You see, we have reached the end of the first OVA and are about to begin OVA 2. As I just discussed in the Continuity page, the OVA continuity can go in several ways. One of them is the Kajishima canon. We will be continuing on that path soon. But I wanted to have a little side path to the Okuda canon.
YES! YES! YES!
So why now? Well, from what I gather, Episode Seven: "The Night Before the Carnival" aired on January 25, 1994 (my fourth birthday!) and the collected Okuda manga edition came out at the end of that year. Based on the recap in the beginning, the manga came out initially before OVA 2 started. I am certain, however, that it at least started during production of Episode Seven, so this is where I am going to place it: after that episode.
I am only going to start with the first two volumes before moving on to OVA 2, as by Volume Three, we begin to see characters from OVA 2. So enjoy our little detour into probably my most viewed Tenchi canon.
And for the record, I'm using the English translations. This was back in the day when manga was flipped to adhere to the traditional English reading style, so any pages that I use are supposed to be read left to right.
Our first volume, simply titled No Need for Tenchi, provides our readers with a little recap of everything that has happened so far:
Now, if you are unfamiliar with the first OVA, I am not sure if this is an effective way of introducing the reader to this rather convoluted world. This really is not "new reader friendly." However, after you view the first OVA, it is prime reading material and Tenchi that can be enjoyed anywhere.
Also, there are going to be a few translation errors here and there in these initial volumes. On our recap (which is going to be the only thing fully reproduced on this blog. The manga is on Amazon. Buy it. It's worth it) we see our first: Aunt May is apparently Tenchi's Grandmother. That makes twice now in OVA canon that Yosho has been given a wife that isn't actually his wife...unless it is Nobuyuki's mom?!
Regardless, let's dive into the first chapter simply titled "The Genius:"
We open up to a mysterious, yet familiar, figure viewing Earth.
Sonic the Hedgehog?
After that ominous page we are treated to a familiar sight: Tenchi and Katsuhito training. Tenchi seems to be able to keep up with his Grandfather. Of course, his pride will inevitably lead to his fall...
After some brief introductions to the girls, we get a cute moment of Washu waking up from her lab. She encounters Nobuyuki stacking currencies...which brings me to a criticism I have with this manga:
They have nothing for Nobuyuki to do.
He is the only character not to get a solo story or get the spotlight at all, except to highlight him as a manga expert at one point. Yosho gets the spotlight, the Juraian royal family gets the spotlight, even Taro the baby gets a few chapters dedicated to him.
What I'm trying to say is that Nobuyuki does not get any respect at all. Even Jabberjaw and Rodney Dangerfield get more respect than him.
As Washu wishes for more excitement in her day, we see that the girls, Tenchi, and Katsuhito are having a lovely picinic. Ayeka offers some of her own cooking to Tenchi, which Mihoshi eats. Katsuhito and Tenchi immediately fear the worst, thinking she has been poisoned.
Thankfully, it turns out that the food is rather delicious. Ryoko calls out Ayeka at how perfect the slicing looks. Apparently Sasami, in potentially the first instance of her being recognized in this fashion, cooked it WITH Ayeka. Ryoko grabs another thing to eat, which turns out to be made entirely by Ayeka.
As such, Ryoko nearly dies.
These two scenes pose the most problems for me. On one hand, Sasami's cooking skills will not be introduced until Episode Seven, but the same episode also establishes that Ryoko has no taste buds. This fact is actually a running gag in the manga, so it is odd that it is forgotten here. My guess is that Kajishima told Okuda that Sasami was the chief chef in the house, but not that Ryoko had no sense of taste.
Regardless, it is played for laughs. I can respect that.
All good things must come to an end and the mystery woman from earlier makes her presence known at last. She asks Tenchi if he is the one who killed Kagato and...hold on...
...why does this woman look like Ryoko? Does Ryoko have a sister she didn't know about?
All I know is this: Washu is pumped that there is something to do at last!
Our next chapter is called "Double Trouble" and it involves Jessie and James singing about how great Team Rocket is.
Oh, wrong Double Trouble.
The Ryoko look alike continues to ask Tenchi if he killed Kagato and then swatted Ryoko aside like she was nothing. The mystery woman then formed a sword of her own. Katsuhito threw Tenchi the Master Key to defend himself. However, the translation is a bit...wonky:
"Lightning Eagle?" "Mr. Tenchi?" Technically, both of these are literal translations of the more common "Light Hawk" and "Lord Tenchi" but it is rather jarring to see them in print. This gets corrected in future volumes.
