Tenchi Forever! The Movie
Encyclopedia
Tenchi Forever!, known in Japan as , is a 1999 Japanese anime film based upon the popular Tenchi Muyo!
series, and was directed by Hiroshi Negishi. It was released in America under the title Tenchi Forever!, possibly because it was to be the last Tenchi Muyo!-branded product created.
The film is the final story arc of the first Tenchi Muyo!
television series, known outside of Japan as Tenchi Universe
. TMiL2 is also notable for its radically different tone from its source material.
Tenchi Universe excised much of the overt sexuality and violence featured in the OAVs in favor of a more comedy-themed atmosphere. The subsequent movie sequel, 1996's Tenchi Muyo in Love, was, at its core, an action movie. However, Tenchi Muyo in Love 2 is a significant departure from its predecessors; instead of the usual comedy-flavored action, the film is a downbeat, sexual melodrama that studies its characters quite intensely, shedding light on Katsuhito's
past, the depth of Ryoko
and Ayeka
's feelings for Tenchi
, and Tenchi's hidden desires.
This movie marks the last time Petrea Burchard
would voice Ryoko for the English dubbed releases of the Tenchi franchise.
Tenchi has a strange dream of floating through nothingness while surrounded by the flowers he saw before, and wakes up to find himself a completely different person. He's several years older, has long hair, and lives with a beautiful young woman named Haruna. Tenchi shrugs off his old life as a dream and enters a new one with Haruna.
The film jumps ahead six months. Tenchi's family and friends have been searching in vain for him, and the stress is building. His father Nobuyuki
has filed a missing-person report, Mihoshi
and Kiyone
have infiltrated the Science Academy to look for clues, Sasami
has returned to Jurai
, and Ryoko and Ayeka have moved to Tokyo to continue the search.
Ayeka and Ryoko have become shadows of their former selves: depressed, brooding, and sometimes angry. To pay for their food and lodgings, they've become waitresses at a small diner during the day, and every spare moment is spent showing Tenchi's picture to passersby, looking for some glimmer of hope.
After a chance encounter with Tenchi and Haruna, the girls report back to Washu
, who realizes that Tenchi has been drawn into a parallel world very close to ours. A plan to find and bring him back is set into motion.
Meanwhile, Tenchi is beginning to get severe headaches, which for some reason coincide with his fleeting memories of his real life. Haruna becomes very upset when he starts to subconsciously draw crude pictures of Ryoko. To comfort her, Tenchi takes her out to buy engagement rings for one another, and stops for dinner at Ryoko and Ayeka's restaurant. When Ryoko tries to address them, there is no response, and her attempts to touch Tenchi pass right through him, making his headache worse. Tenchi and Haruna fade away to nothingness, leaving Ayeka and Ryoko confused and upset.
Washu and Katsuhito have an encounter in the wilderness, and the old shrine master admits he knows what's happening. Haruna was the name of the woman he left Jurai with, but she died on the way to Earth. The huge tree that Tenchi encountered before he vanished grew from the spot that Haruna's body was buried. Katsuhito explains that her soul must have been very lonely, and drew Tenchi into another world to recapture the love she had lost. With this new information, Washu finalizes her plan.
With the power of the trees Katsuhito planted over the years, Washu creates a doorway into Haruna's world, and Ryoko and Ayeka enter. Confronting Haruna and Tenchi, they try to bring him back, but his altered memories confuse him, and Tenchi sternly rebukes the two. With her power over the parallel world, Haruna banishes them back to our Earth. Devastated by Tenchi's rejection, Ryoko begins to cry.
Haruna has been draining Tenchi's Jurai Power to keep her world stable, and he begins to feel the effects. The world begins to fade away when Tenchi remembers more about his past, and Haruna cannot hide discrepancies of the "perfect world" from him (such as a maxed-out bank account despite her meager earnings and his lack of a job). Her method of restarting the day (and Tenchi's memories) after something goes wrong stops working just as Katsuhito confronts his past and slashes into Haruna's tree with his lightsword, channeling his essence into her soul.
