Tenchi

The official data from the Tenchi Muyo Ultimate DVD Box Set (version 3.0). Learn various facts from the characters, or even the creators of the series!

General
Where did the show title came from?
Where did the character names come from?
Is there a real shrine?

Tenchi
What's the mark on Tenchi's forehead?

Ryoko
Where did the floating onsen come from?
Why is there an earring on Ryoko's left ear?
How powerful would Ryoko be with all three jewels?

Ayeka
How did Ayeka escape from Jurai?

Sasami
How did Sasami knew Tenchi was in danger in OAV episode six?

Ryo-Ohki
Why does Ryo-Ohki love carrots so much?
Why does Ryo-Ohki change into animal form?

Washu
What is the Galaxy Academy?

Nobuyuki
What is Nobuyuki's job?
Why do Tenchi's father and grandfather look similar?

Katsuhito
Why did Tenchi break the demon's seal in the shrine?
Why don't people become suspicious about Tenchi's grandfather's age?

Tsunami
What is a Jurai tree (Okue no Ki)?
What is a key?
What are Wings of the Light hawk?
When Kagato's ship attacked in OAV Episode five, was Tenchi killed?

Kagato
Why is Kagato, but not Ryoko, wanted permanently?

Jurai
Are Jurai ships really made of wood?
Where did the House of Jurai come from?
What's the connection between Earth and Jurai?


General
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Where did the show title came from?

Toru Miura, AIC's president, chose the name. Toru Miura expected the series to be a comedy with characters jumping around and came up with "Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-oh-Ki" (tenchi means "sky and ground" muyou is "no need"). At the time nobody knew "tenchi muyou" also means "don't make this upside down".

Where did the character names come from?

Many are from Okayama Prefecture, where Masaki Kajishima was born, and others are words and staff names.

Masaki Tenchi - Different Kanji than Masaki from Kajishima's first name. Tenchi means universe.

Ryoko - based on Kajishima's favorite seiyuu (voice actor), again with different Kanji.

Ayeka (Aeka) - comes from an old Japanese word, "Aekanaru", which means delicate or frail (Kajishima likes the sound of this word).

Nobuyuki and Katsuhito - both named after AIC staff.

Souja - a city in Okayama-ken. Different Kanji.

Mihoshi - a city in Okayama with the same Kanji, but read as "Bisei."

Kiyone Makibi - Kiyone is a village in Okayama, and Makibi is a neighboring town.

Washu (Wasshu) - Mountain Kurashiki-shi. An amusement park is found there.

Sasami - Sami Kaigan (Beach of Sami). "Sami no sunahama" (sand beach of Sami). The first Kanji "sa" is for "suna."

Is there a real shrine?

Yes-the most famous one exists in Okayama, "oni no iwaya" (demon's stone house), in Souja-Shi, where a legend tells a fiend lived (unconfined). This place is the basis for Ryoko's shrine. Masaki Shrine is based on another near the house of Kajishima's grandfather. There is a Masaki Shrine in Okayama, but it is not related.

Tenchi
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What's the mark on Tenchi's forehead?

"The sword is only to pull out your powers. Please believe in your own power" (OAV episode six). Tsunami touched Tenchi's forehead with hers, and a mark appeared on his forehead. Tenchi and Tsunami's powers resonate, and the emblem lights up. The emblem is called an "Emblem of Power" and becomes visible when Tenchi uses Ko-Oh-Yoku.

Ryoko
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Where did the floating onsen come from?

In OAV episode five, a floating onsen suddenly appeared, with its entrance marked "Ladies" and "Tenchi." Ryoko made it. Washu developed a system (5000 years ago) that could make anything out of thin air as long as a blueprint existed. Ryoko used this system to create the onsen, which she had become fond of after episode four.

Why is there an earring on Ryoko's left ear?

Ryoko wears an earring in her left ear which looks like a jewel, but it is only a replica. "I was determined to play with Tenchi as soon as I had re-created the jewel." (OAV Episode five). Real jewels can neither be destroyed nor created. Tenchi destroyed the replica in episode 1. The earring is a substitute for Ryoko and not as powerful as the real one.

How powerful would Ryoko be with all three jewels?

As powerful as Tsunami. But her body is not yet strong enough to use their power fully. When she grows into a perfect body, she and Ryo-Ohki will be able to use the full power of the jewels. Yosho could beat her 700 years ago because she was still (relatively) young.

Ayeka
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How did Ayeka escape from Jurai?

Ayeka is a legitimate daughter of the Emperor and must have been watched by her guards all the time. How could she escape from Jurai? Because Imperial Family members are the most powerful people on Jurai. Tsunami probably interfered as well, since she knew Sasami wanted to sneak away with Ayeka. Against this even the Imperial Family couldn't do anything.

Sasami
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How did Sasami knew Tenchi was in danger in OAV episode six?

When Tenchi was injured by Kagato's attack in episode five, Sasami somehow perceived the danger even though she was on Earth. How did she know? Tsunami told Sasami. Tenchi's master key informed Tsunami, who passed it on to Sasami. With the spell Sasami uses later in Episode 6, she was absorbed into Funaho. Tsunami can open gates by linking Trees of the Imperial family.

Ryo-Ohki
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Why does Ryo-Ohki love carrots so much?

Ryo-Ohki has a sense of taste (unlike Ryoko, who just eats to be social). Ryo-Ohki thinks carrots are wonderful, and if allowed, she could eat them without ever getting full.

Why does Ryo-Ohki change into animal form?

Tenchi found Chibi (a cat) on the first day of his summer holiday (before the first episode begins) lying near the steps nearly dead. He took care of it, but it was Ryoko who really saved Chibi (with her energy). When Ryoko revived, she had to take her energy from Chibi. She assimilated it into the second generation Ryo-Ohki, which is why when Ryo-Ohki hatches from the egg in episode three and looks like a cat.

