Our take:

It seemed like a carnival that would never end, when it started with Space Pirate Ryoko crashed to earth after being chased by Mihoshi. Ryoko pleads to Tenchi that she is innocent, and Mihoshi is the space pirate. Ryoko ends up living with Tenchi anyway and so does Mihoshi (whose ship is destroyed). Later, Princess Ayeka of Jurai and her two guardians, Azaka and Kamadaki, come to earth answering a distress call from Mihoshi. To Ayeka's surprise, she finds Ryoko there. Ryoko and Ayeka go way back, and they always bring up their own deluded versions of rivalry when they met, and various other times they had trouble between each other. Ayeka and Ryoko start to battle. At the end, nobody wins and both of their space ships are destroyed. Ayeka ends up living there. Then, Sasami arrives to rescue Ayeka and her ship gets destroyed too. Kiyone comes in search of her partner Mihoshi, but she finds 2 princesses (Ayeka and Sasami), a space pirate (Ryoko), and a mad scientest (The Great Washu-Chan!). You can imagine Kiyone's reaction to this. Kiyone and Mihoshi attempt to return to Galaxy Police HQ but they are re-assigned to the Earth's part of the Galaxy. So they end up at Tenchi's too. Later, a fake Yosho places Ayeka under arrest for treason, so the Tenchi crew find themselves becoming galaxy criminals. They are forced to set out in space hiding from the police and trying to get to Jurai to speak with 'Yosho'. On the way, they meet some interesting people and do some interesting things like participate in swimsuit contests, running a bar, blowing up a bar, running from the police, stealing a million dollars, and etc. They finally arrive to Jurai, and to their suprise, they find out that Tenchi's Grandfather is Yosho, and the Yosho that runs Jurai is a man named Kagato. Kagato wants an end to the direct Royal Blood Line, and tries to kill the Tenchi crew. He injures both Tenchi's grandfather and Ryoko. An angry Tenchi finishes off Kagato by summoning his legendary Jurai powers. Meanwhile in space, Ryoko dies in her ship from the wound from Kagato. Tenchi returns to normal life and finds out that Ryoko lived and has returned to him. The carnival has returned.

Cast and Production Information:

English Voice Acting Tenchi Masaki: Matthew 'Kermit' Miller Ryoko Petrea: Burchard Princess Ayeka: Jennifer Darling Mihoshi: Ellen Gerstel Matsuhito & Nobuyuki: Jay Hopper Sasami: Sherry Lynn Ryo-Ohki: Debi Derryberry Washu: K.T. Vogt Japanese Voice Acting Tenchi Masaki: Masami Kikughi Ryoko: Ai Grikasa Princess Ayeka: Yumi Takada Mihoshi: Yuko Mizsutaki Matsuhito & Nobuyuki: Takeshi Aono Sasami: Chisa Yokoyama Ryo-Ohki: Etsuko Kozakura Washu: Yuko Kobayashi

Music by:
Seikou Nagaoka, With vocals by Sonia Wonderland. Director[JAP]: Hiroshi Negishi Producers[JAP]: Kazuaki Morijiri and Keisuke Iwara Character Design, Original Concept, and Original Story: Masaki Kajishima Producer[ENG]: Miyuko Miura Director[ENG]: Jack Fletcher

Complied from the Pioneer Animation Web Site:

Our first TV episode opens with Tenchi's monologue as he reminisces about "those days." This narration is important , as you will see at the end of this series, so just keep it in mind. As a pleasant surprise to Mihoshi fans, she makes her unforgettable appearance in this first episode, unlike the OVA (original video animation) series, where she appears in the fourth installment. Isn't that cool!?

The rivalry between Ryoko and Ayeka goes far back to their childhood and is rooted even deeper than it was in our OVA series. We get to see flashback sequences of their "traumatic" childhood encounters with each other. Viewers also have a chance to see both Ryoko and Ayeka as sweet and innocent(?) little girls for the first time. And whether Tenchi likes it or not, he's going to see this old conflict between the girls erupt again and again during this series. Which story will he believe?

This episode introduces two of our most popular and cutest characters, Ryo-ohki and Sasami! Like any other pet, our Ryo-ohki has her favorite food--carrots! Her craze for carrots is even more exaggerated her than in the OVA series! As for Sasami, you'll see her go through more clothes than a fashion model, from everyday wear to space suits.

