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- July 28, 2015 at 3:09 AM
- in reply to: A New Continuity
It’s all good. gendo1 The key consistent negative point I have found when reviewing the OVA episode by episode (save, you know the lack of consent by Tenchi or the incest) is really keeping a consistent tone and balancing everything. The first episode to show that was Episode 6, flip flopping between Ayeka and Ryoko fighting to Mihoshi and Washu. The scenes could have been fine if they were placed, say, before and after the Tsunami scenes, but showing a second of an intense fight and then cutting to comic relief is a smidge off-putting. However, it is more forgivable given the task of introducing Washu. What’s less forgiving is the shifts between the Taro subplot and Washu’s backstory in Episode Eight. You tease a tragic backstory…and then the baby poops on you. Either commit to being a humorous episode or balance out the seriousness so you can take the proper time as a viewer to appreciate the situation. It doesn’t help that a lot of Tenchi’s emotional subplots are relegated to single episodes, save certain things like Ayeka’s depression from Episodes Two to Three or Sasami’s mood swings from Episodes Seven to Nine.
That kind of planning and focus would benefit Tenchi greatly. Since it seems to have resonated a bit, look at this past batch of episodes of Steven Universe. The first episode three an emotional wrench in the main characters dynamics and it took four episodes to get everyone on enough speaking terms to work out the betrayal of trust. Each episode dealt with both how Steven was coping and how each of the girls coped.
Now imagine they took that kind of time in Universe for when Ryoko screwed everybody over and they starved. The potential for emotional growth was there and it would have added to the growth she underwent in “No Need for Ryoko.” Im not saying she needed to have moped or be sad in every episode prior to that point, but that had the potential to have been the turning point to her character earlier on.
A new show, in my perfect world, would jump on the imperfections and flaws of the characters and use that to allow them to mature and grow thanks to the situations the gang finds themselves in.
- July 27, 2015 at 8:41 PM
- in reply to: The Evil Dead Lives
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_Dead:_The_Musical It’s beautiful with such classic songs as “What the Fuck Was That” “Do the Necrononicon” “All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons” and the aptly named “Groovy.”
- July 27, 2015 at 6:45 PM
- in reply to: A New Continuity
While I am all for adapting the manga, it really doesn’t give a lot of time to Nobuyuki. If I recall, we only see him a few times: Stacking coins
Watching Taro
Getting into the accident when the TV crew wanted to interview him.
Yelling at Ryoko for driving Mihoshi away
Getting called in as a manga expert
Running to see Kiyone but getting forced out of the manga by Yosho
I think that’s it and even then, he’s only there for a panel or two. His is the only supporting character NOT to get a ton of time devoted to him, save Seriyo I suppose.
- July 27, 2015 at 3:47 AM
- in reply to: New Guy here
Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome! Fremde, etranger, stranger.
Gluklich zu sehen, je suis enchante,
Happy to see you, bleibe, reste, stay!
- July 26, 2015 at 12:04 PM
- in reply to: The Genius Scientist and the God of Evil: Universe/DC Comics
Ch. 19: No Need for Time Masters “This is…” Washu Hakubi struggled to find the proper words. “This is…this is fantastic!”
Washu stared around the Justice League Watchtower in awe. She had heard stories of the technology that powered the League’s space base, but had never gotten the chance to see any of it in person. It was a memorable experience for the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Galaxy.
“Bruce helped fund the building a few years back,” Superman was explaining to her. “Between Wayne Enterprises and Star Labs, we managed to get her operational and have been making modifications to it ever since.”
“Technology is always advancing Mr. Kent,” Washu nodded. “So when do I get to meet these ‘Time Masters’ that you have picked out?”
“They are in the meeting room,” Superman pressed a button on a door. It slid open and the two continued on their way. “It’s just down this hallway.”
“How many people are we bringing back in time anyway?” the scientist pried.
“Counting us? Five people and one robot.”
“Fascinating.”
The pair stopped at a double sided door that clearly led into a meeting room. After entering in a combination, Superman allowed Washu to enter before him. The scientist noted that his farm boy manners really added to his charm as the world’s premiere hero. ‘That Lois Lane is sure lucky,’ she thought to herself.
The room was indeed filled with three people who Washu had never laid eyes on before, though she did recognize one of the uniforms. All three of the people were men, and two of them had brown hair. The lone blonde wore a yellow visor and was adorned in blue and gold. Hovering over him was a little golden robot that seemed to look more like a little ship than humanoid. To his left was a man wearing a simple green and red zip up jump suit. It amused Washu to see a hint of stubble on his chin. She did not know why it amused her, but it seemed worth noting. The last individual wore a uniform she knew right off the bat: he was a member of the famous Green Lantern Corps.
