Tenchi Universe is getting a spiritual sequel with the classic English cast

Armiger Entertainment is crowdfunding a new anime pilot called Tenchi Galaxy, a spiritual sequel to the 1995 series Tenchi Universe. The project reunites original creators Masaki Kajishima, Toru Miura, and Hiroshi Negishi to continue the timeline established in the television broadcast version of the classic sci-fi comedy. Crowdfunding an anime pilot is a massive undertaking, but having the original creative team on board gives the project serious weight.

The Tenchi Galaxy Kickstarter is currently live to fund the initial episode. You can watch the teaser trailer on YouTube to see the updated character designs in action.

The plot sends Tenchi, the girls, and Ryo-Ohki to Mikuni, a planet populated entirely by space pirates. They are hunting down a stolen artifact from the royal planet of Jurai. To get it back, the crew has to face off against Niimi, the queen of the space pirates. This setup introduces a few immediate mysteries, namely Niimi's potential connection to Ryoko and exactly whose side Nagi is on during the conflict. The trailer shows off a modernized art style that still retains the distinctive look of 90s cel animation.

Wait, which timeline is this?

The Tenchi franchise has a notoriously complicated continuity. The original 1992 OVA (Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki) is its own canon. Then you have Tenchi in Tokyo, Tenchi Muyo GXP, Ai Tenchi Muyo, and various spin-off movies. Tenchi Universe was the 26-episode television reimagining of the original OVA, and it changed several character backstories to fit a standard broadcast format.

Universe aired on Cartoon Network's Toonami block in the late 90s and early 2000s, right alongside Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon. It introduced a massive Western audience to the harem anime genre. The premise of a normal teenager discovering his grandfather's shrine hides a demon (who is actually a space pirate), followed by a parade of alien princesses and mad scientists crashing at his house, became a foundational trope. Games like Clannad, Steins;Gate, and countless indie dating sims owe a structural debt to the character dynamics codified by the Tenchi household.

Deep cuts from the 90s

By positioning Tenchi Galaxy as a spiritual sequel to Universe, Armiger Entertainment gets to play with fan-favorite characters who were left out of the ongoing OVA series. Detective Kiyone is making her first anime appearance since 1999. Nagi and her cabbit companion Ken-Ohki are also returning to the screen for the first time since 1995.

I am honestly just glad to see Kiyone back in the mix. She was always the grounded foil to Mihoshi's absolute incompetence, and the dynamic between those two Galaxy Police officers was a highlight of the 90s broadcast.

The classic dub cast returns

The production team reached out to the classic English voice actors to reprise their roles, and the original cast enthusiastically agreed to return for another adventure. Anime dubbing was a very different industry in the late 90s, and fans who grew up watching VHS tapes or afternoon cable broadcasts have a strong attachment to those specific performances. The one major change is the role of Princess Ayeka. Cristina Vee is stepping in to voice the Jurai royal.

I am curious to see how Vee handles Ayeka's trademark haughty laugh, which is a crucial part of the character's endless rivalry with Ryoko. The English dub was a massive part of the show's identity in the West, so getting the original voices back is a huge win for a crowdfunding campaign.