Tenchi Universe (Tenchi Muyo! TV in Japan) is a 26-episode anime series produced by AIC and Pioneer Animation (now Geneon Entertainment). It is loosely based on the first six episodes of the Tenchi Muyo! OAV series. This was followed up by two movies: Tenchi Muyo! in Love (released in 1996) and Tenchi Muyo! in Love 2 (released in 1999; also known as Tenchi Forever!).
| Tenchi Universe | |
 | |
| Genre | Adventure, Comedy |
|---|---|
| Anime | |
| Directed by | Hiroshi Negishi |
| Studio | AIC, Pioneer/Geneon |
This series is known for having a stronger emphasis on Ryoko, as shown in the opening title sequence and some episodes (which are dedicated towards her), and introduces three new characters: Mihoshi's partner Kiyone Makibi (who debuted in the "Mihoshi Special"), the bounty hunter and Ryoko's rival, Nagi, and her cabbit companion, Ken-Ohki.
The series also gave some characters different personalties; Washu is now portrayed as a mildly-insane egomaniac with two pop-up dolls that proclaim her greatness, and Mihoshi was portrayed as a comic relief character whose constant bumbling, blunders and crying fits would often get the gang in trouble.
Minor characters
Character voices are listed with the Japanese seiyū first, and the English voice actor(s), if known, after the slash.
Ken-Ohki
Kenōki (眷皇鬼)
Voice: Akiko Yajima
Ken-Ohki is Nagi's cabbit partner. Like Ryo-Ohki, Ken-Ohki can transform himself in a space battleship, although the configuration and color is slightly different than Ryo-Ohki. And like Ryo-Ohki, Ken-Ohki has developed a love of carrots.
Ken-Ohki and Ryo-Ohki also love each other, which complicates Nagi's almost obsessive quest to capture Ryoko. But this love had also saved Nagi from being killed by Ryoko, not to mention aiding Ryoko when she, Tenchi, and the knights Azaka and Kamidake stormed the Jurai palace to save Ayeka.
Mecha Washu
Meka Washū (メカ鷲羽)
Voice: Yūko Kobayashi / Kate T. Vogt
This android duplicate of Washu was supposed to be a suplemental worker, inprinted with the mad genius's intellect. But somehow, a single hair from Mihoshi found its way into the transfer unit. It was after an explosion (caused by Mihoshi) that Washu discovered that, instead of Washu's mind, the android gains Mihoshi's mind and temperament. The group had a hard time dealing with Mecha Washu until Kiyone came by, as she knew how Mihoshi's mind works, which enabled her to shut down Mecha Washu.
Mecha Washu has most of Washu's physical features, but with Mihoshi's ear and eye characteristics, as well as her hairstyle. Eventually Washu tried to create a second Mecha Washu but Ryo-ohki somehow caused it to gain her characteristics.
Mitsuki
Mitsuki (満奇)
Voice: Yuka Koyama / Debi Derryberry
Mitsuki graduated from the same Galaxy Police Academy class Kiyone graduated from, but at a lower score. She is a very ambitious person, and will stoop to anything to get ahead of Kiyone... even capturing her when Kiyone got implicated in Ayeka's problems with Jurai.
At the end of the series, Mitsuki was demoted to being Kiyone's errand girl, following Kiyone's promotion to Detective Sergeant and Mihoshi's promotion to Chief Criminal Prevention Officer.
Mirei
Mirei (美零)
Voice: Hiroko Konishi / Debi Derryberry
Mirei is a mysterious ghost girl who's life before she died is unknown to her, although she has a photograph which is her only clue.
When the Yagami stopped in the Sargasso sea of space a.k.a. the ship's graveyard, that was when Mirei's ship appeared before them. She invited Sasami and Ryo-ohki on board, afterwhich the two started to have fun and decided to scare the rest of the group, who had come aboard to look for Sasami. Then after sampling Sasami's memories, Mirei, Sasami, and Ryo-ohki continued to play through things such as an amusement park and a fireworks display.
Eventually Sasami realized she had to return to the Yagami as everyone was worried. But as a gift, Sasami and Ryo-ohki's image were added to the photograph to help remember their happiest time together.
Amarube and Yura
Amarube (餘部) Voice: Tsutomu Kashiwakura
Yura (由良) Voice: Yūko Nagashima / Debi Derryberry
Basically, the two of them are runaways, and just happened to steal Kiyone's ship Yagami, (with an unknowing Nobuyuki and Katsuhito on board who were playing Shiogi, a Japanese version of chess) when the Masaki clan stopped at a station to order beef dons. Of course, the two of them didn't know about the trouble the Masakis were in, and soon found themselves chased by the G.P. and Jurai... something they never counted on!
