Tenchi Muyo! Hasegawa Novel One: One Visitor After Another: Hexagram of Love

Fandoms can be a really great thing.

A lot of great things come about when a fandom works together to make things happen for the good of the tightknit community. One such example is the 501^st Leigon, a group of Star Wars fans who go about and do all kinds of charity work in the name of Star Wars. Look them up, I implore you. Your heart will melt. 

I bring this up because today’s review is a labor of love from the good folks at Tenchiforum.

A few members of the forum (Nil Admirari, Crazed, Shadowfalls0, JGZinv, WhisperG, and Dagon123) worked tirelessly on a project simply titles “The Hasegawa Translation Project.” Their goal was simple: translate the novels written by Naoko Hasegawa for a Western audience. The only Hasegawa work that most English speaking Tenchi fans knew was Daughter of Darkness, which was adapted for the second Tenchi movie. I will get to that at a more appropriate time. This was the first Hasegawa novel that was written and the first to be translated.

And boy, does it give you a lot to think about when you consider what will happen in the future and the behind the scenes drama.

From what I gather, this is the last project Hasegawa, Hayashi, and Kajishima worked on together. Hayashi worked on the illustrations inside the novel, Kajishima gave notes and drew the cover, and Hasegawa wrote the thing (obviously.) That means that at one point, this was part of THE canon. Keep that in mind. Why things changed will forever be lost to us, as we all need to pick things out of interviews to fill in the blanks ourselves. Regardless, let us start looking at my first book review for this blog!

To make things easier to understand, I'm going to use screencaps from the past to help you figure out who is talking. In addition I enlisted some aid:

"Hi, I'm Troy Mcclure! You might remember me from such great shows like The Terrible Titans of Trident Ten and Why Is The Gym Sinking Into The Floor. Since there are several pictures of people named Naoko Hasegawa, the author has no idea which is the REAL Hasegawa relating to this project. As such, anytime you see me, I'm reading for her, unless one of the drawings from the book will work in my place. Back to you Drillmaster!"

Thanks Troy.

Our first chapter is titled “Happy New Year!” This fits nicely with my previous timeline as this takes place a short time after Kagato’s defeat. The book opens up with a nice description of the characters. Summarized, we learn that:

Ryoko was the mummy of the Masaki Shrine. She can summon demons but is naïve. She was used as a puppet by Kagato and is a fantastic fighter, but she doesn’t really have a place in peaceful times.

Ayeka is the first Princess of Jurai. She is cunning, sly, and is apparently the very, very model of a proper Japanese Woman. Her personality, however, can be scary.

Sasami is the second Princess of Jurai. She is cute and is great with the housework.

Mihoshi is a clumsy First Class Detective. She spends most of her time doing her hair.

Washu is the oldest of the girls but looks the youngest. She was Kagato’s professor, a specialist of biotechnology, and Ryoko’s Mother. 

Hasegawa then goes out of her way to explain that the reader will need to be familiar with OVA 1, which she then summarizes for those who are unfamiliar with it. Some interesting tidbits to note are that Tenchi trains specifically in Bushido, Ryoko is supposed to resemble a seventeen (?!) year old girl, and we hear both Ryoko’s and Ayeka’s accounts of why they deserve Tenchi:

“’When I was a space pirate, I heard of a great treasure that existed on Jurai called The Master Key; however, when I was sent to retrieve it Ayeka’s older brother appeared. He began to chase me so I escaped to Earth. Upon arrival, he used the Master Key to imprison me for 700 years. Then Tenchi came and he woke me up. So, that makes Tenchi mine!’”

“’Even though Yosho is my older half-brother, he is also my fiancé. He’s been missing for a very long time and because of that I can’t marry him, and it’s all Ryoko’s fault! However, I am grateful to Tenchi. When I was depressed he was there to comfort me. Lord Tenchi is strong yet kind, is this why whenever I’m near him I feel so safe?’”

I have to say, just as a side note, this IS a fan project. As such, there are a few spelling and grammatical errors every now and then. Nothing major, but it also stems from translating directly from Japanese. If I see them in an important quote, I will fix them if it is distracting. This does not detract from the quality of the work and you should consider yourself lucky that we get this at all.

Hey, I’m an English Teacher. Proofreading is what I do. Heck, I make minor edits to this blog when I can. I catch mistakes nearly every time I read one of my posts.

Once that is out of the way, the book summarizes the Kagato conflict rather nicely and finishes up with this:

“Ha…this is exhausting. Are you tired of reading? After all, it’s still early in the book...I just wanted to casually emphasize it.”

That’s cute.

Following the summary, we learn that all of the girls have dressed up for New Year’s in kimonos.

 But Tenchi has a problem: WHO WILL HE SIT NEXT TO?

“Ms. Ayeka and Ryoko exchange evil looks with one another. A fight could break out if the seating arrangement is not decided soon. Tenchi involuntarily looked to his Father for help. Nobuyuki replied with a large grin, lucky guy. It’s useless. Tenchi began plotting his next move.”

Right off the bat we establish a better relationship between Nobuyuki and Tenchi than the entire first two OVAs. Thank you Ms. Hasegawa!

The girls begin to fight as Tenchi eats and drinks the traditional Japanese New Year feast. Hasegawa likes to describe how the girls look in Tenchi’s mind and it shows us that he does view them as attractive…but just not ready to decide yet.

“Simultaneously, Tenchi and Ayeka look into each other’s eyes. She has a delicate figure, such graceful curves, which are all hidden under her nagajuban. Tenchi had to catch his breath; as for Ayeka, her ears became red and she roughly grabbed Ryoko by the collar, glaring at her as if with the intent to kill.”

These kind of descriptions aren’t my kind of thing, but damn it, it shows that Tenchi is at least a bit human. He literally hasn’t shown any interest in the girls since Episode Four. 

So the girls keep fighting, Sasami calls for peace, Katsuhito laughs it off, and Mihoshi tries rice cakes. All in all, it’s kind of uneventful…that is until Washu informs Mihoshi that she has a chance in the running for Tenchi’s heart. Mihoshi…well it’s honestly really sad:

“’Try hard and win…I never thought about it like that. [...] How do I do it? I’m just a ditz, and with the exception of my luck what kind of qualities are those? Ryoko and Ayeka would probably be a lot happier if I left. Don’t you think so? Washu...oh!’ Again, Mihoshi loudly fell over, and once again, Washu gave her a hand.”

That is the most characterization for Mihoshi that I have ever seen. She is fully aware that she is a ditz and sees it as a negative trait. The girl is self-conscious and is depressed about it. That makes Mihoshi a well-rounded character!

 Washu, for her part, gives Mihoshi a pep talk and states that she is staying out of the “fight for Tenchi’s heart,” but still wants to figure him out…even if she has to be forceful to do it:

“’Eh, Miss Washu, no…’ Mihoshi almost called the action raping Tenchi…she then became flustered and put her hands against her blushing face.”

…

WHY IS THIS AN ACCEPTED THING IN THE TENCHI UNIVERSE?! WHY IS THIS A COMMON DISCUSSION NO MATTER WHICH VERSION OF TENCHI I WATCH AND/OR READ?!

Our first chapter ends with the cryptic notion that Tenchi’s problems are only just starting. From here, we start our next chapter “Current Feelings?”

This chapter opens up with a weird segment about a reporter questioning Tenchi’s feelings toward the girls. It isn’t made clear if this is just for our benefit to get inside his head or if there was a literal reporter there. Regardless, he does ask some interesting questions:

“’Isn’t it true that Ryoko’s your childhood sweetheart? How about this one? The rumor about you being with the Galaxy Police Officer Mihoshi. Then there is your association with the genius scientist Washu. After that, oh my, but she’s so young at this point in time, princess Ayeka’s cute little sister Sasami, but this leads me to my next question. Using her, are you trying to tailor make yourself a bride for the future?’”

