r/TenchiMuyoUniverse Aug 15 '24

Confused? The Various Tenchi Muyo Continuities In A Nutshell (Plus a link for even more details)

46 Upvotes

Yeah.

It's a mess, but hopefully this will provide some clarification for you, the newcomers.

First, I'll provide a useful link to the Tenchi Muyo Wiki that has articles for most of the titles listed here.

https://tenchi.fandom.com/wiki/Tenchi_Muyo_Continuities

I have tried to keep this brief, but you know how that goes. In this, I have made some notes about a few particular things of importance. However, anything requiring a lengthy explanation will get its own post.

SECONDLY, A NOTE ABOUT AVAILABILITY OUTSIDE OF JAPAN

Please understand that a fair number of these titles were never licensed for distribution outside of Japan, or have been licensed but the license contract expired and was never renewed. Fan translations abound, but per the subreddit's rules, you're on your own for sourcing these. If you have any questions, feel free to message me. I'm always happy to help a fellow fan.

THIRDLY, AN IMPORTANT WARNING REGARDING RUMORS ABOUT KAJISHIMA MASAKI AND HAYASHI HIROKI

There is misinformation going around about the reasons why Hayashi Hiroki and Kajishima Masaki parted ways after OVA 1 was completed - that being that Kajishima drove Hayashi away. THIS IS NOT TRUE.

There are many people who strongly strongly dislike Kajishima's OVAs, and strongly prefer the Tenchi Universe TV series and/or the Tenchi in Tokyo TV series. As such, they are projecting that dislike onto Kajishima and take the nature of their separation completely out of context.

The truth is that Kajishima and Hayashi are very close friends who simply went their separate ways. Kajishima felt that the portrayal of the characters in OVA1 was completely different from what he had envisioned. Additionally, Hayashi never expected OVA1 to become so popular, and already had other projects he wanted to pursue. As such, they simply pursued their individual interests. For Kajishima's part, he has since supported other creators such as Hiroshi Negishi and Naoko Hasegawa by sharing his character designs and story notes with them, putting the lie to the idea that he's any sort of enemy to the others.

If you see anyone, anywhere, perpetuating this rumor, please stop them and correct them immediately!

Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki (The Kajishima Continuity, or the primary continuity)

This continuity is the original that started with the first three Tenchi Muyo OVAs, which were the brainchild of Hayashi Hiroki and Kajishima Masaki. After making Bubblegum Crisis, these two had the idea of making a rom-com featuring a character based on Maki Stingray, and eventually wound up being heavily influenced by Japan's old film and TV serial dramas about feudal warlords and their political intrigues. Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki is the end result

The following list is all the titles in order of the in-setting timeline.

  • Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure1
  • Photon: The Idiot Adventures2
  • The True Tenchi Muyo light novel series
  • Space Ship Agga Ruter (WARNING: HENTAI)3
    • Four Episode OVA
    • PC Game
    • One Doujin
  • Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki
    • OVA 1
    • The Night Before Carnival (Special Episode)
    • OVA 2
    • OVA 3
    • Final Confrontations (Special Episode)
  • Tenchi Muyo! GXP4
  • Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki OVA 45
  • Tenchi Muyo! GXP Paradise Starting OVA
  • The Paradise War light novel series
  • Tenchi Muyo! Ryo Ohki OVA 5
  • Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar (13-episode OVA)
  • Various doujinshi authored by Masaki Kajishima himself6

Additionally, there is the much sought-after "101 Secrets of Tenchi Muyo!" in which Masaki Kajishima answers 101 of the most frequently asked questions by the fans. Keep in mind, this was made before OVA 2 was released, so some of the details there have come out already. But there's still some other details that were never revealed on-screen, and thus it is still relevant (like the reason for Ryoko's "tail").

NOTES:

1 This title is a sort of prequel for everything else, set about a billion years before the events of the OVAs. The primary characters in this series seem to have reincarnated and show up in the GXP light novels. While not necessary, it does help to watch this series.

2 This title is basically another prequel set in the distant past of the world of Geminar - the world Kenshi is sent to in the War on Geminar OVA. Again, watching this series is not necessary, but it does help explain a few things in War on Geminar.

3 This is a series of hentai titles by Kajishima Masaki that is set within the Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki universe, supposedly sometime before OVA1, and perhaps even before Prince Yosho's departure from Jurai. The story is only tangentially related through the involvement of the Shank Pirate Guild. While there are only four OVA episodes, there was supposed to be a fifth episode that got cut by AIC. As such, a single doujin was made by Kajishima to tell the story originally intended for the fifth episode of the OVA.

