Tenchi Muyo...
Several years ago, I thought I was going to get a Laser Disc Player, so, naturally I had to have some Laser Discs. Sometimes I'll see a nice cover and I'll just have to have it. That was the case with Tenchi Muyo. Ryoko was standing there on the cover of the laser disc jacket giving me the finger. Well, actually it wasn't *that* finger, but, it was close enough to grab my attention...
Tenchi Muyo, while not the oldest harem genre anime, is certainly a classic example of the harem genre anime where, in this case, Tenchi finds himself surrounded by a bevy of pretty girls. Tenchi plays the straight man in a cast of zany female characters. There is no bloodshed or gore to speak of. And, of course, there are no naughty bits in the series. In fact, Tenchi Muyo, is quite tame in comparison to more recent fan service heavy series.
Several years ago, I thought I was going to get a Laser Disc Player, so, naturally I had to have some Laser Discs. Sometimes I'll see a nice cover and I'll just have to have it. That was the case with Tenchi Muyo. Ryoko was standing there on the cover of the laser disc jacket giving me the finger. Well, actually it wasn't *that* finger, but, it was close enough to grab my attention. Well, I never did get the player, but, I do have the first five Tenchi OVAs on Laser Disc. They now make perfectly good artwork on my wall.
All of the early Pioneer releases included all sorts of goodies like posters and post cards. The original packaging design for the U.S. release of Tenchi Universe offered some of the most unreadable text color combinations I've ever seen. I distinctly recall having a great deal of difficulty with scanning and performing character recognition on the Tenchi Universe covers. In a handful of cases, I had to type out the text because I couldn't get enough contrast for the scan.
Tenchi Muyo is a very large series with three movies, 13 OVAs, a Special (Mihoshi Special), a spin-off (Pretty Sammy), and three TV series (Tenchi Universe, Tenchi in Tokyo, Tenchi Muyo GXP - Galaxy Police). "Pretty Sammy" and the Mihoshi Special just didn't agree with me for some reason. It's a big enough series, that there's something for almost everyone. I used to have nearly all of the Tenchi Muyo saga on subtitled VHS. When the time came to upgrade to DVD, I repurchased the OVAs and the three movies on DVD. When the last Suncoast in the Philadelphia area went out of business, I was able to pick up the Tenchi In Tokyo TV series on DVD.
My favorite episodes from the OVA series are the first episode, Ryoko Resurrected, where we first meet Tenchi and he has his fateful meeting with Ryoko. In the earlier episodes of the OVA series, Ryoko does a lot a flying through walls. I tended to like seeing Ryoko pass through a wall. Another favorite episode in the OVA series is Hello Baby!, where Tenchi and company explore their baby sitting skills. I actually had an untranslated VHS tape of this episode. Lastly, in the OVA series, one of my favorite episodes is Here Comes Jurai, where Tenchi meets Ayeka's father and Ryoko meets Ayeka's mother.
Of course, after the original Tenchi OVAs, the first Tenchi movie is my favorite in the Tenchi franchise. Although, I've seen all of Tenchi Universe and Tenchi In Tokyo and portions of Tenchi GXP, I have to admit, that I didn't really enjoy the various TV series as much as the original OVA series. I might not have repurchased Tenchi In Tokyo, but, in the aftermath of the Demise of Brick and Mortar Stores like Suncoast, the series was practically being thrown away -- I couldn't say no! Ultimately, I enjoyed Tenchi Muyo and I would give Tenchi Muyo a 4 out of 5.
I've picked up as many Tenchi Muyo CDs that I could get my hands on. Cartoon Network released a CD of English songs for Tenchi Muyo with 13 tracks and I liked 4 tracks for a total of 30.7% which works out to a rating of 2 out of 4. The three Tenchi Muyo movie soundtracks have 22, 23 and 24 tracks respectively and I liked 7, 7 and 5 tracks respectively for totals of 31.8%, 30.4% and 20.8% respectively which works out to ratings of 2 out of 4 for each movie soundtrack CD. I also picked up two music collection CDs (Volumes 1 and 3) and a Ryo-Ohki character drama CD (Volume 3) that have 20, 25 and 11 tracks respectively and I liked 2, 11 and 3 tracks respectively for totals of 10%, 44% and 27.2% respectively which results in ratings of 1, 2 and 2 out of 4 respectively.
One of the more interesting songs that I've come across is Can't Stop, Can't Stop from the second Tenchi In Tokyo soundtrack. The song is notable for having a distinctly country music flavor complete with banjos, but, in Japanese with vocals provided by the series cast. It's brilliant! The Tenchi In Tokyo soundtrack Volume 2 CD has 14 tracks and I liked 2 tracks for a total of 14.2% which works out to a rating of 1 out of 4.
