Section 2.1: TM!R OVA 1, Special (Ep. 07), & OVA 2
Subsection 1: TM!R OAV 1, TM!R Special, & TM!R OAV 2
What was the deal with the Tenchi’s cat in episode 1? Why was it on the roof of Tenchi’s school and why did it disappear?
This was covered in 101 Secrets in question 85 which I’ll reprint here:
It was used as a prototype of Ryo-ohki.
More details:
A cat called Chibi appeared in ep.1 but was never seen again. It was used by Ryo-ohki. More precisely it was assimilated into Ryo-oh-ki. Therefore. Ryo-oh-ki is Chibi and Chibi is Ryo-oh-ki at the same time. Tenchi found Chibi on the first day of his summer holiday (ie, just before ep.1 starts), lying near the steps and nearly dead. He took care of it, which recovered by the time ep.1 started. But it was Ryoko in her astral body who really saved Chibi. She felt so sorry for Tenchi that she used her energy to keep it alive. When Ryoko eventually revived completely, she had to withdraw her energy from Chibi and allow it to die. She did her best by assimilating it into the second generation Ryo-oh-ki. Tenchi, having seen Ryoko holding Chibi’s bell in her hand (ep.1), may think Chibi was Ryoko herself.
If you’ve seen the Pioneer version, you may not have even known the cat had a name. But in the Japanese, when Tenchi sees the cat on the roof, he clearly calls it by name, Chibi. BTW, “chibi” means small or tiny. Anyway, based on this answer, we now know why Ryo-ohki looks like a half-cat half rabbit combination.
How did Tenchi get the key to Ryoko’s cave away from his grandfather?
Katsuhito (Yosho) basically allowed Tenchi to have the keys. He wanted Tenchi to eventually free Ryoko which is why he helped make Tenchi curious about the “oni” (demon/devil) that legend said was sealed in the cave. Here’s what 101 Secrets said on the matter:
20. Why did Tenchi break the demon’s seal in the shrine?
Answer:
His grandfather’s fault.
More details …
He broke the seal out of pure curiosity. “If someone told you never ever do something, you’d want to do it, wouldn’t you?” (quote from Tenchi in episode 1) In fact he fell in his grandfather’s trap, he made Tenchi interested in the demon ever since childhood, with help of Tenchi’s mother. He is a tactician and knew that Ryoko was watching Tenchi all the time. Even though Tenchi did not realize the astral body of Ryoko was watching him (flash back in ep.5), his grandfather knew. He arranged so that Tenchi would break the seal and use the Tree to attract Aeka. He felt something special about Tenchi and wanted him to be Emperor of Jurai in the future. That’s why he gave his master key to Tenchi and told him to fight against Kagato. But Tenchi won the battle without it in the end. Tenchi has more power than his grandfather first thought and he had to change his plans …
Notice the remark about Tenchi’s mother Kiyone. If you’ll recall in the flashbacks of her, she takes a very young Tenchi by the forbidden cave and even asks him if he sees the oni (Ryoko in her astral body). Kiyone made sure that Tenchi was near the cave often, thus allowing Ryoko to develop a bond with him and experience childhood through Tenchi. All part of the growth of Ryoko from terrorist “Devil of Destruction” to a caring woman.
If Ryoko cared so much about Tenchi, why did she attack him?
For this, again we’ll consult 101 Secrets and the end of the answer to question 35:
Her fight with Tenchi in ep.1 was a mere child’s play for her. She could have eliminated Tenchi along with the entire school if she wanted.
So Ryoko was not serious about harming Tenchi. After over 700 years of confinement in a cave where she was awake the whole time and could still feel the damp and cold, she felt the need to let off some steam. Despite this, she did care a lot for Tenchi as seen in how she used her power to save Chibi. While not seen in the anime, there is a storyboard showing that Ryoko used her powers to shield young Tenchi from the falling snow when his mother died (see the storyboard images below from 101 Secrets).
This was confirmed in a flashback sequence in episode 14 (OAV 3) where Rea finds young Tenchi asleep at Ryoko’s cave in a circle free of snow.
Fortunately, Tenchi-ken (Sword Tenchi) put an end to Ryoko’s playing before she got too rough and harmed the boy. Whether Tenchi-ken’s sudden activation was due to Tsunami’s influence or just reacting to Tenchi’s desires is a matter for debate.
That said, allow AstroNerdBoy to say that the real reason for this conflict is that episode 1 is Hayashi Hiroki’s influence on the story. As he gave control over to Kajishima-sensei, the series was steered fully to where Kajishima-sensei wanted to go.
Did Washu create her computer?
Washu created her system back when she was a member of the Royal Academy, now known as Galaxy Academy.
How did Kagato find out where Ryoko was?
