Ryoko and Tenchi’s love story is probably my very favorite in the world. This video is full of great imagery and music is provided by Shania Twain’s From This Moment.
Here is a list of the better moments in this lovely fan video.
0:43 - 0:55 - Ryoko comes to save Tenchi from Haruna’s World
I return yet again
1:31 - 1:56 - Tenchi and Ryoko sharing private thoughts on a rooftop
2:11 - 2:16 - The one that brings a tear everytime. Ryoko comforts Tenchi as a little boy after the death of his mother. Ryoko has lived for hundreds of years in this storyline and she has been in love with and fated to love Tenchi for all time.
2:40 - 2:51 - Ryoko telling Tenchi to go and save Ayeka. She gave her life to help him get to Ayeka. She thought Tenchi had picked Ayeka to be with, but loves him so much she would die to see him happy.
3:11 - end - Ryoko saves Tenchi from Haruna’s artificial reality in a very symbolic piece of video. The last scene is that of Tenchi and Ryoko standing together at the lake by the Misaki Shrine. Again, very symbolic and images of beginning a life together are woven. In the movie, Tenchi Forever, the end titles roll here with Love Song ga Kikoeru as the end song. It is a song of goodbye and it is addressed to Ayeka as Tenchi has at last made his choice and Ryoko finally can cease being “The Lonely Moon”.
Looking for Tenchi stuff on YouTube tonight, I found a video to my favorite song of all. This is the number one, the one I sing most and my signature song in karaoke. I can not even begin to tell you how much this song means to me.
I have been lucky enough to sing the Japanese version ( Tsuki no Tragedy ) with Ai Orikasa ( the voice actor for Ryoko ) whom this song is about and I will never, never forget that few moments in time. It was truly one of the most special things I have ever experienced.
Please take a couple minutes out of your busy day and listen to this song. It is, in my opinion, the greatest song of love I have ever sung or heard. It brings tears every time I hear it.
I am lonely like the Moon, you are far away as the Earth
Though you say I light your thoughts night after night
Soon you forget
We are drifting in this dance, I can feel you circle my heart
Keeping such a graceful distance, So close but somehow apart
Sometimes I cry for you, Knowing you don’t want me to
Sometimes I whisper to the stars up in the sky
That I want to find the way to your soul
Kiss in the sun when morning comes You don’t seem to count the hours when we are not together
I’ve seen a tender fire in your eyes, yet when I’m gone, you carry on
I float in this emptiness ’til at last, love returns
With the night and the lonely Moon
I am lonely like the Moon always wanting you to be near
I embrace you ’til the dawn then with a smile you disappear
We continue in our dance there are times I think it should end
But I lose myself in rapture and we start all over again
Sometimes I cry for you knowing you don’t want me to
Sometimes I whisper to the stars up in the sky
That I want to find the way to your soul
Kiss in the sun when morning comes
You don’t seem to count the hours when we are not together
I’ve seen a tender fire in your eyes yet when I’m gone you carry on
I float in this emptiness ’til at last love returns
With the night and the lonely Moon
I love the warm emotion you bring
Though there is pain I don’t complain
How you can inspire me whenever we’re together
Every time it’s like a new song
You move me so, I think you know
I won’t even say a word
In your arms or far from sight
I’ll be your light
Like the lonely Moon
While I am at it, let me share a wallpaper with you all as well based on this song and a bit of a story about it as well:
It has been resized dynamically, right click and save if you want and it will be in its full size of 1024×768.
Now the story or description; however you wish to call it
This picture is an actual mural in Pioneer world headquarters. It depicts Ryoko toasting the Moon as her friend RyoOhki looks on. Ryoko shares a kinship with the Moon as she sees herself the Moon and Tenchi the Earth, always together, yet eternally apart.
I have met and interviewed the gentleman who painted this picture and found him to be a wonderful person who really wanted to capture the love story and sadness of Ryoko and Tenchi’s relationship. Truly befitting the title The Tragedy of the Moon, it seems never will Ryoko’s love be returned and yet, in the midst of hopelessness, something shines and perhaps our heroine will one day realize her dream. There is a line in the Japanese version of the song that really hits this on the head.