WOW. They went there. It is all on the table. So what is Tenchi’s response?

“’Wha, what are you talking about? I, I just, I haven’t laid a finger on any of them! However, whom I like and marry is an issue! I’m a man, after all. Although, I would feel bad if any of the girls were forced. But, it is true. That one time we went to the hot springs I never laid one finger on them! And of course I haven’t kissed them, either! Even if I told you that me and one of the girls were dating it just wouldn’t work because the rest of them still live at my house!’”

I…just…okay, this is a lot to take in. 

So Tenchi in the Hasegawa world is against the Harem Ending, but realizes the flaw in choosing a single girl. However, this is like the only acknowledgement beyond a nosebleed that Tenchi really does find the girls attractive. Why? Because he is a man!

A manly man!

However, the line that bothers me is “I would feel bad if any of the girls were forced.” Tenchi, you don’t seem like the kind of guy who would force any of the girls to do anything. You don’t even force the girls to do chores! You just make them feel bad about it! If anything YOU would be the one who was forced to make a choice.

So what does our reporter friend say to that?

“’So, you’re saying you feel nothing for them at all? Well, I don’t buy that. Please, just answer honestly. You can deny it all you want, but everyone knows you spied on them at the hot springs.’”

No, Nobuyuki and Ryoko did. Tenchi was forced into looking at the girls.

After the reporter suggests that Ryoko is the girl for him, the scene ends…again I’m confused as to whether this is metaphorical or a literal scene.

Regardless, Tenchi now internalizes about his thoughts on each of the girls. Basically it boils down to this:

Ayeka: Graceful, attractive, and prideful.

Ryoko: Violent, attractive, and earnest.

Mihoshi: Bright, tentative, and exhausting.

Sasami: Cute and dependable. Tenchi believes that if he were to marry her in the future, she would be perfect wife material (?!)

Washu: Frightening, mysterious, and scary. Tenchi does not really know what to make of her other than she would be an experience if she married him…and he’s not sure if he would be up to the task.

Regardless if Sasami is the most well-mannered of the girls, it does not feel right that she is even CONSIDERED a possibility. 

Tenchi, however, has come to the realization that all of this talk about girls is stressful.

“’Well, anyway. Why do I have to be so indecisive?  I wonder if it would have been better if I had never met Ryoko. If that were the case, I would be living an ordinary high school student’s life without all these girls around me and all these worries.’”

No, because the worries of getting picked on, standardized tests, and getting into college are worse than having girls who care for you hanging around. Admittedly, you wouldn’t have space fights and all of the other crazy stuff, but that stuff is great! Would you really want a dull, ordinary life?

Then we get the most important piece of the puzzle yet:

“’The girls are fine by themselves. There’s no need for three, four, or even five people. There’s no good reason for them to be here. Yeah, that’s the truth.’”

What…?! Holy crap Tenchi! That…I mean…that is insane! What do you really feel about these girls? In the Kagato fight, you claimed you would rather die than forsake any of them. Now you are saying that they have no right to live in your house? That…

That is called character development and depth. I am not used to such things.

I might not agree with that choice, but holy hell, it makes Tenchi a decently rounded character. He actually has a flaw beyond wanting a normal life: he is a smidge resentful. He is annoyed by the presence of others in his life. He is angered by the fact that he is nothing more than eye candy at times. HE IS ANNOYED THAT HIS WORLD NO LONGER REVOLVES AROUND HIM.

Me too buddy. Me too.

Actually, the mere fact that Tenchi has these thoughts bothers him. He has no idea where they are coming from, but it concerns him never the less.

It also concerns Katsuhito, who takes the opportunity of his Grandson lost in thought to crack him with his boken. After dueling for a little longer, Katsuhito lets his Grandson know that, yes, everybody likes him. This seems to make Tenchi feel a little better, even though that kind of is a given considering everybody WANTS him and LIVES with him. 

Ryoko, who is observing the fight, relates a Japanese fairy tale called "The Acorns and the Wildcats." It is about a lad named Ichiro was sent a postcard by a Wildcat, informing him that he has to be a judge for a trial and asked for his advice for the trial. After a long journey, the lad finally meets up with the Wildcat, who is impressed by the boy’s manners. It turns out the trial is about golden acorns who do not get along, arguing who the best acorn is. The Wildcat has no idea what to do, but Ichiro has a great idea: whomever is the poorest, foolish, and wickedness of them should be the best. The Wildcat was pleased and asked him if it would be okay to command him to his court again, but Ichiro declined the offer, saying he liked the previous arrangement. Saddened, the Wildcat told him to choose between a reward: either a salmon or golden acorns. He chose the golden acorns but when he left the woods, the golden acorns turned into regular acorns. With that, the boy never saw the Wildcat again and wondered if he should have accepted the Wildcat’s offer.

In Ryoko’s version, she actually went to a PLANET called Acorn Mountain and was challenged to a duel for the Golden Acorn Treasure. Tenchi calls her out on lifting the story, which she ignores. 

Looking at the fairy tale, it becomes apparent that Ichiro is supposed to be Tenchi and the acorns are the girls. As such, Tenchi SHOULD pick the girl who is the most foolish, poorest, and wickedest of them all. This obviously is referring to Ryoko, as both Ayeka and Sasami are wealthy, Mihoshi comes from a good family, and technically Ryoko is considered the wickedest (though Washu can probably take that title too). It is a nice touch to see her utilize her time in astral form to devise a way to convince Tenchi that they are meant to be despite her destructive personality.

Ryoko does her best to act nicely around Tenchi and Katsuhito, including making them tea. Katsuhito then says that she is acting more, and I quote, “womanly.”

If this were Kajishima, I’d be ripping this a new one. But technically this was written by Hasegawa who, if you haven’t picked up on it, is a woman. It might be a cultural thing, but I think it is kind of insulting. If he had said that “You seem calmer” or something along those lines, it would convey the same meaning while being less sexist.

The old man leaves the two alone…which of course gives Ryoko the idea to try to kiss him. Tenchi, being incredibly conflicted in this novel, thinks about it for a page and finally stands up, unwilling to cross that line with any of the girls.

Doesn’t mean she’s not going to try anyway.

Then Ryoko drops a bombshell on Tenchi and, technically, us:

“’I hate the thought of you being taken by anyone. So, are you saying you don’t love me, and that you are going to abandon me? I don’t know if this is a good thing to say. You must like Ayeka and Mihoshi because they were raised by their parents.’”

...what.

“’For the first time I can fully remember my true feelings. For seven hundred years, I was only able to go out and explore the shrine in my astral body. When you were small, you always had the option to go back to your Mom…I envied you.’”

..what?

“’Then you said ‘I love you, Mommy! You’re the best Mom ever.’ You would go back home…I was jealous.’”

Oh dear God. Ryoko has a deep, hidden complex about the fact she wasn’t raised by her Mother. It is bad enough that she was used as a weapon by Kagato, but she literally thinks that she is inferior to Ayeka and Mihoshi because they were raised in a family unit. My heart is melting for this woman. That is the saddest freaking thing I have read yet. 

It also makes Washu’s treatment of her in “Here Comes Jurai 2” even worse than before. Admittedly, it’s not canon here, but still man. Goddamn it Washu.

The story also gives us a reason, a damn good reason, just WHY Ryoko tried to kill Tenchi in Episode One: he stopped coming to the cave and she felt so lonely that she began to focus her loneliness into anger…anger at her feelings about Tenchi!

“’…I appeared as a monster, as Ayeka calls me. I’m not used to being around human beings. I would fly through outer space together with Ryo-Ohki. Someday, I won’t be able to regenerate my body parts, and then I’ll die…’”

Tenchi’s heart is as broken as mine and tells Ryoko the most important thing he has ever spoken:

“Those things don’t matter now, Ryoko. Ryoko, what are you saying? You’re fine as you are now. You might think it’s impossible to be more human [,] because I like you as you are now, Ryoko!”

