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Rumiko Takahashi is the richest woman in Japan. Financially and artistically rich. But that fortune didn't come without effort. Takahashi-san's manga output is prodigious and her ability to weave a complex story with personable, appealing characters AND then combine that with the wackiest, most off-the-wall humor you can ever imagine make her unique among all Japanese artists. Her winning formula has allowed her time and again to create some of the most popular anime and manga series ever sold, on both sides of the planet. Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2 and Inu Yasha are already legend. And she's not done yet. One can only dream what her next fantastic creation will be.
Rumiko Takahashi Anthology -
Primal Needs
Anime DVD Review
Stress and duress can elicit strong reactions and push the average man or woman into extraordinary situations. From the brilliant mind of anime master Rumiko Takahashi, the creator of InuYasha, comes a series of "short stories" that are solid entertainment, as she examines the bizarre absurdities of the human experience with subtly and humor.
Comedic misunderstandings, hilarious coincidences, quiet romantic times, and bittersweet moments all combine seamlessly with the usual flair and panache that is the signature style of one of Japan's most celebrated story-tellers. The journey is the reward.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, May 2005
Urusei Yatsura - Volume 1
Anime DVD Review
Known more commonly among fandom circles as "Those Obnoxious Aliens", Urusei Yatsura became Rumiko Takahashi's first mega-hit and catapulted her to superstar status in manga and anime. Highly regarded as one of the funniest and most original of all anime, the series sets lecherous Ataru Moroboshi into the arms of the one girl in the Universe he doesn't want — an Alien Space Princess in a Tiger-Striped Bikini.
 Hilarity, and potential intergalactic warfare ensue; with Takashi's now trademark bizarreness providing hours of fun for anyone with a sense of humor. Don't be fooled by imitations — this series has more fun per square inch than just about anything else out there. And luscious Lum has gone on to become one of the most recognized anime characters of all time. There's something for everyone here, and Takahashi delivers with both style and comedic timing.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, January 2003
Ranma 1/2 Digital Dojo -
The Complete First Season Boxed Set
Anime DVD Review
Rumiko Takahashi's most popular series since Urusei Yatsura is about a martial arts maven who has a slight problem — which he'd prefer to remain a secret – that whenever he gets cold water on him, he turns into a girl! (The unfortunate result of a training accident.) And, if that weren't enough of a problem for the average High School boy, uh... girl, errr, boy, his father is a Panda, his nemesis at school is in love with his female form (not realizing that they are both the same person), he's been forced into a mismatched engagement to a hot-tempered girl, (Akane) and they immediately have a mutual hatred of each other (and every other male now wants to kill him), and there are long-standing rivals trying to take him down for other reasons. Now, if you think this is already too zany, this is only the first episode – it actually gets more wacky by episode three or four...
 Beware, many episodes to Ranma 1/2 are known to cause fits of hysteria. This boxed set contains the entire first season (18 episodes) of what may be the first ever "gender-bender" comedy. The series manages to poke fun at male/female stereotypes, martial arts, romance, sex, marriage, love/hate relationships, and just about everything you can think of (and some things you'd never think of) – while at the same time it is pulling you into the story and characters. Ranma 1/2 has become one of the most popular anime series on both sides of the globe, with hundreds of episodes produced, OVAs, movies and plenty of other paraphenalia.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, June 2002
Inu-Yasha - Down the Well (Vol. 1)
Anime DVD Review
This series succeeds on so many levels where all other anime fall flat. It sometimes feels like a cross between Ranma and Blue Seed, but Rumiko Takahashi (Urusei Yatsura) once again blends interesting characters, the supernatural, comedy, adventure and romance into a winning story line that is entirely her own. The series is the rare kind of anime that appeals to many different types of people.
Of course, it seems to take the first half of the series to even assemble all the characters, but once they are all together, watch out! Combined with an amazing soundtrack ("My Will" being the most beautiful closing theme we've heard in a long time), Inu Yasha is yet another winner of a series from one of the greatest talents in Japan today.
Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, July 2003
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