The Wanderers

El Hazard: The Wanderers - The DVD Collection

The broadcast version of El Hazard (1996) repeats most of the characters and situations from the popular OVA series (1995). When Jinnai sabotages Makoto's science experiment, he inadvertently transports himself, Makoto, Nanami, and Mr. Fujisawa to the parallel world of El Hazard. Makoto and Fujisawa set off to find the powerful Priestesses of Water, Wind, and Fire, who may be able to help them return to Earth, while Jinnai makes himself virtual ruler of the Bugrom. Makoto inadvertently awakens the sappily naive demon Ifurita, who's described in legends as the Ultimate Weapon. In a plot to conquer El Hazard, Jinnai takes Ifurita to the Eye of God satellite, where she becomes part of that engine of world destruction. Makoto saves the day by redirecting the energy weapons into another dimension. The effort carries him back to Earth, but leaves Nanami, Jinnai, and Mr. Fujisawa stranded. Makoto inexplicably reappears with angel's wings in a saccharine, unsatisfying ending.

Wanderers is even sillier in tone than the earlier adventures, with Jinnai's egotism played for laughs and the Bugrom representing less of a threat. Many episodes are heavily padded with flashbacks, side adventures, and Jinnai's rants. Director Katsuhito Akiyama can't find a satisfactory balance between the comedy and the adventure, and the story lurches between the two with little sense of a sustained narrative. (Unrated: suitable for ages 13 and older: risqué humor, brief nudity, minor profanity, violence, alcohol and tobacco use) --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 26 episodes collected in a "Bailey Box"

The Wanderers - El Hazard TV Series - The Final Adventures (Vol. 4)

The final episodes of the TV series are heavily padded with flashbacks, repetitious side adventures, and Jinnai's endless ranting. After Makoto's attempt fails, Priestess of the Wind Afura rescues Rune and Nanami from the Bugrom. In an attempt to conquer all of El Hazard, Jinnai takes Ifurita to the Eye of God satellite and threatens to drop it on Roshtaria. But she melds with its circuitry and assumes her true identity: an agent of world destruction. Only Makoto can save the day--and El Hazard--by redirecting the energy of the subspace reactor into another dimension. Overall though it's a rather saccharine and not particularly satisfying ending to the final installment in this popular property. Rated 13 Up: Violence, brief nudity, minor profanity, alcohol use. --Charles Solomon

The Wanderers - El Hazard TV Series - The Winds of War (Vol. 3)

The plot falls by the wayside in the first three episodes, but things begin to pick up in the "Eye of God" episode. The hinted-at romance between Makoto and Rune starts to heat up as they discover Makoto possesses mystical powers traditionally held by members of the royal house of Roshtaria. Those powers enable him to activate ancient machinery that may be the key to inter-dimensional travel--and a way back to Earth. The idyll proves short-lived: Jinnai uses his Bugrom troops and the terminally dim Ifurita (who now describes herself as "the Devil") to kidnap Princess Rune--and Nanami. The inevitable sibling squabbles ensue, threatening to derail Jinnai's plot to conquer all of El Hazard. Of course, Makoto, Mr. Fujisawa, and the rest of the gang are already planning the rescue that will occur during the final episodes. Rated 13 Up: Violence, brief nudity, minor profanity, alcohol use. --Charles Solomon

The Wanderers - El Hazard TV Series - The Ultimate Weapon (Vol. 2)

Stranded on the alternate world of El Hazard, Makoto, Fujisawa, and Nanami follow Princess Rune and Alielle into situations that allow Rune and Makoto moments of romantic longing--to Nanami's annoyance. But their mini-adventures don't really go anywhere: in episode 10, Makoto rescues the shape-shifting cat Ura from a vulpine monster--whose presence is never explained or resolved. The story grows darker when a legendary floating castle appears over Roshtaria. Makoto inadvertently awakens the demon Ifurita, but she's kidnapped by Jinnai and his Bugrom minions. The legends describe Ifurita as the Ultimate Weapon, but she's naive to the point of sappiness, which hinders Jinnai's plans to use her to conquer El Hazard. Director Katsuhito Akiyama can't find a satisfactory balance between the comedy and the adventure, and the story lurches between the two with little sense of a sustained narrative. Rated 13 Up: risqué humor, violence, alcohol use.--Charles Solomon

Wild schemes abound! Nanami, Jinnai's sister, converts the "Sacred Palace of Water" into a leisure resort, while Jinnai plots to conquer El Hazard in an attempt to humiliate Makoto. While most plots implode for Jinai, his ambitions may be realized when he awakens the dreadful entity of destruction - Ifurita! Or not...

The Wanderers - El Hazard TV Series - The Adventure Begins (Vol. 1)

The broadcast version of El Hazard repeats most of the characters and situations from the popular OAV series. The megalomaniacal Jinnai attacks Makoto's high-voltage science experiment, inadvertently transporting them, his sister Nanami, and hard-drinking history professor Mr. Fujisawa from Shinonome High to the parallel world of El Hazard. After meeting with Princess Rune of Roshtaria, Makoto and Fujisawa set off to find the powerful Priestesses of Water, Wind, and Fire, who may be able to help them return to Earth: Miz Mistal, Afura Mann, and Shayla-Shayla. Meanwhile, Jinnai has become virtual ruler of the insectlike Bugrom, and Nanami has established herself as a chef. Although many of the story elements survive from the earlier adventures, the tone is much sillier, with Jinnai's snide egotism played for laughs and the Bugrom representing less of a threat. Rated 13 Up: Risqué humor, brief nudity, minor profanity, violence, alcohol and tobacco use. --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? The first seven year episodes of The Wanderers (El Hazard TV series) begin an alternative world version of the El Hazard series outside of the regular continuity. The 26-episode series will be collected onto four DVDs and packaged in clear cases with double-sided jackets, full-color, two-page inserts, and an art gallery of extras on every DVD!