“Gentlemen, I’d like you all to meet Professor Washu Hakubi. She is the one who picked up on the idea that Bruce’s corpse was actually a genetic clone created by Darkseid,” Superman announced to the collective. He acknowledged the blonde haired man. “This is Booster Gold, and his companion Skeets.” He then moved on to the Green Lantern. “This is Hal Jordan, the first of three Green Lanters assigned to protect our Solar System.” Lastly, he pointed to the final man. “And this is our resident time travel expert: Rip Hunter.”
Washu simply bowed at the group. “How do you all do? It is an honor to be working with you.”
“Hakubi? As in the most famous mad scientist in the galaxy?” Booster Gold freaked out.
An eyebrow shot up. “You’ve heard of me?” she asked curiously.
“Pardon me Ma’am,” the robot known as Skeets responded. “Booster Gold, greatest hero of all time, is actually from the future who got sent to the past. He is aware of various bits of Earth history that, as of right now, are unknown to you.”
“Really now?” Washu pried. “What do I do in the future?”
“You are the woman directly responsible for opening our planet up to the Juraian network, before nearly causing an intergalactic upset involving a dimensional bazooka and the Galaxy Police!” Booster exclaimed. “You escaped into the far reaches of space for years, but it turned out that you had just snuck back into your subspace lab. You are a legend in the scientific circles!”
Hal projected a giant green hand and willed it to point at Washu. “That’s where I have heard about you! Barbara Gordon asked John Stewart to look into you! He found a lot of disturbing things in your records! Didn’t you build a galaxy destroying and…”
“Details, details…” Washu hand waved it while cutting him off. “Besides, Barbara and I are on the same page now. There is nothing to worry about. Now, Mr. Hunter, do you have anything you want to add about this?”
“Honestly, no. I could care less about your reputation in the future or the past. All I know is that I picked up on you traveling through time not that long ago. You went back to Tokyo to stop some kind of temporal anomaly, right?”
Washu blinked in shock. “How did you…?”
“I make time my business Miss Hakubi,” Rip shrugged. “It’s what I do.”
“So…?”
“No, I could honestly care less about the politics of the Planet Jurai and the power they wield. You stopped the entity known as Kain, that’s all I need to know.”
“Way to make it sound dull,” Washu pouted. “It was hard work building that time machine and keeping the timeline together.”
“Why DID you have a time machine anyway?” Hal asked suspiciously.
She batted her eyelashes at the man. “Oh, why are you questioning little old me Mr. Jordan? Just because I was curious about the lateral nature and constant fluctuation of time doesn’t mean I’m a bad girl!”
“Maam, I would like to point out that you WERE charged for crimes against the galaxy, despite them being pardoned in the Juraian Incident with Prince Yosho,” Skeets added.
“Not. Helping.”
Superman gave a loud cough to call attention back to the matter at hand. “Now that we are all introduced, we have work to do. Earlier today, Professor Hakubi and I visited Bluddhaven to examine the Command D bunker. Professor, would you like to explain what we found there?”
The pink haired girl summoned her computer and began to type. After a moment, an image projected into the middle of the table. “It has been proven that time is lateral, meaning we can move both back in time and forward. Though it is possible to alter the time stream, the tampering will inevitably become reconciled and shown in the original timeline,” she explained. “As such, Bruce Wayne has always been destined to go back in time. In addition, theories left by Bruce Wayne himself posit that New Gods like Darkseid are literal living archetypes that affect the reality that we live in. By confronting Darkseid, Batman literally became the archetype lone hero standing up to evil. However, that is not all that he became.”
Washu drew a line from the center most point of the image all the way to the other side. “He has also become the archetypal time traveler. If he did not get sent back in time, we might have been able to crack the time stream.”
“So back it up,” Booster Gold scratched his head. “By going back in time, Batman basically is responsible for us going back in time to bring him back? That sounds…confusing.”
“I can break it down for you in simpler terms sir,” Skeets offered.
“Don’t bother. So if you gathered us all together, there must be something you haven’t gotten to yet. What’s the bad news?” Rip asked.
“By at tuning my supervision to a frequency discovered by Professor Hakubi, we found a trail of energy leading straight into the past. We think it is literally leading into prehistoric times,” Superman announced. “What the Professor is concerned with is that the Omega Energy is actually building up within Bruce until his body cannot handle it anymore.”