TENCHI JUST ADMITTED HE LIKES RYOKO!

I mean, technically, he’s not saying that he LIKES her, but in the context of this conversation, it is just as good. Normally I would say that he likes all of the girls, but even Tenchi himself has to think about what he just said:

“Like? He likes Ryoko? Now, does he really mean it?”

I mean, both interpretations could work.

Remember when shetried to kill him?

The mood worsens when Ryoko comes to a startling realization: she can’t use her powers!

“’Tenchi…it’s not good…it hurts…!’”

Ryoko then falls asleep in Tenchi’s arms and the comment that closes this section makes you wonder just what Ryoko and Tenchi’s relationship really is:

“This is…this is love.”

Oh…never mind. It seems to be spelled out pretty clearly then. Oh well, join us next time when we return to the…

I kid. I kid. So, we are only about a third of the way done with the novel. I’m curious to see just where this plot will go, because this has really been a more internal story. This idea that Ryoko is having issues with her powers is the first legitimate plot point of the story. So what is going to happen next? 

Thankfully, it seems we will get some answers in this next chapter. Why? Its title is “What’s Going on Here?”

“’I’m asking what you were doing with Ryoko just now!’”

Wait, false alarm. It’s just Ayeka doing her thing.

Tenchi tries to explain what is happening with Ryoko, but Ayeka dismisses it immediately:

“’I…I…I don’t believe you, Lord Tenchi. You were having a premarital affair.’”

Ayeka is a dick.

Ryoko weakly tells her to knock her crap off and is prepared to kill (?!) Ayeka with her lightsaber. Obviously we can’t have that so Tenchi tries to appeal to her better judgement.

“’Stop. Just please stop. I just want things to [go] back to how they were. Can you two please just stop and take each other’s hands? Why are you doing this?’”

“A hand for each hand was planned for the world. Why don’t my fingers reach? Millions of grains of sand in the world. Why such a lonely beach?”

Shit is about to go down and the narrator says of the situation:

“It looked like a three way cat fight. When a sane person comes along and sees this, they will surely throw a bucket of water on them.”

Of course, since this is Tenchi, the next sentence is Mihoshi asking why Washu has a giant bucket in her hands. She dumps the water on the trio and Tenchi sums up the situation rather nicely:

“’Is this a lovers’ quarrel that spans the galaxy?’”

That’s Tenchi’s view of it. How about Washu’s?

“’They’ve got sex on the brain. At any rate, if all they think about is him they’ll have to put it into practice sooner or later.’”

That…that is blunt.

Speaking of, we learn that Washu is frustrated as hell to be released and surrounded by people who are not on the same level of intelligence as her. I honestly never considered that, but it really would be hard for a genius like Washu to basically have her best friend be a person like Mihoshi. To be stuck on a primitive planet like Earth is probably torture for her.

“’It pains me that this is how it is, so I might just have to make this place one of great scientific locations in the galaxy!’”

I love all of these small tidbits about the characters, but boy they are random at times.

Mihoshi tries to understand why Washu is upset, but Washu shrugs it off and makes Mihoshi her lab assistant?! This also makes Mihoshi realize that she can use Washu’s technology to send her report about Kagato.

And with that, Episode Seven will not work in this continuity.

We now have reached the next section called “This is Called an Ansible.” So, what is an ansible? Well, this actually has been a science fiction mainstay since 1966, where writer Ursula K. Le Guin coined the term in her novel Rocannon’s World. It can basically be described as a universal communication device. 

Imagine calling a person on Jupiter from Earth…or Jurai in this case! This should be right up Ayeka’s alley!

“’Wait, don’t contact them yet.’”

Oh…wait, what? Why wouldn’t Ayeka want to contact Jurai? This is the Ayeka of OVA 1, who cared about Jurai more than anything save Tenchi’s chastity. Why wouldn’t…

Well, that’s true. But that is technically OVA 2. Maybe THIS Misaki will be different.

“’They haven’t seen Yosho in a very long time and I know Mother and Father are worried about us.’’

Okay Ayeka, what are you REALLY thinking?

“’Would he be fine if I left? After all, I’m the only woman for him.’”

Of course you are. However, she is a very insecure Princess and another thought worms her way into her head:

“’Lord Tenchi actually does like Ryoko more. I don’t want to be considered an obstructive woman.’”

This…so Mihoshi, Washu, Ryoko, and now Ayeka have emotionally complex issues that seem to be coming out in this story. The only one who hasn’t shown us a deep rooted feeling is Sasami, who as we know already has one in one version of the OVA continuity. 

This is the strong point of a written media versus a visual media. We are limited to only what can be animated and narrated in a cartoon. A novel can, but not always, allow the readers to truly explore the character’s feelings and motivations in ways that a cartoon cannot. Of course, this leads to an overflow of information that may or may not detract from the progress of the story.

Take Red Dragon. The novel has been adapted THREE times now between Manhunter, Red Dragon, and Hannibal. Each brings its own focus to the novel’s rich story. Manhunter focuses on Will Graham’s struggle with insanity while downplaying Francis Dolarhyde’s backstory immensely. It also cuts out the twist ending of the book, but keeps the novel’s minimal Hannibal Lecter presence. Red Dragon brings back the Dolarhyde backstory and downplays Graham’s insanity. THIS version retains the twist ending but ADDS scenes to bank on Lecter’s popularity. As for Hannibal, it hints at the Dolarhyde backstory, expands upon the Graham insanity, increases the Lecter presence, and completely changes the twist ending of the book. 

What I am getting at is that the novel has a lot of material that is not necessary for a movie. We don’t need everything about Freddy Lounds’ girlfriend in the adaptations nor do we need to keep the story beat for beat. If the story can be done better in a certain way, you shouldn’t have to worry about accuracy to the EVENTS of the novel so long as it is in line with the CHARACTERS and STORY.

Everything in this novel so far has ADDED to the existing emotions of the characters and built upon everything that they have underwent in OVA 1. However, so far most of what is actually happening in the story is not really important. Hopefully we can get the plot ball rolling with this new device!

While Ayeka and Ryoko start fighting…again…Mihoshi takes the opportunity to contact the Galaxy Police. She gets in contact with her superior Chief…Nobeyama? Wait, is that Quimby’s real name? Because he sure as hell doesn’t look like Quimby in this drawing, but Google tells me otherwise.

"One trouble-making detective has made me tear every hair from my beautiful head!"

Wait…that image…that girl…is that…?

“Oh…Kiyone…it’s been so long!”

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the first ever appearance of Kiyone Makibi!

This joyful reunion is halted when another officer asks to speak with Mihoshi named Chief Anderson. Who is Chief Anderson?

 "And now we can fulfill our mission to rule the world by turning all humans...into lion creatures!"

These names suck. I don’t care, on my blog these people will be referred to as Quimby and Taur.

But who cares about what he has to say, the novel goes out of its way to give us some background on Kiyone. Shall we read on?

“This is the real Kiyone. Coming from [the] Planet Jurai, she had an exceptionally high IQ and was an expert in combat, so she decided to enroll at the Galaxy Police Academy in the hopes of joining the elite. Unfortunately, however, luck was not on her side. If her and Mihoshi had never partnered up she would have surely been doing important work at headquarters.”

The key thing to take out of this is that Kiyone hails from Jurai. This is our first instance of having a Juraian who isn’t royalty! That is progress!

Taur questions Tenchi and Mihoshi about how the hell they were able to defeat Kagato and learns about the presence of all of the cast in the house. I far prefer this version of the events to Episode Seven, where it was played for laughs in a different way. In that episode, Mihoshi was too lovestruck to care about anything other than Tenchi. In this novel, Taur and Quimby are just shocked by every single revelation that keeps coming out. A similar gag will be used in Tenchi Universe to great effect.

