Tenchi in Tokyo -a.k.a. Shin Tenchi Muyo (TV Series-26 episodes) Review By vmoore86
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	Audience:	G
	Genre:	Sci-Fi/Comedy/Drama
	Contains:	Comic violence (note: this is the cut version)
	Rating:	D

Lately, the Tenchi Muyo Series isn't what it used to be. This third Tenchi Muyo Series brings up the phrase, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Apparently the creators of Tenchi in Tokyo haven't heeded that idea. This series takes almost everything that was special about the Tenchi Muyo Series and smashes it into a thousand pieces and turns into the chaotic mess that is Tenchi in Tokyo. We are given a huge amount of potential and a huge amount of great ideas and concepts, but the most important thing is the execution, and this series inconsistently succeeds and (even more so) fails miserably at the same time. This is essentially the Tenchi Muyo Series not even a mother could love.

Tenchi Masaki, unquestionably the most reluctantly lucky teenager on the face of the Earth is moving on with his life. Leaving the Masaki Shrine for a new life in Tokyo attending a school in order to become a Shinto Priest. Of course, the girls just can't stand the fact that their beloved Tenchi is moving away, (especially Sasami, which is really unlike her) and Washu prepares to remedy the problem by making a dimensional gate that leads to Tenchi's new hangout, much to Tenchi's dismay. Soon after Tenchi adjusts to his new life in the big city, he meets a girl named Sakuya, who predictably takes an immediate liking to him. This drives rivals Ayeka and Ryoko up the wall leading to even more chaos. Not only that, an evil force led by a mysterious being named Yugi seems intent on having Tenchi and Sakuya get together for her own sinister purposes, even if it means breaking the bond between Tenchi and the alien girls to do it.

The second Tenchi Muyo television series, "Shin Tenchi Muyo"(New Tenchi Muyo) is really a perfect way to name this series, very new. In fact fans of the series be warned, this isn't the same Tenchi Muyo you've come to know for the past few series. Starting from episode one in the first three minutes, you'll come to realize that this REALLY isn't the same type of series. Where as the OVA and TV Series used it's jokes and humor in more subtle ways, Tenchi in Tokyo goes for all-out super-deformed madness that's very reminiscent of Shoujo series such as Sailor Moon and Fushigi Yugi. While this really isn't such a bad idea, it's a concept that is really over used in this series, that is only made worse by the stiff, ugly animation and poor writing and pacing. Not to mention you won't find any trace of a plot in the first few episodes (except through Yugi) The characters aren't much better, the main characters seemed to have undergone a total lobotomy as well, from the endearing characters from the OVA and TV Series to neurotic and insane caricatures of the former characters. The rivalry between Ayeka and Ryoko is pushed up to the point of insanity, and it becomes really disturbing that all this chaos is over one normal teenager. Not to mention that the other characters ALL seem to develop a rather disturbing obsession with Tenchi for the first few episodes. (Not to mention Kiyone's psychotic obsession with her job that almost renders her character unlikable) Tenchi obviously has some sex appeal going, and it must be good if it drives girls THIS crazy...

Like the rest of the Tenchi Muyo Series, Tenchi in Tokyo once again follows the series tradition of having absolutely no continuity and relation to the other series. Tenchi in Tokyo also takes place in it's own self-contained universe. Near the middle, Tenchi in Tokyo gives yet another version of how Tenchi and the girls met, but the way it's handled here is rather rushed and nowhere near as interesting as the other series. (But it is worth it to see Ryoko transform into a beast creature :-) Later in the series, the storyline manages to delve into the possibility of the girls losing Tenchi to another and having to move on with their lives on Earth, which I admit, was one of the more intriging elements of the series. Tenchi in Tokyo eventually develops into a good story, but doesn't reward the viewer in the end with an intense build-up that leads to an ultimate cop-out of an ending. (Heck, it was almost worse than the OVA's not-quite-an-ending, and that's saying a lot) Just one out of many reasons why Tenchi in Tokyo turns into a terrible waste of time.

As I said before, the animation in Tenchi in Tokyo is stiff and ugly. The exaggerated facial expressions the characters make are ugly enough to scare even Kintaro Oe himself. The characters (especially the villains) give off the feeling as if one was watching a poorly written Sailor Moon episode. Tenchi in Tokyo is really Tenchi Muyo with too much caffeine and an animation team composed of 5-years olds with Crayola's. While the animation has it's good points (especially at important points in the story) the animation is colorful, but also ugly and very inconsistent. The music isn't the same anymore also, Seikou Nagaoka's music has been replaced by original Dragon Ball Z composer, Shunsuke Kikuchi which has a different but still lighthearted feel, but aside from the quirky opening and ending songs, the score is nothing special.

The most hardcore of Tenchi fans (the patient ones) may garnish some enjoyment from Tenchi in Tokyo, but even they may be appalled by the sub-mediocrity of this series. A good storyline alone can't save it from the series worth of mistakes. This is no doubt the worst offering the Tenchi Saga has to offer, and also killed the franchise in Japan due to it's poor ratings. Anime otaku new to Tenchi will want to stay far away from this series. Just grab a copy of the OVA or TV Series instead. Unless you want to use this series as an effective torture device. Sometimes change isn't always good.

-By the way, the supposed ending of the Tenchi Muyo series is the "Tenchi Forever!" movie. I still have yet to see it though. It would've been really sad if the series ended here.

Pioneer (seen on Cartoon Network). Image shown is not created by atek studios. Review by Rashad Moore. Nov 2000.