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Tenjho Tenge Vol.1-7 [2004] | ![Tenjho Tenge Vol.1-7 [2004]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51sSm8Ym%2BbL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Director: Toshifumi Kawase
Studio: Mvm
Category: DVD
List Price: £49.99
Buy New: £31.99
You Save: £18.00 (36%)
New (5) Used (1) from £30.99
Rating:  2 reviews
Format: Box Set, Pal
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region: 2
Number Of Discs: 7
Running Time: 624 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.5 x 2.2
EAN: 5060067002534
ASIN: B0015DLZUA
Theatrical Release Date: 2004
Release Date: May 26, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New, Direct From Manufacturer
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Welcome to the school of hard knocks! June 4, 2008
J. Snook (Wales)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Tenjho Tenge is a shounen anime created by the acclaimed Madhouse Studios, Filled with non stop action, buckets of blood, and impossibly proportioned women.
This anime begins with blonde knucklehead teenager Souichiro Nagi and his Foreigner friend Bob Makihara starting school at the todo academy; a school for gifted martial artists.
Aiming to take over the school, this delinquent duo waste no time getting into fights and cracking heads, However this draws the attention of the Juken club. The Juken club is led by the pink haired senior, Maya Natsume, who for certain reasons chooses to look like a 5 year old, but is still one of the most powerful fighters in the academy. Other Juken club members include Maya's younger sister Aya who is a ditsy katana expert who claims to be madly in love with Souichiro after seeing him for the first time; and Masataka Takayanagi (A mouthful to say) who provides quite a lot of comic relief yet is still an acomplished fighter.
After getting annihilated in a fight with the Juken club, Souichiro and Bob, realise that conquering this school is going to be harder than they expected, hence they both aim to become more powerful and in doing so, join forces with the Juken club. However, there is still the student executive council and it's executioners to worry about. These guys pretty much rule the school and they sort out anyone who goes out of line. Anyone who gets on the wrong side of the student council is targeted by the executioners for punishment; and in a school dedicated to martial arts, the most fitting punishment just happens to be a good clobbering.
This basic story outline seems like your typical shounen anime, however, that is only true for the first 2 volumes of this set. The first disc of this set is simply superb. It does well in laying out the story and introducing the main characters while adding plenty of humour, likeable characters, some fanservice, and lots of action. I must admit I was quite surprised at how brutal this anime could actually be. A fight that breaks out in the school canteen displays that this anime doesn't mess around when it comes to violence. The first volume is so enjoyable and fun to watch that the episodes will just fly by. However it all goes a bit downhill from there.
After the first four episodes, there begins a fight in a bowling alley that stretches for four and a half episodes. This long fight is pretty good due to the excellent action. You will find yourself on the edge of your seat, as there is about 5 fights occuring at once. So the action doesn't let up at all. However, in the back of my mind I keep thinking that this fight really didn't need to be quite so long. Even though some important aspects to the story are revealed and some characterisation goes on, this fight could have easily been condensed into 2 episodes.
However, after this fight is where it really gets wierd. After 9 episdoes, this anime begins a six episode flashback, revealing Maya Natsumes past with Mitsuomi Takayanagi (the current leader of the student executive council) and Shin Natsume (Maya and Aya's older brother) and some other people. What ensues is a complicated side story full of old vendettas, magical weapons, and love. At this point I began to get confused. Just as I was getting used to the main characters and the story of this anime, these are all abandoned and a new cast and a new story enters the fray. It didn't even feel like the same anime anymore as the tone was a lot more serious and there was less humour. However, after a while, I got my head round it, and addmittedly this backstory is quietly intriguing, however I couldn't help thinking that this was a waste of episodes. We return to the present at episode 16. Already over halfway through the series and the main plot hasn't really gone anywhere since the start of the anime. The anime begins to pick up momentum again after just 3 episodes they drop their next bombshell...Another multi-episode flashback. This one lasting 4 episodes, covering the final parts of Maya Natsume's history. One thing that I find ridiculous is that more characterisation goes on in the flashbacks than in the present story, so by the end of this series I ended up knowing more about some characters from the past than about the actual protagonist Souichiro.
The end of this second flashback leaves us on episode 23 out of 24 (26 if you include the 2 episode OVA featured on the last disc).
What we then get is an end to the series that leaves a lot unfinished and unacomplished. This is the problem that some animes run into when they are made when the source manga is still being produced. This series only covers the first story arc of the manga. (The anime of Gantz had a similar problem, although not as bad) The 2 episode OVA that follows episode 24 is just a rushed last ditch effort to try and tie up a couple of the loose ends. However, in my opinion, I think they should have just left it as it was(especially after watching it) I can say that I'm reasonably satisfied with the original end to the series at episode 24 as it leaves it open for a sequel series.
Now you may be wondering why I've given this anime 4 stars, even though I've ripped into it quite a bit. Well despite it's wierd pacing and over use of flashbacks, this anime is actually really enjoyable. The characters are extremely likeable, especially Souichiro and Bob; some of the situations they get themselves to are totally priceless. And Masataka Takayanagi is just hilarious. If you love your action animes then you'll enjoy the fast paced sequences on offer here. Many of which are real time fights which look stunning. Speaking of stunning, the animation is simply beautiful, with everything from the characters to the background paying specific attention to detail. Also, the lighting effects in this anime are breathtaking, they are really effective in creating a particular mood or feel for a scene. An example is the rooftop fight with Aya Natsume on the 2nd disc; the neon lighting looks incredible.
I only watched the english dub for this anime, and I must say I was impressed. Some excellent voice actors are present in this anime. ie Steve Staley(Heat Guy J, Buso Renkin), Wendee Lee (Ninja Scroll, Love Hina) and Johnny Yong Bosch(Akira, Bleach) just to name a couple. The music is quite good too. some of the tunes in the series are quite cool, while most of the rest are pretty average, however, the stand-out piece of music is the fantastically catchy intro song 'bomb a head'.
The series comes in a nice sturdy artwork box with 7 slim DVD cases. Special features are pretty scarce with just some trailers, stills galleries and textless endings on each disc.
Now would I recommend buying this. Well, I must say, despite the negative comments I've made, Yes. The fact that this anime was so irregularly paced took me by surprise a bit, but thinking back on it, it's a good anime that has its flaws. Even though the ending at episode 24 seems a bit too soon and the anime as a whole seems unfinished, in retrospect anime as a whole is incredibly enjoyable in my opinion. I was surprised that there was so much backstory and charaterisation in this anime. Judging from some of ridiculously proportioned women on show here, you'd think that this anime would be quite dull and shallow. However, even though there is plenty of fanservice on offer her, that is far from the truth. I will probably watch Tenjho Tenge again in the future, and I will most probably enjoy it more next time round.
Thanks for taking the time to read this review. It would have been shorter but I had quite a lot to say about this one.
dont by this set August 25, 2008
Duane Welch (GB)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
dont get my rong this set is good and shoud be in every anime fans colechon but this set only contans vol 1-7 leving vol 8 to be perchest separatly wich i think is a let down cos the box is quite deseving
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