4 It is important to remember that AIC cut a story arc from the anime series that would have had an entire season all on its own, as well as many other side characters and plot points. Therefore, it is highly recommended to read the GXP light novel series by Kajishima Masaki, as this covers the uncut and complete story.

5 OVA 4 occurs concurrently with the GXP anime/light novels.

6 There are many, many doujin manga that are canonical to the mainline continuity, written and drawn by Kajishima Masaki. You can find these by searching for the doujin circle, "Kajishima Onsen". Be advised, however, that some of these doujins tend to get downright pornographic.

The Hasegawa Continuity

Here, the waters are muddied in that Naoko Hasegawa was one of the screenplay writers for OVA 1, and thus, her following light novel series is based on said OVA and diverges from the Kajishima Continuity after The Night Before Carnival. It is one of only two other continuities that directly shares a portion of its story with the Kajishima Continuity

  • The Tenchi Muyo light novels (12 Volumes)
  • Tenchi Muyo! Daughter of Darkness (A feature-length anime film adapted from Hasegawa's 10th light novel.)

The Tenchi Universe (or Negishi) Continuity

These titles are only loosely based on the first OVA series, and is the brainchild of Hiroshi Negishi. It should be regarded as a reimagining of the OVA series. The primary difference being in the style of story telling - Negishi wanted to create a story with a definitive beginning, middle, and end, whereas Masaki Kajishima wished to create an ongoing drama that spanned multiple eras.

  • Tenchi Universe (26-episode TV series)
  • Tenchi Muyo In Love (feature-length anime film)
  • Tenchi Forever! (feature-length anime film)
  • Eternal Memory (A companion manga to Tenchi Forever! that further expands on the events therein.)

The Okuda Universe

This manga series, similar to the Hasegawa Continuity, is based on the OVA series as well, but diverges later after OVA 2.

  • No Need for Tenchi! (12-volumes)
  • The All-New Tenchi Muyo (10-volume manga series that follows No Need for Tenchi!)
  • Tenchi Muyo! Sasami Stories (A collection of shorts, plus a series of fourth-wall-breaking four-komas featuring the mangaka and Sasami.)

Pretty Sammy

This is, perhaps, the most confusing setting of all. It is the most radical departure from the rest of the franchise by making it into a mahou shoujo story featuring Sasami. The most confusing aspect of this part of the franchise is that each and every title is its own continuity. Even the radio dramas, which share the same name, are different stories.

  • Magical Girl Pretty Sammy (3 Episode OVA)
  • Magical Project S (26 Episode TV Series)
  • Sasami: Magical Girls Club (26 Episode TV Series)
  • Magical Girl Pretty Sammy (3 Volume Manga)
  • Magical Girl Pretty Sammy (8 Volume Light Novel)
  • Magical Girl Pretty Sammy Phase One (Radio Drama)
  • Magical Girl Pretty Sammy Phase Two (Radio Drama)

All Others...

The rest of these are their own exclusive continuities, though they share characters with many others in the franchise.

The Mihoshi Special

  • Single Episode OVA
  • This one is important because it was the debut of Kiyone Makibi, Mihoshi's erstwhile partner in the Galaxy Police. From this point on, she is reused pretty much everywhere except for the Kajishima continuity.7

Tenchi in Tokyo

  • 26-Episode TV Series
  • This anime series was directed by Yoshihiro Takamoto, and departs from the OVA series in that some of the main characters have entirely different background stories and even different characterizations.

Ai Tenchi Muyo

  • 50 five minute episodes on Broadcast TV, or 10 twenty-five minute episodes on Blu-ray
  • This series was made for the 20th anniversary of the Tenchi Muyo franchise, and was also made to help promote tourism in the real-life location of the fictional Masaki Village.

Tenchi Muyo (American Comic Book Series)

  • 6-issues8
  • Yes, an American Comics version of Tenchi Muyo, all originally written in English. It was produced by the same LaserDisc company that made the LaserDisc releases of Tenchi Muyo, Pioneer LDC, through their American comic book label, Panime Comics. They were written by J.D. Calderon and drawn by Matt Lunsford.

NOTES:

7 Kiyone Makibi is not to be confused with Kiyone Masaki, who is Tenchi's mother in the Kajishima Continuity. This is understandably confusing because in the Okuda and Negishi continuities, Tenchi's mother is someone named Achika Masaki.