Episode 1
OVAs
Ryoko Resurrected
According to legend, a demon is imprisoned in a cave inside the ancient Masaki Shrine in Kurashiki, Japan. When Tenchi Masaki, a student in the local high school and grandson of the shrine master, accidentally breaks the shrine's seal, he discovers that it is not just legend! Awakened from a deep sleep, Ryoko, the demon, in the form of a beautiful young girl, furious to discover she has been imprisoned for over 700 years, launches an all-out attack on Tenchi. Using her amazing powers, including flying through the air, moving through walls, and hurling massive bolts of electrical power from her hands, she pursues Tenchi in a terrifying midnight chase throughout his school.
Episode 2
Here Comes Ayeka!
Princess Ayeka has sailed far from her home planet Jurai in search for her long lost fiance. On Earth, she encounters Ryoko instead, her mortal enemy from distant stars - which can only mean TROUBLE for Tenchi! As a blast from Ayeka's main cannon shatters his window, Tenchi finds himself aboard Ryoko's spaceship in flight only to be captured later by Ayeka! Tenchi doesn't know what to do as the catfight between the two girls ends up in a BIG spaceship crash and then ... Who is Ayeka's fiance and where has he gone? How will Tenchi get home and what do these sparing female superpowers want with him? Perhaps Ayeka's little sister, the mischievous Sasami, can help as Tenchi becomes more the master of his mysterious destiny.
Tenchi Universe
TV Series 1
Episode 1
No Need For Discussions!
Our first episode opens with Tenchi's monologue as he reminisces about those days. This narration is important, as you will see at the end of this series, so just keep it in mind. As a pleasant surprise to Mihoshi fans, she makes her appearance in this first episode, unlike the OVA series. Aren't we impressed?
Episode 2
No Need For A Princess!
The rivalry between Ryoko and Ayeka goes far back to their childhood and is rooted even deeper than it was in our OVA series. What facts could possibly build the kind of childhood stories they tell. Whether you like it or not, you're going to see this old conflict erupt again and again during the series. Well, you now have a chance to see Ryoko as a little girl for the first time.
Episode 3
No Need For Worries!
Lucky you! You're going to meet two of our most popular characters, Ryo-ohki and Sasami, all at once in a single episode! Like any other pet, our Ryo-ohki has her favorite food - carrots! Her craze for carrots is even more exaggerated here than in the OVA series! As for Sasami, you can enjoy yourself watching her both in her space suits and everyday clothes.
Tenchi in Tokyo
TV Series 2
Volume 1
A New Start
Brand new Tenchi! New home in Tokyo, at a new school, a new love interest named Sakuya, new studies in exorcisms, a new hidden enemy named Yugi, Washu's new dimensional doors, and Ryo-Ohki's new Mecha-Rabbit transformation! Too many troubles, too many girls, too nice a guy... Same old Tenchi!
Volume 2
A New Friend
Jealousy rages within Ryoko and Ayeka as Tenchi gets closer with Sakuya, a new rival. Meanwhile, Sasami befriends Yugi, a mysterious young girl who gets trapped with Sasami in a strange curio shop. Will these new friends lead to new happiness or new dangers?
Volume 3
A New Legend
Tenchi returns to his hometown for the anniversary celebration of the arrival of the alien girls. However, when Sakuya follows Tenchi home, Ayeka and Ryoko nearly turn the party into a war! The situation only gets worse when all of the alien girls' crystal pendants disappear shortly after Sakura arrives. Who is the real thief?
Volume 4
New Enemies
Yugi slowly builds her plot to divide Tenchi's group and bring her devious plan to fruition. First Ryo-Ohki is seduced by another cabbit and taken to a colony of cabbits on the moon. Then, a stupid, love-crazy doppelganger of Tenchi's father tries to bring Tenchi and Sakuya together by kidnapping Sakuya. Then Yugi attacks Ryoko and sends two of her agents to protect Ryoko and to earn her trust. With everyone's loyalties going in different directions, will they be able to withstand a future onslaught?
Volume 5
A New Love
Nothing can come between Sakuya and Tenchi. First, when Ayeka and Sasami try to hitch-hike to Tokyo, Yugi arranges for them to meet up with the aggressive woman on a motorcycle with an obsession for an impossibly fast jogger. Then, when Tenchi's friend Amagaski threatens to break up the paor's romantic mood with interruptions, Yugi sends a spirit in the form of a professional female wrestler to intervene. Finally though, that drives Tenchi to protect Sakuya from them when they accidentally destroy half of the culture festival at Tenchi's High School!
