Tenjho Tenge: Martial Arts, Delinquents & Wasted Potential

Immerse yourself in the world of Tenjho Tenge! This episode takes a critical look at the anime adaptation of a beloved manga that sparked significant conversation among fans. While it took off with promising character dynamics and thrilling martial arts scenes, the series encountered severe pacing issues, leading to a frustrating experience for viewers who anticipated an intricate and cohesive storyline. We delve into essential themes such as legacy, loyalty, and personal growth, with a special focus on the character of Bob, who serves as a vital representation of diversity in anime.

Throughout our discussion, we highlight the disconnect between the manga's depth and the anime's execution, noting how critical elements were omitted or poorly adapted, leaving fans yearning for more. As we explore these narrative threads, we reflect on the importance of storytelling in developing engaging characters and exciting arcs—elements that draw viewers into an immersive experience. 

What are your thoughts on Tenjho Tenge? Did the adaptation meet your expectations, or were you let down? Join the conversation and share your insights. Don't forget to subscribe for more in-depth analyses and reviews!

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Tenjo Tenge
• 10:35 First Impressions: What Worked in the Series
• 18:50 The Flashbacks: Too Much or Just Right?
• 32:10 Character Development: Who Shone and Who Fell Flat
• 45:00 Cultural Representation: A Look at Bob and Others
• 57:45 Final Thoughts and Ratings

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

or I like to call it. What can I say? What can I say? I liked it better when I was younger, but with my adult brain now I'm like, not so much. I don't hate it, but I don't love it. I'm sorry. Like to the tenjo tenge fans, like, if you still love it, hey, I love that, you love it. But it's just not anymore. And here's the thing. Like it's one of those anime, well, at least with the manga, like it's a little better In the manga because the story is more Fleshed out in the manga. But let's just say we're just sticking to the anime, right?

Speaker 1: 0:54

What's the best way to put this anime? They had me in the First half, not gonna lie, because it left a strong Impression at first. But then by the time you get to the literal halfway point, it's like go guys, remember when we were talking about trigon and I told you, if you're gonna watch trigon, fair warning. The first half is like filler. And then when you get to the literal halfway point, that's when the plot kicks in. Ten-ten.

Speaker 1: 1:22

Here have the reverse problems, where it starts off strong, especially the way Sorichiro Nagi is getting humbled by all the students at Toto Academy, but then the literal halfway point they have like this flashback art where it's like, okay, all this explanation to why Maya and aya and misu on me, all of them are the way they are, and leading up to present time, and then by the time you get to the end of the anime, it's like, oh shit, I forgot this story's supposed to be about. Um shoichiro and bob. We kind of distracted ourselves halfway through. So I'm like, okay, some of the fights were okay, especially the way. What's that buddy role's name?

Speaker 2: 2:16

Damn. I'm trying to think of his name.

Speaker 1: 2:19

He had the brown hair. He's the one that he was like right next to Maya innocence with the Juke in club and he got tired of show each wrote on being disrespectful so he had to humble him. I'm forgetting his name but, bro, the way he beat down show each row was so brutal. All a bro like, look, I don't feel bad for sureichiro because he was talking a whole lot of hot shit. Just take a whole bunch of L's in this anime. But hey, yo like, okay, that'll do, buddy, that'll do. He had enough, stop, he's already dead. I honestly don't have a whole lot to say about Tenjo Tenge, but it's just not. In hindsight, I would say if I were to give it the star rating, the star system, it feels like a solid two out of five. Once again, I don't hate it, but I just don't love it as much as I thought I did, in hindsight, what you got on this.

Speaker 2: 3:31

So the character you're talking about was Takayanagi. He is one of the main characters the younger brother.

Speaker 1: 3:38

Yeah, he's the younger brother.

Speaker 2: 3:40

The thing about it is this there's not much to say about the anime because the anime never finished. It's the biggest issue.

Speaker 1: 3:47

That's the main thing. See, if it was like twice as long, okay, I could see the point of the flashback arc, but it's almost like it dropped off.

Speaker 2: 3:56

Because it was supposed to flesh out a lot more. Like we stuck with only one First thing you understand is we stuck only to this school, with only one first thing. Understanding this we stuck only to this school, single team j. When you wait, when you read the manga, is the fact that it fleshes out onto all these schools are competing with each other to see who's the strongest.

Speaker 1: 4:12

Type of thing is literally supposed to have been a high schoolers fighting tournament, similar to like baki and stuff like that so anyway, I want to say, really the school was more like a martial arts training ground in disguise, like what really is, like yeah, it's like a training ground, but it's disguised as a school.

