Tenchi Muyo
Tenchi Muyō! (天地無用!), an anime and manga series, is the story of Tenchi Masaki and the alien women that love him.
The Original Series, Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki, was a six episode OVA (Original Video Animation or Direct-to-Home Video) series; released in Japan in 1991-92, and later in North America in 1992-93 by Pioneer USA (now Geneon Entertainment). As its popularity grew, it spurred a seventh episode (also known as the Tenchi Special) and the Mihoshi Special. In 1994, the second OVA series was created and released, featuring episodes 8-13; these episodes explain each of the characters in more detail and introduces a new one. In 2003 and 2004, a third OVA series was released, with episodes 14-19, centering around the three goddesses introduced in the second OVA series. Currently it has been Licensed by FUNimation for an American Release.
Several variations of the original series were created. The first of these was Tenchi Muyō! Ryo-Ohki, TV Series (also known as Tenchi Universe), in 1995; it is a twenty-six episode TV series that retells the original series differently. Next, Shin Tenchi Muyō! (also known as Tenchi in Tokyo), in 1997, is yet a third version of the story, but this time centered in Tokyo with a girl named Sakuya Kumashiro. It is also a twenty-six episode TV series and many of the main characters had some personality changes. Because it is completely different from the OVAs and first TV series Shin Tenchi Muyo is not as popular.
The manga is made by Hitoshi Okuda. The manga is published in English by Viz Communications, as Tenchi Muyō! and No Need for Tenchi!.
Tenchi Muyo! GXP, released in 2001, goes back to the original OVA timeline; however this time the main character of this twenty-six episode TV series is Seina Yamada, a cousin of Tenchi Masaki who accidentally joins the Galaxy Police. Unlike all previous Tenchi Muyo! incarnations, GXP was licensed in the United States by FUNimation and is set to be released on DVD in early 2004.
There are also three movies: Tenchi Muyo in Love!, 1996; Tenchi Muyo: Manatsu no Eve (The Daughter of Darkness), 1997; and Tenchi Muyo in Love 2: Haruka naru omoi (Tenchi Forever), 1999.
Tenchi Muyo has also two complete spin-offs. The first, Pretty Sammy, the Magical Girl, in 1995, is a three episode OVA Series that centers around a girl named Sasami Kawai who magically becomes Pretty Sammy. The second, Pretty Sammy (also known as Magical Project S), in 1996, is an alternate version of the OVA storyline.
Other versions of Tenchi Muyo! are also available as graphic novels, video games and radio dramas.
Before the popularity of series like Love Hina and Ai Yori Aoshi, Tenchi Muyo! was also considered to be the standard to judge series with a milquetoast/meek but kind male lead surrounded by attractive but often bizarre women. These were later pejoratively called "harem comedy" or "harem anime," although, in the strictest sense, many shows given this title don't fit the bill.
Tenchi Muyo! was one of the early successes for AIC, the animation company behind it, which went on to create El Hazard, Battle Athletes, Ah! My Goddess and many other beloved anime series.
For many American fans, Tenchi Muyo! was the series that introduced them to anime, or cemented their love for it. Along with Robotech, Ranma 1/2 and others, Tenchi helped to firmly establish the American anime community in the 1990s.
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
The Main Characters
(Note: These descriptions are based on the original OVA continuity. There are numerous subtle differences in the characters in the various series)
- Tenchi Masaki, the hero and descendant of aliens from the planet Jurai. He has a lightsabre-like sword that bears the same name as himself. Currently he trains to be a Shinto Priest (and a Jurai Swordsman). He is a little clueless around women though. Tenchi has shown in the series three forms - his normal human form, a battle form, and a pure Jurai form. In his Jurai form, he has access to the ultimate power of the Jurai royal family - the Wings of the Light Hawk. At one time he lived in the city with his father and only went to his grandfather's shrine every summer. But when Ayeka beamed the house aboard her ship, after it crashed it was permantly relocated right next to his grandfather's shrine. Is a victim who is forced to have all the girls live with him in his house. Though they tend to get on his nerves he would never forsaken them.
- Ryoko Hakubi, a feisty space pirate with many powers, who has fallen madly in love with Tenchi. She has an angry streak, a lot of light-blue hair, and a ship named Ryo-ohki that can turn into a "cabbit," a half-cat, half-rabbit creature of Washu's creation.
