Shin Tenchi Muyou!

Title:Shin Tenchi Muyou!
New Tenchi Muyo
Tenchi in Tokyo
新・天地無用!
Overall:Watch
Keywords: , , , , , , , , , ,
Notables: AMANO Yuri
ORIKASA Ai
R1 License - FUNimation
YOKOYAMA Chisa
Tenchi and gang are back AGAIN. This time Tenchi decides to leave the dojo for Tokyo and to train with his grandfather to be a shinto priest (??). He goes to a new school, gets involved with a mysterious girl named Sakuya, and a mysterious foe emerges wanting to break up the Tenchi family...
[26 TV episodes.]
[edit] The ↗Tenchi Muyou! franchise (original and still ongoing):

"↗Kajishima original canon" stories: Note: The GXP anime series is trumped by the novels from series creator KAJISHIMA Masaki. The canon GXP novels confirm that "Dual!" is set billions of years ago and why some of the characters are reincarnated in OVA 5. The "Paradise Wars" novels are included in the canon, which are also referenced in Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki OVA 5.

"↗Hasegawa canon" stories: Note: The full Hasegawa spinoff continuity is captured in novel form.

"↗Negishi canon" stories: Non-canon Tenchi remake: Magical Girl Pretty Sammy (spin-off): Sasami (spin-off): Ai Tenchi Muyo (spin-off):
OverallArtAnimationCharacter Design MusicSeries StoryEpisode StoryReviewer
Watch 7 6 6 6 5 6 Ggultra2764 [series:37#1552]
I guess I can see now why Tenchi in Tokyo is considered one of the weakest titles in the Tenchi franchise. Many of the girls get significantly altered personalities to the point where they are obnoxious and can be quite unlikeable compared to their earlier alterations from Tenchi Universe. While Ryoko is still herself, can't really say the same for the other girls as Sasami behaves like a spoiled brat at points, Kiyone is quite selfish in her obsession with getting GP promotions and Ayeka never considers Tenchi's feelings at many points compared to earlier takes on her character.

Adding more fun to the mess is the new villain on the block in the form of Yugi. Her character is rather shallow and lacking much in the way of personality compared to many earlier foes that Tenchi and the girls faced and the show's attempts to have you sympathize with her character in later episodes are laughable as the lack of proper foreshadowing in earlier episodes prevents one from wanting to care for her. It also doesn't help that she contributes to many of Tenchi in Tokyo's earlier episodes being a "monster of the day" plot setup when she tries having random spirits try to either being Sakuya and Tenchi together or sabotage the efforts of the alien girls of meeting with Tenchi.

As for Sakuya, my thoughts on her are a bit mixed. On the one hand, having her be added to the cast had its potential as it would allow for a normal Earth girl to be among Tenchi's growing harem and serve as a fun foil to the alien girls at the Masaki household, which the show has its moments in depicting with Ryoko and Ayeka's bickering leading the girl to get into their cross hairs at points. Heck, even Ryoko's date with Tenchi in a later episode has an interesting development with Sakuya it contributes. On the other hand, her personality is quite shallow as she immediately gets attached to Tenchi for no particular reason and her later relationship developments with Tenchi aren't too convincing for me due to her character's limited depth.

Visually, it is quite noticeable that Tenchi in Tokyo is employing a different animation style in character designs compared to earlier titles in the Tenchi franchise. It felt like the series was made on a limited budget as details with characters and scenery looked to be on the simple side, there are occasional instances of details on visuals getting choppy and animation shortcuts are much more noticeable here compared to even Tenchi Universe. The music consisted of a mix of light traditional music pieces and upbeat tracks used in the show's serious and light-hearted moments, which were also quite different compared to earlier Tenchi titles. The tracks do their part at enhancing different scenes within the series, but were mostly forgettable for me.

Overall, this is easily one of the weakest offerings from the Tenchi franchise I've seen thus far, alongside the Daughter of Darkness movie. While having its moments with Ryoko and its humor, the heavy alterations to the personalities of the girls, the shallow new characters and "monster of the day" plot setups for many earlier episodes really put a dent in the quality of the series. With this being another alternate continuity to the Tenchi franchise, you could skip it and not have to worry about missing out on much doing so compared to Tenchi Universe.

