Why do people hate the 3rd OVA?

[AstroNerdBoy]

Okay, I've got to ask one thing:
If the first thing I watched was OVA3 (subbed) and it totally made sense to me... where does that put me?

Oddly enough, in a fairly large company from my anecdotal information. When FUNimation released OVA 3, obviously, my FAQ got a big traffic boost and folks would ping me questions. However, when I'd ask them what they thought about OVA 3, they universally really enjoyed it and found it fine.  OVA 3's detractors came from old fans who had their own notion of what should or shouldn't be in OVA 3 (not that OVA 3 didn't have its problems, but it isn't bad).

[AstroNerdBoy]

The guy who did the actual translating would go over stuff with ANB, and made sure he took it with care since he was explicitly told all the details are very important when dealing with Kaji. And it shows, he did a very good job, so I have no clue why the dub did what it did.

I can explain the dub part a bit, having been minorly involved on the FUNimation side. Back then, FUNimation's business model was to have the subtitles for hardcore fans like myself and dubs for casual anime fans.  So, dub script writers take the translations, then tweak it as the director sees fit depending on what they think will work best for the audience.  I did address a concern over taking too many liberties, as they did for the GXP dub, but that's all I could do.  In the end, as far as FUNimation is concerned, the dub is a success since most anime watchers are dub watchers and OVA 3 was a great seller for FUNimation.

I lobbied to have Mato do the subtitles for WoG, but alas, FUNimation went elsewhere. :-(  Plus, FUNimation's business model today ignores hardcore fans like myself, so their subtitles are just 'meh' to me now.

[Tenchi Ryu]

I can explain the dub part a bit, having been minorly involved on the FUNimation side. Back then, FUNimation's business model was to have the subtitles for hardcore fans like myself and dubs for casual anime fans.  So, dub script writers take the translations, then tweak it as the director sees fit depending on what they think will work best for the audience.  I did address a concern over taking too many liberties, as they did for the GXP dub, but that's all I could do.  In the end, as far as FUNimation is concerned, the dub is a success since most anime watchers are dub watchers and OVA 3 was a great seller for FUNimation.

I lobbied to have Mato do the subtitles for WoG, but alas, FUNimation went elsewhere. :-(  Plus, FUNimation's business model today ignores hardcore fans like myself, so their subtitles are just 'meh' to me now.

Yea, I heard they don't even try to do honorifics anymore, a shame since a lot of times those can let you know how a certain person feels about someone. Like I consider it a huge deal you have Tokimi of all people calling Tenchi "Tenchi-Sama" like its completely casual and normal. The same chick who was looking down at these low mortals just a few episodes ago.

Hopefully ISM will get the dub closer to the source this time. Lord knows I need to rewatch that, I watched the original run with everyone else, and since then just have watched certain clips or scenes. Need to rewatch the whole thing in one go again.

[Tenchi Ryu]

The difference in quality from episodes 2-5 is absolutely mind boggling compared to episode 6. Too easy to tell Kaji pumped ALL that damn budget money in this episode.

[Sorwen]

Way late to this, but my 2 cents.

I really like OVA for what it seems to be at least.  As much Tenchi information that could be fit into 7 episodes.  It feels rushed because of it, but if the only place your able to enjoyably get that information(don't like or don't have access to the novels) then its the best possible of a bad situation.  I think given the time of 12, 13, or 26 episodes we would have gotten it handled in a much better way.

My only problem with Noike is she cut her hair.  I really think she got added because of Sasami/Tsunami.  Noike is really the cool and calm character for Tenchi that I think Tsunami was meant to be.  However that would have meant making Sasami have to grow up a lot quicker than the story would allow.  Enter Noike that can be that much calmer influence.  The fanboy part of me still like Ayeka, but Noike is a better fit by the OVA story.

As to the whole TU/TT thing I can't stand them for the most part.  I wouldn't have given Tenchi a second glance if the OVAs didn't exist.  They were such poorly written fluff for the most part with as much depth as a puddle.  I honestly can say I wouldn't have liked them in the least even if I had nothing else to compare them to.  They try to take the characters and fit them into the worst of atypical harem mold and that takes away all the depth of the story.

