I'd agree with that. The characters are very good examples of their tropes, with interesting designs and personalities. But the plots have always been weaker than the character interactions.
Also: Ernie Hudson as Winston saved that film. If it had been Eddie Murphy (as originally intended) it would have become exactly what you were describing, but Ernie Hudson as the calm, reasonable everyman brings a gravitas & rooting in reality which the film sorely needed.
Universe is my favorite of the Tenchi series. Ryo-Oki is better animated, and has a grander story, but Universe is a more balanced and complete story. Plus it has Kiyone, space cop waifu extraordinaire. Also no incest. Always a win with no incest.
I didn't get into Tenchi Ryo-Ohki until years later. My first glimpse of the series was Tenchi Muyo in Love on Sci-Fi Channel's Saturday Anime block around '95-96, then I got my first job in '96, which led to buying a VHS tape of TMiL, which had an ad on it for Tenchi Universe, and then I spent the next four paychecks buying two VHS tapes of Universe at a time, which came out to $60 for six-to-seven episodes. And this was at a time where our Suncoast considered unrated anime to be "treat it as R", so a sixteen-year-old needed parental accompaniment to buy the stuff. And then I'd watch it once through, connect my VCR and camcorder together, and use the record and pause buttons to make an edit trimming out brief nudity and a couple occasional violent bits so I'd have a copy I could show my younger siblings. No access to digital paint at the time, but yeah, this was my very first anime series I bought, and I still have those tapes today. Gets a vote of nostalgia from me over the OVAs. Also, the theme song for this series is still a great 90s classic. I don't know if it's THE best Tenchi opening, as I haven't watched anything of the franchise made after 1998 (aside from checking out one episode of Magical Girls Club which I don't remember anything about), but Sonia sings it energetically. Unfortunately, the song was cut out of the Toonami broadcast in favor of the usual Toonami intros, so only those who bought the home video versions got it, rather than the larger general TV audience.
For me, the OVA had some things I preferred over the series, but overall I like Universe more. I kinda wish they had been more raunchy in the series, though. In the OVA, they were more overt about the girls trying to get into his pants, and had more sexy scenes. Universe played the romance a bit more innocent, even with Ryoko. Although, I love the implication by the end of the season, that Ryoko is the one with the strongest emotional connection to Tenchi. But then, she's my favorite. And yes, the introduction of Kyone was very much needed. Tenchi is about the only harem anime I've ever liked. It struck the right balance of protagonist and love interests, wherein there's something in Tenchi worth falling in love with, and the girls have agency beyond the main character. They're all also likable, and even though they cause him problems, they aren't unnecessarily abusive. God, I had forgotten how bad some of the English va was.
I wouldn't call the Universe version of Ryoko completely innocuous with her relationship on Tenchi. In the episode Washu made her first appearance in, Ryoko had attempted to rape Tenchi while they were in the cave Washu was sealed in. While she is the most aggressive in trying to woo Tenchi in both continuities, she never went as far as trying to rape him in the OVAs. As for the relationship dynamics, I much preferred how the OVA focused on how Ryoko and Ayeka took interest in Tenchi. The OVAs devoted time to exploring how both girls developed interest gradually in Tenchi whereas in Universe, attraction to him was just about instant. Mihoshi, I guess you could make a case for both versions. The OVA version was somewhat more competent and less airheaded, while her Universe version allowed for Kiyone's existence to serve as a foil to Mihoshi's antics since she's much more airheaded there. Kiyone was an engaging character in Universe since outside of serving as Mihoshi's foil, she was the only girl among Tenchi's group that had no romantic interest in him and served as one of the level-headed members of the group.
Sorry, i said that wrong. I meant, more explicit. In the OVA, you have scenes like Washu strapping Tenchi down and preparing to give him a handjob to get a DNA sample. Or Ryoko standing atop a rock buck naked in front of him. They toned it down for Universe.
Lol she said she was trying to "seduce him", not rape him. XD She does try to rape him in.....the final Tenchi TV series that should not be named.......for how terrible it was. >_>
Thing about filler is that it can actually be a great opportunity. Consider this, Tales of Ba Sing Se is often cited as people's favorite or the best episode of ATLA. It's also filler. In fact it's completely disjointed filler that doesn't follow the flow of the show. BUT, it also uses its filler status as an opportunity to explore the story and character of the characters. It's not wasted time, it entertains AND explores. Good filler uses its time to either tell a self contained and entertaining story, or explore and flesh our characters
Kiyone replaced Yukinojo. Though I admit, Mihoshi's backstory in the OVA is more amusingly tragic. She wasn't an idiot at all, she ended up that way due to being overworked and something else that the series doesn't quite reveal. It is one of the reasons she's on leave.
Tenchi Muyo Universe is my favorite of the series. I watched it and enjoyed it as a kid but didn't remember much. I rewatched it not too long ago and loved it. One of my favorite animes of all time.
Saying that Ryo Ohki is better than Universe is a lot like comparing A New Hope to The Empire Strikes Back. Yes, Ryoki came first and laid the foundation for things to come, but Universe is overall a better told story that's been fully realized.
Man, I remember watching both the OVA and Universe on Toonami back in the day, and I rewatch both every couple of years. The animation quality, humor, voice acting, etc. still hold up today. The problem I have with OVA 3 and beyond is they really jumped the shark with the story and I dislike the modern take on the animation.
Funny you mention that bit about which one you watched first: I live in the country of Chile, in South America. And here when the anime boom started, many of chilean networks and dubbing companies decided to grab a plenty of them and distribute them. As such, we ended up getting a lot of stuff earlier or even stuff that never reached Cartoon network or other anime outlets in the US, all of which with very little censorship or editing (Openings intact and the like.) This ended up in a very strange case for Tenchi: For one unknown reason on another, Tenchi Universe was broadcasted to us as the FIRST one in the series, with Tenchi in Tokyo and later the original OVA coming in later. As such, I'm in the situation where I held Universe as my favorite for similar reasoning to yours; Having being the one to formed my perspective on the series. I'm sure this will only be one in a mukry sea of comments, but I just felt the need to share my story hoping someone found it interesting. The anime boom was quite strange and peculiar here in this Latinoamerican country, and my childhood was filled with rather unique choices alongside the likes of DBZ or Pokemon. As a 9 year old, some of my favorite shows to watch were Detective Conan and You Are Under Arrest, which you'd imagine while completely safe (Murder sin the former aside), wouldn't be the first thing you'd think for "Animes-for-kids-in-the-Era-of-Pokemon". (As a small bit of trivia: The dubbing VAs of Miyuki and Natsumi in You Are Under Arrest voiced Ryoko and Ayeka in Tenchi's dub, in a funny switch of personalities.)
I think the episode that always sticks out for ME personally the most from any of the series...is one in which Washu is left to take care of a baby for the episode and we learn some very sad history about her. The Actress delivers some real emotion in that episode and I can't help but tear up every single time. That feeling for me personally has become deeper as I've gotten older...
That JW-hat in the background made me sad a bit. But it's a nice homage to one of the greatest. I did have the honor of talking to him before the horrible incident and I'll never forget him. Keep up the good work, Sage.