Officially, we don’t have an answer. However, it was most likely due to Ryo-ohki’s revival more than Ryoko’s.
True Sheol adds: I suspect that when Ryouko’s not really using her powers, she generates a very small signature. Ryo-Ohki, on the other hand, doesn’t really have a choice. Who did Mihoshi detect when she woke up? Ryo-Ohki. Also, what happened in episode two? Ryouko/Ryo-Ohki fought with Aeka/Ryu-Oh. That had to have generated a major signal if Ryouko’s actions at Tenchi’s school didn’t. So, that’s how he knew where she was before episode four.
In episode 6, when Kagato and Tenchi fight on board the Souja, Tenchi appears to have been cut by Kagato, yet only Kagato died. What exactly happened?
After that strike, you see a glow mark crossing Tenchi’s armor. That was the residual energy of Kagato’s strike. The blow had obviously penetrated, but Tenchi continued concentrating and the damage was almost instantly healed. His enemy stood up and turned off his energy blade. While Kagato had been able to heal his damage earlier (when his hand was blown off), he was unable to heal the damage Tenchi inflicted.
Some further stuff from True Sheol.
What Kagato says in acknowledging his defeat is very important.
In Romaji: Tenchi… masutaa kii to onaji na ka. Tsunami-me. Kore de wa saisei mo kikanu ka. Subarashii. Watashi no make da, shounen…
Pioneer Translation: Tenchi…the same name as the master key? Well done, Tsunami. Tenchi can’t be copied. Splendid plan. You’ve won, young man.
Literal Translation: Tenchi… the master key and this person have the same name? That Tsunami. Is regeneration not effective? Magnificent. I am defeated, boy….
It’s unclear whether Kagato is indirectly asking Tsunami (not literally) or blaming her for leading him astray with Tenchi-ken (hence the “splendid plan” in some translations). He speaks her name in the same frame and immediately after asking that question. It is distinctly separate from his next line regarding how his regeneration is ineffective against the damage by Tenchi.
Incidentally, this goes along with events in episode 19.
There are some timeline inconsistencies in the OAV–for example, at one point they say Ryoko is 2,000 and at another they say she is 5,000. What’s going on?
In reality, they messed up. Later, they explained it in 101 Secrets of Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki by saying 2,000 galactic years equal 5,000 Earth years. It is a crappy explanation, but I suppose it was all they could do. As the Japanese say, “try not to worry about it too much.”
What is that dark blue jacket that Tenchi often wears?
Actually, it isn’t a jacket. It is a haori. This is a traditional Japanese garment. In the left-hand image, Tenchi is wearing his haori in OVA3, episode 1. On the right, Ryoko is shown on the cover of one of the Notan doujinshi, wearing Tenchi’s haori sometime in the future.
About the image on the right, this is the front and back cover of the Kajishima doujinshi known as Tenchi Sokuhou. The girl in front of her has been named “Tenko” by English fans and is Ryoko’s daughter. I am efforting to obtain this doujinshi work, but it is very rare. The artwork is Kajishima-sensei’s.
Why do some people spell Ayeka’s name as “Aeka?”
That’s because the actual Romaji spelling of her name is “Aeka.” There is no “ye” in the Japanese Hiragana/Katakana alphabet, nor is there a combination which creates such a lettering. As far as we can tell, Pioneer decided to spell Aeka’s name as “Ayeka” so that English-speaking audiences would pronounce her name properly. Because the name “Ayeka” has been around for so many years thanks to Pioneer, it is deemed as an acceptable spelling of her name. Just remember that “Aeka” is the actual Romaji spelling.
What about the other names like Ryoko and Yosho?
It depends on the Kanji. Some people spell Ryoko’s name as “Ryouko” just as some people spell Yosho’s name as “Yousho.” In Japanese, the “u” after an “o” sound elongates that “o” sound. If you are interested in learning more, there’s a short article by Caroline Seawright which helps explain Romaji and Japanese names.
Who will Tenchi choose?
Among American fans, this question seems to come up the most. To be fair, it came up in Japan too, and Kajishima wrote about it in 101 Secrets (new translation by True Sheol, updated May 3, 2006).
33. As for Tenchi, who does he favor*?
Answer:
Favor* to speak of, is not felt.
More details:
Ryoko, Aeka, Sasami, Mihoshi, Washu. Tenchi is surrounded by 5 beautiful women.
Tenchi’s choice of girl, is she amongst Ryouko and the others?
Kajishima states, “Tenchi personally, currently does not favor any. Tenchi made the current situation (something like a family) and is satisfied, not calling anyone sweetheart, favoring anyone, or seeing an object of romantic love. Sasami will eventually grow older however……”
Though something more than family was recognized, it seems that this way of doing things was considered better.
