Tenchi Forever
Director
Hiroshi Negishi
Production
AIC, Pioneer
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Film
Running time
95 mins
Year
1999
Tenchi Forever
By otaku_kei
6th Nov 04  What do people expect from Tenchi Muyo? Generally fun, comedy, stupid love triangles... but that is not what's on offer for with title. The final movie of the series, it wraps up some threads most significantly about the feelings that Ryoko and Aeka have for Tenchi running deeper than a crush and petty rivalry between the girls, but as sincere feelings that they want what is best for Tenchi even if that means without them in his life. So a serious Tenchi story, I can already hear the angry rumblings of the fanboyz amongst you, but this is not so much a betrayal of the Tenchi universe but a way to say farewell to these adored characters in an adult way that provides a great sense of closure. This film as I've already stated deals mainly with the feelings that the ladies in Tenchi's life have for him, as they struggle to find Tenchi after he is kidnapped into another dimension created by Haruna - the lost love of Tenchi's grandfather. Ryoko and Aeka are forced to set aside their personal diferences as they try to find Tenchi in the dream dimension that he has fallen into. The movie then focus' on the relationship between those two, whilst also shedding light on the relationship between a brainwashed Tenchi and Haruna. Now much has been said about the Tenchi universe so I won't bother rehashing that here, but this movie does present the villain of the piece in a more flattering light than previous movies/OAV series. This could well be because the villain is a sympathetic character, she dies trying to escape to Earth so that she and Yosho (Tenchi's grandfather) can live in peace and love. When she dies she doesn't pass peacefully on as she is left unfulfilled and so when the opportunity arises she kidnaps Tenchi so that she can find herself even a small measure of happiness before her spirit loses all vitality and she passes onto the next world. This movie was much better than Tenchi in Love, probably because it is a darker more serious tale. The movie tries to teach about love and what it will make people do, sacrifice and live for. The central characters all appear to come to some central resolutions about their feelings for the others, thereby bringing a real sense of closure by the end of the movie. If you are fans of the Tenchi universe then you may be surprised by how serious and grown-up this story is, but I am certain you will not be dissapointed with this movie. 8/10
R2 DVD Notes
Features: English 5.1; Japanese 5.1; Japanese Teaser Trailer; Japanese Trailer; Production Sketches; MVM Trailers
Release information: 1st November 2004 - OUT NOW
Notes: Always nice to see 5.1 audio tracks on discs and it looks as if more and more MVM releases are getting this treatment. The extras on the other hand are nothing more than filler, and not even extensive filler, not enough to have any fan look at more than once.
-- otaku_kei 6th Nov 04
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