Tenchi Muyo! GXP
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese anime
series created by AIC and broadcast on NTV
from April 3, 2002 to September 25, 2002. It is the fourth installment of the Tenchi Muyo!
line of series, succeeding Tenchi in Tokyo
, localized
in North America by Funimation.
that Seina is unable to escape from and thus, drowns in. He regains consciousness shortly after to the mild introduction of Amane Kaunaq, the pilot, who having rescued him and performed CPR, hastily describes her work as a Galaxy Police officer, handing him an application and then leaving.
Befuddled by the encounter, Seina returns to his neighborhood with the application, showing it to his family at home. Mistaking it for a contest entry, his mother and sister aggressively force him to fill it out, after which he retreats to his room and falls asleep. The following morning, awakened aboard a vessel in orbit, Seina is informed by an official that he has successfully joined the Galaxy Police.
and Tenchi in Tokyo, which are spin-off
s of Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki, GXP occurs during the events of it, making it a parallel series to the show. As such, the more recognized cast do not play central roles, though they do make cameo appearances.
First looks into the series was published on October 10 by Tenchi-Web.com, showcasing artwork and teaser trailer. More trailers were progressively added from November 2001 to February 2002 when it was announced on February 18 that GXP would premier on NTV on April 2. Tenchi-web then, a day later, scheduled a preview screening of the first and second episodes in Tokyo. In a similar fashion, Los Angeles
based Anime Expo
confirmed the attendance of Mamiko Noto
, voice actress for the series, and that AIC would host a screening of GXP at the convention. Funimation later confirmed from Anime Expo New York that they had secured the licensing rights to the show.
GXP finished airing on September 24. Following a nine month period, Funimation unveiled the official English website for the series on June 16, 2003, later confirming its release for March 4, 2004.
and Kanon
.
The localization of Tenchi Muyo! GXP was met with generally positive reception as well. In a report by Right Stuf International on February 28, AIC became flooded with so much mail from American fans about its release that the company requested fans stop. Industry aggregator Mania.com gave the commercial releases ratings A through B, citing that "the GXP series was a lot of fun" but that "[it] was over by the time you really get into it." Animefringe.com, an online magazine, published a positive review as well, citing a "well balanced storyline" and that GXP "still has plenty of potential to go forward and compete in today's booming anime world after its long absence from the spotlight."
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series created by AIC and broadcast on NTV
Nippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
from April 3, 2002 to September 25, 2002. It is the fourth installment of the Tenchi Muyo!
Tenchi Muyo!
, is a Japanese anime, light novel, and manga series created by Masaki Kajishima and Hiroki Hayashi.The generally accepted translation of the title is No Need for Tenchi or Useless Tenchi, though at the time of its appearance it was also translated variably as No Heaven and Earth and This Way Up...
line of series, succeeding Tenchi in Tokyo
Tenchi in Tokyo
, is a 26-episode Japanese cartoon series produced by AIC in 1997. It is the third series from the Tenchi Muyo! series.-Overview:...
, localized
Language localisation
Language localisationThe spelling "localization", a variant of "localisation", is the preferred spelling in the US and Canada. is the second phase of a larger process of product translation and cultural adaptation to account for...
in North America by Funimation.
Plot
Seina Yamata is a young Japanese high school student living with his parents and younger sister in rural Okayama, Japan. One morning, following a hapless bike ride through the country, a large spacecraft crashes into the lake behind the Masaki residence, causing a violent tsunamiTsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
that Seina is unable to escape from and thus, drowns in. He regains consciousness shortly after to the mild introduction of Amane Kaunaq, the pilot, who having rescued him and performed CPR, hastily describes her work as a Galaxy Police officer, handing him an application and then leaving.
Befuddled by the encounter, Seina returns to his neighborhood with the application, showing it to his family at home. Mistaking it for a contest entry, his mother and sister aggressively force him to fill it out, after which he retreats to his room and falls asleep. The following morning, awakened aboard a vessel in orbit, Seina is informed by an official that he has successfully joined the Galaxy Police.
Setting
Unlike Tenchi UniverseTenchi Universe
was a 26 episode anime series produced by the AIC and Pioneer Animation. It is loosely based on the first six episodes of the Tenchi Muyo! OVA series. The series premiered on April 2, 1995 in Japan and concluded its airing on September 24, 1995. The series aired in the United States on Cartoon...
and Tenchi in Tokyo, which are spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
s of Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki, GXP occurs during the events of it, making it a parallel series to the show. As such, the more recognized cast do not play central roles, though they do make cameo appearances.
Characters
- The unlikely protagonist of the series, Seina, a fifteen-year-old high school student with a supernatural penchant for bad luck, is mistakenly enlisted to the Galaxy Police after being coerced to fill out an application thought to be a contest. His ultimate decision is to enroll, finding that, in company of others and as the captain of his own ship, his otherwise unfortunate talent proves incredibly useful in rounding up pirates and other lawbreakers.