I have to strongly disagree about the OVA being as flawed and poorly animated, personally. I think the fact Tenchi told such a large amount of story and lore in a shorter amount of episodes goes to show you how well executed the planning and plot development in the OVA was. Granted, season 3 went bat shit crazy, but the original OVA series made the Kagato story more engaging. Universe's Kagato bored me, he looked like every other Jurian character; a regular dick with nothing special to him. OVA's Kagato was a very memorable villain, appearance and how cruelly he tormented the characters. And the animation here blows Universe away in my opinion. Everyone in Universe looks cardboard, flat, nothing jumps out about them no matter what they're doing. OVA's animation was HIGHLY expressive, fluid, colorful, balanced use of shadows and lines. Everyone had a vivid, colorfully popping look, from Kagato, Ayeka's mother, Dr. Clay and etc. I also think Ryoko's lashing at Tenchi in the OVA makes more sense than her randomly spouting "destiny" with Tenchi when she first meets him Universe. Ryoko was locked up, sealed away and left as a freeze dried corpse when she was still the universe's biggest threat. She wanted to vent and Tenchi happened to be there, that's why I feel her randomly attacking Tenchi fits more into Ryoko's volatile personality then the weak ass attempt she made to "convince" Tenchi they were destined to be together while an Ed-209 suit was gunning down on them.
I wish that some anime studios will do not just a remake, but a retelling of Tenchi Universe, while keeping and maintaining the original storyline of Tenchi Universe.
11:19 Personally, I'm fine with filler, especially just here and there, as long as it's not horribly done filler. Use the filler to explore a character, or feature a character that the audience loves but otherwise wouldn't get as much screen time.
Bennett, I'm sorry, but I just have to down right disagree with you on the Mihoshi diatribe. Mihoshi may be a clutz, and yes even a 'space cadet' but her antics are FAR from unimportant. The entire time she is with Tenchi and the group in Ryo-Ohki she is sending information to the Galactic Union about the situation, which is one of the most important parts of the series as a whole, even if she does it in a bumbling way her actions might be some of the most important to the series as a whole, she is the one that originally discovers Washu aboard the ship, she is the one that prevents what would have been a fatal fight between 2 characters (preserving Tenchi as a good aligned character in the process) even the second half of the 3rd OVA is centered around her brothers affection towards her which leads to some of the best displays of the various characters abilities.
THis is the same guy who thought that heroes shouldn't have any human motivations. (Fist of the north star video for evidence.) He has his bouts of having his head up his ass.
There also is the main difference between universe and the OVA, Universe IS a clutz. OVA however is literally her being the effect of her bloodline in combination with whatever event happened to her, it's literally divine chaos energy being unleashed subconsciously. I actually wonder if post OVA 3 if Washu has actually informed Mihoshi that they are related.
You know, I enjoyed the full circle nature of this episode. You addressed the initial review for Tenchi Muyo in Love as a lead-in to the discussion on Tenchi Universe, which you then acknowledged influenced almost all of the material since. At least until GXP came along. Speaking of which, I think a proper prelude to dealing with the hornet's nest that is Tenchi Muyo GXP would be in discussing Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure. Partly to introduce a surprising element that showed up in GXP, but also to illustrate that the studio did indeed make a Tenchi-like series prior to GXP. It even could be seen as a practice run for the next Tenchi-less Tenchi Muyo series: War on Geminar.
I remember rewatching TMU and not wanting to watch that last episode because it would mean that it's over. I was an old school fan who liked the OVAs and Universe. Maybe it was the anime I watched but I thought it was standard for every season to do the first half as "filler" episodes to set up the characters and setting then do the main plot because then you were invested in the characters and their struggle would mean something. We saw it in the Slayers series (which you need to do one day) for example. While I agree TMU was the OVA revisited it was, overall, a superior series. But some days you feel like cosmic entities and some days you don't.
Before any Parisians complain about the bad filler episode being metaphorically Paris, A Tale of Two Cities was set during the French Revolution. You know what happens to a city in anarchy? It goes to shit.
First time watching your show and I must say this was a little slice of heaven that I had never knew existed. Very detailed and well planned. Also, Pete Davis is the new Miles Teller but less funny.
I'm a simple man. If Tenchi Universe could have found a way to keep certain things from the OVA (like the Light Hawk Wings), I think we would have the ultimate version of Tenchi. But each new entry in the world of Tenchi is always different from the last, and some continuations are not as great as we hoped, and it just makes it harder to get into Tenchi these days.
Hilariously, I got into Tenchi completely backwards. Started with Magical Project, then Tenchi in Tokyo *shudders*, then Universe, then OVA. The movies were interspersed. The element I miss most in Universe that is in the OVA is the mother/daughter relationship between Ryoko and Washu. I always thought Washu's history was the most interesting element to the OVA series.
tenchi is one of my favorite series. I like the story of universe after you skip the first five episodes. because they completely rewrote the story of how he met his team.
It isn't stated, but yes. She definitely did. And not just to avoid something like Rick's disingenuous ass. She did it for shits and giggles, same as everything else. Washu is what Rick would be if he wasn't a depressed self-hating mess.
Hey, Tenchi! I haven't seen it in a long time. The only episode I vaguely remember is when the girls get a job as construction workers chanting "Million!" as their mantra only to discover that they where making a giant golem for the villain.
A pity that in Tenchi in Tokyo. Not only does it force in our faces that Kiyone, apparently, has a crush on Tenchi. But it also changes Sasami from a sweet little doll to a girl with bi-polar syndrome. One moment, she's sweet as we remember her. The next, she's sporting the same "anime demon eyes" Ayeka and Ryoko would make at each other; when they fight for Tenchi
I have agree with one of the comments below, that the characters of the Tenchi series are better than the plots that revolve around them. Each is unique, memorable, and enjoyable in their own way, even Mihoshi. If we really think about it, the characters and their interactions with each other is why the series is remembered so fondly. Also, Kagato's design from the OVA is much sweeter than his design from Universe.
Please do another adult swim month. I really want to hear your opinions on fullmetal alchemist, standalone complex and wolfs rain. Just so many great shows, please sage
Well stand alone complex is one of his favorite anime, wolf´s rain he might have mixed feelings (just kinda going off of how he sounded during the Champloo review) and he´ll most likely like FMA, though he´d probably state that brotherhood is better because the ending feels a lot more satisfying than the original´s
I loved this show growing up. I was the first anime I ever watched that wasn't just strait up shonen. Before that it was Pokemon which I was obsessed with, DBZ which I loved and Yu-gi-oh, which I hated. Then this came along and just kinda changed my mind of what anime actually was. It wasn't just kids shows where they fight a bad guy. There's all kinds of genres. Was a little mind blowing.
Ahhh. Before I even knew what harem was, there was Tenchi. :') And it carries itself with so much more respect than a number of other series of the same genre.
Saw this show as a kid. After wrapping my head around the fact it was the same show but different, my take was always "It's like they cut all the extra stuff clearing them to just go forward with the plot and only use the cleanest bits." Kinda feels like i should go back and watch some of both now xD
I first seen Tenchi Universe on a San Jose PBS affiliate KQEH in the mid-late '90s as part of their Scifi Sunday lineup where they aired uncut "Japanimation" alongside BBC scifi (words cannot describe a lineup with Urusei Yatsura and Blake's 7 side-by-side with no connective tissue between them and it was awesome!). They just called it "Tenchi Muyo", and for a long time, being unaware of the original OVA, I just assumed that it was just called Tenchi Muyo. I always like TU more than TM and consider TU more canonical to the point of calling Tenchi Universe "Tenchi Muyo" while calling the OVA series "The Other Tenchi". I still like the show.