Volume 6
A New Challenge
When Ryoko catches Tenchi kissing Sakuya, she becomes so distraught that she considers a return to a career of piracy! Meanwhile, Kiyone and Mihoshi are promoted to headquarters and Washu becomes obsessed with her research. Feeling alone and abandoned, Ayeka and Sasami attempt to bring the Masaki household together, but will Tenchi be too involved with Sakuya to care?
Volume 7
A New Career
In order for the Galaxy Police to locate Ryoko's secret hideout, Mihoshi and Kiyone have gone undercover to infiltrate Ryoko's gang of pirates. But instead of arresting Ryoko, Mihoshi and Kiyone try to find out what Ryoko really wants and to see if there's any hope of reforming her. Back at the Masaki residence, Washu has finally come out of her laboratory. She sends Ayeka to investigate some ancient ruins to discover the true nature of Yugi. They find out that Sasami's playmate and the one that attacked them earlier are the same Yugi. Meanwhile, Sakuya has taken up photography to capture the memories of her and Tenchi enjoying their summer vacation together. But their happy days don't last long as Sakuya's mysterious past begins to haunt her.
Volume 8
A New Ending
Heartbreak and Conflict! Washu discovers Yugi's secrets and reveals them to a stunned Tenchi. Tenchi rushes to Sakuya's where he discovers Yugi and her crystal fortress. Tenchi is joined by the rest of the Tenchi Family to confront Yugi, but Tenchi must enter Yugi's crystal fortress on his own. Will defeating Yugi mean the end of Sakuya?!
Movie 1
Movies
Tenchi Muyo In Love
The GP headquarters vanishes! One word was left... Kain The merciless criminal Kain has escaped from sub-space where he had been captured! Kain, who was deprived of his freedom by the Jurai royal family and GP (Galaxy Police), demolished the GP headquarters and attacked the Jurai King... His next target is... earth! Tenchi is dissolving... back to 1970! Around the same time on earth, Tenchi's house has suddenly disappeared. What's even worse is that Tenchi's body is disappearing, too...! Something must have happened to Achika, Tenchi's mother, in the past! So the gang must leave for a journey to the year 1970.
Movie 2
Daughter of Darkness
A Daughter of Darkness can only envy the light or succumb to it! On a hot summer day, a fetching young girl named Mayuka appears to Tenchi, calling him Daddy! Jealousy and envy follow as Ryoko and Ayeka battle for Tenchi's attention with an apparently new rival. Who could the mother be ?! Hiding in the background, Yuzuha, the Demoness of Darkness, is about to get her revenge against Yosho for a grudge held for over 700 years! She begins her plan by using Mayuka to steal Tenchi away to the Dimension of Darkness. So it begins again, Tenchi must fight to save his friends and Mayuka, daughter or not!
Movie 3
Tenchi Muyo In Love 2 aka Tenchi Forever
Is this the end of Tenchi?! Japan has announced that this 35mm full length movie will probably be the last production involving Tenchi Muyo! Tenchi fans everywhere will appreciate the production quality and beautiful animation of this farewell feature. In the story, Tenchi storms off into the hills after a fight, but doesn't return. After searching for some time, Ayeka and Ryoko finally discover Tenchi seduced by a mysterious woman!
Mihoshi Special
Specials / Spin-offs
An even more off-the-wall story than the original series!. Everyone knows Mihoshi, one of the beautiful girls living with Tenchi. She's a bit of a scatterbrain but she's a real Galaxy Policewoman. And, according to her, one of the best! Nobody believes her but maybe they'll acknowledge her abilities after she recounts how she and her partner, Kiyone, solved the galaxy's most notorious case! Tenchi as the investigator, Ryoko as the space pirate, and Sasami as the Magical Girl Pretty Sammy!? All the Tenchi Muyo characters are cast (against their will?) in her amazing and unbelievable story! A special episode!
Pretty Sammy 1
SASAMI KAWAI is a 4th grader, a cheerful girl full of energy. One day, she is sent on an errand to an old mansion and meets a strange lady there. The lady identifies herself as Tsunami and claims that she comes from a Magical Kingdom called JURAIHELM. She asks Sasami to help make the Earth a better place by using the magical powers she can endow upon Sasami. Sasami's career as a Magical Girl thus begins. Her mysterious rival-another Magical Girl called Pixy Misa-, as well as Ryoko and Ayeka who always fight against each other over Sasami's brother Tenchi, her mother who has her head completely in the clouds all the time ... these wacky bunch of people only help the already wacky situations go worse, making Sammy's job even more difficult!
Pretty Sammy 2
Stop me if you've heard this one before. There's a guy by the name of Biff Standard whose running a huge computer software company (STANDARD Software) that controls over 95% of the world's machines (the lone holdout seems to be Japan). With his operating system (it's a logo on a cloud background) installed on every machine, the world is his. This time, instead of employing vicious, possibly illegal tactics to get what he wants, he's contacted by Ramia (who can crash systems just by looking at them ... seems like a pretty good match to me). Ramia, Tsunami's rival for the next queen of Juraihelm, will get the remaining 5% of the world, and in return... Will Sammy be defeated by Biff?
