The first movie "Urusei Yatsura: Only You" (The Nostalgic Anime Retrospective No.5)! What was the nightmare preview event that left me traumatized in my adolescence?

Veteran writer Keisuke Hirota takes a nostalgic look back at the anime works of yesteryear in this "Nostalgic Anime Retrospective. It will be nostalgic for the generation that knows the era, and a good chance for those who do not know it to learn about new works. This time, we will focus on " Urusei Yatsura: Only You, " the first film in the popular science fiction comedy series " Urusei Yatsura," written by Rumiko Takahashi.

RINNE of the Boundary" by Rumiko Takahashi has started. Some may say that " Inuyasha " is her masterpiece, while others may say that " Ranma 1/2 " is the one that I fell in love with. I still remember that when I sold "Urusei Yatsura" goods through an anime magazine, the Rumiko Takahashi fan who bought the goods started talking about "Ranma 1/2" and I could not keep up with him. Ranma 1/2" started airing in 1989, so I had stopped being a fan of "Urusei Yatsura" by then. Why did I stop being a fan? Did you sell all the newsletters of the official fan club "Urusei Kurabu"? We can find the reason in the first movie "Urusei Yatsura: Only You" (1983).

I was shocked that the whole thing wasn't a movie. It was just a big TV movie, and I was shocked by that" (from "Innocence: The World of Mamoru Oshii", Tokuma Shoten). Among Mamoru Oshii's works, " Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer " (1984) is recognized as a masterpiece and representative work. However, I did not go to see "Beautiful Dreamer" in the movie theater (I saw it on video many years later). On the other hand, I was so enthusiastic about "Only You" that I went to a premium screening of the film, for which you had to apply by postcard and win to even buy a ticket.

However, it was precisely because it was a preview event where such dedicated fans were chosen to gather that I witnessed a traumatic scene. After the live performance by the artists who sang the theme song and insert songs, the preview of "Only You" finally began. Tripods were set up in front of the audience seats, and in no time at all, a cannonade of cameras had formed. At that time, there were many enthusiasts who took pictures in movie theaters (there were always at all-night anime and special effects shows), but this number was unusual. Then, as the movie progresses, cut to Ram-chan waking up after having his clothes stolen. For a split second, we see Ram-chan's breasts. It was at that moment that the sound of camera shutters rang out in the hall. The fans who had lined up their cameras had come for a glimpse of Ram-chan's breasts. I was shocked. I don't want people to think I'm one of them," she thought.

On the way home, my legs felt heavy. I was sure that Ram-chan was an attractive heroine, but I couldn't see her as a sexual object in such a detached way.

The movie was fun. The voice of "Elle," a guest character only in the movie, was voiced by Yoshiko Sakakibara, who would later play Haman Khan and Kushana, and in some scenes her voice sounded like a spoiled child. Her pampered voice is rare. Continuing on the subject of voice actors, I was also happy to see Yuko Matsutani, who sang "Ram's Love Song," as the captain of the UFO. I was more than satisfied with Oshii's auteurship; I was full of such easily understandable splendor as the special appearance of the theme song singer as a voice actor, or Fumi Hirano's singing of an insert song as Ram-chan. The promised gags that followed the TV series were also covered, so that was enough for me. However, as to whether or not it was essential to show Ram-chan's breasts, I thought and still think that such depictions should be enjoyed secretly in one's mind. I still think so. I couldn't understand the nerves of people who would proudly capture it on camera in front of others.

I believe I saw "Only You" at the movie theater, but I was less enthusiastic about it than I had been before the preview screening. I was at a loss for a response when a friend who went to see the movie with me said, "I liked the Ram-chan breast-feeding scene. I didn't come to like "Urusei Yatsura" for those scenes. I liked the balance between the funny gags and the cute heroines. Even in episodes where the emphasis is on romance, please don't forget the gags--"Only You" was a film that maintained that moderation, but the camera lineups aimed at the breast-feeding scene eroded the image of the work. When, where, and with whom you saw the film is an important element of cinema.

In the summer of 1983, the year "Only You" was released, the theme song for the TV series was changed from "Lamb's Love Song" to "Dancing Star. The following year, the chief director was changed from Mamoru Oshii to Kazuo Yamazaki, and the production company changed from Studio Pierrot to Deen. I thought that "Urusei" had come full circle (......), and my feelings for the series became more and more distant.

Last year, I saw "Only You" for the first time in 30 years because of my work. Yoshiko Sakakibara's portrayal of Elle is unfinished and indigestible, but therefore endearing. She was 27 years old at the time. She was the voice of Lady in " Space Cobra " (1982), but I believe that only the 27-year-old Sakakibara could have played the role of Elle, who disappears somewhere in space after falling out of love. I found her much more appealing than when the film was released when she was a high school student.

(Text by Keisuke Hirota)