Tenchi Muyo Mihoshi Special Review

Hello fellow viewers! Were right in the middle of September, with only a scant few series/OVAs left to look at. Today’s review is a return to one of my favorite anime franchises, and to a somewhat obscure movie within that franchise. So sit back, relax, prepare to laugh, and read my review on the Tenchi Muyo Mihoshi Special.

Story/Setup
Taking a more simplistic approach, the movie is about one of the cases that Mihoshi has done during her service to the Galaxy Police. Since this is Mihoshi we’re talking about, she forgets certain portions, and outright doesn’t know something when one of the others asks her. Not only that, she includes all of the other girls, along with Tenchi, into the story as people Mihoshi knows/knew during this case.

Compared to some of the other stories in the Tenchi series, this is one of the more simplistic ones. If you’re a hardcore fan who likes the more complex stories in this franchise, then you’ll be disappointed. For me, I kinda liked this side-story. It takes a break from some of the serious stuff, and is a goofy/fluff kind of story. There’s plenty of laughs to be had, and overall is just a fun time.

Setting
This movie takes place within a corner of the Tenchi world. I say corner, because the only familiar area in this movie is when the viewer is taken back to the Tenchi residency, but these are only seconds (Maybe a minute or two in the beginning) out of this short movie, but I’ll talk about this in a bit. The rest of the movie takes place within outer space like a lot of the Tenchi franchise does, but in this movie there’s nothing recognizable, nor is it really memorable (Although the final area in Mihoshi’s story does seem like it’s the place where the most effort was put into).

Characters
Apart from Tenchi’s Father & Grandfather, the entire cast is in this OVA. If you like/hate the characters from the other shows, then you like/hate them here. I should quickly point out that this OVA marks the first time that you see Kiyone, a character that’s later introduced in Tenchi Universe. Kiyone does have some presence in this OVA, but she’s not in the spotlight as much as you think she is.

Animation
The animation with the Tenchi Muyo Mihoshi Special seems to lie within the original OVA’s look & feel. There are moments where the movie has the slight jagged quality of Tenchi Universe, but overall this movie has the smooth finish that the OVA had.

Voice Acting
The voice acting in this movie has the same cast within Tenchi Universe, minus a character or two (As far as them being in the movie). The quality is also roughly as good as within the main show. I say roughly, because there are certain moments where things sound a bit rougher than normal (At least from releases of the time). Apart from that, you pretty much have the same voices within this movie.

Episodes & Episode Length
This special is one of the quickest watches I’ve done during this marathon (And to a lesser extent, my collection of anime reviews on my blog as a whole). Running at just 27 minutes, this movie comes & goes in the blink of an eye, almost to the point where you might miss something.

Availability & Pricing
Unlike the rest of the Tenchi content that was re-released last year, this special hasn’t had a second release (Along with Magical Girl Pretty Sammy, but that’s for another time). The only copy that is still existent is the old Pioneer/Geneon DVD release, but that edition is quite rare. As I was typing this review up, there are currently only 10 copies left over on Amazon (2 new & 8 used). The new copies are incredibly expensive, as they start at a ridiculous 120 dollars. The used copies start at a more merciful, but still painful, 79 dollars. There are also VHS releases of the Magical Girl Pretty Sammy portion of the DVD out there, but these are even more difficult to locate (But can still be found on Amazon).

Extras/Other
Since I downloaded this, I don’t know what the extras are.

For the most part, younger anime viewers can watch this OVA without much trouble.....except for one scene. Towards the end (Around the 18 minute mark), Ryoko has captured Tenchi so he can be her plaything. She’s got him tied up to the bed, and pounces on him. There isn’t anything more risque, apart from her trying to get a kiss from him. This is perhaps the only moment where younger viewers might feel a little uncomfortable.

General Impression & Rating
If you want to kill about a half-hour of your time, then give this OVA a watch. There really isn’t much to it, but because it’s part of the Tenchi franchise, there’s definitely some fun to be had. If you are a fan of the Tenchi series/franchise, then search this odd little movie out.

Tenchi Muyo Mihoshi Special gets a 6.5 to 7 out of 10.

See you all this Wednesday, when we’ll look at what I consider to be the strangest title of this marathon. Until then, stay Otaku!






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If you’d like to watch the Mihoshi Special, and form your own opinion on it, then click on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opWr7flwRGo