Tenchi Muyou!

Tenchi Universe is a spin-off to Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki. Like its inspiration, the series remains a harem comedy, following the tangled life of Tenchi Masaki and his extraterrestrial visitors.

The story is similar to the first series: progressive events cause an assemblage of characters, mishaps create subplots, a threatening antagonist later appears and the group pits to stop them. The artwork is less shaded and the animation isn't as fluid but it all still looks good. Audio is backed with a library of different music, spot-on sound effects and believably acted voices. Bolder content, like nudity, swearing and sexual references, is a lot more minimal.

One of ... the best points about Tenchi Universe is how nicely it transitions. Viewers don't get stuck with empty fillers; there is always something going on whether or not the story has picked up. As a result, fans of the OVA, and fans of harems in general, should enjoy this series.

After following the first 12 episodes of the Tenchi series, what else is there to do? Watch more Tenchi! Although the Universe concentrates on tons of side-stories about enemies, crazy scientist (i.e. Washu), cabbit romances, overthrowing a kingdom (you know, the general line), it is a good fill of episodes until you get to the "in space" storyline in which you are truly set into the "we've got to get Jurai back" storyline. It has it's great comedic moments, it's tearjerker moments (a certain "death" near the end of the series is a killer...) and the ever happy ending is great. Although I personally ... love the OVA, the Universe is a great storyline to continue along especially because of all the chaos that happens thanks to Mihoshi.

No need for a review!

Especially given that everyone and their dog's probably seen Tenchi Muyo (Universe/TV aka the one who's page you're on). I'm also an unashamed fan. It's not a stretch to say that Tenchi is what got me into anime along with Outlaw Star on the legendary Toonami block a few yonks and a half back now.

Tenchi isn't just a harem anime. It's not going too far in my mind to say it is THE harem anime. A fantastic rom-com with some well placed scifi action and a nice bit of world building here and there, Tenchi has managed to create a ... fantastic cast of characters with unique personalities and character design (following the silhouette rule of character design, that is, in silhouette, as many characters as humanly possible should be immediately identifiable or recognizable. It's also a trope setter for a lot of things we commonly see now, and it's not unfair to level a fair amount of blame for the scourge of super cute mascot characters we see these days on Sasami and Ryo-Ohki.

I'm not going to go into depth on this review. Suffice to say, it's worth your time. Enjoy.

I saw it on 🇧🇷 in 2000, And it changed my life.

I'm a penciller, and Tenchi is such a well-built character, that made me decide to start drawing my manga.

22 years later I'm finally starting my manga, this review is from 02.08.2023 and in weeks it will be on my profile. And my manga will take a lot of inspiration from Tenchi Muyo.

Returning to the topic :v this anime is revolutionary, you fall in love with all the girls, all (Sasami is the case of "I want to protect"). And the plot is really good! It starts slow, then escalates to something cosmic!

Since you've read ... this far, now get out of here and go watch!

Tenchi Universe is a 26 episode series loosely based off of the original OVA Tenchi series, very loosely. It was directed by Hiroshi Negishi (relatively unknown) and produced by the ever pandering company that is Anime International Corporation (AIC). As a big fan of the OVA series, of course the tv series had much to live up to.

Compared to the entrancing beginning that the OVA had or anything else for that matter, the TV series is mostly just filler side-story nonsense focusing around the strange group of women that end up surrounding the main character Tenchi. Sure, the harem is in full swing, but the ... unique character backgrounds and mystery surrounding a certain family is sort of still there. However, what made the OVA so worth watching and what makes the viewer enjoy each of the unique characteristics of each woman, Tenchi Universe just homes in on pandering to the audience with nonsense panty and boob shots with almost zero story throughout the anime. This is an unfortunate set back to the series for those that truly enjoyed the original. It is not until near of the end of the series (Jurai space arc) where Tenchi Universe finally gets fun. Too bad there is so much filler and side-arc nonsense along the way.

The characters make Tenchi fun, but their reasoning behind their actions and feelings are almost absent, and they just continue to pander as opposed to the OVA which actually created circumstances and choices the characters make to their ultimate decision in the end. How can a 26 episode TV series fall so short compared to a 6 episode OVA?