The thing that got me the most was that Ryoko's & Mihoshi's original English voice actress didn't come back, those voices are just so ingrained into my memory for those characters, anyone else doing them just sounds wrong, i guess other quips would be the unnecessary flashbacks, the lack in back story for Mihoshi, and just lack of more episodes haha. I love it though, OVA is the best series for me

Ryoko and Mihoshi's voice actor not being there I think was a funimation issue (the jap. version has all the original though!). also the flashbacks and lack of Mihoshi's back story I agree with as well,

I really liked the original dub voices, but that isn't why I hate the new.  Both are much too high most of the time almost sweeking.  The Mihoshi trys at least and has some life too it.  I would compare Ryoko voice though to a paint by numbers.  That is why I try to watch it subed when I can.

[Dr.Soviet]

As to the whole TU/TT thing I can't stand them for the most part.  I wouldn't have given Tenchi a second glance if the OVAs didn't exist.  They were such poorly written fluff for the most part with as much depth as a puddle.  I honestly can say I wouldn't have liked them in the least even if I had nothing else to compare them to.  They try to take the characters and fit them into the worst of atypical harem mold and that takes away all the depth of the story.

I see TU/TT as bonus content I don't hate them but if they had the same back story as the OVAs (such as Ryoko as Washu's daughter) it would have ranked as high as the OVA imo.

[Sorwen]

As to the whole TU/TT thing I can't stand them for the most part.  I wouldn't have given Tenchi a second glance if the OVAs didn't exist.  They were such poorly written fluff for the most part with as much depth as a puddle.  I honestly can say I wouldn't have liked them in the least even if I had nothing else to compare them to.  They try to take the characters and fit them into the worst of atypical harem mold and that takes away all the depth of the story.

I see TU/TT as bonus content I don't hate them but if they had the same back story as the OVAs (such as Ryoko as Washu's daughter) it would have ranked as high as the OVA imo.

I will not say it didn't have any redeeming qualities.  It just definitely didn't have 26 episodes of them.

[Animeace]

I loved it finally got all the unanswered questions that where left off. I can see why some may have not tho it was a lot more laid back story oriented many even myself missed Tenchi's interaction with the other girls tho no crazy episodic episodes of Washu's experiments going wrong or Ryoko buying for Tenchi's affection exct..  but still that wasnt the focus so I understood but I personally didnt like how easily Ayeka and Ryoko gave into Noike it was out of character not seeing them fight her off despite her standing or the Devil of Jurai hand picked her. I missed the rivalry, still it was great tho.

[Tenchi Ryu]

Relooking at episode 20 again, was some serious character development on Tenchi's part regarding his mother. One thing glossed over a lot is the heart to heart conversation Tenchi and Noike had on the rock that Tenchi was crying on when his mother died.

A lot of fans get pissed that Kiyone was made out to be a jokester and not this perfect mom figure like Achika. But that was the point. That's the reason Tenchi himself punched his father and grandfather, then stormed out the room mad as hell and fuming. Kajishima purposely twists with the emotions many viewers thought of Kiyone, but that was the point. We never actually MET Kiyone, just reviewed the memories Tenchi had. Then we start to see the big picture as Noike explains. Sometimes when we don't know or don't understand something we make assumptions just to ease the confusion and make us feel better instead of just accepting that things are like they are at times and you just have to accept it.

Tenchi wanted to have this perfect mother to remember, but the truth is that he didn't have a mother emotionally. He doesn't actually have memories when she was alive because he was too young to remember, and just "guessed" on how she would be based on the stuff he could remember (which was actually based off memories AFTER she died). And in turn, he realizes he's indirectly insulting his dead mother since he's not seeing her for the person she really was. But as Noike also mentions, that doesn't mean either of them had a bad life, both had alternative people to love them as they grew up and realized both of their mothers cared about them enough to leave them in good hands. So it's why at the end, he apologizes to his mother while looking up at the sky. She might not have been what he wanted or dreamed of, but she did love her son. Just in her own way




This is a really deep portion of the series, and a lot more emotionally draining compared to the usual Tenchi Muyo type of material. You can tell that Kajishima might have used personal experiences when it came to explaining Tenchi's mom. Makes me wonder if he lost his mother when he was young.

