Tenchi The Movie - Tenchi Muyo! In Love (Geneon Signature Series)

When the criminal Kain escapes from prison, he destroys Galactic Patrol Headquarters, then moves to Earth to strike the Masaki family, whose link to the royal family of Jurai engenders his hatred. Capable of moving through time as well as space, he plans to kill Tenchi's mother, Achika, before she marries his father, Nobuyuki. If Kain were to succeed, Tenchi would cease to exist, the Masaki line would end, and his friends would disappear.

Scientific genius Washu transports Tenchi, Jurai princesses Ayeka and Sasami, space pirate Ryoko, Galactic Patrol officers Mihoshi and Kiyone, and cabbit Ryo-Ohki back to 1970 to defend Achika. The inevitable wacky contretemps occur--Ayeka and Ryoko get into a fight that brings Tokyo's commuter train system to a halt--and it's interesting to see Nobuyuki as an uncertain architecture student, rather than a comic lecher. The final confrontation with Kain takes on an unusual poignancy from Tenchi's feelings for the mother he never knew (she died while he was an infant).

Unrated; recommended for ages 10 and older for brief nudity and cartoon violence. --Charles Solomon

Specifically to Tenchi fans, this movie offers a solid, satisfying glimpse into the life of Tenchi's mother, Achika Masaki, and his father Nobuyuki when they were Tenchi's age. Upon realizing that Achika has started to disappear in all the old films made by Nobuyuki 26 years ago, galaxy-class genius Washu discovers that an evil force code-named KAIN was responsible for wiping out the Masaki family in the past. Thus, Tenchi and his entire harem embark on a mission to save the past - and in turn preserve their own existences. The movie presents mature content without sacrificing the jovial traits fans have come to expect from Tenchi and the girls. Ryoko and Ayeka's bickering over Tenchi, Mihoshi's bubbleheadedness, Kiyone's exaggerated seriousness, and Sasami/Ryo-ohki's plain-and-simple cuteness are just a few things that are kept very much intact. The gradual development of the relationship between Achika and Nobuyuki, while corny at times, succeeds ultimately to paint a picture of their innocent love. The simple but solid plot twists carries the story to a very Jurai-esque climax and bittersweet resolution. It ends with Nobuyuki taking a group shot of the Tenchi family (it is only natural that he employs a Pioneer videocamera, perfectly drawn, to do this.) Tenchi the Movie provides a refreshingly new aspect of "love" in Tenchi for the audience, his love for his mother.

You get all this and still can expect to laugh your head off!

From the surprisingly unique introduction sequence that sets the scene (expect time travel to be confusing), to the smooth transition to the main plot, to the clever ways in which some events are revealed in achronological order, the concept of the non-linearity of time is sustained. Some very interesting techniques to look out for: the black-and-white film at the beginning of the movie that forms the complication of the plot is re-enacted in color when the team goes back to the past, Washu's occasional messages are broken up into chunks of audio flashback, the scrambling of past and present in the last moments brings the whole to a finality.

The wide spectrum of plots, themes, and cinematic techniques in this movie will appeal to a universal audience - diehard Muyoite, animation aesthete, or otherwise. Without a doubt, it numbers among the best in classic modern Japanese animation.


A sleek ride into the Tenchi Universe   January 10, 2000
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I was a little hesitant in buying this DVD because I knew close to nothing about Tenchi and his pals. I knew of the series and OAV's popularity, so I was positive that I would somehow be lost in the plot without any background knowledge on my part. Much to my surprise, however, the movie is presented so that anyone can watch it. The nice blend of comedy, romance, and action make it a well-compact 95 minutes. The characters are funny and loveable, the action (although somewhat lacking) is sleek and explosive, not to mention the awesome soundtrack that will have you feeling each moment. It even makes me want to catch up with the series. A good buy for soft-hearted anime fans. Equivalent to anytrhing Walt Disney chooses to put out.