Can't believe I'm coming back to this, but I really wish you'd talked about Episode 18, "No Need For a Ghost". I'm 29 and in the army, and yet I couldn't stop myself from crying by the end of it.
That had a great scene with Tenchi talking Ryoko into embracing reality. It goes to show that he does care for all their feelings, unlike some harem leads I can name.
I had the VHS as a kid of the first 3 episodes from a Dollar Store in the early 2000s. I thought it was okay but completly forgot. I recently decided to rewatch the show since it was available on UA-cam this week, And man what a beutiful series.
Tenchi Universe was my first exposure to this franchise. And I still enjoy it, even if some fo the dub voice acting has not aged well. And my favorite single-episode filler is the one where Ryo-oki meets Kenoki and their feelings for each other ultimately stops Ryoko and the bounty hunter chick from killing each other.
I fangasmed when you displayed the Sailor Moon DVD/VHS(?) case. That was what got me into anime in the first place and is still a personal favourite of mine. I would like to hear your thoughts even if you hate it.
I am so excited to see the Sailor Moon review! I'm a huge fan, and I know the series fairly well, so I hope Sage will give it a fair shot. I've seen other reviewers not give the series its due, but given how thorough Sage can be, I don't think that'll be a problem.
Now I haven't seen Girls Bravo in awhile, but I don't really remember it being that much of a harem anime other than the fact that there were multiple women in one place. Like it pretty much focused on the two main characters with the other women maybe having a passing interest.
Huh. I...agree with you that Universe is more polished, but I think our tastes in what makes Tenchi interesting are vastly divergent. This is highlighted by your apparent disdain for GXP. (Though I suspect that the elements that drive you batty might be similar to my least favorite parts of it - the "pervy police academy hijinx" parts are distracting more than helpful.) However, while I have some serious issues with the three OVAs' pacing, and I agree that Kiyone improves Mihoshi's character, I think that the OVA hints at things about Mihoshi that, if hinted at more thoroughly and developed better, would make a better story. Overall, I like the plot - though not the presentation - of the OVA more than of Universe, and wish they'd do a remake of the OVA as a 26-episode extravaganza directed by the guys behind Isekai, because Isekai was amazingly well-paced and handled the foreshadowing and building of the overall plot very well. I think the elements are there for something epic and amazing and enduring in the OVA that would take it well beyond Universe in quality, but it seriously needs a remake to tighten up the building plot elements. Kagato needs to be built up over a longer period. We need hints of Octopus-head sooner, and his tie to D3 and to Tokimi needs to build more mystery than "vague powerful backer" as time goes on. We need MUCH more build-up of Z and his backstory. Maybe its own side-series, but it definitely needs indication that it's coming and going to impact the Tenchi story somehow. The Choushins' overall mission/quest needs to be developed consistently so that the final reveals make more sense. The whole bit with "a female Kagato" needs more work. Mihoshi's former competence and the event that led to her current condition needs development. This would be something good to flash back to periodically and have references, which tell an unfolding story. Start by contrasting her goofiness with past episodes of competence; question whether she's pulling obfuscating stupidity or really is this damaged. This could even tie in to the unfolding Kagato arc by having him be more concerned about interfering because of MIHOSHI's presence, given her history and rumors that she survived even [insert whatever broke her here]... ...and I'm ranting and trying to re-plot something here. This isn't the place. Sorry! As you note, the Kagato thing is better built in Universe...but I think Kagato loses a lot in the demotion. I like the space-cosmic-god plot lines; I think they are interesting. I also think mileage could be gotten out of taking characters developed in GXP and adding/expanding on them in a redone version of the OVA. (Devil Princess Seto in particular.) The diminished scope of Universe helps it be tighter in some ways, but loses a lot of what makes the OVA my favorite Tenchi telling. (And at the end of your review, you say you like OVA better, but...you still like different things than I do.) On filler: American overarching plot TV series have something to teach anime in some ways, I think. A-plot and B-plot. Use filler episodes as A-plots, but weave in a B-plot that advances little bits and pieces of the overarching plot. A bit of the OVA's pacing problems can be written off to not knowing how to balance this, and to trying to just cram in sideways the "important bits" without build-up time. OVA 3 is particularly guilty of this, focusing so long on the Chobimaru incident and other random stuff that probably is important to the writer to get out there, but just dropping randomly a couple things about Z for no apparent reason. Then he's THERE! Blowing up the moon! WAH! Better use of filler - of individual episodic plots that may or may not have larger rammifications beyond showing off some characterization - mixed with in-episode bits that hint and and advance plots elsewise would have gone a long way. Even having Z periodically offering snarky commentary on the Chobimaru incident would have served as a lot of foreshadowing. Showing he's here. Showcasing some of his power. Show some interaction between him and Tokimi to show Tokimi's interest in Tenchi. Etc. Unfortunately, filler usually winds up being either lousy arcs that go nowhere, lousier episodes that blatantly interrupt the main plot (I'm looking at you, Naruto), or worse... DBZ/One Piece-style episodes with about 2 minutes of actual plot advancement per 24-minute so-called animation. Reaction shots that take 3 minutes apiece combined with announcers repeating what's already happened are the worst sort of filler. (I really hope we get a One Piece Kai when they finally finish the manga.)
Yeah, the OVA has so many cool elements and plot threads that basically get dropped like a hot potato cause it seems the writers were torn on what they wanted the show to be--do we stay on earth or do we do space adventures, do we do comedy or plot, and so they ended up just kinda chopping it into chunks where drama suddenly happens with poor build. Mihoshi having a tragic past would go a long way for her character, and I think Ryoko should probably be more mad at the guy who stuck her in a cave, conscious, for hundreds of years than she was. Plus the whole "destroyed a bunch of shit while sort of being controlled by Kagato" thing. Jurai officials finally catch up with her and they just give her a bill? People died. Surely she's at least bothered by not having free will all that time, if it was total control, and bothered by the destruction, if it wasn't. I really thought after OVA 1 introduced the characters and ships and gave Tenchi all his shonen powerups, that OVA 2 and on would be them setting out for space adventures and dealing with some newfound responsibility, but it seems like after 1 they just tried to repeat the formula and have every genre all at once without planning too well. I wanted star trek with a whole crew of babes, dammit, not King of Queens but the apartment has a starship in the backyard and Kevin James has his titties out a lot.
I rewatched them both a year or two ago. I feel like the original had more little charming animation moments like what you might find in a miyazaki movie, but universe had a better overarching story and more episodes.
Por favor si ay alguien que hable en español y entienda ingles ¿podian subtitular los videos de este canal? esto es oro puro que ay dar a conocer a los hispano hablantes.
Rainbowhawk1993 Sage has already made his feelings on anime series like this obvious, shows that come across as quite cute I mean. Coming from someone who isn't fond of the show I thought NCs review was pretty good.
I'm just hoping he doesn't just focus on the 1st season since NC already did and freaked out and prostrated himself for putting her in his list of hot cartoon babes after learning she was a 14 year old. I mean SuperS was....interesting. But I'm guessing he won't be talking about "Crystal".
No Need For Bennet. This was actually the first anime i ever burned out on. It was among the stack of Anime Legends releases that marked my official jump into anime beyond recording Toonami on VHS tapes.