Washu then reveals the main reason why she called:

“’By the way, using the ansible is the same as making a collect call. I am now penniless. All that money I lost when Soja was destroyed, and I never even opened a bank account. Oh well, it’s not like I need a degree or anything like that to collect the finder’s fee. Since I don’t have a ship I can’t leave here, so I was hoping someone would be kind and pick me up. Transmit the coordinates here.’” 

Is Washu asking that somebody pick her up so she can leave the planet or is she asking for someone to pick her up to collect the finder’s fee? If it is the former, than Hasegawa is really making Washu feel lonely and isolated.

However, I think that it is the latter. I say that because Tenchi requests that the GP send a small detachment to his house as opposed to a large fleet. He (correctly) believes that it is too soon for Japan to see such action after the destruction of the Great Seto Bridge.

It is by this point that Taur pieces together everything, including the whereabouts of Yosho. He informs Ayeka that he has to contact her family, as Azusa put out a Missing Person’s Report about her. Until they get there, Mihoshi will be her bodyguard and nobody is to leave as they are witnesses in the Kagato case. This includes Ryoko, who is technically a free woman but hates the police on principle.

The next section, “The Kagato Case and Resolution,” begins with an interesting point of view: the galaxy as a whole upon learning about the events of Episode Six. We get a few news headlines as well. These include:

“’The Kagato Case and Resolution’”

“’Princess Ayeka has been safely discovered! The Juraian palace is full of joy!”

“’Modern day legend! Jurai’s first crown prince is alive!’”

“’It’s a difficult solution! The legendary genius schoolgirl Washu has appeared.’”

So in this continuity Yosho is actually outed to the galaxy? That…that is amazing. Could we deal with all of the implications of his abdication of the throne? Will challengers come across the galaxy to face the greatest duelist of all time?

“I object to that!”

Shut up Mokuba.

“What did I do?”

You were born.

The Galaxy Police is in an uproar that this information has been leaked. Amazingly, we learn that Tenchi is hailed as a hero across the galaxy, which is mindboggling to say the least. We also learn that Quimby is an “Earth Enthusiast…” whatever that is…

Mihoshi’s Grandfather (the Marshall if you recall from Episode Four) joins in the fun and fills everyone (and us as well) in on what will be going down:

“’We will have many guests coming from Jurai. It will be difficult to perform the conference as it will be very noisy. I want to confirm their daughter’s safety as soon as possible. Planet Jurai is steeped in ancient history. I am a founding member of the Federation Council. It’s such a nuisance, I wish I could put it all behind me and ignore it. Isn’t the Juraian royal palace empty right now? Everybody from the Juraian palace is coming including the Empress, the aid, bodyguards, the servants, and even the chefs. They will soon see our troubles for themselves, and offer aid. Moreover, each star system’s media representative will be there.  How unpleasant. However, the Galaxy Police will be placed under the control of Jurai, so unpleasant.’”

“The Emperor’s coming here?”

“That is correct Commander. And he is most displeased with your apparent lack of incest.”

Kiyone offers to go to Earth because she is Juraian, specifically a Juraian commoner. She explains that commoners have a different view of the monarchy: they try but they aren’t doing a good job.

What. Explain further madam.

“The Jurai Royal Family has a very long lifespan. Two thousand years in Galactic Standard Time. A commoner is only 200 years. They are ten times that. The Commoner Parliament has no power over the Royal Family Parliament. The difference between the ruling class and the subordinate class is far too large.’”

This raises the question of how that is even possible. Does the Juraian Royal Family come from a very specific lineage that allows it to survive that long or is this the byproduct of genetic manipulation? Are the Royals hoarding the secret of long life? If they are, why can’t they share? In addition, where do people like Washu and Ryoko fall into this? I’m aware that Washu is the sister of Tokimi and Tsunami, but until they show Tokimi in this novel I will remain confused. 

Got anything else to add Kiyone?

“’In the past there have been several rebellions. Rebellion members still exist in hiding. This is a once in a lifetime chance for them. The whole Jurai Royal Family is gathering. Furthermore, because of the special protection law, with the exception of self-defense weapons, weapons are forbidden. Rebels are not limited to Jurai alone. There’s another star system aiming for power expansion, pirates may be helping. Chief. Don’t you see? This isn’t an internal affairs problem, but an international problem.’”

So the plot of this story is the Galaxy Police are being sent to Earth to watch over the Juraian Royal Family and prevent a possible rebellion from breaking out? That is insane. We are showing how an actual monarchy would run on a planet. Jurai may be great, but there are always those of a dissenting opinion. 

Also, I just realized I’m exactly halfway through the novel now. This is going to be a long one, isn’t it?

The members of the Galaxy Police are now all on the same page about the situation. This portion ends with a rather interesting tidbit about Kiyone:

“Kiyone felt the love. It is a love that a Grandfather gives to his Grandchildren.  She remembered her intense jealousy of Mihoshi. Mihoshi was blessed with too much.”

How is it possible that we went from a show that made the characters too boring and one dimensional to having these characters be complex (and somewhat miserable) people? I love the character building, but I think we need some positive character development to lighten the mood.

Following this, we meet a new character: Peter Finlay of Headquarter’s Agent Administration Division. In a world with people named Tenchi, Kiyone, Taur, and Kagato, seeing a name like “Peter” is a bit odd. He is an interesting guy who befriends Sasami and seems to have a good knowledge of Earth culture:

“’Princess Sasami, can you introduce me to your sister? It’d make an ‘Okayama Holiday’ more like a Roman Holiday.’”

What a terrible pun.

Pete explains that he was sent to investigate the entire situation, from Tenchi’s victory to Ryoko’s previous crimes. Sasami begs him not to arrest Ryoko, but Pete tries to let her know that he is not there to do that. However, if Ryoko were to commit further crimes, she would have to be arrested. He tells her not to tell Ryoko about the conversation.

Of course, Ryoko naturally has been eavesdropping the entire time.

“’I’m not going to just sit around and let you catch me. I’m not so stupid as to let the Galactic Police catch me!’”

This is getting repetitive.

The two banter back and forth, with Pete asking if Ryoko has X-Ray vision (seriously, another power?). Ryoko leaves. Mihoshi thinks that Pete might be trying to hit on Ryoko, but really I don’t care. This is getting us nowhere. This new character is just bland so far. We need to spice it up. We need something to keep us going. We need…

NOBUYUKI!

Oh my god, are we getting a Nobuyuki section? Please tell me we are getting a Nobuyuki section. I’ve been good. I made it through The Mihoshi Special’s madness. Please let this happen.

“’I was going to ask you once, but Dad did you really know all about this?’”

Is this going to be a heart to heart with Nobuyuki? My god, please let this be a heart to heart with Nobuyuki.

“’Of course I knew. But, I think it would have only caused confusion if we told you. Even your Mother, she said not to tell you.’”

 Please never end.

“’Tenchi. You seem to be misunderstanding. […] I am not related to the Jurai Royal Family. Your Mother was the Princess of the Jurai Royal Family.’”

“’My Mother’s the Daughter of a Juraian?!’”

…Tenchi did you not know that Yosho was your Mom’s Dad?

Admittedly, this just shows that Nobuyuki has had to keep this knowledge to himself, adding more depth to his character. But it still doesn’t explain why Tenchi didn’t know who was Yosho’s child.

Tenchi and Nobuyuki then share a touching moment where he teaches him how to fold formal clothing properly. As he is doing so, we get to hear Nobuyuki’s views on the matter of his late wife:

“’Your Mother knew her time would not last. Earth didn’t seem to agree with her. I don’t understand it either. She didn’t want you to worry yourself too much. Everybody said she was growing aging just fine. She herself had said several that after she was gone, I should find a second wife. […] I’ve got too much on my mind to do that now, and I doubt I would in the future. I would give my own head to see your Mother again.’”