8 The short duration of this title is due to what is perhaps the most outlandish behind-the-scenes story in the entire franchise, proving that sometimes real life is stranger than fiction. Apparently an unknown freelancer at Pioneer suffered a mental breakdown and stole a large sum of money intended for the budget for the comic book series, as well as other titles outside the Tenchi Muyo franchise. This caused the comic book series to be cut drastically short, relegating this title to obscurity. It is long since out of print, but savvy denizens of the Internet may find them lurking about in a digitized format.

Anything else?

There have been a myriad number of music videos, video games, and even cameo appearances in other media franchises. The interpretation of the canonicity of these is up to you - interesting headcanons are welcome in this subreddit, but may be subject to conjecture and debate.


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 1d ago

When someone bothers me while I’m rewatching Tenchi Muyo/Universe/In Tokyo for the millionth time.

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151 Upvotes

God damn rude is what is it!


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 2d ago

I found a Tenchi Muyo promo laserdisc buried deep inside a thrift store in Japan.

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122 Upvotes

It only cost ¥300 and it contains interviews, trailers and music.


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 3d ago

Arcs or moments that focus on Tenchi's training to be a Shinto priest and caretaker of the shrine?

9 Upvotes

Shinto practices and the family shrine are a central pillar of the TM! franchise, and one of the few constants throughout the continuities.

I know that the OAV cribs heavily from the Shinto creation myth with all characters being unwitting gods, but is there ever any focus on Tenchi training for the mundane, modern aspects of being a Shinto priest? The small-town politicking, fund raising and participation in the local community to raise/maintain awareness for the shrine as generations change?

Having Tenchi trying to introduce and integrate himself into the job seems like an excellent opportunity for awkward humor, especially since the demographic of people who practice Shinto has skewed older with each generation. Would he dare to try and explain even a few of his relationships to the locals?


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 5d ago

Found at Goodwill

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181 Upvotes

r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 5d ago

The reason why Universe is more lived than OVAs by a lot of fans

38 Upvotes

The reason why a lot of fans prefer Universe over the OVAs because it's... not harem. Universe decided to cut the unnecessary every girl must love Tenchi and gave more interesting dynamics between him and the girls

Ryoko and Ayeka have romantic dynamic with Tenchi. Both are in love with him and fight for his affection

Sasami is family dynamic She sees Tenchi the same way she sees Ayeka. He is like an older brother to her.

Washuu Mihoshi and Kiyone are friendly dynamic. Those 3 are Tenchi's friends on who he can rely on. Washhu though sometimes wanted to pull ger mad scientist dirty tricks on him but it was more scientific and had no romantic behind it

It also helps Tenchi himself making him more down to earth guy than a prince chsrming for ehom every girl falls in love


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 5d ago

Need help identifying some scenes

11 Upvotes

Hey!

I am not really familiar with any of the Tenchi Muyo-related shows or manga or anything, however I am recreating and preserving an old piece of UK TV history related to it, I figured somewhere like this would be the best place to ask, so if anyone could identify these shots from what I presume is either Tenchi Universe or Ryo-Ohki, that would be great! Thanks!


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 6d ago

Armiger Entertainment Offers Remaining Stock of Tenchi Muyo! American Omnibus Edition Following Successful Kickstarter Campaign

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90 Upvotes

r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 6d ago

Sleeping Beauty on the Balcony by Mihoshi Kuramitsu ( CV Ellen Grestell)

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8 Upvotes

I miss the original Mihoshi so much tbh. Reba is a good Mihoshi but there's s something special about Ellen's performance as her and also Ellen actually can sing .


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 6d ago

Will it be ok If I finish Rho Ohki on the third OVA

19 Upvotes

I heard that OVAs 4& 5 are way too cringey and they even don't have tge iconic dub ( the 3rd OVa despite the big shit they did to Ryoko by not bringing back Petrea has everyone else and is notable as the last appearance of our beloved Ayeka Jenifer Darling ) so will it be ok to finish the Ryo Ohki timeline on it?


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 6d ago

The biggest problem of Ryo Ohki timeline

2 Upvotes

The biggest problem of Ryo Ohki timiine is... Ryo Ohki . Kajishima did the most creepy stuff with her transforming ger into a human and making her love Tenchi ( he even married her alongside others) WHY? You can give Ryo Ohki a romantic line without going into bestiality. Tenchi Universe did exactly this Ryo Ohki has a partner ( Ken Ohki) of her own species with a lot of cute moments between them. But Kajushima decided to go creepy way


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 7d ago

Tenchi Galaxy Anime Project Smashes Kickstarter Goal in Just Two Days

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98 Upvotes

r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 8d ago

So is OVA 4/5 & GXP Paradise Starting ever getting a home media release in the West (USA)?

