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LTTP: Tenchi Muyo

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So for years ever since I was a kid I've always heard about Tenchi Muyo as being one of the iconic cult classics of the 90's anime fandom both in America and in Japan.

But for some reason, just never sat down and got into it. Due to a friend suggesting the series however, I did some research on it and decided to check it out. After I finish the three OVA series I'm thinking of checking out Tenchi Universe and some of the manga perhaps.

I'm still watching the series but I was wanting to get GAF's thoughts on the series cause I see it rarely mentioned on here.

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Tenchi Muyo OVA 1: 1-7

So basically I didn't expect much from this when I first watched it. Harem series with some Star Wars mixed into it sounds pretty lame, only for it to sweep my exceptions. OVA1 is genuinely a fun and engaging series!

Ryoko is a genuinely fun character, even though I thought her character shift as being Tenchi's psuedo-mom later on in the OVA was a bit weird considering I've always preferred her more as a tease than someone who is genuinely infatuated with Tenchi.

Ayeka was eh on me on first but she grew on me as her place in the series became more relevant to the storyline and she started to show a LOT more personality in the later episodes of the OVA, mainly starting with the bath episode.

Mihoshi is eh, just the typical klutz. She does provide for some much needed dumb humor when appropriate however.

Grandpa being Yosho was also a pretty great twist, with the end of the OVA being an accumulation of everything thus-far was also pretty great as well, especially seeing the three girls teaming up to save Tenchi from Kagato.

Speaking of Kagato what a badass and intimidating villain. Still expecting some fuckery from him in the future.

To top the entire OVA off, the special episode at the end was some really fantastic stuff. The entire episode is about all the girls reading manga and attempting to recreate scenes from the manga they read to get Tenchi's affection, but in the end it works out fantastically and makes for a very funny and well-done closure to the first OVA, ending in the complete collapse of the household all together!
___________

So far on OVA 2 and the first episode blew me away! Who would've thought an episode about taking care of a baby could be so hilarious and heart-warming at the same time? Great stuff.

What are GAF's thoughts on Tenchi Muyo?
 
Tenchi Muyo is great, particularly the first two OVAs (Eps 1-13?). The third OVA is pretty hot garbage, since it plays off of a lot of stuff from GXP or War on Geminar spin-off series. It's just blegh.

Tenchi Universe pretty awesome too. Mihoshi gets a partner, Kiyone, who play off of each other pretty well to my memory (I haven't watch this show in a long time though).

I remember Tenchi in Tokyo being pretty terrible too.

I wouldn't say the shows has aged particularly well since the harem genre is so tired by now, but I think it still has its old school charm.

Edit: Tenchi Universe OP gives me an instant case of the nostalgias: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R20hMCJ0D_k The only other anime OP to do this to me is Gundam Wing's Just Communication.
 
OVA 4 actually just got announced. Hope it's better than 3.

The OVA is quite enjoyable but I think TV perhaps edges it out (though extended TV canon picks a clear winner in the harem which I can't stand).
 
Pretty typical 90s harem series, but it does get points for being one of the first I ever watched. I remember liking Washu for being this mad scientist badass, rooting for Ryoko because fuck Aeka and wanting Yosho to just murder everyone by the time the show was winding down.

Kind of interesting how the designs are in between the early deformed eyes and the later 90s melted faces on everyone.
 
I watched and enjoyed this during the Toonami days. Ayeka was my favorite of the women. It's been so long I barely remember anything, except the digital swimsuits, mad scientist Washu, and this one door that would teleport you into a lake if you didn't knock before opening.
 
The first OVA is pretty great in its own weird way. The rest just doesn't hold up. That OP sequence is perfect -- quintessential 90s anime.
 
I remember watching the original on toonami and being entertained. Then they showed Universe and I was confused as hell because I was expecting another season and it turned out to be a retelling of the original with some tweaks.
 
One of my favs



evanmisha said:
OVA 4 actually just got announced. Hope it's better than 3.

The OVA is quite enjoyable but I think TV perhaps edges it out (though extended TV canon picks a clear winner in the harem which I can't stand).
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Good to know!

I prefer the ova world over tv one
but I agree tv edges it if only because it had 1 cohesive story with a conclusion
 
The OVA's had a decent start, but like Kingdom Hearts, waited an eternity for resolution, and it shows big time.