*The Japanese word for “favor” is “suki”, meaning strong liking, love, or fondness.
Kajishima basically restated this in an interview he did a few years ago prior to work being done on OAV 3. So no matter who your favorite girl is, Tenchi is currently going with the “I’m not choosing a single girl since I like having all the girls around me as family” strategy. Tenchi’s “harem” is still intact in GXP episode 17, so he hasn’t chosen a single girl. One of the reasons for Tenchi not choosing a single girl is that if he did, why would the others stay? Without the other girls, you no longer have a series.
Kajishima-sensei has stated that should GXP and OAV 3 do well, that he would consider another series to explore Tenchi’s love life. It should be noted that there is plenty of hints from Kajishima-sensei that various girls have children (unknown father) and Tenchi has a son (unknown mother). However, Tenchi and the girls are living on Jurai by the time he has a son. Further, the picture of Tenchi’s son looks a bit like Washu and the picture of Washu’s daughter looks like a combination between Tenchi and Ryoko. Finally, in the 2005 doujinshi Omatsuri Zenjitsu no Yoru – Omake, K-sensei goes a step further and confirms that Tenchi is indeed living with at least some of the girls on Earth and that the relationship had between the girls and Tenchi is VERY close.
It also should be noted that ALL of Kajishima’s works end with a harem in which the guy marries (or otherwise ends up with) many if not all of the girls from that series.
I heard Tenchi chose in a movie. Is this true?
Yes, Tenchi did make a choice in Tenchi Forever, but that choice only applies to the Tenchi Universe continuity and thus not Kajishima’s choice. It isn’t done in a “I chose you” fashion, but in an “actions speak louder than words” fashion. There’s a single girl whom Tenchi (who doesn’t remember his past) continues to recall. And this girl and Tenchi have a touching scene at the end of the movie.
It should be noted that some will argue this choice point. NEGISHI Hiroshi , the TU series creator, writer, and director, also wrote a manga for Tenchi Forever called Tenchi Muyo in Love 2: Eternal Memory. This story tells what Sasami did on Jurai to help save Tenchi. In the story, Negishi-san attempts to bring in more of the OAV elements like Tsunami. In addition, Sasami runs into another girl her age and the two have an RPG adventure and even run into an OVA-looking Kagato (of sorts). Towards the end of the manga, the story hints that Sasami might bear Tenchi a child in the future, giving Sasami-chan hope of scoring with the hero.
While Eternal Memory is done by the same writer as Tenchi Forever, there are elements of it that to me seemed to contradict Tenchi Forever and others just seemed to be pulled out of thin air leaving me scratching my head. I’ll attempt to find a link to the unofficial English scanlation of this title so you can make your own call.
Since Ryo-ohki only gained her humanoid form after fusing with the MASU, is it possible that Ryoko originally a cabbit like her little sisters?
No. Ryoko was formed from the MASU and an egg cell from Washu. Ryo-ohki was formed from the MASU and minerals.
Who is D3?
D3 is the Dimensional Supervisor for the 3rd dimension.
Which of Azusa’s wives is “first wife?” The anime makes it seem like Misaki is, but I’ve read your discussions and that makes it seem like Funaho is.
Again, Pioneer’s translations leave much to be desired. We are going to get an accurate translation of what was said, but suffice to say, Funaho is the first wife and Misaki is the second wife according to the novel Jurai.
What was wrong with Sasami-chan in episode 7?
She had her first period.
What? How do you know that if the anime didn’t specifically state this?
The first major clue was actually in episode 7. 
Aside from Sasami’s shyness towards Tenchi, Tenchi’s aunt brought sekihan, red boiled/steamed rice (azuki and mochi / red beans and sticky rice cake). This semi-sweet treat is traditionally served for auspicious occasions, including that of a girl’s menarche (first menstrual period). Tenchi, being naive about such matters, thinks it is because of the baby. 
The second major clue was in episode 8. Washuu points out the plant known as nokogirisou (a.k.a. milfoil or yarrow) and wonders aloud regarding its application. The plant has a number of medicinal uses, the most notable being promoting coagulation (hence the nicknames of “staunchweed” and “soldier’s woundwort”). As can be expected, it is also used in traditional herbal medicine to treat menstrual bleeding.
In OVA episode 13 (OAV 2, episode 6), Washuu says “This reminds me of somebody…” when she’s embraced by Misaki, but who is she talking about? Could it be Naja Akara?
From K-sensei: It’s Mihoshi.
I’ve always wondered why you treat the seventh episode as a special.
Technically speaking, episode 7 is considered part of OVA 1. However, it was not originally part of OVA 1, which was planned as a 6-episode series. Because sales were so good for OVA 1, AIC and Pioneer ponied up for a special 7th episode to carry fans over until OVA 2 could be produced.