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Tenchi Muyo!

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, is an anime, light novel, and manga series about a boy named 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 1992–93. As its popularity grew, it spurred a seventh episode (also known as the Tenchi Special) and the standalone Mihoshi Special. In 1994-95, the second OVA series was created and released, featuring episodes 8–13. From 2003 to 2005, a third OVA series was released, with episodes 14–19, centering around the three goddesses introduced in the second OVA series. This is then followed by a special twentieth episode which centered around some of the remaining plot threads towards Tenchi's mother, as well as Noike, who was introduced in episode 15. The series can be somewhat confusing to newcomers because it has several continuities, although due to later creative changes many consider the original OVAs 'true' canon.

Before the popularity of series like Love Hina, to American fans Tenchi Muyo! set the benchmark for a series with a somewhat meek but kind male lead surrounded by attractive but often bizarre women, an anime subgenre (harem comedy) which would later become common. The TM franchise is also well-known in having a manga developed after an animated version was released, when typically the reverse is true.

Tenchi Muyo! was one of the early successes for AIC, the animation company behind it, which went on to create El-Hazard, Battle Athletes, Oh My Goddess!, Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure and many other anime series. The main artist for the series is Masaki Kajishima.

The name of the manga is a play on words. in Japanese means "This way up", a phrase written, for example, on boxes to show they should not be upturned. The word muyō also means "unnecessary", thus with a lead character "Tenchi" this name could also mean "unnecessary Tenchi" and is more often than not translated to "No need for Tenchi" (even so far as the episode titles for the first TV series to have the running gag of having the titles start with "No need for...") The name 'Tenchi' also means 'Heaven and Earth' so one could also take the title to mean "No Need for Heaven and Earth."

[Spoiler warningSpoiler warning]: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Contents

Canon

Series

Summary

The three major series continuities are Tenchi Muyo!, Tenchi Universe, and Tenchi in Tokyo. The first series, TM!, is the original OVA (Original Video Animation) which introduces the core characters. The other two are spin-offs that utilize the same characters, with the addition of Kiyone Makibi, though the backstory is quite different from the original OVAs. The first of the spin-offs was Tenchi Muyo! TV (also known as Tenchi Universe), in 1995; it is a twenty-six episode TV series that retells the original series differently. This anime was one of few anime to be broadcast on PBS member station KTEH San Jose, according to the [ANN].

Tenchi Muyo! OAV series, Kajishima canon

The canon accepted by series creator Kajishima is as follows:

Animation

Other Materials For more details about these materials, see [Tenchi Muyo! FAQ]

Tenchi Muyo! OAV series, Hasegawa canon

Naoko Hasegawa, co-writer of the first OAV series, uses a different canon, which includes the following:

Animation

Other Materials A few characters from OAV 2 (episodes 8-13.5), such as Tokimi, Emperor Azusa, and Empress Misaki, make appearances in Hasegawa's novels. However, the episodes and events from OAV 2, as well as episode 7, do not take place in Hasegawa's canon.

Hasegawa also worked on the TV series, which includes her characters Kiyone and (in the movies) Achika, but the TV series is not considered to be in the same continuity.

Tenchi Universe, a.k.a. the Negishi canon

Called the "Negishi canon", after Hiroshi Negishi, the director who was the main creative force behind the series and connecting movies, Tenchi Universe (known as Tenchi Muyo! TV in Japan) has no sentient Jurai trees, Ayeka is not closely related to Katsuhito, and Washu is the person sealed in the cave. Kiyone has a major role in this series. Also, this series has a stronger emphasis on Ryoko, as shown in the show's opening credits and in some episodes, as well as Tenchi Forever, although Ayeka also gets equal billing in the latter title.

Animation

Other Material

Tenchi in Tokyo

Shin Tenchi Muyo! (known as Tenchi in Tokyo in English), in 1997, is yet a third version of the story, but this time centered on Tenchi's high school adventures in Tokyo. 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, Tenchi in Tokyo was met with mixed reviews among fans.