- Amane is a twenty-year-old Galaxy Police detective whose crash landing at the start of the series is solely responsible for the events that later ensue. In spite of her justified decision to give Seina an application, she is demoted from her position as an officer to that of an instructor in order to better supervise and train him. With a genuine crush and empathy for the boy, Amane grows to like her new responsibility, becoming a weapons specialist when the group are assigned their own patrol.
- Kiriko is a thirty-three-year-old Immigration Officer for the Galaxy Police whose double life in the agency is completely unknown to her family and peers on Earth. Having grown up around Seina and developed a sympathy for his misfortune, she is the most familiar with him and self-assigns herself the role of being his guardian and caretaker when he is accepted to the academy. Unfortunately, her pride and distinction comes with a price, and in a manner identical to that of Amane, she too is demoted.
- Ryoko is a nineteen-year-old space pirate captain and member of the notorious Da Ruma guild, who in spite of her ruthless profile, exhibits behavior quite the opposite of her profession. She is introduced to Seina early into his travel to the academy, bestowing a humble, competitive respect for him when his paranormal luck aids in the arrest of several dozen ships of her fleet. Her admiration for him develops into a more passionate one however, and with her conscience run thin, Ryoko finds herself caught between her feelings and her allegiance to the guild.
- Neju, contrary to her stature and demeanor, is a two-thousand-year-old former priestess of Melmas, a distant planet of religious psychics. Following a brief, unelaborate encounter with Seina, she makes a more established presence when he and the group are asked to escort her aboard their ship. To the blatant angst of the other girls, she grows ardently fond of Seina, looking up to him as an older brother figure and even making plans to marry him.
- Fuku is an infantile cabbitCabbitA cabbit is a fictional hybrid between a cat and a rabbit. They have appeared in fiction and fantasy stories, and have also been dubiously purported to have been observed in the wild. Most if not all observations are attributable to either mis-identified Manx cats or outright hoaxes...
, developed as the nucleus of Seina's succeeding vessel, the Kamadaki II. As the heart and powerhouse of the ship, Fuku exercises superseding control over its entirety, most notably its energy output, which is influenced by her emotional vigor. She is initially troubled by the stress of belligerence, stunting her from exercising full potential, but soon finds the strength to rise to the occasion and become a paramount member of the crew.
Production
Tenchi Muyo! GXP was officially announced on January 10, 2001 with a scheduled broadcast set for spring of the following year. When asked to direct the series, Shinichi Watanabe, though welcome to the opportunity, was cited as saying that he was unsure why he had been chosen, and that after watching previous Tenchi episodes, found the task of envisioning GXP to be "tough".First looks into the series was published on October 10 by Tenchi-Web.com, showcasing artwork and teaser trailer. More trailers were progressively added from November 2001 to February 2002 when it was announced on February 18 that GXP would premier on NTV on April 2. Tenchi-web then, a day later, scheduled a preview screening of the first and second episodes in Tokyo. In a similar fashion, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
based Anime Expo
Anime Expo
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation . With rare exceptions, the convention is traditionally held on the July 4th weekend and lasts for four days...
confirmed the attendance of Mamiko Noto
Mamiko Noto
is a Japanese voice actress working under Office Osawa. She was born in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa, and graduated from Hokuriku Gakuen Senior High School.-Voice:...
, voice actress for the series, and that AIC would host a screening of GXP at the convention. Funimation later confirmed from Anime Expo New York that they had secured the licensing rights to the show.
GXP finished airing on September 24. Following a nine month period, Funimation unveiled the official English website for the series on June 16, 2003, later confirming its release for March 4, 2004.
Reception
Tenchi Muyo! GXP was met with mostly positive reception. It was initially believed that the premier would not draw noteworthy attention, however, the midnight screening of the first episode on September 9 reportedly garnered a 4.0% viewing share, a figure considered double that of other premiers such as Aquarian AgeAquarian Age: Sign for Evolution
is a 13-episode television anime series based on the Aquarian Age collectible card game. The show was co-produced by Broccoli and Madhouse and aired in early 2002 on TV Tokyo. VHS and DVD copies of the Japanese editions are currently on sale, and ADV Films has released the show in the United States...
and Kanon
Kanon
is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key and originally released as an adult game on June 4, 1999, playable on a Microsoft Windows PC. An all ages version for the PC was released in January 2000, and was later ported to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable...
.
The localization of Tenchi Muyo! GXP was met with generally positive reception as well. In a report by Right Stuf International on February 28, AIC became flooded with so much mail from American fans about its release that the company requested fans stop. Industry aggregator Mania.com gave the commercial releases ratings A through B, citing that "the GXP series was a lot of fun" but that "[it] was over by the time you really get into it." Animefringe.com, an online magazine, published a positive review as well, citing a "well balanced storyline" and that GXP "still has plenty of potential to go forward and compete in today's booming anime world after its long absence from the spotlight."