Speaker 2: 4:34

Yeah, because it was supposed to be like the best of all the different, various different forms of martial arts. You know you have karate, you have street fighting, you know you have kendo, you have all these different types of stuff Fencing. But the you have um street fighting. You know you got kendo, you have all these different types of stuff fencing. But the thing about it is that we never left that and that's where the biggest sorry, that's where the biggest issue comes is because of the fact that in the manga we do, we continue the story.

Speaker 2: 4:56

The flashback was supposed to give an idea of why it is that these tournaments are so enamored or why they're so strong. Because it's an intense moment, because of what happened to Ai and Mai's brother, what he did, the things that he did, the insanity that he went to the point that he was at first. Also keep in mind to this in anime people did not really die. In the manga, he killed, he marked these motherfuckers, these dudes died, these people were gone. That's why it was such an intense thing, because it was like, oh no, he didn't beat them senseless. In the anime it's like, oh no, he beat them to the point they went to the hospital. No, they were dead. These characters don't come back, that's it. Their lives were taken from them at an early age. It was supposed to be like some type of gang type thing, like it's one of those tokyo revengers type thing, like that's how it was really supposed to kind of feel like it's almost like okay by tv broadcast standard.

Speaker 1: 5:56

They really had the smile of this anime yeah, yes, exactly exactly.

Speaker 2: 6:01

So there's so much that's changed and keep in mind, but there's so much of the storyline has also changed from the manga too. There's like several characters that we were supposed to be introduced to from other schools that were completely cut. So it's one of those ones you go through the first. So, like how you said, the first half kind of really made you feel like, oh okay, this is going to be intense and stuff right. No, by the time you got, if you read the manga which I didn't read the manga until after I watched the anime Because, listen, the anime came out in 2004. I didn't read the manga until like 2012. To be honest with you, went back and re-watched the anime.

Speaker 1: 6:36

Listen, I'm going to let you finish. Are you finished?

Speaker 2: 6:47

Oh no, you said you were Go ahead. I can finish right after.

Speaker 1: 6:51

Okay, bro, even though we're going to talk about it later, but we're going to review Kenichi, right. Well, we tried to review Kenichi but you know it's going to take two on that one. We're going to review Kenichi proper and like it's gonna take two on that one, but uh, we're gonna review kanichi proper and we're gonna also do air gear because even though kanichi is not related like that, but it's like it has the same problem as what we're talking about now with tenjo tenge and with air gear. Like, okay, tenjo tenge and air gear are both by O'Greit and I like O'Greit because if you know about him, keep in mind he was essentially he got his start doing like erotic comics to kind of fuel his gambling habit with pachinko, and the thing was he was so good at it he was like, oh, might as well, just keep doing it. And just got to a point to where, hey, oh, he started making tenjo tenga and area, by the way, manga wise, those shits was running together at the same time. Like he was doing air gear every week and then he was doing tenko tenge every month, but it was running at the same time at one point.

Speaker 1: 8:09

And I'm like, bro, the art, like I'll give him points for the art style, because the way he drew the characters it's like it got that sauce, like that's another thing. It's like you can kind of tell, like even with tenko, tenge and air gear, when it got that sauce, like that's another thing. It's like you can kind of tell, like even with Tengo, tenga and Air Gear, when it gets a little like a little perverted and whatnot. You know, like the sexual uh in the window. That's kind of like his little wink wink towards his uh resume. You know his uh portfolio, so to speak.

Speaker 1: 8:38

But my point being is that I like ogre, but as far as the anime now even though, once again I said, kanichi is not related that way towards these two words I'm talking about but all three anime have the same problem that pissed me off. Anime have the same problem that pissed me off as soon as shit was about to get hype no more anime episodes, sorry, because Air Gear as soon as you know, we were getting introduced to like Ragnarok no, no, that's uh Kenichi, that was Kenichi In Kenichi. We were getting introduced to Ragnarok. As soon as that was getting really hyped, anime got cut off. With Air Gear we're about to find out that Ikki's about to become the Sky King and whatnot. Instead in the manga he eventually becomes the Storm King. But we don't get that because anime got cut off here in Tengo Tenge once again. I would understand the flashback arc if there was more to Tengo Tenge, but before things got hype, nope, no more anime episodes it's interesting you say that things got hype.

Speaker 2: 10:01

Oh nope, no more anime episodes. It's interesting you say that. So what I was mentioning because I really wanted to hear what you had to say by the time you get to episode 6, if you actually do a side-by-side comparison with the manga, there was four characters that we were supposed to be introduced about this time that they did not introduce us to, which kind of leads to believe that in actuality, this one wasn't one where the anime was just cut off. It was one of those ones that they were told we already said ahead of time by how many episodes they were going to do. They purposely shortened it down and said we're just going to do this and that's it.

Speaker 1: 10:33

wow so it kind of got butchered like well, not you know what, I'm not going to go there Because that's like a worse example.