Animation

Movies

There are also three movies: Tenchi Muyo! in Love, Tenchi Muyo! Manatsu no Eve (The Daughter of Darkness) (1997), and Tenchi Muyo! in Love 2: Haruka Naru Omoi (Tenchi Forever!), 1999.

Movies 1 and 3 are intended to be in, and match with, the Tenchi Universe continuity. Movie 3 concludes the Tenchi Muyo! TV (Universe) series.

The continuity of movie 2 is more complicated. It is written by Naoko Hasegawa, who co-wrote the first OAV series and wrote several Tenchi novels in Japanese; the movie is based on one of her novels.

Movie 2 is sometimes believed to be in Tenchi Universe continuity because of the presence of Kiyone and because Ayeka refers to my brother's tree instead of your tree while speaking to Katsuhito. Neither of these are related to Tenchi Universe; Kiyone is present because she originated from Hasegawa's OAV-based novels, and the Ayeka line is a misleading translation. In reality, the movie is an animated version of the Hasegawa novel of the same name, and is part of her continuity. In Japanese, a name or title may be used in some circumstances where English would require a pronoun; saying "brother's tree" to Katsuhito does not mean that her brother is someone other than him. Furthermore, in the Universe series it is never demonstrated that she has a brother.

Tenchi Muyo! in Love (1996)

Tenchi Muyo! in Love was the first of the Tenchi films, taking place within the Universe timeline.

The movie is about how the gang must save Tenchi from utter disappearance by capturing a criminal named Kain, which had traveled back in time to destroy Tenchi's mother, Achika so that Tenchi isn't born to threaten his conquest of Jurai. In order to save Achika and Tenchi, Tenchi and crew travel back in time to the year of 1970 to protect Achika.

Tenchi Muyo! Daughter of Darkness (1997)

Tenchi the Movie 2: The Daughter of Darkness (Manatsu no Eve) is the second Tenchi movie.

The movie is about a girl named Mayuka who appears out of nowhere claiming to be Tenchi's daughter. Ryoko and Ayeka are jealous and/or suspicious, Sasami befriends her, Kiyone and Mihoshi are the same, and Washu suspects something. Mayuka turns out to have been created by the demonic villain Yuzuha, who wanted revenge on Yosho because after befriending Yosho as a child she was banished by Jurai.

Tenchi Forever! (1999)

Tenchi Forever! (Tenchi Muyo! in Love 2) is a continuation of the first TV series (Tenchi Universe) and sequel to the original film.

After a fight between Ryoko and Ayeka, Tenchi runs into the mountains to be seduced by a beautiful woman and disappears. Six months later, he is found with a woman named Haruna and he has forgotten his previous life.

Manga

The Tenchi manga consists of two series, Tenchi Muyo! and Shin Tenchi Muyo! (the shin here means new and has no connection to the second television series, Shin Tenchi Muyo (aka Tenchi in Tokyo)) and are written by Hitoshi Okuda. They have been released in America as No Need for Tenchi and The All-New Tenchi Muyo!.

Unlike most anime/manga combinations, for Tenchi the anime came first, and the manga is considered unofficial. It is based on OAV series 1 and 2. Since the manga originally began in Japan before the release of OAV 2, the OAV 2 elements are not introduced immediately at the beginning. Because the manga is unofficial, new elements introduced in the manga do not carry over to the anime.

Manga series released in the US:

Spin-offs

The first Tenchi spinoff is the Pretty Sammy, the Magical Girl series, a magical girl series where Sasami is the lead character. The first use of Pretty Sammy was in the Tenchi Muyo! Sound File, a Japanese-only music video release. The same animation was used in the ending of the Mihoshi Special. In 1995, a three episode Pretty Sammy OVA series began, where Sasami, who is known as Sasami Kawai, magically becomes Pretty Sammy. The second Pretty Sammy is a TV series (titled in America as Magical Project S), which came out in 1996. This series is a separate continuity from the OAV series. Pretty Sammy also appears in the Mihoshi Special and in an alternate reality sequence in the Tenchi Universe series.

