History YMMV / TenchiMuyo

** Both Mashisu and Misao from the OVA 3 are almost universally hated because one episode focus on them romance instead the plot. And Sakuya is seen as annoying for a large portion of the fandom.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Ayeka, Mihoshi and Ryoko. Is Ayeka a SpoiledSweet princess who cares about the others but doesn't really now how to express it properly, or a [[RoyalBrat bitch]] who only cares for herself? Is Ryoko a JerkWithAHeartOfGold whose antics are funny or an annoying and selfish {{Jerkass}} who constantly abuses others? Is Mihoshi a sympathetic {{Cloudcuckoolander}} or an irritating TooDumbToLive character [[TheMillstone who always gets her friends in trouble]]? In Mihoshi's case, it should be noted that people generally do like her GeniusDitz OVA version and only dislike her TV version where her stupidity is [[{{Flanderization}} turned up more]].

** ''Tenchi the Movie: Tenchi in Love!'': [[BigBad Kain]] is a powerful extraterrestrial criminal who is captured by the Galaxy Police and the Jurai Emperor after he destroyed several federated planets and hundreds of thousands of spacecraft during his crusade to [[OmnicidalManiac destroy the universe]]. Centuries after his capture, Kain escapes from his confinement and destroys the Galaxy Police headquarters, [[CopKiller killing everyone inside]]. Developing a hatred towards the Jurai Emperor, Kain attempts to kill the current descendant, Achika Masaki, the mother of [[TheHero Tenchi Masaki]]; this would result in Tenchi ceasing to exist and affect the future of his companions. When Kain got sucked into another planet with Achika and his future husband, Nobuyuki, Kain tortures Nobuyuki while [[ForcedToWatch forcing Achika to watch]].

** {{OVA}}: [[MadScientist Kagato]] is an intergalactic researcher who utterly lacks anything resembling a conscience. Kagato turned on his mentor, Washu Hakubi, and imprisoned her for thousands of years, hijacking everything she had left behind, including Washu's [[TrulySingleParent created "daughter"]] Ryoko. Brainwashing Ryoko, Kagato sent her to discover the truth of the "greatest treasure in the universe," having her hunt down traces of it, and then destroy the worlds that contained it to make certain nobody else could replicate his discoveries, whether they were inhabited or not. Over 3,000 worlds met their fate this way. After losing Ryoko, Kagato continued the process himself until he discovered her alive on earth. He wastes little time in trying to kill Tenchi and his UnwantedHarem and succeeds in blowing Tenchi apart from his ship. When Ryoko offers her life in place of Tenchi's, Kagato merely responds he'll just kill both of them. When Wahsu is freed, Kagato decides to "reminisce" about the old days by drawing on his ship's power to destroy the earth. Kagato is defined [[ForScience by his drive]] for his "scientific method." Anything and anyone that gets caught in his path is simply collateral damage to that end.

* CompleteMonster: [[MadScientist Kagato]] from the {{OVA}} is an intergalactic researcher who utterly lacks anything resembling a conscience. Kagato turned on his mentor, Washu Hakubi, and imprisoned her for thousands of years, hijacking everything she had left behind, including Washu's [[TrulySingleParent created "daughter"]] Ryoko. Brainwashing Ryoko, Kagato sent her to discover the truth of the "greatest treasure in the universe," having her hunt down traces of it, and then destroy the worlds that contained it to make certain nobody else could replicate his discoveries, whether they were inhabited or not. Over 3,000 worlds met their fate this way. After losing Ryoko, Kagato continued the process himself until he discovered her alive on earth. He wastes little time in trying to kill Tenchi and his UnwantedHarem and succeeds in blowing Tenchi apart from his ship. When Ryoko offers her life in place of Tenchi's, Kagato merely responds he'll just kill both of them. When Wahsu is freed, Kagato decides to "reminisce" about the old days by drawing on his ship's power to destroy the earth. Kagato is defined [[ForScience by his drive]] for his "scientific method". Anything and anyone that gets caught in his path is simply collateral damage to that end.

* TheWoobie: Sasami in the [=OVAs=] as the times when she cries are the few times within where a crying character isn't PlayedForLaughs. After her nightmare in episode 7- especially when she wakes up and Ayeka not being in there with her only makes it worse- and breakdown in episode 9, one just never wants to see the sweetest member of the cast looking sad and give her a big hug.