We then cut to a rather funny moment where Washu is racing to get to the action by flying on Azaka and Kamidake.
Enjoy them now folks, they won't be seen again for a long time.
Ryoko and her double continue to fight for a few pages. It is intense and rather well drawn for the first fight in the manga. In the end, Ryoko prevails by continuing the OVA trend of giving her new powers whenever the plot demands it:
Seriously? What CAN'T she do?
Washu explains for Mihoshi (and the audience) what Ryoko just did and we are treated to one of Washu's running gags: she is in charge of the exposition for this manga.
This chapter ends on an old staple of comedy: the mystery woman has amnesia thanks to Ryoko! Oh, think of the hi-jinx that are bound to ensue!
Chapter Three is called "Under Observation." I wonder what that is about?
The gang is having a general discussion about our mystery woman and her new found amnesia. Washu suggests doing some kind of weird surgery to jog it back and...what kind of tools are those?
"You understand that the nerves were completely separated Mr. Napier! See what I have to work with here!"
Remember how much I loved Snarky Tenchi back in the early days of OVA 1? That is Tenchi's characterization here too and I love every second of it.
We also learn that our Ryoko lookalike's name is Minagi! So she knows her name, but not why she was sent to Earth. We do know, however, that she is bonding with Sasami, who maintains her role as the heart of the group in the manga.
Sasami asks Minagi to live with them. Minagi is truly touched by the suggestion, but realizes it would never work out. In the middle of the night, she leaves and Sasami blames Ryoko for it, as she was about to beat her over the head with a mallet to jog her memory.
Comics everybody!
As Minagi flies away into the forrest, a bright light shines overhead. A giant spaceship, similar to Ryu-Oh, appears and a mysterious voice calls Minagi's name. She is confused and, as such, so are we.
We cut back to a meal at the Masaki household. Sasami is still pissed at Ryoko and is denying her food.
Sasami don't shiv, even in the manga.
Just as Sasami relents and gives her a second helping, two wooden robots attack the house. They are similar to Azaka and Kamidake, but look far more threatening. However, Katsuhito knows better and tells their boss to reveal himself, which he obliges.
Our mystery man, who's name is Yakage, is there for one reason alone: to fight the Master Key in combat. He sends his wooden warriors, Kuze and Hakkou, to challenge him. Also, look at this page:
The key thing to point out is that Yakage says he does not have much time...how ominous.
With that, we open to our next chapter: "Plunder." Whenever I see that word, Mario Party 2 always springs to mind.
The fight continues as Tenchi is not doing so hot. He is getting his ass handed to him by Yakage's guardians.
"I don't have time to bleed."
Yakage is confused by this, as he was expecting a great challenge from the man who killed Kagato. The wooden guys go in for the kill, but are stopped by Ayeka's wooden forcefield things.
Do these things have a name? Leave a comment below if these things actually have a name.
Yakage instantly recognizes her as the First Princess of the Planet Jurai and does the only sensible thing: he kidnaps her and tells Tenchi he has ten days to gain better control over the Master Key or else.
I love that even Katsuhito realizes that this could easily turn into a rehash of the Kagato incident, with the exception of Ayeka replacing Ryoko. Still, you know what that means!
CALL TO ADVENTURE! GAINING A MENTOR! TRIALS! ORDEAL!
Yes, we have a new adventure so Tenchi gets to follow the Monomyth cycle yet again! This time, it is all laid out on the table: Tenchi has to rescue the Princess in World 8-4!
Just like this.
Tenchi, the noble hero that he is, agrees instantly but there is a snag: he has no way of getting there and Ryoko refuses to let Tenchi get hurt so soon after the Kagato incident. As such, he will not be able to use Ryo-Ohki. Tenchi has a better idea though:
I love you Snarky Tenchi. Never change.
Ryoko then does the sensible thing and knocks Tenchi out before he can hop on Ryo-Ohki unprepared. Everyone is shocked but Ryoko makes it clear: she will rescue Ayeka so Tenchi doesn't have to. If the worst is to happen, get the hell out of dodge.
Ryoko's characterization marches on even in the manga. Okuda really gets these characters and their motivations.
Chapter Five is up next and it is called "Practice Makes Perfect." Is this going to be a training montage chapter? Please say it will.
Sasami and Mihoshi find Tenchi concentrating under a waterfall to strengthen his resolve under the tutelage of Katsuhito.
Badass Tenchi.
