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 "excerpt": "Urusei Yatsura: Only You (うる星やつら オンリー・ユー), 1983 Toho anime film, first Urusei Yatsura movie and Mamoru Oshii's theatrical debut; alien Elle claims Ataru via a childhood shadow-stepping betrothal.",
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 "markdown": "# Urusei Yatsura: The Movie\n\n**Urusei Yatsura: The Movie**, released in Japan as *[Urusei Yatsura: Only You](https://www.edgepedia.org/urusei-yatsura-only-you)* (うる星やつら オンリー・ユー), is a 1983 Japanese animated science-fiction romantic comedy and the first theatrical film based on [Rumiko Takahashi](https://www.edgepedia.org/rumiko-takahashi)'s manga and anime series *Urusei Yatsura*. It premiered on February 11, 1983, distributed by Toho, and was the theatrical directorial debut of [Mamoru Oshii](https://www.edgepedia.org/mamoru-oshii), who had been chief director of the television series.<sup>[1](https://pierrot.jp/archive/movie_b2000/mov_01.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.wowow.co.jp/detail/064185)</sup>\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Japanese release | February 11, 1983, Toho distribution<sup>[1](https://pierrot.jp/archive/movie_b2000/mov_01.html)</sup> |\n| Position in series | First theatrical film of the *Urusei Yatsura* franchise, following the TV anime that began in 1981<sup>[1](https://pierrot.jp/archive/movie_b2000/mov_01.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.wowow.co.jp/detail/064185)</sup> |\n| Director | Mamoru Oshii, his theatrical debut; he also handled the adaptation and storyboards<sup>[1](https://pierrot.jp/archive/movie_b2000/mov_01.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R100000002-I025957288)</sup> |\n| Screenplay | Tomoko Konparu, from Takahashi's original<sup>[3](https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R100000002-I025957288)</sup> |\n| Original character | Elle, the film's antagonist, was drawn for the film by Rumiko Takahashi herself<sup>[1](https://pierrot.jp/archive/movie_b2000/mov_01.html)</sup> |\n| Main cast | Fumi Hirano (Lum), Toshio Furukawa (Ataru), Yoshiko Sakakibara (Elle)<sup>[1](https://pierrot.jp/archive/movie_b2000/mov_01.html)</sup> |\n| Music | Kotomi Kobayashi, Yasuaki Anzai, and Masamichi Amano; an early major commercial use of the Fairlight CMI in Japan<sup>[3](https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R100000002-I025957288)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://ultra-vybe.co.jp/kyohei_tsutsumi/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/%E3%83%84%E3%82%A4%E3%81%A6%E3%82%8B%E3%81%AD-%E3%83%8E%E3%83%83%E3%81%A6%E3%82%8B%E3%81%AD.pdf)</sup> |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Story\n\nInvitations arrive in Tomobiki town announcing the wedding of Ataru Moroboshi to a mysterious woman named Elle. Ataru has no memory of any such engagement, but when he hears that Elle is beautiful he runs to her as usual, while Lum and the townspeople pursue him into space, and the contest over Ataru escalates toward interplanetary war.<sup>[1](https://pierrot.jp/archive/movie_b2000/mov_01.html)</sup>\n\nThe premise rests on a childhood incident: eleven years earlier, six-year-old Ataru stepped on Elle's shadow during a game of shadow-tag, which in the culture of her planet counts as a marriage proposal.<sup>[7](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/urusei-yatsura-only-you)</sup> Elle, who came to Earth as a child, is now the queen of her world, and Mendo discovers that her sanctuary holds a frozen vault of 100,000 young men she has collected from across the universe; Ataru's wedding preparations proceed until Lum's counterattack rescues him.<sup>[8](https://eiga.com/movie/34967/)</sup> The closing wedding scene pays homage to [Mike Nichols](https://www.edgepedia.org/mike-nichols)'s 1967 film *The Graduate*.<sup>[8](https://eiga.com/movie/34967/)</sup>\n\n## Production\n\nThe film was produced under Kitty Film with the cooperation of Studio Pierrot; Hidenori Taga produced, Shigekazu Ochiai planned, and Yuji Nunokawa served as animation producer.