Haruna recognizes her true love Yosho, and remembers why she took Tenchi away in the first place: as a substitute for Yosho. Yosho and Haruna leave together, Katsuhito reappearing in front of the ruined tree, and Tenchi finally remembers who he is. Without Haruna's presence, her world begins to vanish, and Tenchi has no way of escaping.
Washu can only send one person to rescue Tenchi, and Ayeka tells Ryoko to go. After a bit of relieved banter, Ryoko lifts Tenchi into the sky to teleport them back to the real world, and he looks back down on his false life, "ready to leave it behind". A shot of Haruna's table shows the rings they purchased together, left behind by both individuals as they leave the charade she kept up for so long.
The movie closes as we examine the Masaki household returning to normal life. Tenchi has become young again, his hair short and spiky as it was. Though he does not remember his experiences in the parallel world, he has taken up drawing like his older alter ego, because he likes the way it makes him feel. Just before the credits roll, Tenchi and Ryoko enjoy a quiet moment together as the wind shakes the trees.
was released around the time that TM!IL 2 was released. Called Tenchi Muyo! In Love 2: Eternal Memory, written by Negishi, the story focused on Sasami and implied that Sasami had a larger role in the movie, behind the scenes. The manga also hinted that perhaps Sasami and Tenchi will have a child in the future, though Sasami realizes that her choices in the manga may or may not change the likelihood of that particular outcome.
This manga was never released outside of Japan.
Tenchi Muyo!
, is a Japanese anime, light novel, and manga series created by Masaki Kajishima and Hiroki Hayashi.The generally accepted translation of the title is No Need for Tenchi or Useless Tenchi, though at the time of its appearance it was also translated variably as No Heaven and Earth and This Way Up...
series, and was directed by Hiroshi Negishi. It was released in America under the title Tenchi Forever!, possibly because it was to be the last Tenchi Muyo!-branded product created.
The film is the final story arc of the first Tenchi Muyo!
Tenchi Muyo!
, is a Japanese anime, light novel, and manga series created by Masaki Kajishima and Hiroki Hayashi.The generally accepted translation of the title is No Need for Tenchi or Useless Tenchi, though at the time of its appearance it was also translated variably as No Heaven and Earth and This Way Up...
television series, known outside of Japan as Tenchi Universe
Tenchi Universe
was a 26 episode anime series produced by the AIC and Pioneer Animation. It is loosely based on the first six episodes of the Tenchi Muyo! OVA series. The series premiered on April 2, 1995 in Japan and concluded its airing on September 24, 1995. The series aired in the United States on Cartoon...
. TMiL2 is also notable for its radically different tone from its source material.
Tenchi Universe excised much of the overt sexuality and violence featured in the OAVs in favor of a more comedy-themed atmosphere. The subsequent movie sequel, 1996's Tenchi Muyo in Love, was, at its core, an action movie. However, Tenchi Muyo in Love 2 is a significant departure from its predecessors; instead of the usual comedy-flavored action, the film is a downbeat, sexual melodrama that studies its characters quite intensely, shedding light on Katsuhito's
Katsuhito Masaki
is a fictional character in the anime Tenchi Muyo!.-OVA:In the OVA, Katsuhito, also known as , fled Jurai over 700 years ago to "retire" on Earth. He was once the greatest swordsman on Jurai. Currently Katsuhito is a Shinto priest who is not only training Tenchi to be a Shinto priest but also...
past, the depth of Ryoko
Ryoko (Tenchi Muyo!)
is a key character in the various Tenchi Muyo! anime series by AIC. While details of her character differ between the various series, Ryoko is typically shown as an attractive, semi-reformed powerful space pirate who is madly in love with the series main character, Tenchi Masaki...
and Ayeka
Ayeka Masaki Jurai
is a key character in the various Tenchi Muyo! anime series by AIC. While details of her character differ between the various series, Ayeka is typically shown as the beautiful first princess of the planet Jurai who has fallen in love with the title character, Tenchi Masaki...
