El Hazard - The Magnificent World Boxed Set
by Hiroki Hayashi
from Geneon [Pioneer]
The seven-episode OAV El Hazard: The Magnificent World began the popular comedy-adventure that encompasses the 13-part broadcast series El Hazard: The Alternative World and the four-episode OAV El Hazard 2: The Magnificent World. Director Hiroki Hayashi is the co-creator of Tenchi Muyo, and both series focus on strong, outrageous female characters who fight for the affections of a dense but well-intentioned hero; in this case, Nanami and Shayla-Shayla over Makoto. Makoto lacks Tenchi's charm and secret powers, but the hard-drinking teacher Mr. Fujisawa balances the flakiness of Tenchi's father with genuine strengths. In the ruins beneath Shinanome High School, Makoto encounters Ifurita, an ancient, mysterious entity who transports him to the parallel world of El Hazard. She also takes the scheming Jinnai, Jinnai's irrepressible sister Nanami, and Mr. Fujisawa. The Earthlings find themselves in an elaborate sword-and-sorcery tale involving the Eye of God, a super-weapon created by an earlier civilization. Balanced against this threat are comic interludes that include Makoto posing in drag as the Princess Fatora and Jinnai making himself ruler of the insectlike Bugrom. The plot has an odd, circular structure in which the climax sets up the action in the first episode. El Hazard 2 picks up the action, but much of the story feels like a rerun: the characters deal with similar problems, and the threat comes from another terrible weapon, "the Trigger of Destruction." The many fans of El Hazard will welcome this set, even though it contains no supplemental material. Rated 13 and up for drinking, mild profanity, and violence. --Charles Solomon
Encounter a world of wonder and fantasy! Three high school students and one of their teachers are mysteriously transported to the magical world of El Hazard. There, they discover hidden talents, lost technology, an empire of sentient bugs, and enough adventure to fill a lifetime! The long-awaited DVD compilation of the seven original El Hazard OVAs and the four OVA's from El Hazard 2 are finally here! From the writer of Tenchi Muyo and the animation studio behind Bubblegum Crisis, Tenchi Muyo and Ah! My Goddess comes another side-splitting comedy of epic proportions filled with beautiful women, strange enemies and action-packed adventure!
El-Hazard 2 OVA
by Yoshiaki Iwasaki
from GENEON [PIONEER]
Peace finally settles upon Roshtaria and the long awaited wedding between Fujisawa and Miz is about to begin. But where's the groom? Makoto begins another adventure, this time to a mysterious forest in search of the elusive Fujisawa. Meanwhile, Jinnai discovers Kalia, another Demon God, and seeks the secret power of the Shrine in his quest for world domination! The secret of the forest and shrine is revealed as El-Hazard faces annihilation once again!
El Hazard Ova 2 (Full)
from GENEON [PIONEER]
The legendary Demon God, "Ifurita," has awakened. Serving her new master Jinnai, she begins a campaign of devastation throughout the land of El-Hazard.
Now, despite their numbers, the priestesses are hard pressed to match the power of the furious Demon God. As Makoto springs towards her, a mysterious phenomena occurs...
A last-ditch battle upon which the land of El-Hazard is staked is about to begin!!
El Hazard Ova, Vol. 1
from Geneon [Pioneer]
The discovery of extraordinary ruins beneath the high school becomes the adventure of a lifetime when several students and their teacher are transported to the magical world of El-Hazard! There, each learns to cope with strange new powers and even stranger surroundings. Beautiful women, insane rivalries and bugs the size of people are everyday features in this new world that promises adventure and excitement - but no way home...