“So basically, boom?” Booster flashed his hands dramatically.
Washu nodded grimly. “The hope is that we can get to him before he gets back to our time and takes us all out.”
“Sounds like a typical weekday,” Hal sniggered. “Are we doing this or not?”
“I’m driving Rip’s time machine!” Booster shouted.
“No you’re not!”
“Okay, then shot gun!”
Washu blinked and shook her head. “You Americans are weird.”
*TGSTGE*
The spherical pod landed in the rocky mountain area gracefully. It opened up and one by one it’s occupants stepped out. Looking around, Booster Gold let out a low whistle.
“Wow, prehistoric times, eh?” He said in awe. “I’ve got to say, this is a first.”
“You get used to it,” Rip shrugged. “He should be around here. I’m staying with the ship.”
“Look over there!” Washu pointed to an object in the distance. “Is that a rocket?”
The group moved over to the machine and looked it over. “We sent this…during the Crisis,” Superman whispered. “I guess this confirms Darkseid’s involvement. But we’ve got a problem. He isn’t here.”
“How can you tell?” Hal asked.
“I can’t hear his heartbeat. There is only one heartbeat that I am familiar with and it makes sense.”
“Who?”
“Vandal Savage. He is an immortal caveman who we have dealt with in the past,” he explained. “But he’s not the issue here. The Omega Trail has gone cold.”
“Well since he’s not in the past, that can only mean one thing! He went to the future!” Washu announced with a laugh.
“You are brilliant Washu!” Her A doll popped up, much to the bewilderment of the others.
“Your genius knows no bounds Washu!” The B doll chimed in.
“What…what was that?” Booster asked after a moment.
“And how does that make you a genius? Everything from this point on HAS to be the future!” Hal pointed out angrily.
“Details, details…” Washu dismissed it. “Honestly, I starting to think old Brucie is in over his head.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. Surviving is what he does, and I don’t know anyone more prepared than he is,” Superman affirmed.
“So I hear. The man was paranoid enough to dress in a purple and yellow costume while drugged up using a back up personality he developed just for that occasion,” Washu shrugged. “I guess if he can do that then he can do anything.”
“Back up,” Booster started to laugh. “He wore WHAT now?”
“Save it for later Booster!” Rip yelled from the ship. “I’ve managed to pick up the Omega Trail all the way to the 64th Century! I think this is our only chance before he goes back to the present!”
“64th Century?!” Hal spouted out.
Washu smiled. “This is proving to be one of the best days of my life!”
Hal lifted an eyebrow underneath his green mask. “What makes you say that?”
“She’s a woman of science, Mister Jordan,” Skeets replied. “No doubt the thrill of seeing the unknown has piqued her curiosity.”
“He’s right! It’s not every day I get to see the dawn of a planet and the future of it! Think of the science!”
“Think of the…” Hal started to retort.
“Am I just gonna keep this thing on idle or are we going to drive?!”
*TGSTGE*
When the group arrived to their next destination, they discovered themselves in a place that was sterile and dark. Washu could not help but look around and take in all of the advancements the planet had undertaken.
“THIS is Earth? This looks more like my lab!”
“This is a very important piece of history. Welcome to the Vanishing Point!” Rip announced.
“What’s so special about it?” Hal asked grumpily.
“This is the last remaining place on the planet before the universe implodes on itself. Humanity has been long extinct, but several archivists remain to chronicle the final moments of time,” Rip elaborated. “We have maybe ten minutes left before the universe crumbles away. If Bruce is here, we need to find him quickly.”
“The local timeline will end in nine minutes and twenty seconds,” a cold sterile voice called out from the station. A tall black being stepped out. He had two little ears and a single red glowing eye. “You must vacate this station.”
“Why bother archiving if the universe is going to die?” Washu asked.
The archivist stopped and stared at the woman intently. “It was a command from the creator of the bioarchival bush robots. All of the information of this galaxy in this timeline will be stored in a black hole for protection.”
“Genius! I would have done the same thing!”
“I know Washu Hakubi.”
The comment took Washu back. “How…how did you know my name?”
“This is a map of all time and space,” the archivist willed a giant tapestry of lines in front of the group. “Each line represents a new timeline that has been created from a certain event. Each event causes changes to that current time line. In this timeline, the residents of the Masaki household play a larger part of this universe’s history. In this parallel timeline, you may not even exist at all. In this third parallel timeline, you may exist but Superman may not. In each world a Vanishing Point will exist. Though it may differ in appearance, its function remains universal.”
“Did…did you get all of that?” Rip asked. “This lines up with my own research into the time stream.”