Naturally, the Tenchi Universe does not look or holds up all that well in terms of animation or in comparison to the fantastic appeal of the OVA. Music is still pretty decent and representative of its time. So, in laments terms, Tenchi Universe falls into the nostalgia category to many fans. Then why not just watch the OVA series instead?

In short, Tenchi Universe in very boring and pandering to the audience. There is little to no content until the group goes to space which is unacceptable for a 26 episode series. Tenchi Universe fall dreadfully into the Ronin Warriors category of, “just because something was on Toonami in the past, does not mean it is good at all.” Go watch the Tenchi OVA, not Universe.

What can you say? It's a mid-90's harem anime featuring your standard average Joe as the main protagonist.

So this is kind of hard to review since the nostalgia factor is really strong with this one. I can remember watching this as a kid and I couldn't WAIT for the next episode to come on. If we had DVD sets like we do now, I would have pooped my pants. That's why it will be difficult to be objective about the anime, it's one that I have so many fond memories of watching that the rose-tinted glasses are firmly welded to my face. I'll do ... my best though....

Tenchi is an average Joe kinda guy, however he happens upon the most random, far-fetched, and by most all accounts implausible scenarios that land him with several strange women living in the house with him, his dad, and his grandpa. It's a classic example of the "harem anime" type and boy does it capitalize on it! Practically all the girls want a piece of Tenchi in some form or another. Their reasoning can be different, but Tenchi literally gets fought over. Every guy's dream, right? House full of hot women that just wanna get in your pants. As far as story goes, this was earlier on so it can get away with it. There is a branched-out storyline in both that makes them more interesting and epic, but I wouldn't exactly call it awe-inspiring. Carnival episode in Tenchi Universe is my favorite!!

For a 90's anime it looks pretty good as far as animation. Decently smooth, characters are proportional, and of course the explosions/lasers look cool. All in all it's good to look at.

I grew up watching the dub, so it's what I'm used to and feel most at home with. I can't say the voice acting is stellar, but it's not bad either. Tenchi can be kind of annoyingly nasally at times, but it almost comes off comedic for me given his personality. Ryoko's well done and so is Washu. The others are fine, but nothing special. Music wasn't especially memorable for me, but it wasn't annoying...standard fare on that.

Tenchi Muyo and Tenchi Universe use the same characters, but with different origin stories and interactions. I like Tenchi Muyo, but prefer Universe to be honest. Both series feature fan service, so just get ready for that if you watch this anime. Some of the characters are more interesting than others (Ryoko > Mihoshi), but there are at least comedic elements to all of them. Hands down, Washu is my favorite.

So why did I rank it amazingly entertaining? I put this in the same category as watching Beavis and Butthead for fart jokes and stupid cheap laughs...you're getting what you expect and it doesn't advertise otherwise. The show got kind of disappointing when they tried to get too serious, but overall I remember the funny episodes the most. True, the nostalgia glasses are on when I watch this show, but I still think it holds up on the entertaining portion. It's an anime that can put you in a good mood when you watch it. It's so silly that it's good, like anything that's a comedy not to be taken too seriously. Being as entertaining as it is, I feel it hits the nail on the head.


All things considered it's a good comedic anime. More harem and fantasy than anything else, it doesn't focus on realistic comedic scenarios as its strength like you'd see in Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun or Azumanga Daioh. It goes for really "wet" humor and goofy setups to get the laugh. That doesn't make it bad, it's just the style it was written in, and in the mid-90's this was to be expected almost. If you haven't seen it, check it out. Just be ready for a harem storyline, goofy jokes, and boobs too.

