Tenjho Tenge
| Company type | Manga series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing, anime |
| Founded | July 25, 1997 |
| Founder | Oh! great |
| Headquarters | Tokyo , Japan |
Area served | Japan, English-speaking countries, Taiwan, Italy, France, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Spain |
Key people | Oh! great (creator) |
| Products | Manga, anime television series, original video animation (OVA) |
| Owner | Shueisha (manga), TV Asahi (anime), Avex Group (anime music) |
, alternatively spelled Tenjho Tenge, is a Japanese manga series created by Oh! great. It was published in Shueisha's seinen magazine Ultra Jump from July 1997 until August 2010, compiled into a total of 22 volumes. The story revolves around the Juken Club and their adversaries, the Executive Council—the student government at a combat-oriented high school—caught in a longstanding conflict dating back centuries.
The manga was adapted into a 24-episode anime series broadcast on TV Asahi from April to September 2004, followed by a two-episode original video animation (OVA) released in March 2005.
In English-speaking regions, the manga was first licensed by CMX starting in 2005 but faced backlash due to censorship of sexual scenes. After CMX shut down in 2010, Viz Media obtained the rights and completed an unedited publication by 2013. The anime was initially licensed by Geneon Entertainment in 2005 and is currently under license by Discotek Media.
Plot
The narrative focuses on Souichiro Nagi and his childhood companion Bob Makihara as they begin their journey at Toudou Academy, a school dedicated to teaching diverse martial arts disciplines. Unlike their former schools, students at Toudou exhibit heightened fighting abilities and supernatural powers such as pyrokinesis, precognition, and superhuman strength, achieved through the mastery of "spirit" or "ki". After an initial confrontation with the Executive Council, Souichiro and Bob become members of the Juken Club, the only group opposing the council. The storyline intensifies as both factions become involved in an ancient feud originating from Japan's feudal period.
Manga
Authored by Oh! Great, Tenjho Tenge was serialized in Shueisha's seinen publication Ultra Jump from July 25, 1997, through August 19, 2010. This series marked Oh! Great's shift from hentai to mainstream manga. Shueisha compiled the chapters into 22 volumes released between May 19, 1998, and November 19, 2010.
In English, the manga was licensed by CMX, an imprint of DC Comics, with volume one debuting on February 16, 2005. To achieve a Teen rating for broader distribution in the U.S., CMX heavily censored sexual content; these alterations were made with approval from Shueisha and Oh! Great but generated controversy among fans. CMX published eighteen volumes before ceasing operations in July 2010.
Subsequently, in November 2010, Viz Media secured rights to release an uncensored and faithful English edition. From June 21, 2011, to February 5, 2013, Viz issued the series bimonthly as eleven two-in-one volumes that included original color pages and bonus material. Globally, Tenjho Tenge has been published by various companies such as Sharp Point Press (Taiwan), Panini Comics (Italy, France, Germany), Grupo Editorial Vid (Mexico), Editora JBC (Brazil), and Norma Editorial (Spain).
Anime
The Tenjho Tenge anime adaptation was directed by Toshifumi Kawase and primarily animated by DR MOVIE, a Korean studio, with Madhouse also contributing. Production was handled by TV Asahi alongside Avex Mode, the animation branch of the Avex Group. The series consists of 24 episodes aired weekly on TV Asahi from April to September 2004 and was distributed across eight DVD box sets. An additional two episodes were released as an OVA titled Tenjho Tenge: Ultimate Fight in March 2005. The anime follows the manga storyline up to volume eight but features reduced sexual content. The English license was originally held by Geneon Entertainment.
Although not officially listed on Geneon's website, the OVA episodes are included in the final DVD volume and are sometimes referred to as episodes 25 and 26. In Australia and the United Kingdom, the series was issued in seven volumes with the OVA featured on the seventh disc. Following Geneon USA's shutdown, Discotek Media re-licensed the series for DVD release in 2013. Additionally, in 2016, Viewster added the anime to its streaming platform alongside titles like Galaxy Express 999.