Last updated Friday, March 15 2013. Created Friday, March 15 2013.
Avoid 1 1 4 0 4 4 KBanger1 [series:37#1694]
Out of all the Tenchi series, this branch of Tenchi Muyo should have been cut off and burned to ashes. By far, the worst series ever put together. I for one am highly disappointed for viewing it and worst...buying the entire series. When the anime series switched off of the original story (Tenchi Universe and Tenchi in Tokyo,) storywise it went downhill.
Comparing this to Tenchi Universe, the story altogther was too outrageous to the point of ridiculous. Most of the main characters were just over the top and didn't suit well for the original OVA. Each episode was silly and stupid except going into the final few episodes. The tone changed dramatically and all of a sudden took a serious note. To me, I find that highly inconsistent with the entire Tenchi Muyo universe. If the characters were a little more serious and the story didn't have all those wasted episodes, this could have been a great series. Unfortunately, leave it to someone to screw up and in the end you get this series. Being a TM fan, I bought this series cause I love the universe. I can't believe I wasted over $250 for the entire series. If I knew how bad it was back then, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. Avoid this series at all costs, unless of course you can find someone whose dumb enough to buy it...like myself. I want a refund.

Last updated Saturday, December 03 2005. Created Saturday, December 03 2005.
Avoid 5 5 5 5 5 Kendo [series:37#697]
The main thing I remember about this series is it was mediocre. Nothing really popped, unless you count unattractive character designs and lack of depth.
The main thing that bugged me while watching it was that it wasn't funny. I laughed maybe five times during the series and three of those were startled chuckles of disbelief. I liked that they were trying to give more emotion to a normally wacky series, but they failed. Ryoko and Tenchi's date was great, but Tenchi spent the before and after acting like a jerk. Except for a few brief scenes, you have to wonder why all these girls were in love with him.
Sakuya was pushy and annoying, kind of like an insane deriative of all the Tenchi girls mashed into one, with a splash of Shampoo, Akane, Kodachi, and Ukyo from Ranma 1/2. Washu was made to be an incompetent idiot, Sasami was still cute, but she really didn't do anything... Mihoshi was shudder-inducing and Kiyone wasn't much better. Ayeka was a lot scarier and louder than ever before... and Ryoko just seemed off. Her whole foray back into piratehood with a guy she had just met didn't seem a Ryoko thing to do, even though Tenchi had broken her heart. The villians were uninspired, and as someone already mentioned, it plays like a bad fanfic.
Overall, I'd say avoid unless you have time to burn watching it on TV. It's not worth paying for.

Last updated Friday, January 09 2004. Created Friday, January 09 2004.
Watch dhrachth [series:37#962]
Almost a completely different series than the other Tenchi episodes. It looks different, it's written different, and it's just not as fun.
I didn't hate it, but after the first few episodes I kind of lost interest.

Last updated Thursday, September 11 2003. Created Thursday, September 11 2003.
Rent 7 6 7 6 5 5 AstroNerdBoy [series:37#436]
It is not as bad as I feared, especially based on all the reviews before mine. Just consider this the Tenchi gang (including GXP Officer Kiyone) in another universe. However, it is the WORST of the Tenchi spinoffs and sequels.

There were some good points like Episode 10, "Ryoko's Big Date". This is where Ryoko and Tenchi go out on a date. I want to see this in the OAV series. In some ways, it was nice to see Tenchi with a seemingly normal girl, Sakuya. The end song is good if you like bluegrass music. Hmmm, what else? At times there are moments of good humor and you can never go wrong with Ryoko.

There's a lot of bad though. First there's the villian Yugi. I got so sick of her 1-dimentional character and that annoying, evil, child laugh. By the time they get around to try to give her depth, it is to late! We're sick of her. It is to late to understand her. Yugi should have been developed from the begining rather than the way the writers went.

Secondly, the normal Tenchi cast are mostly ultra selfish jerks. Only Ryoko came out with any respectablility. I don't say that because I'm a Ryoko fan, but because it is the truth. As things happen to the Misaki household like attacks and other strange things, the girls forget about all that in moments when it comes to worrying if Tenchi is with Sakuya. UGH! It is only when the series is almost over that Ayeka goes, "Whoa! Something isn't right here." Bah! They should have worked on this early on rather than waiting until the end.

