Paradise War

Paradise War is a canon spinoff in the Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki universe from creator Masaki Kajishima. Paradise War consists of three novels, the last published May 30, 2014. Whether sequels are planned or how the cast are meant to be integrated into the franchise in the future remains to be seen. Kajishima-sensei is still writing the GXP novels, his doujinshi, and is trying to get other anime series going.

Paradise War takes place early in the first decade of the 21st century. Several years after the events of Tenchi Muyo! GXP, including the ambiguous time spent in the Renza Federation, but before the events of War on Geminar. Characters from Paradise War are featured in Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki OVA 5 episode 3, which takes place soon after the end of the novels.

Synopsis

The story centers around Shou Kukoma who is forced by his poor parents to move to the avowed paradise, Banjo Island (AKA "Tabletop" Island, a literal translation of the Japanese characters that sound like "Banjo"). Kyoko Yamada, via a Yamada supermarket gave his mother a pamphlet asking for emigrants to the island and she and her husband told Shou he'd either have to move there or move out, get a job and fend for himself, as they could no longer afford to support him. When Shou arrives it is revealed that all of the students in his school are aliens and he is now the Earth's representative in a proxy "War" that will determine who will be the leader of a new federation of nations made up of the previously splintered space pirate guilds. He is forced into a survivalist lifestyle on the island as he meets the proxy warriors of the most powerful guilds, all beautiful young girls, who are all lower representatives of each group.

Shou and co — Shou and girls novel illutstration

The war is resolved with Shou victorious, or rather the girls basically abdicate the position to him. Apparently they had a final "battle" of Janken- Which Shou always wins. By winning, it means that Earth is technically the capital of the new federation of the pirate nations. However, the leaders of the pirate groups that sent representatives never planned to honor the results of the war and a group arrives in the Solar System to force the group's surrender. Minamida then reveals that the island is actually a Fourth Generation Juraian Royal Treeship (lacking the "will" of other earlier generation ships) and it is now Shou's responsibility to use it to defend the Earth and defeat the pirates. Through Shou's direction, the help of Minamida and the cabbits, and a bit of subterfuge from the girls, they are able to capture the leader of the group and end the attack.

Secretly, and partially shown in OVA 5's third episode, Washu and Tenchi are aiding them, taking care of the most troublesome pirates and keeping the pirates and the flying Banjo Island unseen from Earth.

Banjo Island

Banjo Island was created by parking a 4th Generation Juraian Treeship in the ocean south of Japan, terraforming the top of it, seeding it with vegetation and then putting it behind an impenetrable shield and accelerating the speed of time within. Over the course of a year or two on the outside, the inside aged thousands of years into a natural habitat.

Initially, when it needs to become a ship, the entire island has to raise out of the sea, with a force shield protecting the habitat. In OVA 5's third episode, Washu is able to separate the ship from the Island so there is always a ship that can leave the planet while keeping the Island on Earth.

Characters

Shou Kukoma

He’s a young teen, initially a first year in High School, who is from a poor family that forces him to move to Banjo Island, not knowing what they were sending him to do. He is completely unprepared to be the proxy in such a competition and is not actually expected to win. He has one odd skill- he never loses at Janken/Rock-Paper-Scissors.

He is actually victorious and becomes the owner of Banjo Island and the ship at its core. His win makes Earth the capital of the new pirate federation but does not make him leader. His duty now seems to be the captain of the ship and protector of Earth and its interests. When he gains a Guardian System it has the ability to shield himself from any attack.

Shou's character design differs significantly between the novel illustrations and his appearance in OVA 5. In the novels he looks rather clean-cut, with straight hair and soft features. He often is drawn looking bashful, wearing his uniform shirt and tie or a white tee-shirt at his most informal. In the OVA he is rougher looking with a more informal beachwear look, looking almost like a tough street kid with a crew cut on the sides but spiky hair on top, red tank and baggy trousers.