* MagnificentBastard: Kagato. In the OVA he's a stylish, FauxAffablyEvil WickedCultured badass. In the Universe series, he sets up Ayeka as a treacherous [[TheStarscream usurper]] to the throne, causing the whole group to travel all the way to Jurai just to have a fight with Katsuhiko[[spoiler: /Yosho]] by using Yosho's name as a way to get political power in order to force [[spoiler: Yosho]] into action. [[spoiler: He may have achieved this goal, by dying in a fight with Tenchi, Yosho's grandson.]]
** Also, Yugi prior to her VillainDecay into SmugSnake.

* RealWomenDontWearDresses: The only excuse for fans to bash Ayeka that doesn't apply to Ryoko as well.

* StoicWoobie: Katsuhiko/Yosho in the ''Universe'' version instead of leaving due to discrimination on his half human lineage and "women" in the OVA; he had [[spoiler: lost his first true friend, a child eating monster who was about to change her ways, till the Jurai force came and beat the hell out of her, then calling her a freak when she revealed her true form and running away. Then in his adulthood, her's forced to kill his best friend who had become power-hungry and killing everything in site, next wanders across the galaxy out of guilt and finding a place for his lover who wasn't royalty, so that they can love each other without being social class discrimination. She up and dies before they even arrive there. His daughter's (Achika) lifespan was greatly diminished as result of most of her Jurai power passing onto Tenchi, when she gave birth to him. She passed away when her son was very young, causing Katsuhiko and Tenchi's father, Nobuyuki to hate winter for a while, being the time she died. Then we get the present where that power-hungry friend has literally come back from hell to use his identity and frame one of his relations for treason, leading to a long chase until he finally meets him again and is understandably distraught about killing him again, to the point that he considers double suicide as a solution. After that mess, that first friend has returned to being a bratty trickster who's now a Yandere for him, to the point that she creates a clone with her and his grandson's DNA and have that said clone rape and take him to her dimension till he comes over himself. And that lover's ghost manipulates his grandson's memories and uses him as a substitute for her former lover]]. But he continues on being solemn and sometimes cheerful.

* GenreTurningPoint}}: Although ''Anime/UruseiYatsura'' is generally credited as the first harem show, Tenchi really set the genre on fire, launching a host of imitators. Perhaps its biggest innovation was to make the male lead a soft-spoken, incredibly NiceGuy (and have this [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan be why the girls all like him]]) as opposed to Ataru, who is a sex-crazed {{jerkass}}. It was easier for viewers to see themselves in someone like Tenchi, which amped up the wish fulfillment.

* InferredHolocaust: [[spoiler: Destroying half the Earth? Yeah. That'll definitely kill some people on the planet but the ResetButton made it so that didn't actually happen]].
* LesYay: Yugi with Sasami.
* MagnificentBastard: Kagato. In the OAV he's a stylish, FauxAffablyEvil WickedCultured badass. In the Universe series, he sets up Ayeka as a treacherous [[TheStarScream usurper]] to the throne, causing the whole group to travel all the way to Jurai just to have a fight with Katsuhiko[[spoiler: /Yosho]] by using Yosho's name as a way to get political power in order to force [[spoiler: Yosho]] into action. [[spoiler: He may have achieved this goal, by dying in a fight with Tenchi, Yosho's grandson.]]

** Not only did Yuzuha [[spoiler: kill her "daughter" Mayuka]], but she [[spoiler: mocks Tenchi and the girls when they mourn her. Then there's the reason she claims she's the real wronged one. It takes a lot of gall to complain about being attacked by Juraian guardsmen while hanging out with a young Crown Prince Yosho during Startica [[{{Hypocrite}} when you turned three of Yosho's friends into diamond candy and ate them just before meeting him in the first place and then lied to him about it!!]]]]