“As does my own,” Superman nodded. “So in the timeline that we are presently in, Professor Washu has…”
“My god, I created you,” Washu whispered.
“You are correct in the idea that this version of Vanishing Point was indeed a byproduct of your design,” the architect pointed out. “But you did not create me. Nor have you created the hyperfauna that has infested the station. The local time line will end in seven minutes and forty seconds.”
“Hyperfauna?” Washu asked.
“Darkseid’s weapon of death,” Superman grimaced. “Archivist, where is the hyperfauna? Where is Bruce Wayne?!”
“The hyperfauna? It is self contained. Inside of me,” the archivist spoke softly. “Forgive me for what I must do.”
With that a bubble surrounded the visitors from the 21st Century. Using all of their might, Hal Jordan and Superman tried to beat down the force field. Washu, however, started typing furiously on her computer.
“I would not do that Creator Hakubi. You need to trust me,” the archivist said. The blank black face faded away to reveal a human male with dark black hair. “You have no idea what I have had to do to get to this point.”
“Bruce, you can’t!” Superman yelled. “Darkseid turned you into a trap! If you return to the 21st Century, we will all die!”
“You need to trust me,” Bruce whispered as he walked into Rip’s time machine.
“NO!” Rip yelled. “We are all damned here! We have no way of getting back now! Damn it!”
“Language Rip!” Superman stopped before continuing to punch the bubble they were trapped in.
“This may appear hopeless sirs and madame, but Batman DID say to trust him!” Skeets pointed out.
Booster hit his head on the wall of the bubble. “Well Professor, you apparently created this technology. Can’t you, I don’t know, manipulate it or open it up?”
“I’m trying!” Washu hurriedly told him. “I may have had a hand in this station’s design, but I haven’t done that yet! I…wait…”
“What?” Jordan inquired, stopping his green fist from pounding the wall.
“This design is similar to my own time machine. I…I think Batman is using the Vanishing Point to create a second time machine!”
“That Batman,” Booster chuckled. “Is there anything he isn’t prepared for?”
“Mister Hunter,” Washu stepped aside. “The controls are starting to form. Would you like to take the helm of my apparent greatest work?”
“I’d be honored to. Fasten your seat belts boys and girl, we are about to experience the big All Over!”
With that, the universe died.
*TGSTGE*
The time capsule arrived in a mess.
From a giant gorilla to an orange skinned alien princess, the members of the Justice League were thrown around the Hall of Justice like they were rag-dolls. However, it was apparent the fight was not over yet as two lone figures remained to confront a darker, scarier Batman.
“The bio archivist suit…it’s changed,” Booster observed.
“A Batman of death,” Superman growled. “Not my kind of Batman at all.”
“I took a big gamble here,” the rough voice of Bruce Wayne rang out from the suit. “I had no way of beating you at the end of time. But here? In a time where a Kryptonian and an Amazonian princess fight for justice? You are just target practice.”
“No!” The suit bellowed in a dark growl, similar to Darkseid himself. “You can’t!”
“After what we just went through,” Hal cracked his knuckles. “You bet your ass we will.”
“Language!” Superman yelled as he flew out of the time bubble to land a punch. The body of the Dark Knight flew back into the wall.
Of the two people still standing, the woman was the first to move. She wore a familiar tiara: Wonder Woman of Themyscera. The combined might of Superman and Wonder Woman was enough to keep Bruce pinned down.
“We’ve got to separate the suit from him!” Rip shouted. “That’s where the hyperfauna is!”
The other figure, who Washu recognized as Tim Drake shook his head worriedly. “It’ll kill him!”
“Wait!” Washu snapped her fingers. “If I built the technology that the suit is based on, it may have the failsafes I typically install!”
“What?!” Booster freaked out. “You are saying this NOW?!”
“Cut me some slack! Pass phrase: Washu is a genius!”
“Washu is all knowing!” Doll A chimed in.
“Washu is number one!” Its twin completed.
Bruce’s body began to shake. Using the opportunity, Superman grabbed and pulled the armor off of him. With one final pull, the archivist’s remains snapped off the bloody skin of Batman. As he slunk to the floor, Bruce weakly pointed to the time machine. “Send it back! It’ll blow itself up and get it out of here!”
The greatest heroes of the age obliged the World’s Greatest Detective. The hyperfauna started to scream in pain. “Need to adapt! Need to escape! For Darkseid!”
Shifting its shape, the creature now resembled a giant bat as the time sphere vanished from Hall. Washu blinked and put the pieces together.
