82 of 100 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Blunder of Epic Proportions, June 29, 2009
Tenchi Muyo! is one of those legendary anime productions that continues to live on in the minds of fans. Essentially a fairy tale and a coming-of-age story, the plot revolves around the seemingly simple Tenchi who inexplicably finds himself surrounded by a bevy of beautiful alien women. Naturally, zany adventure and epic danger quickly ensue. For many, this now common "harem" style of anime was their first introduction to the art form during a time when it was still a rare commodity. And for most, the series' cast of lovable, fascinating, and unforgettable characters still remain indelibly etched onto their hearts.
The franchise is also a complicated one, with various alternate versions of the original series spanning nearly all forms of media, including television, manga, video games, and even novels. Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki - Box Set The Complete Series is the much anticipated seven episode continuation of the original OVA (original video animation, or direct-to-video) animated series, although fans expecting to find the show's earlier thirteen episodes will not find them here.
Misleading monikers aside, these newest installments to the Tenchi canon serve as perfect examples of how not to resurrect a series. After a thirteenth episode that ended on a rather inconclusive note, fans, after years of waiting, naturally imagined the new installments would contain the same heartfelt romantic intrigue, epic battles, and zany shenanigans associated with the earlier productions. Instead, they received seven boring, nearly humorless episodes that revolved around characters not even present in the earlier stories. Below are some of my more detailed complaints, but beware of spoilers:
Remember Ryoko, the awesome space pirate? She's now a weak, ineffectual whiner. Remember Noike and Misau? Of course not, because they weren't in the earlier episodes, but they dominate these. Remember the awesome battles in the climactic sixth episode? Not one is worth mentioning this time around. Remember wondering what Tenchi's mother must have been like? Well, you got your wish--she was a half-deluded prankster who enjoyed toying with Tenchi through trickery and gags. Remember thinking Yosho was an unmarried widower? Well, turns out he's actually married to a Jurain woman that he sees, hmmm, virtually never. Remember thinking Lady Seto, the Devil Princess of Jurai, must really be a force to be reckoned with? Nah, she's just a harmless, somewhat frail woman. Remember looking forward to a climactic showdown with the Goddess Tokimi? Never happens, turns out she just wants to be friends! Remember wondering about the identity of the Counter-Actor? Of course not, she never existed or was even hinted at in the earlier stories, nor is she well explained in these. And, of course, here's the biggest one--Which girl does Tenchi choose? Apparently, he will someday marry all of them! *sigh*
Couple all these complaints with just average animation and shaky writing, and you have what is possibly the worst continuation of a beloved series anyone could have ever conjured up. The show's only slightly redeeming quality is that certain long-held questions regarding some of the characters are finally resolved or explained (but whether anyone likes those "answers" is a different story).
The entire Tenchi Muyo franchise is special. Seek out the earlier episodes (known as Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki OVA 1 and 2), check out the TV series Tenchi Universe (and its excellent sequel movies, Tenchi Muyo in Love and Tenchi Forever), and seek out Hitoshi Okuda's brilliant No Need for Tenchi manga novels. But as for the episodes in this set, they will only make you cry.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very funny and highly entertaining!, April 22, 2006
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Tenchi Muyo OVA - (Vol. 1) (Geneon Signature Series) (DVD)
I used to love watching this show on cartoon network when I was just 12 years old, it had a good story, funny charecters, and plenty of action! I've missed it alot over the years, and have wanted to see it again alot since then. I wasnt sure what to expect when I bought this DVD, but now that I've seen it, I'm glad that I bought it. It's the same old show that I used to love! Sure, it's uncut, but not much has changed...
Yes, the last episode on this DVD contains nudity, and lots of it, but it's nothing worse than the nudity in Disney's Fantasia movie, so dont let that stop you from buying it.
This DVD is 120 minutes long.
Contains 4 episodes.
Plays in either Japanese or English language.
Subtitles in English are available.
Tenchi Muyo is a highly entertaining and wonderful series! It has some really nice art work, a graet story, and it's alot of fun to watch. Tenchi Muyo is also one of the few shows that successfully blends comedy with action, in most shows where they try to blend comedy with action it just ends up looking inappropriate. Tenchi however, blends the two perfectly, and doesnt leave you feeling confused. I highly recommend buying this DVD, it's a great show and lots of fun to watch!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