** Hotsuma, Tsugaru, and finally Yugi from ''Shin Tenchi'' do this too. Hotsuma crosses the limits when [[spoiler: he not only takes advantage of a (for once) truly distressed Ryoko and tricks her into abandoning the group, but also denigrates her when speaking to Yugi -- and that's when Ryoko was starting to like him quite a bit (and afterwards, Ryoko thinks to herself that [[EvenEvilHasStandards as bad as she can be, she's honest to a fault and would never fall THAT low]])]]; Tsugaru does it when [[spoiler: he laughs his ass off as Mihoshi [[TakingTheBullet chooses to shield Kiyone and get badly injured in her place]], instead of shooting him dead]], and finally, Yugi (until then a MagnificentBitch with a DarkAndTroubledPast) crosses this when [[spoiler: she first re-absorbs her "shadow" Sakuya [[BreakThemByTalking while revealing her true origins to her]] and ''mocking'' poor Sakuya's distress as well as Tenchi's; and then when setting a LotusEaterMachine for Tenchi... with ''Sakuya'' as the bait!]]
** OAV!Kagato does this via {{mind control}}ling Ryoko to attack the group and Tenchi, then by ''killing Tenchi'' in the upcoming battle (with only the timely intervention of Tsunami bringing him back) -- while [[ForcedtoWatch forcing a kidnapped Ryoko to watch]]!
* OneSceneWonder; Amagasaki and Evil Kiyone.
* RealWomenNeverWearDresses: The only excuse for fans to bash Ayeka that doesn't apply to Ryoko as well.

* StoicWoobie: Katsuhiko/Yosho in the ''Universe'' version instead of leaving due to discrimination on his half human lineage and "women" in the OVA; he had [[spoiler: lost his first true friend, a child eating monster who was about to change her ways, till the Jurai force came and beat the hell out of her, then calling her a freak when she revealed her true form and running away. Then in his adulthood, her's forced to kill his best friend who had become power-hungry and killing everything in site, next wanders across the galaxy out of guilt and finding a place for his lover who wasn't royalty, so that they can love each other without being social class discrimination. She up and dies before they even arrive there. His daughter's (Achika) lifespan was greatly diminished as result of most of her Jurai power passing onto Tenchi, when she gave birth to him. She passed away when her son was very young, causing Katsuhiko and Tenchi's father, Nobuyuki to hate winter for a while, being the time she died. Then we get the present where that power-hungry friend has literally come back from hell to use his identity and frame one of his relations for treason, leading to a long chase until he finally meets him again and is understandably distraught about killing him again, to the point that he considers double suicide as a solution. After that mess, that first friend has returned to being a bratty trickster who's now a Yandere for him, to the point that she creates a clone with her and his grandson's DNA and have that said clone rape and take him to her dimension till he comes over himself. And that lover's ghost manipulates his grandson's memories and uses him as a substitute for her former lover.]] But he continues on being solemn and sometimes cheerful.

** [[TheScrappy Western opinion on Noike is generally poor]], but a lot more could've been built around her status as an [[ArrangedMarriage official fiance for Tenchi]] and a [[TheMole spy for Jurai.]] The other girls' reactions to this would've made for [[HilarityEnsues good entertainment and development]], and the spy angle could've introduced the [[PlotTumor political elements of the story]] in a more controlled manner. Instead, her status as a spy is [[ShowDontTell just explained away]] to Ryoko and Ayeka after they basically just accepted Noike's existence. And despite having some episode focus, she still gets so little actual character progression she barely qualifies as a SatelliteCharacter. Then there are those who just feel she could have just as easily been replaced by EnsembleDarkhorse Kiyone from the alternate continuities.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Ayeka, Mihoshi and Ryoko fit in this tropes. Is Ayeka a sweet princess who cares about the others but doesn't really now how to express it properly, or a [[RoyalBrat bitch]] who only cares for herself? Is Ryoko a JerkWithAHeartOfGold whose antics were funny or an annoying {{Jerkass}} who constantly abuses others and did horrendous acts? Is Mihoshi a sympathetic {{Cloudcuckoolander}} or an irritating stupid character [[TheMillstone who always gets her friends in trouble]]? In Mihoshi's case, it should be note some people likes her GeniusDitz OVA version and only dislike her TV version where she is more dumb.

** The redesigns for the original OVA girls (minus Noike) for ''Ai Tenchi Muyo!'' have been utterly mixed. Some feel that the girls have been modernized, while others consider it oversexualization, especially Mihoshi's Playboy Bunny-esque outfit and Sasami's short skirt.

* DieForOurShip: Ryoko vs. Ayeka, though it is implied that Ryoko wins in the ''Tenchi Universe'' continuity. There is also Sakuya in ''Tenchi in Tokyo'', and the Ryoko and Ayeka fandom rioted over this ([[spoiler:until Sakuya [[CharacterDeath died]]]]).

** People forget that Kiyone became very popular after her first appearance during the Mihoshi special of the OVA series. Back then, she wasn't meant to be a main character, but was made one in Tenchi:Universe and beyond.