I've lost count of how many times I watch Tenchi Muyo, but I never get tired of watching! Tenchi Muyo is a classic tale of romance, and the high point of the series are the scenes of humor protagonized by the frequent fights between Aêka and Ryoko, competing for the love of Tenchi.
At first, the story introduze each character, and begins to create the link between the girls and Tenchi. However, this seemed to be just preparing the viewer for the main focus of the story, the events on the planet Jurai due to the appearance of legendary warrior Yosho, who had disappeared a long ... time ago. From the beginning, it can see that there is a mystery behind the origins of Tenchi, because of the peculiar way Tenchi and Aêka are related, and you can understand better with the unfolding of the plot.
In the end, the decisive battle against the real enemy is not so great, all responsibility falls under Tenchi who bravely fight, even without knowing quite what to do with a sword that was handed to him by his grandfather. Another point was the end of Ryoko, I always hoped that she and Tenchi be together, always felt she had more pure and true feelings for Tenchi. But I knew Tenchi should save Aeka then he would never choose Ryoko at that time. The last appearance of Ryoko's just sad, and I got to thinking that she actually died after leaving aimlessly wandering the universe.
There is nothing to complain about animation, especially when portraying the landscapes of both the Earth and of Jurai. The mountains, the sky and the vegetation a touch of tranquility to life the characters. I especially love the Jurai's landscapes and I feel Jurai has a feudal feature that is also strongly defined by the soundtrack, the most striking being "Royal Nights". On the other hand, I did not like it one bit of opening and ending.
I think Tenchi Muyo deserved to have more episode that dealt with history of the Jurai Royal Family and the legendary warrior Yosho and also the personal story of each character, which is not fully revealed and that leaves us eager to know more about her origins!

Quite a dramatic difference from the Ryo-ohki ova's. they seem to have added more silliness to the story and changed the characters backgrounds completely, and did a total overhaul on washu's personality. She is no longer the deep, calm, and collected person she was in the originals. instead she has become more of a mad scientist with a rediculous ego. though the new storyline is still quite good, the added sillyness and lack of character depth definitly let me down a little bit. but still a good watch.

A classic of anime and the first of the harem genre, Tenchi Muyo has a lot going for it: great balance of sci-fi and comedy elements, a delightful cast of characters, and a potential for good romantic development on the part of Tenchi and the two main love interests. There are problems with Tenchi though, and they detract some from the experience. For the sake of not being an idiot, I’m not going to include the horrible dub in my overall score but I will talk about it. So don’t think Tenchi’s getting the score it is getting because of the dub. It has a ... lot more problems to deal with.

Pros
1.) Cast of Characters-In order to make a successful harem anime you have to have an eclectic and very different cast of characters. No two can be alike because the audience wants to like one and empathize with one the most (and not the same character across the board but one that matches our preference) and root for the hero to get that girl. Tenchi Muyo gets this right by having a great cast of very different characters from different walks of life. What it also gets right is allowing these characters time to shine in their areas of expertise. Every character gets enough focus so you don’t feel like any are being left out. On top of that, it doesn’t force Tenchi into a relationship with any of the girls. Ryoko and Ayeka are the two girls after him, but he doesn’t end up with either and you don’t feel like the creators are pushing one or the other. Harems don’t work when the main character has a main love interest. A harem entails multiple love interests. Hell, if a normal person were in a harem situation they’d probably become a Mormon on the spot.

Another plus is how the romance seems relegated to two characters love for Tenchi. Rather than have them all love him, he’s given two to choose from and the rest are there as friends more or less. It’s not overbearing and makes this seem less a harem, more a sci-fi. Sure he is dealing with tons of girls but only two fawn over him.

2.) Combination of Sci-Fi and Comedy-I have such a hard time looking at this as a harem for the sole reason that the romance doesn’t come to the forefront. Halfway through, the series has a tonal shift and goes from Earth antics to a full-on space adventure. The romance is there, but it isn’t the focus. There are so many genres coming together, and I absolutely love how Tenchi Muyo melts all these elements together. As far as genre balancing goes, it does it so much better than recent titles like Haiyore! Nyaruko-San. Heaven’s Lost Property managed a decent balance of story, comedy, and romance; but definitely not as successfully as Tenchi Muyo does.

Cons
1) Ayeka vs. Ryoko- The two main love interests also tend to be the most interesting characters as far as backstory is concerned. The problem is, when you get them together they are total pains in the ass. They get infuriatingly annoying at points. Despite liking them both and understanding they are romantic rivals; their antics are too grating to be funny or cute.

2) Seizure- Episode 22 has more flashing lights than a normal person should ever have to see. Seriously, you could have a seizure watching that shit.

3) Voice Acting- I’d suggest bypassing the English dub. Tenchi sounds like Kermit the Frog, Ayeka’s voice is awful. There are very few capable voice actors/actresses in the dubbing project. On top of that, some of the songs of the show have been localized, making for awful music at dramatic places. It’s the same for the horrible karaoke sections that are completely pointless. Fast forwarding through these areas are permitted and highly advised.

