©AIC / Pioneer LDC, Inc. / Pioneer Entertainment (USA) L.P.
CAV LD PILA-1328A $44.98
VHS dubbed PIVA-1328D $24.98
VHS subtitled PIVA-1328S $29.98
100 minutes
Released in North America by Pioneer Entertainment

Pioneer has reached the finale of yet another incarnation of the TENCHI UNIVERSE in North America. To mark the affair it is time to look back at what events led to this point, and a look at what is to come.
For those wishing to see our review of the first volume, check out the TENCHI MUYO ON EARTH vol 1 review. Be forewarned that the following review contains some minor spoilers of the series.
At the beginning of the series the usual slow introduction of characters occurred, each with their own twist to the original TENCHI series, and all the characters eventually converged on the Tenchi household. Ryoko was just a space pirate, Mihoshi was soon followed reluctantly by Kiyone (who is now as much a member of the TENCHI cast as any other character), Washu was the "demon" trapped in the cave next to the Masaki shrine, and so on. The standard rivalries ensued, with relentless arguments between Ayeka and Ryoko over Tenchi.
There were definitely some enjoyable moments; with Kiyone and Mihoshi finding part time jobs and an apartment, the mistaken programming of a robot with Mihoshi's personality, and certainly Washu's recreation of the nine hells.
An accident with a time/dimension machine brought on the TIME & SPACE episodes, where the standard TENCHI characters were cast into different roles. These episodes were an interesting touch, but could have gone further from the standard plots than they did. I particularly liked the episode where Kiyone escaped to a remote fishing village to work in an inn.
Eventually, a plot would have to come in, with Princess Ayeka being arrested due to mysterious orders from the new king. Thus the TENCHI crew became wanted criminals and escaped to outer space.
Here we found out how much the universe is just like Japan with a few more furry sentient creatures. The introduction of two new guardian knight characters who joined Tenchi's band was refreshing. It was humorous to see how much of a bad name the characters could make for themselves in the galaxy. And the swimsuit episode was what many fans were asking for, I guess.
Which leads up to this point: our heroes are almost back at Jurai, and soon to face the man who claims to be Yosho.
This is where the series goes further into a serious feel (much like episodes 5 and 6 of the original OVA series). Secrets to some of the characters' past come to light, and many a sword fight will occur.
The first three episodes of this volume deal with this conflict. The last episode concludes the series well, with Tenchi making a final decision toward his future. I found the last episode actually to be the best of all, as it truly looks over the characters' futures and points out many of the features that made the series so popular.
Overall, I look back at the TV series with approval, although it was not without its problems. I wish the writers would have gone further with varying some of the plots—the famous ongoing rivalry can only be funny for so long. I felt the places the characters visited in space could have been richer in detail and believability. And as a critique of the anime industry in general, far too frequently I see a clich sword fight end with both combatants charging towards each other, sparks flying, then posing back to back as all the wounds suddenly show up.
The good points outweighed the bad, though, and I enjoyed the varied interactions between the characters. Many of the situations Tenchi and friends found themselves in were quite humorous, and the last episode still sits with me as one of the best in the series. If you enjoyed the first television series up to this point, the last will not disappoint.
So now what? For newcomers, I still suggest the original OVA series if you wish to see what started the TENCHI phenomenon, especially since Pioneer is re-releasing them in a cheaper collection format. If after this television series you are still a TENCHI fan in search of more, the second TENCHI movie is due out momentarily. Also, Pioneer is still apparently planning on releasing the second TV series in North America, which stars yet another alternate universe (and a rather different character design).