Tenchi Muyo! Is a mix of the comic and the serious, highly recommended. Production values and characterization are very good. Tenchi Masaki goes to peek in the forbidden vault of his family's shrine, where a demon is supposedly confined. He inadvertently frees the entity, which turns out to be an extraterrestrial, in the form (when restored) of a youthful human woman. This sets in motion a chain of events which brings many extraterrestrials to Tenchi, seeking to settle old scores and renew old plans, and forces Tenchi to face his own extraterrestrial ancestry and his hidden powers. He and his new friends have dramatic confrontations with very powerful villians.
At the same time, events make Tenchi the center of attention for a group of beautiful, youthful extraterrestrial women living in his house. All the elements of romantic tension and romantic comedy are here, and they are put to good use. The women fight and scheme over Tenchi. Their individual characters are well developed as the episodes unfold. Tenchi remains a sympathetic, likeable young man, knowing himself to be out of his depth, but determined to do the right thing. Tenchi shows friendship but no partiality to his guests, and tries to protect them at great risk to himself.
--Reviewer: Clyde Adams lll-- 
Tenchi
Your everyday high school 17 year old. He lives with his father, Nobuyuki, and visits the Masaki Shrine during summer. At the Masaki Shrine, he helps curate the Shrine with his grandfather, Yosho, and sword trains under his grandfather's supervision. His mother, Achika, passed away when he was six, leaving Nobuyuki to take care of little Tenchi. Fortunately, Tenchi can very well take care of himself and is quite independent in normal settings.
Every summer, Tenchi prefers to spend his time doing other things than shrine cleaning and sword training, like trying to steal Yosho's keys to unlock the cave. To Tenchi, the cave is full of mysteries and legends because Yosho refuses to allow anyone or anything inside, including Tenchi himself. Of course, being curious as ever, Tenchi tries meticulously to steal his grandfather's keys to unlock to cave's gate.
On a particular day, Tenchi was blessed with fortune because he finally stole the keys to unlock the gate (some would say Yosho "gave" it to him). Little did he know and to his misfortune (or is it?), he accidentally unsealed the demon that was trapped inside for 700 years. With the unsealing of the demon, his life started to tangent off from being serene and boring to the adventurous. 
Washu
The top scientific genius in the universe! She created everything in any incarnations from electronic gadgets to biological life forms. She appears in all of the Tenchi Muyo! series.
Not only is she the #1 scientific genius in the universe, she is also over 20,000 years old and a goddess (with the other two being Tsunami and Tokimi), but her physical form is that of a 12 year old. She was rescued by Mihoshi when Kagato imprisoned her in another dimension in Kagato's space ship, the Soja.
Her past is as complex and mysterious as the other goddesses. No one really knows why she gave up her divinity to become a "mortal". Her past is slightly revealed in the OVA when she spoke about how she joined the Royal Space Academy 20,000 years ago, met a fellow student, and fell in love. She married her fellow student and had a child. Unfortunately, the child and her husband was taken from her because her husband is from a prestigious family. She still mourns over the loss of the her child to this day. I believe because of the dramatic loss of her first child, she created Ryoko, her other child. Also, because of this certain event, she decided to stay as a 12 year old girl, alleviating any "lineage, status", and political aspects of the adult world. Ryoko is currently her most treasured creation, mainly because Wasyu used her ova and a life form called Mass in creating Ryoko. She also created Ryo-Ohki, Ryoko's space ship from Mass. In creating Ryoko, she used her Power Gems to enhance Ryoko's power. The Power Gems are so powerful in that it can rival Jurai's space trees and space ships. In fear losing dominant force, the Juraian Royal Family met with Wasyu about this concern. Wasyu assured the Juraian family she will not create another Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki. This only proves that she indeed cares for Ryoko like her own daughter and not as a creation. In fact, she is quite proud of Ryoko as a mother would have. 
Ryoko
The space pirate that started Tenchi on his adventure. She was sealed in the cave close to the Masaki Shrine before being released by Tenchi. She appears in all of the Tenchi Muyo! series.
Ryoko was sealed in the cave by Yosho for 700 years before being released by Tenchi. Before she was sealed, she destroyed countless planets and colonies. She tried to destroy the planet Jurai (she was under the control of Kagato), but was pursued by Yosho. They battled each other until they finally reached Earth. On Earth, Yosho finally defeated Ryoko by taking away her Power Gems, the source of all her power located on both of her wrists and the last one on the left ear decorated as an ear ring.