Wow that brought back some memories of when I was a little kid and watched Tenchi Muyo Tenchi universe and Tenchi in Tokyo thanks to Toonami. Universe did fix a lot of problems but the first season it has some Merit even though it did have many many problems. But don't even get me started on Tenchi in Tokyo Tenchi Muyo GXP( which I did watch all the way through thanks to a friend of mine who got me into watching it) dual parallel( which kind of ties into GXP a good amount) and finally at least to me there was Isekai involving Kenchi( still hate the way that show ended). I would talk about that some what kind of reboot in that Tenchi was a teacher and there were more girls involved but I don't want to be reminded of that one. So yeah long story short this franchise did do a lot of things that I wish that a lot of Harem anime do right instead of just being the same repeated thing over and over even though I'm biased because I do enjoy Sekirei. So next up is going to be Sailor Moon and I already know a lot of people don't like that series hell one of my friends flat out told me I'm not that big a fan of Sailor Moon.
thank you for this. You said a lot of thing I had bottled up inside about this anime. I love the Tenchi series, all of them. Even their awful spin off(Pretty Sammy). Its actually the first anime I was exposed as a young teen. Despite its flaws, Its a series that will always have a special place in my heart.
This was the Tenchi I watch back in high school and I remember enjoying it I'm planning on re-watching it sometime and give the others a chance. OHHHH shit Sailor Moon the movie: Promise of the rose!! With the original DiC Dub!!! This is gotta be good!
Tenchi Universe is actually less haremish cause only Ryoko and Ayeka are in love with Tenchi ( and maybe Sasami but mostly he was like an older brother to her Washu is neutral she loves only scince and her experiments and has no intrest in Tenchi Mihoshi is also neutral she has more chemistry with Kiyone rather than Tenchi And Kiyone is neutral
The House Always Wins like imho the OVA series episode Sasami and Tsunami is MUCH more sad. But nothing beats Tenchi 2. While the movie is debatable (Mayuka, love or hate her = your feelings to the movie), the scene where Mayuka dies is pretty tragic. That and the credits will get ya maybe (Sasami part got me). Imho, Sasami saved Mayuka. Without her, she is very obnoxious. With her, she is annoying but means well.
I think a lot of the filler argument comes down to additional small aside stories told in an original work vs spreading out an adapted work. Stand alone episodes like this work in Tenchi because they can add to the characters and let you see different sides of them. By its nature you can't in something like Sailor Moon or Naruto since you can't let the added characterization affect character growth that could occur later in the original work.
Things I love about Universe (compared to the OVA) + No (less?) incest vibes + More overall Tenchi + The knight thing with Azaka and Kamidake + Kiyone and Nagi (and Ken-Ohki too) Things about Universe that could've been better - Animation consistency - Honestly underwhelming Kagato fight - Pacing Overall I like Universe more but don't get me wrong, I love both Universe and the OVAs to death. Wish there were more Classic Tenchi
2:42 - For the longest time, I completely agreed with you about Universe being the true canon of Tenchi. Then they came out with GXP and War on Geminar, both of which exist in the OVA continuity. It's like every time I think I've found the canon of Tenchi they do something to make me question it again.
I would like if the creators of the tenchi series does something similar to tenchi universe. Muyo was entertaining but at times a mess. Universe did a much better job and as stated flushed out better.
one i still suggest is Irresponsible Captain Tylor. it changed my taste in anime and impressed me in so many ways. i even found what i generally dislike to be endearing
Not exactly! It was total rip-off of Urusei Yatsura. Compare the Anime Abandon scene at 20:17 where Ryoko leaps into Tenchi's arms to the scene at 22:50 of this episode of Urusei Yatsura: ua-cam.com/video/DTBH8AQ84mY/v-deo.html
The characters of Tenchi Muyo are more memorable than the plots they live within. Maybe that's why the series is rebooted every other installment.
I'd agree with that. The characters are very good examples of their tropes, with interesting designs and personalities. But the plots have always been weaker than the character interactions.
Sounds about right, the characters themselves are done so well and memorably, they outlast the other Harem characters (most of which are utter crap.).
mariokarter13 Agreed.
mariokarter13 Were there different writers who are at least familiar with Tenchi Universe?
If they want their series to succeed more they need a competent team of writers,
Also: Ernie Hudson as Winston saved that film. If it had been Eddie Murphy (as originally intended) it would have become exactly what you were describing, but Ernie Hudson as the calm, reasonable everyman brings a gravitas & rooting in reality which the film sorely needed.
Universe is my favorite of the Tenchi series.
Ryo-Oki is better animated, and has a grander story, but Universe is a more balanced and complete story.
Plus it has Kiyone, space cop waifu extraordinaire.
Also no incest. Always a win with no incest.
MagnuMagnus ^I agree with this 100%!!
Of all the spin-off series the Tenchi franchise had, why oh why didn't they make one for Kiyone?
This Tenchi was my introduction to anime. First episode and everything. The dub too. Take it as you may.
Draw dex I love both series, each ones have their place in my shelf.
same
I was a kid when this came out
Tenchi Muyo is the best anime ever yo
I didn't get into Tenchi Ryo-Ohki until years later. My first glimpse of the series was Tenchi Muyo in Love on Sci-Fi Channel's Saturday Anime block around '95-96, then I got my first job in '96, which led to buying a VHS tape of TMiL, which had an ad on it for Tenchi Universe, and then I spent the next four paychecks buying two VHS tapes of Universe at a time, which came out to $60 for six-to-seven episodes. And this was at a time where our Suncoast considered unrated anime to be "treat it as R", so a sixteen-year-old needed parental accompaniment to buy the stuff. And then I'd watch it once through, connect my VCR and camcorder together, and use the record and pause buttons to make an edit trimming out brief nudity and a couple occasional violent bits so I'd have a copy I could show my younger siblings. No access to digital paint at the time, but yeah, this was my very first anime series I bought, and I still have those tapes today. Gets a vote of nostalgia from me over the OVAs.
Also, the theme song for this series is still a great 90s classic. I don't know if it's THE best Tenchi opening, as I haven't watched anything of the franchise made after 1998 (aside from checking out one episode of Magical Girls Club which I don't remember anything about), but Sonia sings it energetically. Unfortunately, the song was cut out of the Toonami broadcast in favor of the usual Toonami intros, so only those who bought the home video versions got it, rather than the larger general TV audience.
Universe for me as well. I LOVE THAT DAMN INTRO! So beautiful!!!!
Universe - more coherent
Ryo-Ohki - more imaginative
The proverbial left brain, right brains of Tenshi
For me, the OVA had some things I preferred over the series, but overall I like Universe more. I kinda wish they had been more raunchy in the series, though. In the OVA, they were more overt about the girls trying to get into his pants, and had more sexy scenes. Universe played the romance a bit more innocent, even with Ryoko. Although, I love the implication by the end of the season, that Ryoko is the one with the strongest emotional connection to Tenchi. But then, she's my favorite. And yes, the introduction of Kyone was very much needed.
Tenchi is about the only harem anime I've ever liked. It struck the right balance of protagonist and love interests, wherein there's something in Tenchi worth falling in love with, and the girls have agency beyond the main character. They're all also likable, and even though they cause him problems, they aren't unnecessarily abusive.
God, I had forgotten how bad some of the English va was.
