Tenchi Universe

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Tenchi Universe
天地無用!
(Tenchi Muyo! TV)
Genre Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Harem, Romance, Science Fiction
TV anime
Directed by Hiroshi Negishi
Studio Flag of JapanAIC
Flag of United StatesGeneon
Network TV Tokyo
Original run 2 April 1995 – 24 December 1995
No. of episodes 26

Tenchi Universe, known in Japan as Tenchi Muyo! TV (天地無用!?), is a 26-episode anime series produced by AIC and Pioneer Animation (now Geneon Entertainment). It is loosely based on the first six episodes of the Tenchi Muyo! OAV series. The second of Tenchi Muyo!'s three main continuities (OAV, Universe, Tokyo), the Universe series was followed up by two movies: Tenchi Muyo! in Love (released in 1996) and Tenchi Muyo! in Love 2 (released in 1999; also known as Tenchi Forever! in the US).

This series introduces three new characters: Mihoshi's partner Kiyone Makibi (who debuted in the "Mihoshi Special"), the bounty hunter and Ryoko's rival, Nagi, and her cabbit companion, Ken-Ohki.

The series also gave some characters different personalties; Washu is now portrayed as a mildly-insane egomaniac with two pop-up dolls that proclaim her greatness, and Mihoshi was portrayed as a comic relief character whose constant bumbling, blunders and crying fits would often get the gang into trouble.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Contents

