Washu Hakubi
Encyclopedia
, the self-proclaimed greatest scientific genius in the universe, is a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

 in the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 and manga
Manga
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...

 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...

. 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 or technology. In all incarnations, Washu has also shown to be somewhat prudent and is generally trickier to fool than 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:...

 or the other girls, which makes it harder for her to fall into an enemy trap. In all three Tenchi series Washu had also created an inter-dimensional laboratory in the closet of the Masaki house, although her laboratory is a lot bigger in the OVA
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...

 series than in both of the TV series.

The name "Washū" is an ancient one for Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

; specifically, the region around Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

. The name "Hakubi" was derived from the name of a train line, the Hakubi Line
Hakubi Line
The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company in the mountainous area of the Chūgoku region of Japan. It begins at the south end of Okayama Prefecture at Kurashiki Station in Kurashiki, passing through Niimi Station on the west side of Niimi, and terminating at Hōki-Daisen Station...

. When translated, Washū means "eagle-feather", and hakubi means "excellence". Washu's hair is derived from a costume from Noh
Noh
, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...

 plays, intended to resemble the (usually black) legs and claws of a crab. For her, it's a red crab, because this is a food specialty of Osaka. As such, the red crab logo appears on much of her merchandise and miscellaneous apparel.

Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-oki

Washu has a much larger role in the OVA than in any of the other series. In fact, she is the catalyst of, if not directly involved in, the majority of the conflict of the series.

In Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki
Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki
is a twenty episode collection of OVAs produced by AIC, initially released in Japan in 1992. The first two OVA series were later licensed and distributed in North America by Pioneer LDC, with FUNimation Entertainment taking over the rights for the third series.The distribution of the first OVA...

, she is over 20,000 years old as a human, the mother 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...

, creator of the Soja and Ryo-Ohki
Ryo-Ohki
, is a fictional character in the Japanese anime series Tenchi Muyo! and its spinoffs. Ryo-Ohki's appearance is similar to a cross between a cat and a rabbit, and for this reason Ryo-Ohki is commonly referred to as a cabbit...

, and one of the three Choshin goddesses along with Tsunami
Tsunami (Tenchi Muyo!)
is a fictional character in the Tenchi Muyo! universe.Tsunami appears in the OVA version of the anime series Tenchi Muyo!, as its novels and the manga series written by Hitoshi Okuda. In Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki and related works she is one of the Chousin, three Goddess-sisters and powerful beings in...

 and Tokimi (choshin means "super-deity", 超神, but not pronounced chojin to differentiate her from the other "super-deity"
Urotsukidoji
is a Japanese manga and an Original Video Animation releases.-History:Urotsukidōji was created by Toshio Maeda, in 1986, and was a huge departure from his earlier works in that it mixed erotica with humor, and the supernatural...

). But in order to solve the riddle of creating someone more powerful than the Chousin, Washu-kami-sama chose to seal up her powers and memories in the three gems (which were later given to Ryoko) and became mortal to analyze the mysteries of the universe. These gems have the "same quality and power" as the Juraian trees, and are capable of sustaining the youth of a Juraian such as Yosho.

Washu, during her lifetime, also gave birth naturally to a child of her own; the child, whose name is Mikumo Kuramitsu, is actually Mihoshi Kuramitsu
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:...

's great-grandfather. However, because the father came from the prestigious Kuramitsu family, both he and the baby were taken away. Out of grief, Washu chose never to deal with these adult issues again and altered her body to that of a pre-adolescent girl, although Washu is able to return to her adult form if she wishes to. Washu was locked away by her assistant, Kagato
Kagato
is a fictional character in the anime Tenchi Muyō!, serving as the main villain of the original OVAs. A second, alternate incarnation of the character was the antagonist of the initial TM! television series, Tenchi Universe...

, for 5,000 years until she was inadvertently freed by Mihoshi.

After Kagato's defeat, Washu moved into the Masaki house and has made Tenchi her love and research project, the latter much to Tenchi's chagrin, while the former was expressed in her offer to only have another baby if it's Tenchi's (whether or not she meant this is in question). Aloof yet down to earth, she balances the household and dispels most of the chaos. She had briefly resumed her form as Washu-kami-sama when Z had threatened the universe by battling Tenchi.

It must also be noted that in the OVA Ryoko has generally the same powers as Washu, except Washu uses them to a lesser extent. Washu has the same ability to phase shift through solid objects, convert matter directly to energy with no entropic loss (in the form of an energy saber), and she can duplicate herself. One of her favorite tricks, when captured, is to reappear somewhere else, and point to the "her" that was captured, which is now merely a stuffed doll in her likeness, sometimes with a cute ribbon if she remembers to add it.

Washu is also the creator of Fuku
Fuku (Tenchi Muyo!)
is a fictional character in the anime series Tenchi Muyo! GXP: Galaxy Police Transporter.-Background:Fuku first appeared in the episode "Neju Who?". She is a cabbit, a small, rabbit-like creature that hatched from an egg in the Kamidake II, Seina Yamada's ship and was given her name by Seina...