I wouldn't call the Universe version of Ryoko completely innocuous with her relationship on Tenchi. In the episode Washu made her first appearance in, Ryoko had attempted to rape Tenchi while they were in the cave Washu was sealed in. While she is the most aggressive in trying to woo Tenchi in both continuities, she never went as far as trying to rape him in the OVAs.
As for the relationship dynamics, I much preferred how the OVA focused on how Ryoko and Ayeka took interest in Tenchi. The OVAs devoted time to exploring how both girls developed interest gradually in Tenchi whereas in Universe, attraction to him was just about instant.
Mihoshi, I guess you could make a case for both versions. The OVA version was somewhat more competent and less airheaded, while her Universe version allowed for Kiyone's existence to serve as a foil to Mihoshi's antics since she's much more airheaded there. Kiyone was an engaging character in Universe since outside of serving as Mihoshi's foil, she was the only girl among Tenchi's group that had no romantic interest in him and served as one of the level-headed members of the group.
Sorry, i said that wrong. I meant, more explicit. In the OVA, you have scenes like Washu strapping Tenchi down and preparing to give him a handjob to get a DNA sample. Or Ryoko standing atop a rock buck naked in front of him. They toned it down for Universe.
Lol she said she was trying to "seduce him", not rape him. XD She does try to rape him in.....the final Tenchi TV series that should not be named.......for how terrible it was. >_>
Considering Tenchi was unwilling to take Ryoko's advances at that point, pretty sure this would fit the technical definition of attempted rape.
Ryoko is best girl.
Cypher Caliban Yeeesss! Preach! Ryoko was always my main girl! 😊
Cypher Caliban Ryoko is without a doubt the best!!! She's so strong and sure of herself, I just love her!
YES!! *HIGHFIVES* :D
I'm going with Kiyone, that's just me though.
First Waifu
To this day. This is my favorite tenchi show
Thing about filler is that it can actually be a great opportunity.
Consider this, Tales of Ba Sing Se is often cited as people's favorite or the best episode of ATLA. It's also filler. In fact it's completely disjointed filler that doesn't follow the flow of the show.
BUT, it also uses its filler status as an opportunity to explore the story and character of the characters. It's not wasted time, it entertains AND explores.
Good filler uses its time to either tell a self contained and entertaining story, or explore and flesh our characters
Kiyone replaced Yukinojo. Though I admit, Mihoshi's backstory in the OVA is more amusingly tragic. She wasn't an idiot at all, she ended up that way due to being overworked and something else that the series doesn't quite reveal. It is one of the reasons she's on leave.
Tenchi Muyo Universe is my favorite of the series. I watched it and enjoyed it as a kid but didn't remember much.
I rewatched it not too long ago and loved it. One of my favorite animes of all time.
Buffalo Bill Cosby yes universe is the best
Saying that Ryo Ohki is better than Universe is a lot like comparing A New Hope to The Empire Strikes Back. Yes, Ryoki came first and laid the foundation for things to come, but Universe is overall a better told story that's been fully realized.
It's not about who did it first, but who did it best.
Exactly, kinda like how New Dominion: Tank Police is better than the original or comparing Evil Dead 1 and 2.
This is the Star Trek argument from Wayne's World.
How many layers of comparison are there now?
They are both good. Why must you all argue?
6:35 I've been waiting to see you talk about GXP for a long time since it was my introduction to this series, but I guess I can wait a few more years.
Same here! 😄
Man, I remember watching both the OVA and Universe on Toonami back in the day, and I rewatch both every couple of years. The animation quality, humor, voice acting, etc. still hold up today. The problem I have with OVA 3 and beyond is they really jumped the shark with the story and I dislike the modern take on the animation.
Funny you mention that bit about which one you watched first: I live in the country of Chile, in South America. And here when the anime boom started, many of chilean networks and dubbing companies decided to grab a plenty of them and distribute them. As such, we ended up getting a lot of stuff earlier or even stuff that never reached Cartoon network or other anime outlets in the US, all of which with very little censorship or editing (Openings intact and the like.)
This ended up in a very strange case for Tenchi: For one unknown reason on another, Tenchi Universe was broadcasted to us as the FIRST one in the series, with Tenchi in Tokyo and later the original OVA coming in later. As such, I'm in the situation where I held Universe as my favorite for similar reasoning to yours; Having being the one to formed my perspective on the series.
I'm sure this will only be one in a mukry sea of comments, but I just felt the need to share my story hoping someone found it interesting. The anime boom was quite strange and peculiar here in this Latinoamerican country, and my childhood was filled with rather unique choices alongside the likes of DBZ or Pokemon. As a 9 year old, some of my favorite shows to watch were Detective Conan and You Are Under Arrest, which you'd imagine while completely safe (Murder sin the former aside), wouldn't be the first thing you'd think for "Animes-for-kids-in-the-Era-of-Pokemon".
(As a small bit of trivia: The dubbing VAs of Miyuki and Natsumi in You Are Under Arrest voiced Ryoko and Ayeka in Tenchi's dub, in a funny switch of personalities.)
I think the episode that always sticks out for ME personally the most from any of the series...is one in which Washu is left to take care of a baby for the episode and we learn some very sad history about her. The Actress delivers some real emotion in that episode and I can't help but tear up every single time. That feeling for me personally has become deeper as I've gotten older...
That JW-hat in the background made me sad a bit. But it's a nice homage to one of the greatest. I did have the honor of talking to him before the horrible incident and I'll never forget him.
Keep up the good work, Sage.
I have to strongly disagree about the OVA being as flawed and poorly animated, personally. I think the fact Tenchi told such a large amount of story and lore in a shorter amount of episodes goes to show you how well executed the planning and plot development in the OVA was. Granted, season 3 went bat shit crazy, but the original OVA series made the Kagato story more engaging. Universe's Kagato bored me, he looked like every other Jurian character; a regular dick with nothing special to him. OVA's Kagato was a very memorable villain, appearance and how cruelly he tormented the characters. And the animation here blows Universe away in my opinion.
Everyone in Universe looks cardboard, flat, nothing jumps out about them no matter what they're doing. OVA's animation was HIGHLY expressive, fluid, colorful, balanced use of shadows and lines. Everyone had a vivid, colorfully popping look, from Kagato, Ayeka's mother, Dr. Clay and etc. I also think Ryoko's lashing at Tenchi in the OVA makes more sense than her randomly spouting "destiny" with Tenchi when she first meets him Universe. Ryoko was locked up, sealed away and left as a freeze dried corpse when she was still the universe's biggest threat. She wanted to vent and Tenchi happened to be there, that's why I feel her randomly attacking Tenchi fits more into Ryoko's volatile personality then the weak ass attempt she made to "convince" Tenchi they were destined to be together while an Ed-209 suit was gunning down on them.
What's your thoughts on OVA 4 and 5?
Great review Sage. I can't wait until you tackle Tenchi in Tokyo.
I wish that some anime studios will do not just a remake, but a retelling of Tenchi Universe, while keeping and maintaining the original storyline of Tenchi Universe.
Hello, Sage and team. Love the content of your channel.
Nice burn on Ghostbusters (2016)
Indeed, that was a mistake I caught in screening but one Plinkett completely missed in review.
11:19 Personally, I'm fine with filler, especially just here and there, as long as it's not horribly done filler. Use the filler to explore a character, or feature a character that the audience loves but otherwise wouldn't get as much screen time.
