Tenjou Tenge Episode 1
"Sacred Area"
Tenjou Tenge is one of those few anime series where I've actually read the manga that is being adapted. This one's definitely for guys. The manga has all the things you could want from a fighting story, gratuitous violence, gratuitous females, etc. etc. It also has some of the most unique character designs this side of Guilty Gear.
But, as anyone who has experience with reading a manga before watching the anime knows, you're basically setting yourself up for disappointment.
It could be that Aya's voice isn't a terrible match for the character, but it sure seems that way to me. She's supposed to be this quiet, sexy killer swordswoman, and ends up sounding like she's been sucking on the helium in her downtime between sword practice (for people who've seen it, she reminds me of Tomoko from GTO). Really, I can't stress enough that I think that this is one of the worst voice acting jobs I've ever heard. She'd make a good match for Kazuki from Maburaho.
Gee, I'm just going all referential in my review today, aren't I?
Also, Oh Great! (the manga-ka behind Tenjou Tenge) put out some pretty slick artwork for the comic, something that the anime doesn't really come close to matching. I won't mark this against the show, but it's something to keep in mind if you were a fan of the manga.
So, anyways, Tenjou Tenge is about a bunch of guys (and girls) who want to kick each other's asses. There's actually a good amount of romance stuff, and some fairly mature themes. The main male character, Souichiro, I could never be a big fan of, mostly because his hair is so stupidly ridiculous (like Goku on a bad hair day or something).
Special mention goes to the absolutely ridiculous opening credit sequence that involves long sequences of the characters bouncing and dancing around. I never would have seen it coming!
I'm pretty sure that if you know nothing about Tenjou Tenge, this episode won't sell you on it. But, if you're into brainless action and pretty girls (fill that void Ikkitousen left), then here's your show.
Rating: C
Tenjou Tenge Episode 2
"Defeat"
Writing a review for every episode of anime I watch, sometimes I focus on pretty minor things to comment about. In the case of this episode of Tenjou Tenge, it happens to be Aya's knees. They look weird.
That's actually just my nitpicky way of saying that I'm not a big fan of the art on this show. On the other hand, I loved the art in the manga, and I have to say that it is a mostly faithful adaptation, art-wise. The only problem is, like with many manga adaptations, the art just isn't quite good enough for me. It looks close, but not quite, and that irritates me.
Now, if you've never read the manga, this won't be a problem for you. On its own, I think the art is pretty good (though I'm not crazy about the faces). I think I've already registered my unhappiness with Souichiro's look (which I didn't like in the manga either).
Really, though, there's not much new with Tenjou Tenge. It's very similar to other shows in this vein, albeit a more graphic take. The characters talk about fighting in much the same way other fighting anime characters philosophize, and the fights are good, but not spectacular. In its defense, this episode doesn't feature the greatest fight, considering it's just Souichiro getting the life beaten out of him by an enraged Nagi.
It's better than Ikkitousen was at this point, though. (And they both have annoying, similar-looking female main characters!)
Rating: C+