Then there's the romance between Tenchi and Sakuya. She comes on strong and doesn't take no for an answer. That's fine. She's cute. That helps. Yet I never believed for an instant that Tenchi and she would be together at the end. For that matter, I never really believed the feelings between them were real until the very end of the series. Had the writers bothered to work any of the above items, this would have been a good one.

Bottom line: All of this being said, I did get enjoyment out of the series and don't regret having rented the series. Tenchi fans should note that this should be viewed as an alternate universe for the Tenchi gang.

Last updated Saturday, May 01 2004. Created Friday, May 30 2003.
Watch 7 7 7 5 6 7 Sesen Kelader [series:37#471]
Like The previous series, it's still full of stupid jokes and plots. However, the ending is pretty thoughtful. It brings out the idea of social outcast and the desire to be friends with others. It has the question of telling whether it's right to exclude someone because she is different from normal people.

Last updated Saturday, January 04 2003. Created Saturday, January 04 2003.
Avoid 5 5 5 5 5 5 Blackdragon15 [series:37#345]
Of all the Tenchi sagas, I hate this one the most. The plots are boring and sets me off to sleep. Sakuya, Tenchi's girlfirend is whiny and annoying. So are the rest of crazy woman that follows Tenchi everywhere. Ryoko is the only female that will surive above the rest! I like Ryo-oh-ki as a kick-ass ship, not some sissy like mecha pink bunny. I ahte the villians they are un- original...over-rall this saga sucks.

Last updated Wednesday, July 10 2002. Created Wednesday, July 10 2002.
Watch 6 5 7 5 5 5 Cenit [series:37#45]
Somebody once said that second parts (or thirds or whatever) are always bad. Maybe its a little to hard to judege all seconds like that, but most of the times it is true. Tenchi in Tokyo id good, no one can deny that, but it isn't such as thrilling as the good old first part. I'll admitt that Sakuya is a great character, it won my heart, even above Ayeka. Ryo-ohky transformation in the big kinda pink rabbit or whatever it is for Sasami to pilot is in one word: pathetic, since when it can do that?
So, the good points are Sakuya and that Tenchi finally gets a life away from those crazy women, but the rest is just boring.

Last updated Thursday, May 30 2002. Created Thursday, May 30 2002.
Avoid 0 0 0 8 0 0 Red XIV [series:37#309]
Are you sure I can't give assign negative numbers here? And the "Avoid" rating is too lenient. Try "Avoid Like the Plague".

Okay, maybe Shin Tenchi Muyo isn't that bad, but it's close. I wouldn't recommend this series for anything other than locking your worst enemy in a satellite and forcing him to watch, ala MST2K. I'm half-convinced that this started out as a (bad) fanfiction written by the son or daughter of some AIC executive, who then forced his staff to make it into a TV series. Perhaps someone who hasn't already seen either Tenchi Muyo or Tenchi Universe would be more forgiving, but only because they'd be unaware that most of the characters are a pale mockery of the characters by the same name in those other series. Whether it's Tenchi Muyo or Tenchi Universe that you prefer, do not be fooled. These characters may have the same names and voice actors as the ones you know and love, but they're not the Tenchi, Ryoko, Ayeka, Sasami, Mihoshi, Washu, Kiyone, and Katsuhito that you know. Whatever it was you liked about those characters, you probably won't find more than the vaguest hint of it in Shin Tenchi's caricatures of them. Fans of Washu and/or Mihoshi are doubly warned; while nobody comes out very well in this series, these two fare by far the worst, with Mihoshi being reduced from merely ditzy to downright braindead, and Washu's status dropping from "greatest scientific genius in the universe" to "most incompetent mad scientist in the universe".

And if you're hoping for the new characters to save this mess of a series, don't get your hopes up. The only one that's even vaguely interesting is the villain, Yugi, a pre-adolescent mutant girl with a vendetta against Jurai. She's got potential, but it's never really utilized; just watch Tenchi Muyo! Manatsu no Eve instead, to see a villain who's very similar in concept but is handled much more effectively. Anyway, Yugi's henchmen, Hotsuma, Tsugaru, and somebody else whose name wasn't worth remembering, are all quite forgettable, and Tenchi's new love interest Sakuya is equally one-dimensional.

In short, I suggest simply watching Tenchi Muyo or Tenchi Universe again, or if you've never seen them, watch them and not Shin Tenchi. There are moments when some of the greatness of the earlier series seems to shine through, but they're too few and far between to save the series.

