When this series first came out, I was opposed to watching it because I was burned out on Tenchi and the fact that every new season had a pre-requisite continuity reboot regarding the ladies' backstories. (Ryoko and Washu's cases being particularly egregious.)After learning that the story did NOT feature Tenchi, but instead featured his distant cousin, Seina, I was intrigued and gave it a shot. This is a decision I do not regret. Seina's harem antics are actually far more believable, and realistic (space opera stuff aside) than Tenchi's. Instead of having girls literally falling out of the sky and then falling in love for no real reason (except maybe the suspension bridge effect), girls are drawn (or pushed) towards Seina with realistic motives. Amane, who is my favorite, and has the most on-screen development, is drawn to him because he's the first guy who has truly treated her like a woman. Every other man she's met, especially those recommended by her father (down to her father himself) has treated her as a tool to get at her family's wealth, a notch for his bedpost, or as someone to boss around. Seina's done none of those things, and treats with respect, even when she's being the tease. Kiriko has been watching over him since he was a small child, so she's well aware of what his character is like, and has had plenty of time to develop her feelings for him. What really drew her to him, however, was Amane's interest. It's a common human trait that something deemed worthless becomes valuable the moment someone else becomes interested in it. Ryoko Balta was well romanced by Seina. Not only did he save her life, and put in a good word to the GP for her, but he's willing to accept her as she is, rather than judge her by who she was or what she's done. As a space pirate, she knows she's not going to find a better offer. Seina managed to win Neju by showing due respect to her title while still treating her like a person. This is no easy balancing act. Lastly, the four remaining brides were thrust upon him for political reasons (Seto's favor, and then Seina being third in line for Jurai) Seina knowing this, does not exploit or abuse them. In short, while idealized, this IS how polygamy usually works in reality. Definitely recommend this series to anyone wanting to enter the harem genre.
In many ways more entertaining than the original.
When this series first came out, I was opposed to watching it because I was burned out on Tenchi and the fact that every new season had a pre-requisite continuity reboot regarding the ladies' backstories. (Ryoko and Washu's cases being particularly egregious.)After learning that the story did NOT feature Tenchi, but instead featured his distant cousin, Seina, I was intrigued and gave it a shot. This is a decision I do not regret. Seina's harem antics are actually far more believable, and realistic (space opera stuff aside) than Tenchi's. Instead of having girls literally falling out of the sky and then falling in love for no real reason (except maybe the suspension bridge effect), girls are drawn (or pushed) towards Seina with realistic motives. Amane, who is my favorite, and has the most on-screen development, is drawn to him because he's the first guy who has truly treated her like a woman. Every other man she's met, especially those recommended by her father (down to her father himself) has treated her as a tool to get at her family's wealth, a notch for his bedpost, or as someone to boss around. Seina's done none of those things, and treats with respect, even when she's being the tease. Kiriko has been watching over him since he was a small child, so she's well aware of what his character is like, and has had plenty of time to develop her feelings for him. What really drew her to him, however, was Amane's interest. It's a common human trait that something deemed worthless becomes valuable the moment someone else becomes interested in it. Ryoko Balta was well romanced by Seina. Not only did he save her life, and put in a good word to the GP for her, but he's willing to accept her as she is, rather than judge her by who she was or what she's done. As a space pirate, she knows she's not going to find a better offer. Seina managed to win Neju by showing due respect to her title while still treating her like a person. This is no easy balancing act. Lastly, the four remaining brides were thrust upon him for political reasons (Seto's favor, and then Seina being third in line for Jurai) Seina knowing this, does not exploit or abuse them. In short, while idealized, this IS how polygamy usually works in reality. Definitely recommend this series to anyone wanting to enter the harem genre.