Though she was trapped 700 years, she is approximately 2000 years old, the same age as her space ship, Ryo-Ohki. She is the daughter of Wasyu. Wasyu created her using a life form called Mass the same material used to create Ryo-Ohki. However, Wasyu considers Ryoko her daughter because she used her ova as part of the materials to create Ryoko.
Ryoko was a space pirate most of her existence due to the control of Kagato, the evil, power-hungry, villain who used Ryoko to search and destroy planets and colonies to find powerful weapons to enhance his space ship, the Soja. Therefore, Ryoko was a space pirate all her life.
When Tenchi freed her from her prison, she thanked him in her special and space piratey way. ^_^ She followed Tenchi to school and confronted Tenchi. Ryoko was upset and wanted to expend her frustrations on Tenchi, but Tenchi blamed her imprisonment on Yosho, his grandfather. Although Yosho was his grandfather, he did not know he was actually the one who imprisoned Ryoko 700 years ago. Ryoko turned the school in to ashes, of course. Eventually, Tenchi accidentally defeated Ryoko with the help of his Tenchiken. Actually, it was the Tenchiken who defeated Ryoko because the Tenchiken has a mind of its own. 
Tsunami
The great and universally powerful Juraian tree. Her past is a complete mystery considering she is the zero-generation of all Juraian trees, which means she is extremely old by age but not by physical form. She powers the most powerful space ship in the universe also called Tsunami. No doubt, she is one of the most mysterious, powerful, and complex beings in the Tenchi universe.
Tsunami is one of the Three Goddesses, with the other two being Wasyu and Tokimi. Since she is a goddess, she is one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Her ship, Tsunami, is able to generate ten Light Hawk Wings (a jaw-dropping powerful offensive and defensive weapon) as oppose to Tenchi's three Light Hawk Wings. She can destroy a galaxy without breaking a drop of sweat.
As the oldest tree of Jurai, she gave "birth" to other Royal Juraian trees, including Aeka's Ryu-Oh and Yosho's Funaho. Juraian Royal Family needs their trees to sustain their 2000 year plus longevity, and since Tsunami is the mother of all trees, she fuels her offspring with Life Water to help sustain Juraian Royal Family's longevity 
Kiyone
First-class Detective of the Galaxy Police. She is intelligent, ambitious, fearless, calm, and a true leader. Kiyone only appeared in the TV series Tenchi Universe and Shin Tenchi Muyo! She also appeared the Mihoshi Special OVA and all three movies. Not much is known about her origins or background. What is known is that she is very competent in her work.
Kiyone has the unfortunate luck to be partnered with Mihoshi. Kiyone dreams of becoming one of the best detectives in the Galaxy Police force, but her partner "anchors" her from being the best. Worse yet, Kiyone, more or less, has to baby sit her partner.
Kiyone is always concentrating on her work. There is rarely a time where she does something that is not related to the Galaxy Police. She is diligent as ever. Needless to say, Kiyone is your typical Sherlock Holmes: Scrutinizes evidence, calculating needed plans, calm in the heat of battle, and have no room for blunders. She is one of the more mature persons in the Masaki family.
She despises the fact that she has to be partnered with Mihoshi. Whatever Kiyone do, Mihoshi will indirectly undo. However, she does care for her partner even though her caring emotions for Mihoshi are rarely seen. Unlike other Masaki family members who possess non-humanly powers, she only relies on her intelligence and diligence to solve a case or problem. She does rely on her laser pistol and control cube, but unlike Mihoshi who is clueless with her control cube, Kiyone does know how to utilize it. 
Mihoshi
A First-class Detective of the Galaxy Police. She is partnered with Kiyone. Unlike Kiyone, she has appeared in all of the Tenchi Muyo! series, including the OVAs, both TV series, and three movies. Like Kiyone, her origins and background are unknown and blur at best.
Mihoshi is the complete opposite of her partner, Kiyone. Mihoshi is your typical ditzy, air-headed blonde, and she brings new meaning to the word, incompetent. She is so air-headed her attention span is worse than a house fly. We sometimes consider her "blind" because she can not even see facts and clues that are right on the tip of her nose. How she became a First-class Detective of the Galaxy Police is anyone's guess, or maybe because her grandfather is the Grand Marshall of the Galaxy Police? Either way, the Masaki family would not be the same without her.
She made her way to Earth because her superiors gave her orders to locate the class 1 criminal, Kagato, and report back to headquarters his where abouts. Of course, Mihoshi would not be Mihoshi if she did not misunderstood her orders. Instead or in some arcane way, she thought her orders were to apprehend Kagato. And so, she journeys to Earth where Kagato is planning the kidnapping of Aeka, Sasami, Tenchi, and to attain the Tenchiken.