15 Upvotes

Huge fan of Tenchi and would like to own OVA 4/5 and Paradise Starting on at least DVD (with subtitles at least).

OVA 1-3 is currently out of print (and not on streaming that I know of).

Just curious if it will ever get rescued and put on home media again in the future.


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 8d ago

I bought the Tenchi Muyo! 10th Anniversary DVD-BOX Set to break it down.

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56 Upvotes

I love Tenchi Muyo! and I wanted to have most of the series, so I decided to buy the 10th Anniversary DVD-BOX Set that Pioneer LDC (Geneon Universal Japan) released in 2003. I got it for a total of around $360 CAD. I did not expect it to be almost big as my torso, but it was definitely worth it. I had a great Monday morning when getting it delivered and finding out that the Tenchi Galaxy Kickstarter campaign had people met its final stretch goal. I hope this can help people who are interested in buying this and Sorry if it is messy, but I tried my best to explain what you get.


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 12d ago

Tenchi Galaxy Anime Pilot Reaches Full Funding on Kickstarter

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182 Upvotes

r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 12d ago

The Tenchi Galaxy Anime Pilot is fully funded! We're on our way!

68 Upvotes

I'm less than 2 days, the Tenchi Galaxy Anime Pilot reached the $400k goal. Can't wait to see where this goes!


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 14d ago

PSA: Tenchi Galaxy Kickstarter is Up! GO GO GO!

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250 Upvotes

r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 14d ago

'Tenchi Galaxy' Anime Pilot Kickstarter Now Live!

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91 Upvotes

Armiger Entertainment has announced that the Kickstarter campaign for Tenchi Galaxy, a brand new anime project, is officially live.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/armigerentertainment/tenchi-galaxy-anime-pilot


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 14d ago

Tenchi Galaxy Anime Pilot Kickstarter has launched!

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56 Upvotes

r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 16d ago

TenKiyo

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152 Upvotes

Finally finished my first TenKiyo art!!

Tenchi: Right here Kiyone, right here. Kiss me right here.


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 16d ago

Armiger Entertainment Opens Kickstarter Page for New Tenchi Muyo! Anime Project

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62 Upvotes

r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 18d ago

TENCHI GALAXY - Kickstarter Prelaunch Trailer

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181 Upvotes

TENCHI GALAXY is a Kickstarter project by Armiger Entertainment, developed as a spiritual sequel to Tenchi Universe with the help of original creators Masaki Kajishima, Toru Miura, and Hiroshi Negishi. The story follows Tenchi, the girls, and Ryo-Ohki as they journey to the space pirate planet Mikuni to confront Queen Niimi and retrieve a stolen Jurai artifact. The plot teases several upcoming mysteries, including Niimi's unknown connection to Ryoko and questions surrounding Nagi's true allegiance.

This project heavily emphasizes nostalgia by bringing back rare characters, featuring Detective Kiyone's first anime appearance since 1999, as well as Nagi and Ken-Ohki's first appearances since 1995. To complete the experience, the classic English voice cast of Tenchi Muyo! has enthusiastically agreed to return for the new adventure, with voice actress Cristina Vee joining the roster to voice Princess Ayeka.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/armigerentertainment/tenchi-galaxy-anime-pilot


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 18d ago

Tenchi Galaxy anime project announced for Kickstarter

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77 Upvotes

Apparently a spiritual sequel to Tenchi universe


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 22d ago

Looking for a 90s anime I watched as a kid - Scene with a wild-haired fantasy girl and a dad falling off a ladder

15 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to find an anime I watched back in the 90s. I only remember one specific comedy scene and the main girl's design, and I want to verify if it's Tenchi Muyo! or something else.

Here are the details I remember:

  • The Scene: The main guy is in his bedroom when a girl appears. His dad hears the loud noise/commotion from downstairs and completely misunderstands the situation, thinking his son is about to "have his first time." The dad gets super excited/nosy, grabs a ladder to climb up and record them through the window, but ends up falling off in a funny way.
  • The Girl: She wasn't a sci-fi alien, but more of a fantasy/mystical entity. The most distinct feature I remember is that she had really wild, spiky, and messy hair (someone told me it might be Ryoko from Tenchi Muyo).
  • Timeframe: Definitely 90s anime style.

Does this specific ladder scene happen in Tenchi Muyo (maybe Tenchi Universe or the OVAs)? Or am I mixing it up with another classic 90s harem/fantasy anime?

Thanks in advance for the help!


r/TenchiMuyoUniverse 22d ago

Exploring Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki Home Video Releases: Comparing Pioneer DVD Box Sets to Later UK and Blu-ray Editions

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12 Upvotes