Universe is easily the most complete of all of them from beginning to end.

Tokyo... The less said of that the better.
 
Loved this show as a kid. I ate up harem shows and this was my first exposure to it. Tenchi has more than just the harem stuff to it. The comedy elements are decent, it looks really good when it wants to, and the plot seemed like it was building up to something. The end of OVA2 had me wishing for an OVA3. ... Then we got it and it stinks - Worse than the weaker of the two TV series too. :(

Man, just thinking about OVA3 pisses me off a little.
One of those new chicks poses as his dead mother for a gag ffs. The first series had spent so much time carefully venerating her and then Tenchi missing his mother is played off for a gag.

The TV series aren't as good. Tenchi Universe is ok, it's a decent retelling of the OVA story with less intrigue. Tenchi in Tokyo ratchets the comedy levels too high, and the characters are worse for the wear.
 
Pretty Sammy TV (rebranded as Magical Project S in the west for some reason) is really funny and probably my favorite spin-off. The Pretty Sammy OVAs aren't the worst thing ever but I'd have a hard time recommending them. TV is a huge improvement.
 
OVA1 is a classic, perfectly paced and is the purest essence of the series. At the time it was a refreshing blend of comedy, science fiction, classical japanese designs and romance. There was a bit of depth to it other Harem shows lacked, thanks to the characters and show scripts being penned by a female romance author, Naoko Hasegawa.

OVA2 begins turning it into a Slice of Life series and while it does still bring in some conflict, Dr. Clay is a terrible antagonist compared to Kagato. The version of Clay we see in Okuda's manga is a much greater realization.

OVA3 was a temper tantrum thrown by the show's proclaimed "creator", Masaki Kajishima. I say that in quotes because he's not actually the show's creator, he's just the only one of the original creative think-tank from the first OVA who stuck around. It was basically his way of pissing on both Hiroki Hayashi and Naoko Hasegawa, both of whose talents helped make the first OVA as magical as it was. The series was his to fully control at this point, and so he did what he could to assassinate the characters (actual spoiler:
I once jokingly guessed that Kagato would join the harem as I was watching OVA3 for the first time. This not only actually came true, but was justified by making him return as a little girl who he had apparently separated from himself due to his hatred of women...?
) and create extra characters to beef up the harem while tying it into his extended series, GXP.

If his doujins at comiket are anything to go by, OVA4 will probably end up like OVA2, doubling down on the slice of life while it prepares to have Tenchi's harem pop out kids who will eventually bang a relative's kids so Washu can do some kind of manipulating to create the perfect being. I wish I was kidding.

Universe is my favorite of the whole extended set of alternate universes, thanks in part to the exploration of some subplots that lasted throughout the show's runtime. It drops a few parts about characters, like Washu & Ryoko's blood relation, but still manages to make the characters feel like a perfectly fresh take on their OVA1 counterparts. It also introduced Kiyone Makibi to a wider audience, who first appeared in Hasegawa's first Light Novel and a single episode animated special, The Mihoshi Special, before becoming a main character in Universe.

Universe also builds up to two feature films - Tenchi Muyo! In Love and Tenchi Forever. TMiL is like a blend of Back to the Future and Star Wars, mainly sticking with a similar mood as Universe. Tenchi Forever was a character-study and psychological drama that explored Tenchi as a person and the depths that Ryoko and Ayeka would go to to save him. While a total mood whiplash from most of the series, it's one of my favorites.

Tenchi in Tokyo really breaks series traditions and sees Tenchi not only falling in love with someone outside of the household, but the entire show itself follows a loose 'monster of the week' format until it comes together around episode 17. It also relies heavily on slapstick humor and weird gags that many fans didn't appreciate. I didn't hate it, but it's kinda low on the rankings.

The manga by Hitoshi Okuda is worth a read, as he explores concepts seen in both the OVA and Universe, while adding in his own plots and characters who feel right at home with the rest of the cast. It's somewhat telling that he finally clocked out when OVA3 hit, and his final act was to basically beat up OVA3's plot devices and have Tenchi deny them before walking out the door. You could tell Okuda and Masaki weren't seeing eye-to-eye. It's one of the most public aspects of the series' troubled behind-the-scenes history.