[Gaston]

Wow really good explanation! That make me stop disliking Mama!Kiyone being not how Tenchi remembered.

[antvasima]

I also liked that post. I gave him a +1 for it.

[Harls]

Someone else gets it, finally. 

[Mewshuji]

I'm literally not pretending to be a special snowflake or anything but that's what I always got out of it. Tenchi practically hero worshipped his mom, this woman he never knew. Only then to find out she's completely different.  And then eventually accept that, hey, she still loved him, raised him for the short very very time they were together, and accepted it.

I think maybe that might be because I kind of never really went to any Tenchi forums since around the time the new OVAs came out. I mostly just went to TMAU to read stuff and was otherwise occupied with other things online. So I never got to see the other argument and think my way of thinking was flawed.

Still, you put it to words better than I could Ryu. So thanks for that. Now I can steal it and post it as my own.  Nah not really.

[MariaTenebre]

Since this is my first post on this website I will state where I am coming from. First of all let me start with saying that I am a fan of the OVA series particularly OVA1 and OVA2 I also liked Universe although I hated Tenchi in Tokyo. So I was very much excited for OVA3 I thought that it would be an amazing continuation. I was sadly disappointed for one the story over all was pretty terrible. The Mihoshi's family plot was poorly executed, there were plot holes because it was pretty much stated in the earlier OVAs that Katsuhito/Yosho had pretty much no contact with the Jurai royal family and yet all of a sudden he has a Airaian wife and it seems like everyone in space knew he was on Earth. I also must disagree with Tenchi Ryu on Kiyone Masaki. It was stated earlier by Katsuhito that Tenchi was serious "just like his Mother" now all of a sudden she is some practical joker. I mean we had the amazing story for Achika in the Tenchi Muyo in Love movie and his Mother was reduced to being some deranged joker. Not only was that bad writing honestly it seemed like something a troll would write. To be honestly Kajishima shit on Tenchi's Mother's legacy. Rea and Tennyo as well came out of left field and I found it strange how all of a sudden they were trying to make Rea as if she was some constant part of Tenchi's life when this is the first time we ever saw her. The Female Kagato stuff came out of left field as well and the idea of Kagato being a hermaphrodite who hated Women just sounded ridiculous to me. The ending was rushed and honestly a bit ridiculous and hard to follow. I also did not like Noike she was basically Kiyone mixed with Sakuya aka a Mary Sue. I don't know why Kajishima did not just use Kiyone as she was an amazing character. There are tons of good shows that incorporate characters form other canons of the show. Look at Harley Quinn, she was created originally for the Batman animated series but she was so popular she eventually got put in the comics and now you can hardly find a Batman or DC series without Harley Quinn. I think that Kajishima missed a golden opportunity by not including Kiyone Makibi in the OVA canon. Plus I feel like I read somewhere that even in Japan OVA3 didn't do that well. Over all the OVA 3 had a chance of being great. Like dealing with the Goddess Sisters etc but it didn't turn out to be up to my expectations.

[جبريل 無道]

Hi Maria, that all would be easier to read if you put it in several paragraphs.

I think OAV3 sold around 20K units per disc, which is above excellent for anime in general.  Someone else may have more info on that.  But I agree with some of you what you write; particularly Rea.  It would have had far more impact if we seen Nobuyuki move on from his loss while or after Tenchi "grew into a man" with Rea introduced as his new girl, rather than have her existing in his life all this time.

I think MK was trying to have a girl that was known and accepted by (mama) Kiyone be with him, perhaps a Japanese sensibility of rightness in this case.  Idk.

Also, welcome to the boards