“So THAT is the origin of Barbatos…which means The 99 Fiends are actually worshiping Darkseid. Pretty crazy, eh?” Washu turned to see Bruce’s limp body on the floor. She rushed over and started typing on her computer.
“It’s no use. He’s absorbed too much Omega Energy. By being here, Bruce Wayne is slowing destroying time itself,” Rip hung his head low.
“I just need to siphon the Energy out and…” Washu started but Rip shook his head.
“We can’t do that.”
“He’s right,” Superman looked grave. “The only way to release the Omega Energy is for Bruce to cease living.”
“No! You can’t be serious!”
“He is,” Wonder Woman said, scooping up the body. “He killed Darkseid and must suffer for it. For striking down a New God, Bruce Wayne must die!”
Washu stared at the body and felt incredibly helpless. She had made it a point of pride to always keep her word to those she gave it to. Yet here she was, unable to give even the slightest aid to a man she had never met but knew so much about.
She thought about Barbara, whom she finally regained her trust. How would she feel if she couldn’t even keep her promise?
She thought about Alfred and the state he would be in if his charge had died after regaining hope of his revival.
Finally, she thought about Damian and Dick, who needed this more than any of them combined. She could not face the two knowing that they would blame her for failing.
“Hey,” Superman nudged her, picking up on her emotions. “Trust me.”
With that, he gave a wink.
The Kryptonian led the group of conscious heroes outside to a decorative pool of water. Wonder Woman lowered the lifeless body of Bruce Wayne into the water and turned to Superman. With all of his might, Superman began to blow on the water.
Washu gasped. Before her eyes, the water began to freeze solid. She hit herself on the head, realization setting in. “You’re stopping his heart then restarting it! Why didn’t I think of that?”
“You may be the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe,” Booster grinned. “But even you have nothing in the Man of Steel.”
She smiled and gave him a playful punch. Just then, a loud, painful cough was heard. Booster and Washu returned their attention to Bruce, who had coughed up a large amount of black bile.
“Give him this,” Tim said, holding up the famous cape and cowl of the Caped Crusader. “Tell him to save Gotham.”
With that, the Dark Knight rose to his feet. He wiped away the blood and the bile from his mouth and observed his surroundings.
“Darkseid…” Bruce whispered.
“Is gone Bruce,” Superman told his friend. “You did it. You’re back!”
“No…he’s trying to reincarnate into the doctor…Doctor Hurt,” he panted.
“Makes sense,” Washu frowned. “Seems like he is behind every other thing that has crossed our paths.”
Bruce eyed the pink haired girl. “Why are you here?”
“Don’t you want to know who I am?” Washu raised an eyebrow.
“I know who you are Professor Hakubi. When I merged with the archivist, I briefly saw everything that has happened and will happen. What I don’t know is how you came to be here.”
“We don’t have time for explanations Bruce!” Tim interjected. “The Joker is loose and Gotham had been put on quarantine! Something is driving all of the citizens crazy!”
“It’s Pyg’s viral narcotic,” Washu scowled. “They’ve made their move. What do you say Batman? Need a lift back to stately Wayne Manor?” The young woman motioned to a door she created using her subspace computer.
“Hhh,” Bruce narrowed his eyes and donned his cape and cowl. “Fill me in on the way. Tim, help take control of the city. The night’s not over yet.”
The Dark Knight and the Genius Scientist stepped through the doorway into the fireplace of Wayne Manor where they found Doctor Hurt lying on the floor.
“Turn around Doctor!” Washu announced theatrically.
Batman stepped out triumphantly and took his place over the imposter Thomas Wayne. “…it’s All Over!”
Doctor Hurt’s worst fear had come true: Bruce Wayne had returned and had come for him.
- July 26, 2015 at 10:46 AM
- in reply to: No Need To Review Tenchi: My Blog Dedicated to Tenchi
http://noneedtoreviewtenchi.blogspot.com/2015/07/tenchi-muyo-episode-nine-sasami-and.html This is a big one for me folks: the first ever episode of Tenchi Muyo! I ever saw. Join me today as we enter a Scooby Doo cartoon, discuss why Nobuyuki is amazing, and get mortified at how dark this episode can get. Intrigued? Read more and find out!
- July 26, 2015 at 4:06 AM
- in reply to: A New Continuity
This is gonna be a long post and I do apologize, but I’ve honestly been thinking a lot about this topic. Tenchi cannot survive in this current animated environment.
A lot of my love for Tenchi comes from the characters and nostalgia, but a lot of aspects are bothersome.
As such, Tenchi needs an overhaul.
