The Last Disk

The bittersweet day has finally arrived, and she mocks us from the screen. "See you next time" is her parting message to us, but there will be no next time, no new material to await. But, she is still right; there will be a next time. The journey has not really ended; it has simply allowed us to return to the beginning.

What am I blathering on about? I have finally watched the last episode of Urusei Yatsura; there will be no more box sets to pre-order, no new episodes to watch. The journey I started when I picked up Beautiful Dreamer one college weekend has come to a close. Not counting the viewings on VHS and LD, I have spent roughly four days of my life watching the series on DVD.

No other series I have come across has captured the mix of Japanese culture, slapstick humor, and romance Urusei Yatsura maintained for so long. Watching the countdown of fan favorite episodes reminded me of just how much material the series has covered. There were a few in the countdown I had forgotten about; how many others have faded in memory but would still bring a smile and laugh if watched again?

After 195 episodes, I am not burned out on the series and will gladly pour through it again to find my personal top ten list of episodes. To Robert J. Woodhead and the rest of the staff at AnimEigo past and present, I say thank you, thank you so much for your time and effort. Thank you for sticking with this series and seeing it to the very end. Rest easy, Sisyphus; for once, that stone is not going anywhere.