REVIEW: ‘Urusei Yatsura’ Episode 11 – “A Strange New Year”

In Urusei Yatsura Episode 11, while Lum and Ataru are on their way to school, they walk through the Shopping District and discuss how humans celebrate New Year’s Eve on Earth. Suddenly a handkerchief floats through the air and lands on Ataru’s face. Ataru sniffs the handkerchief to track down the owner, Mendo’s younger sister Ryoko. Later, Ataru, Lum, and all of their friends are invited to Mendo’s enormous estate to celebrate New Year’s Day with a traditional osechi meal. But first, they must survive the games Ryoko has planned for them.

Urusei Yatsura is produced by David Production and directed by Hideya Takahashi and Yasuhiro Kimura, with scripts written by Yūko Kakihara and character design and illustration by Naoyuki Asano. Takahiro Komei serves as series director, and Masaru Yokoyama composes the music. The leading voice cast consists of Summer Uesaka as Invader Lum, Hiroshi Kamiya as Ataru Moroboshi, Maaya Uchida as Shinobu, and Mamoru Miyano as Shutaro Mendo.

Most romantic comedy animes love to lean into the holiday seasons, particularly Christmas, to bring their characters closer. But, if I have learned anything from watching Urusei Yatsura, it is nothing like most romantic comedies. Instead of a traditional Christmas episode to bring characters together, Urusei Yatsura Episode 11 chose to go a different route by celebrating the New Year with an added twist. 

I fully expected this first season of Urusei Yatsura to do something with a holiday theme. But I was not expecting Episode 11 to be so different from expectations, but excellent. I like that Urusei Yatsura chose to do something very different for its holiday episode. It would have been easy for the show to make a heartfelt episode about Ataru and Lum exchanging gifts or spending time with their friends and family. But then that would not fit the brand Urusei Yatsura has set this season. Instead of a heartfelt holiday episode, we get a wacky New Year celebration that challenges our characters to an assortment of games designed to torture and drive them crazy. Now that is way more on-brand for a show like this one. 

Urusei Yatsura Episode 11 introduces Mendo’s naughty little sister Ryoko to the ever-growing cast of characters. Overall, Ryoko is an interesting new character type to the cast that we have not seen before. For example, from the outside perspective, anyone would assume that Ryoko is all about being well-meaning, reserved, and attractive like her big brother.

However, there is more to Ryoko than just a high-status and pretty face. It is a facade, although Ryoko is a sadistic, manipulative, and spoiled girl. I like Ryoko; she is a meddlesome character that hides her slightly darker side behind an unsuspectingly sweet exterior. It is enjoyable to watch her lure people, like Ataru, in and prank them unmercifully. Having Ryoko on the show will surely bring more pranks and antics on other characters. 

As a new character, Ryoko brings an unusual relationship dynamic with her brother and unique insight into the Mendo family to Urusei Yatsura Episode 11. The episode clearly shows Ryoko is the opposite of her big brother. While Shutaru is all about his status, being strict and studious, Ryoko possesses a much more easy-going personality than him and takes pleasure in being cunning and meddlesome as she tortures her brother and his friends with sadistic pranks.

Additionally, it is entertaining to see the two siblings interact with each other and how their parents interact with them at home. I assumed that Shutaro must have gotten his strict personality from one or both of his parents, but I was wrong. Although his parents possess the same well-mannered, arrogant, and reserved personality as their son, they are more similar to their daughter Ryoko in that they also enjoy playing pranks. Although Shutaro comes on as one of the most eccentric characters in Urusei Yatsura, this episode shows that he might be the sanest person in his family. 

As far as the storytelling goes, Episode 11 is full of comedic gag moments and laughs, but that is all there is to this chapter in the series. Unfortunately, compared to Episode 10, this episode is a little bit of let down narrative-wise. Episode 11 does not move the overall story forward, specifically regarding Lum and Ataru’s relationship. Honestly, Episode 10 was so satisfying narratively with its conclusion, and it would be hard for anything to follow that if it did not bring the same energy forth. This episode essentially feels like a filler because it focuses mainly on gag humor, not the overall story. That is not to say it is bad; it just does not pack as much power and emotion as its predecessor. 

Once again, Urusei Yatsura goes against the rom-com norm with their holiday episode and delivers something completely different from what I expected. Episode 11 of Urusei Yatsura is a decent watch with many good laughs, but overall it does not do much to move the overarching story forward. This episode also brings an enjoyable new character, Ryoko Mendo, which leads to more insight into the main character, Shutaro Mendo’s family life. 

Urusei Yatsura streams exclusively on HIDIVE.