* FanPreferredCouple: Among western audiences, the majority of fans seem to feel that Tenchi should choose Ryoko. The number of fan fics where Tenchi ends up with Ryoko ''hugely'' outnumber the ones where he picks Ayeka or one of the other girls.

* {{Genre Turning Point}}: Although Anime/{{Urusei Yatsura}} is generally credited as the first harem show, Tenchi really set the genre on fire, launching a host of imitators. Perhaps its biggest innovation was to make the male lead a soft-spoken, incredibly nice guy (and have this be why the girls all like him) as opposed to UY's Ataru, who is a sex-crazed {{jerkass}}. It was easier for viewers to see themselves in someone like Tenchi, which amped up the wish fulfillment.

* StoicWoobie: Katsuhiko/Yosho in the Universe version instead of leaving due to discrimination on his half human lineage and "women" in the OVA; he had [[spoiler: lost his first true friend, a child eating monster who was about to change her ways, till the Jurai force came and beat the hell out of her, then calling her a freak when she revealed her true form and running away. Then in his adulthood, her's forced to kill his best friend who had become power-hungry and killing everything in site, next wanders across the galaxy out of guilt and finding a place for his lover who wasn't royalty, so that they can love each other without being social class discrimination. She up and dies before they even arrive there. His daughter's (Achika) lifespan was greatly diminished as result of most of her Jurai power passing onto Tenchi, when she gave birth to him. She passed away when her son was very young, causing Katsuhiko and Tenchi's father, Nobuyuki to hate winter for a while, being the time she died. Then we get the present where that power-hungry friend has literally come back from hell to use his identity and frame one of his relations for treason, leading to a long chase until he finally meets him again and is understandably distraught about killing him again, to the point that he considers double suicide as a solution. After that mess, that first friend has returned to being a bratty trickster who's now Yandere for him, to the point that she creates a clone with her and his grandson's DNA and have that said clone rape and take him to her dimension till he comes over himself. And that lover I'm talking about, her ghost manipulates his grandson's memories and uses him as a substitute for her former lover.]] But he continues on being solemn and sometimes cheerful.

** [[TheScrappy Western opinion on Noike is generally poor]], but a lot more could've been built around her status as an [[ArrangedMarriage official fiance for Tenchi]] and a [[TheMole spy for Jurai.]] The other girls' reactions to this would've made for [[HilarityEnsues good entertainment and development]], and the spy angle could've introduced the [[PlotTumor political elements of the story]] in a more controlled manner. Instead, her status as a spy is [[ShowDontTell just explained away]] to Ryoko and Ayeka after they basically just accepted Noike's existance. And despite having some episode focus, she still gets so little actual character progression she barely qualifies as a SatelliteCharacter. Then there are those who just feel she could have just as easily been replaced by EnsembleDarkhorse Kiyone from the alternate continuities.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: First aired on CartoonNetwork's Creator/{{Toonami}}, ''in an afterschool timeslot''. Even when they moved it to Creator/AdultSwim, they STILL couldn't get away with showing the female characters frequently nude.

* {{Genre Turning Point}}: Although {{Urusei Yatsura}} is generally credited as the first harem show, Tenchi really set the genre on fire, launching a host of imitators. Perhaps its biggest innovation was to make the male lead a soft-spoken, incredibly nice guy (and have this be why the girls all like him) as opposed to UY's Ataru, who is a sex-crazed {{jerkass}}. It was easier for viewers to see themselves in someone like Tenchi, which amped up the wish fulfillment.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: First aired on CartoonNetwork's {{Toonami}}, ''in an afterschool timeslot''. Even when they moved it to Creator/AdultSwim, they STILL couldn't get away with showing the female characters frequently nude.

* MagnificentBastard: Kagato. In the OAV he's a stylish, FauxAffablyEvil WickedCultured BadAss. In the Universe series, he sets up Ayeka as a treacherous [[TheStarScream usurper]] to the throne, causing the whole group to travel all the way to Jurai just to have a fight with Katsuhiko[[spoiler: /Yosho]] by using Yosho's name as a way to get political power in order to force [[spoiler: Yosho]] into action. [[spoiler: He may have achieved this goal, by dying in a fight with Tenchi, Yosho's grandson.]]

