Ryoko: Space Hottie

Well, for starters, I don't know how they can call this the "Ultimate Edition" when they've had several sets and movies come out since.

But I'm going to go ahead and let it slide, since this is a fun show.

Dang.  That's all I have on this for now.  I should really think this stuff through before I commit to writing it.  See, Lincoln is the real anime guy.  I mostly just watch the stuff while drinking endless glasses of whiskey and say things like, "Wow!  Good explosion," or "I'm'na marry Mihoshi."  Then Lincoln and I get in a girly slapfight, because he wants to marry Mihoshi, too.

My point, operating under the assumption that I have one, is that I'm not a good critic, when it comes to anime.  I either like it, or I don't.  Sometimes I notice things, like Japanese jokes or locations, or even similarities between shows (Pani Poni Dash!  and the new Negima?! spring to mind here).

But I guess I need to work on my anime vocabulary, is what I'm saying.

Let's have a go anyway.  I suppose I can start by saying that this is a three-disc set from Pioneer.  Two of the discs are episodes; the third is bonus material.

The plot at first seems like a fairly standard fantastic harem anime.  A young man discovers that he is heir to fabulous powers, and then various hot crazy girls move into his house and slowly drive him insane.  Tenchi is decent, honorable, and clueless, and the various girls are all archetypes: Psycho Tough Girl; Princess With Problems; Klutzy Space Cop; Sweetie Homebody; and Mad Scientist.

But it's not really that simple.  As the series progresses, we learn more about these characters and what makes them tick, in the midst of a surprisingly complicated sociopolitical backdrop involving several generations, many different races, and an empire that is thousands of years old.

The stories work surprisingly well, whether played out as a giant space opera or smaller stories about everyone living under one roof.

I'd say check it out, but I'm not even sure this is still in print.  Good luck.