Tenchi Muyo!

Tenchi Muyo is a series of OAV (on videocassettes), a special movie, and a television series. There are differences in them, sort of in an alternate-universe nature causing quite a bit of controversy over which is better and why such-and-such a character is really acting just too strange.

Me, I'd rather just take each as they are and enjoy them. I recently got to start seeing the television series on laser disk. In an early episode Ryoko (dragging along Tenchi) is being pursued by an armored someone and backed up to the edge of a cliff. The armored person, however, promptly manages to trip over a coke can lying on the ground. MIHOSHI! The walking disaster area. I just knew that had to be her, and I was right!

For those who have already seen any of the series I won't need to go into details. For the others, quite briefly: Tenchi is a male character who ends up surrounded by female characters who constantly fight over him. Ryoko is/was a space pirate and has the ability to teleport herself short distances. Ayeka is the princess of a Jurai noble family. Mihoshi is a Galactic Policewoman. Sasami is Ayeka's sister. (Both Mihoshi and Sasami have their own specials). Washu is the "greatest scientific genius in the galaxy." Achika was Tenchi's mother and plays a major role in the movie Tenchi Muyo in Love. Then there is Tenchi's father and his grandfather, an incredibly cute animal called a cabbit: Ryo-ohki. Each one, though, is quite more than they appear to be and has various layers of depths to their character.

The videotapes have some extra goodies in them, and the laser discs feature even more special additions.


Review: I love all the versions of Tenchi Muyo, period. I don't care that the characters are different in the different versions; each one has its own appeal. There is a great comedic element, but there is also tragedy. The animation is excellent, and the characters really become quite clearly delineated, no matter which version of Tenchi you are watching.

There are so many aspects to Tenchi Muyo that I have to divide them up into these sections:

Art Books
Cards
Tenchi Muyo: The Movie
Music
Manga Synopses
Tankobons
Videotapes


My Index Page

Back to Anime Reviews index



Click Above to Play or Stop Music or Adjust the Volume