's feelings for Tenchi
Tenchi Masaki
is the main protagonist of the Tenchi Muyo! series. Tenchi's name means 'Heaven and Earth'. It is the same as 'Tenchi' in the Shinto Kojiki which contains some of Japan's oldest myths and legends.-Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki:...
, and Tenchi's hidden desires.
This movie marks the last time Petrea Burchard
Petrea Burchard
Petrea Burchard is an American actress, and voice actress. She is sometimes credited as Celeste Burch in the anime she appears in. Her most recognizable role to date is as the English voice actor for fictional character and space pirate, Ryoko Hakubi from the Japanese animated series Tenchi...
would voice Ryoko for the English dubbed releases of the Tenchi franchise.
Plot
The movie opens with a scene that fans know all too well: Ryoko and Ayeka begin to fight over chores, and Tenchi runs into the forest after they demand he makes a choice between the two of them. He stumbles upon a huge tree covered in strange flowers, and suddenly vanishes without a trace.Tenchi has a strange dream of floating through nothingness while surrounded by the flowers he saw before, and wakes up to find himself a completely different person. He's several years older, has long hair, and lives with a beautiful young woman named Haruna. Tenchi shrugs off his old life as a dream and enters a new one with Haruna.
The film jumps ahead six months. Tenchi's family and friends have been searching in vain for him, and the stress is building. His father Nobuyuki
Nobuyuki Masaki
is a fictional character in the anime Tenchi Muyo!.Nobuyuki Masaki is Tenchi's father, and works in the city as an architect. Although he has shown that he is less responsible than his son, Nobuyuki does care deeply for Tenchi, and after losing his wife, Nobuyuki has worked hard to raise him...
has filed a missing-person report, Mihoshi
Mihoshi Kuramitsu
is a Galaxy Police detective in the fictional Tenchi Muyo! anime and manga series. Her given name "Mihoshi", , literally means "Beautiful Star", and is derived from a town in the Okayama Prefecture formerly known as Bisei.-OVA:...
and Kiyone
Kiyone Makibi
Kiyone Makibi is a fictional character of the Tenchi Muyo! series. She is an original creation of first OVA series' co-scriptwriter Naoko Hasegawa, appearing in most Tenchi Muyo! canons with the exception of the official OVA canon accepted by the series creator Masaki Kajishima.She shares her...
have infiltrated the Science Academy to look for clues, Sasami
Sasami Masaki Jurai
is a fictional character in the anime series Tenchi Muyo! and its various spin-offs.-Personality and series role:In most series, Sasami is the younger sister of Ayeka and so is also a princess of Jurai. Within the family group Sasami usually takes on the dual role of younger sister/mother. She...
has returned to Jurai
Jurai
is a planet in the AIC anime Tenchi Muyo!, and also the name of its royal family. The planet and royal family of Jurai appear mostly in the Ryo-Ohki OVA and Tenchi Universe series and briefly in Tenchi in Tokyo...
, and Ryoko and Ayeka have moved to Tokyo to continue the search.
Ayeka and Ryoko have become shadows of their former selves: depressed, brooding, and sometimes angry. To pay for their food and lodgings, they've become waitresses at a small diner during the day, and every spare moment is spent showing Tenchi's picture to passersby, looking for some glimmer of hope.
After a chance encounter with Tenchi and Haruna, the girls report back to Washu
Washu Hakubi
, the self-proclaimed greatest scientific genius in the universe, is a fictional character in the anime and manga Tenchi Muyo!. Her character differs depending on the continuity, though she sometimes displays a number of innate powers which she rarely uses, preferring to solve problems with reason...
, who realizes that Tenchi has been drawn into a parallel world very close to ours. A plan to find and bring him back is set into motion.
Meanwhile, Tenchi is beginning to get severe headaches, which for some reason coincide with his fleeting memories of his real life. Haruna becomes very upset when he starts to subconsciously draw crude pictures of Ryoko. To comfort her, Tenchi takes her out to buy engagement rings for one another, and stops for dinner at Ryoko and Ayeka's restaurant. When Ryoko tries to address them, there is no response, and her attempts to touch Tenchi pass right through him, making his headache worse. Tenchi and Haruna fade away to nothingness, leaving Ayeka and Ryoko confused and upset.
