Tenchi Muyo

Tenchi Muyo was initially an OAV (Original Animation Video) series from Pioneer, created by Kajishima Masaki. From such humble beginnings it has spawned a special OAV episode following the series, a side story OVA about Mihoshi, a music video, a TV series, a spin-off magical girl parody, most of a second series, and a plethora of merchandising. There is also talk of a third OAV series, and a Tenchi movie.

Tenchi Muyo is is based around Tenchi Masaki, a high-school student, whose life is turned upside down after an encounter with a "demon" at a shrine in the mountains. The title can be read as meaning several things. Taken as a whole, tenchimuyou means this side up, so the title could be referring to Tenchi's quest to regain the normal life he once led. An alternative translation is No Need for Tenchi, or Useless Tenchi, which takes on extra meaning when it is revealed that there are two Tenchi's. Which Tenchi is the title referring to? This second translation is the most commonly accepted of the two.

To say more would spoil the suprise of the numerous plot twists thrown the viewer's way. Suffice to say that this story contains a humorous and quirky storyline which often supplies hints in earlier episodes to later events you wouldn't guess would happen. It is a mixture of fantasy, Sci-Fi, comedy, and romance.

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