Last updated Sunday, April 03 2005. Created Friday, May 17 2002.

Watch 8 8 6 7 6 Courtney [series:37#80]
The TENCHI universe of existence has always been a bit fickle when it comes to continuity between its installments but Ive yet to see one take as much liberties as TENCHI IN TOKYO, a move, while not entirely bad, ruffled a few of my feathers in ways I didnt like.
My biggest grip were some of the bigger parts of the series, namely the history of the characters and the sinister plot against them. All of Tenchis usual houseguests were reduced to the basest forms of their character designs, stripping away most of the depth and individuality we grew to like about them. The only good to come of this was Tenchi actually got a little of the spotlight in his own series for once, though this doesnt excuse it at all. The crappy explanation for how all the characters came together and the reduction of the immense Jurai power into shards of crystal should get someone horsewhipped! I also cant say that the main villains plots were in anyway impressive since her only motivation seems to be just messing up Tenchis life with some mind games. Yup, there is a whole lot to be angry about.
Still, I kept watching for a reason I wasnt really expecting from a TENCHI seriesTenchi. I was thrilled to finally seeing him get a life away from the crazy women who invade it. And, I know this will only bring me grief from hardcore otaku, but I liked Sakuya and thought she made a much better potential mate for Tenchi than the rest of the female cast. A lot more grounded and less likely to inadvertently hurt Tenchi with her affection, Sakuya cared for Tenchi in a rather touching and sincere way. Sakuya was the best thin to happen in this ho-hum series and she will get my vote for Tenchis main squeeze before Ryoko or Ayeka.
If youre looking for a TENCHI series that is, for once, about Tenchi, check out TENCHI IN TOKYO otherwise youll only be angered and offended by most of the series.

Last updated Tuesday, October 16 2001. Created Tuesday, October 16 2001.
Watch 3 3 5 8 6 3 X [series:37#157]
The first noticible thing in this series is how horrible the art is. It is just disgusting, nowhere near as par as the other Tenchi counterparts. Another bother with the show is the Sailor Moon-esque style of overexaggeration. Of course there have been exaggerations in Tenchi, but this style of overexageration just doen't suit Tenchi shows. It makes it painstakingly annoying at most times.
The characters' personalities have been over-exaggerated and Ryoko just seems to have calmed down more. The main enemy's plot of breaking up the Tenchi family was a great idea, but expanding it into a series did it no justice. It had some episodes that at no point had nothing to make the series more dynamic. As if the writers just decided to add something at the last minute.
Also, there can be some confusion with the storyline, whether it is derived from the OAV or 1st TV series. It doesn't start with Tenchi meeting the girls, but starts in the middle. So as to end confusion, this is a WHOLE NEW STORYLINE. Because of so there have been some big changes and the Tenchi-ken (sword) is no longer ther as well as Jurian blood in Tenchi (i remember no mention of him having any).
The only good things about this series is the wonderfully added new character Sakuya (who plays a very, very vital role other than Tenchi's new sweetie), the infamous Ryoko and Tenchi date (Finally!!!) and the episode after that (where ther can be some sympathy for Sakuya). Other than that it varies. It can be worth watching, but it depends on how some people can tolerate the changes and some of the bad episodes.

Last updated Wednesday, March 21 2001. Created Wednesday, March 21 2001.
Watch 4 4 5 4 3 2 Lickylick [series:37#133]
What the hell is with this series. Sense when does Ryo-Ohki change into a giant pink rabbit mecha? Since when is the character with the best morals Ryoko? And what is with this stupid rip-off of the sword Tenchi that is formed from his mother's necklace?
The animation and art for this series are appalling to me, a big fan of Tenchi Muyo. Unlike Tenchi Universe, this in no way resembles Tenchi Muyo art-wise.
The story-line makes it seem like it was made for an eight year old with no imagination. Though the watered down show, no nudity and little swearing or violence, seems to be aimed that direction.
The few good points, very few. Ryoko (my favorite character in this series) is the most moral of the characters, in my opinion. Sure she robs and commits other crimes, but she is the only character who puts faith in Tenchi and trusts him fully (after their date, BEST EPISODE, A MUST-SEE). Even Tenchi seems bad by pretty much cheating on Ryoko and trashing her feelings and trust as she sees Tenchi and Sakuya kissing.
All the other characters are just empty shells. Name the main characteristic trait of the character from any earlier Tenchi series and that character is now only that characteristic. Ayeka seems to have no actual love or kindness and is completely in arrogany princess mode. Kiyone is now entirely career driven while Mihoshi is even more of a klutz.
All in all, watch this for the good points, an episode or two, na no da.