Nobuyuki, the most perverted character on the show, is actually the character who has the highest romantic standards?! What?! 

Okay, this is a great touch all things considered. Nobuyuki is the most underdeveloped reoccurring character in the show (save Taur I guess). The only two times we see him in OVA 1 are when he spies on Tenchi and Ryoko in case they have sex or when he tries to get Tenchi to look at the girls naked. Now compare that to the above quote. 

The best way to reconcile these differences are that the lecherous old man act is just that: an act. All of his advances are just ways to hide his loneliness. He truly loves and is faithful to his wife and his wife alone. I can respect that. I feel the same way about my fiancée. 

It even says as much in the text:

“The weight of all the years without his wife cast a shadow over his usually sunny face.”

I do hope OVA 3 expands upon this characterization of Nobuyuki. It is incredibly fitting for him.

Though Tenchi still feels incredibly insecure about everything, Nobuyuki tries to calm him down about the meeting with the Juraians and his inevitable choice of a wife. In the end, Nobuyuki ends the chapter with his greatest desire:

“’Me? I would be happy to look at my wife’s ass.’”

Thank you Nobuyuki. Thank you for being you.

The next chapter, “Ayeka,” jumps right into the action when we are introduced to the Juraian monarchs: Azusa, Misaki, and Fu…

Wait, where’s Funaho?

“Need me to spell it out again?”

Oh yeah! That! This was discussed in great detail before (with help from evilpii and C_Sept) but Funaho is kind of a weird entity in the Tenchi backstory. Originally, she may or may not have been involved with an affair with Azusa and her status of First Queen or Second Queen is hotly debated. As such, Funaho does not appear here. 

After introductions, Azusa demands that Ryoko show herself or else he will have her arrested. Sasami tries to get him to calm down, which touches Ayeka and makes her realize that Ryoko is a very important person in her life:

“’If she were gone, I’d have no one else to argue with.’”

What, is Mihoshi not good enough for you?

Ryoko appears and bluntly tells Azusa that, though she may not be a criminal anymore, she refuses to bow down to him in order to live her life. That…is actually a pretty cool Ryoko moment. She is still feisty while showing that she wants to be her own person. She was controlled once in her life, she will never allow anyone that kind of power over her again.

Then Azusa says this:

“’Are you aware of the Jurai Royal Family’s executioner, the Divine Response Warrior?’”

“’I’ve heard of it. The hound of death.’”

Foreshadowing or world building? We will have to wait and see!

“’If you become a permanent criminal, you’ll be pursued until you die. Nevertheless, you can still beg for mercy.’”

“’That’s right. If I die, the hound of death also dies.’”

Azusa is taken back by Ryoko’s courage and her willingness to sacrifice her life for her freedom. After a moment, Azusa decided that there is only one course of action left: tell Ryoko that her past crimes do not matter!

“’From now on, this person is to be accepted as a friend of the Emperor of Jurai! Treat them as appropriate for a guest.”

So OVA 2 Azusa is a dick with control issues while this Azusa is a tough yet noble monarch? Man, this is interesting! He even calls her his friend, something OVA Azusa would never do. 

Ryoko is in shock by this development and reflects on the current situation:

“’This man has promised me redemption and called me a friend. To betray those words, this man would without hesitation send the pursuer.’”

This is a big moment for Ryoko. She is calming down and doing everything she can to settle in to a normal life. It is hard for her to cope after being both brainwashed and banished practically all of her life. Our girl is growing up.

Azusa then thanks Tenchi and Yosho (again, something OVA Azusa would not do) and begins to pry Tenchi about how he killed Kagato when Ayeka cuts in to profess her love for her relative. This almost riles Ryoko up to her usual self until she realizes what this truly is:

"It's a trap!"

“’Damn it, this person…just when she started to act reserved it turned out she had an underlying motive. Saying he’s her husband…even if she ran to the edge of the universe, I’d destroy her.’”

Ryoko disappears again rather than start something. Azusa calls for a banquet to calm everyone down. Meanwhile, Mihoshi looks on tearfully at Ayeka.

“She is the only person who can compete with the daughter of the Juraian Emperor. But, Mihoshi remembered that she is the Granddaughter of Chief Kuramitsu. Mihoshi collected herself, slowing her pace and wiped her tears on her uniform sleeve.”

Mihoshi is really a debbie downer in this book. I love that she puts a lot of pressure on herself, but she is inherently a happy person. This struggle should be more internal than external. Doing so changes Mihoshi’s character from her appearance in OVA 1…

Unless of course this is a sign of CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.

Mihoshi has feelings for Tenchi. This much is clear. However, her competition includes a legitimate Princess and Ryoko a space pirate with large…tracts of land. Mihoshi would obviously feel like the least possible choice. Heck, even Nobuyuki says that Mihoshi is the worst choice for a wife given her childish behavior! 

Honestly, I think that Mihoshi is THE BEST CHOICE for Tenchi’s bride. She might be clumsy and childish, but damn it she cares about the people in her life and will do anything for them. Ayeka and Ryoko, as much as we love them, both have flaws that would make life unbearable for Tenchi. Both girls are incredibly controlling and are the embodiment of jealousy. Could they change? Yes. But right now, in this moment, Mihoshi would probably be the best wife for a person like Tenchi.

I’m sure I just lost a lot of people with that statement. For those of you still reading, let’s press on!

We are already on another chapter, titled “Banquet.” I wonder what will happen in this chapter.

The entire Masaki household is now surrounded by the Galaxy Police and the Emperor’s Royal Guards…

Sure, why not?

This is the perfect backdrop for something ominous to happen:

“For a moment, the sunlight darkened visibly, cold air blowing through. The cold air began to stagnate as a shadowy figure appeared in the security guard’s blind spot. He directed his line of sight toward the main building. And then, it disappeared. Once again the calm afternoon had returned.”

A shadowy figure? Could it be…a NINJA?! 

"NINJA VANISH!"

If this turns into a fight scene between the Foot Clan and the Juraian Royal Family, I will be so happy guys.

The banquet is really a chance to discuss politics with people, which is both boring to us and nerve-wracking to Tenchi. Then the oddest thing happens: Misaki chastises Azusa for being silly when drunk:

“’Misaki, don’t be angry. You need to loosen up.’”

…Misaki? MISAKI IS THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO LOOSEN UP?!  Are you KIDDING me? 

SHE needs to LIGHTEN UP?!

Literally, Misaki here has the personality of Funaho in OVA 2, which adds to that theory that Funaho wasn’t developed until later on. Now do I prefer the OVA 2 versions of these characters? Yes. Misaki is hysterical. Is all of this interesting as hell to think about? Dear god yes. 

I will concede that this is an interesting take on Azusa and Misaki, as it shows them both as rulers and parents. I love the comedic parents that are over the top, but this is just so refreshing. 

There’s some crap about Ayeka and Tenchi flirting while Yosho makes fun of them, but it’s kind of dull. Actually, most of this section is either Azusa trying to make jokes, Mihoshi wishing she could go on a vacation, or Ayeka being drunk. The last part, Ayeka getting drunk, is the only enjoyable part, as she tries to use the events of Episode Four against Ryoko, but it is just making her sound like an idiot. Even Misaki tries to get her to stop, but it doesn’t work.