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: What was ''{{Toonami}}'' thinking on getting this show for a kids programming block? They had to do a lot of censoring to try passing it off as a kids show. Even when they moved it to Creator/AdultSwim, they couldn't get away with showing the female characters frequently nude.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Ayeka, Mihoshi and Ryoko fit in this tropes. Is Ayeka a sweet princess who cares about the others but doesn't really now how to express it properly, or a bitch who only cares for herself? Is Ryoko a JerkWithAHeartOfGold whose antics were funny or an annoying {{Jerkass}} who constantly abuses others and did horrendous acts? Is Mihoshi a sympathetic {{Cloudcuckoolander}} or an irritating stupid character [[TheMillstone who always gets her friends in trouble]]? In Mihoshi's case, it should be note some people likes her GeniusDitz OVA version and only dislike her TV version where she is more dumb.

* BaseBreaker: Ayeka, Mihoshi and Ryoko fit in this tropes. Is Ayeka a sweet princess who cares about the others but doesn't really now how to express it properly, or a bitch who only cares for herself? Is Ryoko a JerkWithAHeartOfGold whose antics were funny or an annoying {{Jerkass}} who constantly abuses others and did horrendous acts? Is Mihoshi a sympathetic {{Cloudcuckoolander}} or an irritating stupid character [[TheMillstone who always gets her friends in trouble]]? In Mihoshi's case, it should be note some people likes her GeniusDitz OVA version and only dislike her TV version where she is more dumb.

** [[TheScrappy Western opinion on Noike is generally poor]], but a lot more could've been built around her status as an [[ArrangedMarriage official fiance for Tenchi]] and a [[TheMole spy for Jurai.]] The other girls' reactions to this would've made for [[HilarityEnsues good entertainment and development]], and the spy angle could've introduced the [[PlotTumor political elements of the story]] in a more controlled manner. Instead, her status as a spy is [[ShowDontTell just explained away]] to Ryoko and Ayeka after they basically just accepted Noike's existance. And despite having some episode focus, she still gets so little actual character progression she barely qualifies as a SatelliteCharacter.
** Hiwa Takahashi in the manga. She is Tenchi's childhood friend and has a crush on him. That's sound like potential for good stories, right? Well, she was only a one-shot character and the story focus more on Ayeka and Ryoko and her relation with Tenchi is never really explored.

** Funny truth is, most of the current US ''Tenchi'' fans ''are'' those kids from the ''Toonami'' era, having grown up after the end of the show's run, looking back one day for some reason to rediscover their fandom of this show… and then learn a few new things about it along the way. This is ironic considering that the revived 2012 ''Toonami'' premiered ''Tenchi Muyo GXP'', and the Faithful mostly ''hate'' it.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: I have no idea what ''{{Toonami}}'' was thinking. They had to do a lot of censoring to be able to try passing it off as a kids show. Even when they moved it to Creator/AdultSwim they couldn't get away with showing the female characters frequently nude.

* NightmareFuel: While being a provocative series, it definitely shows a few scenes that are just frightening: Toys that have blades emerging from their bodies, the black monster Kain who seems to do almost anything including the ability to turn into a black dragon demon, an evil Jurai knight decaying rapidly into a skull-faced corpse [[SarcasmMode which you have can fun with being that it was shown every time ''Tenchi'' starts]], the earth being cut in half, Hotsuma turning into a monster, the eldritch-y dream realm (not the one with shards, but a weird black and white Picasso drawing type place) of Yugi, Kagato (especially his OVA incarnation), Ryoko's bestial form, and Sakuya being absorbed into Yugi against her will....Have fun with that.
** Let's elaborate on Kain. He's a writhing mass of dark energy with a sadistic personality, takes on a pure white mask with a SlasherSmile, and later turns into a monstrous dragon, demon, shark thing.... one of the first things he does when he lands on earth is rip a guy in half and throw him at a small group of teenagers. Sheesh.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Is Yuzuha a JerkassWoobie or a CompleteMonster ? Her last moments lend credibility to the former.
** Also Kagato's Universe, a [[TakeOverTheWorld take over the universe]] [[DrunkWithPower so he can have all the power in existence by killing off his rivals]] or [[spoiler: a BloodKnight who felt guilty over his actions that left his best friend shaken by choosing to die at his grandson's hands.]] The episode of his death sort of leans towards the latter.

