If you've been into anime for a while, then you know all about Tenchi Muyo. The series and characters have been reinvented so many times that it's starting to get a little ridiculous, though I do have to admit that after all these years I'm still a sucker for Ryoko. The characters got started way back in 1991 with the original Tenchi Muyo! series and to this day have appeared in many spin offs. Tenchi Universe and Tenchi in Tokyo soon followed with yet even another series known as Pretty Sammy.

The characters have become synonymous with the harem genre of anime since all of the girls keep gunning for Tenchi Masaki. Not a lot has changed over the years and in each show there are slight nods to each of the other series. It's probably that fact that the franchise has been feeling long in tooth and in need of having a bullet put in it. Fortunately GXP changes all of that; well, most of it, and really attempts to revitalizes a burnt out franchise.

Instead of following the exploits of Tenchi the show takes place in the same universe as the first OVA but introduces newcomer Seina Yamada as the leading character. This kid has to be one of the unluckiest people on the face of the planet, but that all changes when he's given an application to join the Galaxy Police. The form and a package for Tenchi are dropped on his lap one day as he's on his way to visit his friend. When the application gets filled out (rather unwittingly) he finds himself swept into space and joining the ranks of the GP.

Naturally a bevy of female characters circle around Seina just like they did with Tenchi in his series. Amane is the officer that gives him the application to join the Galaxy Police in the first place. Kiriko Masaki is a childhood friend of Seina and the most predominant love interest; she carries just about as much jealousy as a person possibly can. Ryoko (well, a different Ryoko) is a space pirate and Neju Ne Melmas is an ancient priestess who looks like a young girl. Many other throwbacks to the Tenchi franchise included Mihoshi's mother, Ryo-Ohki's sister known as Fuku and several other family ties that surface during the volumes.

The Tenchi Muyo! GXP series has just been re-released thanks to Funimation in the form of dual packed volumes. While companies like ADV release their anime again in thinpak collections, this particular move is a noticeably different approach to marketing. This time around we are taking a look at volumes five and six respectively. The episodes included here are: "Runaway Fuku", "Homecoming", "Getting Reacquainted", "The Price of Fortune", "Seiryo Attacks", and "Beware of Unko!".

Needless to say with six episodes on this release a lot happens this time around. Fuku's character gets developed even more and she grows as a personality. Her combat training excels thanks to some memories from her childhood and her big sister even drops into the picture. In order to celebrate this, the group realizes that they are overworked and in need of a vacation. What better place to return to than Earth? Seina seems less than excited about going back home, but Amane and Ryoko are dying for the chance to meet his parents and make a good impression.

Of course since Seina and friends are on Earth you can expect some familiar faces to drop by to say hi. It's always refreshing to see Tenchi and company again from the days of the original series and it really feels like they are passing the baton to the GXP anime. Fortunately the attention really stays with Seina so it doesn't feel like the original crowd is stealing the spotlight. Sadly they all get pulled from vacation early to deal with a pirate fleet known as Good Luck. The Good Luck fleet also breaks Seiryo out of prison so naturally he seeks out our hero in order to exact revenge.

The events in these volumes are hilarious, action packed, and full of more Jurai stuff than you can shake a stick at. Tenchi Muyo! GXP is a great addition to the Tenchi franchise and sends the anime in a direction that it really needed to go; away from the well-known characters. Fans of the original will definitely want to take the time to check it out.

Originally broadcast in 2002, Tenchi Muyo! GXP is presented with a 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio. Just like the previous Tenchi series, this one looks beautiful with great animation and a vibrant color palette. There were quite a few moments where some grain appeared in the darker spots, but I didn't notice any aliasing or cross-coloration at any time. Fans will also appreciate the similar design and animation of characters; though with the advent of technology the ships appear to be all computer-generated.

There are three language selections available on this release; English 2.0, Japanese 2.0, and English 5.1. I watched the show primarily with the Japanese option and found the material to be very good with a fair amount of directionality for a stereo track. Obviously for more audio power you're going to sit through the 5.1 remix, and for what it's worth the dubbing is just about as good as the sound quality. Naturally there are also optional English subtitles.

With two discs in this set each contains different bonus content. On the fifth volume there are clean opening and closing animations for "The Midnight Sun" and "You're the Worst". There are also some character profiles for Seina, Kirko, Amane, Ryoko, Tenchi, Fuku, and Sasami. The sixth volume offers the same opening and closing animations and character profiles for Seiryo and Lady Seto.

I've always been a huge Tenchi Muyo fan. The original series was arguably the best, but Universe, Tenchi in Tokyo and the films were all great additions as well. The only problem is that the franchise was starting to feel a little too old. GXP comes at a time when the series needed revitalization and it seems to hit all the right notes. The original characters step aside to allow room and growth for a new brand of personalities. Volumes five and six bring a lot of content to the table with a great amount of continuity and humor. I'm going to highly recommend the show for fans of the original looking for something different, but only recommend it for the average viewer.

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