Manga Mavericks EP. 117: "Urusei Yatsura"

It’s time to put weird together, and make it even weirder!

It’s not just my imagination filling me with anticipation, because we’re talking about none other than Rumiko Takahashi’s planet-rocking hit manga Urusei Yatsura! And we have plenty of cause to celebrate, because we have passed the first year anniversary of the manga’s republication by Viz Media!

This is an exciting time to be a Urusei Yatsura fan, and no better time to officially cover it on the show! Long-time listeners may remember that I previously recorded a spin-off podcast called #LumSquad last year where me and my friend AC discussed the first volume of Viz’s new omnibus edition and explored some of the series’ history there. But we always intended to cover Urusei Yatsura on Manga Mavericks as well, and we’ve got a great balance of first-time readers and long-time fans on today to talk about it; our good friend and frequent guest Vix, and first-time guest Dawn from the Anime Nostalgia Podcast!

Together we discuss how we got into the series, mine and Dawn’s thoughts revisiting the early parts of the series, and Vix and Colton’s impressions as first-time readers. We also explore the differences between Viz’s original 90’s releases of the manga and the new editions, and Dawn shares anecdotes about AnimEigo’s release of the anime and being a UY fan in the early 90s! Plus, we rant about a certain inexplicable name change, gush over the possibilities of a modern UY anime, and share our favorite chapters from these early volumes! All in all, we spend over two hours celebrating the wonderful and wacky world of Rumiko Takahashi’s magnum opus!

But wait, there’s more! If you’re looking for more thoughts on the Urusei Yatsura anime, check out the second episode of #LumSquad! AC and I explore the anime’s production history, how the show changes over its run, the incredible production staff and vocal talent on the show, and tons more! Just like this show, we spend over two and a half hours discussing the series, and we’ve barely even scratched the surface of what we wanted to talk about! Urusei Yatsura is a treasure trove offering a wealth of topics to explore, and I’m really excited to talk more about the series and everything I love about it in future episodes of #LumSquad!

PODCAST BREAKDOWN:

00:22 - Intro & Updates on #LumSquad and Manga Mavericks @ Movies

06:10 - Urusei Yatsura Discussion!

06:32 - Introducing our Guests & Show Plan

09:39 - Dawn’s History with Urusei Yatsura & Rumiko Takahashi

16:46 - Tape-Trading, Fansubs, and Anime on VHS and TV Back in the 90’s

20:43 - LumRanmaYasha’s History with Urusei Yatsura

22:34 - The History of Urusei Yatsura’s North American Publication

26:30 - The Struggles of Buying Comics in the 90’s

31:30 - How Manga Pricing Has Changed Over the Years

35:35 - Thoughts on the New UY Editions & the Missing “My Lum” Tributes

38:00 - Vix’s Experiences with Rumiko Takahashi & Urusei Yatsura

41:40 - Maison Ikkoku’s Troubled Release History in North America

42:34 - Thoughts on the Casting Changes in the Maison Ikkoku & Ranma ½ Dubs

45:29 - “Being a Fan of Anime Before Americans Realized Japan Existed Sounds Like Suffering”

47:52 - Awareness of Urusei Yatsura in North America vs. Japan

49:34 - The Growing Mainstream Visibility of Anime in North America

51:11 - Colton’s History with Rumiko Takahashi & First-Time Experience Reading Urusei Yatsura

57:21 - What Makes Lum an Iconic Character

1:07:54 - How Urusei Yatsura Changes Over Time

1:11:49 - Our Favorite Chapters & Moments From The Early Volumes

1:21:31 - Japanese Folklore Influences in Urusei Yatsura

1:23:35 - Thoughts on the Translation & Cultural Challenges in Adaptation

1:31:39 - The “Hot Springs Emblem” Rant & The Character Profiles

1:44:31 - It’s a Good Time to Be a Rumiko Takahshi Fan

1:47:38 - Cameos in Urusei Yatsura

1:50:09 - One-off Characters in Urusei Yatsura

1:51:16 - Ten and Takahashi’s Cute Child & Animal Mascot Charac