Tenchi Muyo!

The original series, Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki, is 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 stand alone 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 too, due to it having several continuities.

The Tenchi Muyo franchise has a manga series 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. Tenchi Muyō (天地無用, Tenchi Muyō^?) in Japanese means "This way up", a phrase written, for example, on boxes to show they should not be upturned. 無用 muyō also means "unnecessary", thus with a lead character "Tenchi" this name could also mean "unnecessary Tenchi", more often 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 (or the sky) and Earth' so one could also take the title to mean "No Need for Heaven and Earth."

1 Canon
2 English adaptations distributor history
3 Locations
4 Trivia
5 External links

[edit] Canon

[edit] Series

[edit] Summary

The three major series continuities are Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki, Tenchi TV/Universe, and Tenchi in Tokyo. The first series, TM!R, is the original OVA (Original Video Animation) which introduces the core characters. Tenchi TV/Universe and Tenchi in Tokyo are spin-offs that utilize the same characters, with the addition of Kiyone Makibi, though the back story 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. KTEH in San Jose, California was first PBS affiliate to broadcast Tenchi in the US.

[edit] Tenchi Muyo! OVA series, Kajishima canon

Main article: Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki

The canon accepted by series creator Kajishima is as follows:

Animation

Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki OVA 1 (episodes 1-6)
Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki OVA 1 Special, The Night Before the Carnival (episode 7)
Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki OVA 2 (episodes 8-13 + the bonus episode 13.5)
Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki OVA 3 (episodes 14-19)
Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki OVA 3 Special (episode 20)
Tenchi Muyo! GXP: Galaxy Police Transporter

Other Materials

Shin Tenchi Muyo! Jurai (novel, tells of Azusa's life from a boy to the events in episode 13)
Shin Tenchi Muyo! Yosho (novel, tells of Yosho's life from a boy until he defeats Ryoko on Earth)
Shin Tenchi Muyo! Washu (novel, tells of Washu's life from when she was found 20,000 years ago through the loss of her child to politics. The death of her friend Naja is not discussed.)
Tenchi Muyo! GXP 01 (novel, novel form of the TV series with very little NB)
Tenchi Muyo! GXP 02 (novel, 2006 release)
Tenchi Muyo! GXP 03 (novel, 2006 release; contains lots of stuff not seen in the anime)
Various dōjinshi from Kajishima
Various interviews with Kajishima
The book 101 Questions and Answers of Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Oh-Ki (also titled 101 Secrets)

[edit] Tenchi Muyo! OVA series, Hasegawa canon

Naoko Hasegawa, writer of episodes 3 and 5 the first OVA series, uses a different continuity, which includes the following:

Animation

Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki OVA 1 (episodes 1-6)
Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki Galaxy Police Mihoshi's Space Adventure (also known as the Mihoshi Special), though except for the framing sequence, much of the story is as an exaggeration by Mihoshi and is not considered canon.
Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki Manatsu no Eve (Tenchi Muyo! Daughter of Darkness) (movie 2)

Other Materials

Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki Manatsu no Carnival (radio drama)
A series of 13 novels by Hasegawa, including the Manatsu no Eve book upon which the movie was based upon.

A few characters from OVA 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 OVA 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. Notably, she is the only one who considers the Mihoshi Special to be even remotely canonical, with the other two versions of the canon of the series declaring the storyline to be, for different reasons, non-canon.

[edit] Tenchi Universe, a.k.a. the Negishi canon

Main article: Tenchi Universe

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.

Animation

Tenchi Muyo! TV (Tenchi Universe), 26 episodes
Tenchi Muyo! in Love (movie 1)
Tenchi Muyo! in Love 2: Haruka Naru Omoi (Tenchi Forever!) (movie 3)

Other Material

A manga, also written by Negishi, was produced as a tie in to TMiL2, though it is uncertain if this manga is part of established Negishi canon:

Tenchi Muyo! In Love 2: Eternal Memory (manga)

[edit] Tenchi in Tokyo

Main article: Tenchi in Tokyo

Shin Tenchi Muyo! (known as Tenchi in Tokyo in English), in 1997, is a third version of the story, centered on Tenchi's high school adventures in Tokyo. It is also a twenty-six episode TV series and many of the returning main characters have been portrayed differently with some slight personality changes.

Animation

Shin Tenchi Muyo! (26 episodes)

[edit] 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 OVA 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 the 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 OVA-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 and claims 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.

