With streaming available on a couple of services and a home video release as well, one of my top anime feature films with Urusei Yatsura is getting some new attention. RetroCrush brought the film onto their service back in November 2020 and now it’s finding itself in the “leaving soon” category. Which is unfortunate as older shows and films get lost amid the flash of the new, so a good look at part of the Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer is definitely welcome to see. The film is sunsetting on the service as of July 4th, 2023, so it’s a good weekend to watch it if you haven’t seen it.
The film was a unique one when originally released in North America in the 90s as Central Park Media had the rights to it while AnimEigo had the rights to all the other films, OVAs, and TV series. The two worked together at the time to create continuity between them, though Central Park Media created the dub for it as AnimEigo’s works for the property were not dubbed outside of a test release they did once.
Plot Concept: Tomobiki High is in a frenzy to get ready for the school festival. Props need to be made, costumes designed, and maybe somewhere sleep to be had! Ataru, Lum, Shutaro, Shinobu, and the rest of Class 2-4 are determined to not be outdone this year, and they’re rushing to make the final preparations for tomorrow’s grand opening. Once they wake up the next morning, they continue their mad rush to get ready for tomorrow’s grand opening. And then the next day… hey, isn’t something strange going on? Silence lingers over the city, the buildings filled with nothing but dust and mold. Is this a dream? Or have the kids (and a few related adults) of Class 2-4 finally woken up? If they can spend each day having fun with each other, does it matter?
Check out a recent trailer for the film:
