Urusei Yatsura (1981 TV) DVD

Ataru Moroboshi is the unluckiest and most lecherous young man in Tomobiki — possibly in all of Japan — possibly in the universe. When alien invaders called the Oni arrive and demand that Earth produce a champion to compete in a game of tag, the computer randomly selects Ataru. His opponent is Lum, the Oni princess: beautiful, sweet-natured, capable of flight, and able to produce powerful electrical discharges at will. Ataru wins the game through an accidental grab at her horns while reaching for her bikini top, and in his victory cry shouts "Now I can get married!" — which Lum interprets as a marriage proposal. She moves into his house. She calls him "Darling." She means it entirely. Ataru, who does not stop pursuing other women for even a single episode across 195 episodes, is also clearly in love with her and will never admit it.

Around this central absurd romance accumulates an enormous ensemble: the beautiful Shinobu who also loves Ataru; Mendou, the fabulously wealthy class president; Ten, Lum's troublemaking child cousin; Sakura the school nurse who moonlights as a Shinto priestess; Cherry, her eccentric uncle; Ryuunosuke, raised as a boy by her father. And every episode, chaos of one kind or another. 

Urusei Yatsura is a 195-episode television series — plus specials — directed by Mamoru Oshii (episodes 1–106) and Kazuo Yamazaki (episodes 107–195), produced by Studio Pierrot and Studio Deen, based on Rumiko Takahashi's landmark manga serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday from 1978 to 1987. It aired on Fuji TV from October 14, 1981 to March 19, 1986 and was the series that established Takahashi as one of the defining voices in manga — the franchise that preceded Maison Ikkoku, Ranma ½, and Inuyasha.

Oshii's episodes — particularly from the later Oshii era — feature the formally experimental, atmospherically dark tendencies that would define his Ghost in the Shell and Patlabor work, sitting in startling contrast with the comedy surrounding them. 

The series spawned six theatrical films and ten OVA episodes. AnimEigo licensed the TV series in North America as early as 1992 — one of the first anime titles to receive a subtitled North American release — releasing it on VHS and LaserDisc before completing the DVD run from March 27, 2001 to June 20, 2006 across 50 individual volumes and 10 box sets. Each volume contains 4 episodes and approximately 100 minutes of content, with extensive liner notes explaining cultural references, puns, and wordplay. No English dub was produced for the TV series.

AnimEigo's license expired and the series went out of print in September 2011. The complete series was later re-licensed by Discotek Media. 

Notable Staff & Voice Talent

Director (eps 1–106): Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor 1 & 2, Jin-Roh, Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer)
Director (eps 107–195): Kazuo Yamazaki (Urusei Yatsura films 3–4, City Hunter: Goodbye My Sweetheart)
Original Manga: Rumiko Takahashi (serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday, Shogakukan, 1978–1987; also: Maison Ikkoku, Ranma ½, Inuyasha)
Character Design: Akemi Takada (Kimagure Orange Road, Patlabor TV & films)
Studio: Studio Pierrot (eps 1–106) / Studio Deen (eps 107–195)
Music: Fumitaka Anzai & Toshiyuki Kimori
Opening Theme 1: "Lum no Love Song" by Fumi Hirano
Opening Theme 2: "Dancing Star" by Miki Matsubara
Opening Theme 3: "Rock the Planet" by Shōhei Yamamoto
Opening Theme 4: "Pajama Jama Da!" by Fumi Hirano

Japanese Cast:
- Fumi Hirano as Lum
- Toshio Furukawa as Ataru Moroboshi (Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer, DBZ, Sailor Moon, Metropolis)
- Akira Kamiya as Shutaro Mendou (Dragon Ball, City Hunter)
- Saeko Shimazu as Shinobu Miyake (El-Hazard)
- Mayumi Tanaka as Ryuunosuke Fujinami
- Ichiro Nagai as Cherry (Dragon Half, Battle Athletes, Slayers)

DVD Features (AnimEigo Individual Volumes)

- 4 Episodes per Volume (~100 min each)
- Extensive Liner Notes — cultural references, puns, wordplay explanations (a defining feature of AnimEigo releases)
- Subtitle Only — No English Dub Produced for TV Series
- AnimEigo Previews

Spoken Languages: Japanese Audio Only, English Subtitles

Edition Details

Japanese Title: うる星やつら (Urusei Yatsura / Those Obnoxious Aliens)
Runtime: ~4,875 Minutes (Complete TV Series, 195 Episodes, 50 volumes)
Directors: Mamoru Oshii (eps 1–106) / Kazuo Yamazaki (eps 107–195)
DVD Release Year: 2001–2006 (AnimEigo, 50 individual volumes + 10 box sets, March 27, 2001 – June 20, 2006)
Original Broadcast Date (Japan): October 14, 1981 – March 19, 1986 (Fuji TV)
Publisher: AnimEigo — out of print; Discotek Media (current license holder)
Rating: 13+
Region: Region 1 (U.S. / Canada)
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Science Fiction
Themes: Alien Invasion, Accidental Marriage Proposal, Slapstick Harem Comedy, Mamoru Oshii Early Direction, Rumiko Takahashi Flagship Series

Media assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.