Tenjho Tenge

Publisher
MVM
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
24 episode / 25 minutes
Year
2004

Tenjho Tenge Round 1

By otaku_kei
14th Apr 06

For anyone who has been reading my reviews of Ikki Tousen then I am sure you have picked up on my less than enthusiastic reaction to that fan service heavy, high school fighting show. So when this title dropped through the letterbox I can honestly say that I was less than energised about being subjected to what could only be more of the same. But each new show deserves its fair chance, so lets just see what these martial arts school high-jinks are all about!

So first impressions, as everyone knows, counts for quite a lot, and I have to say that the opening to this show had me bopping along and quite interested to see just what type of show would open with a bit of j-hop beats and the main characters all break-dancing! This opening had such a different vibe that Ikki Tousen already, for a start the opening does not need to bombard the viewer with gratuitous panty shots from countless camera angles. Nor are there an inexplicable amount of sudden gusts of wind around girls in mini-skirts. As far as I'm concerned this could not have gotten off to a better start!

As with all high school based anime, this show starts with a new arrival, or in this case two new arrivals! Souichiro Nagi and his best friend Bob have made a name for themselves moving from school to school and taking each one over by violent means. Their latest target is the Todo Academy, but they just may have found themselves facing a challenge they are just not ready for! The Todo Academy has martial arts high on the curriculum for the students, and Souichiro and Bob are just not ready for this. So it looks like the gung-ho attitude of this duo is going to end up landing them in a lot of trouble, and you know what? It does!

So just why does this show work for me, when similar shows end up sending me to sleep? Balance, within the characters, within the themes and between the plot, action and busty high school girls in mini-skirts! I think the moment when I really switched on to just how different this show was going to be was when our 'heroes' of the show end up getting their heads pummelled into the dirt. This is not the consequence free violence-with-a-smile that seems to dominate Ikki Tousen, but is instead something quite dark and troubling. The fan service is also not the intrusive, show dominating force that it can be in other shows. I personally find that shows can suffer unduly if the fan service is completely OTT, but whilst Tenjho Tenge is not absent of fan service it is used in a fitting manner that really works within the show.

MVM are promoting this show alongside their other fan service heavy shows Ikki Tousen and Burst Angel. If you are into these shows then Tenjho Tenge will probably be right up your alley. This debut really has just shown how good a show this could be, and for me has demonstrated just how lacking some other shows on retail at the moment are. Whilst this show may not be ground-breaking, if it continues with the quality and strength demonstrated in this opening volume then I am sure that this is set to be a popular addition to many people's anime collections!

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English Language 2.0; Japanese Language 2.0; English Language Subtitles; Textless Opening; MVM Trailers

Release information: COMING SOON - 8th May 2006

Notes: Nicely presented debut for this show. The A/V quality is perfect, and having sampled both soundtracks I didn't notice any issues with the subtitles or audio dropout. The menus are also presented clearly, and are easy to navigate and quick to respond. Pretty much everything you would want from DVD menus. The extras are a bit lacking though, with only the textless opening and MVM's Trailers on offer, pretty standard for a UK disc, but not exactly exciting.

-- otaku_kei 14th Apr 06

Tenjho Tenge Images