Cut to Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki realizing they have no idea where they are going. Ryoko initially jokes about giving up and leaving Ayeka for dead, but Ryo-Ohki stops that from going any further. Our space pirate, out of ideas, drops one of her energy swords and is going to have Ryo-Ohki fly in that direction. However, that idea is stopped immediately.
Yes, Washu snuck aboard off panel because of course she did. Washu gives Ryo-Ohki a bit of Yakage's scent and has her track it like a blood hound. Ryoko is not amused. You know who also isn't amused? Tenchi.
Our hero is shivering to death under the waterfall in a comical scene that I'm just going to throw here in it's entirety.
Minagi awakens in the ship and begs a floating crystal to explain everything to her. In another room, Ayeka, locked in a shield, realizes that Yakage is actually a Juraian and he expresses another wish: he wishes to see Tenchi create Light Hawk Wings.
Or "Wings of the Shining Eagle." Why not?
Yakage then sees Ryo-Ohki and is pleased to see that Tenchi has arrived so soon. Of course, we know that it is not Tenchi but Ryoko and Washu. But what happens next? Why, let's read Chapter Six "A Good Scolding" to find out!
The cabbit docks without incident and Ryoko wants to formulate a plan with Washu...who of course has disappeared already. Comedy folks.
Meanwhile, the crystals of Yakage's ship (technically, this appears to be a secondary ship belonging to Yakage) are worried about Minagi, who is described as a cyber marionette. This...is disturbing. However, we see that Yakage has been training Minagi in the art of swordplay for some time now.
The crystals are debating upon contacting Yakage, who is their master, and letting Minagi be. Minagi, however, awakens and wants to know everything from the computer system, one of which is called Hinase.
Hinase? Bet we will never hear that name again.
Let's see what's going on at the Masaki residence, shall we?
Tenchi is meditating with the Master Key, trying to keep Alpha Wave control in a fight. Of course, we have no idea what that is, so it is up to Washu...
Oh, they only just realized that she is gone. Who knew.
It is up to Katsuhito to explain. Basically, Tenchi needs to keep a sound mind and body during his fight in order to keep himself from being distracted. His Grandfather is impressed with Tenchi's skills but has one final test: a naked image of Ryoko!
He claims it is for the fans. I'm not showing it to you though. I don't want to be flagged for mature content!
That is another thing about this manga that I love: it breaks the fourth wall every chance it gets. What is the fourth wall? Well, consider it like this: these character know every now and then that they are in a comic book. Think of a character like The Joker or Deadpool. That is part of their schtick.
Following the fan service, we see that Yakage is not pleased to find Ryoko on the ship and not Tenchi. He is not fighting to be evil, he just wants to fight. Though he is impressed with her skills, this is not the fight he was anticipating.
The same can be said about Ayeka. She is actually insulted that Ryoko is the one saving her and not Tenchi. Ryoko is fine with it until Ayeka tells her "I would rather die than be saved by you!" What does Ryoko do?
She slaps her.
Ryoko calls her out on her attitude. Tenchi is doing everything he can to save her life and would be crushed if Ayeka would die. He would blame himself. Realizing that it is time to get serious, Ryoko uses her pre-established demon calling technique from Episode Four and prepares to cut loose on Yakage.
Of course, this means we begin a new chapter: "Relationships!"
Ryoko and Yakage engage in a rather serious battle. It appears that Ryoko has the upper hand for most of the fight. Ayeka is thrilled to be rescued, though she does not approve of her choice of a savior.
However, Ryoko tells Yakage to quit it and take the battle seriously. Our designated villain is impressed that she saw through his deception and apologized for the rudeness. He gives her the shocking news: the only way for Ayeka's shield to drop is for him to die.
This just got serious.
Yakage proceeds to beat down Ryoko mercilessly. It is another well drawn fight and unfortunately, Ryoko loses. But remember Episode Four? Ryoko has no control over the demons she summons. Yakage and Ayeka are fearful for Ryoko when, as all hope seems lost, Washu comes and banishes the demons away like in Episode Seven.
Remember, even if the first chapter came out before Episode Seven, this chapter most certainly came out after it.
We also discover that Washu and Yakage knew each other. I mean, we could probably assume that given the fact Minagi is basically Ryoko's twin minus the markings on her cheek, but it also reinforces the Kagato comparisons.
Kagato rehash? Perhaps.
It is here that our story ends: on a cliffhanger. What will happen to Ayeka? Will Yakage become a memorable character? Will Minagi become a killing machine again? And what about Tenchi? Will he survive his Grandfather's training? We will find out next time, but first, let's do the Review:
Review
If you haven't noticed, I love the manga version. Hell, this may be my favorite iteration of Tenchi ever.
