Yanno, Jibri and Co. can have it all out about who's best suited to Tenchi and why they should win his love and affection and we can all fap fap fap til the cows come home over our favorite girl (whoever that may be). Fine, great, whatever, none of this even remotely raises or answer the reasoning behind the biggest reason behind the lack of romance in the Masaki household. And to give you a clue, it isn't Ryoko or Ayeka...or even Washu or the Chousin. It's Tenchi. His reaction to anything bordering on the slightest hint of sexuality is to act like those in real life would if a relative hit on them.

Now before I open this can of worms, first of all, let me say that I get it that Tenchi is an anime whose primary purpose is to entertain. It's not a documentary on the Japanese male teenager, it's a wacky space harem that derives a lot of humor in seeing how poor Tenchi is put upon by this house that madly wants his eternal love for themselves.

Also let me say that I get it that I'm an American male who finds myself puzzled at the actions at this Japanese male who cannot seem to find his spine if his life depended on it. Granted, this might be a bit of ethnocentrism shining through as I don't know how I would react if I were a 17 year old Japanese male confronted by a bunch of gajiin looking for a good time.

With that in mind, I nevertheless start what I hope will be a lively conversation that we can all get behind since if you get down to it, it's not the girls...it's Tenchi. The romance makes or breaks with baited breath on his reactions.

Is he gay?
Is he terminally shy?
Is he just not ready for prime time -- err, I mean a girlfriend?

On your mark...
Get said....
DEBATE!


P.S. I'm really sorry for not making this thread sooner cause goddamn....it needs to be discussed.

First off hes not gay, he has an attraction to women, plus there is the Omake (which is canon) that shows Tenchi and Noike getting it on, so that conclusion is thrown out the window

I wouldn't say hes terminally shy either, because being terminally shy would mean he was shy to EVERYONE and not just the girls

Also we always forget 2 very important things in this situation, hes living with 6 girls (or 7 or 9 or whatever continuity were in) which I don't think anyone of us has been in that situation, and also, its possible he doesn't have a physical attraction to them because they were strangers, Imagine 6 random girls tomorrow happen to live with you, and you are just not attracted to anyone of them, in fact your so flabbergasted they're there, you just want them out, you're not gonna "jump their bones", and your going to avoid them, but as time gos on, you become friends with them, again being friends doesn't mean "Heyo game time", plus when they do become friends, and you go after one of the girls, the others get jealous, and raise more hell, Tenchi is a simple boy, who lives with his grandfather Katsuhito on a shinto shrine in Okayama perfecture, its just those 2 the majority of the time, he likes his peace and quiet, these girls are the absolute opposite of what he wanted and getting wet n sloppy is the very last thing on his mind, I'd say the way he acts is ok

For me, Tenchi's attitude is the biggest problem I have with Tenchi Muyo being a harem series. I cannot imagine how the Tenchi we know, who freaks out and blushes over anything remotely sexual will some day be some sort of sex god, screwing every girl who has stayed in his house (including but not limited to his own grandma and possibly his mom and sister.) I just don't get it. I know the concept is popular in fanon and may actually be the way the series ends, but it just doesn't work for me.

Which is why I tend to favor Tenchi choosing one girl. He's a kind gentleman and I can see him making his wife very happy. When I was a kid, I liked that sweeter, more romantic "who will Tenchi choose?" side of Tenchi Muyo. I liked that Tenchi was so shy, it was cute. It was only after I re-entered the fandom about two years ago that I saw the more perverted side of Tenchi Muyo. (I always knew the series was ecchi, but I never knew it was to that extent.) And while I'm okay with it and even enjoy it somewhat, Tenchi always comes off as out of character to me in those scenarios.

So I don't think he's gay (for anyone but Misao) and but I do think he's very shy. And all of a sudden a bunch of girls moved in who all happened to be desperate for him and that just worsened his shyness. I'm a shy person in real life and I know I would probably feel similarly if a group of guys like that moved into my house!

Tenchi is 15. Back in the early 1990s, most 15 y o Japanese boys at the time never even went out with a girl yet. Maybe you can compare to a 12/13 yo American icksickle?

Minus stasis, Aeka is 21 year old and still blushes, she never kissed. Mihoshi is 23 and giggles like crazy. And Washu 20,000 - 5,000 stasis, 15,000 but became child after first husband ripped her apart emotionally.

I agree with Dagon's first post here most, although this personage's second post completely wrong. In GXP, Tenchi is 17, so grow up slightly.

One day, Tenchi grow up and they all get wet n sloppy lovey dovey together! Except for Ryoko, she and Ryo-ohki go to space together and elope with Noike but Minagi and Kiyone more than replace them:D

I've always found it more likely that Tenchi (if he were a real person) would choose on of the girls. I guess one could argue that he's a little young to be making sexual advances on the girls, especially when they are all pretty powerful or established women. Imagine if you're a teenage boy that rarely so much as sees women and all of a sudden you have six or so living with you? I'm a guy, but man that would be a delicate situation O_o

Why Tenchi "anime perv" if he choose more than one girl? This not legitimate lifestyle choice? Monogamy is very much judeo-christian concept, not eastern.

I not understand. Is Ryoko perv because she does serial-monogamy with trillions of boys? Or is this suddenly different? (I not think she was with one exclusively at a time, but for sake of argument.)

You seem to think so. When you mention that Ryoko was with many men, you seem to bring it up in a negative way. Even in this thread, you mention it negatively. So let's turn the question around. Why is it not ok for Ryoko to have been with many men but its ok (and even desirable) for Tenchi to have many women?

As for my comment on Tenchi being an anime perv, I made it because Tenchi is well...anime. Real polygamy has nothing to do with it. In an anime series like Tenchi, I would be truly surprised if the inevitable harem ending turned out to be something deep and touching and not played for the "look at how many hot women Tenchi is doing!" aspect. Besides, my original comment was directed mostly at harem fanfiction which do tend to turn him into nothing but a pervert, and not just a guy who practices polygamy.

Sure, I'll take a look. I can't say I'll like them - I really don't like polygamy...but I'll keep an open mind. Just nothing too smutty, if you don't mind.