, Ryo-Ohki's sister, in the Tenchi Muyo GXP series.

In the spinoff Saint Knight's Tale
Saint Knight's Tale
is an OVA anime series that is a spin-off of the Tenchi Muyo! series created by Masaki Kajishima. Produced by AIC Spirits and BeSTACK, the series aired thirteen episodes on pay-per-view network Animax between March 20, 2009 and March 19, 2010. It chronicles the story of a young boy named Kenshi...

, which occurs 15 years after the GXP series, Washu is revealed to have hypnotised Tenchi's half-brother Kenshi Masaki sometime prior to him being sent on a cross-dimensional journey to Geminar. Kenshi briefly refers to her as "Washu-nee" when he talks about the medicine he gives to Ulyte, which means Washu could be one of Kenshi's sisters in law.

Tenchi Universe

In 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...

, Washu was banished from the Universal Science Academy for producing weapons of mass destruction
Weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...

, and she was sent to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

, imprisoned in the Masaki Shrine for 700 years, until she was freed during a squabble involving Ryoko 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...

. Washu was portrayed as an egotistical mad scientist
Mad scientist
A mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...

, with two dolls (named A and B) that pop up on her shoulders to proclaim her greatness and to cheer her on ("Washu, you are a genius!", "You can do it, Washu!", etc.).

She had at one time constructed Mecha Washu; a robotic duplicate of herself to act as an assistant to her scientific work. She had asked Tenchi to help her out in duplicating her mind into the robot, but Mihoshi had also entered the lab, and somehow left a single strand of her hair into the transfer apparatus. As a result, instead of Washu's mind in Mecha Washu, the robot got not only Mihoshi's mind, but also her personality. After Mecha Washu got out of control as a result, it took Kiyone's knowledge of Mihoshi's habits to wrangle the robot to watch Mihoshi's favorite show... Moldiver
Moldiver
is a 6-episode 1993 OVA anime series. It is a parody of magical girl and superhero anime series.-Plot:The plot focuses on a young girl by the name of Mirai Ozora, living in Tokyo in the year 2045...

, where it was shut down safely.

Washu, near the end of the series, talked with Tenchi, who was depressed as his grandfather was easily defeated by Kagato. Washu was able to convince him that he could wield a greater force of 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...

 power than his grandfather, and then helped disable a portion of the Jurai fleet in the final battle with her supercomputer virus. At the end of the series, Washu was the elected honorary president of the Universal Science Academy, promising to only use her powers for peace. She was kicked out a month later for developing a weapon capable of destroying the entire universe (though as Tenchi narrates, no one was surprised). Washu eventually returned to Earth.

Tenchi in Tokyo

In Tenchi in Tokyo
Tenchi in Tokyo
, is a 26-episode Japanese cartoon series produced by AIC in 1997. It is the third series from the Tenchi Muyo! series.-Overview:...

, Washu was a renegade scientist who had helped Ryoko steal the Jurai Light Stone, an artifact of the planet, and was pursued by the Juraian forces (led by Ayeka) and the Galaxy Police (led by Mihoshi 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...

). During the chase, Washu sensed an unusual energy source emitting from Earth, and after they were forced to crash-land on Earth, Washu sensed that the power came from Tenchi's necklace (an heirloom handed down from his late mother, Achika Masaki
Achika Masaki
is a fictional character in the Tenchi Muyo! anime series. She is an original creation of first OVA series' co-writer Naoko Hasegawa, making her animated debut in the 1996 feature Tenchi Muyo! in Love. She was the wife of Nobuyuki, the daughter of Katsuhito Masaki , and the mother of Tenchi. In the...

). Throughout the series, while researching his necklace, Washu invented various items that would allow the girls to see Tenchi during his time in Tokyo (notably, a dimensional portal); however, her inventions would often malfunction. Personality-wise, she's still a mad scientist, but she is more mellowed-out than her Tenchi Universe incarnation.

When Yugi
Yugi (Tenchi Muyo!)
is a fictional character in the anime Tenchi Muyo!, the main antagonist from the television series Tenchi in Tokyo. Her appearance is that of a young blonde girl with a red and black striped headdress and large spiked armor that hovers around her....

's plot had scattered the Masaki family, Washu was the only one not fooled by it, and after analyzing Yugi from her previous attack against the Masaki shrine, Washu found out she came from Jurai. With some help from Ayeka, Washu discovered the ruins to which Ayeka had been previously with Tenchi were actually a prison meant to hold Yugi, as she had been imprisoned for nearly destroying Jurai 3,500 years ago. Washu later sent an analysis robot to analyze Sakuya Kumashiro
Sakuya Kumashiro
is a character from Tenchi in Tokyo.-History:Sakuya Kumashiro has been rated 3 on Temangu High's "Must Have List" by her male classmates. However, it is newcomer Tenchi Masaki that gets her attention. On one of his first days, she chooses to sit next to him at lunch, much to the envy of the other...

