Tenchi Muyo
Tenchi Muyo is an amazingly popular Japanese anime and manga franchise that tells of a young boy from Earth dealing with his life involving a complicated adventure with six alien females under one roof. Despite there being about four different series in the Tenchi Muyo series, I'm going to focus solely on the Original Video Animation (OVA for short), or the original series that started it all: Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki!
Story
Tenchi Maski has always heard tales from his grandfather about terrifying demon sealed within the cave next to the Masaki Shrine, but his curiosity got the best of him and what Tenchi finds in that cave isn't a demon, but an infamous Space Pirate, Ryoko. Upon her resurrection, Tenchi meets two sister alien princesses, a strange shapeshifting space ship in animal, a wackily mad scientist, and a clumsy Space Cop. What Tenchi doesn't know is that his life just gets complicated and his family's origins will come to light.
Characters
Tenchi Masaki - The main protoganist of the entire series, and the titular character. Tenchi is a seemingly normal boy until he inadvertently breaks the seal on Ryoko, releasing her and her spaceship companion, Ryo-Ohki, which in turn attracts the attention of an alien princess seeking her long-lost fiance, a happy-go-lucky alien cop, and some unwanted attention of a lot of forces at work. Raised by his Grandpa and his dad, Tenchi does his best to take on his family's legacy while dealing with the interesting new life that came to him.
Ryoko Hakubi - The infamous space pirate sealed by Tenchi's "ancestor," Yosho. Ryoko is one of Tenchi's love interests and is seen as an archrival by Aeka for his affections. Despite her rowdy and brash attitude, she actually has a soft spot for everyone in the Masaki Household. Ryoko can be seen either fighting with Aeka or trying to seduce Tenchi.
Aeka Masaki Jurai - An alien princess on a search for her long lost fiance with her sister, Aeka is the first crowned princess of Jurai. She has a temper that matches Ryoko's and just like Ryoko, she, too, will fight for Tenchi's affections. Despite her temper, she actually has a very kind heart and tends to take things a little too personally.
Sasami Masaki Jurai - Aeka's younger sister, Sasami is a bright and cheerful girl who loves to cook. She is possibly the most responsible character among Tenchi's love interests, but she is still a kid and like all kids, she likes to play. Sasami sees the good in everyone.
Ryo-Ohki - The mascot of the Tenchi Muyo franchise and Ryoko's animal companion, Ryo-Ohki's love for carrots is as huge as her heart. Despite being a spaceship, she can take on the form of a cabbit (a cat-rabbit hybrid). Ryo-Ohki's main purpose is to serve as the comedy relief alongside Mihoshi, and to look cute beside Sasami.
Mihoshi Kuramitsu - The main comedy source of comedy for the series and a Galaxy Police Officer, Mihoshi is brings nothing, but disaster to those around her. Despite her strange knack for screwing things up, she still manages to keep a cheerful attitude and sees the good in every situation. She is also very passionate and dedicated her job as a Galaxy Police officer. She's also a big kid at heart as seen when she cries while tending to a baby called Taro in one episode.
Washu Hakubi - A mad scientist and an observer of the Masaki Household. She is an immortal being and scientist that created both Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki. She can be seen tinkering with something in her lab, causing trouble for the others, or trying win Tenchi's affections. Washu is known for her infinite intelligence, mischevous streak, and her compassionate heart.
How I Found Tenchi Muyo!
I vaguely remember this series as a little girl but I didn't really have much of an attention span to watch it, but when I started watching shows like Dragonball Z, Pokemon, and Sailor Moon, I discovered anime and along with it, a renewed interest in Tenchi Muyo through Toonami. I remember coming home after school in the sixth grade and just sitting there, doing my homework while watching Sailor Moon when suddenly Tenchi Muyo came on and from the first moment I saw the first episode, I became hooked. I told my friends about it and they couldn't stop watching it. I guess you can say that Tenchi Muyo also got me into writing as well because one of my earliest fanfics was for the TM! fandom but that's another story for another time.
Review
What I love about Tenchi Muyo is the engaging storyline, the beautiful artwork, and the relatable characters that pop up. It doesn't matter whether you're a responsible soul like Sasami, a polite and caring person like Tenchi, or a feisty flirtatious space pirate Ryoko, I gaurantee that you will be laughing and crying alongside the Tenchi Muyo gang as they all deal with love, war, and a lot of mischief that goes on in Tenchi's house.
I often find myself rewatching this series over and over, not because this was part of my childhood, but because Tenchi Muyo taught me that anything is possible and nothing can break the bonds between family and friends.