There is enough nostalgia and love for Tenchi for it to warrant a new series, a possibility of creating a new ending for a beloved movie, and talks of an OVA 4…
*shudder*
But the problem is that Tenchi will forever be known as a “harem show” when I feel it can be something a bit more relatable. What do I mean? Well, read this description:
A teenage boy with celestial origins on his deceased mother’s side lives with a bunch of alien women and struggles to control his own newfound defensive powers, adjust to the life he now has, and become a hero.
Sounds like Tenchi Muyo, right? Well I can think of another show airing right now that this can also apply for:
That’s right: Steven Universe.
Steven Universe, for those who are uninformed, follows Steven, a young teenager, who lives with the Crystal Gems, three otherworldly women who possess extraordinary abilities thanks to gems embedded in their bodies. Steven’s mother, Rose Quartz, was also a Crystal Gem who “left this world” in childbirth. As such, Steven is half human/ half Crystal Gem and has his own gem on his stomach. His ability is to create shields when focusing on his emotions.
Can you see the similarities in plot already?
Steven: Tenchi
Rose Quartz: Kiyone/Achika
Greg: Nobuyuki
Pearl: Ayeka
Garnet: Ryoko (to a point) and Washu
Amethyst: Mihoshi and Ryoko (to a point)
Lion: Ryo-Ohki
Gem Homeworld: Jurai
Steven Universe is a fantastic show that takes a few cues from Tenchi Muyo!. However, it succeeds where Tenchi is having difficulties. Why? Well there are certain differences in the shows approach to the premise that make it relatable to a modern audience.
Tenchi may be able to survive if it adapts to these differences, but not directly copies them.
The biggest difference has to do with the main character. Steven and Tenchi are both audience surrogates. They want adventure (sometimes in Tenchi’s case) but the show’s focus on them in two completely different lights. When we watch any given Tenchi show, most of the time Tenchi has nothing to do. He is there because he has to be, or to be used as a catalyst to get the ball rolling for the girls. This isn’t bad, per say, but we as an audience care for Tenchi less as a character and more as a means to further enjoy, say, Ryoko or Ayeka.
Steven, on the other hand, nearly always has something to do. He grows a little every episode. Even if the episode is focusing on a side character, like Greg, the framing always has Steven get involved. STEVEN moves the plot forward by getting himself involved in situations he does not understand, not by situations occurring around him. We care about him because we are just as interested in what is going on as he is!
This is what the Tenchi franchise needs: for Tenchi to do something! I know the joke is that there is “no need for Tenchi” in this series, but it’s time to retire the joke. Give him some motivation and faults. He needs to be more than just the good guy. Give him a goal and watch him try to achieve it. For added effect, make the goal something the girls are against to bring more humor to the forefront.
Hmm…this sounds familiar. I’ll think about that as I go on.
Now spicing up the formula was actually done rather recently in Ai Tenchi Muyo! In it, Tenchi took on the role of a student teacher. Okay, this is new and interesting! How will the girls react to this? What made Tenchi want to teach? What is his philosophy?
However, they ruined it by making nearly every one of his students have a crush on him. Add in humor like a focus on panties and you have yet another imperfect Tenchi series, albeit one that did all it could do in those conditions. But Ai reinforced the harem aspect yet again by focusing on girls (and I mean girls) who want Tenchi. This follows into my next point: romantic relationships as a whole.
Tenchi is all about relationships and how EVERYONE wants him to a certain extent. If we are to include Kajishima’s doujins, then even RYO-OHKI wants him!
If Tenchi is to survive, the love angle needs to be toned down considerably. I’m not saying keep the relationships out of it, but don’t have that be Ayeka and Ryoko’s main motivations. Give them something more. At least Ayeka initially was focused on her mission to find Yosho. Perhaps have her explore the Juraian influence that shaped early Earth, or give Ryoko a hobby, like drinking!
And for heaven’s sake: kill the family tree. Ayeka does not need to be related to Yosho beyond a Juraian link. Heck, if you want the original “Search for Yosho” angle, have her search for the greatest Juraian warrior to help stop the evil Kagato.
You know, like Star Wars, which OVA 1 draws a lot from.
This is where characters like Sasami and Washu thrive. The two are memorable for reasons beyond wanting Tenchi. Sasami likes to cook, so have episodes focusing on her cooking. The manga had side stories of her entering cooking competitions and baking cakes for a local shop. Those make us connect with the character. Washu, on the other hand, is probably the most rounded given her giant level of screen time in OVA 2. She may want Tenchi for…adult purposes, but she wants Tenchi to crack the Juraian power code. She wants him as a guinea pig. It adds to her character as a mad scientist. Universe focused several episodes on her new inventions, some led to humorous hijinks and other had deadly effects. That could make for some great episodes.
