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天地無用! 魎皇鬼 [Tenchi Muyou! Ryououki] #1
No Need for Tenchi!
A collection of stories about high school student Tenchi, space pirate Ryoko, Princess Ayeka and her sister Sasami, the scientist Washu, and Sasami's friend Ryoohki.
184 pages, Paperback
First published December 20, 1994
About the author
Hitoshi Okuda
100 books16 followersHitoshi Okuda (奥田ひとし) is a Japanese manga artist, most famous for his characterizations and stories set in the world of Tenchi Muyo!.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 23, 2019
Originally I'd been planning on going through a full re-read of this series and its successor only after I'd revisited the original OVA series, but at this point I'm saying screw it, because I love "Tenchi" too much and always will. Trying to resist the urge to read it is a futile act.
First things first, let's get my bias pointed out and then moved out of the way. I loved the OVA and I love the manga, and it was the manga that was actually influential on me developing any meager artistic skill I have. While other series by other mangaka would influence my desire to draw, No Need For Tenchi! was the starting point for me, because the style was expressive but very streamlined and more simplistic to replicate. I grew up first drawing "Tenchi" characters, so obviously, I'm going to have a heavy bias towards this series, so just be aware of that. Additionally, the lack of being locked into any one or two primary genres will always be something I love about "Tenchi". It is simultaneously a science fiction, a fantasy, a space opera, a shoujo, a shonen, action adventure, comedy, romance, slice-of-life drama... Tenchi can hit all these genres without staying locked into any singular one, and I think the story is all the richer for it.
This first volume gives us a digest recap of the OVA's events, and doesn't do an entirely bad job. I think some readers could easily pick up on the heart and spirit of the series with this alone, but I do think it's important to be at least somewhat familiar with the OVA. The story picks up almost immediately with a fast pace, introducing us to a new threat to the Masaki found family home in the form of a mysterious assassin girl named Minagi
There's really no stopping once the ball gets rolling, as all the chapters in this volume focus on the inevitable build-up and response to these events, finally ending on a bit of a cliffhanger to carry the story over into volume two. Personally, I got through this in less than an hour, and I think the fast pace is part of what keeps this series so engaging. I still love this and highly recommend it to anyone interested in looking into the series for the first time. (Though you really should check out the original first OVA before starting this manga, as the manga is a sequel to the OVA, and not an adaptation of the episodes.)
First things first, let's get my bias pointed out and then moved out of the way. I loved the OVA and I love the manga, and it was the manga that was actually influential on me developing any meager artistic skill I have. While other series by other mangaka would influence my desire to draw, No Need For Tenchi! was the starting point for me, because the style was expressive but very streamlined and more simplistic to replicate. I grew up first drawing "Tenchi" characters, so obviously, I'm going to have a heavy bias towards this series, so just be aware of that. Additionally, the lack of being locked into any one or two primary genres will always be something I love about "Tenchi". It is simultaneously a science fiction, a fantasy, a space opera, a shoujo, a shonen, action adventure, comedy, romance, slice-of-life drama... Tenchi can hit all these genres without staying locked into any singular one, and I think the story is all the richer for it.
This first volume gives us a digest recap of the OVA's events, and doesn't do an entirely bad job. I think some readers could easily pick up on the heart and spirit of the series with this alone, but I do think it's important to be at least somewhat familiar with the OVA. The story picks up almost immediately with a fast pace, introducing us to a new threat to the Masaki found family home in the form of a mysterious assassin girl named Minagi
There's really no stopping once the ball gets rolling, as all the chapters in this volume focus on the inevitable build-up and response to these events, finally ending on a bit of a cliffhanger to carry the story over into volume two. Personally, I got through this in less than an hour, and I think the fast pace is part of what keeps this series so engaging. I still love this and highly recommend it to anyone interested in looking into the series for the first time. (Though you really should check out the original first OVA before starting this manga, as the manga is a sequel to the OVA, and not an adaptation of the episodes.)
September 5, 2017
Now take my review with a grain of salt, I've never seen the show this manga is based on. I walked into the store and my husband pointed it out and said the show was hilarious, so I gave the manga a try.
I really enjoyed this first volume, especially after the 22% mark. For the first 22% of the book I was completely confused and reaching out to my husband to get some clarification. The transitions and explanations are sort of wonky and fast paced for someone who hasn't seen the show. I've read many mangas before so it isn't an issue with that. I also had an issue with this particular volume because they printed it front to back, left to right, instead of the traditional way to read manga. That threw me off.
Aside from that, the book was funny, and as I said, after that first 22% I could follow along easily and I knew the characters / what was going on. I'm very interested in watching the show, I also want to continue reading this manga now that I know what is going on.
The manga is about several characters, a mad scientist, a princess and her little sister, and many other characters. There is a lot going on, but it is funny, fast paced, and there is a cat-rabbit hybrid animal (cabbit) that turns into a spaceship. How can you not be interested in that?
I really enjoyed this first volume, especially after the 22% mark. For the first 22% of the book I was completely confused and reaching out to my husband to get some clarification. The transitions and explanations are sort of wonky and fast paced for someone who hasn't seen the show. I've read many mangas before so it isn't an issue with that. I also had an issue with this particular volume because they printed it front to back, left to right, instead of the traditional way to read manga. That threw me off.