[edit] Manga

The Tenchi manga consists of two series, Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-oh-ki and Shin Tenchi Muyo! (the shin here means new and has no connection to the second television series, Shin Tenchi Muyo) 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 non-canon. It is based on OVA series 1 and 2. Since the manga originally began in Japan before the release of OVA 2, the OVA 2 elements are not introduced immediately at the beginning. Because the manga is non-canon, new elements introduced in the manga do not carry over to the anime.

Manga series released in the US:

"No Need for Tenchi" series! (Volumes 1-2, earlier half of volume 3, 4-6, first half of 7, and 8-12.)
"No Need for Tenchi: Magical Girl Pretty Sammy" (Later half of Volume 3, based on the "Pretty Sammy" OVAs. Not thought of as part of the manga storyline)
"No Need for Tenchi: Tenchi in Love" (Second half of Volume 7, based on the first Tenchi movie. Has characters from the Tenchi Universe timeline. Not thought of as part of the manga storyline)
"Tenchi Muyō: Sasami Stories" (A collection or reprint of several of the Sasami related events that happened in the No Need for Tenchi! manga series. However, the book itself is in the new smaller format, and also features bonus comics in the back that were printed over the years. The bonus comics are not thought of as part of the overall manga story.)
"The All-New Tenchi Muyō!" (Volumes 1-10; It continues the No Need for Tenchi! manga, but with a smaller page format. Introduces several new characters that weren't in the original manga.)

[edit] 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 OVA 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.

Sasami: Margical Girl Club, currently shown in Japan as of 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, due to the blatant use of the "Lighthawk Wings" associated with the Jurai dynasty in Tenchi Muyo. Mecha Jinv 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!. The creator of both DUAL! and Tenchi Muyo!, Masaki Kajishima, confirmed that DUAL! is in fact an alternate version of the Tenchi Muyo! universe.

[edit] English adaptations 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 OVA 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 OVAs 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.

When first aired in 2000 on Cartoon Network's Toonami in America, Cartoon Network did some editing to the character's lines. The girls (mostly Ryoko) often drink 'tea' throughout the series. However, their 'tea' is often poured and distributed like sake, a Japanese rice wine. Characters often begin to blush, slur their words together, hiccup, and slowly decline in their mannerisms as they chugged down their 'tea.' This was done to prevent backlash from the more conservative American audiences. The delivery of lines from the characters, however, implies that the characters are aware of the double entendre (ex.: "You can't drink THAT kind of 'tea' at school!")

In addition to substituting 'tea' for sake, Cartoon Network also digitally painted swimsuits on several female character to cover up nudity during bathhouse scenes, and carried out extensive edits for language and other adult content, including references to sex, masturbation, and 'peeping'.

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 OVA 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 OVA 3 series.

[edit] Locations

Alpha – A planet from the Tenchi Muyo! OVA series, ruins on the planet were attacked by Kagato but otherwise nothing else has been seen or said of it.
Balta- an autonomous planet within the Juraian territories, named after and ruled by the Balta family, which were also the rulers of the old Balta pirate guild.
Beta – a planet from the Tenchi Muyo! OVA series. The only mention in the series is that several people disappeared in the planet's mystery spot once.
Chobimaru – in the Tenchi Muyo! OVA series and GXP, it is a planet-sized spaceship belonging to the Kuramitsu family and operated by the Galaxy Police. Inside it has oceans, plants, and animal life along with the artificial structures. The ship also has firepower capable of destroying an entire planet.
Earth - Also known as "Terra", home of the human race-and Tenchi Masaki's house is located here.
Galaxy Police Headquarters - A giant space station shaped like an arc. It houses many Galaxy Police officers and acts much like a massive police station.
Galaxy Academy - Three massive ring worlds together that are the size of a solar system. Many cultures and races co-inhabit this place, which houses both scientific and military schools as well as many civilian merchant areas.
Jurai — The seat of the powerful Juraian Empire, the homeworld of First Princess Ayeka, and the abode of intelligent trees descended from a goddess in the anime Tenchi Muyo!.
Raynza Republic - A unknown number of worlds that borders with the Juraien empire's territory, but not with the rest of the Galactic Union. Are now allies with Jurai thanks to a political marriage.
Ryuten - One of Jurai's "sister planets" within the No Need For Tenchi! Manga. Aside from being a luxurious planetary resort, Ryuten is the sole proprietor of the giant trees used by Jurai's royal family. Craftspeople of the planet shape and carve the wood for use as prodigious spacecraft, with the master sculptor given the highest seat of authority.
Seniwa - Home planet of the Kuramitsu family and one-time rival of Jurai. The two planets once were involved in a bitter Cold War, but have since became close allies.
Tolane - A planet administered by the Galactic Science Academy, where Kagato had kidnapped Washu and taken Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki as slaves.
Tokimi's Temple- Actually the home realm of the Chousin, this place is a massive area of altered space and time where all three - Tokimi, Washu and Tsunami - resided at one time. The area is made of many worlds with chaotic geometries.

