Tenchi Forever!

Original Title: 天地無用! in LOVE 2 遥かなる想い
Romanized: Tenchi Muyou! in Love 2 - Haruka Naru Omoi
Literal: This End Up! in Love 2 - The Distant Love

Plot Synopsis

One fine spring day, after fleeing yet another of Ryoko and Ayeka's little tiffs, Tenchi vanishes. After six months of searching, the crew has gone their separate ways to help track him down; Sasami is exerting her influence in the Juraian Empire, Washu is overseeing the whole thing from the Science Academy, Kiyone and Mihoshi are playing lackey to Washu, and Ayeka and Ryoko have set aside their rivalry to search far and wide for their lost love. Washu has narrowed it down to one city--Tokyo--and Ryoko and Ayeka have been scraping by on a part time job while continuing the search. But when they finally do spot Tenchi, something is very wrong; not only has he aged several years, but he seems to be living the quiet life with a beautiful woman named Haruka. Worse yet, he doesn't even seem to remember them. Was Tenchi kidnapped, or did he come here to flee the conflict at home, and what will become of him in the hands of this mysterious new love?

Review

Rating: 3.5 / 5
Reviewer: Marc
Review Date: 2006-09-30

Tenchi Forever was billed as the final installment in the Tenchi Muyo series, and though it actually isn't, it fills that role in the way I think it should: A conclusion without really ending the saga. Subtitled "Tenchi Muyo in Love 2," that's a much more appropriate title than it was for the first movie--Tenchi is indeed in love, and most of the movie is a sort of detached love story. It's a very different, more mature take on the characters, rather like the New Kimagure Orange Road movie in a number of ways. This will no doubt appeal to some of the more romantically or dramatically inclined fans, but the drastic change of pace goes against the high adventure and higher spirits of every other installment in the series, and I felt like it sacrificed a part of the Tenchi Muyo spirit to pull it off.

Of course, the whole idea of "concluding" Tenchi Muyo is futile--there isn't even a single story to conclude. The first TV series had its own conclusion, the OAVs were left completely hanging, and Tenchi in Tokyo is off in left field doing its own thing. Tenchi Forever is essentially a sequel to the first movie, and as such seems to fit into the movie continuity (or lack thereof, and no Mayuka for those who might have been hoping). As with the other two movies, it requires at least a modicum of knowledge about the characters to really be appreciated.

That's where my dilemma comes from; it's not a bad movie, but Tenchi Muyo has been defined by its slightly romantic, generally funny, and always upbeat feel, and this... well... isn't. There are humorous moments (it would be hard to have Mihoshi onscreen without a joke happening somehow), but even the few gags it has don't seem to fit. There's no banter, nothing even close to a physical fight, and even the villain, if you can call her that, is tragically driven at best. It's also more sexually mature than the standard casual nudity, nosebleeds, and crude jokes of every previous incarnation--a couple of tastefully handled but surprisingly explicit scenes put this film into an entirely different category.

To give the movie its due, the more subdued mood allows for some very interesting character development. Although we get to see Tenchi himself in a very different light, the film is more about is the relationship between Ryoko and Ayeka. Struck by tragedy--the loss of Tenchi--they are forced to grow up and a subtle, surprisingly touching friendship emerges. The changes are believable; they have a plausible reason and a lot of elapsed time. We also get to see some of the pair making their living in the real world, like a much more serious version of the "Money" episode of Tenchi in Tokyo. To me at least, seeing Ryoko and Ayeka working as waitresses (and not immediately blowing the place up) was worth the price of admission. We also get to see a bit more of Tenchi's grandfather, and an explanation about how he ended up on Earth.

But if all this sounds more like a low-key character drama than the Tenchi madness you've grown to love, you're right. That's why I'm torn between saying Tenchi Forever is an interesting, more serious take on the characters and a travesty against the series' legacy. Either way, it is certainly a new, deeper look at the characters.

Setting that baggage aside and looking at the story on its own merits, the movie wisely takes its time in getting going. It could have easily been cut down to about an hour, but spending an extra half hour on slow set-up eases you into the Tenchi-deprived mood that his absence has left behind and properly prepares you for the substantial part.

The story itself borders on surreal. It definitely keeps you guessing early on, and although things are pretty well explained by the end, it leaves enough unspoken to keep a hint of mystery in the air (that, at least, is the same as always). A nice side effect of this being the "final" installment in the series is the sense that everything just might not work out at the end--that twinge of nervousness (I won't tell you outright if it's justified) is good.

