“The new Urusei Yatsura” anime: Ram-chan is cute even in 2021!　Universal appeal　

On 13 October, the first episode “Kakemeguru Seishun / Zettai Zetsumei” of the completely new TV animation of Rumiko Takahashi’s popular manga Urusei Yatsura was broadcast on Fuji Television’s late-night animation slot ” noitamina”. The work was also broadcast as a TV animation from October 1981 to March 1986, making this the first TV animation in about 36 years. The original work was serialized in the Showa era, but the heroine Ram has universal appeal, and SNS was filled with comments such as “Ram-chan is cute even in 2021”.

　The anime “Urusei Yatsura” by 2021 is the work of Naoto Asano, who is also known for “Osomatsu-san” and “Don’t touch the Image Research Institute! On social networking sites, Asano’s character designs were praised with comments such as “As expected! Some people on social networking sites praised Mr. Asano’s character designs, saying that they were “as expected” and “so cute”.

“Urusei Yatsura” is one of the representative works of Ms. Takahashi, who is also known for “Mezon Ikkoku”, “Ranma 1/2” and “Inuyasha”. Ms. Takahashi made her debut in 1978 with “‘Katte na Yatsura'” and “Urusei Yatsura” which were serialized in Weekly Shōnen Sunday (Shogakukan) from 1978 to 1987. It depicted the daily life of Ataru Moroboshi, a high school student whose hobby is girl-hunting, and Ram, the daughter of a demon tribe who came to Earth.

　The new work will be adapted into a four-cour television anime, with selected episodes from the original story, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Shogakukan, which publishes the work. Hiroshi Kamiya plays Ataru Moroboshi and Sumire Uesaka plays the heroine Ram, and the cast includes Maya Uchida, Mamoru Miyano, Wataru Takagi, Miyuki Sawashiro, Kana Hanazawa, Katsuyuki Konishi and Saori Hayami, as well as Toshio Furukawa, who played Ataru in the TV anime broadcast in the 1980s, and Fumi Hirano, who played Ataru in the TV animation broadcast in the 1980s, also appeared. Furukawa plays Ataru’s father and Hirano plays Ram’s mother.

　Directed by Hideya Takahashi and Yasuhiro Kimura (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind) and produced by David production.