[edit] Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

The creator of Tenchi Muyo!, Masaki Kajishima, named several of the characters after locations in his Okayama Prefecture hometown. [1]
Guardians of Order published an English-language role-playing game based on OVA Episodes 1-13. The game, now out of print due to the expiring of the license, was moderately successful but is mainly of interest for combining many of the design elements that would be incorporated a few months later into the second edition of Big Eyes, Small Mouth and for the insights its writers gave on Tenchi's dilemma.
The Japanese title logo of Tenchi Muyo! makes a cameo appearance as graffiti in issue 1 of the Mark Waid / Alex Ross graphic novel series Kingdom Come, right after Norman McCay leaves Wesley Dodds's funeral and starts walking through the streets.
Many fans of the original Kajishima canon, which did feature the Mihoshi Special, have expressed displeasure at the decisions made by Kajishima when creating his new canon, since considerable changes were introduced, including the use of one of his other works, Dual!, as an official spin-off, perceived sweeping alterations made to the nature of some of the characters, and the introduction of Noike Jurai in place of Kiyone Makibi.

[edit] External links

FUNimation's Tenchi Muyo! GXP site
AIC's Official Tenchi Muyo! Site
h2g2 article on Tenchi Muyo
Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia

v • d • e Tenchi Muyo!

Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki canon	Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki (1992–2005) • Tenchi Muyo! GXP (2002)

Tenchi Universe canon	Tenchi Universe (1995) • Tenchi Muyo! in Love (1996) • Tenchi Forever! (1999)

Pretty Sammy canon	Magical Girl Pretty Sammy (1995–1997) • Magical Project S (1996–1997) • Sasami: Magical Girl Club (2006)

Other series	Tenchi Muyo! Mihoshi Special (1994) • Tenchi in Tokyo (1997) • Tenchi Muyo! Daughter of Darkness (1997)

Manga	No Need For Tenchi! (1994–2000) • The All-New Tenchi Muyo! (2000–2005)

People	Masaki Kajishima (creator) • Yōsuke Kuroda • Hitoshi Okuda • Sharyn Scott • List of Tenchi Muyo! cast members

Studios / Distributors	AIC • Pioneer / Geneon • VAP • FUNimation Entertainment

v • d • e Tenchi Muyo! characters

Main Characters	Tenchi • Ryoko • Ayeka • Sasami • Mihoshi • Washu • Kiyone • Ryo-Ohki

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	Mihoshi • Kiyone • Noike • Seina • Amane • Kiriko • Ryoko Balta • Neju • Minami • Misao • Sabato • Mashisu • Mitoto

Pretty Sammy	Sasami Kawai • Pixy Misa • Ramia • Rumiya • Chief Pretty Sammy characters • Chief Magical Project S characters

Others	Nagi • Sakuya • Mayuka • Zero • Fuku • Minagi • Hiwa • Asahi • Kazuma • Tama • Chief GXP characters • Gohgei • Ibara • Noike

Miscellaneous	Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki • Tenchi Universe • Tenchi in Tokyo • Tenchi Muyo! GXP • Pretty Sammy • Sasami: Magical Girl Club

Hidden category: Articles with trivia sections from June 2007

Tenchi Muyo!

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Contents

[edit] Canon

[edit] Series

[edit] Summary

[edit] Tenchi Muyo! OVA series, Kajishima canon

[edit] Tenchi Muyo! OVA series, Hasegawa canon

[edit] Tenchi Universe, a.k.a. the Negishi canon

[edit] Tenchi in Tokyo

[edit] Movies

[edit] Manga

[edit] Spin-offs

[edit] English adaptations distributor history

[edit] Locations

[edit] Trivia

[edit] External links

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