This all leads to everyone thinking that Tenchi has made his choice. Mihoshi starts to cry, Ryoko announces her own love for Tenchi, Ayeka acts confidently drunk, and Azusa thinks that Tenchi is playing the heart of his daughter. Clearly this is a crappy time to be Tenchi Masaki. Finally, he has enough and he flat out tells everyone his true feelings:

“’Wait. Everybody listen to me! Damn it, listen to me! […] I’m only sixteen years old. Why do I need to decide on such an important issue like marriage now? Ms. Ayeka is Ms. Ayeka and Ryoko is Ryoko. I just have to stop and listen to my feelings. Mihoshi, and Ms. Washu. I might be indecisive. However, I love them all, and choosing just one is an impossible decision. Please, don’t direct this at them. Blame me. Since I’m so useless, I should just leave this house!’”

I know this is supposed to be a big moment since Tenchi finally just up and admits everything he has been dealing with this novel, but damn it if this doesn’t read like whining…like another farm boy I know…

“But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters!"

Ayeka leaves the room crying while calling Tenchi a “coward.” Azusa leaves after her, calling her “selfish.” Then shit happens:

“Before anyone present knew what was what, everyone threw themselves down as a man wearing the clothes of a Jurai Royal Family employee’s head exploded. The body, holding a knife in one hand and two in the other, took three steps and collapsed in front of Tenchi.”

“What the hell was that?”

My, that was…jarring! Seriously, what the hell was that?!

Pete (who from now on will be portrayed by Disney's Pete) goes to investigate the dead man, who is identified as a cook, and informs us that he was POSSESSED by someone.

“’He had an evil spirit in his body. A soul like that lingers even after its left its body. Something suitable for Kagato.’”

HOLD ON. ARE YOU IMPLYING THAT WE GET GHOST KAGATO?! 

Pete claims that the spirit might still be lingering. The Juraian guards get annoyed that they are listening to a Galaxy Police Officer when Azusa drops this bombshell on us:

“’Stop it. This man is the Divine Response Warrior!’”

Wow. The person we just met is the person who we just learned about. I never would have guessed.

We learn that in order to do his job, Pete has to discard such things as emotions or morality. It is a trying life but it is one Pete does to save the innocents in the galaxy. As such, he dismisses everybody except for Ryoko and Washu and takes them to find Ayeka, who he is afraid is in danger.

Tenchi, however, realizes that he has to fight the ghost spirit and asks the Emperor what to do. Azusa says that the Master Key is tied to the title of Emperor of Jurai and that if he could wield it than he might be the target rather than Ayeka. He then asks if he has heard of Tsunami. With that, Tenchi comes to a single conclusion:

“At that moment, Tenchi began to truly realize that he was the heir to the Jurai Royal Family.”

The next chapter is titled “There is no Ms. Ayeka” and if that sentence is not followed by “There is only Zhul” than I will be disappointed. 

Unfortunately I have to be, but that is made up with a second team comprised of Azusa, Misaki, Tenchi, Mihoshi, her Grandfather, Kiyone, Taur, and Quimby. Seriously, all we need is Aunt May (and Funaho) and all of our supporting characters will be in one book!

Our heroes are stuck with a problem: how do they get Ayeka back? Azusa wants to tear the planet apart, the Galaxy Police want to do it by the books, and Tenchi just wants to find Ayeka and apologize. Tenchi says that he isn’t bound by the same laws as the rest of them and will go after Ayeka, who may or may not have stolen Nobuyuki’s car. Azusa tells him that he doesn’t have to go if he doesn’t want to, especially since he can’t control the Light Hawk Wings yet. We then become privy to the one fantasy trope that the OVA was lacking: a prophecy!

“’According to the prophecy, the blood of the Chosen One is key to withdrawing [the Master Key’s] power!’”

That’s a weak prophecy to be honest.

Azusa then recites an incantation, which causes Tsunami’s symbol to appear on Tenchi’s forehead. Both Misaki and Azusa warn Tenchi that if he were taken over by the spirit, he could be a danger to the Royal Family and, by extension, the universe. In addition, there is the possibility that if Ayeka is infected with the spirit, she might not be able to be with her family. Basically, they may have to KILL AYEKA. Obviously, this is disheartening to everyone involved, but there is one lone voice who finds the courage to speak: Mihoshi.

“’I will go. […] Ms. Ayeka is my valuable friend. With lady luck on my side, I’m sure I’ll find her.’”

This is Mihoshi’s struggle in this novel. She cares too damn much and will put everybody in front of her. She may be upset that Ayeka is better suited for Tenchi, but she is loyal to her friends. 

Mihoshi: True Hufflepuff. 

She is about to go out alone when Kiyone tells her that she will not be there alone. Mihoshi merely smiles and gives the following speech:

“’Oh my Kiyone, calm down. I made it back from Kagato’s ship alright. I thought about the possibility that I might not make it back. Believe me. God would not take Ms. Ayeka away from us. That time Tenchi disappeared I knew deep down in my heart that he was still here. I was sure the Prince of Planet Jurai would return.’”

NEVER CHANGE MIHOSHI! 

Of course, Kiyone cannot let her partner go alone so she sticks by her side, even swearing by the God of the Galaxy Police that they will fight together! Sasami, who has barely been focused on at all in this story, starts to cry that she will be left alone again, but Mihoshi merely smiles again and tells her that they will get Ayeka back.

Mihoshi gets all the best development in this book.

Meanwhile, we cut to Ayeka driving Nobuyuki’s car (which is justified by a mention that Earth’s cars are similar to a tool used in a game on Jurai). She is still upset that Tenchi spoke his feelings in front of her parents, which shows just how selfish and immature she actually is. By now, though, she is only sad and not angry. She gets out of the car and begins to walk down a partially abandoned Okayama street, looking for a place to drink sake so she could forget everything.

Abandoned, that is, besides the dark shadow following her.

Cutting back to Pete’s party, we see that he is thinking about higher dimensional beings and Gods. Wait…could he be referring to…?

“'Washu is close to it. Ryoko is the dummy.'”

Is Pete realizing that Washu is a being like Tokimi…wait, is Tokimi in this too? I am confused!

So what is Pete thinking about now?

“’Mihoshi…your smile glows like the morning. Whenever I’d wake up, ah, you’d be there and you’d be the reason that I’d be able to survive waking up the following mornings and stop feeling so dreary. Coffee and cereal for breakfast in the morning. I wouldn’t have to say anything because your beautiful smile would say it all. It would be so nice if you were mine and I could stop being a Divine Response Warrior.’”

…what? Pete loves Mihoshi? Where did that come from? So in the grand scheme of things Ryoko and Ayeka both love Tenchi. Pete loves Mihoshi who loves Tenchi. Well, I guess it fits with the rest of the characters so why not? The interesting thing about that is that Pete, who had to abandon all emotions, is suddenly thinking about Mihoshi. 

A union of Jurai and the Galaxy Police…how poetic in regards to the storyline.

By this point, Pete realized the spirit was nowhere near Pride Rock and had followed Ayeka into town, hence the ominous black shadow from before. As such, Pete and Washu tell Ryoko that she is the only one who can save Ayeka from the darkness. 

“’Ryoko. Only you can go and do it. […]  I don’t have the power to fight an evil spirit. When you were made I entrusted the power to do so to you.’”

I don’t know Washu, you took care of The Jesus rather nicely.

As Ryoko leaves, Ayeka chugs some sake back like Dan Backslide.

“She wishes!”

As she drinks her cares away, a man continues to try to talk to her in the bar. However, something is off about him…

“’This is not a human being. Similar to Kagato, but different. It’s formless. Such a frightening power. A man eating monster?! But why me? Surely this is all in my head…?’”

Then the creature…tells Ayeka to get naked? Wait, did I read that right?

“’Your body, your mind, promising, no doubt. You and I will become one. Now, open your legs. Open your mind…’”

Dear god, this sounds like some mind control erotic fiction! What the hell man? Am I the innocent one here? Is Tenchi just THIS perverted and I still continue to look at it through nostalgia goggles? 