Washu
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What is the Galaxy Academy?

A research institute founded by the Jurai Imperial Family, the Galaxy Academy was originally called the "Imperial Science Academy." It later became independent and changed its name. Helped with grants, many excellent scientist came to join.

The academy encompasses an entire solar system, with the classrooms inside spaceships. There is an entire planet devoted to P.E. and another for cooking.

The students of the Academy have to pass hard exams every year to go to the next grade. By the time they reach graduate school, they are respected as keen minds (and considered a bit weird).

New technologies invented by the Academy are sold to other planets partly to fund the organization. Some inventions are kept secret and given only to the armed forces of Jurai or the Galaxy Union.

Nobuyuki
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What is Nobuyuki's job?

He is an architect. A widower, his hobbies include manga and peeping. He owns a small office with staff. He used to work at home in his room (now Mihoshi's) and occasionally went to the office. After Ryoko moved his house, he works in the office and lives in a nearby one room apartment.

Why do Tenchi's father and grandfather look similar?

Because they are blood relatives. Katsuhito is Achika's father and Nobuyuki came to him as a groom. But Yosho has been on Earth for 700 years. He has had several wives before and Nobuyuki is a descendant of one of his children by one of those wives. So the similarity is genetic. (Intermarriage of distant relatives in royal families is a common practice for both Earth and Jurai).

Katsuhito
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Why did Tenchi break the demon's seal in the shrine?

He broke it out of pure curiosity. "If someone told you never ever do something, you'd want to do it, wouldn't you?" (OAV episode one). Katsuhito got Tenchi curious about the demon with the help of Tenchi's mother. Katsuhito is an tactician and knew that Ryoko was watching Tenchi all the time. He arranged so Tenchi would break the seal and use the Tree to attract Ayeka. He knew Tenchi was special and wanted him to eventually become Jurai emperor.

Why don't people become suspicious about Tenchi's grandfather's age?

He lives a long way from the village, and he's gotten his way deep into Japanese politics in the last 700 years (he can change the family register).

Tsunami
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What is a Jurai tree (Okue no Ki)?

It is a tree with both independent power and will. The origin of all trees is Tsunami. Trees select their partners through a ceremony. Tenchi's grandfather used Ko-Oh-Yoku (wings of the light hawk) in episode five with the help of his tree, Funaho. Trees also function as telecommunication equipment and memory.

The trees belong to one of the four groups: The origin (Tsunami), 1st generation, 2nd generation, and all further generations. The first (Funaho) and second (Ryu-oh) generations can create up to three Ko-Oh-Yoku, but younger generations can only make them when more than one tree combine power.

Trees can only be grown by planting a seed. Other methods like grafting will lose their power. The Trees bear fruits like a peach, but the fruit has to be completely ripe to become the second type of seed, which grows only on Jurai homeworld. Occasionally trees produce a seed in sap on the trunk. When the tree dies, this seed germinates by interaction with the key. These special seeds can be grown anywhere as long they are kept in a special unit.

What is a key?

The sap of the trees often crystallizes into a jewel on its branch, and if a good one is found, it is cut out with the branch and carved into a key. The partner of the Tree keeps it and nobody else can use it unless the partner wishes so. However, when the life of the Tree or its partner is in danger, the key takes command. Tenchi's sword is a master key while Ayeka's is just a normal key. This is why Tenchi was able to release Ryoko from Ayeka's jail.

What are Wings of the Light hawk?

Wings of the Light Hawk (Ko-Oh-Yoku) are a manifestation of God's aura and not a weapon. Three Ko-Oh-Yoku are enough to protect the entire ship. Ko-Oh-Yoku do not block incoming energy but instead convert it to a harmless form.

When Kagato's ship attacked in OAV Episode five, was Tenchi killed?

No. Although he lost the lower half of his body, the branches of Ryu-Oh kept him alive. Tsunami can revive the dead completely only if they are created by her in the first place. She could have restored a dead Tenchi but he would have lost all of his powers. Tsunami replaced the lost physical parts of Tenchi after Ryu-Oh and the guardians protected Tenchi from destruction.

Kagato
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Why is Kagato, but not Ryoko, wanted permanently?

His offenses are more serious. Ryoko does destroy a lot of things but doesn't hurt people so much. Kagato pays no attention to people as long as they don't offend his sense of beauty, but he does not mind killing them in his process to achieve his aim. So his crimes are more serious. Tenchi never commented on Kagato's sense of beauty (or curiosity driven ambitions) and in return Kagato did not reproach him in his last words.

Jurai
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Are Jurai ships really made of wood?

Yes. Robots controlled by skillful masters carve their hulls from giant trees that live on the Jurai home planet (but not Ouke no ki). Of course, the wood is not strong enough by itself, so it is covered with a special shield material.

Where did the House of Jurai come from?

Jurai was originally a pirate guild nation. The Jurai star is an Imperial nation with the largest territory among the nations in the Galaxy Union. Long before the creation of the Galaxy Union, there were many nobles who became pirates after being removed from power. They joined together to form a pirate guild, whose first leader was an ancestor of the Jurai Family. The pirate guild still operates and is controlled by the Jurai. They are involved in some illegal activities but this is not their primary mission.

What's the connection between Earth and Jurai?

Earth is a subject nation:

"Colonial Planet number 0-315. The Earth." (Ep. 2)

"This is within a Special Protection area" (Ep. 5)

"The Earth is under direct control of Jurai. So without its permission..." (Ep. 7)

The top politicians of Earth secretly maintain contact with the Jurai, who watch, but do not interfere.