...and I'm not talking about the relationship of the main couple. Urusei Yatsura is a series that, while I personally love, when it rubbed me the wrong way I couldn't but face palm.
So...what's the draw here?
Well, it's a Rumiko Takahashi manga. That alone means it's not for everyone if you're not for endless gags.If you do, though, it's hilarious. The humor it's wacky, cartoony and completely over the top. It also has some clever allusions to Japanese folklore and calligraphy, as it's the norm with Takahashi, along with some very surreal shit.
If we talk about the main plot and characters, though? Here's where the mixed bag lies. the premise itself is funny on it's own: Guy get's engaged by mistake with an alien princess that he doesn't love back(...initially) while he's dating another girl(again, initally). Weirdness and hilarity ensue due cartoon physics and comedic sociopathy. Which is fine and all...except it has the same problem as Ranma 1/2: It doesn't develop. It does with certain aspects, and by the end of the manga you can see how the protagonist that was initially sold as a lecherous idiot that would flirt with Amaterasu herself has some really admirable qualities and can be there for the woman we know he loves at the hardest times. On the other hand, the rest of the series and even that last aspect get hit MERCILESSLY by the Reset Button.
Seriously, that is quite definitely what makes Takahashi series' so easy to love yet easy to fault as well: the Reset Button is the worst enemy of the characters. It takes away from some genuinely heartwarming moments that would be solid character development otherwise, to the point it can be aggravating and derail the characters themselves. So, if you want to read this don't expect much character development or relationship build up. It get's convoluted but doesn't evolve.
The rest is history. You can find many of the antics you would in other Takahashi series and they are as hilarious(or unfunny, YMMV) if not even more prominent. So, do i recommend it?
...Yes. As unorthodox as it is there are things to love on the series that popularized so many anime tropes. It's a must from academic standpoint for anyone interested on the history of manga or the worldwide panorama of comic books, and it's worth a check on it's own merits regarding the comedic elements.
A Classic, unadulterated Love/Hate relationship.
...and I'm not talking about the relationship of the main couple. Urusei Yatsura is a series that, while I personally love, when it rubbed me the wrong way I couldn't but face palm.
So...what's the draw here?
Well, it's a Rumiko Takahashi manga. That alone means it's not for everyone if you're not for endless gags.If you do, though, it's hilarious. The humor it's wacky, cartoony and completely over the top. It also has some clever allusions to Japanese folklore and calligraphy, as it's the norm with Takahashi, along with some very surreal shit.
If we talk about the main plot and characters, though? Here's where the mixed bag lies. the premise itself is funny on it's own: Guy get's engaged by mistake with an alien princess that he doesn't love back(...initially) while he's dating another girl(again, initally). Weirdness and hilarity ensue due cartoon physics and comedic sociopathy. Which is fine and all...except it has the same problem as Ranma 1/2: It doesn't develop. It does with certain aspects, and by the end of the manga you can see how the protagonist that was initially sold as a lecherous idiot that would flirt with Amaterasu herself has some really admirable qualities and can be there for the woman we know he loves at the hardest times. On the other hand, the rest of the series and even that last aspect get hit MERCILESSLY by the Reset Button.
Seriously, that is quite definitely what makes Takahashi series' so easy to love yet easy to fault as well: the Reset Button is the worst enemy of the characters. It takes away from some genuinely heartwarming moments that would be solid character development otherwise, to the point it can be aggravating and derail the characters themselves. So, if you want to read this don't expect much character development or relationship build up. It get's convoluted but doesn't evolve.
The rest is history. You can find many of the antics you would in other Takahashi series and they are as hilarious(or unfunny, YMMV) if not even more prominent. So, do i recommend it?
...Yes. As unorthodox as it is there are things to love on the series that popularized so many anime tropes. It's a must from academic standpoint for anyone interested on the history of manga or the worldwide panorama of comic books, and it's worth a check on it's own merits regarding the comedic elements.