On Sat, Oct 30, 1999 at 01:52:13PM -0700, Alan Zabaro wrote:

> > I have been trying to discern the Tenchi Manga, Viz comic, True Tenchi
> > Muyo! Novels and the other graphic novels and I'm having a good deal
> > of trouble with it.

I will post the TMiD (FAQ) section on it today or tommorow)...

However, I also want to state my opinion on the manga. 

> I'll do what I can. The Tenchi manga *is* the Viz comic; it was (is?)
> done by Hitoshi Okuda, and translated by Viz. Available either as
> individual comics (which you can subscribe to, although IIRC winston
> says Viz is behind on getting some of the issues out), or collected
> into volumes of, I think, 6 issues each. The manga is based on the OAV
> for the most part, but sometimes does has side stories in other
> continuities (eg Pretty Sammy). The translated versions can be ordered
> from Viz, or from a number of online stores (I use Animenation), or
> from places like Borders, Virgin Megastore, Towers (I think Borders
> was where I found out about the manga).

The Manga is good, but they get the character of a few people wrong. 
Washu is a bit more minor character then she is in the second 
OVA (primarily, to examine washu in any depth you have to really
establish a back story (which TTM does)) For the most part, Okuda 
has been carefull about splitting the storyline any more then it
allready is. 

Don't get me started on his Kasumi interpretation of Sasami.


> The True Tenchi novels (sometimes abbreviated TTM) are a Japanese
> release only. AKA Shin Tenchi Muyo (different character for Shin); are
> based on the OAV continuity and the direction series-creator Kajishima
> wants/wanted it to go (although I think that so far, they mostly
> explore the history that creates the situations seen in the OAVs).

In particular, they examine Washu, Yousho and Azusa (with three more
novels to come). The establish in particular. 
-) Most of the backstory and 99% of the family tree of Tenchi. (ie,
we still don't know anything about Tenchi's mom in the novels). 

-) They establish things about the Jurai royal council and the science
acadamy. 

> Other things:
> * The P-anime comic, put out by Pioneer. This is what's on the
>   Ultimate DVD edition. Only 6 issues before it was cancelled,

It's not really on the Ultimate DVD. You can't read it . (I have
not tried looking w/ my pc on it yet). The story was decent,
but definitly TV. 

> * Hasegawa's novels (she wrote the screenplay for the OAVs, right?)
>   From what I've heard, based on the OAVs (at least the first 6),
>   but extend Tenchi in a way that isn't compatible with Kajishima's
>   view of the series. I've heard that MnE is based off the Hasegawa
>   novels, which explains why it has characteristics of the OAVs, as
>   well as things which don't fit too well (such as Kiyone as
>   Mihoshi's partner), but I can't be certain.

MNE does not depend on anything from Hasegawa's novels. Hasegawa
wrote the first 7 OVA's and was replaced by Kuroda who wrote the
second OVA series. Interesting bit of Trivia, Kuroda was actually
picked to do MNE, but passed on it.