Bennett, I'm sorry, but I just have to down right disagree with you on the Mihoshi diatribe. Mihoshi may be a clutz, and yes even a 'space cadet' but her antics are FAR from unimportant. The entire time she is with Tenchi and the group in Ryo-Ohki she is sending information to the Galactic Union about the situation, which is one of the most important parts of the series as a whole, even if she does it in a bumbling way her actions might be some of the most important to the series as a whole, she is the one that originally discovers Washu aboard the ship, she is the one that prevents what would have been a fatal fight between 2 characters (preserving Tenchi as a good aligned character in the process) even the second half of the 3rd OVA is centered around her brothers affection towards her which leads to some of the best displays of the various characters abilities.
THis is the same guy who thought that heroes shouldn't have any human motivations. (Fist of the north star video for evidence.) He has his bouts of having his head up his ass.
There also is the main difference between universe and the OVA, Universe IS a clutz. OVA however is literally her being the effect of her bloodline in combination with whatever event happened to her, it's literally divine chaos energy being unleashed subconsciously. I actually wonder if post OVA 3 if Washu has actually informed Mihoshi that they are related.
You know, I enjoyed the full circle nature of this episode. You addressed the initial review for Tenchi Muyo in Love as a lead-in to the discussion on Tenchi Universe, which you then acknowledged influenced almost all of the material since. At least until GXP came along.
Speaking of which, I think a proper prelude to dealing with the hornet's nest that is Tenchi Muyo GXP would be in discussing Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure. Partly to introduce a surprising element that showed up in GXP, but also to illustrate that the studio did indeed make a Tenchi-like series prior to GXP. It even could be seen as a practice run for the next Tenchi-less Tenchi Muyo series: War on Geminar.
Guess I started with this set. Makes sense that I have such nostalgic memories for the series.
I remember rewatching TMU and not wanting to watch that last episode because it would mean that it's over. I was an old school fan who liked the OVAs and Universe. Maybe it was the anime I watched but I thought it was standard for every season to do the first half as "filler" episodes to set up the characters and setting then do the main plot because then you were invested in the characters and their struggle would mean something. We saw it in the Slayers series (which you need to do one day) for example. While I agree TMU was the OVA revisited it was, overall, a superior series. But some days you feel like cosmic entities and some days you don't.
Before any Parisians complain about the bad filler episode being metaphorically Paris, A Tale of Two Cities was set during the French Revolution. You know what happens to a city in anarchy? It goes to shit.
First time watching your show and I must say this was a little slice of heaven that I had never knew existed. Very detailed and well planned. Also, Pete Davis is the new Miles Teller but less funny.
I'm a simple man. If Tenchi Universe could have found a way to keep certain things from the OVA (like the Light Hawk Wings), I think we would have the ultimate version of Tenchi. But each new entry in the world of Tenchi is always different from the last, and some continuations are not as great as we hoped, and it just makes it harder to get into Tenchi these days.
Hilariously, I got into Tenchi completely backwards. Started with Magical Project, then Tenchi in Tokyo *shudders*, then Universe, then OVA. The movies were interspersed. The element I miss most in Universe that is in the OVA is the mother/daughter relationship between Ryoko and Washu. I always thought Washu's history was the most interesting element to the OVA series.
tenchi is one of my favorite series. I like the story of universe after you skip the first five episodes. because they completely rewrote the story of how he met his team.
Ryyo oki sounds like the Rough draft. Tenchi universe is the final draft. Simple
Think Washu ever turned herself in to a pickle, just cause science?
theres plenty of implication she may have grown one at some point .... for science... if you know what i mean
It isn't stated, but yes. She definitely did. And not just to avoid something like Rick's disingenuous ass. She did it for shits and giggles, same as everything else. Washu is what Rick would be if he wasn't a depressed self-hating mess.
No...no.
No
@@mr.mcdisco1127 Well she jerked Tenchi's pickle in the OVA for science.
Funniest shit I’ve ever seen
Hey, Tenchi! I haven't seen it in a long time. The only episode I vaguely remember is when the girls get a job as construction workers chanting "Million!" as their mantra only to discover that they where making a giant golem for the villain.
I watched Tenchi again after a good 15 years and its still as good as I remember. Very few anime can do this imho.
Have you seen Tenchi Forever? that movie is absolutely amazing. it's like the big series finale to what people would call the "classic" era of Tenchi.
It's been three years and I'm still waiting for him to rip GXP a new one.
A pity that in Tenchi in Tokyo. Not only does it force in our faces that Kiyone, apparently, has a crush on Tenchi. But it also changes Sasami from a sweet little doll to a girl with bi-polar syndrome.
One moment, she's sweet as we remember her. The next, she's sporting the same "anime demon eyes" Ayeka and Ryoko would make at each other; when they fight for Tenchi
and the manga of tenchi had tenchi pick sasami as his bride
Tenchi was always good as sci-fi slice-of-life show with just an occasional action plot thrown in. I liked it when it was on Toonami.
I have agree with one of the comments below, that the characters of the Tenchi series are better than the plots that revolve around them. Each is unique, memorable, and enjoyable in their own way, even Mihoshi. If we really think about it, the characters and their interactions with each other is why the series is remembered so fondly. Also, Kagato's design from the OVA is much sweeter than his design from Universe.
I've never heard anyone claim the rebuild movies were better than the original series. I know Ben doesn't like it, but that just sounds crazy to me.
Please do another adult swim month. I really want to hear your opinions on fullmetal alchemist, standalone complex and wolfs rain. Just so many great shows, please sage
@Jacob Wilson once a year buddy
Well stand alone complex is one of his favorite anime, wolf´s rain he might have mixed feelings (just kinda going off of how he sounded during the Champloo review) and he´ll most likely like FMA, though he´d probably state that brotherhood is better because the ending feels a lot more satisfying than the original´s
the ending was the only thing i liked better about brotherhood. overall, i prefer regular fullmetal alchemist.
Jacob Wilson
Tune in next year.
Or One Punch Man, or Hunter X Hunter, or Jojo's Bizarre Adventure....don't torture yourself anymore, Bennet, get back to the good stuff!
Tenchi Universe was the better if not best of the Tenchi series
Dat Rick and Morty reference lol
TheDreamerExtreme Forget that, how about that Homestar Runner reference?
TheDreamerExtreme WUBBA LUBBA DUB DUB
I loved this show growing up. I was the first anime I ever watched that wasn't just strait up shonen. Before that it was Pokemon which I was obsessed with, DBZ which I loved and Yu-gi-oh, which I hated. Then this came along and just kinda changed my mind of what anime actually was. It wasn't just kids shows where they fight a bad guy. There's all kinds of genres.
Was a little mind blowing.
Ahhh. Before I even knew what harem was, there was Tenchi. :') And it carries itself with so much more respect than a number of other series of the same genre.
Saw this show as a kid. After wrapping my head around the fact it was the same show but different, my take was always "It's like they cut all the extra stuff clearing them to just go forward with the plot and only use the cleanest bits." Kinda feels like i should go back and watch some of both now xD
I first seen Tenchi Universe on a San Jose PBS affiliate KQEH in the mid-late '90s as part of their Scifi Sunday lineup where they aired uncut "Japanimation" alongside BBC scifi (words cannot describe a lineup with Urusei Yatsura and Blake's 7 side-by-side with no connective tissue between them and it was awesome!). They just called it "Tenchi Muyo", and for a long time, being unaware of the original OVA, I just assumed that it was just called Tenchi Muyo. I always like TU more than TM and consider TU more canonical to the point of calling Tenchi Universe "Tenchi Muyo" while calling the OVA series "The Other Tenchi". I still like the show.