* BaseBreaker: Ayeka, Mihoshi and Ryoko fit in this tropes. Is Ayeka a sweet princess who cares about the others but doesn't really now how to express it properly, or a bitch who only cares for herself? Is Ryoko a JerkWithAHeartOfGold who did funny antics or an annoying JerkAss who constantly abuses others and did horrendous acts? Is Mihoshi a sympathetic CloudCuckooLander or an irritating stupid character [[TheMillstone who always gets her friends in trouble]]? In Mihoshi case, it should be note some people likes her GeniusDitz OVA version and only dislike her TV version where she is more dumb.

* CompleteMonster: [[MadScientist Kagato]] from the {{OVA}} is an intergalactic researcher who utterly lacks anything resembling a conscience. Kagato turned on his mentor, Washu Hakubi, and imprisoned her for thousands of years, hijacking everything she had left behind, including Washu's [[TrulySingleParent created "daughter"]] Ryoko. Brainwashing Ryoko, Kagato sent her to discover the truth of the "greatest treasure in the universe," having her hunt down traces of it, and then destroy the worlds that contained it to make certain nobody else could replicate his discoveries, whether they were inhabited or not. Over 3,000 worlds met their fate this way. After losing Ryoko, Kagato continued the process himself until he discovered her alive on earth. He wastes little time in trying to kill Tenchi and his UnwantedHarem and succeeds in blowing Tenchi apart from his ship. When Ryoko offers her life in place of Tenchi's, Kagato merely responds he'll just kill both of them. When Wahsu is freed, Kagato decides to "reminisce" about the old days by drawing on his ship's power to destroy the earth. Kagato is defined [[ForScience by his drive]] for his "scientific method." Anything and anyone that gets caught in his path is simply collateral damage to that end.

** Not only did Yuzuha [[spoiler: kill her "daughter" Mayuka]], but she [[spoiler: mocks Tenchi and the girls when they mourn her. Then there's the reason she claims she's the real wronged one. It takes a lot of gall to complain about being attacked by Juraian guardsmen while hanging out with a young Crown Prince Yosho during Startica [[{{Hypocrite}} when you turned three of Yosho's friends into diamond candy and ate them just before meeting him in the first place!!]]]]
** In ''Tenchi Universe'', Ryoko crossed it for many fans when she took the group's remaining funds, which was meant to buy food, and frittered it away instead. She blew it all by drinking and gambling while they were starving. Then decided to "makeup" for it... by robbing The First National Bank of Jurai, [[DidntThinkThisThrough despite being a wanted space fugitive by the Galaxy Police.]] Then again, it wasn't like she cared, [[HeroicComedicSociopath since she knew they couldn't stop her.]]

** Hotsuma, Tsugaru, and finally Yugi from ''Shin Tenchi'' do this too. Hotsuma crosses the limits when [[spoiler: he not only takes advantage of aof a (for once) truly distressed Ryoko and tricks her into abandoning the group, but also denigrates her when speaking to Yugi -- and that's when Ryoko was starting to like him quite a bit (and afterwards, Ryoko thinks to herself that [[EvenEvilHasStandards as bad as she can be, she's honest to a fault and would never fall THAT low]])]]; Tsugaru does it when [[spoiler: he laughs his ass off as Mihoshi [[TakingTheBullet chooses to shield Kiyone and get badly injured in her place]], instead of shooting him dead]], and finally, Yugi (until then a MagnificentBitch with a DarkAndTroubledPast) crosses this when [[spoiler: she first re-absorbs her "shadow" Sakuya [[BreakThemByTalking while revealing her true origins to her]] and ''mocking'' poor Sakuya's distress as well as Tenchi's; and then when setting a LotusEaterMachine for Tenchi... with ''Sakuya'' as the bait!]]
** OAV!Kagato does this via mindcontrolling Ryoko to attack the group and Tenchi, then by ''killing Tenchi'' in the upcoming battle (with only the timely intervention of Tsunami bringing him back) -- while [[ForcedtoWatch forcing a kidnapped Ryoko to watch]]!
* NightmareFuel: While being a provocative series, it definitely shows a few scenes that are just frightening: Toys that have blades emerging from their bodies, the black monster Kain who seems to do almost anything including the ability to turn into a black dragon demon, an evil Jurai knight decaying rapidly into a skull-faced corpse [[SarcasmMode which you have can fun with being that it was shown everytime Tenchi starts]], the earth being cut in half, Hotsuma turning into a monster, the eldritch-y dream realm (not the one with shards, but a weird black and white Picasso drawing type place) of Yugi, Kagato (especially his OVA incarnation), Ryoko's bestial form, and Sakuya being absorbed into Yugi against her will....Have fun with that.
** Kain. He's a writhing mass of dark energy with a sadistic personality, takes on a pure white mask with a SlasherSmile, and later turns into a monstrous dragon, demon, shark thing.... one of the first things he does when he lands on earth is rip a guy in half and throw him at a small group of teenagers. Sheesh.

