Type: T.V. series
V--V
G-----------PG----------PG13-----------R------NC17
Why: al, v, mt
This series is a rehash, or retelling, of the story in the various OAV series. All of the
Tenchi videos are summed up on the main
Tenchi Muyo jump off page.
The series is presented as a "look back", by Tenchi on the adventures he had with the various persons who made his life interesting.
Tenchi Masaki is your typical high school student who lives with his father and grandfather, who takes care of the Masaki shine. One day a couple of young ladies from space literally drop in on Tenchi. The first is:
The end result is that Ryoko and Mihoshi end up stranded on Earth. While they are waiting for rescue, Ryoko falls for Tenchi and Mihoshi sort of forgets the fact that she is suppose to take Ryoko into custody.
To the young ladies rescue is:
Enter also:
And a bit later:
In episode number 5 we meet Kiyone, Mihoshi's rather frazeled partner, who is somewhat distressed that Misoshi is still a live, and becomes nearly spare when both of them are assigned to Earth system.
Episode 9 foreshadows the mystical sword play that Tenchi uses in Tenchi Muyo: The Movie. Ryu-oh, who is currently at the bottom of a lake, also shows signs of regeneration.
In episode 10, a new character appears. Ryoko has an arch-rival named Nagi, who has a male cabbit named Ken-ohki. With the help of Washu, Ryoko and Nagi duke it out in an Old West town, while Ryo-ohki, who is female,and Ken-ohki fall for each other. The characters Nagi and Ken-ohki were created special for this new series.
Volume 4 begins The Time Travel and Space Adventures story arc.
These adventures begin when Washu invents a machine that can take the
user to an alternate Earth of the user's choosing. Things get a
little out of hand, when Ryoko and Ayeka and all the rest get a hold
of the device in order to create their own personal perfect world. In
brief, the adventures go as such:
Adventure #1: Here everyone is sent back to ancient Japan. Ayeka is still a princess. Tenchi is her fiancee. Ryoko plays the role of a demon and Mihoshi and Kiyone are still policemen. The fun begins when it is discovered that Tenchi and Ryoko are an item.
Adventure #2: In this adventure, former police detective Kiyone arrives at a small fishing village by steam boat. She is trying to escape her worst nightmare. At the village, Tenchi runs a noodle shop in one part of town and Sasami and Ayeka run one in another part of town. Ryoko plays a drunk. Tenchi's father and grandfather are also present. Of course, all good things must come to an end when Mihoshi shows up.
Adventure #3: This adventure features Sasami's alternate persona of Pretty Sammy, the Magic Girl. All the younger persons are students at a typical high school. Ayeka is Student Committee Chairman. Ryoko is a class bully. Mihoshi and Kiyone are teachers at the school. Things get a little out of hand when Ayeka and Ryoko get in a fight over Tenchi. Sasami and a rather vocal Ryo-ohki decide that everyone should play nice and be friendly to each other. [Maybe a little too friendly.....]. This adventure also self references adventure number 1 calling it a story from the Uji Shui Story Volume 4.
Adventure #4: If the previous adventures were not strange enough.... In this adventure, Tenchi and Mihoshi are married and Sasami is their child. Ryo-ohki is also there, as a cat. Ayeka plays the old-maid sister-in-law role and Ryoko plays a neighbor who attempts to seduce Tenchi. Kiyone is also present as a computer professional.
Adventure #5: Everyone is recast as Americans in a 1930's gangster
motif. Ryoko and Tenchi are running about the United States robbing
banks. Ayeka is rich and the head of a large company and is engaged
to Tenchi. Tenchi's father and grandfather are reverends. Mihoshi
and Kiyone are FBI agents trying to track down Ryoko and Tenchi.
The Time and Space adventures conclude when Washu finally manages to delete all the personal alternate Earths, except the last, which Ryoko is responsible for creating. It is up to Ryoko to choose to go back to their original space and time.
The Time and Space adventures places the characters of the Tenchi universe in even more strange and amusing situations and seems to be reasonably neat all the way round.
