Anime El Hazard

I caught episode one last night, and I loved it. Does anybody know how long this series is? I'd like to track it all down someday.

------------------
You wanna see the apocalypse?
THEN LOOK INTO MY EYES!

 

El Hazard consists of two OVAs and two TV series. Here's the list:

El Hazard (OVA): 7 episodes
El Hazard 2 (OVA): 4 episodes

El Hazard TV ("The Wanderers"): 26 episodes
El Hazard TV 2 ("The Alternative World"): 13 episodes

I think the 2nd TV series has 13 episodes anyway...

Not to confuse things a bit more, there are two separate "universes" in El Hazard, much like the Tenchi series that are out there. The 1st TV series is its own universe, while the two OVAs and 2nd TV series comprise a different universe. In other words, the 1st TV series isn't really connected with the others except that most of the characters are the same.

They're ALL great though - I recommend it/them very, very highly!

 

Hmmm ... all I've seen is three episodes of The Alternative World ... I'll have to track the rest down.
FUJISAWA RULES!!!!

 

Wow - you've only seen part of The Alternative World? That was probably my least favorite of all the El-Hazard series, and I loved it! DEFINITELY track down the rest.

Fujisawa is awesome in all of them... he's kind of a prude for my taste ("excuse me, but could you show your appreciation in some other way? You see, I have one of my students here, and...").

I honestly don't know why this show wasn't insanely popular... Cartoon Network really should pick up "The Wanderers"... it's tame and they've have to cut almost NOTHING out... and it's already timed for a TV slot (20 minutes per episode).

So now you're going out to buy all the EH DVDs, right? ;^) In case you're interested, here is the DVD release schedule:

(1) Alternative World (2nd TV series)
- released 1999, all four DVDs
(2) El Hazard and El Hazard 2 (OVA)
- released 2001 as a box set
(3) El Hazard TV series ("The Wanderers")
- so far only volume 1 (episodes 1-5) is out

As for tapes, well they're all released and for the OVAs you get (typically) 2 episodes per tape, TV series you typically get 4 eps per tape.

One other note... I know how a lot of anime purists feel about DUBBED anime... by all means, THIS is one of the very BEST dubs you will ever hear! In fact a couple of the characters are *better* in the dubbed version! (Bob Marx as Jinnai... simply incredible!!!)

Sorry for being so wordy... but the mere mention of El Hazard makes me drop what I'm doing! I love that show, and hopefully you won't be disappointed with it! Don't hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions...

-barry

 

If The Alternative World is the worst, then the rest must be excellent indeed! And although I haven't ever seen the show with the original voice acting, I have to agree that the dub is excellent. It's even better than some of the old tapes of The Shadow or The Lone Ranger I've listened to, and those were brilliant. Of course, radio shows aren't really what we're talking about, now, are they?
Anyway, I just hope I can get to a nearby movie store this weekend ... hopefully they'll have at least a bit. I'd even settle for VHS of this one ... flashbacks to pre-DVD days [shudders] ...
I gotta find some cash ...

By the way, thanks for the info. I am very much endebted to you!

 

GentatsuNoZanshi cc61, you are most welcome! I am always thrilled to turn people on to cool anime. Keep in mind the two different "universe" settings... if you want to see the origin of "The Alternative World", then make sure you get the El Hazard OAV (not the Wanderers). EH2 follows, and has Jinnai wearing a BUG suit for much of the first two! What a goof.

My personal favorite is "The Wanderers" TV series... it's much more light-hearted and less serious (i.e. downright pee-in-your-pants hilarious at times). The plot is excellent and the characters develop well. And then there's the issue of the incredible DUBBED voice acting...

If you want to get hold of these shows cheap and you don't mind VHS, then check out eBay. I think the tapes are selling for next to nothing ($4 apiece, IF that much) as everyone, myself included, is scrambling to upgrade to DVD...

And thus endeth another lengthy post from Mr. Potts...

 

Sadly, I am forbidden from buying anything online. The downside of being a minor and having paranoid parents, I guess. Well, one more year ... I guess I'll just have to head back to the nearest movie store and cross my fingers ...

 

thanks for clearing that up, Mr. Potts. I was always completely lost about how the El Hazard universe worked... it seems most of my friends were too.

Let me get this straight *snicker. you'll see why that's a pun in a sec* Aielle only appears in the Alternate Universe, yes?

~ Lady Aoi

 

Hi, Lady Aoi! Sorry for the delay - I haven't been able to do much web browsing lately, I do most of it from work...

Alielle appears in all the El Hazard storylines. It is her lover, Lady Fatora, who does not appear in the 1st TV series ("The Wanderers"). There are actually only two universes to El Hazard:

The first universe:

El Hazard OAV
El Hazard 2 OAV
El Hazard TV 2 - The Alternate Universe

The second universe:

El Hazard TV - The Wanderers

The first universe shows are listed in their chronological order. The "Wanderers" TV series was actually RELEASED shortly after the 1st OAV, which kinda discomboobilated everything... but the girl Alielle appears in everything. Her lesbian tendencies are latent, but probably present, in "The Wanderers"... since Fatora isn't there, she doesn't have the direct outlet she does in the first universe.

One other difference (there are many, this is just one) - in the first universe, Princess Rune is very regal, a bit snottish, and more lovely than cute. In the second universe ("The Wanderers") she is not the least bit snotty to anyone, very sweet and genuinely cares about her people. She's also very cute (as opposed to the regal beauty she has in the other three series) and is occasionally a bit clumsy (when she had that hand puppet in the bath, and got caught with it - for example).

Hope this helps!

 

It does, Mr. Potts! ^_^ Thanks so much!!!

Aww, it looks like I've got a lot of DVDs to buy *only has a few tapes of the Wanderers*

~ Lady Aoi

 

wat's the story of el hazard anyway? i really like the song "Once in a Lifetime", but i still don't know what the series is about. can someone explain?

 

I can only speak from what I've seen, that being episodes one to three of The Alternative World. Basically, a high school guy named Makoto or something (it's been too long ...) discovers a plot by a classmate, Jinnai, to rig the student council elections. Jinnai vows revenge. Then, in a bizarre twist of fate, Makoto, Jinnai, Mr. Fujisawa (an alcoholic gym teacher) and Jinnai's sister all end up in "El Hazard", the alternative world. There are two factions at war with each other, and Jinnai ends up on one, and everybody else on the other. It is revealed that Makoto looks like a missing princess, and he is forced to masquerade as her in order to preserve a delicate alliance between several neighbouring nations against the villainous Bugrom (whom Jinnai now serves). Hilarity and much action ensues, but that's all I'll say for now.

 

oo..

IC...it sounds interesting! I don't know, but I think I just like anime with something to do about going to another world and all that...