Oh, while I was typing that, Ayeka lost control and is now possessed by the evil spirit. Joy.

She wanders out into the street, where Mihoshi and Kiyone are driving as fast as they could. They were about to hit her when she “floated up in the air” and sped toward Tenchi and the others.

“’Mihoshi, he possessed the Princess. But, that can’t be all. There must be some reason behind it. The Princess was unharmed.’”

Kiyone: World’s Greatest Detective.

We then cut to Ryoko, who has read Ayeka’s mind (somehow), and realizes that she has been possessed. After a mini panic attack triggered by the memory of Tenchi’s “death,” she teleports herself to the Shrine. When she arrived, she found herself attacked to the floor by Ayeka, or whatever this entity’s name is. 

“’Die. Just shut up and die. After all, you’re nothing more than an energy conversion device. The fact that you’re still alive annoys me greatly. Take off that womanly shape and return to your original form. I will help you.’”

I really dislike the idea that Ryoko is less than a humanoid. Admitedly, this is supposed to be an insult, but it comes up enough in OVA material that it bothers me. Ryoko, though she might have been made in a lab, was still conceived as Washu’s Daughter. Kagato screwed her up royally with centuries of mental torture. 

Regardless, this turns out to be a ploy by the evil spirit to kill Ryoko and absorb the power of her gems (because of course it is). But just as she feels like she is about to die, something completely bonkers happens.

“Suddenly, the figure of Washu appeared. Somewhere, on an unknown star, they are looking down on them as though they were newborns. From both sides, two persons are standing. One of them was the spirit of the first ship, Tsunami. The other…has an unfamiliar face. Jeweled brow. Transparent green pupil.”

What?! 

“’Let us bestow the power upon this person.’”

“’In the name of I’”

“’Then I, am the heart. In time, this person will come to know your love and protect you.’”

“’Wake up Ryoko. In the name of we, the three goddesses.’”

…are you kidding me? Tokimi, Washu, and Tsunami are just there? That’s it? Without ANY BUILD UP?! This is a point that I will gladly give OVA 2 over the novel. There was a small amount of build up to introduce Tokimi, who is unnamed at this point, in OVA 2. Here, discounting Pete’s earlier vague musings, they just appear as a deus ex machina to save Ryoko’s life. 

Now there is a reason for this, which I will get into soon. Just know, right now, they just appear without warning or build up.

Returning to Earth, Ryoko wakes up to see Tenchi, his Light Hawk Wings summoned, defending her against the possessed Ayeka. We learn that Ayeka IS STILL ALIVE, but is dormant in her own body. As she taunts Tenchi, Azusa straight up attacks his daughter’s body, causing Ayeka to disappear. 

Azusa don’t shiv.

“’I killed my daughter…’”

An accurate response. I’m impressed. Of course, since there is no way Ayeka would die…

“’Emperor of Jurai. Is her life not so valuable? […]  Had I not teleported the Princess would have died. Do you still not understand? I am keeping the mind and body of the Princess. Emperor of Jurai. If you’re so willing to give up an important family member’s life, then I will hold onto the Princess and keep her safe. This body is fresh and beautiful. I’ve already taken your power. However, your continued existence is a hindrance. […] That’s right. Once you die, you’ll be easy to reconstruct.’”

So this creature sucks up the energy and life force of everything it encounters. Hmm who does this remind me of…

 

Yeah sounds about right. And don’t worry, we will talk about the black blob up there in due time.

As Tenchi struggles to deal with the entire situation, Mihoshi, Kiyone, and Pete arrive. The three struggle to think about what to do, but Mihoshi gives us yet another reason to love her:

“’No, I’ll go. Tenchi is in there. Grandpa too. I don’t want to disappear. Even if I’m alone I want to help. […] I’m a detective. Even if I don’t have a way to deal with it I won’t run away. I’m warning you […] All I can do is distract the evil spirit. Besides, I believe in Tenchi’s power.’”

If Katsuhito gets all the best lines in OVA 1, Mihoshi gets all the best lines in this novel.

This is not lost on Pete, who truly accepts that he is in love with Mihoshi. As such, he will kill anyone who harms a hair on her head, including the evil spirit.

The Galaxy Police trio enters the battle and fall instantly. Just as Pete is about to die, Ryoko reappears and gives Tenchi, who is unconscious I might add, energy to get him back in the battle. 

But this is not before the unimaginable happens:

“Ryoko raised her hand that had the sparkling gem on it. In that instant, the gem cast a tremendous amount of light and then shattered. At the point of impact, Tenchi regained his consciousness. Completely losing her energy, the body of Ryoko collapsed before Ayeka.”

Ryoko died.

Holy crap. 

She dies saving Tenchi’s life, who was trying to save Ayeka’s life. If that is not a perfect death for Ryoko, I don’t know what is. Our little demoness has grown into a fully realized character and, as such, has achieved a fitting death.

Of course, seeing one of the girls killed in front of him is going to set Tenchi off. The spirit has realized this and decides to exit stage right. The second the spirit tried to leave Ayeka’s body, Tenchi kills it with the Master Key. If you need a better comparison, think of a Spirit Bomb.

Washu arrives to tell a grieving Tenchi that he won and to stop worrying. Everybody will be fine, including Sasami, who Washu has protected since she is too young to inherit Tsunami’s power. Tenchi is confused about this, as nobody has any idea in this continuity that Sasami and Tsunami are the same person.

“’You may not be aware. You may not truly understand until the time of awakening.’”

How ominous. 

At this point, Tsunami and Tokimi descend into the mortal plane for one specific purpose: to resurrect Ryoko!

“Washu. Tsunami. Tokimi. In the name of we three Goddesses, resurrect their spirits from the Valley of Death. […] Forget. Everything you’ve seen here. Now, erase it all. Inside you is a Prince.’”

With that, Ryoko’s body is enveloped in light, bringing her back to life. In addition, everybody conveniently loses their memories of this specific encounter, preserving the secret identities of the three Goddesses for another time.

Tenchi monologues for a bit which can be summarized with this image:

The final chapter is titled “I, Tenchi, Woke Up in My Bed.” As such, we know that Tenchi wakes up…in his bed. Oh, and both Tenchi and Ryoko are naked. The girls are in shock. Nobuyuki sums it up best:

“’Now, this is something that you thought you’d never see in your life. Tenchi and Ryoko are naked…’”

“’You two might want to put some underwear on. How silly.’”

Dear god, Yosho looks disturbingly weird.

Then, in true comical fashion, every other character in the story walks into the room and freaks out over the sight. Basically, it’s this:

Honestly, it’s kind of great.

However, Nobuyuki gets the most startling piece of commentary of them all:

“’Ms. Washu. If they have a girl, can we name her Achika?’”

“’Girl? What’s that?’”

“’Well Sasami, Achika is Tenchi’s Mother’s name. She was Grandpa’s daughter and was a very beautiful person…’”

This has been a major point of contention in the Tenchi fandom: Tenchi’s Mother’s name. In the Universe and Tokyo continuities, Achika is her name. In the OVA continuity, it is Kiyone. This novel predates OVA 2 and Universe, thus showing that, originally, Achika was always intended on being her name. 

Why the change? I have no idea.

Sasami, who in this world is the embodiment of innocence, asks if she could meet her niece (which is so friggin weird). Nobuyuki tries to explain death to her, but she doesn’t understand it. Mind you, she worried about Tenchi’s death in Episode Six so I have no idea why she would act this naïve. 

Of course, this is handwaved that Washu took a bit too much from them when she altered their memories. You must have taken quite a bit for a person to forget the concept of death.

Our story wraps up with Nobuyuki reciting a fairy tale to Sasami called “Momotaro,” which I will go over in detail whenever we get to Ai Tenchi Muyo!. Once that is done, we see the ever familiar image of Azaka and Kamidake talking to themselves, noting that they had nothing to do in this story…

“The two of them finished their conversation by talking about the sky and how nice the weather was.”

