TENCHI MUYO! - Anime - http://maxpages.com/toonamiblast/tenchi

Poor Tenchi. His life just hasn't been the same since the day he finally managed to get a hold of his grandfather's keys to the ancient shrine near the forest temple where he was spending the summer. His grandfather had long told him the story of how one of Tenchi's ancestors had defeated and entombed a demon that had been terrorizing the people of the land so many years ago and it only made Tenchi that much more curious about what was really locked away in the cave shrine. Going in had been his first mistake, removing the sword that held the demon in it's sleep had been his second, going down into the tomb to see the demon for himself had been his third.
Now she's awake only she's not really a demon. She's a 700+ year old alien space pirate who's really pissed about having been locked up for so long and Tenchi's the first person she can think of to take her anger out on. He'd have been better off with the demon.
She's known as Ryoko and, as it turns out, she doesn't really want to hurt Tenchi. No, it's much worse. She's watched the lad grow up over the years and has developed a soft spot for him. After all, she's physically about the same age even if she has been in stasis for 700 years. Okay, so perhaps she did get a bit carried away and demolish Tenchi's high school. And perhaps she does have a galactic criminal record that would stretch to the moon... and back... twice. And, yeah, there is a royal princess tracking her down hoping to learn what became of her fiance whom had been pursuing Ryoko never to return, but that doesn't make her a bad person.
Just makes her an arm load of trouble with a short temper and the ability to project energy blasts at will. A talent which is no doubt useful in rush hour traffic. If Tenchi thinks his life is interesting now, just wait until the princess, and everyone else who's after Ryoko, finally catches up with them.
Tenchi Muyo is yet another romantic comedy (I seem to be addicted to them) which is unique in that it's completely original and not based on a previously existing manga or other source. The name translates to No Need For Tenchi, a puzzling title which becomes clear in it's meaning after you've seen the first OAV series. The original OAV series was 6 episodes long with a 7th Tenchi Muyo Special episode. After Tenchi took off in popularity, a second 6 episode OAV series was done along with a 7th side story.
That, too, did amazingly well and spawned the Tenchi Muyo television series which started over at the beginning and offered an entirely new story line for how the characters came to know each other and what their relationships are. The TV series makes so many changes from the original OAV story line that it's considered an alternative universe. The popularity of the television series spawned Tenchi Muyo In Love, a theatrical length animation which was released in theaters in Japan and was based on the television series story line. Now there's a second TV series airing in Japan called Shin Tenchi which continues on with story line introduced in the first TV series. Then just this summer the first half of the Tenchi movie Manatsu No Eve (Midsummers Eve) hit theaters with the second half due this holiday season. Expect both halves to land Stateside sometime this spring according to Pioneer.
Which is pretty quick turn around. Usually there's a span of a couple years before something will show up on these shores, but Pioneer seems to recognize the growing popularity of anime and is willing to capitalize on that with anything that's popular which is only good news for North American fans. As of this point in time, the first television series is finally being released in North America. You should be able to find The Tenchi Universe Collection 1, Tenchi Muyo On Earth 1 TV Series, which is how the first tape is titled, at your favorite video store dealing in anime in both subbed and dubbed formats. All 26 episodes will be arriving on our shores over the next year, 3 - 4 roughly 25 minute episodes per tape which makes it the best value for the money out of all the Tenchi tapes offered.
The future for Tenchi looks bright as there is currently another alternative universe television series based on the Tenchi characters coming to America called Magical Girl Pretty Sammy which came about after the fan response to the parody of Sailor Moon which Sasami does in the first Tenchi TV series and the resulting two OAV videos said response led to. Currently a second Magical Girl Pretty Sammy TV series is airing in Japan which will likely make it's way here if the first TV series does well.
Still not enough Tenchi? Well, Viz Communications is importing and translating the Tenchi Muyo mangas plus Pioneer is producing American comic books based on Tenchi as well, written and drawn by Americans. They plan to translate the American comics back into Japanese for sale in Japan just to make sure everyone has as much TM as they can stomach.

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Page Updated Tue Jun 26, 2001 9:47pm EDT