Another detail is that Ryo-Ohki's voice sounds more high-pitched in the dub of this series than it did in the OVA. It actually makes her sound cuter.
Can't believe I'm coming back to this, but I really wish you'd talked about Episode 18, "No Need For a Ghost". I'm 29 and in the army, and yet I couldn't stop myself from crying by the end of it.
I actually loved the 3 alternate reality episodes...especially the Ryoko and Tenchi ep. where they are Bonnie and Clyde.
That had a great scene with Tenchi talking Ryoko into embracing reality. It goes to show that he does care for all their feelings, unlike some harem leads I can name.
I had the VHS as a kid of the first 3 episodes from a Dollar Store in the early 2000s. I thought it was okay but completly forgot. I recently decided to rewatch the show since it was available on UA-cam this week, And man what a beutiful series.
Tenchi Universe was my first exposure to this franchise.
And I still enjoy it, even if some fo the dub voice acting has not aged well.
And my favorite single-episode filler is the one where Ryo-oki meets Kenoki and their feelings for each other ultimately stops Ryoko and the bounty hunter chick from killing each other.
Fired from the job, lost the train home...but at least the new episode of AA as I'm waiting. Thanks Bennet
Oh my god, I freaking LOVE you for using that Rick and Morty clip XD
I fangasmed when you displayed the Sailor Moon DVD/VHS(?) case. That was what got me into anime in the first place and is still a personal favourite of mine. I would like to hear your thoughts even if you hate it.
so much nostalgia, it was a simpler time
I am so excited to see the Sailor Moon review! I'm a huge fan, and I know the series fairly well, so I hope Sage will give it a fair shot. I've seen other reviewers not give the series its due, but given how thorough Sage can be, I don't think that'll be a problem.
Now I haven't seen Girls Bravo in awhile, but I don't really remember it being that much of a harem anime other than the fact that there were multiple women in one place. Like it pretty much focused on the two main characters with the other women maybe having a passing interest.
Huh. I...agree with you that Universe is more polished, but I think our tastes in what makes Tenchi interesting are vastly divergent. This is highlighted by your apparent disdain for GXP. (Though I suspect that the elements that drive you batty might be similar to my least favorite parts of it - the "pervy police academy hijinx" parts are distracting more than helpful.) However, while I have some serious issues with the three OVAs' pacing, and I agree that Kiyone improves Mihoshi's character, I think that the OVA hints at things about Mihoshi that, if hinted at more thoroughly and developed better, would make a better story. Overall, I like the plot - though not the presentation - of the OVA more than of Universe, and wish they'd do a remake of the OVA as a 26-episode extravaganza directed by the guys behind Isekai, because Isekai was amazingly well-paced and handled the foreshadowing and building of the overall plot very well.
I think the elements are there for something epic and amazing and enduring in the OVA that would take it well beyond Universe in quality, but it seriously needs a remake to tighten up the building plot elements. Kagato needs to be built up over a longer period. We need hints of Octopus-head sooner, and his tie to D3 and to Tokimi needs to build more mystery than "vague powerful backer" as time goes on. We need MUCH more build-up of Z and his backstory. Maybe its own side-series, but it definitely needs indication that it's coming and going to impact the Tenchi story somehow. The Choushins' overall mission/quest needs to be developed consistently so that the final reveals make more sense. The whole bit with "a female Kagato" needs more work.
Mihoshi's former competence and the event that led to her current condition needs development. This would be something good to flash back to periodically and have references, which tell an unfolding story. Start by contrasting her goofiness with past episodes of competence; question whether she's pulling obfuscating stupidity or really is this damaged. This could even tie in to the unfolding Kagato arc by having him be more concerned about interfering because of MIHOSHI's presence, given her history and rumors that she survived even [insert whatever broke her here]...
...and I'm ranting and trying to re-plot something here. This isn't the place. Sorry!
As you note, the Kagato thing is better built in Universe...but I think Kagato loses a lot in the demotion. I like the space-cosmic-god plot lines; I think they are interesting. I also think mileage could be gotten out of taking characters developed in GXP and adding/expanding on them in a redone version of the OVA. (Devil Princess Seto in particular.) The diminished scope of Universe helps it be tighter in some ways, but loses a lot of what makes the OVA my favorite Tenchi telling. (And at the end of your review, you say you like OVA better, but...you still like different things than I do.)
On filler: American overarching plot TV series have something to teach anime in some ways, I think. A-plot and B-plot. Use filler episodes as A-plots, but weave in a B-plot that advances little bits and pieces of the overarching plot. A bit of the OVA's pacing problems can be written off to not knowing how to balance this, and to trying to just cram in sideways the "important bits" without build-up time. OVA 3 is particularly guilty of this, focusing so long on the Chobimaru incident and other random stuff that probably is important to the writer to get out there, but just dropping randomly a couple things about Z for no apparent reason. Then he's THERE! Blowing up the moon! WAH!
Better use of filler - of individual episodic plots that may or may not have larger rammifications beyond showing off some characterization - mixed with in-episode bits that hint and and advance plots elsewise would have gone a long way. Even having Z periodically offering snarky commentary on the Chobimaru incident would have served as a lot of foreshadowing. Showing he's here. Showcasing some of his power. Show some interaction between him and Tokimi to show Tokimi's interest in Tenchi. Etc.
Unfortunately, filler usually winds up being either lousy arcs that go nowhere, lousier episodes that blatantly interrupt the main plot (I'm looking at you, Naruto), or worse... DBZ/One Piece-style episodes with about 2 minutes of actual plot advancement per 24-minute so-called animation. Reaction shots that take 3 minutes apiece combined with announcers repeating what's already happened are the worst sort of filler. (I really hope we get a One Piece Kai when they finally finish the manga.)
Yeah, the OVA has so many cool elements and plot threads that basically get dropped like a hot potato cause it seems the writers were torn on what they wanted the show to be--do we stay on earth or do we do space adventures, do we do comedy or plot, and so they ended up just kinda chopping it into chunks where drama suddenly happens with poor build. Mihoshi having a tragic past would go a long way for her character, and I think Ryoko should probably be more mad at the guy who stuck her in a cave, conscious, for hundreds of years than she was. Plus the whole "destroyed a bunch of shit while sort of being controlled by Kagato" thing. Jurai officials finally catch up with her and they just give her a bill? People died. Surely she's at least bothered by not having free will all that time, if it was total control, and bothered by the destruction, if it wasn't.
I really thought after OVA 1 introduced the characters and ships and gave Tenchi all his shonen powerups, that OVA 2 and on would be them setting out for space adventures and dealing with some newfound responsibility, but it seems like after 1 they just tried to repeat the formula and have every genre all at once without planning too well. I wanted star trek with a whole crew of babes, dammit, not King of Queens but the apartment has a starship in the backyard and Kevin James has his titties out a lot.
I'm always torn between which I like more, this, or Tenchi in Tokyo. I need to rewatch both...
I rewatched them both a year or two ago. I feel like the original had more little charming animation moments like what you might find in a miyazaki movie, but universe had a better overarching story and more episodes.