Aside from that, the book was funny, and as I said, after that first 22% I could follow along easily and I knew the characters / what was going on. I'm very interested in watching the show, I also want to continue reading this manga now that I know what is going on.
The manga is about several characters, a mad scientist, a princess and her little sister, and many other characters. There is a lot going on, but it is funny, fast paced, and there is a cat-rabbit hybrid animal (cabbit) that turns into a spaceship. How can you not be interested in that?
April 25, 2016
Tenchi Muyo was one of my favorite animes when I was in high school, and I still love it to this day. The only problem is I'm not entirely sure how this series even starts. It seems a bit like the Bible and has two different beginnings that don't match up. But despite that, I love the characters, especially Ryoko, who, in my opinion, is the greatest female anime character ever! She is greatness!
Okuda-san's artwork looks exactly like an anime, so he did a great job! And even though I was reading pages, it felt like I was watching an episode. Ayeka was still super annoying. Ryoko was still super amazing. And Tenchi's grandpa was still super hilarious! But of course, leave it to Japan to have love interests in the family.... considering Tenchi would be Ayeka's great nephew and she has the hots for him... awkward!
Anyway, for the start of the manga, I enjoyed it! I have to buy the rest of the series so I can read it, hopefully in the near future!
Okuda-san's artwork looks exactly like an anime, so he did a great job! And even though I was reading pages, it felt like I was watching an episode. Ayeka was still super annoying. Ryoko was still super amazing. And Tenchi's grandpa was still super hilarious! But of course, leave it to Japan to have love interests in the family.... considering Tenchi would be Ayeka's great nephew and she has the hots for him... awkward!
Anyway, for the start of the manga, I enjoyed it! I have to buy the rest of the series so I can read it, hopefully in the near future!
May 26, 2014
Created in a time before ratings in the manga industry I am going to assume this book is rated Teen due to violence and typical harem anime story lines.
Picking up after the original OAV(or so I assume considering Tenchi Muyo has more alternate stories then any anime I know and the first few pages review sounds like the OAV) the Tenchi gang are confronted by creature that looks like Ryoko and before long they discover the powerful warrior Yakage ho wishes to fight Tenchi. If you are into harem animes and into scifi/space harem anime then I am sure you would like this series and at least most of the anime out there. :)
I know my favorite part of the book is when Ryoko slaps Ayeka for complaining because Tenchi was not there to rescue her and scolding her for her spoiled attitude. I can't say to much or I will spoil parts of the book but if you want to get into an older series and you don't mind girls going gaga for one guy in a book then go for this series. :)
Picking up after the original OAV(or so I assume considering Tenchi Muyo has more alternate stories then any anime I know and the first few pages review sounds like the OAV) the Tenchi gang are confronted by creature that looks like Ryoko and before long they discover the powerful warrior Yakage ho wishes to fight Tenchi. If you are into harem animes and into scifi/space harem anime then I am sure you would like this series and at least most of the anime out there. :)
I know my favorite part of the book is when Ryoko slaps Ayeka for complaining because Tenchi was not there to rescue her and scolding her for her spoiled attitude. I can't say to much or I will spoil parts of the book but if you want to get into an older series and you don't mind girls going gaga for one guy in a book then go for this series. :)
September 20, 2018
This adaptation starts off in a way that I really dislike, there is a lot of exposition by Tenchi Masaki, basically summarizing everything that happened in the Tenchi Muyō OVA. And when I say everything, I mean everything! All of the characters and how they came to live with Tenchi, the mysteries about Yosho and the fight with Kagato, all of it. It’s basically all set up with no substance, which would just appear as an info-dump for people that have never heard of Tenchi before. It’s obvious that Hitoshi Okuda wanted to quickly summarize the story and characters from the OVA so that he could get to the fun manga-only antics of his adaptation of Masaki Kajishima original story. I couldn’t help but feel like that was incredibly lazy storytelling and also a terrible way to begin the series for people that are not already familiar with Tenchi Muyō.
For people that are already fans of Tenchi Muyō this manga has a good amount to offer. Hitoshi Okuda continued this adaptation by creating The All-New Tenchi Muyō! which continues the antics of all the Tenchi characters you know and love (minus Kiyone, for reasons I’ll get into in another post), and the edition of new characters that were never in the anime like Dark Washu. The artwork is well done and fits the style seen in the anime very well. I especially love the curvy line-work that Okuda used for Mihoshi’s hair.
I would only recommend checking out this manga series if you that already enjoy the Tenchi Muyō anime series. The OVA is definitely worth watching and is the type of “harem” show that it seems is rarely ever made today. The series focus isn’t on who Tenchi will end up with romantically, there’s a lot of humor and a ton of fantastical sci-fi elements; spaceships, intergalactic travel and galaxy police officers. If any of those elements interest you, you won’t regret getting into Tenchi Muyō!
