Tenchi is a great title for anyone who likes roommate drama, space stories or harem anime, but where should you start. In case you don’t have the time or money to watch all of the Tenchi series, or maybe you just want an intro to the series, I suggest you check out the Tenchi movies. All the same drama and excitement in 3 compact cheap little single DVD packages.
Tenchi Muyo! In Love 2: Tenchi Forever (Technically ‘Tenchi the Movie 3’)(1998)
When the movie starts Ayeka and Ryoko are arguing as always. They put Tenchi on the spot, saying that he has to choose between them once and for all, but he runs away. While he is wandering around deep in the mountains (avoiding the girls) he comes upon a Camellia tree. A beautiful woman appears from the tree and whisks him off. He is gone for more than six months. Everyone is searching for him, Ryoko and Ayeka even call a truce to join forced and search together. They have set themselves up in a city, working as waitresses while they search for Tenchi.
Meanwhile Tenchi is living as an art student with a woman named Haruna. He’s a bit older, a bit more mature and has even grown his hair long. Because of his separation from all the spotlight hogging girls you can see his character better than ever before. As they work and live in the city Ayeka and Ryoko keep seeing glimpses of Tenchi but whenever they try to catch up to him he disappears. Haruna has dragged Tenchi into an alternate world and he neither remembers the girls nor wants to be rescued by them.
This is not a kid’s movie, it has a much more serious tone than the series ever did and there are a few sex scenes, tasteful, but with some nudity. I love it because of that (the serious tone, not the sex,) it shows a depth to the characters that you never see in the series. The thing I find really interesting is that this is the first Tenchi story that really leans one way or the other on the whole Ryoko/Ayeka issue. Although the second movie has more footage of Ryoko, there is no indication of whether Tenchi likes her or Ayeka better. If you pay close enough attention, you can see that Ayeka is made out as a bit of a bumbling airhead, while Ryoko is much more sensitive and sympathetic. Although nothing definitive (like a kiss) happens, Tenchi is much more into Ryoko. Even with his memory erased he draws pictures of a faceless woman with blue spiked hair and whenever he has a flash of memory it is of Ryoko. For me that’s another selling point, I’ve always rooted for Ryoko to be the one who wins Tenchi’s heart. The music is on par with the story. It is much more romantic and instrumental than in the series and it helps tell the story. It’s actually a soundtrack I would like to get my hands on.
I give Tenchi Forever a 4/5 because it is my favorite Tenchi story, and I think it stands out above the rest. I’ll give it a Red MM for romance and Camellia flowers, a Dark Blue MM for deep space and aliens, a Shiny Silver MM for alternate dimensions and scientific gadgets, and a Light Blue MM for Ryoko’s hair.
Tenchi Muyo! In Love 2: Tenchi Forever (Technically ‘Tenchi the Movie 3’)(1998)When the movie starts Ayeka and Ryoko are arguing as always. They put Tenchi on the spot, saying that he has to choose between them once and for all, but he runs away. While he is wandering around deep in the mountains (avoiding the girls) he comes upon a Camellia tree. A beautiful woman appears from the tree and whisks him off. He is gone for more than six months. Everyone is searching for him, Ryoko and Ayeka even call a truce to join forced and search together. They have set themselves up in a city, working as waitresses while they search for Tenchi.
Meanwhile Tenchi is living as an art student with a woman named Haruna. He’s a bit older, a bit more mature and has even grown his hair long. Because of his separation from all the spotlight hogging girls you can see his character better than ever before. As they work and live in the city Ayeka and Ryoko keep seeing glimpses of Tenchi but whenever they try to catch up to him he disappears. Haruna has dragged Tenchi into an alternate world and he neither remembers the girls nor wants to be rescued by them. This is not a kid’s movie, it has a much more serious tone than the series ever did and there are a few sex scenes, tasteful, but with some nudity. I love it because of that (the serious tone, not the sex,) it shows a depth to the characters that you never see in the series. The thing I find really interesting is that this is the first Tenchi story that really leans one way or the other on the whole Ryoko/Ayeka issue. Although the second movie has more footage of Ryoko, there is no indication of whether Tenchi likes her or Ayeka better. If you pay close enough attention, you can see that Ayeka is made out as a bit of a bumbling airhead, while Ryoko is much more sensitive and sympathetic. Although nothing definitive (like a kiss) happens, Tenchi is much more into Ryoko. Even with his memory erased he draws pictures of a faceless woman with blue spiked hair and whenever he has a flash of memory it is of Ryoko. For me that’s another selling point, I’ve always rooted for Ryoko to be the one who wins Tenchi’s heart. The music is on par with the story. It is much more romantic and instrumental than in the series and it helps tell the story. It’s actually a soundtrack I would like to get my hands on. I give Tenchi Forever a 4/5 because it is my favorite Tenchi story, and I think it stands out above the rest. I’ll give it a Red MM for romance and Camellia flowers, a Dark Blue MM for deep space and aliens, a Shiny Silver MM for alternate dimensions and scientific gadgets, and a Light Blue MM for Ryoko’s hair.
Mayuka doesn't remember much more than Tenchi's face, so girls all take turns teaching her things about the world. Like any other typical anime summer montage they light firecrackers, eat melon and laze around in the heat. Although Mayuka's intentions are pure, Yuzuha has power over her and can control her actions. Unfortunately, she's not content to let Mayuka make friends, she wants to cause as much drama and destruction as possible. Eventually they have to go to confront Yuzuha, or she'll never leave Mayuka and Tenchi alone. 
However, what they don’t know is that the ‘event’ is caused by a demonic creature with unimaginable power. Kain, the galaxy’s most dangerous villain has gotten loose from his maximum security prison cell. One hundred years ago the Jurain emperor joined forces with the Science Police to stop Kain’s rampage through space. Throughout his captivity Kain’s hatred of the Jurain royal family grew. After escaping, Kain used his power to bend space and time to travel to an era when Jurai’s power was weakest. He plans to wipe out those few members of Jurai who exist in 1970 and he’s starting with Achika, a young Jurain woman who would one day become Tenchi’s mother. If the girls let him succeed then Tenchi will disappear forever and their memories will be rewritten. 
This movie would be cool for the sole reason that everyone gets to wear sleek Jurain battle suits. But you also get to see Tenchi’s parents when they’re young and you get to see Tenchi actually using his Jurain powers. He doesn’t use them enough in the series. Plus there’s a dragon! Kain turns himself into a dragon, and everyone knows that dragons rock. On top of all that, it’s a story about time travel. Who doesn’t like time travel? All those lovely paradoxes and such... good times. Despite all this, the movie manages to stays true to Tenchi form, meaning there’s lots of bickering and cool space technology. 
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