- Ayeka Jurai, Princess of Jurai, who has found her way to Earth. She is also infatuated with Tenchi. She's a bit snooty, but most of her bad qualities are drawn out by Ryoko. The two constantly bicker, often over who is going to marry Tenchi. Was once engaged to her brother Yosho (In the Jurai Royal Family it is not uncommon to marry a relative). When she came to live on the earth she found her brothers tree alive which meant he must still be alive. She eventually found out her brother Yosho is really Tenchi's grandfather Katsuhito. Currently she has given up on him now that he is too old for her and is currently going for Tenchi in hopes of marrying him despite for Ayekas problems with Ryoko. Known as Aeka in the Japanese Version.
- Sasami Jurai, Ayeka's little sister, a sweet soul who does all the cooking, and is often the most reasonable person in the household despite her young age. Like all the other girls, she has a crush on Tenchi. She is Ryo-ohki's best friend when she is in cabbit form, and the two are usually found together. Her very being is intertwined with the main royal tree of Jurai, Tsunami, due to an accident that happened when she was young - when Sasami reaches adulthood, she will become Tsunami.
- Washu Hakubi, over 20,000 years old and the greatest scientific genius in the universe. Undeniably cute and the mother of Ryoko, and creator of the Soja and Ryo-ohki. She constantly tries to get that "last" bit of data from Tenchi, failing usually due to Mihoshi when she enters the lab. She also has a bit of a crush on Tenchi, despite the difference in their ages, but her primary interest in him is scientific. Washu's origin is simple, yet complex - she is in fact an incarnation of one of the three godesses that govern the universe. Out of all the girls she is the most suspicious and doesn't fall into enemy traps as easily as Tenchi or the other girls would.
- Mihoshi Kuramitsu, quite possibly the dumbest blonde in the galaxy, who also happens to be a Galaxy Police detective. She constantly enters Washu's lab and breaks things, sleeps often, and is the most lucky of the Galaxy Police. Probably the one of the girls who is least interested in Tenchi, although she has her moments of infatuation as well. And in what has to be one of the best examples of "sometimes the apple DOES fall far from the tree", Mihoshi is actually a direct line descendant of Washu. Go figure. The only reason why she is still with the Galaxy Police is because her Grandfather is the Grand Marshall. Also has a weird form of luck where it may give her good luck, towards others however it gives them bad luck. Like Sasami she is also a carefree person.
- Kiyone Makibi, Mihoshi's partner, who only appears in some of the timelines. Long-suffering and constantly dragged down by Mihoshi, (Even though she graduated from the Academy with Honors) who gets on Kiyone's nerves more than anyone's. Unlike Mihoshi she is a good detective and does know how to use the Galaxy Police Equipment properly. One thing she has in common with Tenchi is she is also a victim that is forced to live with him and the other girls on earth (In the first TV Series she and Mihoshi move into a low cost apartment because she doesn't want to be a burden on Tenchi). (does not appear in the OVA Cannon only - In the OVA continuity Tenchi's mother is named Kiyone and Mihoshi's old partner is Noike)
- Nobuyuki Masaki, Tenchi's father, who is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Is also a Peeping Tom and tries to encourage Tenchi to be more active towards women. (Though he is a minor character in the OVA's only in both of the TV Series however he is more of a support character.)
- Katsuhito (Yosho) Masaki, Tenchi's grandfather (on his mother's side), who fled Jurai over 700 years ago to "retire" on Earth was once the greatest swordsman on Jurai. Tenchi's mother died when Tenchi was young. Currently he is a Shinto Priest who is not only training Tenchi be a Shinto priest but also the knowledge of his Jurai Swordsmanship skills so Tenchi can be his Sucessor. Was arranged to be married to Ayeka but left because since he is half Human, it would have caused a controversy because not all Juraians liked the idea of mixed blood heritages, he used Ryoko's attack as an excuse to slip away to earth. He really did not expect that Ayeka was trying to track him down though he concealed his new identity at first when she came to live on the earth.
- Ryo-ohki, the cabbit. When not being used for transport, Ryoko's ship transforms into a cabbit, a cross between a cat and a rabbit. Like her feline half, she is insatiably curious and constantly getting into trouble. Like her rabbit half, she can eat several times her own weight in carrots. Prefers to hang out with Sasami rather than Ryoko because Sasami is much nicer to her. Later in the OVA and manga, thanks to an incident involving the raw material she was made from, Ryo-ohki gains two "cabbit-girl" forms - an adult form and a child form. However she chose to remain with the child form because the adult form is too hard to walk with. The child form is considered unstable where the slightest shock will cause her to revert back to her cabbit form.
External Links
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- - the brief overview of the series
- - the overview of each series of Tenchi Muyo!
- - Very Useful Resource Site coving all of the Tenchi Series, Movies, and Spin-Offs as well as the latest news.
