" And may I suggest that you never ever listen to the end theme… "

      Title: Tenchi the Movie: Tenchi Muyo in Love

      Format: Anime DVD

      Reviewing Monkey: Chimpan-A

      The Hype: Something is wrong in time! Kain has escaped galaxy police headquarters and is messing with Tenchi’s past! Now how will he pay his phone bill on time? Or exist, for that matter? Watch as Tenchi battles for his past with his friends at his side.

      What This Monkey Thought...

      Animation: I found myself a little put off by the animation in this movie. Not that there’s anything tangibly wrong with it. The lines are all very clean, and everything looks nice when it happens. The characters just didn’t seem to look their best. Ah well, like I said, there is nothing inherently wrong with the animation. 4 out of 5

      Action: Tenchi Muyo in Love is quite the serious piece. The humor is all low key, and there’s not much of it. That means watching the movie tends to be a more sober experience. There are some great development scenes, and some great combat scenes. The final battle is pretty badass. The action does seem to flag at times, as the characters try to catch up to what we’ve grasped since the beginning of the movie. Although it keeps a fairly brisk pace, this only proves to make it seem shorter than its already short 95 minute run. 3.5 out of 5

      Story: All things considered the story is pretty plausible. Which considering the implausabilities of time travel is saying something. Basically, Kain breaks out of prison and goes back in time to kill Tenchi’s mother. Tenchi and gang go back in time with Washu’s help. For those not familiar with the Tenchi series, it features one man (Tenchi) living in a house with six alien women. We follow their misadventures as Tenchi lives out the bachelor’s dream… This movie happens in the TV (or Universe) setting (for those familiar with it), and tries to give a background on Tenchi’s family, and the house they’ve all come to share. The story seems to run a little quickly, and there was at least one major plot hole that becomes clear on later reflection. Still, while you’re watching it that’s not important, and easily overlooked. 4 out of 5

      Music: The music fits the mood of the movie, i.e. serious. There appear to be two categories for the music, the happy serious songs, and the serious serious songs. The variation between the different songs will sometimes be enough to make you doubt you’re hearing the same song over and over again. And may I suggest that you never ever listen to the end theme… 3 out of 5

      Translation: I had no problems with the translation work on this title. Pioneer definitely knows what they’re doing when it comes to this job. 5 out of 5

      Rewatchability: If you forget how Tenchi’s mother and father met, you can watch this movie again. It’s actually not bad another few times through, especially if your mood is serious. If you’re looking for something lighthearted though, you’ll want to hold off on this one. It’s worth a second watch, surely. How many times after that depends on how big a Tenchi fan you are. 3 out of 5

      The Verdict:

If you’re a big Tenchi fan, than you should definitely enjoy this peek at Tenchi’s past. Those of you new to the Tenchi series are in for a pleasant surprise. Although very much on the serious side in this adventure, this is still a great anime and has some awesome battles to keep you entertained.

      The Good: Meet Achika, Tenchi’s mother. Watch Tenchi’s world come alive!

      The Bad: Some less than satisfying music and animation

      The Overall Ugly: Pretty good anime. And a naked woman on the cover, what’s not to like?

      What it's Worth: In the $10 to $20 range.