Urusei Yatsura

Episode 36

I was dreading the idea of an episode that revolved around Shutaro. Making the subject of the episode dealing with his phobias using time travel also made me think that the episode's climax would be pretty predictable. My problem with Shutaro as a character is that I don't think he gets his comeuppance nearly as much as he should, considering that he is just as bad as Ataru. The two bounce off each other well as rivals, and I love when Ataru finds distinct ways to screw with Shutaro, but as a whole, he's always going to come out at least a little bit on top. Not in this episode, though! This episode felt like a catharsis for me because Shutaro's suffering is the punchline for every joke, and I love it.

Even though most of the episode is possible thanks to time travel, we're loosey-goosey with the rules of it. There is no talk about creating a paradox or anything like that. While I was right about the conclusion of the episode being that Shutaro would ultimately cause his trauma, I like that the result is basically because he got so fed up with himself that he pretty much forgot why he was there in the first place. There is a mission for this episode, but everyone gets pretty sidetracked and caught up in their frustration because Shutaro, as a child, is such an adorable little troll. Shutaro will always have his money and status to fall back on. While this could've been a good opportunity to humble him, I like that they leaned more into him just being so caught up himself that he missed the obvious solutions to his problems.

I don't know why Shutaro thought it would be a cakewalk. His parents and his estate from the past aren't going to recognize him as a teenager. The dude lacks self-awareness to the point where he doesn't even consider the fact that he would be a spoiled brat growing up on this estate. By the end, he still has no idea that he is the cause of his problems. This whole episode is like a big dose of karma for him.

What helps elevate the episode is the interactions between the side characters. Ataru was great as both the straight man and the shit starter in this episode. I don't know what it was, but Ataru's comedic timing was super fast and on point. It was so fast and on the point that he accidentally showed his hand about how much he cares about Lum in a quick blink-and-you-miss-it scene that was one of my favorites. However, my favorite scene throughout the whole episode was probably the one where Shutaro's parents just left him to get tortured by his younger self so they could go to another room and have sex. Everyone is wrapped up in their little world, but it feels like Ataru and Lum are the only characters who know how to bounce off others in creative ways, which helps them stand out from the rest of the cast, even during episodes like this when they are not the focus. This is a solid start for this reboot's last stretch of episodes.

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Urusei Yatsura is currently streaming on HIDIVE.