THE END

This is the end of the story but not the novel. Hasegawa includes a bit of a postscript, going over her involvement during OVA 1 and her process in writing this novel. The first thing that jumps out is this:

“Actually, things didn’t quite go as originally planned starting at Episode Two as there was a big argument over it. However, after that everybody came to an agreement and it became the story that you know now, which are lots of other side stories taking place during the main story.”

Episode Two…the episode that introduces incest into the Tenchi franchise. I know I’ve joked about it, but I wonder if that really is the beginning of the split between the Big Three.

Ms. Hasegawa goes into the fact that she adapted specific emotional depths for the characters, like Tenchi being miserable and Mihoshi having the best lines (Mihoshi is Hasegawa’s favorite character…who could have guessed?). She also hopes that people like Kiyone and Pete and wonders about the consequenses of including those characters into the Tenchi universe.

Heh. I made a deliberate pun. About Kiyone. Who appears in Tenchi Universe.

We are then told the reason why Tokimi and the Goddesses were included late in the game: Kajishima literally told Hasegawa about them after she wrote half of the novel. Hasegawa was worried about including them at all, but she did the best that she could.

The story ends with the image that brought about so much controversy between C_Sept and evilpii:

Note the appearance of Funaho. This is her only appearance in this novel. Even Hasegawa only says that the image includes Azusa, Misaki, and Tokimi.

Again, this is a mystery that we may never know the answer to…

REVIEW

Confession time: I didn’t really enjoy the story told in the novel.

Are there things I do like about it? Dear god yes. That scene with Nobuyuki and Tenchi might be the best scene of the novel, Mihoshi is given a much needed positive focus, Kiyone is a great new character, Ryoko’s heart wrenching scene with Tenchi was surprisingly deep, and I truly enjoyed a lot of the examinations of the characters.

My issue is the adult, romantic focus of the novel. It is a strong focus and it isn’t my thing.

I’m not big on the whole overtly sexual overtones of the novel. I’ve established my own personal preferences for the Tenchi franchise so it will not affect my overall score too much, but stuff like Mihoshi’s talk with Washu about rape or Tenchi describing in detail asses in a skirt is not what I like in my Tenchi-verse. Will this affect my overall score? It shouldn’t, but I have to be honest in these reviews.

What WILL affect it is the story. There are a lot of nice things in there, specifically the Jurai bits. (Did I just write that sentence?) It was nice to see the kingdom fleshed out with competent rulers, a distinct upper and middle class, and freaking assassination attempts! All of this makes the Tenchi world seem real. 

The problem is the slow pace of the beginning. Heck, the pacing as a whole is awkward. The points where we understand character thoughts are seemingly random. I do not have an issue with the level of character exanimation, but I just wish it was more evenly distributed.

Since Tenchi is such a blank slate in the OVA, Hasegawa spends several pages trying to give him a purpose in the story. This is a good thing in regards to Tenchi’s character, but the story is kind of bland because of it. Until Washu developed the ansible, nothing really happened outside of the Ryoko scene.

Let’s talk about that scene.

Ryoko evolves into a wonderful character right in one scene. She is hiding so much pain and sorrow that have not been detailed before. She has been used, abused, and neglected for years. These past three or four months was her first opportunity to experience life as it should be. Even still, her main tormentor had only just been killed. It was an insane experience and it left a lot of doubt in Ryoko’s mind.

Tenchi is not used to this kind of openness coming out of Ryoko. It affects him and makes him realize that she is more than just the monster woman who tried to kill him. Tenchi, who is dealing with so much crap in this novel, has found someone with more issues than him and is starting to connect with her over it.

The other two characters who have much needed characterization are Nobuyuki and Mihoshi, as mentioned above. The fact that Nobuyuki’s comedic moments are the result of a façade that he put up to hide his pain is amazing. Mihoshi worrying about her role as a ditzy blonde is shocking. I think that this characterization of her is fantastic. It elevates both of them from jokes to characters who deserve to live in Tenchi’s life.

Conversely, the one character who has no characterization at all is Sasami. She hardly appears in the book and is really only there to provide an emotional plea on the behalf of Ryoko. It is an odd misstep in a novel that takes random points to discuss character growth.

I also didn’t care that much for Pete. He does have a character arc and gives Mihoshi a love interest who isn’t Tenchi, which is interesting. There just isn’t enough build up for the whole Divine Response Warrior sideplot and he doesn’t do enough for it to matter. I don’t know if this will be expanded upon in later novels, but right now it sticks out. 

Finally, the last point I want to mention is the ass pull ending. First, the evil spirit just comes out of nowhere. It serves no real purpose other than to show that Jurai has enemies and that Tenchi needs to use the Light Hawk Wings. In addition, the inclusion of the Goddesses are just jarring other than to show they exist. Admittedly, all of this is explained by Kajishima demanding all of these things at the 11^th hour. However, I need to view this as the finished product. It is odd and misplaced. 

This novel, despite the undertones that I’m not particularly fond of, NEEDS to be read. The characters are strong, the history is fascinating, and it is great to see a world that feels somewhat real. Despite the pace, despite the awkward placing of inner thoughts, you get a lot from it. You KNOW what Ayeka is thinking about the situations she places herself in. You KNOW how Mihoshi feels about herself. You KNOW that Ryoko is unhappy that Tenchi won’t kiss her. You KNOW Nobuyuki cares for his son. 

This is the last thing that the trinity of Hayashi, Kajishima, and Hasegawa worked on. This is as real and important as OVA 1. Though the different canons stem from different points, that first six episodes are the pure embodiment of anything under the OVA continuity. This should have been placed on the same pedestal as those six episodes, but things did not work out that way. Read this, to see how things might have been. Read it and be grateful that our fandom is so strong all these years later.

This is why we can have nice things.

Art: The drawings are rather…rough to be honest. I mean, look at Katsuhito:
 

It freaks me out man. However, I can forgive it as they are not used to drive the story but to add to the story, though not using Quimby’s original design is unforgivable: 14/20

Characterizations: Wonderful. Hasegawa took risks and they paid off: 20/20

Main Characters: Tenchi, Ryoko, and Ayeka are well rounded. INCREDIBLY well rounded. Do they do a lot? Maybe not in regards to the plot, but damn it, that characterization helps our perception of these characters. MIHOSHI HAS DEPTH FOR PETE’S SAKE. I have to award this with a perfect score, because we get to know these characters. I just wish they were a bit more positive: 20/20

Supporting Characters: With the exception of Sasami, Ryo-Ohki, Tokimi, Tsunami and a few of the Galaxy Police officers, everybody had character depth and are well used in the story. Nobuyuki, Kiyone, Washu, and the Jurai Royal Family all have moments to grow. I do wish Sasami had something to do, but I get that it is hard to do. Pete is an okay addition and provides us with a much needed secondary younger male character to deflect attention off of Tenchi, but we as an audience need more time to connect with him. I hope he returns in a later novel to pick up this plot thread. Oh, and Kiyone is always a pleasure: 18/20

Story: There were great moments here and there, but overall the story needed something more to keep us engaged. The Juraian bits were the highlight to be sure, but it just seemed like more could be done. I also have to dock points for the ass pull ending, even though I can’t fault Hasegawa for it: 16/20

Overall Tenchi Rating: 88!

Ryoko and Ayeka Verbal Sparring Count: 7! (A lot of the arguing flows into the next. It’s hard to keep count)

As the next Hasegawa novel has not been translated yet, we will continue with the original plan and review the third volume of the manga. What is its title again?

Magical Girl Pretty Sammy.

"Thirsty you may be sometimes..."

No…no...not again…I can’t…

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!