Dird Shank

She is the representative from the Shank Guild and currently 1882nd in line for the guild’s succession. She seems ditzy and air-headed, she is occasionally mischievous but is friendly and a mood-maker. She is quite like a puppy. Despite her cheerful demeanor, she grew up rather neglected and craves acceptence. However, she fights like a wild animal and is probably a more skilled fighter than your typical Juraian. When fighting, she uses a Guardian suit that typically features gauntlets and anklets for punching and kicking.

Alea Balta

She is the representative from the Balta guild and currently 23200th in line for the guild’s succession. She is the youngest among Alea, Apuesta, Dird, and Palty. Alea has a sharp tongue and immediately called Dird an idiot upon arrival. However, when she learned of her harsh upbringing she softened to her and decides to be responsible for her. The other girls consider her the keeper of the "big stupid dog." She is an excellent marksmen, meticulous, and thinks proactively about problems, but is lousy at close combat. The Guardian she uses usually has a giant beam weapon that fires out by her head.

Apuesta Daluma

She is the representative from the Da Ruma guild and currently 215th in line for the guild’s succession. Her parents were killed in pirate battles and she grew up an orphan. When the guild fell apart and orphans were abandoned by the remnants she not only took care of herself but also the younger orphans. She has a great mind for business and developed a powerful network of associates.Ringo Tatsuki tried to recruit her for Jurai's accounting division. She has problems speaking as quickly as her mind works and uses an abacus-like contraption to aid her communication. She is a brilliant strategist but not a great fighter. Her favored guardian features a ball on the end of it's arm that can capture and deactivate other guardians.

Palty Jurai

She is the 18 year old representative from a group of pirates related to Jurai and, due to some trickiness by her mother, is currently 3399th in line for the imperial throne. She is the oldest among Alea, Apuesta, Dird, and Palty. She is actually a member of a family that split with the royal family and became pirates (Jurai was actually descended from pirates). Her mother is an ambitious woman who could no longer prove her place in the royal family and instead gained verifiable Juraian sperm and produced Palty by artificial insemination, using her eggs but through a surrogate mother. Her mother's plan to force their way into the royalty were foiled by Seto. She keeps her family details a secret. Unlike her egotistical and conniving mother, Palty is diligent, gentle and kind. She has a severe case of claustrophobia. She practices ancient martial arts and pirate battle skills. If she had been given any body enhancements she would be very powerful, without them she is still around the same level of fighter as Dird. Her Guardian uses hand weapons, like a two-arm broadsword.

Miron Pham

She is an observer representing the Earth group that knows of the various aliens residing in Masaki Village and at Tenchi's house. She serves as a teacher to Shou and the Girls (in some subjects, the girls are not even at a primary school level) and is the only doctor on the island. She was a child genius who, until recently, looked like a little girl. She also lead a very sheltered life, never being able to connect with peers her age, protected by bodyguards, and typically working with and beyond the level of older scientists. Between her brilliance, her new found mature beauty, and a sudden independence she has become a forceful personality and a hard to control pervert. Once Fuku could change into her humanoid form, she takes it upon herself to control Miron's perverted acts by grabbing her and throwing her far into the ocean. She had been trying to figure out a way to gain access to space. After Shou's victory she becomes Earth's governmental representative on the planet in the new group and gains her wish of Galactic travel.

Minamida

He is the observer from the Galactic Federation. Minamida is actually a pseudonym for Seina Yamada from Tenchi Muyo! GXP (if you rearranged the English syllables in a similar manner it would come out something like "nada seiyama"). He uses an alias as to not let them know he is the infamous Galaxy Police captain responsible for breaking up the Da Ruma Pirate Guild and the capturer of so many individual pirate ships.

M, F, K, D

Minamida is accompanied by four cabbits who, until the end. only stay in cabbit form in public but are actually Miki, Fuku, Kirche , and D, whose presence lessens Seina's bad luck. To further differentiate themselves from their previous appearance, they change their fur color to white. They go by the names M-cabbit, F-cabbit, K-cabbit, and D-cabbit and also serve for a time as Shou's guardian engineers and support team as he learns to control his guardian. To do this, they all have to reveal that they can talk and Miki momentarily shows him her humanoid form.