WHAT IS TENCHI MUYO!?

Tenchi Muyo! is an anime featuring excellent artwork and an intriguing plotline. Like most anime, it found its beginning in humble root -- some anime found their origins in manga, others in video games, and others still came alive on the TV screen -- for Tenchi, it was an OVA (Original Video Animation) series. And like most hit anime, the instant it is introduced to the market, the popularity poll jumps from non-existing to sky-breaking recognition. Today, very few anime fans have not heard of the name Tenchi Muyo!, and once you've personally experienced the Tenchi magic, it's almost a guarantee you will fall under its spell too. ^_^ After its rousing success with the first OVA line, Pioneer, TM's publishing company, released a second OVA series as well as a variety of other Tenchi-related products in multiple forms of media. Among these, some of the most noticeable are two TV series, a manga serie portraying alternate events following the first OVA series, Pretty Samy, various Tenchi CDs featuring BGM, vocals and drama, and two movies.

AN INTRODUCTION

Q: The Setting? A: Primarily Japan and Earth's immediate space. Q: The Plot? A: Now this would seriously spoil things for you. Are you sure you want to know? ^_^ If the answer is still yes, take a look at the story sysnopses in the Episode Listing section. Q: The Characters? A: The story evolves around a normal-looking, everyday high school student named Tenchi and a bunch of not-so-ordinary aliens from outer space. Not-so-ordinary, you ask, in what way? Well, for starters, we have Ryoko, who is an ex-space pirate responsible for the decimation of countless colonies and worlds (I've always wanted a neighbour like her). Then there is Aeka (I've always wanted a wife like her), the royal Juraian princess who spends 700 years beauty-sleeping just so she can travel through lightyears worth of space to search for her missing big brother and "fiance" Yosho (I have always wanted a grandpa like him), the crown prince of Jurai. Sasami: (I have always wanted a little sister like her), Aeka's playful and irresistably cute little sister with a mysterious past. She is really handy in the kitchen. Mihoshi: a clumsy but lovable galactic policewoman whose incredible luck can seem to overcome all odds and obstacles (heaven forbid if I should ever encounter a policewoman like her), and her unfortunate partner Kiyone, who is eternally plagued by a curse that is her partner (crimes would be at an all-time low if all police were as efficient as her... assuming Mihoshi isn't present to pull on her leg). Of course, who could forget the lovable Wasyu, the cutest "mad" scientist in this corner of the universe with the capability to create anything she can dream up (imagine what my grades would be like if my profs were all like her). Last but not least, we have Ryo-oh-ki (I have always wanted a pet cabbit like her) -- an ultra-cute fluffy cuddly little cabbit that can transform into a menacing hard-shelled not-so-huggable giant space ship capable of demolishing worlds. (If all space ships were to look like Ryo-oh-ki, no one would ever fear the word 'UFO' again... well, at least not in the cabbit form). Wow, that's quite a handful of bizarre characters, you say. Cool! What, there is more? But of course! However, if you want to know who they are or explore any of the characters above in greater detail, you will have to watch the anime! Tenchi Muyo! is simply much too complex to be explained properly with only words! ^_^

THE WORLDS...

Q: Are there any significant differences between the OVA and the two TV series? A: Plenty. Here are the major differences between the OVA and the first TV serie: Ryoko is not under Kagato's control, she is a malicious space pirate of her own choosing. Ryoko also has no direct ties to Wasyu. She is being sought after by the powerful bounty hunter Nagi. Aeka is not looking for Yosho when her ship stumbles into Terran space, instead she is searching for a marital partner to succeed the Juraian throne. Sasami doesn't come to Earth on Aeka's ship, she has a space ship of her own (no, it isn't Tsunami either, just a normal Juraian space ship). Apparently, Sasami has no ties to Tsunami, except that Tsunami is Sasami's physical adult form. Mihoshi is just a normal 1st-class Galaxy Police, she doesn't have a relative in the upper ranks of GP. Wasyu is now a genuine mad scientist. She was expelled out of the Space Academy and sent to Earth for her destructive inventions. Kiyone finally gets her big break -- she is now officially part of the main cast. Unfortunately, she is still stuck with Mihoshi. Tenchi drops many hints as to who he likes the most throughout the TV series. Nobuyuki takes on a more prominent role, as do Azaka and Kamidake. The Three Goddesses setting has been eliminated. In fact, Tsunami and Tokimi don't show up in the first TV series at all. Tsunami only appears in the TM TV videogame, titled Tenchi Muyo! No Need to Attend School! Here are the major differences between the OVA and the second TV serie, Shin Tenchi Muyo!: Ryoko is not under Kagato's control, she is a malicious space pirate of her own choosing. She and Wasyu are being sought after by Aeka and Galaxy Police for stealing the Juraian Power Gem. Aeka is not looking for Yosho when her ship stumbles into Terran space, instead her ship is alongside the small contingent of GP fleet which is in pursuit of Ryoko's ship, attempting to apprehend the two cooks responsible for the theft of the Juraian Power Gem. Sasami is the owner of Ryoohki. The cabbit has no ties to Wasyu. Mihoshi and Kiyone are back as partners in GP. Yes, Mihoshi is still driving Kiyone crazy. Wasyu is now a genuine mad scientist. Unfortunately, her inventions have a nasty habit of failing at the most inopportune moment. Nobuyuki is now the star of one full episode (gasp)!!! Whereas Katsuhito has nearly lost all his powers. Tenchi likes Ryoko so much that he goes on a date with her. ^o^ The Three Goddesses setting also doesn't exist in the second TV serie. Q: How does the two TV series compare to the original OVAs? A: I haven't found a person with a different opinion -- just about everyone who've watched all three series agree that the TV series aren't up to par to the OVAs. Some argue it's the artwork and the lack of animation, some say it's the storyline and the characters, while others claim that the poor sound effects and improper application of BGM ruined the TV series. Whatever it is, most Tenchi fans still admit to enjoy the TV series in spite of its faults... perhaps the standards which the OVAs had set were too high? ^_- Q: I hear talks of three Tenchi movies out there -- which series are they based on and what are they about? A: Tenchi Muyo! in LOVE is based on the first TV series, a direct continuation to the epilogue of that show. Its premiere showing took place in Japan on April 20, 1996 and both its Japanese and North American LD release took place on August 25, 1996. The NA version featured the English dubbing in stereo and the original voice in mono. As for what the story is about -- let's just say it has something to do with Tenchi's deceased mother Achika. The second movie, entitled Tenchi Muyo! Manatsu no Eve, is loosely based on the OVA series. The story focuses on Tenchi's daughter Mayuka, and the mysterious character Yuzuha, whose past relationship with Yosho leads to her involvement with the Tenchi family. The movie was released in Japan summer 97 by Kadokawa. Both Japanese and English LDs and videos are now available. The third movie, entitled Tenchi Muyo! in Love 2 - Haruka naru Omoi , is the concluding episode to the first TV series. The story focuses on a mysterious character named Haruna, whose past ties to Yosho leads to the development of her special relationship with Tenchi. The movie was released in Japan in the Golden Week. Both Japanese and English DVDs and videos are now available.