n past Tenchi series and movies, the trials and tribulations of good-natured, put-upon Tenchi Masaki have taken him into space and into the past. In the latest version of the story, he's only going to the big city, but that's enough to completely devastate the various alien women who obsess over him. The usual cast of characters--space pirate Ryoko, Jurai Princess Ayeka, bubbly Sasami, incompetent space cops Kiyone and Mihoshi, inventor Washu, and of course the shrilly irritating Ryo-Ohki--are all present, though they once again have a new backstory to explain their presence on Earth. And once again they're making Tenchi's life miserable as they incite chaos wherever they go, often simply by competing for his undivided attention.
As the series begins, Tenchi heads to Tokyo to begin a two-year apprenticeship aimed at making him a fit guardian for the Masaki family shrine. He adjusts to city life, makes new friends, and wins the admiration of the most popular girl in the school. His traumatized alien admirers quickly set up a dimensional portal between his bed and their living-room ceiling, but once he finally realizes he can close the portal by folding up his bedspread, they have to resort to either spying on him or luring him home for holidays.
Meanwhile, a mysterious figure named Yugi watches them through magic gemstones from what seems to be an alternate dimension, dispatching spirits to interfere with and distract them. Her nature and intentions are only beginning to become clear by episode 10, but her references to her "darling servants of evil" would certainly seem to indicate her motives aren't exactly pure.
Got to admit, it's getting better
The Tenchi Muyo! continuum has always shown an admirable balance of humor, action and serious emotion. This newest series has its ups and downs, mostly because the characters have been around so long that their motivations and idiosyncracies are beginning to blur into shorthand. Ryoko and Ayeka's fascination with Tenchi can be both funny and sweet coming from a pair of complex individuals with diametrically opposed personalities, but in the opening episodes of Tenchi in Tokyo, the two aliens have become indistinguishable battle machines with no lives outside Tenchi's latest movement.
But the opening stages just serve as a reintroduction to get viewers back in step. The first half-dozen episodes are mostly throwaway jokes anyway, with simple scenarios and exaggerated fights that often include big, colorful monsters. The animation is in high-pitched parody mode more often than not, with flying exclamation points and visual gags involving lightsabers, an evil purple Barney-like creature, and a giant pink bunny battle-suit. Even the dialogue is packed with frivolous colloquialisms and in-jokes, including a clear Return of the Jedi quote pastiche.
But the series eventually takes a more serious turn as it addresses the characters' much-rewritten history. As Yugi's past starts to become clear and the plot gains a direction, the usual Tenchi elements fall neatly into place. The silly humor remains at a fever pitch, but it's once again backed up by the complex relationships and honest emotion that have always made Tenchi's adventures worth watching. And if past Tenchi series are any indication, the best is yet to come.