Pretty Sammy 3
Pretty Sammy (Sasami) was losing a battle against Pixy Misa in outer space when the sudden arrival of a giant meteorite saved her. The meteorite continued on to crash at a resort beach in Japan - the same beach Sasami and her friends are supposed to go to on their vacation! There, Sasami meets a handsome boy and falls in love with him, however, the mysterious youth seems to have a secret. Soon, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki sense an intense magic power and discover a man who claims that he wants to destroy Pretty Sammy and Tsunami - can Pretty Sammy defeat this strong new enemy?
Several years ago, I thought I was going to get a Laser Disc Player, so, naturally I had to have some Laser Discs. Sometimes I'll see a nice cover and I'll just have to have it. That was the case with Tenchi Muyo. Ryoko was standing there on the cover of the laser disc jacket giving me the finger. Well, actually it wasn't *that* finger, but, it was close enough to grab my attention. Well, I never did get the player, but, I do have the first five Tenchi OVAs on Laser Disc. They now make perfectly good artwork on my wall.
All of the early Pioneer releases included all sorts of goodies like posters and post cards. The original packaging design for the U.S. release of Tenchi Universe offered some of the most unreadable text color combinations I've ever seen. I distinctly recall having a great deal of difficulty with scanning and performing character recognition on the Tenchi Universe covers. In a handful of cases, I had to type out the text because I couldn't get enough contrast for the scan.
Tenchi Muyo is a very large series with three movies, 13 OVAs, a Special (Mihoshi Special), a spin-off (Pretty Sammy), and three TV series (Tenchi Universe, Tenchi in Tokyo, Tenchi Muyo GXP - Galaxy Police). "Pretty Sammy" and the Mihoshi Special just didn't agree with me for some reason. It's a big enough series, that there's something for almost everyone. I used to have nearly all of the Tenchi Muyo saga on subtitled VHS. When the time came to upgrade to DVD, I repurchased the OVAs and the three movies on DVD. When the last Suncoast in the Philadelphia area went out of business, I was able to pick up the Tenchi In Tokyo TV series on DVD.
My favorite episodes from the OVA series are the first episode, Ryoko Resurrected, where we first meet Tenchi and he has his fateful meeting with Ryoko. In the earlier episodes of the OVA series, Ryoko does a lot a flying through walls. I tended to like seeing Ryoko pass through a wall. Another favorite episode in the OVA series is Hello Baby!, where Tenchi and company explore their baby sitting skills. I actually had an untranslated VHS tape of this episode. Lastly, in the OVA series, one of my favorite episodes is Here Comes Jurai, where Tenchi meets Ayeka's father and Ryoko meets Ayeka's mother.
Of course, after the original Tenchi OVAs, the first Tenchi movie is my favorite in the Tenchi franchise. Although, I've seen all of Tenchi Universe and Tenchi In Tokyo and portions of Tenchi GXP, I have to admit, that I didn't really enjoy the various TV series as much as the original OVA series. I might not have repurchased Tenchi In Tokyo, but, in the aftermath of the Demise of Brick and Mortar Stores like Suncoast, the series was practically being thrown away -- I couldn't say no! Ultimately, I enjoyed Tenchi Muyo and I would give Tenchi Muyo a 4 out of 5.I've picked up as many Tenchi Muyo CDs that I could get my hands on. Cartoon Network released a CD of English songs for Tenchi Muyo with 13 tracks and I liked 4 tracks for a total of 30.7% which works out to a rating of 2 out of 4. The three Tenchi Muyo movie soundtracks have 22, 23 and 24 tracks respectively and I liked 7, 7 and 5 tracks respectively for totals of 31.8%, 30.4% and 20.8% respectively which works out to ratings of 2 out of 4 for each movie soundtrack CD. I also picked up two music collection CDs (Volumes 1 and 3) and a Ryo-Ohki character drama CD (Volume 3) that have 20, 25 and 11 tracks respectively and I liked 2, 11 and 3 tracks respectively for totals of 10%, 44% and 27.2% respectively which results in ratings of 1, 2 and 2 out of 4 respectively.
One of the more interesting songs that I've come across is Can't Stop, Can't Stop from the second Tenchi In Tokyo soundtrack. The song is notable for having a distinctly country music flavor complete with banjos, but, in Japanese with vocals provided by the series cast. It's brilliant! The Tenchi In Tokyo soundtrack Volume 2 CD has 14 tracks and I liked 2 tracks for a total of 14.2% which works out to a rating of 1 out of 4.