Washu and Katsuhito have an encounter in the wilderness, and the old shrine master admits he knows what's happening. Haruna was the name of the woman he left Jurai with, but she died on the way to Earth. The huge tree that Tenchi encountered before he vanished grew from the spot that Haruna's body was buried. Katsuhito explains that her soul must have been very lonely, and drew Tenchi into another world to recapture the love she had lost. With this new information, Washu finalizes her plan.
With the power of the trees Katsuhito planted over the years, Washu creates a doorway into Haruna's world, and Ryoko and Ayeka enter. Confronting Haruna and Tenchi, they try to bring him back, but his altered memories confuse him, and Tenchi sternly rebukes the two. With her power over the parallel world, Haruna banishes them back to our Earth. Devastated by Tenchi's rejection, Ryoko begins to cry.
Haruna has been draining Tenchi's Jurai Power to keep her world stable, and he begins to feel the effects. The world begins to fade away when Tenchi remembers more about his past, and Haruna cannot hide discrepancies of the "perfect world" from him (such as a maxed-out bank account despite her meager earnings and his lack of a job). Her method of restarting the day (and Tenchi's memories) after something goes wrong stops working just as Katsuhito confronts his past and slashes into Haruna's tree with his lightsword, channeling his essence into her soul.
Haruna recognizes her true love Yosho, and remembers why she took Tenchi away in the first place: as a substitute for Yosho. Yosho and Haruna leave together, Katsuhito reappearing in front of the ruined tree, and Tenchi finally remembers who he is. Without Haruna's presence, her world begins to vanish, and Tenchi has no way of escaping.
Washu can only send one person to rescue Tenchi, and Ayeka tells Ryoko to go. After a bit of relieved banter, Ryoko lifts Tenchi into the sky to teleport them back to the real world, and he looks back down on his false life, "ready to leave it behind". A shot of Haruna's table shows the rings they purchased together, left behind by both individuals as they leave the charade she kept up for so long.
The movie closes as we examine the Masaki household returning to normal life. Tenchi has become young again, his hair short and spiky as it was. Though he does not remember his experiences in the parallel world, he has taken up drawing like his older alter ego, because he likes the way it makes him feel. Just before the credits roll, Tenchi and Ryoko enjoy a quiet moment together as the wind shakes the trees.
Tenchi Muyo! In Love 2: Eternal Memory
A mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
was released around the time that TM!IL 2 was released. Called Tenchi Muyo! In Love 2: Eternal Memory, written by Negishi, the story focused on Sasami and implied that Sasami had a larger role in the movie, behind the scenes. The manga also hinted that perhaps Sasami and Tenchi will have a child in the future, though Sasami realizes that her choices in the manga may or may not change the likelihood of that particular outcome.
This manga was never released outside of Japan.
Music
- Music score of Tenchi Forever (Tenchi in Love 2) is composed by Tsuneyoshi SaitoTsuneyoshi Saitois a Japanese composer and arranger. He composed the original music in Tenchi Forever! The Movie, composed music for xxxHolic: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Kamen Rider Kiva: King of the Castle in the Demon World and Idolmaster: Xenoglossia, co-composed music for Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva...
.http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/movies/title/0,,2165364,00.html
- Ending theme song: Love Song ga kikoeru [I Can Hear a Love Song] (performed by AnriAnri, real name , is a Japanese singer and singer-songwriter, born in Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. She has written much of her own music as well as singing songs written by others such as her debut release Oribia o Kikinagara, by Amii Ozaki...
)
- A few of the musical themes in the movie are based on Chopin preludes. Track #4 of the soundtrack, 異次元 [Ijigen, 'Different Dimension'], is very similar to Chopin's Prelude 4 E-minor, although this is not acknowledged on the packaging. In all, Chopin Preludes 3, 4, and 17 are used in the movie.