The characters need to be more than just strong women with strong personalities. These girls need to be flawed beyond “being snobby” or “clumsy.” The strongest two moments in OVA 2 were Sasami believing that she had died when she was fused with Tsunami and Washu’s heartbreaking reasoning why she keeps the form of a child. This shows us character depth.
Imagine more moments like that for the other characters.
Take Mihoshi. She is clumsy yet lucky. That is her charm. But what if behind her clumsiness and cheerful demeanor was a frustrated woman who hated always crashing her ship and causing accidents? We can still have the moments of humor, but her character will grow and it will cause the audience to sympathize with her more.
This also relates to Steven Universe.
The girls in Steven Universe are there as a family unit, not as a love interest. You would think that would be obvious given Steven’s age, but consider the fact that the Tenchi girls are literally several hundreds of years older than Tenchi and still want the kid. With Steven, it’s all about his dynamics with the Gems. He learns about his Gem powers through them and, by comparison, they learn about the humans who inhabit the world they call home. Hell, that’s how Steven was even born.
What I’m trying to say is play up Tenchi’s curiosity more. Have him be interested in learning about Jurai, not just be amazed when he sees a space tree. Let us see Washu enjoy the simplicity of the Earth’s technological advancements. Heck, have her meddle and have her invent things in the public sector. Imagine a Steve Jobs like CEO trying to stop the “mysterious” Japanese competition. It would give her a reason to want to get involved with Earth besides Tenchi. Explore Nobuyuki’s past with Achika/ Kiyone and see his struggles as a single parent.
The manga does a great job with a lot of these points. I’ve already mentioned how much time is spent getting to know the characters. In Volume 9 of No Need for Tenchi, Ryoko is given a major dilemma: is she attracted to Tenchi because of Tenchi or because of a figure from her past that looks like him? The gang goes on an adventure for her sake. We learn more about Ryoko and she is given actual character growth beyond “I love Tenchi!” Her purity of a character is questioned and she instantly becomes more well rounded. It is a great thing.
So with all of this said, what could we do? Well looking at the suggestions already mentioned, there are a few ways, but amazingly one of them has been done: changing the formula to give Tenchi something to do. I discussed Ai already, but the closest we have come to getting a fresh start was Tenchi in Tokyo.
Tenchi in Tokyo took the biggest risk and suffered for it, but it’s premise is exactly what the franchise needs. Tenchi is given a want: to learn to become a priest like his Grandfather so he could man the Masaki Shrine. How does he do it? He moves to Tokyo to go to school. Naturally, the girls are pissed.
That sounds like a great premise! So why didn’t Tenchi in Tokyo work?
Well remember, I have not watched the show since its time on Toonami, but even I knew that there were issues with it. What kind of issues? Well, let’s make a list (that I am sure to enjoy looking back at when I get to the show):
1) Sakuya: Remember how a complaint I have is that everyone seems to want Tenchi? Enter Sakuya, a NEW girl who ALSO wants Tenchi! Wow!
Of course, this was the last thing fans wanted and it didn’t help that Sakuya was literally there only to want Tenchi. That was the extent of her character (until the last episode or two. I do remember what happened to her, but after the first few episodes I completely black out). You know what could have made her interesting: have her be like a cool older sister type who specifically DIDN’T want Tenchi. Tenchi could have confided in her and the two could have been actual friends. But no, she was more harem bait.
2) The animation: The animation for Tenchi in Tokyo was atrocious. I am all for switching up animation styles, but it was crap.
3) The Monster of the Week formula: Now I don’t know if this aspect was toned down as the show went on, but the early episodes of Tokyo followed a specific formula: Tenchi does something, the villain creates a monster designed to pester Tenchi, and it’s up to the cast to stop it.
It…it isn’t what you think of when you think of Tenchi, is it?
Now I have to applaud the show for attempting to shake up the established franchise while attempting to remain true to the roots. I truly believe that if more time was spent on crafting a tighter story and better animation we could have had a great show.
Instead we got a jumbled mess that couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. Was it a sequel to Universe? Was it its own continuity? What is the villain’s motivations? What are Sakuya’s motivations? What kind of tone is the show going to establish? Is it serious? It it humorous?
All of these things doomed the show and, as such, nearly all attempts to keep the franchise new. We either had the Okuda canon for a few more years or the Kajishima canon, all of which focus on the same premise.