Eventually they ended up flying towards a star, but the Masaki group (minus Ayeka and Sasami) arrived on Ryo-ohki, retaken the ship, and used Washu's calculations to use the sun's gravity to escape. They then sent Amarube and Yura away on an escape pod.
Sagami
Sagami (相模)
Voice: Akifumi Endō
During the Masaki clan's trip through the Jurai checkpoint, Sagami met Tenchi (disgused as a girl named Tenko) after he went to check-in station. Sagami then went to the Cafe with Sasami and Tenchi, but after Ryoko and Mihoshi came through when Mihoshi's bungling had exposed them, Sagami was able to help slow down some of the gurads.
Later when Sasami was separated from the group, Sagami knocked out the guards that heard her and then gave Tenchi a staff to fight off the guards, although it exposed Tenchi's true identity to him. It turned out that Sagami was an agent of Sasami and Ayeka's uncle and was helping the group in order for them to make it into Jurai territory.
Outpost Chief (Sasami and Ayeka's Uncle)
Chōkan (長官)
Voice: Ikuya Sawaki
While in disguise on Jurai's checkpoint to get into the Jurai territory, Sasami remembered the time when she used to play with her uncle on Jurai. However, her uncle, who was the outpost chief for the checkpoint, easily recognized her through her disguise. He helped weaken the security grid and had his man Sagami assist the Masaki clan in getting away when they were discovered, giving them a chance to escape from the checkpoint into Jurai territory. He also helped rescue Sasami after she was separated from the group and was rendered uncouncious by knockout gas, and got her back to the group safely. It was only after their escape that Sasami saw him as they were leaving and realized that her uncle had helped them escape, and he realized how much Sasami had grown up.
Tetta and Tessei
Tetta (哲多) Voice: Yoshio Kawai
Tessei (哲清) Voice: Shin'ichirō Miki
Tetta and Tessei are the Juraian knights that served Kagato. The knights Azaka and Kamidake each faced these two knights respectively. Although both Tetta and Tessei were just as skilled as Azaka and Kamidake and have techniques that weren't available in Azaka and Kamidake's time, both of the noble knights pointed out that they, along with their master, lacked the spirit of chivalry. With their courage and nobility, Azaka and Kamidake killed Tetta and Tessei.
Itsuki Masaki
Itsuki (斎)
Yosho's (Katsuhito) wife in the TV series continuity and Achika's mother. Itsuki briefly appears in Episode 22 and Tenchi Muyo in Love 2, when Yosho explains that after he met her shortly after landing on Earth, he changed his name Katsuhito Masaki when he married her. It was because of this that the spirit of Yosho's deceased love Haruna awoke and felt betrayed, that she would later kidnap Tenchi. Itsuki made a brief appearance at the end of Tenchi Muyo in Love 2 where after Katsuhito said goodbye to Haruna, Itsuki's spirit appeared in her child form and Katsuhito pointed out to her not to be jealous.
Operative A aka Sabato
Voice: Houchu Ohtsuka/John Demita
Exclusive to Tenchi Muyo in Love, aka GP Special Operative, real name is Sabato. His job as a special opreative is to handle dangerous criminals, and was a survivor when Kain destroyed the GP Headquarters. Operative A somehow followed Kain back to 1970 and was aware that Kain was after Achika Masaki and her father Yosho, as they both are descended from Jurai and that Kain was going to kill them even though they had nothing to do with his capture.
Posing in a human disguise, to hide his Wau features, Operative A was keeping an eye on Achika by posing as a student in her class. When Ryoko noticed what he was doing, she eventually confronted him and Operative A revealed his true identity to her by identifing that he knew her criminal status. After explaining everything to Ryoko, Operative A then pointed out that he will catch her after he is done with Kain. Operative A made a vain attempt to kill Kain during his attack on Achika at Tokyo Tower and was easily killed by him.
Episode list
Earth Adventure
Time and Space Adventures
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Space Adventure
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Music
- OP: Tenchi Muyo! (Love Will Leave You Crying) (Japanese and English versions performed by SONIA)
- EN: Up-Walk in the Galaxy (Japanese version performed by Ai Orikasa and Yumi Takada; English version performed by Diane Michelle)