For those of you whom may not have known, Tenchi Muyo Ryo Ohki is actually the third
installment of the Tenchi Muyo series. Following right on the heels of Tenchi Muyo, Tenchi Muyo GXP is a side story that intertwines with the original. As the events in GXP come to a close we see can see how they intertwine roughly at the beginning of the Ryo Ohki series. A romantic comedy at heart, our main character Tenchi is bombarded with life changing event one after another. Lovely ladies from outer space invade Tenchi’s quiet life revealing truths about Tenchi’s family he never knew about. Fans of the Tenchi series will easily get back into stride with this story arc that answers some questions there were never properly addressed in the original. Tenchi finds out he has a long lost sister whom also informs him of his arranged marriage. Needless to say, the ladies living with and vying for his heart are none too pleased.
It is always a pleasure to watch the beautiful art direction of the Tenchi series. Dotted with trees, temples, and lakes, the Japanese countryside conveys a sense of calm serenity; a serenity that is constantly shattered with the antics of the space travelling compatriots living with Tenchi. One can not speak of the quality of the animation without mentioning the fashions and styles of portrayed on each character. There is a perfect blend of both traditional and futuristic clothing accent each and individualize the large cast. I can’t help but wonder where they draw the inspiration for their designs.
While I enjoyed the new series fully, small things stuck out like a sore thumb. Some of the voice actors from the previous installments are no longer lending their voices for whatever reason. Familiar characters now speaking in a different tone and frequency come off as awkward and misplaced among the veteran cast. The over all impression conveyed to me during the Ryo Ohki mini series is that of a rushed nature. Six episodes outline the plot in an even a understandable pace with two final episodes encompassing a hard to follow conclusion. This conclusion should have taken at least six episodes alone to doll out the mass of information thrust upon the viewer. I had to brows through the chapter select menu option because I though I had somehow skipped an episode. Sadly, I had not.
Tenchi Muyo Ryo Ohki is a must have for fans of the series. It is not however a good introduction to newcomers. While the ending was rough enough that I had to watch the whole series a second time to fully understand what had passed, I can not wait for more Tenchi. I can only hope more will come as there are still many questions that are not answered, but such is the fat of Anime.
Special thanks to Funimation for supplying this review material.
-Nate Biller
Animation:A
Story:B
Soundtrack:B
Ending:B
Overall Score: B
Score Rating Suggestions:
A- A must have. Well worth the price of admission
B- Good. Worth owning if you can get it relatively inexpensive. Netflix this for sure.
C- Meh. Watch it if it’s free and you have NOTHING better to do
D- Trash. Not even worth having on as background noise.