Last updated Saturday, February 10 2001. Created Saturday, February 10 2001.
Avoid 5 5 2 7 2 Midnighter [series:37#94]
This is a huge disappointment for any Tenchi fan. The new character designs are horrid, the "story" abismal, and the villians are just unspeakably lame. The only redeeming feature of this series is a few emotional scenes between Tenchi and his mystery girl and a great episode where Tenchi and Ryoko finally go on a real date.
I really disliked the character redesigns, as they lacked the detail of the origionals and they were just too damn brightly colored. I didn't like the weird look of the noses.
Also, has anyone else noticed the product placement? Apparently I can't even enjoy anime without seeing Nike anymore. It's sad, really.
The over-riding story is weak to begin with, and would be hard pressed to support 2 or 3 episodes, much less an entire 26. Because of this, most of the episodes are filler, with episodic self-contained stories and gimmicks. They all invariably have a scene of the villianess laughing maniacally tacked on the end as an afterthought to remind the audience of her continued existance.
There is some genuine emotion, with the Tenchi family drifting apart, and we the audience helpless to stop it. Ryoko's date with Tenchi is an emotional payoff that leaves us wanting oh-so-much more. Yet, on the whole, the series is cold and rather mean.
Tenchi is now a complete jerk rather than just frustrated. The way he treats the other characters is disgusting, bordering on misogynism, and all of the other characters are mere shadows of what they once were. There is no character development in this series, just gimmicks.
Overall, Tenchi in Tokyo is a waste of time. Tenchi is a dick, RyoOhKi turns into a mecha(!) now, and the episodes are episodic and infantile. "Ryoko's Big Date" is a must see, but the rest of the series is an avoid.
Updated 12-8-01

Last updated Wednesday, July 03 2002. Created Friday, November 17 2000.
Watch 7 6 6 5 CatWoman [series:37#65]
This one was O.K., but not as good as all the others. This one seemed to show the characters at there worst. Tenchi and Ryoko are quit unfaithful to eachother 8-P. I did like the Mech Bunny though. This is one of the cleanist Tenchis and it is safe to watch with kids (as far as I can remember!). It is not one that I would go out of my way to watch but if you happen to stumble upon it...enjoy!

Last updated Thursday, July 27 2000. Created Thursday, July 27 2000.
Rent 7 5 8 8 6 The Coyote [series:37#64]
Wow Those guys ahead of me really hated this one. Sorry guys I have to disagree this one is worth seeing. Granted it is NOT on par with the rest of the tenchi Myuo's but it is funny and enjoyable (you just can't take it to seriously) The only problems I really had with this were the Mech Bunny That Ryo-ohki turns into and The way they seemed to tell you how everyone came together The Crystal Sword was a pretty lame version of Sword Tenchi. And the Lesser status that Tench and yosho have in the juri bloodline. Ok so there's alot to be desired of this series but it is worth seeing just remember that it's just a T.V. show. I guess that the main thing for me is that this is a very clean series (no nudity that I can remember) so I liked it better than the Tenchi OAV's

Last updated Saturday, July 22 2000. Created Saturday, July 22 2000.
Avoid Jenn-chan [series:37#31]
This is the worst chapter of the Tenchi sagaby far. Everything about it just blows...the artwork, animation, story, characters..it just sucked. Since when does Ryo-ohki turn into a big pink mech for Sasami to pilot? Everyone's personality is magnifited 10 fold, and Ayeka and Ryoko's rivalry is kicked up to the max. Ridiculous slapstick comedy with no real purpose on the rest of the saga. Skip it.

Last updated Tuesday, April 25 2000. Created Tuesday, April 25 2000.

Other Sites
NameURL
IMDB http://us.imdb.com/Title?%22Shin+Tenchi+muy%F4%22+(1998)
Tenchi Muyo! Another Universe http://tigercow.fateback.com/index.html
An EXCELLENT fansite for all things Tenchi. Tons of information, images, and more.
Tenchi Muyo! FAQ http://www.astronerdboy.com/tenchi/

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