YMMV / Tenchi Universe

• Adaptation Displacement: For a good while, at least before the third set of OVAs came out, the TV series became more well-known and popular than its parent OVA series Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki. There were a few important reasons for this. First, during the 90s the OVA series only had a relatively short run, going only so high as 13 episodes or so while Tenchi Universe had a more lengthy run, going as long as 26 episodes, with two full length movies, and even though Daughter Of Darkness wasn't set in the Universe continuity, it still incorporated some iconic elements and characters of the TV series. Also, Universe introduced some well-liked Canon Foreigner characters that became more ingrained in the popular imagination, including Kiyone and to a lesser degree, Nagi. In fact, when the third set of OVAs finally came out in the 2000s, you had fans left and right comparing the new episodes to Universe in some form or fashion, most notably unfavorably critiquing Noike Jurai of the new series and saying how awful of a Kiyone ripoff she was.
• Broken Base:
  • Aside from fan reaction to the TV series in general (explained via the Flanderization trope on the main page), fan opinion on both the films is quite mixed. Is Tenchi Muyo! in Love a finely-written, well-paced action film with more of the OVA's charm inserted into it, or is it a boring retread of Back to the Future? Is Tenchi Forever! a subdued, dramatic masterpiece work in the Tenchi Muyo franchise, or is it too different in tone from the previous Tenchi fiction to the point where it loses what made the original memorable? And within Tenchi Forever!, are the revamped, more realistic character designs justified in that they fit the tone of the story better than the previous, stylized ones, or were the original character designs fine as-is and the redesigns are an unwarranted change? To say that debates cause headaches within the fandom to this very day would be a gross understatement.
  • As for the actual series, while some fans dislike the flanderization, others like the inclusion of characters like Kiyone and Nagi, as well as the plot being overall much more streamlined and less complicated than the OVAs. Universe can be seen as much more accessible and easier to grasp than the main continuity, which can sometimes feel too dense and weird and fragmented. Not to mention some find the lack of incest found in the OVAs and Marry Them All as a viable solution to be major pluses in Universe's favor. Then again, this means that the Universe canon lacks a lot of the rich backstory and lore of the main continuity, so overall it sacrifices some things for others. That being said, Universe is still much better received than its followup Tenchi in Tokyo.
• Common Knowledge: The show is commonly referred to as a part of the harem genre, which is true...in other adaptations. In this show, aside from Mihoshi’s dream world (a parody of a soap opera), nobody shows any interest in Tenchi past a friend aside from Ryoko and Ayeka.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: Some characters made for this show have gone on to become really popular with the fanbase despite being supporting characters and not coming from the original source material.
  • Kiyone Mabiki has gone on to become quite popular in her own right for being one of the few girls who doesn't immediately fall head over heels for Tenchi and for her interesting dynamic with Mihoshi. She was well-received enough that she went on to appear in a few more alternate Tenchi continuities like Tenchi In Tokyo and the Pretty Sammy series.
  • Nagi. While Universe is her only appearance, she also became quite well-liked by the fanbase for her rivalry with Ryoko and being a cool Bounty Hunter who's able to manhandle the former space pirate in a fight.
• Iron Woobie: Tenchi in Tenchi Muyo! In Love.
• Magnificent Bitch: Nagi is an infamous bounty hunter feared by the whole galaxy for her stone cold tactics, and Ryoko's rival, who will stop at nothing to defeat her. Tracking Ryoko, Nagi had Tenchi kidnapped to lure Ryoko into a trap before battling her in brutal hand to hand combat, using both her wit and technology and would've succeeded in killing her had it not been for sheer luck. Spared by Ryoko after her defeat, Nagi continuously chases her and the rest, using the chances to show her off and always nearly capturing her. When getting an opportunity to capture her after saving her from the Jirai Military, Nagi decides not to out of respect and works with her in a plan to defeat the Jirai Military by using her skills and Ken-Ohki to pull a distraction gambit and flawlessly executing it, hoping she could keep Ryoko alive in seemingly a suicide mission for her. While ruthless, Nagi has shown she's to be respected as a warrior.
• More Popular Spin Off: When it comes to most Tenchi fans, more often then not when they talk about the series, it's usually always on Universe. This is mostly due to being accessible with audiences and able to follow along more easily then the OVAs which can get a little convoluted at points. Especially true with Western audiences when this show premiere in the U.S back in the 2000. While the OVA was lauded for it's animation and story, Universe was agreed to be easier to follow since it was made for TV airings in mind. Additionally, the show has some First Installment Wins going for it in terms of being the very first Tenchi AU spinoff that received the most praise and adoration ^note putting aside some fan criticism of the in-series Flanderization and split opinions on the movies for the show's soundtrack, Ensemble Dark Horse Canon Foreigner characters, and smoother TV storytelling. Since then, no other Tenchi AU series has been able to come close to Universe in popularity or praise, with Tenchi In Tokyo being a Franchise Killer for Tenchi AU spinoffs for nearly two decades and Ai Tenchi Muyo not being particularly hated but not exactly adored or given enough attention to really revive the Tenchi AU Sub-Genre. And even now, fans who enjoy the Ryo-Ohki continuity more will still likely agree that when it comes to Alternate Universe spinoffs, Universe still wears the crown in being the best Tenchi AU and stands head and shoulders above the rest.
• Refrain from Assuming: In the English version, the theme song is called "Tenchi Muyo!" (same as the Japanese version), not "Love Will Leave You Crying".
• Values Resonance: In episode 21, “No Need for a Checkpoint!”, Tenchi, who is Disguised in Drag, gets pointed out by security that his frame is pretty masculine. After he blurts out a terrible excuse (“my father’s a man”), he is immediately supported by a random stranger who also offers to buy him a drink, even after Tenchi’s grandfather says no romance is allowed. Never once does he question Tenchi, and he exclusively refers to him using the disguise’s name, Tenko. While he is under orders from Sasami’s uncle to make sure everyone gets through the checkpoint, he’s still very supportive of someone who, as far as he knew, could be a trans woman.
• Woolseyism: Retroactively, at that. Tenchi’s grandfather refers to Washu as a goblin, and while it’s clear he’s messing with everyone, calling her a goblin wouldn’t be entirely accurate... until The New '20s, where, due to new slang, it is exactly how you would describe her.