TENCHI MUYO
Save some chicks for the rest of us, dork-wad!
Review by: Craig "Why Can't This Happen To Me?!" Norris
Length: 13 episodes
Genre: Action, comedy, romance
Watched: 1-13, dubbed
I don't know why I haven't reviewed this by now. After all, this is the first anime I ever saw that showed me that anime can be more than girls in short skirts with magical jewelry or uber-ripped muscleheads trying to stare holes in one another. This is the first anime that made me really like anime, and as such is a title that I highly respect. Granted, some respect was lost with that whole Pretty Sammy thing, but that's a review for another day.
Plot synopsis: Tenchi Masaki is a normal boy who goes to a normal school and lives in a normal house. At least he was, until he accidentally releases a demon that was held prisoner at his grandfather's shrine. After her attempt to kill him is thwarted, the demon, Ryoko, asks Tenchi to help save her from Ayeka, the princess of the Jurai Empire. Before Tenchi can decide, they are both kidnapped by Ayeka. After a confrontation during which it is revealed that Tenchi and Ayeka are related, Ryoko's and Ayeka's ships crash in the countryside, leaving them stranded on earth. Having nowhere else to go, Ryoko, Ayeka, Ayeka's sister Sasami, Ryoko's pet/spaceship Ryo-ohki, and later on Galaxy Police Detective Mihoshi and the genius scientist Washu all must stay in the same house with Tenchi, who suddenly finds himself with more girlfriends than he knows what to do with.
Artwork: Even by today's standards, the artwork is crisp and clean. The style is very conducive to the balance of action, drama, and humor the series incorporates. The character designs are all nice, although some may think the creators went a bit crazy with the hairstyles. Despite being over 10 years old, the animation still has a very contemporary feel to it.
Music: One thing that struck me about the music is that it has more of an Asian sound than most other soundtracks I've heard for a romance series. Usually the theme song is j-pop, with forgettable synthesizer riffs dispersed throughout the episodes to fill in some noise. But this soundtrack has much more substance, full of distinctive sounds that match up very well with the windows into Japanese culture that are often displayed. While not very impressive on its own, the soundtrack matches up with the series very successfully.
Characters: Tenchi Muyo has some of the most often-imitated characters of any anime ever created. Starting, of course, with the male lead, Tenchi Masaki. He has a forgettable face and an even more forgettable personality, but possesses some sort of inner strength that seems to make him special and attract women to him like lint to a bellybutton. He gets very tense and avoidant regarding romance, however, and does not respond well to flirting. Tenchi's father, on the other hand, is a lecher of high caliber, with an extensive collection of hentai. I salute you, sir! Tenchi's grandfather is a stately old man with unflappable composure. He trains Tenchi to be a swordsman, even though Tenchi has no idea why. Ryoko is a former space pirate with an in-your-face attitude. She is forward, unabashed, and sometimes downright rude. However, Tenchi seems to bring out a much softer side of 
her. Ayeka is the Crown Princess of the Jurai Empire, and seeks to punish Ryoko for all the crimes she committed against her people. Unfortunately, the statute of limitations ran out, so she can do nothing but argue with her, which they do almost constantly. Ayeka is proud, dignified, and reserved: the polar opposite of Ryoko. Ayeka and Ryoko become the chief rivals for Tenchi's affection. Sasami, Ayeka's younger sister, has a very sunny disposition and is well liked by everyone in Tenchi's house. She becomes the chief cook, and puts out spreads that would make The Iron Chefs look like Chef Boy-ar-dee. Mihoshi is a scatterbrained detective of the Galaxy Police, most likely owing her status to her grandfather, the Grand Marshall. She sometimes expresses the mentality of a child, being totally ignorant of troubles and hopelessly optimistic. Washu is the self-proclaimed greatest scientific genius of the universe, and one look at her laboratory would make it very hard to refute that claim. Her experiments are grand in scale, and sometimes intrusive. She has a mischievous personality that some may say borders on completely cracked. Ryo-ohki is Ryoko's spaceship, and when she's not traveling the galaxy she takes on the form of a half-cat, half-rabbit. Ryo-ohki and Sasami become nearly inseparable. At the time of their creation, these characters were the most innovative personalities in anime, and have been used as archetypes over the years with varying degrees of success. If not for these characters, the last ten years of anime's development would have been very different.
Plot: What I really like about this anime is that it's not just a romantic comedy, nor is it just an action space adventure; it's both! And the two elements were fused flawlessly to create an enjoyable viewing experience. The only problem with the plot in general is that it has no real conclusion, leaving the ending wide open and unfinished. From what I understand, an OAV is currently being released that wraps this series up. Once I get my hands on it, I'll be eager to see how all this is resolved, as there's a lot that gets left hanging at the end of episode 13.
CHICKS!: The chicks of Tenchi Muyo have by now reached the status of legendary. The apparent fan favorite is Ryoko, the sly, shameless beauty with a great mane of spiky gray hair. She is nothing but a headache to those she does not like, but shows tremendous loyalty and caring to those who treat her well. She likes to drink, tease, and generally be very lazy, but when her loved ones are threatened, she is an unstoppable force capable of mass destruction. Not to mention she's got an unbelievable body to go with her exhibitionist attitude. Ayeka is much more subdued than Ryoko in terms of both curvaceousness and personality, but she is still very beautiful nonetheless. Her upbringing has made her a bit spoiled, but she adjusts well to living in the modest accommodations of Tenchi's house. Like Ryoko, she is very protective of those she values. Also, much has been speculated about her sexual habits, but it is still unknown to me whether or not her preference for whips and leather is fact or mere rumor. Mihoshi, in my opinion, is the most underrated chick of the series. Where some see nothing more than a blithering idiot, I see innocence and naivety. Despite her bumbling nature, she is very independent and detail-oriented. She is very happy-go-lucky and prefers to look on the bright side of things. When something brings her to tears, you feel compelled to want to give her a big hug. I'd want to give her a big hug anyway, seeing as how she's got a knockout body. Sasami and Washu both appear underage, despite being considerably, *considerably* older. However, during the series we get to see what they look like as older women, and if I do say so myself, they are unspeakably babealicious. They've both got figures that make Ryoko look like a broom handle. Unfortunately, those incarnations of them don't get nearly enough screen time. Those who are unprepared to be bombarded with such high quality chicks might want to watch a few other series just to warm up, otherwise your eyes will dry out.
Overall: This is the series that started my transformation into a slobbering (but articulate) fanboy of anime. But speaking objectively, it is a good anime to start off with, as it appeals to a wide audience and utilizes many of the conventions and nuances that first time viewers might not yet be accustomed to. Veterans of anime will enjoy this title as well, but why am I telling you? If you're an anime veteran, you've probably already seen this series. If you haven't, crawl out from under your rock and give this series a look. It's been twelve years already; waiting any longer won't make it any less of a must-watch.
IN A NUTSHELL:
+ Breakthrough characters
+ Ageless animation
+ Multi-faceted plot
- Unfinished
Rating: 8.5/10