Tenchi Muyo Universe

I’m not going to lie: Tenchi Muyo Universe was one of the first shows that drew me to anime. Vibrant and colorful, Universe still makes me laugh all these years later, especially the Time and Space episodes. Tenchi is often credited with popularizing the many girls one guy format, but Tenchi is not cardboard cutout geek, and the love triangles make for real drama as well as humor. The other characters of Tenchi Universe are likewise energetic and original. There’s the flamboyant space pirate Ryoko, incredibly cute cabbit Ryo-oki, obsessive perfectionist princess Ayeka, bumbling space cop Mihoshi, and more.

The series has two distinct parts, and while both are humorous, the second half, which features the group’s travel toward Jurai as fugitives is more active and serious. The first part sets up the relationships between the characters and lets their quirky personalities bounce off one another in different situations.

Kagato appears in this series just as he does in the OVA, but in what I think is a significantly reduced form. The Kagato of the OVA wanted to seize power and had class in his attempt to do so. The younger, sneaker Kagato of the series just doesn’t compare, and wouldn’t last five minutes in an even fight with either version of Washu.

If you haven’t already, see Tenchi Muyo Universe. It’s a good series with good jokes, good characters, and, well, a fascinating universe.