This is a only a portion of the review from my blog where I write about manga, novels, animation and more. http://polyphonicvox.wordpress.com
February 21, 2020
This is in a different series of the manga - based on the anime I believe - with the same base characters and a similar base story. However, as a first installment, this one leaves a plot wide open. The art was good, though nothing super stellar or adorable. It looks like the anime, so if you’re used to that art style, you’ve certainly gotten it. It’s fun, but none of the plots it starts get wrapped up in this book.
September 17, 2017
It appears to have a plot! Let's see if it lasts beyond this arc.
December 7, 2019
2,5 stars
January 19, 2023
La fin iniciando esta colección que me gusta y ver qué depara el manga, aún todo tranquilo
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June 25, 2024I have been a huge Tenchi fan ever since I was a teenager in the late ninties/early noughties. Alas, I never has the money to buy manga books, so now as an adult I spotted this volume for just a few quid and jumped in.
The recap was a little frustrating, as it isn't very well done, but it does help to 'place' where the book would sit in the continuity of the original series and, as I hadn't watched the show in years, it does help spark memories of what's going on. The thing is, the recap does not help explain anything useful to new readers, so if you're new to Tenchi, it's useless, if you are familiar with the show, it will probably also be useless.
Otherwise, the manga does capture the spirit of the show. The artwork is excellent and very reminiscent of the show. There is plenty of humour and it's so well written that I can hear the voice actors in my head as I read it (English dub, one of the few shows where I think the English actors may actually be better!). It is rare to come across a manga based on an anime rather than the other way around. This is very much within the show's remit, and not a retelling at all. I do wonder if perhaps it would have been better to let the manga be it's own thing and retell the story in it's own way. Despite that, the manga is fun.
The only big downner on this is the villain. He's really not interesting and I can see where the plot intends to go with him already. But the main cast are true to themselves and that's really what we're here for.
The recap was a little frustrating, as it isn't very well done, but it does help to 'place' where the book would sit in the continuity of the original series and, as I hadn't watched the show in years, it does help spark memories of what's going on. The thing is, the recap does not help explain anything useful to new readers, so if you're new to Tenchi, it's useless, if you are familiar with the show, it will probably also be useless.
Otherwise, the manga does capture the spirit of the show. The artwork is excellent and very reminiscent of the show. There is plenty of humour and it's so well written that I can hear the voice actors in my head as I read it (English dub, one of the few shows where I think the English actors may actually be better!). It is rare to come across a manga based on an anime rather than the other way around. This is very much within the show's remit, and not a retelling at all. I do wonder if perhaps it would have been better to let the manga be it's own thing and retell the story in it's own way. Despite that, the manga is fun.
The only big downner on this is the villain. He's really not interesting and I can see where the plot intends to go with him already. But the main cast are true to themselves and that's really what we're here for.
August 10, 2024
An entertaining follow-up to the Kagato battle from the original 'Tenchi Muyo!' OVA. It's rather hackneyed, and some of the characters, like Sasami and Mihoshi, end up being superfluous. Not to mention that a lot of the derivative plot - bits and pieces taken from other 'Tenchi' series's - makes no sense whatsoever. But the action and humour are great. Why I mostly enjoy it? For the same reason why I keep coming back to this zany anime franchise: I adore the characters. The hilarious, spectacularly confident, violent, and complex space fighter pilot/might as well be a female Super Saiyan Ryoko; the hoity-toity, high-and-mighty, yet kind and joyful princess Ayeka; the 20,000-year-old greatest mad scientist in the universe/Ryoko's mummy dearest Washu, etc. So many diverse women who also happen to be space aliens (with Japanese names, of course). Their harem with Tenchi is based on each lady's/girl's differing kind of attraction to him, based on her own quirks (or kinks) - and he is certainly not the reason for their popularity and purpose: their individual personalities are. 'No Need for Tenchi!' really is more about the women than the man.
Oh, plus Ryo-oh-ki the cat-rabbit hybrid that turns into a spaceship remains the cutest creation ever.
Fun times, fun times. The nostalgia is strong with this one. The anime continues to hold a special place in my heart, and the various manga can come along and board there too.
Final Score: 3/5
Oh, plus Ryo-oh-ki the cat-rabbit hybrid that turns into a spaceship remains the cutest creation ever.
Fun times, fun times. The nostalgia is strong with this one. The anime continues to hold a special place in my heart, and the various manga can come along and board there too.
Final Score: 3/5
August 26, 2015
This is a continuation of the Tenchi Muyo show. There is a new Gillian on board and she wants Tenchi's miraculous sword. This manga is hilarious and classic. If you loved the show you are sure to love this book. The art is the same as the show. The only downfall was that the battle scenes were too short.
March 15, 2015
I have to say this is a lovely manga. It truly is, albeit a bit episodic and I'm disappointing they didn't utilize the wonderful character back stories that existed. I can't say this isn't one of my favorite cast of manga characters. I only wish I could find more manga with them.
August 16, 2015
Takes the basic ingredients of the classic series and uses them to tell its own stories. Fun!
March 14, 2022
Really confusing if you haven't watched the anime and/or read other manga-related material. Still, good artwork.
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December 3, 2017I love tenchi
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews