So I stumbled upon this two disc miracle at a used store (thank you, Book Off!) for a great price. The album was released in 1985, when compact discs were “hot technology,” and as such, the retail price on the back of the box was a steep 5,500 yen. Book Off throws on an 80% clearance sale on the item, and it’s mine.
And it wasn’t just the great deal that attracted me to this soundtrack. No, it just so happens that Urusei Yatsura was one of the first anime series I was ever exposed to, and the first among the many anime/manga series from manga writer Rumiko Takahashi (Ranma 1/2, InuYasha, Maison Ikkoku). The 195 episode TV series that ran in Japan from 1981 to 1986 features some fantastic music from composer Fumitaka Anzai.
Now, I’m not crazy enough to hunt down the Urusei Yatsura Complete Music Box (KTCR-9018~30, 13 audio CDs plus two more CDs with bonus material). I’m happy to have, instead, one of the earliest CDs released for the series. And it’s an oddball, indeed. The Urusei Yatsura music file ~Unreleased TV BGM Collection~ (also from Kitty Records, catalog number H55K20010~11) is exactly what the title suggests. The music was never actually worked into the TV show at that point. They are leftover cues that Anzai wrote for the first few seasons that just wouldn’t get used.
For OSV’s full review of this “ancient” (amazing that I can call the ’80s ancient) soundtrack, just follow the jump. (more…)