Itsuka kitto sasayaku kotoba
Kizukanai furi de aruide
Someday, surely, whispering words
I walk, pretending not to notice
This painting is depicted in Spring as denoted by the sakura blossoms floating in the wind. Sakura blossoms also show love or beginning of love and this is also quite fitting. It is set on the lake upon which the Masaki shrine is located and also the lake where Tenchi and Ryoko first met. In fact on the right hand side of that tree is the place where they met. She is also wearing the same outfit she was wearing when she met him. She is drinking/toasting with sake another of her favorite things and of course Ryo Ohki her best friend and spaceship ( long story ) sits upon her legs holding a carrot which is her favorite thing
This scene is painted at night for this also goes with the song, as in the lyrics you can find above.
Perhaps it is fitting that the season for which this song was the ending theme has for its final image in each of the shows Ryo Ohki shedding a tear for her friend and hoping, that one day, she will have her wish come true and win Tenchi’s heart.
I have a version of this painting done by the artist and signed for me and it is truly one of my most treasured possessions. It is not worth as much as some of my other things, it is not especially beautiful to anyone but me, but it is a touchable, seeable, real world link to the most beautiful love story I have ever in all my years had the pleasure to enjoy.
Since I posted the Kim Possible version, I thought you might enjoy the original Japanese version of “I Am a Pioneer”, “Boku wa Motto Paionia”. The song is sung by Sasami and has a much different feel and lyrics than the English version, but there are two lines that stand out among all the rest and why, on my old websites it was one my most downloaded quote wallpapers.
Afureru shitsuren no namida mo umi ni derya sekoi shiomizu
Omoi na yami mo shinpai mo uchuu dewa karui sa
Even tears flowing from a broken heart, they are but salt water in the ocean.
Even heavy problems and anxieties, they are light in the universe.
A beautiful song from a beautiful show, Tenchi Muyo.
One of the best fan videos I have ever seen to one of the most inspirational songs I have ever sung. I used to open my sessions at Microsoft with this one because it was so uplifting. Hard to not be motivated with this one. It is quite incredible and another song we are singing this weekend. This will be a trio ( holy crap ) with two of the lovely women from my karaoke group ( Amy and Lisa ). Woot! Should be super awesome. They sing way better than me, but we sound pretty good as a trio and I rearranged the song for some decent harmony.
Did you know that I am a pioneer
I’m out on a secret mission
I travel the galaxy and far beyond
Some will say you’re safer here
Never mind them - be a pioneer!
Can’t you see that you are a pioneer
Not one of the endless talkers
Who tell you the same old rules you’re heard before
I can tell that you are a pioneer
You want to be facing danger
Not happy to hide your big dreams anymore
You are a pioneer, the same as me
Hand in hand we’ll journey as pioneers
Unlocking the greatest mysteries
Don’t listen to anyone
Who says we’re wrong
They can’t stop you when you’re a pioneer
For truth is your greatest weapon
Out there in the cosmos
Where we both belong
A place for pioneers
Like you and me
Through the ages we well be pioneers
We’ll go out on secret missions
We’ll travel the galaxy and far beyond
It’s our destiny to be pioneers
We’ll always be moving forward
Our courage is what we will be counting on
We will be pioneers forevermore
Oh wow, can’t believe I found this. I used to sing this song as a duet with one of the girls from our karaoke group.
The name in Japanese is “Towa ni Towa ni Hoshi no Yume”.
It means “The Never Ending Dream of the Stars”.
It is the song Ryoko sings when she is wishing her dream world, in which she has acquired her love, Tenchi, would never have to end. In the scene she is staring up at the stars from a ferris wheel. Sadly, she knows her dream must end and she and Tenshi must return to their own world. It is a very sad song in context and Ai Orikasa does a great job conveying that emotion.
This song has been one of my favorites for a long, long time.