There was also a micro-show released last year called Ai Tenchi Muyo, which was produced in part with Takahashi City as part of their tourism advertising campaign. The first half of the show was all original, but the second half of the show was actually an altered version of a third movie that TMiL/Tenchi Forever & Universe's director, Hiroshi Negishi, had penned back in 2009 before financial woes caused AIC to decline funding for the project. Ai Tenchi is a mixed bag honestly, but there are some sequences that would feel right at home with earlier incarnations.

I think I've rambled on enough, so I'll park it there. But needless to say you're in for quite a ride ahead of you if you want to keep going down the long road of Tenchi alternate takes! It's the only anime series I've seen where the physical releases come with a printed series map on the back so you don't get confused where the set you're buying lies on the web.
 
The first OVA series is an enjoyable romp, but it doesn't really go anywhere. Its villain doesn't even show up until the last couple of episodes. Just like Battle Athletes, the OVA -> TV transition of Tenchi Universe gives a lot more room for a fleshed-out story (even if it doesn't look as nice most of the time).
 
The universe timeline is the best and most complete version of Tenchi. Do yourself a favor and ignore "Tenchi in Tokyo".

Universe > In Love > In Love 2 / Forever is a really fun watch.
 
I Watched this when it was on Toonami. I was weirdly into it even though the genre isn't my type. The first and last Harem anime I'll watch, and I didn't even know what Harem was at the time.
 
I'm not sure if I can ever sit through any of the shows again but Tenchi Forever man...

I go through that one ever few years. Haunting, touching, and even a bit of a conclusion to it all.

*sits in thoughtful repose*
 
Gentleman Jack said:
Pretty typical 90s harem series, but it does get points for being one of the first I ever watched. I remember liking Washu for being this mad scientist badass, rooting for Ryoko because fuck Aeka and wanting Yosho to just murder everyone by the time the show was winding down.
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One of the original waifu warz discussions.

Team Aeka FTW
 
Soooo if I just want to watch and read the generally accepted good stuff of the series, I should start with the very first OVA series?
 
Wait, are you saying you saw those garbage movies before you started watch the series proper? Oh man...


But yes, Tenchi Muyo is great. A classic and one of my favorite animes. Great, likable characters, cool story, pretty decent animation and a fantastic soundtrack. Tenchi Universe is great too, though I prefer the mythos and story of Muyo, where not just Ayeya and Ryoko fell in love with Tenchi but so did all the other girls. You can't have a harem anime with only two love interests!
 
Oh and definitely skip Tenchi in Tokyo. Absolute shit tier anime. Completely different from the prior two series. Ugly animation, mediocre love interest, shitty story, and probably the worst thing: an awful soundtrack in a completely different style from Muyo and Universe (they got the dude who did the music for DBZ, iirc).

Blasian Persuasion said:
The girl with the light blue hair and yellow eyes was my first anime crush.
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You better be talking about Kiyone.
 
Giolon said:
Tenchi Muyo is great, particularly the first two OVAs (Eps 1-13?). The third OVA is pretty hot garbage, since it plays off of a lot of stuff from GXP or War on Geminar spin-off series. It's just blegh.

Tenchi Universe pretty awesome too. Mihoshi gets a partner, Kiyone, who play off of each other pretty well to my memory (I haven't watch this show in a long time though).

I remember Tenchi in Tokyo being pretty terrible too.
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Right on all counts.

evanmisha said:
OVA 4 actually just got announced. Hope it's better than 3.
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wait what
 
One of the OG harem animes so I give it a pass. The movies and Universe are pretty good too. Tenchi in Tokyo was mediocre. GXP, OVA 3, and everything else is straight garbage though.
 
Oblivion said:
Oh and definitely skip Tenchi in Tokyo. Absolute shit tier anime. Completely different from the prior two series. Ugly animation, mediocre love interest, shitty story, and probably the worst thing: an awful soundtrack in a completely different style from Muyo and Universe (they got the dude who did the music for DBZ, iirc).



You better be talking about Kiyone.
Click to expand...

No, the girl with her hands on her hips in the op's pic.
 
Sciz said:
Right on all counts.



wait what
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Yup.