It's Washu that Tenchi finds sealed in that cave, not Ryoko as it originally occurred in the OVA series. From this point on, our TV series starts to take a clearly different road from the OVA series. For instance, Mihoshi and Washu do not seem to have any special "love" feelings for Tenchi. By the way, don't you love the little Washu puppets cheering on Washu's shoulders? They sure could make a perfect merchandising item!

Kiyone is the most capable Galaxy Police detective. She believes that her goofy partner Mihoshi had died on her mission, until the day HQ informs her that Mihoshi is alive and well on planet Earth. Not exactly good news for Kiyone! She sets out for Earth, hoping that HQ had given her misinformation, but knowing somehow that it's true. And she's right. She finds Mihoshi waiting for her, smiling her guileless smile, and if that wasn't enough, Mihoshi's keeping company with: the most wanted space criminal, the missing royal princesses and the legendary mad scientist! Kiyone's nightmarish days are back! Meet Kiyone, the only "victim" character we have besides Tenchi. While she has never been part of the "regular" cast in the OVA series, viewers, knowing her from the Mihoshi Special and even the Tenchi movies, would now officially welcome her as one of the main cast members. Her interplay with Mihoshi is nothing less than hilarious, worthy of the name of "Miho-Kiyo Duo."

By an unexpected order from the Galaxy Police HQ, our mismatched duo, Mihoshi and Kiyone, are assigned to stay on Earth as resident officers. They move out of the Masaki residence to start their own lives in a meager apartment. Nothing can affect Mihoshi--she simply remains her goofy, cheerful self wherever she is. Kiyone, on the other hand, has all the worries in the universe. She now has to "baby-sit" her partner while struggling with the high cost of living on Earth. They have to work many hours on part-time jobs to make a living, and the moment they receive a duty call, they have to drop everything to rush in their spaceship, Yagami, to be at the scene of the crime. The Miho-Kiyo Duo is ever on duty, bound by a strange bond of rotten fate! This episode focuses entirely on a day in the life of Mihoshi and Kiyone living on Earth. Anyone who sees this episode first would believe that these two girls are the show's heroines. It seems like they must have more stories to tell about their lives on Earth. We can expect another episode with more of this hapless, but charming duo! Once you're caught in the quicksand of Miho-Kiyo Duo routines, you can never leave!

One summer evening, an annual carnival takes place at the Masaki Shrine. Tenchi takes an excited Sasami there to check it out. What they discover, mixed in with the other booths at the carnival, are Ryoko's fish-scooping booth, Ayeka's shooting gallery, a fried noodle shop run by Mihoshi and Kiyone, and Washu's house of horrors...none of which are as normal as they look in the beginning! You may think that carnivals are just for fun, but this one proves to be a life-threatening adventure for Tenchi! To add to the commotion, as Ryoko and Ayeka start to fight (what else is new?), things really get out of hand. It's getting late at the night of the carnival... Now that all the main characters have come out of the box, we proceed to depict their everyday life. You will find that the second half of Chapter: Earth reflects the best of the Tenchi world. Sit back and enjoy the free-wheeling wild antics of our well-established characters! This time, the childhood story of Ryoko and Ayeka reveals them as 10 year olds. How much of their story is true?

A story about our mad scientist "Little" Washu. While she has many more stories to tell about her millions of inventions, this is the only episode of its kind in this TV series. Too bad! The Washu Puppets are cute and "alive" - in this episode anyway. And if you want to know which anime series Mihoshi likes to watch, take a closer look and you'll see it's Pioneer's OVA series Moldiver!

Unlike the slap-stick comedy we've seen so far in this series, this is one episode that works on your emotions. On the other hand, there's alot of "foreshadowing" information that's contained in this episode, such as the revival of Ryu-Oh and the special swordsmanship kept in the royal family of Jurai, all of which will fully unravel in the next Chapter: Space. Another point of interest in the subtitled version of this episode is the performance by voice actor Takeshi Aono playing both Katsuhito (Grandpa) and Nobuyuki (Tenchi's dad). You could admire it as something only a seasoned and talented seiyu (voice actor) like him can accomplish. Of course, if you wish to admire the visual aspect of Nobuyuki's assistant Reiko at the same time, be our guest, by all means...

Meet Nagi and Ken-Ohki, two new characters that are completely original in the TV series. Ryoko has a busy life being chased not only by the police, but also by a bounty hunter like Nagi! The street-hardened personality of Nagi could have made this episode rather hard-boiled, if not for Ken-Ohki who functions as an "antidote" for Nagi's presence. If you don't already know from the OVA series that Ryo-Ohki is a girl, this is the story for you to find that out. Meow!!

