Like the title says if you had total control who would you make Tenchi choose. This is for all those who could not sort through my previous post. As stated before most fans are against a harem ending as they feel that it is nothing but a cheap cop out and feel cheated out of a final definite ending. According to the polls those that want Tenchi to choose a girl rather than a harem ending numbers fluctuate between 70-80%, showing that most fans are against a harem ending. The vast majority of fans say that they want to see Tenchi choose a girl, with an overwhelmingly most of them saying Ryoko. The polls show that overwhelmingly vast majority say that they want him to choose Ryoko with internet poll percentages ranging between 60-85%. The vast majority of fans want him to choose Ryoko and Ryoko alone as his wife, as they see more development and a deeper bond between him and Ryoko than with the other girls, and say that she loves him the most because of her reasons for loving him when compared to the other girls. Most fans in their responses in internet forums said the reasons for all the girls loving him and their was a general consensus between their statements.
For Aeka: Because he is descended from royal Jurai lineage and is Yosho’s grandson, making him more or less a Yosho replacement.
For Sasami: More like a childhood crush than actual love.
For Washu: First interest was becuase he could produce the lighthawk wings
For Mihoshi: Because he caught her by accident when she was falling out of her ship.
But for Ryoko it is much more deeper than that her love for him is not shallow but from a genuine reason she watched over him for years as he grew up getting to actually know him. She looked over him in the good times and in the bad, both when he was happy and when he was sad. She would give up her life for him and has offered to do that before and has quite literally risked her life to protect him and he has done the same for her at least twice without hesitation. The fans see that in the most critical moments in the OVA it is always about the two of them, when things are their most dangerous it is always the two of them that are at risk either one or the other and they always come to each others rescue and share a significant moment together that shows a deeper bond between them. This is why more fans want to see more development between these two specifically, ultimately leading to him choosing her.
Internet polls and most forums show that most fans don’t want a harem ending but that they want him to man up and choose, showing further character development on his part and they want him to choose the one who he has the deepest bond with and who loves him the most Ryoko. Most fans feel that a harem ending is just a cheap cop out to prevent him from choosing one of the girls and as a way for the creators and writers to avoid offending the fans but most fans find it even more insulting than if their favourite wasn’t chosen, because it is what they have been waiting on for so long a definite, singular decision as to which girl did he would choose, not a broad cheap cop out statement that he chose all of them. That is the biggest insult to fans that have been waiting to find out which one for so long, and shows that he hasn’t grown at all as a character if he couldn’t choose. It would show the most character growth and development if he finally decided and choose one of them. That he can make clear choices now and is no longer indecisive, and finally put to rest the question after all the fighting and arguing and trying to get his attention which one finally won. Otherwise it was all for nothing. There are harem animes where the guy chooses one girl at the end so the notion that he can’t choose is just ridiculous. If he chooses all of them then the whole thing would be pointless. There would be no point to all the arguing and fighting over Tenchi’s affections if in the end he just marries all of them. It makes it all pointless, if there is no definite winner. No Tenchi has to man up and make a decision and actually choose. Most fans say that they should have him reflect on who loves him the most and for the genuine reasons. Some fans make the arguement that if he chooses it would break up the family which isn’t true. Tenchi Universe shows that this isn’t true where in the end he chose Ryoko and the family unit still is together. It even showed character growth where Aeka accepted that Ryoko truly loved Tenchi and that he loved her back and all the other girls accepted that he loved Ryoko and still remained together as a family. It was one of the most beautiful endings to the series and will certainly be a lot more beautiful than a cop out harem ending. This could work in the OVA where he chooses to be intimate with Ryoko and the others no longer look at him or live with him not as a love interest but as a family member, which most are anyway. That is not to say that there still would not be fights along the way with them still fighting over Tenchi, but some suggest that halfway through the OVA he finally chooses say Ryoko and the other half shows the progression and the growth of the rest of them coming to accept his decision and still live with him not as potential love interests but as family members. Because honestly the only one of them that truly could not live without him as a love interest is Ryoko.