No need for a genius was the first episode I’d ever seen. I was hooked immediately ❤️
Por favor si ay alguien que hable en español y entienda ingles ¿podian subtitular los videos de este canal? esto es oro puro que ay dar a conocer a los hispano hablantes.
Yo hold tf up, I disappear for a year and this dude went up and slimmed down?! Good shit Bennett!
hell just froze over people! get ready for Sailor Moon!
DJ Insanity Would have liked him to do Gundam Wing instead but... hopefully his review can topple Nostalgia Critic's.
Rainbowhawk1993 Sage has already made his feelings on anime series like this obvious, shows that come across as quite cute I mean. Coming from someone who isn't fond of the show I thought NCs review was pretty good.
To be fair, if he's basing it on the watered down censored version on Cartoon Network, there is fair reason to dislike it lol.
He's holding the Pioneer DVD... Well, I guess we know which version he's looking at. lol
I'm just hoping he doesn't just focus on the 1st season since NC already did and freaked out and prostrated himself for putting her in his list of hot cartoon babes after learning she was a 14 year old. I mean SuperS was....interesting. But I'm guessing he won't be talking about "Crystal".
No Need For Bennet. This was actually the first anime i ever burned out on. It was among the stack of Anime Legends releases that marked my official jump into anime beyond recording Toonami on VHS tapes.
I'm surprised you didn't comment on the op. Its one of the most 90s dance tunes ever.
Mihoshi has always been my favourite Tenchi character; beautiful and adorably clumsy. 😊
Wow that brought back some memories of when I was a little kid and watched Tenchi Muyo Tenchi universe and Tenchi in Tokyo thanks to Toonami. Universe did fix a lot of problems but the first season it has some Merit even though it did have many many problems. But don't even get me started on Tenchi in Tokyo Tenchi Muyo GXP( which I did watch all the way through thanks to a friend of mine who got me into watching it) dual parallel( which kind of ties into GXP a good amount) and finally at least to me there was Isekai involving Kenchi( still hate the way that show ended). I would talk about that some what kind of reboot in that Tenchi was a teacher and there were more girls involved but I don't want to be reminded of that one. So yeah long story short this franchise did do a lot of things that I wish that a lot of Harem anime do right instead of just being the same repeated thing over and over even though I'm biased because I do enjoy Sekirei. So next up is going to be Sailor Moon and I already know a lot of people don't like that series hell one of my friends flat out told me I'm not that big a fan of Sailor Moon.
"I'll get back to the Bubblegum series don't have a fit" -- 2017.
3 years later-- nothing.
Updating it's 2 years in the future from this; still nothing
Come for the content, stay for the sweet toonami bumpers
thank you for this. You said a lot of thing I had bottled up inside about this anime. I love the Tenchi series, all of them. Even their awful spin off(Pretty Sammy). Its actually the first anime I was exposed as a young teen. Despite its flaws, Its a series that will always have a special place in my heart.
This was the Tenchi I watch back in high school and I remember enjoying it
I'm planning on re-watching it sometime and give the others a chance.
OHHHH shit Sailor Moon the movie: Promise of the rose!! With the original DiC Dub!!! This is gotta be good!
To me filler in shonen anime such as naruto, is a good nap, but a bad headache when you wake up.
Tenchi Universe is actually less haremish cause only Ryoko and Ayeka are in love with Tenchi ( and maybe Sasami but mostly he was like an older brother to her
Washu is neutral she loves only scince and her experiments and has no intrest in Tenchi
Mihoshi is also neutral she has more chemistry with Kiyone rather than Tenchi
And Kiyone is neutral
I saw both "Ryo-oki" and "Universe" when they first aired on Toonami, but the one I remember the most is "Universe". And I think I now understand why.
Tenchi Muyo is one of the Most likeable anime characters in anime. Tenchi universe will always be a classic
My favorite episode is: No need for Ghosts
I recament that highly. I frist saw it in 1999, 18 years ago...
That episode was hilarious and overwhelmingly depressing.
The House Always Wins funny yes but not too sad. Like we all knew Mirei was dead, hence we knew Sasami and her would go their ways at the end.
The House Always Wins like imho the OVA series episode Sasami and Tsunami is MUCH more sad.
But nothing beats Tenchi 2. While the movie is debatable (Mayuka, love or hate her = your feelings to the movie), the scene where Mayuka dies is pretty tragic. That and the credits will get ya maybe (Sasami part got me).
Imho, Sasami saved Mayuka. Without her, she is very obnoxious. With her, she is annoying but means well.
Universe was amazing and the best of all of them .
I jumped to this from old episode. That lightning change gave my eyes whiplash. Don't get me wrong, it's better, but I wasn't ready. @.@
I think a lot of the filler argument comes down to additional small aside stories told in an original work vs spreading out an adapted work. Stand alone episodes like this work in Tenchi because they can add to the characters and let you see different sides of them. By its nature you can't in something like Sailor Moon or Naruto since you can't let the added characterization affect character growth that could occur later in the original work.
Have you ever seen Vandread. It was my favorite back in the day.
Tenchi Muyo is like the scooby doo of the anime world.
Things I love about Universe (compared to the OVA)
+ No (less?) incest vibes
+ More overall Tenchi
+ The knight thing with Azaka and Kamidake
+ Kiyone and Nagi (and Ken-Ohki too)
Things about Universe that could've been better
- Animation consistency
- Honestly underwhelming Kagato fight
- Pacing
Overall I like Universe more but don't get me wrong, I love both Universe and the OVAs to death. Wish there were more Classic Tenchi
I'm not sure if he's covered it yet, but Sage should do the Rurouni Kenshi series & or movies. Would love to see him cover those!
2:42 - For the longest time, I completely agreed with you about Universe being the true canon of Tenchi. Then they came out with GXP and War on Geminar, both of which exist in the OVA continuity. It's like every time I think I've found the canon of Tenchi they do something to make me question it again.
6:42 - Oh, wait. Never mind. You seem to be having the right reactions.
Looking good sage!
I would like if the creators of the tenchi series does something similar to tenchi universe. Muyo was entertaining but at times a mess. Universe did a much better job and as stated flushed out better.
Benneth you look so good!! \o/
one i still suggest is Irresponsible Captain Tylor. it changed my taste in anime and impressed me in so many ways. i even found what i generally dislike to be endearing
Thank you Sage of glad someone said it about filler.
7:26 - 7:35 Kind of the best summary to why the Ghostbusters reboot suck. Now lets move on.
the original one kinda sucks too so that's just par for the course.
I'll be interested to see your take on Tenchi In Love/ Tenchi in Tokyo, unless you already did and I missed it.
davrosdaleks1 they are the same length (Universe & In Tokyo). i missed that he said he covered it already right at the beginning.
I actually kind of like GXP. I'm not gonna pretend it was great, and I wish the characters got some more development, but I found myself enjoying it.
back into the Tenchiverse with Bennett
Did anyone else but me find Kenoia to be the hottest girl (at least in this iteration?)
Also, who’s Miles Teller?
Nothing can beat the original OVAs. Tenchi Muyo was decades ahead of its tine
Not exactly! It was total rip-off of Urusei Yatsura. Compare the Anime Abandon scene at 20:17 where Ryoko leaps into Tenchi's arms to the scene at 22:50 of this episode of Urusei Yatsura: ua-cam.com/video/DTBH8AQ84mY/v-deo.html