When searching for another anime to watch I stumbled upon El-Hazard, which I had heard of before but knew absolutely nothing about. That’s generally the best type of show to watch, the one you don’t have any expectations coming into, so I decided to make it the next review. I soon found that El-Hazard is actually a franchise comprised of three OVAs and a 26-episode alternate take on the concept, not just the one-shot show I expected. So rather then simply review one of them all three of you loyal readers are going to be treated to a solid month’s worth of El-Hazard. Is it a worthy of an entire month of exposure? Who knows? The important thing is that we’re going to soon find out. So without further delay let’s begin the first part of the series, El-Hazard the Magnificent World.I honestly had no idea what to expect coming into El-Hazard the Magnificent World, and I think that really contributed to my enjoyment of it. The show is your basic alternate dimension fantasy anime but it rises above the cliché mainly because its parts are so unique and enjoyable. The story revolves around honor student Makoto Mizuhara who is transported to the alternate dimension El-Hazard by an ancient ruin he stumbles upon underneath his school. His history teacher and two of classmates are swept there along with him and they all have to find their place in the new surroundings as they play a crucial role in a climactic period of El-Hazard’s history.El-Hazard seems very typical at first. Average school kid transported to another dimension and conveniently thrust into the role of savior? Check. Mysterious foreshadowing that he may have had previous connections there? Yep. Ancient doomsday devices that brought the world to ruin once again threatening civilization? You bet. But despite a storyline that would make any fan of fantasy anime or Super Nintendo RPGs feel right at home El-Hazard carves out a place for itself by simply being better then average. The show balances the dramatic elements with its interesting sense of humor and never dips too far towards either side. The story moves along at a steady pace without too many ridiculously convenient events that tend to hurt other fantasy shows and it ends in a satisfying way that delivers on all the buildup. El-Hazard’s characters are all classic anime archetypes at first glance but they’ve been endowed with just enough individuality to keep the viewer from constantly thinking about it. Makoto is your average teenage hero protagonist who’s ever so willing to save the day despite the fact he has no prior experience doing so, and on the opposite end of the spectrum is Katsuhiko Jinnai the evil overachiever who has decided they are bitter rivals. The way those two characters embrace the two opposing forces of El-Hazard, and how they adapt to their new positions, is one of the best aspects of the show. The other supporting characters are all memorable as well in their own special ways. The other two Earthlings, the history teacher Mr. Fujisawa and Katsuhiko’s sister Nanami, acquire special abilities following their dimension-hop that allow them to contribute to the story in a meaningful way. Despite the fact this OVA only has six episodes all the characters seem to get plenty of face time, some shows struggle when juggling a large cast in a limited run but El-Hazard hit’s the perfect balance.The music of El-Hazard is interesting. I could definitely see it grating on some people’s nerves but to me it hit the spot. The soundtrack reminded me of old 16-bit RPGs, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. The positive is that all the songs fit specific settings and are catchy, while the negative is that some of the music sounds terribly synthesized. For some shows this would be a burden but the campy tunes fit this particular universe well so it’s hardly even a bother. The dub is solid all around. No one particularly stands out and some of the lines could have been delivered better but on the whole the cast did a good job. The animation varies at times, a lot of the far off shots come out very blurry while the close-ups are sharp, and it can be a little jarring in certain scenes. Overall though, considering the time of its release (1997) El-Hazard’s animation is on par with the other releases of that period and comparing it to current shows would be pretty unfair.To wrap it up, El Hazard the Magnificent World is an excellent albeit short anime. It really exceeded my expectations going above and beyond the majority of entries in its genre with very few weaknesses. It’s a show I’d recommend to anyone with an interest in anime, it’s very accessible and not the type of series that only otaku can get into. What it lacks in depth El Hazard makes up for in charm. You’ll no doubt come away from the experience having enjoyed yourself and it’s tough to knock any show that can manage that.Final Score: 8.7Storyline: GoodAnimation: GoodSoundtrack: GoodDub: GoodAlso Try: Escaflowne, Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind
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