The Anime Cafe - Your complete source for anime reviews

previous
top
next

[ go to homepage ]
[ what's new - editorials, calendar, to-do list, news articles, mailbag and archives ]
[ animé café contest information ]
[ episode-by-episode anime reviews, how we review ]
[ a parent's guide to anime, title list, titles by category ]
[ the anime encyclopædia ]
[ café trivia - anime trivia ]
[ anime humour, the laws of anime, light articles, etc ]
[ serious articles, essays, anime guides, etc. ]
[ message forum for the discussion of anime, manga, reviews, etc. ]
[ faq about the café and contributors, awards given to the café, etc. ]
[ feedback forms, error reports, or e-mail the café ]
[ links to other resources on the internet ]
[ site map ]



Help


[ café reviews ]

ten_0000.gif

Tenchi Muyo! TV Episode 9
(No Need for Memories!)


Distributed by: Pioneer LDC (world-wide)
Length: 23 minutes
Rating: NR, Adult situation with brief nudity, parental guidance suggested
Format: Original Japanese dialog (LD), subtitled (VHS) and dubbed (VHS)


[ plot summary ]

A brisk winter's day... a weekend to relax... and another day spent at the office. At least for Nobuyuki, who finds that his clients are just as demanding as his boss. But this is a very special day...

Tenchi senses something special about the day as well... It's snowing! Sasami and Ryo-Ohki play for the first time in Terran snow, with Azaka and Kamidake as unwilling snowmen. Kazuhito, carrys on as if it's business as usual, for the most part. And one of his many duties is to train Tenchi in the family's traditional style of sword fighting. Ayeka, always trying to impress Tenchi, takes some tea for them when she spies the two training. But when Tenchi assumes kamaei -- a ready stance -- Ayeka is amazed that it looks identical to the stance used by the Royal Family of Jurai. As usual, Kazuhito is as inscrutable as ever, leaving her with more questions than answers...

Meanwhile, Sasami makes a wonderful discovery while skating on the frozen pond in front of the Masaki home -- Ryu-Oh, Ayeka's ship, seems to have started to regenerate itself. Despite the fact that it had taken root and would not be able to function as a ship ever again, Ayeka is ecstatic -- Ryu-Oh was her ship since childhood, and to see it alive again was cause for celebration.

But it appears that the reason that this was a special day had more to do with an important day in the past. A very special snowy day; one which makes Nobuyuki purchase flowers and act very much the responsible parent...


[ capsule review ]

This was a most welcome episode -- not only to act as a break from all the silly slapstick, but also to introduce some very important pieces of foreshadowing and exposition to give the Tenchi storyline more substance. The script is well written -- instead of making this a dark and depressing episode, it's turned around. We have an episode which not only honours Tenchi's mother, but fills everyone with hope for the future. Nobuyuki is portrayed not so much as a letch, but as a hard-working, responsible architect who occasionally makes a silly double-entendre joke. His major scenes (of particular note: one with Kazuhito when toasting with a snowflake-blessed cup of sake; the other when the Masaki clan are gathered around Tenchi's mother's grave) are well acted -- perhaps even more surprising, since Aono Takeshi plays the parts of both Nobuyuki and Kazuhito.

One item I found a bit annoying was the grandiose music which swells forward when Sasami prays to Ryu-Oh for some sap. Too much! It's taken nine episodes, but for the first time we get to see that perhaps there's more to Tenchi than just being uncontrollably caught up events. The re-birth of Ryu-Oh will prove to be very important, not only in this episode for the tree sap, but much later when -- well, that would be telling! - AN



[ café rating ]

Original: Subbed: Dubbed:
Story: N/R 4 stars N/R
Direction: N/R 5 stars N/R
Acting: N/R 4 stars N/R
Animation: N/R 4 stars N/R
Music: N/R 3 stars N/R
Translation: N/A 3 stars N/R
Overall Rating: N/R 4 stars N/R



[ << prev ] [ top ] [ next >> ]

[ home ] [ what's new ] [ café contest ] [ café reviews ] [ parent's guide ] [ encyclopædia ]
[ café trivia ] [ café latté ] [ café espresso ] [ about the café ] [ feedback ] [ links ] [ site map ]

© 1997-2000. All rights reserved. The Animé Café logo and the Crystal Kyoko award are original creations of the Animé Café. Please do not use any of the materials on this site without the expressed written permission of the Animé Café.

Page last modified 1999.07.16