Tenchi Muyô!

When people run down the list of classic anime shows, Tenchi Muyo! is almost always overlooked. Why? just because it was on Cartoon Network? because it doesn't feature heart stopping action or deep philasophical issues? if so you need to give a look over because what the series lacks in the above two things, it makes up for in comedy, drama and it's characters which is the heart of the series.

The story starts out simple, with Tenchi Masaki a typical teenager meeting a variety of exotic space women who all fall for him on some level and live with him but grows more complex with the various relationships each character has with one another and how it's never the same thing through out.

The characters are amongst some of the most interesting I've ever seen in an anime. From it's star Tenchi to Ryoko to Aeka and Washu and others the show introduces characters who always manage to surprise you in showing a different aspect of their personality or something you didn't think they where capable This adds terrific depth to the characters and makes you care about them a great deal as they become more and more interesting with each episode.

The next thing that makes this show great is the mix of drama and comedy. Both are never overdone and when can coexsist at the same time without ever being goofy or annoyingly dramatic.

What else makes this a good anime is the extremely talented voice cast which for the most part is leaps and bounds ahead of the japanese cast. From Washu's voice to Ryoko who is one of the sexiest characters in anime based on her tone of voice. Music is also top notch and is a must listen for any J-pop or anime song fan. Though a few tracks are pretty annoying.

In the end, Tenchi Muyo! is a great series in the tradition of Urusei Yatsura and Ranma 1/2 and is not to be missed. At the very least it should be given a shot, you won't be disappointed.

I used to not understand anime at all. After sitting through another anime tv show, I grew to like it, enjoy it, and now love it. And "Tenchi Muyo" is, aside from "Slayers", my favorite anime television.

First of all, there are so many different characters with which to fall in love with. From the sexy space pirate Ryoko, to the precious space princesses Ayeka and Sasami, to the vapid Mihoshi (and her companion Kiyone, who I haven't seen yet since I'm only on the OVA series) to the cute scientific genius Washu. And it all revolves around Tenchi.

Secondly, it has a wonderful music score. From the rousing opening theme, to the little background music throughout (especially Ayeka's theme), to the ending credit music, it is well conducted, especially for an anime, where music is usually conducted by cheesemakers.

Finally, the plots are well done. Aside from the difference between Tenchi Universe and the OVA series, the plots are well-sculpted, well developed, and have a proper blend of action and humor. The biggest problem with anime today is it's lack of humor, which Tenchi Muyo will simply not allow.

I thank the nameless station which has actually begun to air this wonderful series. And as for you "Tenchi Muyo", all we can do is bow, oh great respected one.

With its active imagination and bright coulors , its easy to see why tenchi muyo is a firm favourite to many fans of Japanese animation . However , just because the adventures of tenchi and co are appreciated by many , that doesn't make it the best series you'll see. This isn't to say that tenchi muyo is bad , but it is to say that there are a lot of things wrong with it. Wrong things such as it being unoriginal : tenchi muyo borrows .. in fact , no STEALS ideas from star wars , urusei yatsura and sailor moon just to name a few. Another one of the shows negative factors is that it constantly moves from being sci-fi to a slapstick comedy to a romantic drama to an action drama , all very quickly , making the show feel uneven . Oh , and speaking of uneven , tenchi muyo doesn't keep the same pace throughout , resulting in a show that can be heart stopping and exciting some times , and just plain boring the next. And while we are on the subject of the shows bad points , ive got to say that the thinly veiled sexism that creeps up in the show is something that we could have done with out.

Wow . With all these bad points , it sounds like I hate tenchi muyo , doesn't it ? Well I don't , I think its very solid and its good qualities are very strong . One good quality is that from a visual stand point , tenchi muyo looks great - the animators and character designers manage to strike a good balance between cuteness and complex realism . Another strong point is that when the show is funny , it can get really funny , just like how it can get damn exciting when it puts its action gloves on , suggesting that being a straight action comedy would have definitely been the best way forward for tenchi muyo. But above everything the best thing about tenchi is easily its characters , something that any tenchi fan can agree with me on. From the destructive but sensitive Ryoko , to the eccentric Washu , the characters are developed and used well enough for you to care for them when any thing happens to them. And having characters that you can get behind and feel for is important in any story , anime or otherwise.

So in conclusion , it must be said that tenchi muyo has a lot flaws but still comes out as an intelligent and entertaining show that's definitely way above average . But if it focused entirely on action and comedy (its best assets) whilst still paying attention to character and plot then we'd be looking at a classic.

Knowledge gives this : 3(and a half ) out of 5

The OVA series of Tenchi Muyo! is undoubtedly one of the crowning achievements of Japanese animation. It's got whatever you could want: drama, romance, comedy, action, nudity, violence, profanity, stupidity...it's a tour-de-force of all the emotions, pushing all the buttons and trying to get a response.

Of course, fans may be dismayed to have the series stop midway through the story, but fortunately the next OVA series is on its way after all these years of the good TV series and the kinda-passable-maybe-alright-kinda-bad Tenchi in Tokyo series. OK, so TV2 was horrible. But hopefully they will redeem themselves...

The original series that launched 3 spin-offs and 3 movies, Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki is by far the pick of the bunch. Although the series spans several genres it is more of a comedy at heart with its light hearted tone. This series perfectly encapsulates the whole Tenchi universe. Its art and animation is lush and gorgeous and the plot (or plots) is (are) relatively solid although the writers lose it occasionally after the first 6 episodes. Thrill-seekers may bemoan the absence of heart-stopping moments in the action scenes but the series' true strength lies in its characters.

The characters are compelling and genuinely appealing with deep and well-developed personalities. Even the pipe organ-playing(!) villain is cool! The character interactions are seldom boring, often being very funny and sometimes touching as well. One drawback is that is unfinished. The plot kinda meandered towards the end but then a ton of new plot threads were introduced which weren't resolved making the series seem incomplete.

Hopefully we'll see more of this series (which has been hinted) in the future but for I heartedly recommend this series to anyone. Simply put, it is simply brilliant.