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Tenchi Muyo! (天地無用!), a
Japanese Animation 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.
Several variations of the original series were created. The first of
these was Tenchi Muyo! 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 Muyo! (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.
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.
Their 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.
The Main Characters
- Tenchi Masaki, the hero and descendant of aliens
from the planet Jurai. He has a lightsabre-like sword.
- 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's a bit snooty, but most of her bad qualities are
drawn out by Ryoko. The two constantly bicker.
- Sasami Jurai, Ayeka's little sister, a sweet soul
who does all the cooking.
- Washu Hakubi, 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.
- 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.
- Kiyone Makibi, Mihoshi's partner, who only appears
in some of the timelines. Long-suffering and constantly dragged down by
Mihoshi, who gets on Kiyone's nerves more than anyone's. (does not
appear in the OVA Cannon)
- Nobuyuki Masaki, Tenchi's father, who is not the
sharpest knife in the drawer.
- Katsuhito (Yosho) Masaki,
Tenchi's grandfather (on his mother's side), who fled Jurai hundreds of
years ago to "retire" on Earth. Tenchi's mother died when Tenchi was
young.
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