time you can watch a movie that goes directly into your

heart. Beautiful Dreamer was this movie to me! Every time I watch it I cry

because of that wonderful love story. That doesn't mean that I cry watching every love story! Titanic for example: I didn't cry. Maybe a bit after noticing that still some hours of that s*** were to survive:-C But back to UY.

Rumiko Takahashi is a very gifted story teller and I love everything she creates. UY is hard for new watchers to understand, but if you just keep on laughing you will love it!!! Like Monty Python I also like to laugh about:-D

Watch it and love it*G*

its a prelude through the whole thing. this movie contains the core characters of urusei yatsura, involving an old japanese legend of dreams. when you dream, the demon, mujacki, visits you. he makes you ride a turtle to dragon palace. there, you play in your dream till you wake up. this has the updated animation, as well, which is, better. the dubbed and subtitled is so different from one another in dialogue. one problem i can see most people having is that this particular title might confuse people throughout the movie. in the end, it kind of makes sense. to those who have seen this, but didn't understand that race with lum, that was from the first episode.

It's hard to describe the effect that first seeing this movie had on me the first time I saw it five years ago, but it's something that's stuck with me at the very least.

This was the first bit of UY I ever saw, and I quickly became addicted to the series because of it. The animation is wonderful, the characters are all nifty, and the mysteries that abound in the story are all intriguing. I sometimes find myself just randomly whistling the music from this movie as it's so... so simply wonderful. The film is just beautiful in every chord, like a concerto or a painting. It's art.

This is one of my favorite movies ever. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Rating: 10/10 - Perfect.

Urusei Yatsura 2, the second in a line of six films that follow the television series of the same name, takes a bit more serious, philosophical approach to the plot than the average television episode.

For those who haven't seen the television show, it's a comedy about Ataru, at his high school. When aliens come down to Earth, threatening destruction, the only way to stop them is if Ataru can defeat the alien princess, Lum, in a game of tag. Due to a mix up, after Ataru wins, Lum believes she is also destined to be his wife.

Anyway, with that back story out of the way, the rest of the movie can be easily understood by anyone not familiar with the series. The plot is very funny and thoughtful at the same time. It may take a couple of viewings to get the whole picture and all of its little nuances, but all in all, it's a wonderful little film and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a dose of philosophy with their slapstick.