Tenchi the Movie: Tenchi Muyo in Love DVD

The Galaxy Police headquarters has vanished. All that remains is a single word in the distress signal: Kain.

The monstrously powerful Super A-Class criminal has escaped from subspace imprisonment after centuries, destroyed the GP station, and set his sights on Earth — specifically on the Jurai royal bloodline. Back at the Masaki shrine, Tenchi's house begins to flicker and decay. Tenchi himself starts to phase out of existence. Washu's analysis is blunt: something happened to Tenchi's mother Achika in 1970 that erased the Masaki family line. With Tenchi fading fast, the group has no choice but to travel back to 1970 — enrolling as students at Achika and Nobuyuki's high school, keeping hidden from the young Katsuhito, and waiting for Kain to make his move. What none of them anticipated is the emotional weight of watching Tenchi's mother — the woman who died before he could know her — alive, young, and falling in love with his father. 

Tenchi the Movie: Tenchi Muyo in Love is the first of three Tenchi Muyo! theatrical films, directed by Hiroshi Negishi — who also directed Tenchi Universe — and serving as a direct sequel to that series' continuity. The music was composed by Christopher Franke, formerly of the German electronic group Tangerine Dream and the main composer for Babylon 5, with the ending theme "Alchemy of Love" performed by German singer Nina Hagen.

The North American DVD release was one of the few Pioneer/Geneon releases to carry THX-certified video, remastered for superior picture quality with audio remixed in 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. Pioneer Entertainment released the first DVD version on October 1, 1997; Geneon reissued it on January 6, 2004 as part of their Signature Series. 

Notable Staff & Voice Talent

Director: Hiroshi Negishi (Tenchi Universe, Burn Up W, Moldiver)
Original Franchise: Masaki Kajishima & Hiroki Hayashi
Screenplay: Ryoe Tsukimura (El-Hazard, Tenchi Universe, Sol Bianca, Magic User's Club)
Studio: AIC (Anime International Company)
Music: Christopher Franke (Babylon 5, Tangerine Dream)
Ending Theme: "Alchemy of Love" performed by Nina Hagen; Japanese version performed by Megumi Hayashibara

Japanese Cast:
• Masami Kikuchi as Tenchi Masaki (Oh My Goddess! OVA, Moldiver)
• Megumi Hayashibara as Achika Masaki (Slayers, Evangelion, Battle Athletes, Gestalt)
• Ai Orikasa as Ryoko (Battle Athletes, Slayers, Magic User's Club, Sorcerer Hunters, Tenchi in Tokyo)
• Yumi Takada as Ayeka (Tenchi in Tokyo)
• Yuri Amano as Kiyone (El-Hazard, Burn Up W, Magic User's Club, Moldiver)
• Chisa Yokoyama as Sasami (Battle Skipper, Nadesico, Haunted Junction, Sakura Wars)
• Takeshi Aono as Katsuhito / Nobuyuki (Tenchi Universe, Slayers, DBZ)

English Dub Cast (Pioneer / Geneon):
• Matt K. Miller as Tenchi Masaki (Tenchi in Tokyo)
• Grace Zandarski as Achika Masaki
• Petrea Burchard as Ryoko (Tenchi in Tokyo)
• Jennifer Darling as Ayeka (Tenchi in Tokyo)
• Sherry Lynn as Sasami / Kiyone (Tenchi in Tokyo, Nightwalker, Moldiver)
• Ellen Gerstell as Mihoshi (Tenchi in Tokyo)
• Kate T. Vogt as Washu
• Michael Scott Ryan as Kain

DVD Features

• THX-Certified Remastered Video
• English & Japanese 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound
• Production Notes Including Director's Comments
• Interview with Composer Christopher Franke
• Theatrical & TV Spot Trailers
• Pioneer / Geneon Previews

Spoken Languages: English & Japanese Audio, English Subtitles

Edition Details

Japanese Title: 天地無用! IN LOVE (Tenchi Muyō in Rabu!)
Runtime: ~95 Minutes
Director: Hiroshi Negishi
DVD Release Year: 1997 (Pioneer original DVD); 2004 (Geneon Signature Series reissue)
Original Release Date (Japan): April 20, 1996
Publisher: Pioneer Entertainment / Geneon Entertainment
Rating: 13+
Region: Region 1 (U.S. / Canada)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Romance, Comedy
Themes: Time Travel to 1970, Tenchi's Mother, Galaxy Police, Kain Villain, THX Remastered Release

Media assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.