El Hazard - The Alternative World - Limited Edition Boxed Set
from Geneon [Pioneer]
This 13-part broadcast series (1997) was the final incarnation of the popular comedy-adventure, with the familiar characters getting into new trouble. When self-styled ruler of the universe Arjah sends the cast from pastoral El Hazard to a gritty industrial world, he inadvertently sets the stage for unsuccessful romantic pursuits, broad comedy, over-the-top villainy, and slapstick action, all of which follow the patterns set in previous installments. Nanami and Qawoor chase the pleasant but terminally unaware Makoto. Jinnai pursues Arjah, who promises to make him master of the universe. Gilda, the captain of the Emperor of Creteria's guard, seizes power while Makoto discovers that the transdimensional reactor that powers Creteria has a dangerous energy leak. Arjah, Jinnai, and Gilda discover their ambitions coincide: they try to force Makoto, water priestess Qawoor, and fire priestess Shayla-Shayla to open the Spring of Life. Makoto realizes this strange portal is the control mechanism of the super-weapon, the Eye of God, and that his mysterious crystal is its lock. He seals the Spring with the aid of the priestesses, ending its threat to Cretaria. After so many El Hazard adventures, the filmmakers obviously ran out of ideas. Much of The Alternative World feels like a rerun, and a number of key plot points are left unresolved--notably who and what Arjah is. The story really ends with episode 12: "Night of Captivation" offers little more than slapstick comedy. (Unrated: suitable for ages 13 and older: violence, mild profanity, nudity, alcohol use, sexual situations) --Charles Solomon
Makoto always upstages Jinnai without trying, which exasperates the delusional rivalry that Jinnai has concocted within his own brain. However, when Jinnai attempts to sabotage Makoto's invention, the machine actually opens a dimensional rift throwing Makoto, Jinnai, and several others from their high school into a land of wonder and fantasy. Will they ever be able to find their way back home? Will they want to? Contains all 14 episodes collected in a "Bailey Box"
El El Hazard: The Alternative World, Vol. 4: Dreams of Tomorrow
by David Wu
from Geneon [Pioneer]
This 13-episode broadcast adventure concludes as the sinister Arjah possesses Gilda. She forces Makoto to continue unsealing the Spring of Life, which he identifies as the controls for the super-weapon, the Eye of God. He also realizes his mysterious crystal is a lock for those controls. Arjah tempts Makoto, promising to return him to Roshtaria and even Earth. But Makoto seals the Spring with the aid of the three Priestesses, ending its threat to Cretaria. The filmmakers fail to tie up a number of loose ends in the story: Emperor Dall Narciss forgets his passion for Qawoor and reveals he was once betrothed to Gilda. The viewer never learns what becomes of Chibal, the honest farmer who rescued Princess Rune, or who or what Arjah is. But these omissions aren't likely to bother serious El Hazard fans. As the story really ends with episode 12, "Night of Captivation" offers little more than slapstick comedy: Fatora and Alielle try to seduce the other women; Shayla-Shayla, Nanami, and Qawoor fight over Makoto; Mr. Fujisawa searches for a drink. American viewers may not recognize the nosebleed Makoto suffers when he sees the female cast nude as a metaphor for arousal. Rated 13 and older for violence, mild profanity, nudity, and sexual situations. --Charles Solomon
Gilda leads Makoto inside the Spring of Life, where he realizes its secrets and discovers the threat of world annihilation! Arjah uses Gilda to get the activation password from Dall Narciss, and when Gilda speaks the password, the floating colonies crumble and the farmlands are destroyed as the ancient artifact reforms! Now it's up to Makoto and the Three Priestess to stop Arjah from destroying the alternate world of Creteria.
El El Hazard: The Alternative World, Vol. 2: The Spring of Life
from Geneon [Pioneer]
Romance is in the air for Miz and Rune, for they have found their true loves. Unlike the ruler of Creteria, Dall Narciss, whose infatuation is ignored by the naive Water Priestess, Qawoor. Even Fatora thinks she's in love. But what kind of relationship could she have with Gilda, the head of Creteria's militia? Then there is Makoto who is diligently seeking the secret behind the Spring of Life, an artifact that might have the capability to send them back home, that is if it wasn't dying...
El El Hazard: The Alternative World, Vol. 3: Ruler of the Universe!
from Geneon [Pioneer]
What is this past that Gilda has with the Emperor of Creteria? And what does the Eye of God have to do with the Spring of Life? Meanwhile, Jinnai has his own problem understanding just what these new type of Bugrom are thinking.
El Hazard: The Alternative World -- The Priestess of Water
from Geneon [Pioneer]
"The Priestess of Water" contains the first four episodes in a 13-chapter (on 4 separate discs) broadcast series that continues the story from the two popular OAVs. Many of the artists also worked on the Tenchi series, and they've created another comic sci-fi adventure centering on a pleasant, somewhat dense hero pursued by colorful, powerful women.
The arrival of Qawoor, the new priestess of water, in the Kingdom of Roshtaria, sets the story in motion: the power-mad Mr. Jinnai uses the insectlike Bugrom in a new bid for power; a curious device Makoto found emits blasts of energy. At Qawoor's coronation, the mysterious Arjah, who calls himself the ruler of the universe, sends the cast from the idyllic El Hazard to a gritty industrial world.
The characters land in different regions and the plot complications multiply. Honeymooners Miz and Fujisawa discover they're climbing a mountain on a floating island; the flamboyant emperor Dall Narciss falls in love with Qawoor. He wants Makoto to repair the dimensional reactor that supplies their power, but his lieutenant, Gilda, suspects Matoko of espionage. Fire priestess Shayla-Shayla dukes it out with Jinnai and finds herself a prisoner of the Bugrom.
The tone is too silly for any of these problems to seem like much of a threat to the eccentric characters. --Charles Solomon
The Priestess of Water is retiring and her replacement is long overdue! What has happened to her? And just when Makoto is trying to learn more about this new world... What's this? An alternative world?
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