Tracking a Tenchi Muyo!

It is rather hard to follow the multiple story lines of Tenchi Muyo! without getting something mixed up. They all keep the same main characters and certain pieces of the general plot, yet they tend to head off in different directions.

The best way to understand the big picture is to look at it from its modest beginnings to its current condition. So let's go find that Tenchi Muyo!

Here's where the tracks start!

Tenchi Muyo! started off as an OAV (Original Animation Video) series created by Kajishima Masaki and released by Pioneer. Six OAVs were released, comprising of the first OAV series for Tenchi Muyo!, called Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki. This series developed the characters of Tenchi Muyo! very well, using both direct and indirect techniques. Then an OAV special was made. It simply depicted the state of humorous chaos that the Masaki house hold was in daily. Some time later, a second OAV series was released. It served to further the plot of Tenchi Muyo! and to give even more background to its already vivid characters. Finally another special came out called Mihoshi Special. It was a little of the main story line, but worked very well as a wholesome comedy.

It looks like the tracks are splitting!

Due to the great success Tenchi Muyo! was, a TV series was developed and aired. The TV series starts from square one and reintroduces the characters with completely different backgrounds. The only trait kept from the OAVs were the personalities of the characters. The twenty-six episode long TV series was then only added onto recently with the airing (in Japan only, so far) of Shin Tenchi Muyo!. The second TV series continues where the first TV series left off and complete character changes were left out (phew!).

Here are some more footprints!

Yet another set of OAVs and TV episodes were created and named Pretty Samy. Now these anime are completely different from any other Tenchi Muyo!. They focus on a battle over becoming heir to Jurai. The good old Masaki family was replaced with the Kawai family, in which Tenchi is a brother to Sasami. Not only do the backgrounds and last names of the characters change, but so do some of the character personalities, too. Who would have thought that Tsanami could be absent-minded? Well, she is in Pretty Samy. Never the less, Pretty Samy is a rather amusing anime. It's just a little strange.

And here are some tracks running right through the middle of the rest!

Then there is the Tenchi Muyo! movie, Tenchi Muyo! in Love. This is a great movie that sticks to the theme and ideas set by the OAVs while still remaining independent of them. It has a great plot and deserves all the hype it created. Another Tenchi Muyo! movie is scheduled to hit Japan soon. Let's hope it'll be as good as the other.
Well did you find the Tenchi Muyo!? If not you had better watch all of Tenchi Muyo! again (yeah!!!).

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