Overall
Tenchi Muyo is a classic for good reason. It really doesn’t contain any largely noticeable problems, the cast is fantastic, and the balance is great. The only real problem is that I only have two good things to say about it and three bad things. I really have very little to say pro or con. So if it’s technically decent, then entertainment-wise does it deliver? Hell yes. It’s great fun and even if there are some chinks in the armor, it’s overall a very solid anime.

First anime I ever watched , it does hold up to todays standards , does get tedious with its fillers but a short anime that you can enjoy.
Watched it first when i was around 12 when Jetix was showing anime like this shaman king and DBZ , overall enjoyment and story is cool.
Story follows the ,,chosen one,, path but Tenchi does seem a bit clumsy and gets out of sticky situations but does prevail in the end. Kagato attacks! is my fav episode of the bunch and also one of my first and fav villains I ever watched. Recommended for all ages

Tenchi Muyou Universe is basically an alternate universe of Tenchi Muyou Ryououki. And that's it.

All the characters are different, and the story is a different in certain keypoints, but somehow the core of the Tenchi, still remains. The characters even though now they have a different origin, their story still stays the same. Same but different but still the same.

The art changes a little bit. It is not really the same, there are minor differences between outfits, and probably as a whole general there are others key differences. The animation is exceptional.

The sound and the music are exceptional. There are some slight ... differences in acting towards the Tenchi's father and grandfather, where the differences are big. But the rest is exceptional.

IF you are a fan of Tenchi you will surely not miss it.

This time I decided to comment only on the final episode, usually I comment episode by episode, but this time I decided to comment everything on the last one, so here we go.
First I'll comment on the characters and their changes from this spin-off to the canonical story:
Ryouko – While in the original story it makes sense that she likes Tenchi, because she lived with him since he was born and nurtured a love, in this spin-off she just falls out of space and falls in love, in fact you can't even call it love since you can only understand this in the final episodes ... where she cries for him, before that it only seemed to be a tease for Aeka or something, considering that in an episode she simply leaves Tenchi hungry and goes to have fun in space, the Ryouko from the original series would never have done that. Another point to be mentioned is that in the original Ryouko is a monster of strength, being able to destroy the city and her plot was precisely that she was very strong to destroy the earth but did not do it because of the tenchi .

Washuu – They simply took away all her genius, in the original series Washuu is very intelligent and there is almost nothing she cannot do, it is almost like a divine intelligence, in this version she leaves a lot to be desired, she was very nerfed intellectually. Another bad point was taking away her connection as a mother with Ryouko and creator of Ryou-Ouki. Another point is that they took away her loving interaction with Tenchi.

Ryou-Ouki – Making her fall in love with another ship of the same species, but male was a shot in the foot, in the original series she likes Tenchi.

Tenchi – Tenchi is almost the same as the original series but has a problem which is the character's background, in the original series his power is much more explained and he is much stronger, he has more impact, in this he is just a jedi, they took away everything Tenchi's role.

Sasami – not much to comment on, it's basically the same character but I think they took her focus away from the series, in the original it's pretty clear that she liked Tenchi and she had more protagonism in this version it's more like she was a child common, not to mention that they severed the connection she had with the Tsunami.

Aeka – honestly for me Aeka's changes were the best, they removed the connection she had with Yosho, thus eliminating her loving interaction with Yosho, improving the character's plot, it was the only character that had an improvement because of the alterations, made her love for Tenchi genuine.

Mihoshi – This version took away the love she had for Tenchi and left her totally as a comic relief character, in the original it makes sense for her to stay with tenchi since she was assigned to the earth sector, in this it makes no sense for her to return to the land at the end.
Kiyone – I don't know much about the character, I know she came from the OVA “Tenchi Muyou!: Galaxy Police Mihoshi Space Adventure” but I still haven't had the courage to see it but I intend to watch it later after the main series is over, I even found the character interesting but it seems that she was underused, she was kind of thrown into the main cast, it seemed that she didn't have a space between the main characters, she didn't have a motivation.

That ends the part of the characters, the rest of the characters are not necessary to comment, basically all the changes they made to the characters made them worse with the exception of Aeka.