Speaker 2: 10:42

You know, I had an example.

Speaker 1: 10:46

But you know We'll talk about it in like October.

Speaker 2: 10:54

But for reals, though, it's honestly just it sucks. It's one of those ones like, like Emi, there was supposed to be a whole lot more With Emi that was going on. But for reals though it's, it's honestly just it sucks. It's one of those ones like, like emmy, there was supposed to be a whole lot more of emmy that was going on. Um, bunshichi the tawara like, come on, old dude, dude, that's like literally looks old as and everything's like how you still in this school. Um, there's so much more that went into him. Because, remember, like you, when you watch it to the flashback, you're like dang, you got heavily injured, you were heavily crippled by oh boy, how is it that you're still such a strong thing and stuff. There is a reason for that, actually. Yeah, he was heavily damaged, but he still wound up coming back up as number two and he had. He technically could have become number one. He wasn't lying about that. He said I could be number one, but I'm not gonna do that. I'm not gonna do that and there's a particular reason for it and it's like okay, and there's so much of character development that is in the manga. That's not there.

Speaker 2: 11:53

All of that was completely cut out and it was cut out ahead of time. So if you had read the manga first, by the time you got to episode six, you already read the manga first. By the time you got to episode six, you already knew what was about to happen. Because you're like hold on this character, didn't introduce this character, supposed to be here. Why are we not talking about these other schools? It's supposed to be a whole school rivalry thing. It's like like other schools regularly become challenged. Why is this not happening? And it's that's why they cut this ahead of time. It was never going to finish and so that's why it's like I have to side-by-side with you on that rating. Actually, I can't even say a 2.5. I have to say a 2. Because you cut it early. You knew you was not going to finish it.

Speaker 1: 12:36

And you left it as Wait. Did I give? Said a 2, I could have sworn.

Speaker 2: 12:39

I said a solid 2 but it's just, it's one of those ones like once I found out that information like you know, I like to research before we do these podcasts I was like I can't really say much. It's that, it's kind of hurtful. Now, the biggest thing I still give it to I give it even the rating as much as it does is, first off, I'm happy for 2004 anime. You cannot really find an anime that does a black character representation correct let me talk about Bob real quick.

Speaker 1: 13:07

I love how in the manga Bob sometimes he can get into situations where the only solution is fucking hey, I fuck with Bob, he can slide to the cookout. Solution it's fucking hey, I fuck with Bob, he can slide to the cookout, he can slide to the fuck.

Speaker 2: 13:25

He's already black. He been there. No, but I'm just saying why the fake?

Speaker 1: 13:31

No, because listen, remember when we were talking about Tozin and Bleach on my AO. Sometimes these motherfuckers be on some social AO. No, no, he's not allowed. Now. Bob can come in. He can show up to the cookout. He definitely represents the Dreadhead community, not Tozin. He can stay out, but now, bob, come on in, bro Come on.

Speaker 2: 13:55

Bro locked in with his locks in bro For real. But no, for real. But nah for real, though. Bob, I love his character. He's done very well, even as much as he's cut in the anime from the manga.

Speaker 1: 14:07

It's still really good. Can I add that? That's another thing that I like about O'Grey. He does black characters well, like with Bucci in Air Gear. We're gonna talk about him anyways, but I'm just saying how like, even with him, it's like okay, he's like this strong guy who's got like a good head on his shoulders. I'm like okay, I like how he got like a little respect for on black characters okay, okay, cool, unlike some mangaka. But I do appreciate it. I do appreciate the representation, but, um, what else? You got Gakka.

Speaker 2: 14:46

I love Bob because of the fact how he's done. One of the biggest things and it sets me off frustratingly about this anime bless you, man Is the fact that, when it comes down to our main characters, with Bob and Shichiro, is the fact that it heavily implies that they're supposed to get stronger. They're like you guys are weak right now and this is just the beginning and things are supposed to be real in the beginning and stuff. But it's like you're going to get stronger, you're going to improve, you got this and stuff. And it's like I liked how it was, how bob was frustrated like see, so, jiro, he's got all this extra training and stuff. Y'all put him through, y'all have him go to the special shrine and do this and this. But what about me?

Speaker 2: 15:32

he's like all I'm doing is running, like I'm just running track, like I'm just doing basic stuff and he see I'm about to call our school show what y'all doing, bro, and they're like, no, no, you don't have to understand. So he needs to refine his skills. You have good refinement, you just need to get stronger. We need you to utilize what you have got in your God given talent, and this specifically specifies that you are that you from that your descendants. You got your body from your descendants, your ancestors in Africa. That means you are naturally significantly more powerful than most people, and I had to stand up and clap because, I'm like, hey, you better put some respect on black people's name.