Visually, Tenchi Forever is less of a departure than the story, but a more realistic look contributes to the serious mood. The character designs are something like refined, more sculpted takes on the OAV versions, while the physiques are more realistically proportioned but rather bulky in the feet. The two new characters--an older Tenchi and Haruka--are quite nice, and match each other well, though they're a tad out of synch with the rest of the characters. The character animation is on par with the rest of the series--meaning quite good--though some of the animation itself is a little choppy. Not bad at all, but since everything else looks high budget, I was expecting slightly more expensive-looking animation. What it lacks in fluidity it makes up for in motion, however--absolutely no unnecessarily static characters, particularly impressive considering that the reserved pace could have easily allowed that. The art is quite nice, with the bright palette typical of the Tenchi series. The backgrounds are remarkable; there are, as always, a healthy variety of fanciful locations and settings on distant worlds, and the artistry is second to none. From the wildest alien building, to a simple forest, to the mundane streets of a Tokyo suburb, the backgrounds are beautifully rendered in exquisite detail. Even such dry locations as a tree surrounded by a guardrail are painted with painstaking care.

The background music is mellow and very pretty, but even so has a theatrical volume (not as in loud) and force that mesh very well with the story without being overpowering. And, the score knows when to shut up--when things are tense and serious toward the end, it gets quiet at the right moments.

The last thing to bring up is the voice acting. The casts are the same as the rest of the series, with the only addition being Haruka. I can't speak for the dub, but in the Japanese dialogue her low-key performance has a near-perfect blend of quiet happiness and, later, hidden pain. Ryoko and Ayeka are both handled very well, particularly considering that their characters aren't usually known for subtle emotion. I have always admired Orikasa Ai's ability to imbue Ryoko with an air of real emotion hiding beneath her overblown personality, and when that's brought a little closer to the surface, the result comes across well. Ayeka is a bit more of a surprise, since her character is more straightforward, but when the time comes for some real emotion it is handled effectively. The supporting cast, in their small roles, does what they're required to do, with the only other two noteworthy opportunities being Washu, whose mixed-up personality is on display in many different flavors, and Tenchi's grandfather, who has a lot more to do than in previous stories, and does so effectively.

In all, Tenchi Forever is a very different take on the series; it is a serious film focused on character development. As a "final installment" in the beloved saga, I'm disappointed that it loses something of the series' spirit, but pleased by the way it handles everything else. Some Tenchi fans will hate it, many will love it, but it's a very nice production, and I'd say it's interesting and creative enough to be worth at least a shot by any fan. This is not, however, the place to start if you're not already indoctrinated.

Related Recommendations

As far as Tenchi Muyo goes, Tenchi Forever much more serious than any previous incarnation, but ostensibly follows (and has the most in common with) the first movie. It also shares a bit of mood with the most serious parts of Tenchi in Tokyo It does, however, have a lot in common with the New Kimagure Orange Road movie--wild story, emotional depth, a different, more mature take on light characters, and a lot of focus on the relationship of the two female leads.

US DVD Review

A beautiful DVD; it includes attractive and slightly animated menus providing access to crystal clear Japanese and English Dolby 5.1 THX soundtracks (yes, both of them), English subtitles and English captioning, a thorough scene index (with chapter stops picked by the director himself), and several production sketches. The video transfer is beautiful--one of the best I've seen--and the subtitles are done in a very nice looking off-white. The disc claims to be both Region 1 and 4. It has since been re-released in a Signature Series edition with no notable changes.

Content Guide

Less crude jokes, but more explicitly mature themes than the rest of the series; Pioneer appropriately calls it 16-up.

Violence: 1 - Not much physical violence.

Nudity: 3 - Not detailed at all, but definitely nudity.

Sex/Mature Themes: 3 - A couple of surprisingly explicit scenes.

Language: 1 - Not much.

Notes and Trivia

The third Tenchi Muyo theatrical movie. The three movies have their own continuity to a degree; they don't quite seem to fit in with either the original TV series or the OAVs, but borrow elements from both. The only thing this movie can be said to be a direct sequel to is the first movie, hence its subtitle, "Tenchi Muyo in Love 2." The lack of Mayuka means that it can't follow the second movie, and while the movies appear to follow the OAV continuity more than the TV series, Kiyone is present.

The Japanese subtitle ("Haruka Naru Omoi") is, I believe, something of a play on words; it literally means something along the general lines of "Love Becomes Distant," but given the name of one of the characters, you could also read it as "His Love Becomes Haruka" or "Thoughts of Haruka."

Availability

Available in the US from Geneon (formerly Pioneer) on hybrid DVD, more recently in a signature series re-release of the original disc. Was previously also available on subtitled or dubbed VHS.

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