Music
The soundtrack of the anime, encompassing both background music and theme songs, was crafted and performed by artists including m.c.A.T and Aiko Kayo, who contributed the opening and ending themes. In 2004, the Tenjho Tenge soundtrack alongside a single was released through the Avex record label. Subsequently, in 2005, Avex issued two character collection albums related to the series.
Manga
The Tenjho Tenge manga has been acclaimed for its compelling blend of action and humor set against a dark and violent storyline. Creator Oh! Great is recognized for integrating explicit sexual content and violence, with sexuality serving as a key narrative driver. The plot delves into themes of combat and power through character reflections, which is an uncommon approach in manga storytelling. Some reviewers have pointed out that the storyline can be intricate and occasionally slow-moving. Oh! Great’s distinctive artistic style features exaggerated character designs—such as extremely large breasts for female characters and highly muscular male figures—to accentuate their personalities. The manga has achieved sales exceeding 10.7 million copies and consistently appears among the top twenty best-selling manga on both Japanese Tohan charts and North American Diamond Comic Distributors rankings.
Anime
The anime adaptation of Tenjho Tenge presents a more restrained version of the manga while maintaining much of its original essence. While nudity was toned down, it was substituted with sexual suggestiveness, revealing cleavage, and panty shots. As a faithful adaptation of the manga, the storyline received comparable critiques; some critics described the pacing as rushed with an unsatisfactory ending despite the inclusion of an original video animation. Produced by Madhouse, the animation quality was well-regarded, featuring vibrant color palettes, detailed environments, and minimal pixelation, although certain scenes reused character animations. Fight sequences were depicted in real time with physics that balanced realism and exaggeration. Early combat scenes were praised as some of the most intense in recent anime history, though the animation quality slightly declined as the series progressed. Voice performances in both Japanese and English were generally strong, albeit with occasional inconsistencies and subpar dialogue in the English dub that affected emotional impact. Overall, the anime is viewed as above average but limited due to covering only the initial story arc.
The original soundtrack is considered adequate, effectively establishing atmosphere but occasionally repetitive. Drama tracks were well produced but received mixed reactions from listeners. The highlight remains m.c.A.T's "Bomb A Head!", which served as the opening theme.
Controversy
CMX encountered considerable backlash for extensively censoring its manga editions, notably Tenjho Tenge. Alterations involved removing or modifying material deemed inappropriate for teenage readers, including nudity, fanservice, sexual innuendo, and an omake chapter. This approach conflicted with CMX's marketing claim of delivering "pure manga—100% the way the original Japanese creators want you to see it." Critics highlighted that these edits were severe and conspicuous, with some labeling it "possibly the most heavily censored title in North American manga history."
The controversy triggered boycotts and led to the creation of a protest website dedicated to opposing these changes. In response to fan criticism, Jake Tarbox, CMX's group editor, resigned; however, internal reports suggested he was not responsible for making censorship decisions. Although CMX contemplated issuing an uncut edition, they ultimately proceeded to complete the existing censored version. At the 2007 Anime Expo, CMX announced that starting with volume fifteen, the series would receive a Mature rating accompanied by reduced censorship but still retaining some edits.
Industry analyst Jason Thompson identified CMX's treatment of Tenjho Tenge as one of "The Greatest Censorship Fails" within manga publishing history.
Further reading
- Harris, Franklin. "Censorship issues tarnish initial impression". The Decatur Daily. March 10, 2005.
External links
- Tenjho Tenge
- 2005 anime OVAs
- 2006 anime films
- 2006 films
- Anime and manga controversies
- Avex Group
- CMX (comics) titles
- Geneon USA
- Madhouse (company)
- Madman Entertainment anime
- Martial arts anime and manga
- Films with screenplays by Toshiki Inoue
- Seinen manga
- Sharp Point Press titles
- Shueisha franchises
- Shueisha manga
- Supernatural anime and manga
- TV Asahi original programming
- Viz Media manga
- Works published under a pseudonym