Tenchi Muyo! OVAs 1

‘Tenchi Muyo!’ is an anime series with a big reputation and hordes of devoted fans, and so naturally, I had pretty big expectations coming into this, being a “Tenchi-virgin” and all.

Did it live up to what I expected from the story? Yes and no. I mean, it’s clear from the art-work and fast moving plot that this is going to be a light hearted tale about some moody kid with hidden powers. I just never felt interested by the story; I can’t quite define whether this is due to either the random jumps from serious drama to comedy or the extremely fast moving plot.

I would have preferred to see the character relationships be developed a little more (especially the bond between Tenchi and Ryoko, which just seems to appear in the final episode on this volume) rather than random episodes ‘choc-full-o’ ‘bath-house fan service’ (nudity).

Everyone seems to love Tenchi (the character), and it’s never really explained why. Before all the girls appear from space, he isn’t exactly a stud, and yet by the end of episode 5, Tenchi has 3 (yes, three) girls aching for his lovin’. I understand Tenchi Muyo! is primarily aimed at young-teenage boys and it’s just supposed to be fun, but all I’m asking for is a little more attention to character development.

The story suddenly becomes involving when the action starts pumping. It’s interesting to see how Tenchi reacts under pressure and how all the people surrounding him decide to portray themselves. You get the feeling everyone knows a lot more than they let on and we are all simply waiting for something big to happen.

Ryoko is definitely the most interesting character so far, showing glimpses of her violent past and a growing attachment to Tenchi. I’m looking forward to learning more about her history and what her involvement with the ominous Kagato, the main series ‘villain’, includes.

Indeed, the arrival of Kagato towards the end of the disc is a welcome one; as people are snapped out of their wacky, ambling moods and finally decide it’s time to get serious. The last episode even leaves off on something of a cliff hanger and for the first time, left me excited to see what happens next. Hopefully this dark atmosphere is an indication of where the story will take us in the future.

Speaking of the wackiness, how crazy is marrying your own brother/family member? – Definitely one of the more jarring revelations that took a little while to get used to.

The series has obviously been planned well, with each character designed in their own cute little ways, especially the rabbit-like ‘Ryo-Ohki’, who manages to add new meaning to the word ‘loveable’. And since we are treated to such vast canvas of differing designs, it’s certainly made it easier to become familiar with each of the main personalities. I had managed to learn all the names by the end of episode 3, so I guess that can only be a tribute to the well described characters on screen.

In Summary

I found Tenchi Muyo! #1 to be a slightly above average light-hearted comedy. The sci-fi elements have thus far failed to capture my imagination and the story has yet to really take off outside of a few cool light-sabre/sword fights.

It’s cute, shallow fun for a lost week day evening.