Another thing that needs to be done is giving ALL of the characters enough things to do. Tell me, when has Nobuyuki been important to the story? The movie and the last episode of OVA 3. He’s Tenchi’s father and the breadwinner. Why don’t we see things from his perspective? How does he feel with his house being moved? How does he feel about Tenchi’s life choices. The biggest sin of OVA 3 (among many things) was not showing ANY development between Nobuyuki and Rhea. It was all informed. Hell, we get one episode of Universe to deal with the loss of Achika. The man seriously deserves some respect.
Now beyond just changing up the formula, Tenchi needs to start fresh and new, like this topic suggests. How can one start a new continuity? I see one of two ways:
1) Wipe the slate clean and start fresh ala Universe. Keep the core of the characters, but bring them into today’s world. I love the idea of exploring Ryoko’s past as a pirate. Use stuff like that to bring depth to the characters. Show, don’t tell.
2) Use a new character to be introduced into a pre established world. Think of Ai but without the sexual undertones. Have one of Tenchi’s classmates come over for dinner on a day that, say, Nagi attacks and is forcibly brought into Tenchi’s world. This could be dangerous, but it could be refreshing.
All in all, the potential is there. Tenchi is a sandbox waiting to be played with. Do something interesting. Have it turn out Kagato was trying to stop Washu and make her the secret villain. Force Katsuhito to confront a person from his past. Bring Ryoko to Earth court for destruction of property and watch Nobuyuki deal with the stress. Give Sasami a friend her age. Show Ayeka rule from Earth. Have Mihoshi adopt a puppy. Kiyone can be the big sister type to Tenchi since she is the only one who isn’t madly in love with him. Remember that Azaka and Kamidake exist.
Heck, if a Tenchi show can dedicate an episode to butt wrestling and three episodes to Sasami’s period, they’ve got nowhere to go but up.
- July 25, 2015 at 10:11 PM
- in reply to: No Need To Review Tenchi: My Blog Dedicated to Tenchi
First off, yes, I’ll be doing both sets of mangas the exact same: recapping and reviewing each individual chapter and then analyzing the overarching story and work Okuda has crafted. I know that two of my favorite stories are in All New Tenchi Muyo, but probably my least favorite story is in it too. As for the TTN, it’ll be a single post that includes whatever information I can find. I know there are the summaries and the fan translated version that Tenchiform hosts, but mentioning things like Airi and Naja will be useful come OVA 3.
- July 25, 2015 at 6:58 PM
- in reply to: The Evil Dead Lives
Evil Dead is fantastic. If you haven’t seen it, you should. If you have seen it, look up Evil Dead the Musical. It is hilarious, especially if you are into musicals. I think there is even a performance of it floating around YouTube. NECA also did a great toyline two years ago with Ash, Chainsaw Ash, Evik Ash, and Henrietta (the grandmother in the basement) I bring them out every Halloween.
- July 24, 2015 at 6:35 PM
- in reply to: No Need To Review Tenchi: My Blog Dedicated to Tenchi
Yeah, if I purely wanted to examine only the “good shows”, that wouldn’t make an entertaining blog or show any meaningful research. OVA 3, though I did not like it for a multitude of reasons, will no doubt be utterly fascinating to review because of what makes it the low point of the three OVAs. It’s that exact same reason why I, though I have absolutely no prior experience with it save sitting through the Kajishima written episode, will have to get to GXP at some point. I can argue that Saint Knights Tale/ War on Geminar is removed enough from Tenchi that it puts it lower on the totem pole than, say, the Pretty Sammy OVA, but GXP is set in that world. It has to be done for posterity’s sake. Who knows? I might enjoy it.
My thoughts for the reviewing schedule tentatively look like this:
OVA 2
The Mihoshi Special
No Need for Tenchi vols. 3-6
Shin Tenchi Novels
OVA 3
No Need for Tenchi vols. 8-10
Universe part one
No Need for Tenchi vols. 11-12
Universe part two
Tenchi Muyo in Love
No Need for Tenchi vol 7
Tenchi Forever
Eternal Memory
Hexagram of Love
Daughter of Darkness
Tenchi in Tokyo
All New Tenchi Manga (I’ll fit it in somehow)
GXP
Pretty Sammy OVA
Pioneer Comics
Ai Tenchi Muyo
It is a long stretch and I may change the order around, but this is my overall goal. I have no idea how long it will take, especially since my kid will be born by the end of February, so we will see where I am at that point. I hope to finish OVA 2 before the end of August.