The second is Tenchi Muyo! GXP, which was released in Japan in 2001. The series takes place during the Kajishima version of the OVA continuity, and is set a year after the events of the third OVA series despite being released first chronologically. The main character of this twenty-six episode TV series is Seina Yamada, a friend of Tenchi Masaki who accidentally joined the Galaxy Police. Many characters from Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki make appearances in this series, including the use of Seiryo as a major character and a full-fledged Tenchi Muyo! crossover in episode 17.

, currently shown in Japan as 2006, is recognized as the third spin-off with Sasami, known here as Sasami Iwakura, as the main character. The animation style here is saccharine compared to the other titles, but the hold over characters from the franchise (particularly Misao of Pretty Sammy) are still fairly recognizable.

Other versions of Tenchi Muyo! are also available as graphic novels, video games and radio dramas.

The series Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure is also thought to be related to the Tenchi Muyo universe. Mecha from Dual! appear in Tenchi Muyo! GXP, Kiyone, Ramia, and Misao appear in a brief easter egg cameo in the series' OVA special, and there is much speculation concerning the ancient civilization that the character "D" is from. Kajishima has hinted that Dual! does, in fact, relate to Tenchi Muyo!, although most of the details are purely speculation on fans' part.

English adaptions distributor history

The manga is published in English in North America by Viz Communications. In Singapore it is published in English by Chuang Yi as No Need for Tenchi!

Pioneer USA (now Geneon Entertainment) has brought out most of the releases in the USA up to 2002. They released the Tenchi OAV series, the Mihoshi Special episode, both of the Tenchi Muyo! television series, and all three of the Tenchi Muyo! movies. Pioneer USA has also distributed the Pretty Sammy spinoff, with both the Pretty Sammy OAV's and Magical Project S TV series. On DVD the Mihoshi Special is released with Pretty Sammy, not with the rest of the Tenchi series.

OVA1 and OVA2 were released on DVD in the UK in 2004. A single boxset was released in the UK which includes OVA1, OVA2 and the Mihoshi Special.

Funimation Productions licensed the second Tenchi Muyo! spinoff series Tenchi Muyo! GXP for distribution in the United States in 2003, and released it in 2004. FUNimation also licensed the third OAV series and released it on DVD starting July 2005. FUNimation has kept most of the original dub voice cast except for Petrea Burchard, who dubbed Ryoko's voice in the Pioneer/Geneon releases. She is replaced by Mona Marshall in the GXP and OAV 3 series.

Trivia

External links

Tenchi Muyo! series
Anime Movies Manga
  • No Need For Tenchi! (1994 - 2000)
  • The All-New Tenchi Muyo! (2000 - 2005)
Tenchi Muyo! characters
Main Characters
Tenchi | Ayeka| Ryoko | Sasami | Washu | Mihoshi | Kiyone | Ryo-Ohki | Noike
The Chousin
Washu | Tsunami | Tokimi
Villains
Kagato | Dr. Clay | Z | Yugi | Kain | Yuzuha | Haruna | Pixy Misa | Ramia | Rumiya | Seiryo | Tarant | Yakage | Shima Brothers | Mikamo & Yataka
Masaki Family
Katsuhito | Nobuyuki | Achika | Tennyo | Airi | Rea
Guardians & Royalty of Jurai
Azaka & Kamidake | Azusa | Funaho | Misaki | Seto
Galaxy Police
Seina | Minami | Misao | Sabato
Others
Nagi | Sakuya | Mayuka | Zero | Minagi | Hiwa | Asahi | Kazuma | Chief GXP Characters | Chief Pretty Sammy Characters
Miscellaneous
Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki | Tenchi Universe | Tenchi in Tokyo | Tenchi Muyo! GXP | Pretty Sammy |

 

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