" For revenge she sends a hot chick to make out with Tenchi...Man, I need to piss off more gremlins. "

      Title: Tenchi the Movie 2: the Daughter of Darkness by Pioneer

      Format: Anime DVD

      Reviewing Monkey: Chimpan-A

      The Hype: One hot summer day, a strange new girl shows up at the Masaki household. Odd in and of itself. But, better yet, she claims to be Tenchi’s daughter. Wacky Hijinks ensue in this second Tenchi movie.

      What This Monkey Thought...

      Animation: The animation for this title is great. Lots of clean lines and very well done characters. The women of the Masaki house are looking particularly lovely in this new adventure. No weird stutters even when the action gets frenetic. Several scenes have emotions flying high, and the great animation brings it all out very well, a good-looking piece, all around. 5 out of 5

      Action: Sword fights and explosions, wacky chases, and running naked chicks. Could you ask for more? While down and out combat is not the norm in this movie, there are enough scenes to keep you happy and moving along. When not in combat, the girls and Tenchi keep things rolling with their amusing exploits. The movie moves along with a good pace, and seems to really fill out its 60 minute run time. The movie is a lot of fun to watch and is definitely worth the time. 4 out of 5

      Story: So Tenchi’s got a daughter, eh? Pretty good considering how straight-laced the guy is! For those not familiar with the Tenchi series, it features one man (Tenchi) living in a house with six alien women who all want him to varying degrees. We follow their misadventures as they all try to get Tenchi’s love. For those a little more familiar, this story borrows from both the OAV, and TV series. This story is about a little gremlin that’s pissed at being beaten up when she was a kid. For revenge she sends a hot chick to make out with Tenchi. Man, I need to piss off more gremlins. The story actually revolves around Mayuka (the aforementioned hot chick), as she grows as a person, becomes accepted in the family, and wars with her controller who wishes harm on the others. The story sort of seems to fade into the background as we jump from one scene to another, but it moves along well enough that you’ll find yourself involved in the story without even realizing it. The final battle is a great clincher to the movie. 4.5 out of 5

      Music: The music for the Tenchi series has always been pretty good, this movie is no exception. All the music fits the mood, and the movie. There’s not a whole lot of music in the movie though, and usually it’s in the background, becoming none too noticeable. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, mind you. There’s just some music it would have been nice to hear more clearly. 4 out of 5

      Translation: There seems to be a lot of added words, and changed phrases. Some lines are changed and moved entirely out of sequence from the Japanese to the English (ah, the wonders of DVD). Still, all of the language flows well and there are no major faux pas. 4 out of 5

      Rewatchability: For fans of the Tenchi series, you’ll probably watch this movie over and over again. For those who don’t particularly like Tenchi, the movie’s still worth another watch through. It has a great blend of action and comedy that’s worth a second look. I’d say this movie could definitely make a few fans. 3.5 out of 5

      The Verdict:

Fun movie with action, comedy, romance, and a scene in the hot springs make this anime a great one to pick up. Not to mention that the DVD contains the "Tenchi Encyclopedia". This useful tool covers the OAV and TV series of Tenchi and gives lots of information about characters (even giving the differences between the series). This is a must have for any Tenchi fan, and a should have for anyone just plain confused by the whole thing. The movie itself is great, and a lot of fun to watch. Crisp animation, good story, and some cool battles make this anime recommended.

      The Good: A rousing Tenchi adventure with loads of good stuff. Tenchi Encyclopedia!

      The Bad: It’s a little on the short side, and the translation is a bit off.

      The Overall Ugly: Tenchi fan? Get this. Otherwise? Take a look; it might just change your mind.

      What it's Worth: In the $20 range