Episode 07: The spaceship that summons love
- of the Shin Tenchi Muyo! series -

by PychoPixi

Ryooki is preparing to begin her morning ritual of greeting the sun with "a joyful noise." Her eyes are glazed over, dazzled by the beauty of the sun rise, and just when she is about to call out her joy to the morning sun, Ryoko appears. She grabs hold of Ryooki and calls out to Tenchi, with the same look on her face that Ryooki had. Ryooki calls out to Tenchi and tells him to hurry home. She then cries out, in English, "Come Back!"

Title Screen
koi koi to yobaretaru kana  uchuusen
Was it called by "love love," I wonder? A spaceship

At a train station in Tokyo, Sakuya is seeing off Tenchi at the door to the train (not taking his refusal to go steady with her too personally apparently). Sakuya laments that she didn't know he was going home that day, did something happen? Tenchi tells her it's nothing too important. Sakuya then asks him, much to Tenchi's surprise, if she could possibly go with him. She explains that she wants to see the place where he lives, meet his parents and such. A shocked Tenchi replies that it's just so sudden, it could create a difficult problem (it most certainly would once he reached home ^_^). Sakuya looks a bit disappointed at first, but then she smiles and agrees with him, saying that even being told that kind of thing must be difficult. Tenchi laughs nervously.  Sakuya then presents him with a lunch she made for him to eat on the train. He thanks her and she tells him to take care as the train door closes.

[Editors note, Sakuya is depressed here, and in this episode, since her "dumping" in ep.5]

On the train heading to Okayama, Tenchi looks out the window thoughtfully, he then takes a small pouch that is hanging around his neck out of his shirt. It contains a crystal pendant necklace. Tenchi thinks back to a time when he was a small child, standing outside the doorway to a room where we see the silhouettes of three people seated on the floor around someone lying on a futon. The mood seems very solemn. (Perhaps he is thinking back to the time when his mother died? )

At the house, everyone is preparing for Tenchi's return. There is a banner hanging from the upstairs bannister that reads "Tenchi-sama kinenbi", Tenchi Commemoration Day or Tenchi Day. Sasami has made tons of food and a multi-tiered cake. Aeka is trying to help decorate the cake with frosting. Sasami tells her to be careful, but Aeka proceeds to splurt a huge globe of frosting that was probably suppose to become a flower. Sasami freaks. Mihoshi and Kiyone are happily making flower arrangements. Aeka and Sasami are impressed by how well they are making them. Kiyone explains that it is what they do at their part-time job. Mihoshi says that making money by doing something that doesn't require you to think is so nice. Kiyone has a very hopeless look on her face as she looks at Mihoshi and says, "It is, isn't it?" Mihoshi emotionally adds that she could do it hundred times or more and not get worn out. Everyone looks at her with embarrassed, amused looks on their faces.

Suddenly, Washu, who is hovering by the ceiling, cries out "It's done!" A bunch of tools then fall down from overhead. Aeka tells Washu to watch out! Washu explains that she been rushing to get it done in time. She has covered the warp hole that leads to Tenchi's room in Tokyo with a pad that has the words "Due to sunspots, do not use." (I guess that's why Tenchi is taking the train.) Mihoshi picks up one of the objects Washu dropped , looks at it curiously and asks what it is. Washu quickly tells her not to turn it on, but it's too late of course. It's some kind of laser cutter that Mihoshi promptly looses control of. After almost taking off everyone's heads, she ends up cutting off the top tier of the cake, which flies right into Kiyone's face. Kiyone starts fuming furiously, but Mihoshi tells her not to get mad, today is such an especially important day after all. She then shows Kiyone a crystal hanging from her wrist to emphasize the point. It's the same kind of crystal Tenchi was looking at on the train. Kiyone calms down and must agree with her, looking at an identical gem,  hanging from her own wrist. Everyone else in the room also agrees, each looking at their respective crystal bracelets in turn.

Outside, Ryoko is hovering over the lake looking at the house. She says, "It seems like such a long time ago." We then see a shot of Ryoko from overhead, and beneath her, a spaceship is submerged in the lake. It begins to rain, Ryoko teleports on to the branch of a tree overlooking the lake. She looks at her bracelet, the same one all the other girls have. Ryoko remarks that the sky was like this that day also. The scene cuts to Tenchi on the train looking at his crystal pendant. Then Ryoko recalls how, while being chased by Aeka, she came to Earth and met Tenchi.