Now about the story, due to the content of the story, this much episode was not necessary, most episodes are very monotonous, I overlooked a lot because most of the anime is certainly more focused on Tenchi Muyo's comedy, that is, the anime is not it would have serious parts, it would just be a comedy anime with Tenchi's characters but towards the end the atmosphere of the anime changed completely, bordering on characters "dying", these final episodes were the highlight of the anime, it was possible to make an anime of 6 eps just focusing on the serious parts would make a much better anime.
The penultimate episode was even interesting in terms of the fight but it doesn't come close to the fight it had in the first season of the original series, and the final episode was very good for the drama part but otherwise all the other episodes were so-so.
As I said, these last episodes are even good but in general it's not worth watching all the other episodes to get to them, even because they don't have anything very interesting and don't complement the original series in any way, either for the romance or for some interesting new element, none of which was added.
Before all that, I think this series is at most an OK anime

Score: 6/10



PT-BR

Dessa vez eu decidi comentar só no episódio final, geralmente eu comento episódio por episodio, mas dessa vez decidi comentar tudo no ultimo, então vamos lá.
Primeiro eu vou comentar dos personagens e suas mudanças desse spin-off para a historia canônica:
Ryouko – Enquanto na historia original faz sentido ela gostar do Tenchi,porque ela viveu com ele desde que nasceu e nutriu um amor, nesse spin-off ela simplesmente cai do espaço e já se apaixona, na verdade nem dá para chamar de amor visto que só da para entender isso nos episódios finais ao qual ela chora por ele, antes disso só parecia implicância para com a Aeka ou algo assim, tendo em vista que em um episodio ela simplesmente lagar o Tenchi com fome e vai se divertir no espaço, a Ryouko da série original nunca teria feito isso.Outro ponto a ser mencionado é que no original a Ryouko é um monstro de força,podendo destruir cidade e o plot dela era justamente ela ser muito forte para destruir a terra mas não fazer por causa do tenchi.

Washuu – Simplesmente tiraram toda a genialidade dela,na serie original a Washuu é bastante inteligente e não tem quase nada que ela não consiga fazer,é quase como uma inteligência divina,já nessa versão ela deixa bastante a desejar,ela foi muito nerfada intelectualmente.Outro ponto ruim foi tirar a ligação dela de mãe com a Ryouko e criadora do Ryou-Ouki.Outro ponto é que tiraram a interação amorosa dela para com o Tenchi.

Ryou-Ouki – Fazer ela se apaixonar pela outra nave de mesma espécie só que macho foi um tiro no pé,na serie original ela gosta do Tenchi.

Tenchi – o Tenchi é quase igual a serie original mas tem um problema que é o background do personagem,na serie original o poder dele é bem mais explicado e é bem mais forte,tem mais impacto,nesse ele é só um jedi,tiraram todo o protagonismo do Tenchi.

Sasami – não tem muito o que comentar é basicamente a mesma personagem mas acho que tiraram um pouco do foco dela na serie,no original fica bem nítido que ela gostava do Tenchi e ela tinha mais protagonismo nessa versão é mais como se ela fosse uma criança comum,sem falar que cortaram a ligação que ela tinha com a Tsunami.

Aeka – sinceramente para mim as mudanças da Aeka foram as melhores,tiraram a ligação que ela tinha com o Yosho,eliminando assim a interação amorosa dela para com Yosho,melhorando o plot da personagem,foi o único personagem que teve uma melhora por causa das alterações,fez o amor dela por Tenchi ser genuíno.

Mihoshi – Essa versão tirou o amor que ela tinha por Tenchi e deixou ela totalmente como uma personagem de alivio comico,no original faz sentido ela ficar com tenchi já que ela foi designada para o setor da terra,já nesse não faz sentido ela voltar para a terra no final.
Kiyone – Não conheço muito da personagem,sei que ela veio da OVA “Tenchi Muyou!: Galaxy Police Mihoshi Space Adventure” mas ainda não tive coragem para ver mas pretendo assistir mais tarde depois que acabar a serie principal,até achei a personagem interessante mas parece que ela foi subutilizada,ela ficou meio jogada no elenco principal,parecia que ela não tinha um espaço entre os personagens principais,não tinha uma motivação.

Assim acaba a parte dos personagens, o resto dos personagens não são necessários comentar, basicamente todas as mudanças que fizeram nos personagens pioraram eles com exceção da Aeka.