Speaker 2: 16:18

That's what I'm talking about, right? You see, we just need you to refine the natural God given talent you already have. And I was like thank you so much, right, if only you could finish this.

Speaker 2: 16:35

I need to see more Bob. It's one of those ones where it's like, as much as we have so many characters, like it's great that we have more black representation in anime. They're getting better Cause we've had some before let's be honest black faces. But the thing about it is that if we had got a chance to really flesh this anime out, people wouldn't know about Bob. People wouldn't know about this anime. If it, if it didn't cut it short, If it really finished, there would have been a whole. Oh, you want to talk about black representation of the anime? Look no further than Bob, bro. Bob is a great black representation of the anime.

Speaker 2: 17:13

He's the type of character that's like oh yeah Say, the neighbors know my name, my name, my name and it's like, but it's one of those ones that people would literally say that, like, you have like every, we just finished black, it's the time of our recording, we just finished like this, and it's like we have all these different stuff and all these different characters and things, and this one was one's like. Now, for reals, though, it was like oh, we need to understand. These are black, black representation.

Speaker 1: 17:39

Honestly, we were going to take this. No, I'm saying, if we were going to take that angle, I would have placed Tango, Tenge and Air Gear into February, but it was more like our martial arts slash sports season. So I just thought, okay, it makes more sense in March.

Speaker 2: 17:57

True, so yeah, but no, that's just one of the things into it, since it marked True, so yeah, but no, that's just one of the things into it. Sachiro I like his character development.

Speaker 1: 18:05

Was there anything else you want to add on? Because, honestly, like I said, I didn't have a whole lot, because the main thing was the themes is power and control, legacy and family, friendship, loyalty and personal growth. But loyalty and personal growth, but anime wise, you don't see a whole lot of that.

Speaker 2: 18:24

but manga wise, okay, I see where y'all are going with this, true? So chiro, no, I mean, I like that. He got some character development. I'm glad they didn't cut as much of it out. Um, obviously, again, he's supposed to have grown more. The only other thing that got me is that we spent too long in the flashback.

Speaker 1: 18:42

If you're gonna cut this anime could have been done in 20 episodes.

Speaker 2: 18:45

It's like four episodes too many on this flashback. There was some parts of it that was just like are we ever leaving the flashback? Like, is this what the anime is now? It's just this like this is what's happening, we're never gonna get out of it. And then, finally, when we got there, when we got back, it was like what? Two episodes before the end.

Speaker 2: 19:02

An anticlimactic fight where it's like, oh, he's actually dying and that's the reason why he's not, and when he's dying he's still super strong, and it's like, yeah, cool, they extend his life and he lives a little bit longer. I'm sorry for spoiling it for you guys in the manga, but it's not much of a spoiler, because there's stronger people than him that we never see. You made him the end all be all and the fight left nothing. It's like, cool, he got a fight and and what happens next? So no, that's it. There's nothing else to talk about. Because there's nothing more to give, we're talking about just about. Because there's nothing more to give, we're talking about just anime. There's nothing more to give. It cuts abruptly. There's a lot of backstory.

Speaker 1: 19:46

That wasn't there. One more thing before I forget I did like how older brother Takanagi, the student council president, looking like a great value Sephiroth for real. Not only look, but also kind of like the way he's built as a character. You know what I'm like. Thinking. Hold on like as a character yeah, he kind of reminds me of Sephiroth a little bit, like you know, I don't know. I just watched a video, I just watched a video.

Speaker 2: 20:22

I just watched a video and, funny enough, it was done by a lady and she specifically talked about the fact that there's a staple in anime where if he has white hair he's got to have daddy energy, and that's literally what this dude was trying to have the entire dog on anime. It was like him just having that moment and it was like as soon as he walked in skin tight leather outfit that showcases every individual muscle in his body and I'm like why, why do we need to see this? He was like why do you need to have like these anime with these girls, these really big titties and stuff like that too? I agree with you, I understand.

Speaker 1: 21:02

I like watching anime for the story. I gotta let the people know I need a. Oh the anime girls are gonna love this.

Speaker 2: 21:13

And, crazy enough, most of the fan base of this show was men Just saying, just saying, but again had to continue. Might have really had something, otherwise. I don't have anything else. Like I said, it got cut off, so my review's cut off. I have nothing more to give. Finish it. See what we can do.

Speaker 1: 21:35

Well, that's all we had. If y'all want to go ahead and watch Tenjo Tenge after listening to this, then feel free to. Hopefully you enjoy it. And if you're feeling the same way we're feeling, then well, I won't say Well, we told you so, Like, yeah, it is what it is. Like it is what it is. So go ahead and have yourself a good morning, a good afternoon and good evening, but ultimately, you take it easy.