Aeka is pursuing Ryoko because she has stolen the family register of the Juraian rulers. Sasami comes up behind her sister holding Ryooki and tells her that is would be better if she left this to the Galaxy Police. Aeka refuses to do such a thing. Mihoshi and Kiyone appear on the view screen in front of her and ask that Aeka leave the matter to them. Aeka tells them not to worry about her, just go after Ryoko. Kiyone is thrilled by the opportunity to go after the number one pirate in the universe. She'll get a promotion for sure. Kiyone begs Mihoshi to just this once do her best. Mihoshi tells Kiyone to just leave it to her. Mihoshi then sends a message to Ryoko's ship, telling her to stop. Ryoko responds by firing a giant laser at all of them. Aeka commands the guardians to  retaliate with a barrage of missiles. They appear to impact with Ryoko's ship, but a moment later Aeka and her guardians see the ship is unharmed.

Inside Ryoko's ship, Washu is laughing wildly. She's dressed in big baggy pants and a tank top, wearing goggle like glasses. She says their efforts=  are pointless, the force screen she's created can't be brought down by something like that. Washu then looks closely at the strange stone that is apparently powering her force-field. She remarks that she has never seen energy like this before. The power that the Juraians kept secret in the stone, she wants to examine it more closely and see how it works. We then hear Ryoko telling her she can't do that, that stone is too important, they can get a lot of money for it. Ryoko is lounging in a chair next to her in what is apparen= tly the cockpit of the ship. She's wearing a tank top similar to Washu's  but with low cut, tight pants. Washu tells her she understands what Ryoko is saying, so she says she'll take a particle separator instead. Especially considering all the help she's given her. Ryoko agrees in mock exasperation.

The ship rocks with Aeka's continued attacks. Suddenly, the force-shield starts to fail. Washu takes a look and, rather embarassed, remarks that though the structure of the shield is good, the fact that it uses kind of a lot of energy is a problem. Ryoko tells Washu that's because she's the one who made it! They are getting damaged and they need to find another power source. Washu locates one on the third planet from the sun. They change course for Earth. Kiyone and Mihoshi see them change course and are preparing to continue their pursuit, when they notice something is going on with Aeka ship. Aeka is getting ready to blast Ryoko with her big laser. Ryoko responds by firing her laser at Aeka's ship at the same time Aeka fires her shot and the resulting explosion, destroys or damages all the ships in the vicinity.

Ryoko and Washu head for Earth, following the source of the strong energy Washu detected there.

On Earth, Tenchi is running to the temple, he's late and figures his grandfather will be mad. He has a pendant made up of several crystals hanging from his neck. Suddenly, Ryoko and Washu's ship appears in the sky above him. Washu has pinpointed Tenchi as the source of the energy.

Eye catch

Back in Tokyo, Sakuya is sitting on the floor at home, her back to a large glass window with light brightly shining through it. She is wearing a headband and casual clothes, looking a bit sad. She wonders why she can't seem to tell Tenchi her feelings. She thinks about the train and wonders about Okayama. Suddenly, Sakuya looks very happy as she says she's decided!

[Editors Note, I don't think I have seen any other character look as miserable as Sakuya does at the beggining of this scene(except maybe Zero in Episode 11)]

Meanwhile, Aeka is waiting impatiently outside the house. Sasami comes out and asks her what she is doing. Aeka is upset that Tenchi is late, then she frets that something might have happened. Sasami tells Aeka ahe is thinking about it too much. Sasami mentions that the sky looks just the way it did "that time." Aeka looks, and smiling agrees that it does, she seems to be fondly remembering something.

Cut back to the night when they all first arrived. Aeka is standing outside Ryoko's ship with her guardians. The ship appears to have come down hard but apparently Ryoko and Washu have fled. Aeka and her guardians start out after them. Cut to Washu running exhausted through the woods. She's complaining about having to come down on this border world. Ryoko, flying overhead, tells her it's better than being caught by the police. Once they get the power source form that guy, they'll be able to say good bye to this planet. Washu agrees but wonders why so much energy was coming from him anyway. Suddenly a scanner beam comes slashing through the woods right by Washu's head. Ryoko knocks her down. Aeka and her Guardians are right behind them. The guardans are swinging their scanner beams through the forest saying "searching, searching (in English)." They locate Ryoko just as she lets off a powerfull blast at them.

[Editors note, AIC evidently noticed some of the fan comments about the new baggy design, and played around with. Washu's pants are redicoulsly baggy, and she even looses her pant's once, Washu seems to be far closer to the OVA washu in this episode then the TV Washu].

The scene switches to Sasami standing outside the Juraian space craft. It also appears to have made a hard landing. She remarks to Ryooki that situation they are in doesn't look very good. She looks around and marvels a how much the planet looks like Jurai. A bolt of lightning suddenly comes down  from the sky, damaging the ship. Sasami and Ryooki flee.