<sup>[3](https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R100000002-I025957288)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://www.oshii-lab.com/home/works/%E6%98%A0%E7%94%BB%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%B3/%E3%81%86%E3%82%8B%E6%98%9F%E3%82%84%E3%81%A4%E3%82%89%E3%82%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A6%E3%83%BC)</sup> Character design was shared by Akemi Takada and Magoichi Takizawa, and Takashi Anno handled episode direction.<sup>[3](https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R100000002-I025957288)</sup> According to a Japanese fan wiki account of the production, when Oshii joined, only Takahashi's illustrations of the new character Elle, a few mecha designs, and a completed script existed, with five months left before the deadline.<sup>[6](https://uruseiyatsura.fandom.com/ja/wiki/%E3%81%86%E3%82%8B%E6%98%9F%E3%82%84%E3%81%A4%E3%82%89_%E3%82%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E3%83%A6%E3%83%BC)</sup>\n\nThe score used the [Fairlight CMI](https://www.edgepedia.org/fairlight-cmi), an early digital music workstation. A Japanese music-industry history identifies the film's music by Yasuaki Anzai as the first full-scale commercial use of the Fairlight CMI in Japanese film music, a year before [Joe Hisaishi](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-hisaishi) used it for part of the score of *Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind* (1984).<sup>[4](https://ultra-vybe.co.jp/kyohei_tsutsumi/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/%E3%83%84%E3%82%A4%E3%81%A6%E3%82%8B%E3%81%AD-%E3%83%8E%E3%83%83%E3%81%A6%E3%82%8B%E3%81%AD.pdf)</sup> The theme song was \"I, I, You & 愛\", written, composed, arranged, and performed by Kotomi Kobayashi, with insert songs including \"Lum's Ballad\" sung by Fumi Hirano.<sup>[5](https://www.oshii-lab.com/home/works/%E6%98%A0%E7%94%BB%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%B3/%E3%81%86%E3%82%8B%E6%98%9F%E3%82%84%E3%81%A4%E3%82%89%E3%82%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A6%E3%83%BC)</sup>\n\n## Reception and legacy\n\n**Contemporary reactions were mixed.** The director Juzo Itami, after seeing the film, described it as \"a sweet movie, like a sugary cake confection\", and [Hayao Miyazaki](https://www.edgepedia.org/hayao-miyazaki) criticized it when the two directors met for their first conversation, which was published in *Animage* in 1983.<sup>[6](https://uruseiyatsura.fandom.com/ja/wiki/%E3%81%86%E3%82%8B%E6%98%9F%E3%82%84%E3%81%A4%E3%82%89_%E3%82%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E3%83%A6%E3%83%BC)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[9](https://www.yi.animearchive.furinkan.com/uy/anime/movie1.html)</sup> Oshii was also struck by how much freer the co-featured live-action film, Shinji Sōmai's *Shonben Rider*, was as a director's work.<sup>[6](https://uruseiyatsura.fandom.com/ja/wiki/%E3%81%86%E3%82%8B%E6%98%9F%E3%82%84%E3%81%A4%E3%82%89_%E3%82%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E3%83%A6%E3%83%BC)</sup>\n\nThe film established the format the later *Urusei Yatsura* movies followed, in which the status quo of Lum and Ataru's relationship is threatened by an outside force, and it introduced the original-story approach the theatrical series kept through its fourth installment.<sup>[10](https://otakuusamagazine.com/best-urusei-yatsura-film-list-guide/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[11](https://lp.p.pia.jp/event/movie/6791/index.html)</sup> A Japanese animation history notes that while its reception at release was one thing, later assessments rank Oshii's second film, *Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer* (1984), above it.<sup>[12](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/p-library/books/e502414ef8acbbea7340f69dde32c3f4.pdf)</sup> Critics have also noted early traces of Oshii's later visual signature, such as static, precisely framed compositions and imagery of petals falling from the sky that recalls scenes in *Patlabor 2*.<sup>[10](https://otakuusamagazine.com/best-urusei-yatsura-film-list-guide/)</sup>\n\n## Versions and home video\n\nReported running times differ by source and version: Studio Pierrot lists the feature at 89 minutes, the Oshii archive at 91 minutes, allcinema and Filmarks at 80 minutes, Pia at 110 minutes, and [JustWatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/justwatch) at 101 minutes, while Eiga.com notes that an uncut 104-minute version was later released.