Volume 5 begins Tenchi and companies' adventures in space. It starts out when Ayeka is arrested by the Jurai military and charged with high treason on the orders of Emperor Yosho, the new ruler of Planet Jurai. Ayeka is, of course, being framed and in a very short amount of time so is everyone else. Yosho is supposed to be a legendary swordsman and is supposed to have great command of the "Jurai Power", however, Tenchi and company do not believe this is the real Yosho. In particular, there are a number of odd looks from Grandpa Masaki..... In the end, however, the entire group ends up working their way back to Planet Jurai with the Jurai military and the Galaxy Police hot on their trail.
In Volume 6, Tenchi and the Most Wanted Criminals in the Galaxy
continue to evade the Galaxy Police and the Jurai military. In the
episode 17, Ryoko is sent out for groceries with predicted results.
Sasami finds a ghostly friend her age on a dead ship in
episode 18. In the final episode of this volume, Yagami is stolen by
a couple of juvenal delinquents. Amarube and Yura bit off more then
they can handle, however, when most of the police forces of the galaxy
mistake them for Tenchi and company.
Volume 7 starts with a light episode. The entire gang is on a beach resort planet trying to earn some cash by selling snacks in a snack shot. That is, except Washu, who is working on Yagami. Things are no going well, however, until there is the announcement of a swimsuit contest. All the girls enter, except Sasami. With all the girls entered it seems obvious that one of them would win the 1 million Jurai prize. However, Nagi shows up, enters and wins the contest. Foiled again.... Indeed, the only one who seemed to "win the day" was Ryo-ohki and Ken-ohki, who went out on a date during the contest.
In episode 21, Tenchi and company approach the first checkpoint at the edge of the Jurai system. With Washu's help, they disguise themselves as a group of students from a girl's school. However, they are found out, and begin a chase around the checkpoint station. However, it appears that not all the persons at the station quite believe that the new Jurai king is all that he appears to be. Sasami and Ayeka's Uncle, and a young officer named Sagami, arrange for the escape of Tenchi and company into Jurai space. The chase is on, however, as the entire Jurai armada gives chase.
Many mysteries and questions are answered in episode 22. To escape the Jurai armada, Grandpa Masaki suggests that they head towards a particular part of Jurai space. A sacred place, where no one would go. Once there, Grandpa shows himself to be the real Yosho, and thus Jurai's true King. In addition, Azaka and Kamidake, the two bots, are called upon to perform a special service, as the two original warriors for whom they are named are resurrected. However, the bots are drained in the process and now rest peacefully. The original Azaka and Kamidake are very powerful and recognize Grandpa as the true ruler of Jurai. It goes without saying that everyone is amazed by this revelation.
The final volume of Tenchi Muyo T.V. brings to light who the
fake Jurai emperor is. His name is Kagato and his wish is to end the
direct line of Jurai. In his way, however, is Tenchi and his
grandfather. Grandfather and Kagato battle it out with Kagato coming
out on top. This leaves only Tenchi with his new sword that is named,
oddly, "Sword Tenchi". As Kagato leaves his takes Ayeka with him.
Things build in episode 23 and 24 with Nagi reentering the scene and Ryoko making what appears to be a great sacrifice as she flies Tenchi to the final battle with Kagato.
Episode 25 is the final action episode in the series. Tenchi and Kagato battle it out. The battle is won by Tenchi not because he is a better swordsman then Kagato, but because he is both of Jurai and Earth and can command some of the spirit of both.
The T.V. series concludes with episode 26, or rather starts again with Tenchi back on his way to school having just remembered all the events that had just occurred to him. He, of course, does not go on to become the ruler of Jurai but, rather, takes the same path as his grandfather and will live on Earth as a normal human.
Or will he?? ..... as Ryoko show up and says, "The carnival comes and goes. If you wait for a while... it'll always come back to you."
Tenchi Muyo is unquestionably a clever and fun series.
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