Oblivion said:
You better be talking about Kiyone.
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Preach <333

Tizoc said:
Soooo if I just want to watch and read the generally accepted good stuff of the series, I should start with the very first OVA series?
Click to expand...

OVA1 is probably the best, most condensed way to absorb what Tenchi is about. I'd personally recommend jumping to Universe and its two movies after though. OVA2 is accetable but ends on a cliffhanger that's never resolved, and OVA3 is generally accepted to be nothing but poor.

XiaNaphryz said:
And arguably the originator of the modern Harem genre formula. Though there's obviously some inspiration in things like Urusei Yatsura, Orange Road, and Ranma 1/2.
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Ryoko actually showed up as an animation gag in an episode of Ranma 1/2 that aired before Tenchi OVA1.
 
I liked what they aired on Cartoon Network and the movies. I never got into the new stuff they made or the GXP series. Otherwise it's one of the best animes I've watched (one of them, not all).

I was kinda young at the time and even I wanted some sorta uncut/unedited version. I liked the show, but sometimes Tenchi felt too kept back.

I always heard about Ranma 1/2, but I never saw a full episode. It was hard enough getting DBZ episodes online back then.
 
I enjoyed it for the character interactions and the comedy. The sci-fi action stuff could be entertaining at times, but it was mostly complete fucking nonsense. Tenchi Universe is really the only one that managed to juggle all of that stuff to a satisfying degree.

I think the franchise's classic status is a right place, right time sort of deal; it's an amusing diversion at best. At worst, in the case of stuff like the third OVA, it embodies that stereotype of all anime being convoluted, nonsensical bullshit.

That said, I remember the Tenchi Forever movie being legitimately great, but I haven't seen it in a while.

Nobody should ever watch GXP.

The opening for the first OVA is pretty good.
 
CheesecakeRecipe said:
OVA1 is probably the best, most condensed way to absorb what Tenchi is about. I'd personally recommend jumping to Universe and its two movies after though. OVA2 is accetable but ends on a cliffhanger that's never resolved, and OVA3 is generally accepted to be nothing but poor.
Click to expand...

Thanks, so OVA1, Universe and the 2 Universe movies. Will make a note of that and aim to watch it in the near future.
 
GreyMatter said:
This thread makes me feel like Manatsu no Eve was just a fever dream I've been having all these years.
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It's in an odd place, since it's a movie that was canonically placed as the 11th novel penned by OVA1 writer Naoko Hasegawa. Her light novels had their own storyline that fall between OVA1 and Universe, so the movie feels a bit strange in that it's standalone but not really.

I liked it, but I felt like they let Ryoko off the hook for
actually attempting murder
and similarly let Tenchi off the hook for
slapping Ryoko
too quickly. Yazuha didn't have a lot of time on screen to really justify her actions, so I wanted more of the interpersonal drama that was caused by Mayuka's appearance to show up instead.
 
Man, I ADORED Tenchi back in the day. It was the first anime series I purchased (on VHS!) as well as the first manga series I collected.

OVA 1 + 2: Absolutely adored them in my younger years, but my love's cooled off (partially because of OVA 3 and Kajishima's nonsense). They're still extremely funny and it's hard not to fall in love with the cast, but the lack of a proper conclusion does hurt it a bit.

OVA 3: GARBAGE. Read Hitoshi Okuda's "No Need for Tenchi!" manga series for a funnier, better continuation of the original OVA series.

Tenchi Universe: Really good, though not quite on par with the original OVAs. Definitely worth watching.

Tenchi Forever: Funnily enough, I hated this when I was in middle school because it wasn't as silly as the TV shows. Now that I'm an old fart I can appreciate the serious direction this film went in, and can easily say it's one of my all-time favorite anime films. It's interesting seeing Ryoko and Aeka finally talk to each other like mature adults and bond over their fear of losing Tenchi.

Also makes for a fantastic conclusion to the Universe storyline.

Tenchi in Tokyo: ...it's not good. Worth watching if you're curious enough, I suppose, but keep your expectations low.

I never did get around to watching all the other stuff: GXP, Ai Tenchi Muyo, Magical Project S/Magical Girl Pretty Sammy, Sasami: Magical Girls Club, or War on Geminar. Also never saw the loosely related series Photon and Dual.
 
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