Tenchi the Movie 2: The First Take on Midsommar

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Tenchi the Movie 2: The First Take on Midsommar

Tenchi the Movie 2: Daughter of Darkness

Mayuka and Yuzuha, 43K (scanned from the dubbed VHS Box)

Genre: comedy/sci-fi fantasy
Length: 60 minutes (Theatrical Film)
Audience Age: 16+

Opinion: It is a let down unless you are looking for a Christmas themed Japanese-animated cartoon.

This is a review of the dubbed VHS version (close captioned).

Also known as Tenchi Muyo! Midsummer's Eve.

Like most adventures for Tenchi, it seems like a normal day until a strange girl shows up claiming to be Tenchi's daughter. This is seemingly impossible, but Washu's DNA test on a black hair of the girl proves that Tenchi is the father, but who is the mother of Mayuka. She seems to have no memory of her mother and Ryoko senses something evil about her.

Can Mihoshi give insight about who the new comer is by a silver hair she found that Yosho, Tenchi's grandfather, recognizes? Does this mean she is a danger to Tenchi or is she just dying her hair? Whatever the answer to the problem, will Ryoko let her survive long enough to let us find out Mayuka's true intentions?

I think "Tenchi the Movie 2" is a decent source of entertainment for an hour, but it seems like this film was rushed out to capitalize on the success of the first film, "Tenchi Muyo! In Love", so it suffers for that. Unlike the first film, this feels like an extended TV or OVA episode instead of a theatrical film. What makes matters worse is that the film still has the classic motion picture anime series extension dark and dreary plot. The animation has not been improved from the TV/OVA series which is unfortunately a major flaw for any anime motion picture spin off. Well, at least the soundtrack is superior to the first film.

If you are a Tenchi fan, Tenchi the Movie 2 is worth a viewing. Any other anime fan will be let down if they purchase this video, unless they are looking for a Christmas-themed Japanese-animated cartoon and feel that "Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz" is stretching that terminology.

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The Bus's Transit of Anime Reality

This is how I became a rabid otaku. My first website was not suppose to be strictly dedicated to anime, but all things that were a 17 year-old Russ (Star Wars, Red Dwarf, and Highlander).

It became my first lesson in website design. Don't try to cover too much because you are going to be left disappointed. So I kept it to anime, and it wasn't till college took up most of my time did I ever feel disappointed by it.

I was also the creator of a fairly popular Neon Genesis Evanglion site: EvaUnit03's Tokyo 3 Station. This is where I took Danielle Scott's idea of incorporating alternative rock with the series for a critical and musical look at Evangelion.

The anime reviews for the show can be found at http://evaunit03.homestead.com/. The manga reviews can be found at Russ's Online Home.

A Critique of the Chinese Subtitled Version

Evangelion: Death

Evangelion Death is basically a review of the entire series up to Episode 24 that uses the rap around device of the first four children playing classical pieces on stringed instruments. For each kid who joins in, his story is told. Through Shinji we also learn the story of Misato and Ritsuko. Since I don't know Japanese as well as I thought, maybe that hurt my opinion on the editing. Maybe I just prefer chronological order.

There are a few enhancements to the animation to set up the second film, Rebirth, but everything else is from the T.V. series besides for the rap around device. If your like me and saw Eva through A.D. Vision, they did a lot of unreasonable editing (allegedly restored), so we missed a lot via this company. If you enjoyed the series you'll enjoy this, but if you're overly anxious for the conclusion like I was since I felt the T.V. series ending was perfect, you could get bored with the Death, and fast forward 45 minutes to Rebirth.

Evangelion: Rebirth

All of the angels have been destroyed, so what is there left for Nerv to do? On that thought, Seele decides its time to take Nerv back from Gendo Ikari by hacking in and taking over the Magi. Luckily, Ritsuko creates the 666 program through Casper which stops this invasion.

Before the hackers stuck, Misato had been searching for answers about the concept of the Third Impact. Shinji is looking for sympathy after killing Kaworu, and Asuka has become almost totally unreceptive to anything. Unfortunately, the cast can't go back to these plans because Seele has launched an assault force to kill everyone in Nerv to make sure Seele is absolutely in control.

Obviously this film sets its self up for a sequel, especially since we find out what Seele now has as their secret weapon. I don't support why the films were made, but this is a beautiful piece of animation which surpasses the quality of Gainax's last big film Wings on Honneamise. The story is superb, and I was actually impressed in the emotional performances of the voice actors. It has some of the most superb sequences I've ever seen in an anime, and its sound track lives up to the series's. Love the end of the T.V. series or not, this 45 minute film will blow you away.

On that note about the soundtrack, here's the theme song in midi form.