Cut back to Ryoko, just after she's fired her blast. She calls Aeka stupid for coming after her at the cost of her life. The dust kicked up by the blast clears and Aeka and her Guardians are unharmed beneath her personal force field. Aeka mockingly asks if Ryoko just did something. She demands the Juraian register returned immediately. Ryoko asks if she expects her to meekly hand it to her, she tells Aeka, she'll have to take it from her.The Guardians tell Aeka they will handle it. Ryoko tells them they won't get her and attacks them head on. The Guardians teleport out of the way and attack her from behind. Ryoko hits the ground and the Guardians demand the retun of the Juraian register. Ryoko prepares to attack them again. They teleport out of the way again but when they reappear they discover Ryoko is gone! Shehas teleported behind them and fires. The Guardians quickly put up their shields and the backlash resulting from her own shot throws Ryoko back. A concerned Washu  runs toward Ryoko. Aeka tells Ryoko that it is almost over. But Ryoko responds that rather than give it back to Aeka. Ryoko lifts the stone to her own forehead. Aeka demands to know what she intends to do. Washu realizes what she is about to do and tells her to stop. Ryoko tells Aeka she will use the concentrated power of the previous Juraian rulers to destroy her and her Guardians. Ryoko inserts the stone in her forehead and transforms monstrously.

Sasami is in the woods with Ryooki searching for Aeka and the Guardians. She hears something approaching her through the bushes. A few moments later Tenchi bursts threw the bushes. Sasami is suprised to see that their are humans on this planet too. Tenchi wonders why there is a little girl there in the woods. He ask Sasami where she is from and where her parents are. She tells him they died a while ago, not really seeming to know what else tosay. Tenchi tells her he saw something big fall out of the sky a little while ago and he thinks it would be better if they didn't stay there. Suddenly, they hear an explosion! Sasami runs in the direction of the noise calling for her sister. Tenchi runs after her.

In a clearing in the woods, Ryoko has immobilized the Guardians and is now going after Aeka. She is quite apparently very powerful but hideous in form. She seems more like an animal than anything close to human. Ryoko easily breaks through Aeka's force field. Washu, standing at the edge of the clearing, remarks that the power is incredible. Sasami comes out into the clearing calling to her sister, Tenchi is right behind her. Aeka instructs Sasami to stay back, but Sasami goes to her anyway. Tenchi asks Aeka if she is all right and what in the world that monster is. Aeka tells him that it's too dangerous and he should run. Ryoko is prepares to blast them all. But then Tenchi's pendant starts to glow and floats up before him. The crystals transform into a sword! Tenchi reaches for it and it drops into his hand. He looks at it in shock, what had happened to the memento left to him by his mother? Washu yells out that that is it! The energy level has shot up. She wonders what in the world that thing is. So does Tenchi, he wonders whathe did to cause this transformation. Just then, Ryoko attacks! She strikes out at Tenchi and he lifts his sword to ward off the blow. When Ryoko connects with the sword something starts to happen, the energy from the sword is reacting with the energy within her. The stone makes it's way out of her forehead and falls toward the sword. When the stone hits the sword, it disappears and everyone is stunned by the tremendous blast it creates. After the blast, Tenchi appears shocked and terrified but physically unharmed, Washu was far enough away not to be hurt, Aeka protected herself, Sasami, Ryooki and the guardians with her force field. Ryoko, however, appears to be in bad shape, lying in a heap on the ground, motionless. A shocked Tenchi drops the sword and it turns back into a pendant. A worried Washu hurries to Ryoko. Above them, a space ship is lowering, Mishoshi and Kiyone have finally made arrived. They ask Princess Aeka if she is unharmed.

Back to the present. Ryoko still sitting on the branch by the lake, she notices something and takes off. Tenchi has made it back at last. Everyone greets him, welcoming him home. Ryoko grabs him, telling him she missed him. Aeka demands that she release him. Ryoko tells her it's the anniversary of her and Tenchi's first meeting, so it's OK. Aeka tells Ryoko it's not only her anniversary. Ryoko ignores her and tells Tenchi, "Come on! Party, party!"

In the closing shot we see Sakuya on a train, softly smiling out the window. She is wearing a tight, dark brown turtleneck, a short, brown plaid, button-up skirt, and tights. Her sports bag is on the seat next to her. She is on her way to Okayama.

Thanks to PychoPixi for this awesome synopsys. You have too see this episode to belive it...

Previous Episode                         Next Episode
                                   

Since September 21, 1998