[edit] Minor characters

Ken-Ohki (眷皇鬼 Kenōki?)
Ken-Ohki is Nagi's cabbit partner. Like Ryo-Ohki, Ken-Ohki can transform himself in a space battleship, although the configuration and color is slightly different than Ryo-Ohki. And like Ryo-Ohki, Ken-Ohki has developed a love of carrots.
Ken-Ohki and Ryo-Ohki also love each other, which complicates Nagi's almost obsessive quest to capture Ryoko. But this love had also saved Nagi from being killed by Ryoko, not to mention aiding Ryoko when she, Tenchi, and the knights Azaka and Kamidake stormed the Jurai palace to save Ayeka.
Voiced by: Akiko Yajima
Mecha Washu (メカ鷲羽 Meka Washū?)
This android duplicate of Washu was supposed to be a suplemental worker, inprinted with the mad genius's intellect. But somehow, a single hair from Mihoshi found its way into the transfer unit. It was after an explosion (caused by Mihoshi) that Washu discovered that, instead of Washu's mind, the android gains Mihoshi's mind and temperament. The group had a hard time dealing with Mecha Washu until Kiyone came by, as she knew how Mihoshi's mind works, which enabled her to shut down Mecha Washu.
Mecha Washu has most of Washu's physical features, but with Mihoshi's ear and eye characteristics, as well as her hairstyle. Eventually Washu tried to create a second Mecha Washu but Ryo-ohki somehow caused it to gain her characteristics.
Voiced by: Yūko Kobayashi (Japanese), Kate T. Vogt (English)
Mitsuki (満奇?)
Mitsuki graduated from the same Galaxy Police Academy class Kiyone graduated from, but at a lower score. She is a very ambitious person, and will stoop to anything to get ahead of Kiyone... even capturing her when Kiyone got implicated in Ayeka's problems with Jurai.
At the end of the series, Mitsuki was demoted to being Kiyone's errand girl, following Kiyone's promotion to Detective Sergeant and Mihoshi's promotion to Chief Criminal Prevention Officer.
Voiced by: Yuka Koyama (Japanese), Debi Derryberry (English)
Mirei (美零?)
Mirei is a mysterious ghost girl whose life before she died is unknown to her, although she has a photograph which is her only clue.
When the Yagami stopped in the Sargasso sea of space a.k.a. the ship's graveyard, that was when Mirei's ship appeared before them. She invited Sasami and Ryo-ohki on board, afterwhich the two started to have fun and decided to scare the rest of the group, who had come aboard to look for Sasami. Then after sampling Sasami's memories, Mirei, Sasami, and Ryo-ohki continued to play through things such as an amusement park and a fireworks display.
Eventually Sasami realized she had to return to the Yagami as everyone was worried. But as a gift, Sasami and Ryo-ohki's image were added to the photograph to help remember their happiest time together.
Voiced by: Hiroko Konishi (Japanese), Debi Derryberry (English)
Amarube (餘部?) and Yura (由良?)
Basically, the two of them are runaways, and just happened to steal Kiyone's ship Yagami, (with an unknowing Nobuyuki and Katsuhito on board who were playing Shiogi, a Japanese version of chess) when the Masaki clan stopped at a station to order beef dons. Of course, the two of them didn't know about the trouble the Masakis were in, and soon found themselves chased by the G.P. and Jurai... something they never counted on!
Eventually they ended up flying towards a star, but the Masaki group (minus Ayeka and Sasami) arrived on Ryo-ohki, retaken the ship, and used Washu's calculations to use the sun's gravity to escape. They then sent Amarube and Yura away on an escape pod.
Amarube voiced by: Tsutomu Kashiwakura
Yura voiced by: Yūko Nagashima (Japanese), Debi Derryberry (English)
Sagami (相模?)
During the Masaki clan's trip through the Jurai checkpoint, Sagami met Tenchi (disgused as a girl named Tenko) after he went to check-in station. Sagami then went to the Cafe with Sasami and Tenchi, but after Ryoko and Mihoshi came through when Mihoshi's bungling had exposed them, Sagami was able to help slow down some of the guards.
Later when Sasami was separated from the group, Sagami knocked out the guards that heard her and then gave Tenchi a staff to fight off the guards, although it exposed Tenchi's true identity to him. It turned out that Sagami was an agent of Sasami and Ayeka's uncle and was helping the group in order for them to make it into Jurai territory.
Voiced by: Akifumi Endō
Outpost Chief (長官 Chōkan?)
While in disguise on Jurai's checkpoint to get into the Jurai territory, Sasami remembered the time when she used to play with her uncle on Jurai. However, her uncle, who was the outpost chief for the checkpoint, easily recognized her through her disguise. He helped weaken the security grid and had his man Sagami assist the Masaki clan in getting away when they were discovered, giving them a chance to escape from the checkpoint into Jurai territory. He also helped rescue Sasami after she was separated from the group and was rendered uncouncious by knockout gas, and got her back to the group safely. It was only after their escape that Sasami saw him as they were leaving and realized that her uncle had helped them escape, and he realized how much Sasami had grown up.
Voiced by: Ikuya Sawaki
Tetta (哲多?) and Tessei (哲清?)
Tetta and Tessei are the Juraian knights that served Kagato. The knights Azaka and Kamidake each faced these two knights respectively. Although both Tetta and Tessei were just as skilled as Azaka and Kamidake and have techniques that weren't available in Azaka and Kamidake's time, both of the noble knights pointed out that they, along with their master, lacked the spirit of chivalry. With their courage and nobility, Azaka and Kamidake killed Tetta and Tessei.
Tetta voiced by: Yoshio Kawai
Tessei voiced by: Shin'ichirō Miki
Itsuki Masaki (斎 Itsuki?)
Yosho's (Katsuhito) wife in the TV series continuity and Achika's mother. Itsuki briefly appears in Episode 22 and Tenchi Muyo in Love 2, when Yosho explains that after he met her shortly after landing on Earth, he changed his name Katsuhito Masaki when he married her. It was because of this that the spirit of Yosho's deceased love Haruna awoke and felt betrayed, that she would later kidnap Tenchi. Itsuki made a brief appearance at the end of Tenchi Muyo in Love 2 where after Katsuhito said goodbye to Haruna, Itsuki's spirit appeared in her child form and Katsuhito pointed out to her not to be jealous.
Spoilers end here.

