Tenchi in Tokyo DVD

Tired of the chaos that has consumed his home life since a space pirate, a Jurai princess, a galaxy police officer, a genius scientist, and several others took up permanent residence at his family's shrine, Tenchi Masaki packs his bags and moves to Tokyo to train as a Shinto shrine apprentice and, ideally, live a normal life. It lasts about one episode. The girls follow. Ryoko keeps blowing things up. Ayeka keeps trying to outmaneuver Ryoko. Mihoshi and Kiyone manage their Galaxy Police careers from a Tokyo apartment. Washu runs experiments from her pocket dimension. Sasami cooks. And Tenchi, attempting to focus on his training, meets Sakuya Kumashiro — a girl at his Tokyo high school who is warm, uncomplicated, and actually likes him in a straightforward way that none of his interstellar housemates seem capable of. As Tenchi and Sakuya's relationship deepens, a dark entity named Yugi — a mutant Juraian sealed away 3,500 years ago — begins manipulating events from the shadows, with Tenchi as her ultimate target.

Tenchi in Tokyo is a 26-episode standalone alternate-universe series — the third major Tenchi Muyo! TV entry after Tenchi Universe — produced by AIC and directed by Nobuhiro Takamoto, airing on TV Tokyo in 1997. It is a complete reimagining of the franchise with original character backstories, new designs, and a tone noticeably more comedic and super-deformed than its predecessors. The English dub aired on Cartoon Network's Toonami block in 2000.  

Notable Staff & Voice Talent

Director: Nobuhiro Takamoto
Original Franchise: Masaki Kajishima & Hiroki Hayashi (Tenchi Muyo!, Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure)
Studio: AIC (Anime International Company)
Opening Theme: "Where Have My Dreams Gone" by Linda Yamamoto
Ending Theme: "Can't Stop! Can't Stop!" performed by the Japanese cast

Japanese Cast:
• Masami Kikuchi as Tenchi Masaki (Oh My Goddess! OVA)
• Ai Orikasa as Ryoko (Battle Athletes, Slayers, Magic User's Club, Sorcerer Hunters)
• Yumi Takada as Ayeka
• Chisa Yokoyama as Sasami (Battle Skipper, Nadesico, Haunted Junction, Sakura Wars)
• Yuko Mizutani as Mihoshi (Tenchi Universe, Dragon Half, Cardcaptor Sakura)
• Takeshi Aono as Nobuyuki / Katsuhito (Tenchi Universe, Slayers, DBZ)
• Mayumi Iizuka as Sakuya Kumashiro
• Akiko Yajima as Yugi

English Dub Cast (Geneon / Pioneer):
• Matt K. Miller as Tenchi Masaki
• Petrea Burchard as Ryoko
• Jennifer Darling as Ayeka
• Sherry Lynn as Sasami (Nightwalker, Moldiver)
• Ellen Gerstell as Mihoshi
• Julie Maddalena as Sakuya (Kurogane Communication)
• Debi Derryberry as Yugi

DVD Features

• Geneon / Pioneer Previews
• Note: Toonami broadcast version was edited for content; uncut version on DVD

Spoken Languages: English & Japanese Audio, English Subtitles

Edition Details

Japanese Title: 新・天地無用! (Shin Tenchi Muyō! / The New No Need for Tenchi!)
Runtime: ~650 Minutes (Complete Series, 26 Episodes)
Director: Nobuhiro Takamoto
DVD Release Year: 1998–2000 (Original Geneon/Pioneer individual volumes); Signature Series reissue 2004; FUNimation Complete Box Set November 2012
Original Broadcast Date (Japan): April 1 – September 23, 1997 (TV Tokyo)
Publisher: Geneon Entertainment (Pioneer); FUNimation Entertainment (2012 Complete Box Set)
Rating: 13+
Region: Region 1 (U.S. / Canada)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Comedy, Romance, Harem
Themes: Alternate Universe Tenchi, Tokyo Shrine Training, Sakuya Romance, Yugi Antagonist, Toonami Broadcast History

Media assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.