This is not just my idea here but one that I also agree with and I’m going to expound on. It is to remove Zero from Ryoko but do it in a way that ties into the story and allows Ryoko to still express her emotions whenever she wants. The idea of a robot assimilating with Ryoko never quite sat well with me, honestly it didn’t seem necessary as in previous episodes especially episode 10 it showed that Ryoko was starting to be able to express her true feelings on her own. The addition of Zero is like it is forced to express her true feelings. So it is almost as if it is no longer the true Ryoko, so it is not natural character development that she has learnt to express her feelings it is being forced. Before the assimilation it was like when you see her crying for Tenchi it was like oh she is learning to show her true emotions she is progressing as a character, but after it is like is she showing these emotions and acting like this because of development of her character and she has learnt to do this on her own or is it because of Zero. The thought that she is like this only because of Zero and not because she has become like this on her own is what bothers me and other fans it is like everytime you see her it is like is she like this because of Zero is she doing this because of Zero the thought of her being forced to be like this because of assimilation that affects her emotions instead of her being like this on her own is what gets to me. Whereas in other series like say Universe we know that she is like that because of her own growth that she becomes who she is at the end because of her own character development, that that is really how she is and has changed this much on her own and not because of some added factor or assimilation so you get to see the real Ryoko which is what I meant when I said that in the OVA it is like it is no longer the true Ryoko, but just her being forced to be like that and not really on her own.
A solution to this and also an excellent plotline that would tie in to what other fans have said about her getting together with Tenchi halfway through the OVA would be to have through the OVA you see that she is growing as a character becoming kinder and expressing her emotions and getting closer to Tenchi, but there is a problem because she assimilated with Zero, Zero is now getting jealous that she is getting close to Tenchi, and feels that it is because of her that she is getting so close and wants to escape Ryoko but not before fully extracting Ryoko’s life energy and become the only Ryoko and have Tenchi to herself. Washu realizes this when Ryoko begins to get weaker, and after analysis realizes that the only way is to remove Zero in order to save Ryoko’s life. She either uses her goddess powers or some scientific method to remove Zero from Ryoko, but she has already absorbed half of her life energy and assumed once again her form as Zero Ryoko. Since she looks exactly like Ryoko no one can tell them apart no even Washu.
A battle between her and the real Ryoko ensues with no one being able to tell them apart and are so unable to help. This is where that supposed psychic link that Tenchi has with Ryoko that was shown in episode 11 which could signify a deeper bond comes into play. At a point during the battle when the others want to help but can’t tell them apart Tenchi steps in with his sword but with eyes closed. Through his psychic with Ryoko he is able to tell them apart and attacks one of them revealing it to be Zero Ryoko. Because of his attack she reverts to her robotic form. Giving Ryoko enough time to attack Zero Ryoko destroying her. But Ryoko collapses from lack of energy. They take her back to Washu’s lab where upon analysis Washu determines that all traces of Zero have been completely removed from Ryoko and that her life energy will replenish with some rest, but she is not sure about her emotions as she may just go back to how she was before the assimilation. Washu says that they should leave her and let her rest but Tenchi asks if he can stay and watch over and take care of her. Washu agrees and she and the rest leave them alone. While she rests Tenchi began to think back on how she was from the start of this OVA of how she had become and starts to wonder about his psychic link to her and his bond with her. He starts to wonder if she will still be the same but then thinks as long as she is alive that is all that matters. She awakens and they exchange a few words, he says that Washu says that she will be alright but, and she stops him mid sentence and says she heard all that she said and tells him not to worry, because she will still be the same, because she has learnt to express her emotions on her own through all this and doesn’t need Zero anymore to do that. She then asks how he knew that she was the real one and he states that he can always tell who is my Ryoko, they hold hands it becomes a very romantic moment and goes to end credits. After this it progressively leads to where he realizes his true feelings towards her then halfway through the OVA he chooses her, by this time the others see that he truly loves her and she truly loves him and have come to accept it and the rest of the OVA is spent showing them coming to accept it and deciding to live with him as family members while Washu investigates and explains the psychic link between the two of them. I wouldn’t mind one bit if the creators and writers used exactly this or something like this for the fourth OVA in fact they should. I wouldn’t ask for one bit of credit I would just want to see it help make a good OVA and that would be enough for me.
I have heard from some of you on this forum who helped to both gather the data and give your thoughts, but now I want to hear from the rest of you on this forum. After reading this if you had control what would you make Tenchi decide a cheap, generic indecisive harem ending or would you make what happened in Tenchi Universe happen where he chooses one (cough cough Ryoko cough) and live with the rest of them as family members.