"With this device, you can change the world the way you want!" Washu's latest invention is the Dimensional Cause & Effect Controller. This outrageous device can completely change the world into whatever people want it to be. Everyone rushes to input their wishes into this Controller, driving it mad! Now Tenchi and company are at the mercy of the Controller as they wander from one parallel world to another. Princess Ayeka, in her parallel world, orders Mihoshi and Kiyone to eliminate Ryoko, the demon of Rashomon. Sasami, as the Magical Girl Pretty Sammy, saves the day for Tenchi at his school, the same school which was supposed to be a peaceful stage for a sweet love comedy! Ryoko, in her world, seeks a new life in a northern region where a group of kind and warm-hearted people wait to help her. Mihoshi, in her world, is a housewife leading a carefree life as Tenchi's wife. Ryoko, in another parallel world, has Tenchi as her gangster partner so she can live the action-filled dangerous life she's always desired. When all of these worlds are combined, it's no wonder that our story becomes a blind roller coaster ride! Washu is the only hope we have to help bring this mayhem back to normal... The Time and Space Adventure is based on an import Tenchi Muyo CD drama of the same title. As an interesting side note, due to the limited capacity of the CD, a chapter, the "Heian Era" had to be cut out of the final edition. It was a pity especially because the story takes place in a world where Ayeka has her wishes come true. Although it doesn't appear on the CD, it does show up in this episode, so we're pleased to be able to share it with our TV series viewers. A happy ending for Ayeka! Kiyone, in her world, has her wishes come true. Her story is not included in the CD drama either--so it's also an original story for the TV series. By the way, have you noticed that everyone cast in her world is happy if, and only if, Kiyone herself takes all the hardships with ultimate patience? She truly is the victim, indeed, oh, poor girl! To conclude the episode, Ryoko has her wishes come true in her world. Whereas she was cast as a space pirate in the CD version, she is now an American gangster here. The emotional quality of the last sequence of this episode foreshadows what we will see in the last episode of the series. By the way, wouldn't you have liked to see Washu's world as well?

Tenchi flies into outer space to save the girls! In the first episode of the Space, our story leaves planet Earth and takes us into a completely new realm of the TV series. Our characters were well established in the Earth episodes. Now in the Space episodes, they are ready for action. The story follows them episode after episode, as they run, chase, blunder and wander through outer space. The opening monologue of Ryoko has a significant meaning as you will see in good time...

Tenchi & gang are now wanted criminals for attempting a coup d'etat! The Galaxy Police HQ, armada, Jurai ships and people are just a sampling of the many new elements we will discover in the course of these episodes. Mitsuki, the ambitious Galaxy Police colleague of Kiyone, makes her appearance only in this episode. Katsuhiro's (Grandpa) presence seems to have more influence in the story, and it will continue doing so even more...

Tenchi & gang are now wanted criminals for attempting a coup d'etat! The Galaxy Police HQ, armada, Jurai ships and people are just a sampling of the many new elements we will discover in the course of these episodes. Mitsuki, the ambitious Galaxy Police colleague of Kiyone, makes her appearance only in this episode. Katsuhiro's (Grandpa) presence seems to have more influence in the story, and it will continue doing so even more...

They head for Planet Jurai to find out the truth! Their unconventional space adventure has just begun. They have a long journey ahead of them. The karaoke sequence, with so many original songs to offer, is the highlight of this episode. The continuing childhood stories of Ryoko and Ayeka shows them as 14 year olds this time. Nagi the bounty hunter is most impressive in this episode. The fact she pays that ridiculous bill at that ridiculous bar shows her true colors--she is a good girl, after all!

"Come back Ryoko, everyone is dying!" A double whammy of engine trouble and a shortage of provisions almost disables Tenchi and company. Washu Puppets make their comeback appearance after a long absence. Please note that each screenwriter has his own favorite "items" to write in the storyline. Writer Yosuke Kuroda included the Washu Puppets, while Ryoe Tsukimura (Series Construction) is responsible for those hilarious childhood flashback stories of Ryoko and Ayeka. The more you know, the more interesting it becomes!

