Today’s review is the counterpart to the Magical Girl Pretty Sammy review from last time. While that mini-series was obscure, this special may well be forgotten by the larger anime crowd. So as not to delay it any further, here’s a look at the Tenchi Muyo Mihoshi Special. Enjoy!
Story/Setup
It’s a sunny day at the Tenchi residence. Everybody is outside, getting chores does & loafing around. At one point, Mihoshi’s laziness & incompetence is brought up, with Ayeka basically saying “How did you end up in the Galaxy Police?” From there, we get a story about a big case that Mihoshi worked on. Familiar faces show up, and unexpected surprises occur when you least expect them. This might not be the grandest setup for a Tenchi entry, but it’s simple, and it’s easy to follow along with.
Animation
The animation in this special looks & feels roughly on par with Tenchi Universe. I really can’t talk about this much, as what I would be saying here is basically repeating what I will be saying in the eventual Tenchi Universe review. I’ll give you the basic version: it’s not horrendous, but it’s certainly a downgrade.
Voice Acting
Already I’m copying myself, but considering what’s going on, I don’t think it’s a crime.
“If you’ve watched the OVA, Universe, or Tenchi In Tokyo, you’ll recognize the voice cast right away. The original cast sounds exactly the same as within the OVA: their strengths are the same, as well as their weaknesses. We have some new voice actors play characters exclusive to this miniature world, and they perform their roles quite well. On a somewhat related note, the voice acting in general has managed to age remarkably well. Despite not getting re-released by Funimation, there’s still a crisp element to the voices.”
I will add that the first voice actor for Kiyone can be heard here first. She pretty much does as good of a job in this special, as she does in Tenchi Universe. Apart from this, it’s the same as the Pretty Sammy mini-series.
Characters
In an interesting twist, the Mihoshi Special marks the first time that Kiyone makes an appearance. She basically acts like she acts in Universe: full of herself, and kind of a bitch (Sorry to any female viewers). The one good thing I will say about her in this special is that she doesn’t seem as bitter, but that’s just me. In another twist, the special marks the first time that Sasami as Pretty Sammy makes an appearance, along with Ryo-Ohki as a boy. They pretty much act like their mini-series counterpart, only more condensed. Apart from that, the rest of the cast is the same. Whether it’s the OVA cast or the Universe version, I’m not sure (Given that we have Kiyone, Sammy, and male Ryo-Ohki, I’m betting that this is the Universe cast).
Availability & Pricing
Just like Magical Girl Pretty Sammy, this special was paired together with the previously mentioned series. As for the availability & pricing of this special, just look at my previous review for details.
Overall Impression & Rating
The Mihoshi Special feels a bit like a copout. While the Pretty Sammy mini-series goes by quick, there is at least some development within it. It has at least some depth to it, and at least some character. As far as this special is concerned, it goes back so fast that it doesn’t have time to develop, and you’d almost swear that this half-hour special was more of an afterthought. Still, if you are a hardcore Tenchi fan, it’s worth at least a single view. It might not be the most memorable Tenchi release, but there’s some entertainment to be found.
Mihoshi Special gets a 7 out of 10
Until next time, when we’ll be looking at some steel.....some British steel, that is. See you soon!
***
I realize in hindsight that maybe I should have reviewed this after I looked at Tenchi Universe. I think this marks the first time that I’ve made a so-so review. Yeah, my bad!
No comments:
Post a Comment