<sup>[1](https://pierrot.jp/archive/movie_b2000/mov_01.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://www.oshii-lab.com/home/works/%E6%98%A0%E7%94%BB%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%B3/%E3%81%86%E3%82%8B%E6%98%9F%E3%82%84%E3%81%A4%E3%82%89%E3%82%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A6%E3%83%BC)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[13](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/148417)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[14](https://filmarks.com/movies/26651)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[11](https://lp.p.pia.jp/event/movie/6791/index.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[7](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/urusei-yatsura-only-you)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://eiga.com/movie/34967/)</sup> The 2015 Japanese Blu-ray box edition from Warner Bros. Home [Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/entertainment) runs 90 minutes on a single disc.<sup>[3](https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R100000002-I025957288)</sup>\n\nIn North America, Discotek Media released the film on Blu-ray on December 31, 2021, listing 102 minutes, a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Japanese and English audio, and English subtitles.<sup>[15](https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Urusei-Yatsura-Movie-1-Only-You-Blu-ray/268787/)</sup> As of late 2026 the film streams in the United States on [Crunchyroll](https://www.edgepedia.org/crunchyroll), RetroCrush, and [Cineverse](https://www.edgepedia.org/cineverse) channels, among others, and is free with ads on [The CW](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-cw) and AsianCrush.<sup>[7](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/urusei-yatsura-only-you)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [うる星やつら オンリー・ユー, Studio Pierrot official site](https://pierrot.jp/archive/movie_b2000/mov_01.html)\n2. [うる星やつら オンリー・ユー, WOWOW Online](https://www.wowow.co.jp/detail/064185)\n3. [うる星やつらオンリー・ユー ニューテレシネHDマスター版, NDL Search, National Diet Library](https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R100000002-I025957288)\n4. [ツイてるね・ノッてるね (Fairlight CMI history document), Ultra-Vybe](https://ultra-vybe.co.jp/kyohei_tsutsumi/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/%E3%83%84%E3%82%A4%E3%81%A6%E3%82%8B%E3%81%AD-%E3%83%8E%E3%83%83%E3%81%A6%E3%82%8B%E3%81%AD.pdf)\n5. [うる星やつら オンリー・ユー, Mamoru Oshii Laboratory](https://www.oshii-lab.com/home/works/%E6%98%A0%E7%94%BB%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%B3/%E3%81%86%E3%82%8B%E6%98%9F%E3%82%84%E3%81%A4%E3%82%89%E3%82%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A6%E3%83%BC)\n6. [うる星やつら オンリー・ユー, Urusei Yatsura Wiki (Fandom)](https://uruseiyatsura.fandom.com/ja/wiki/%E3%81%86%E3%82%8B%E6%98%9F%E3%82%84%E3%81%A4%E3%82%89_%E3%82%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E3%83%A6%E3%83%BC)\n7. [Urusei Yatsura: Only You, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/urusei-yatsura-only-you)\n8. [うる星やつら オンリー・ユー, Eiga.com](https://eiga.com/movie/34967/)\n9. [Tomobiki-cho: Urusei Yatsura Movie 1: Only You](https://www.yi.animearchive.furinkan.com/uy/anime/movie1.html)\n10. [Every Urusei Yatsura Film Ranked, Otaku USA Magazine](https://otakuusamagazine.com/best-urusei-yatsura-film-list-guide/)\n11. [うる星やつら オンリー・ユー, Pia Film](https://lp.p.pia.jp/event/movie/6791/index.html)\n12. [第5章 ジャパニメーション (Japanese animation history)](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/p-library/books/e502414ef8acbbea7340f69dde32c3f4.pdf)\n13. [映画アニメ うる星やつら オンリー・ユー (1983), allcinema](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/148417)\n14. [うる星やつら オンリー・ユー, Filmarks](https://filmarks.com/movies/26651)\n15. [Urusei Yatsura Movie 1: Only You Blu-ray, Blu-ray.com](https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Urusei-Yatsura-Movie-1-Only-You-Blu-ray/268787/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Films by genre, form, and subject › Animated and short films › Japanese anime features › Released 1932 to 1998*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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