Agora sobre a história, pelo teor da história não era necessário esse tanto de episódio, a maioria dos episódios são bem monótonos,eu relevei muita coisa por a maior parte do anime com certeza ser mais focada na comedia de Tenchi Muyo ou seja o anime não teria as partes serias, seria só um anime de comedia com os personagens de Tenchi mas chegando no final o clima do anime mudou completamente, beirando a personagens “morrendo”, esses episódios finais foram o ponto alto do anime, dava para fazer um anime de 6 eps só focando nas partes serias que sairia um anime muito melhor.
O penúltimo episodio até foi interessante a parte da luta mas não chega aos pês da luta que teve na primeira temporada da série original, e o episódio final foi muito bom pela parte do drama mas de resto todos os outros episódios foram bem mais ou menos.
Como eu falei,esses últimos episódios até são bons mas no geral não vale a pena assistir todos os outros episódios para chegar neles,até mesmo porque eles não tem nada de muito interessante e não complementam em nada a serie original,seja pela romance ou por algum elemento novo interessante,nada disso foi acrescentado.
De ante disso tudo acho que essa serie é no máximo um anime OK

Nota: 6/10

First, I know there are a lot of people who have nostalgia for this anime (since it was one of the first anime shown on Toonami in America), but, to clarify, I'm a first time viewer thus have no nostalgia.

Characters 9/10

My two favorite characters would have to be Mihoshi and Kiyone. Seriously, these two characters are so funny that I would love it if they got their own spin-off show. What makes them so funny is they have completely opposite personalities; Mihoshi is a clumsy airhead and Kiyone is a hard working career woman who constantly has to clean up after the mess Mihoshi ... makes. They play off each other perfectly and I love this running joke how Kiyone is always complaining how unlucky she is to have a partner like Mihoshi.

Another great comedy duo are Aeka and Ryouko. A lot of the show's drama comes from the love triangle between Aeka, Ryouko, and Tenchi and with Aeka and Ryouko always competing for Tenchi's affection. However, Ryouko is a funny character on her own being a selfish, alcoholic, sleazy space pirate.

Ironically, Tenchi himself would be the show's most boring character. He's your typical nice-guy protagonist and he really doesn't do anything memorable until the final episode. Also, Tenchi seems to be so ignorant of Aeka and Ryouko's intentions that I'm seriously starting to think he may be gay.

Story 7/10

Similar to most romantic comedies, Tenchi Muyou! is a more character driven than story driven show thus every episode typically involves Tenchi and his harem going on some wacky adventure. For example, there's an episode where they go to a summer festival together and another where Mihoshi and Kiyone get part-time jobs. Not really anymore to say.

Art 7/10

Some things I liked about the art and animation in the show was how the alien characters all look mostly human, but with some noticeable differences like colorful and outrageous hairstyles. However, one character whose clearly an alien is Ryo-Ohki who looks like a cross between a rabbit and a cat with his big feet, long legs, and whiskers.

As for the animation, some of the best examples would have to be when Ryouko and Aeka are using their alien powers, including throwing energy blasts at each other and projecting force fields, and Ryo-Ohki's transformation into a spaceship.

Overall 7/10

I can see why many anime fans in America have nostalgia for Tenchi Muyou, it is a great example of an anime romantic comedy and harem anime. However, I only gave it a 7 out of 10 because while I did laugh a lot while watching Tenchi Muyou I was never rolling on the floor laughing and I found the story to be rather predictable.

However, I still recommend Tenchi Muyou to anyone wanting to watch a funny comedy.

This is an anime that I grew up watching. I loved every single one of the colorful characters, and I watched anything they released with them in it, over and over again.

I don't follow it so much these days. I have mostly grown out of it. But if I ever feel nostalgic about it, this is the one that I specifically tend to watch. It's my favorite.

The story is alright, the animation is pretty good, too. The songs and background music make me really nostalgic, and the characters are all hilarious. There are some scenes with flashing lights that I think might bother some people. ... It is a bit much, even for me, but really only a big deal in one episode.

I can't really say whether somebody new to this series would enjoy it because so much of it, for me, is nostalgia. If you like harem anime, this is definitely a must. It's a hilarious anime, and probably one of the more popular harem anime out there.