Review of Tenjho Tenge: Vol. 6

Introduction

Fighting anime, a genre that would normally have me heading for the hills. Characters facing each other, building up their stats and unleashing special effect laden finishing moves, it all seems barely one step above the console games that inspire them. While the younger audiences are catered for with card swapping mayhem like Pokemon, older viewers need something a little more adult with their combat. As well as adding some bone-crunching violence and free flowing blood, there is a fair bit of sex as well, with mini-skirted vixens with ample breasts that would be excessive in a Russ Meyer movie, getting into the fist fighting fun. Tenjho Tenge, which has all of this, has been somewhat hit and miss thus far, at its best enthralling, but on occasion quite leaden. It does have an interesting story, characters that go beyond the usual anime clichés, and a sense of irreverence that occasionally borders on the parody. It`s fun and moreish, but not the best choice if you are looking for a little mental sustenance from your anime.

Souichiro Nagi and Bob Makihara have built a reputation of ruling the roost of whichever school they are transferred to. They do this through relentlessly using their fists against whoever stands up to them. This has been going on for some time now, but the 100th school they attend is a wholly different prospect. Todo Academy`s mission statement since its founding has been to resurrect and promote the Martial Arts. The students there are a completely different prospect, and Souichiro and Bob will not wind up at the top of the pile as they so casually assume, quite the reverse in fact. They are taken under the wing of Maya Natsume, who sees promise in their abilities, and she trains them as part of her Juken Club. The problem is that the Juken Club stands for everything that is anathema to the school`s Student Executive Council.

At the end of volume 5, Aya had gotten hold of her brother`s sword, and following her eavesdropping on Souichiro`s revelations, was in the mood to let loose a little hell. Which was where we entered another flashback sequence, as Shin, all healed up from the earlier flashback, was ready to enter the contest for the next Executive Council. Katana having been disbanded, he starts a new club, the Juken club, and sees about recruiting the necessary five members to qualify. Volume 6, like the volume before it only has three episodes.

20. Stratagem
Shin isn`t in the best of condition, he`s hallucinating the spirits of his dead parents, but the Juken Club has to be ready for the preliminaries regardless. There are darker plans afoot, the cursed katana is returned to Shin, but when he refuses to play ball, Plan B goes into effect. If Shin won`t be persuaded by loyalty, he`ll be coerced by betrayal, and so it is that Maya walks into a trap.

21. Accidental Discharge
The Juken Club has been set up, pawns in a larger game. It`s all to unleash the power of the Dragon Eye inherent in Shin. When he sees what has been done to his sister Maya, he`s not in the mood to discriminate. In a flash he turns his rage towards Mitsuomi, and that wasn`t part of the plan.

22. Determination
The tournament continues, and the opponents keep lining up, but without the other club members, Bunshichi is left to face them alone. Shin, Maya and Mitsuomi are busy dealing with the fallout from the previous disastrous encounter. Shin`s attack on Mitsuomi has left him altered in unexpected ways, and Maya`s relationship with Mitsuomi is making Shin act irrationally as his madness deepens.

Video

Tenjho Tenge gets a clear, sharp and exceedingly colourful 4:3 transfer. By and large the transfer is excellent, with few if any artefacts or colour banding. The animation is something of a mixed bag. The character designs are excellent, but the dynamic opening sequence isn`t mirrored by the show. This is one of those static animations where everything remains static except the lips in dialogue scenes. It also lacks visual depth, it`s very obviously a CG 2D animation, and it feels very much like an animated comic book. That is except for the action sequences, which are dynamically realised, with the fights accomplished with flair and impact.

Audio

You get a choice between DD 2.0 English and Japanese, with a further choice of translated English subtitles, signs or nothing at all. The dialogue is clear throughout, and while as usual I prefer the Japanese track, I spot checked the English track and found little to complain about.

Features

Once more it is the bare minimum for an anime disc, with just a jacket picture, Screenshot Gallery (useful if your pause button is broken), and trailers for Requiem From The Darkness and Speedgrapher.

Conclusion

Just when I had roundly criticised the previous volume for its aimlessness and tedious structure, along comes volume 6 and I wind up being entertained by Tenjho Tenge again. Of course these three episodes concentrate firmly on what I like most about the series, the story being told in flashback. These three episodes are set firmly in the past, as we continue to learn how the current state of affairs came to pass. The story is interesting, efficiently told, and once again I find these characters much more intriguing than the present day bunch, who are presumably sitting around Bunshichi as he weaves his story. (Halfway through, the director forgets this and adds a voiceover from Maya, but it`s a blooper that I can live with)

While all seems wine and roses in the newly formed Juken Club, events quickly take a darker turn on this disc, as Shin`s breakdown continues. His relationship with his sister is far from healthy, and when Maya turns her attentions to Mitsuomi, he`s pushed closer to breaking point. The revelations are coming thick and fast, and we see how the Takanayagi clan has been manipulating Shin so that Mitsuomi can become the ultimate martial artist. They know of his dark past, and of his Dragon Eye ability, and are eager to unleash it all over again, regardless of the carnage that will ensue. They aren`t ready for what Shin is truly capable of however. Mitsuomi knows none of this of course, and is as much a victim as anyone else.

The story in the past is just so much more interesting than the present day love triangle between Souichiro, Aya and Maya. The stakes are higher, the consequences far more bloody, and emotional turmoil far more intense. The relationship between Shin and Maya is toe curling at the best of times, and with Shin on the ragged edge of sanity, it just gets more and more unsettling. This disc does much to advance this story along, there are several satisfying revelations, and there are some excellent action sequences, emotional drama, and should you rate them, panty shots.

We`re supposed to rate these discs individually, and as such Tenjho Tenge: Volume 6 is a satisfying watch. However I can`t help but consider it in the context of the series as a whole. There are just two episodes of the series left, plus two OVA episodes that will appear on the final disc. That`s four episodes with which to not only round off this flashback story, but the present day storyline as well. To accomplish that with any degree of fulfilment will be an astounding achievement. I`m almost dreading that final disc.

Tenjho Tenge gets interesting again, but it may have left it too late.