Tenchi & gang are now the wanderers in the Sargasso Sea! One of the very few emotional episodes in this TV series, was by Naoko Hasegawa, who was one of the writers for the first season of the OVA series as well as the novel. The focal point of this episode is the guest character Mirei. As it happens, this kind of "one-time" character often wins a certain number of enthusiastic followers. Along with Sasami, Ryo-Ohki is also lovable, even more so than usual.

Tenchi & gang are now the wanderers in the Sargasso Sea! One of the very few emotional episodes in this TV series, was by Naoko Hasegawa, who was one of the writers for the first season of the OVA series as well as the novel. The focal point of this episode is the guest character Mirei. As it happens, this kind of "one-time" character often wins a certain number of enthusiastic followers. Along with Sasami, Ryo-Ohki is also lovable, even more so than usual.

They find out that Yagami, their spaceship is hijacked! The spaceship Yagami has had nothing but rotten luck ever since Chapter: Space storylines started, and this time it is hijacked by teenage delinquents Amarube and Yura. Will Mihoshi and Kiyone ever get their ship back?

Shocking! A swimsuit beauty contest with all the girls! A fun-packed episode to enjoy. At a planet-side beach resort, Tenchi and company take part time jobs so they can pay for the repair of the Yagami. They work really hard because making money was never an easy task. Then, great news arrives; A local swimsuit beauty contest is offering one million Jurai money to its winner! Seeing a perfect opportunity to put their perfect figures to use, all our heroines rush to sign up. In the meantime, Nagi the bounty hunter happens to stop at Tenchi's beach stand for a drink. Confronted by Nagi, Ryoko tells her that their duel will just have to wait until the beauty contest is over. All the girls are out to compete for the glorious title of Miss Swimsuit!

Disguising themselves as a group of innocent students our hero and heroines are now thrown into the dramatic climax! Tenchi and company are finally coming close to entering Jurai territory. They are almost there. The only hurdle between them and their destination is the heavily guarded security check point. Disguising themselves as a group of innocent students on a school trip, they just manage to clear the check-point when Mihoshi's blunder exposes their identities all at once! During the frantic running chase that ensues, a mysterious man shows up to help them escape. We are coming near the climax, everyone!

Azaka and Kamidake resurrected and Grandpa's true identity revealed! The story rushes headlong into a stormy climax! Tenchi and company manage to infiltrate the Jurai space territories. Unfortunately, Mihoshi's blunder once again makes them an easy target to spot for the Jurai Force. Katsuhito instructs them to head for the Jurai Sanctuary telling them that they will need help from the two legendary knights sleeping there. With Azaka and Kamidake finally resurrected from their long sleep and Katsuhito's true identity revealed to everyone's astonishment, the story rushes headlong into a stormy climax!

Kagato, the dark puppeteer of the series, finally reveals himself! Can it be? Can Tenchi be a direct descendent of the Jurai royal bloodline? That must mean his grandfather is...Meanwhile, Yosho impersonator, Kagato, finally reveals himself! It's a life and death duel between the heavy hitters of Jurai! Only one will be left standing...

Ryoko's desperate love for Tenchi explodes! Survive, Ryoko! Kagato takes Ayeka back to Jurai to ensure his claim to the throne. Only Tenchi, with the Tenchi Sword can save her. Everyone, including Nagi, risks life and limb to get Tenchi into the Royal Throne Room to confront Kagato. Even the seriously-injured Ryoko, out of her desperate love for Tenchi, sacrifices herself to grant Tenchi's wish...to free Ayeka!

Cosmic sparks fly as Tenchi and Kagato engage in the final battle! Tenchi, Azaka and Kamidake invade the Jurai palace and head to the throne room. Before they can reach it, Tetta and Tessei, the two powerful knights serving the Jurai emperor, step in the way to stop them! Tenchi's friends drop one by one in their efforts to take out Tenchi's obstacles in order to allow him to take on the final opponent, Kagato! As the Evil Imperial Sword in Kagato's hand clashes against the Tenchi Sword in Tenchi's hand, cosmic sparks fly to determine who the true Jurai Emperor will be in this, the last battle!

Everything is coming to an end...But what about Ryoko? After the final battle, things begin to wind down and return to normal, as if none of it really happened except for one thing...Where's Ryoko? Instead of a standard storyline, this touching episode explains the fate of each of our characters. It also takes the story all the way back to the first episode, like a circle, as well as leading to the beginning of the feature film, Tenchi Muyo in Love. You could say that it symbolizes the endless quality of the Tenchi Universe.