On her descention to Earth, her space ship was tossed in to subspace. The subspace hole reopened just above Tenchi, Aeka, Sasami, and Ryoko. The subspace hole created a vacuum and was sucking Tenchi in to the hole. While Tenchi was in the air, he accidentally rescued Mihoshi. Actually, Tenchi was being rescued by Ryoko, which she did. With Mihoshi's personal fortune and creating misfortune for others, she bumped Ryoko off Tenchi and landed in to Tenchi's arms. The subspace hole closed with Mihoshi's space ship inside, so she is left stranded on Earth. Because of her "misfortune", she joined the Masaki family. 
Aeka
The first crown princess of Jurai. She left Jurai in search for her half-brother, Yosho, who has been gone for many years. She also has a younger sister, Sasami, who traveled with her in search for Yosho. She is little spoiled due to her being a princess, but she is good natured by heart. Her quest leads her to Earth where she also joined the Masaki family. She appeared in all Tenchi Muyo! series.
She searched galaxies for her half-brother and fiancé, Yosho, for 700 years in suspended animation in her space ship, Ryu-O-Oh. Their marriage was prearranged by their parents when Ayeka was a child. Still, Ayeka was happy with the arrangement and was looking forward to become Yosho's wife. Ayeka and Yosho was to wed when Ayeka was to become of age, but before their wedding, Yosho left Jurai in pursuit of Ryoko (it is not uncommon for siblings to wed each other on Jurai). For many years, Ayeka waited for Yosho's return. Finally, her patience became thin and left Jurai in search for Yosho herself with Sasami. She eventually arrived on Earth because her android guardians (salt & pepper like shakers) and space ship detected the presence of Ryoko, who was wanted by the galaxy police, and awaken her from suspended animation. Ayeka could not find Yosho, so she decided to find and apprehend Ryoko in order to find Yosho since Yosho was pursuing Ryoko the last time Ayeka saw him. In their dual, Ayeka's space ship was damaged beyond repair, so she and Sasami was stranded on Earth with no possible communication with her home planet. 
Sasami
Eight year old little sister of Aeka and part of the Juraian Royal Family. She appears in all of the Tenchi series. She even has her own series called Magical Girl Pretty Sammy. Sasami is the second crown princess of Jurai; Aeka being the first. She left Jurai to accompany Aeka in search for their half-brother Yosho, who also left Jurai in pursuit of Ryoko. Sasami arrived to Earth because Aeka's space ship detected Ryoko on Earth, since Ryoko was the last to be seen with Yosho, the ship arrived to Earth.
She was in suspended animation for 700 years roaming from galaxy to galaxy with her sister in search for Yosho. When they finally arrived on Earth, they captured Ryoko along with Tenchi. However, she was not directly involved in apprehending Ryoko and Tenchi. She was more or less an observer. When Tenchi was captured, she freed Tenchi because she was bored after waking from suspended animation and wanted someone to play with. Tenchi's Tenchiken was taken from him by Aeka, so Sasami bartered that if Tenchi can get Aeka's head piece, she will return the Tenchiken to him. Of course, this was a practical joke on Tenchi because Aeka never removes her head piece and getting the head piece off her is not trivial task. Eventually, Ryoko was freed from Aeka's control and they battled leaving both of their space ships destroyed and stranded on Earth.
Sasami and Ryo-Ohki are inseparable. They are the best of friends. When Ryo-Ohki first hatched, it was Sasami's head and shoulder Ryo-Ohki first sat on. 
Ryo-Ohki
Ryo-Ohki is a cabbit, a mixture of a cat and rabbit. The nature of a rabbit is embedded in her because she loves carrots. She is very joyous most of the time and cares very much for the Masaki family. She and Sasami, Aeka's little sister, is inseparable. She appears in all Tenchi Muyo! series.
Ryo-Ohki was invented/created by Wasyu using a life form called Mass. Ryo-Ohki is approximately 2000 years old and belongs to Ryoko. She can take on 3 forms: Cabbit, humanoid, and Ryo-Ohki the space ship. Evidently, she was in her space ship form all of her life until she was destroyed during her and Ryoko's battle with Aeka and her ship. Although Ryo-Ohki was completely destroyed, she has the power to reproduce herself from the wreckage. The space ship wreckage "laid" an egg where Ryo-Ohki's cabbit form hatched. Imagine a devilish looking space ship hatching a cute, cuddly animal like Ryo-Ohki. |