[edit] Music

  • Opening: Tenchi Muyo! (Love Will Leave You Crying) (Japanese and English versions performed by SONIA)
  • Ending: Ginga de chokuritsu hokô [Walking Tall in the Milky Way] (Up-Walk in the Galaxy) (Japanese version performed by Ai Orikasa and Yumi Takada; English version performed by Diane Michelle)

[edit] Insert songs

  • Episode 6: Ai no Ejiki [Victim of Love] (Japanese version performed by Yuko Mizutani and Yuri Amano; English version performed by Ellen Gerstell and Sherry Lynn)
  • Episode 13: Towa ni towa ni hoshi no yume [Never-ending Dream of Stars] (Forevermore) (Japanese version performed by Ai Orikasa; English version performed by Diane Michelle)
  • Episode 16: Ai wa Chigai Houken [Love is Extraterritorial] (Japanese version performed by Ai Orikasa; English version performed by Petrea Burchard)
Ginga ni Imasokari (I'm the Only One) (Japanese version performed by Yumi Takada; English version performed by Jennifer Darling)
Photon, Proton, Synchrotron (Japanese version performed by Yuko Kobayashi; English version performed by Kate T. Vogt)
  • Episode 26: Ren'ai no jikyû [Dimension of Love] (Japanese version performed by Ai Orikasa; English version performed by Diane Michelle)

[edit] Episode list

[edit] Earth Adventure (Episodes 1-10)

  1. No Need for Discussions [Mondô muyô!]
  2. No Need for a Princess [Ôjo muyô!]
  3. No Need for Worries [Shinpai muyô!]
  4. No Need for a Monster [Yôkai muyô!]
  5. No Need for Partners [Aibô muyô!]
  6. No Need for Resident Officers [Chûzai muyô!]
  7. No Need for a Carnival [Ennichi muyô!]
  8. No Need for a Genius [Tensai muyô!]
  9. No Need for Memories [Tsuioku muyô!]
  10. No Need for a Rival [Shukuteki muyô!]

[edit] Time and Space Adventures (Episodes 11-13)

These episodes are an adaptation of the drama CD, Tenchi Muyo! Special: Creation of the Universe Journey across Space-Time, with the exception of Ayeka's tale, which was created for episode 11. The latter tale was supposed to be on the aforementioned CD, but was cut out due to time constraints.

  1. Time and Space Adventures [Tenchikaibyaku jikû michiyu - zenpen]
  2. Time and Space Adventures 2 [Tenchikaibyaku jikû michiyu - chûhen]
  3. Time and Space Adventures 3 [Tenchikaibyaku jikû michiyu - kôhen]

[edit] Space Adventure (Episodes 14-26)

  1. No Need for a Rebellion [Hanran muyô!]
  2. No Need for an Escape [Tôbô muyô!]
  3. No Need for Hiding [Senpuku muyô!]
  4. No Need for Hunger [Kôfuku muyô!]
  5. No Need for a Ghost [Yûrei muyô!]
  6. No Need for Runaways [Bakuhashi muyô!]
  7. No Need for Swimsuits [Mizugi muyô!]
  8. No Need for a Checkpoint [Sekisho muyô!]
  9. No Need for Knights [Kishi muyô!]
  10. No Need for Karma [Innen muyô!]
  11. No Need for Ryoko [Ryôko muyô!]
  12. No Need for a Showdown [Kessen muyô!]
  13. No Need for a Conclusion [Ketsuron muyô!]

[edit] Trivia

  • In episode 8, the anime series, Moldiver, makes a guest appearance, as one of Mihoshi's favorite shows.
  • In music endings, depending on which animation is shown, one different seiyu sings the ending theme. The "Volleyball" and the "Fishing Ryo-Ohki" versions are sung by Ai Orikasa, while the "Ayeka in Space" version is sung by Yumi Takada. The Toonami version only has the "Fishing Ryo-Ohki" credits, with the Tenchi Muyo! OAV theme song playing.

[edit] External links

Tenchi Muyo! series

Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki series

Tenchi Universe series

Pretty Sammy series

Other series

Manga

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