** [[TheScrappy Western opinion on Noike is generally poor,]] but a lot more could've been built around her status as an [[ArrangedMarriage official fiance for Tenchi]] and a [[TheMole spy for Jurai.]] The other girls' reactions to this would've made for [[HilarityEnsues good entertainment and development]], and the spy angle could've introduced the [[PlotTumor political elements of the story]] in a more controlled manner. Instead, her status as a spy is [[ShowDontTell just explained away]] to Ryoko and Ayeka after they basically just accepted Noike's existance. And despite having some episode focus, she still gets so little actual character progression she barely qualifies as a SatelliteCharacter.
** Hiwa Takahashi in the manga. She is Tenchi's childhood friend and has a crush on him. That's sound like potential for good stories, right ? Well, she was only a one-shot character and the story focus more on Ayeka and Ryoko and her relation with Tenchi is never really explored.

** Funny truth is, most of the current US ''Tenchi'' fans ''are'' those kids from the ''Toonami'' era, having grown up after the end of the show's run, looking back one day for some reason to rediscover their fandom of this show… and then learn a few new things about it along the way. This is ironic considering that the revived 2012 Toonami premiered ''Tenchi Muyo GXP'', and the Faithful mostly ''hate'' it.

** In the west, Noike is almost universally derided for her [[SpotlightStealingSquad spotlight stealing]] [[CanonSue role]] in OVA 3. In Japan, opinion of her is a lot more balanced, and is overall accepted and liked by the masses. This is probably due to [[WordOfGod Kajishima's]] continued releases of doujinshi and novels that expand upon the 'verse. Americans were pretty surprised by Noike due to NoExportForYou.

* GodModeSue: Tenchi in the OVA. In fact Washuu, Tsunami/Sasami, Tokimi, Misaki, and potentially Ryoko or Mihoshi ''all'' qualify.

* RelationshipSue: [[DeconstructedTrope Interestingly played with]] in regards to Sakuya. [[spoiler: As a TomatoInTheMirror, she was created to be one of these by the BigBad herself: Sakuya is explicitly mentioned to be Yuugi's modified ProjectedAvatar, who CANNOT imagine her life without Tenchi, has [[HeroicBSOD a total breakdown]] when she attempts to picture how her life was like before meeting Tenchi, ''and'' disappears when he leaves her to save the world. She's basically the evil and DangerouslyGenreSavvy RealityWarper's MarySue... and it's vital to the plot that she remains as one'', or Yugi's plans will crumble and so will the story.]]

** Both Mashisu and Misao from the OVA 3 are almost universally hated because one episode focus on them romance instead the plot. And Sakuya is seen as an annoying MarySue for a large portion of the fandom [[spoiler: even when she ''deconstructs'' the MarySue concept in the first place]].

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Haruna is such an AntiVillain with a tragic backstory and the viewers are supposed found her sympathetic, but after seeing her raped Tenchi, many fans see this like her MoralEventHorizon and lost all sympathy for her.

* DudeNotFunny: It seems the writers thought Washu's actions in 13.5 could actually be [[ComedicSociopathy played for laughs]] and not destroy her character in the process.
** Also many of Ryoko's actions in ''Universe''. From mocking Ayeka and almost making her believe that Tenchi loves her the most ''when Ayeka is genuinely distressed upon having to leave to Earth with Sasami and never return'', to... well, see MoralEventHorizon.

* FoeYay: Despite their constant fighting over Tenchi, some of Ryoko and Ayeka's interactions can give the impression that they're more into ''[[BelligerentSexualTension each]]'' ''[[HomoeroticSubtext other]]'', than him. ''"Tenchi Universe"'' [[PlayedWith spoofed the idea]] during the ''"Adventures in Time and Space"'' mini-arc, by having them wind up in a highschool [[AlternateContinuity AU setting]], where Pretty Sammy shoots them with a love arrow during one of their arguments. Which made them lose interest in Tenchi altogether and fall in love with each other - complete with LoveBubbles and a KissingDiscretionShot!