There is a simple reason for this: combined there are 22 volumes of material with over 100 pages each. Okuda has had the necessary time to KNOW these characters inside out. He adds things to the characters that I wish were expanded upon in the anime. I love how they play up Katsuhito's humorous side. We really don't get that again until Episode Nine and even then that is really the last time we see that.
Tenchi is fantastic here. He gets the time to shine even as the girls overtake the story. It is less of tried and true "The girls do something, they fail, and Tenchi attempts to fix it all in the end." This comes up now and again, sure, but they lampshade it. Tenchi is a funny character here, and that is a key selling point of this manga: the tone.
Okuda knows just when to include humor and when to keep it serious. Volume Three contains one of the most heartwarming Tenchi stories ever, but the touches of humor are just balanced enough to make it work. We will get probably the definitive Ayeka and Mihoshi stories in the manga, and you should be grateful for it.
This volume has a lot to prove. It needs to maintain the spirit of the original OVA while keeping it reader friendly in case the audience is picking it up on a whim. In addition, it should be fresh and new. There are multiple ways to do this: multi-chapter arcs and single issue "slice of life" stories. This formula is also seen in the first two OVAs. OVA 1 is one continuous story. OVA 2 is 2/3rds "slice of life" stories and 1/3rd overarching arc.
But how does THIS volume hold up? It's kind of a mixed bag.
The main story at this point really does just feel like a rehash of Episode Five and Six of the OVA. Yakage is interesting to be sure, but is there a darker motivation to him? We do not know. Kagato seemed civilized, but was an intergalactic monster. Both are interested in the Master Key. Both have established ties to Washu. Both kidnap one of the girls. This shouldn't really work, yet it does.
It works due to, again, the lampshading. Yosho calls it out immediately. We see it immediately. But here we have a new element: Minagi. This is, again, a partial rehash of OVA 1. However, it is flipped around. In OVA 1, Ryoko was brainwashed by Kagato. In the manga, Minagi gets amnesia to forget her time with Yakage. As a character, she hasn't fully formed yet.
Give it time, though. You will grow to love her.
I am going to have to adjust the criteria a bit for the manga, so be aware that certain things will be different here than the OVA reviews:
Art: The fighting is done rather well, but it can be a bit cluttered at times. Okuda is perfecting his art as he goes along. The characters are on point, but slowly they will get more and more stylized as time goes on. I'm interested to see when that shift occurs. The drawing accentuates the humor perfectly: 19/20
Characterizations: The characters are perfectly captured from their OVA counterparts. I can read this with the American voice cast without hesitation. Again, I wish they had something for Nobuyuki to do, but amazingly his only main role comes in a few episodes of OVA 3 and an episode of Universe. Oh well: 18/20
Main Characters: Tenchi is back to his snarky self, which is a beautiful thing. Ryoko and Ayeka are well utilized, but the main star has to be Minagi. We are interested to see where a seemingly calm Ryoko like character will go. However, the amnesia aspect is a bit of a cop out. I understand it is used so we can explore her relationship with Yakage from a fresh perspective, but it is the oldest trope in the book. Speaking of, Yakage is interesting, but we still don't know a lot about him yet. This will be expanded on in the next volume: 18/20
Supporting Characters: Yosho is hilarious. Washu is funny. Mihoshi is barely used. Sasami is mainly there to be the heart. Nobuyuki has two scenes. Okuda is still working on balancing his cast of characters. However, if you are starting a Tenchi manga, you NEEED to focus on Ayeka, Ryoko, and Tenchi, so I can forgive that: 17/20
Story: Points have to be docked for the rehashing, but it stands well on its own. We want to know what will happen to our heroes and can't wait to pick up Volume Two: 17/20
Overall Tenchi Rating: 88!
Monomyth Progress: Ordeal!
Ayeka and Ryoko Verbal Sparring: 5!
Of course, now that I have started this story, I have to finish it. Join me next time when I review the next volume of No Need For Tenchi: Sword Play!
I LOVE the Tenchi manga (No Need for Tenchi more so than All-New Tenchi Muyo, though the latter has its moments), there's some great story arcs in the series and it all begins with this one. I still remember buying the first volume having enjoyed the anime and how excited I was to learn of its existence.
ReplyDeletePoor old Nobuyuki. He does get one funny moment though in All-New Tenchi Muyo when he surprisingly smacks Ryoko on the head for being overly mean about Mihoshi.