===========================================================
> From: "lil zelda" <chasingmyshadow@cox.net>
> Okay, here's my question, with the Tenchi Muyo GXP out and new OVAs over
in
> Japan, I had to wonder is the whole Tenchi series more for male or
females, or is
> it geared toward both genders?
>
> The obvious reasons for males liking it ... doesn't need to be mentioned,
like I
> said it's obvious. Also, I'm sure guys like the ships, weapons, villians
etc. Yet,
> I can see a girl wanting to have the personality of Ryoko or Aeka, wanting
to be
> tough and daring, or maybe a little more shy and reserved. Girls can
relate to the
> wide range of personalities the Tenchi series offers. While reading one of
the
> mangas, I saw an editor had written that it would seem that guys would be
more
> interested in the Tenchi Series because of the girls fighting over Tenchi
(I can
> understand males wanting to be in Tenchi's shoes *laughs*), yet the main
readers
> are female, due to the fact girls want to be like Ryoko, Aeka, etc.
(Personally, I
> wish I was more like Sasami...the only thing I can cook is toast..^_^) So,
I
> said...err- typed all of that to say this, are the Tenchi series aimed for
both genders?
===========================================================

I can only speak for myself.  My first glimpse of TM! was walking into the
living room a few years back and seeing my youngest daughter and her 7th/8th
Grade friends huddled around the TV-VCR, watching some cartoon with
lightsabres in it.  I watched for a few moments, and then went on to other
things.  A while later, a friend of mine in the know came by and started
discussing the series with her.  Somewhat intrigued, I started watching
it....and got hooked.  I didn't see the whole series until a year or so
later, when the same friend sent me a copy of OVA 1-13 on CD, and I watched
it on my computer (thanx, Stephen).  That's when I started nosing around the
Internet and stumbled onto the TMFFA.  The rest is history.

The big draw of the series for me is the interaction of the female
characters.  I say that not because of the T&A, but because of the
remarkable resemblence to my own family.  My wife and three daughters (plus
friends) established an amazingly similar personality matrix, which gave an
old fart like me something to relate to.  (Tenchi, clueless?  I'm with ya,
buddy....)  Then the technomagical details started to creep in, some of the
humorous elements, etc.  Since my daughters were already bringing home other
series to watch (and my wife "advised" me that I should monitor what they
were watching), my horizons expanded a bit.  Eventually, I started dabbling
in fanfics.

GXP seems to get a bum rap a lot, but I think it's pretty good.  The first
half dozen episodes are yawners, but then things pick-up.  I have to say,
though, I am far more irritated with OVA 3 than with GXP.  I think Mihoshi
and Ryoko are getting discarded/downgraded, and up to this point I have
several reservations about Z and his influences.  Only time will tell, of
course, but I remain hopeful.

                        Jeff

Jeffery (Jeff) Harris
JLHOnami@mchsi.com

Author of "The Harem Saga" -- http://www.tmffa.com/fanfic.html?id=484
"Saga" background data at http://home.mchsi.com/~jlhonami/JeffsNotebook.html