, as she suspected that Sakuya might be some factor in Yugi's plan, which proved to be true when the scan showed that Sakuya was a shadow of Yugi. With her Gem Analysis complete, Washu went with Katsuhito
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...

 to Tokyo, and she explained everything to Tenchi about Yugi and why she worked so hard to break them up. After that, Washu observed the final battle against Yugi, when she was transported to Yugi's dimension and at the end of the series went to work on a new Dimensional Tunnel by using the power of the gems.

Pretty Sammy

In the Magical Girl Pretty Sammy
Magical Girl Pretty Sammy
is an anime based on the magically transformed version of the Sasami character from the various Tenchi Muyo! series. The Pretty Sammy OVAs have been dubbed into English by Pioneer USA , while the television series is only available subtitled...

OVA series, she is an Earth child prodigy known as , and in Magical Project S
Magical Project S
Magical Project S, known in Japan as , is a 26-episode anime series produced by AIC and Pioneer LDC. It is based on the Pretty Sammy character and the OVA series....

 (Pretty Samy TV), (she was given the last name of her seiyū
Seiyu
Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...

, Yuko Kobayashi
Yuko Kobayashi
is a Japanese seiyū who was born on February 6, 1961 in Tokyo. She is currently affiliated with 81 Produce and is married to fellow seiyu Mitsuaki Hoshino.-Notable voice roles:*Washu Hakubi in Tenchi Muyo*Shigeru in Pokémon...

). Graduating from M.I.T. at eleven years old, she became the high school science teacher at Raioh Academy. She would help Pretty Sammy
Sasami Kawai
is the alter-ego of Pretty Sammy in the Pretty Sammy OAV series and Magical Project S . She was based on Sasami Masaki Jurai from the Tenchi Muyo! series.-Overview:...

 on various events, regardless if Pretty Sammy even wanted her help. When she's not following Pretty Sammy around, she works at Sasami's school as her science teacher. She also has moved across the street from Sasami and Tenchi's house and it was never established if she knew Pretty Sammy's secret identity.

Washu is also credited in Pretty Sammy OVA episode 2 as the inventor of the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

.

In Magical Project S, she is an American and she has a habit of addressing Sasami's father Ginji as Johnny, just as he has a habit of addressing her as Catherine. Washu's role is similar to that of the Pretty Sammy OVA, but with the addition that she is also the first human to be fully aware of Sasami's secret identity as Pretty Sammy and only moved in next door to Sasami's house to keep an eye on Sasami and analyze her magic for research purposes. Later, she discovers that Misao is Pixy Misa. Her most notable appearance in the TV series was that after analyzing Pretty Sammy's magic, she was able to develop her own NT system that was used during Romio's attack on the Earth. Not only did it supply Pretty Sammy, Pixy Misa
Pixy Misa
is a fictional character in the anime Pretty Sammy , a spinoff of Tenchi Muyo!. An evil magical girl, she is the rival and dramatic foil of the series' protagonist, magical girl Pretty Sammy...

, Ryo-Ohki
Ryo-Ohki
, is a fictional character in the Japanese anime series Tenchi Muyo! and its spinoffs. Ryo-Ohki's appearance is similar to a cross between a cat and a rabbit, and for this reason Ryo-Ohki is commonly referred to as a cabbit...

, and Rumiya with magic, but it also protected them from Romio's NT system.

Sasami: Mahou Shoujo Club

In the anime Sasami: Mahou Shoujo Club
Sasami: Mahou Shoujo Club
is a magical girl anime which features the rather familiar likenesses of Sasami and other characters of the Tenchi Muyo! franchise, specifically those of Pretty Sammy. However, this series has nothing to do with either Pretty Sammy anime titles...

, she is Sasami's cooking teacher, . She is also the mentor/advisor of the secret magical girl
Magical girl
belong to a sub-genre of Japanese fantasy anime and manga. Magical girl stories feature young girls with superhuman abilities, forced to fight evil and to protect the Earth. They often possess a secret identity, although the name can just refer to young girls who follow a plotline involving magic...

club and teaches its members the fundamentals of being a magical girl. She is also Ryo-Ohki's mistress, using the poor cabbit in some of her cooking demonstrations. Although she is the cooking teacher, it was revealed that she (ironically) cannot cook.

Tenchi Muyo! GXP

Washu plays a small part within the series, creating the Kamidake and it's A.I., the Cabbit later christened Fuku (similar to Ryo-Ohki). She finally makes an appearance (along with Tenchi and the gang) in the episode "Homecoming" when Seina Yamada returns to Earth with the crew of the Kamidake. Her personality, while similar to, is a bit more mellowed out than her Tenchi Universe counterpart. Her final appearance in the series is at Seina Yamada's wedding.

External links

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