"El Hazard: The Mysterious World" Review: What's the appeal of this fascinating adventure set in another world?

The Mysterious World of El Hazard: A Tale of Adventure and Battle in Another World

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

May 26, 1995

■Release and sales

Pioneer LDC

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 7

■Original Story

・Original idea/Hiroki Hayashi, Ryoe Tsukimura

■ Director

・Director: Hiroki Hayashi

■ Production

AIC

■Works

©1995AIC・PIONEER LDC.INC

■ Story

Mysterious ruins are discovered underground at the school where high school student Mizuhara Makoto attends. A woman named Ifrit emerges from the ruins and transports Makoto, student council president Jinnai Katsuhiko, his sister Jinnai Nanami, and teacher Fujisawa Mari to another world, El Hazard. In that world, humanity is under attack by the insectoid race, the Bagrom, and Makoto and his friends become embroiled in the otherworldly battle.

■Explanation

Original animation produced by AIC. After the OVA, it has been expanded in various ways, such as TV series, manga, novels, and games. The first OVA, "El Hazard: The Mysterious World," was released in 1995, and gained many fans due to its unique worldview and attractive characters. Among the genre of fantasy in other worlds, El Hazard stands out for its depth and complexity. The story begins with a transfer from modern Japan to the other world of El Hazard, and depicts the battles and adventures that unfold there. In particular, the history and culture of El Hazard, as well as the battle with Bagrom, are depicted in detail, which has the power to draw viewers in. In addition, the growth of the characters and the changes in their relationships are also points that cannot be overlooked, and new discoveries are made in each episode. Following the success of the OVA, the world of El Hazard has expanded even further as it has been expanded in various media such as TV series, manga, novels, and games. These related works also delve deeply into the charm of El Hazard, making them a must-see for fans.

■Cast

・Mizuhara Makoto/Iwanaga Tetsuya/Jinnai Katsuhiko/Okiayu Ryutaro/Jinnai Nanami/Natsuki Rio/Fujisawa Mari/Ishii Koji/Ifrita/Amano Yuri/Rune Venus/Inoue Kikuko/Mees Mishtal/Shimazu Saeko/Aphra Maan/Yoshida Miho/Sheera Sheera/Sakurai Satoshi

■ Main staff

・Planning / Maki Taro, Miura Toru・Director / Hayashi Hiroki・Screenplay / Tsukimura Ryoei・Character design / Chief animation director / Nakazawa Kazuto・Design works / Animation director / Watanabe Koji・Art director / Sue Nobuhito・Color design / Kawami Takuya・Director of photography / Sato Hitoshi・Sound director / Honda Yasunori・Music / Nagaoka Shigetsugu・Producers / Morijiri Kazuaki, Inoue Hiroaki, Hasegawa Yasuo・Animation production / AIC
・Production cooperation: Oniro ・Production: PIONEER LDC

■ Main Characters

・Mizuhara Makoto A student at Shinonome High School who speaks in Kansai dialect. He is insensitive to romance and has a complex about his feminine face. With the power of synchronization that allows him to empathize with the legacy of the former El Hazard civilization, he saves the kingdom of Roshtaria, the leader of the El Hazard alliance, from crisis. Makoto is the central character of the story, and his growth and change will greatly affect the fate of El Hazard. In particular, it is moving to see how he uses his power of synchronization to understand the history and culture of El Hazard, and cooperate with the people of the other world to oppose Bagrom. In addition, his relationships, especially with Jinnai Katsuhiko and Nanami, are important elements of the story and leave a deep impression on the viewer.
・Katsuhiko Jinnai The confident and ambitious student council president of Shinonome High School. He sees his childhood friend Makoto, who is good at everything, as his rival. As a result of being transported to another world, he is able to communicate with Bagrom and they join forces to try to control El Hazard. Katsuhiko's character plays an important role in providing tension and drama to the story. His ambition and the conflict with Makoto are key factors that determine the fate of El Hazard, drawing the viewer in.
Nanami Jinnai Katsuhiko's younger sister who has a crush on Makoto. She hates her brother who does nothing but cause trouble. She has the power to see things that are normally invisible. Nanami's character adds depth to the story through her feelings for Makoto and her relationship with her brother. Her power plays an important role in the battle against El Hazard, moving the viewers.
・Mari Fujisawa A Japanese teacher at Shinonome High School and advisor to the mountaineering club. As a result of being transported to another world, he gains superhuman physical abilities. Mari's character plays an important role in the battles in the other world, and his growth and change add depth to the story.
Ifrit is a combat android created by the Former El Hazard civilization. She has a history of destroying the Former El Hazard civilization, and was despairing over the meaning of her existence, which is referred to as a demon god in the system, but she is freed from despair when her submission circuit is annihilated by Makoto. Ifrit's character symbolizes the history and culture of El Hazard, and her growth and change add depth to the story. In particular, her humanity is portrayed through her relationship with Makoto, which moves viewers.

■ Related works

"El Hazard 2" (OVA) "El Hazard" (TV version)
"El Hazard: The Otherdimensional World" (2nd TV series)

■ Evaluation and Recommendation

"El Hazard: The Mysterious World" is a particularly fascinating work in the genre of fantasy set in another world. The story development, character growth, and the world of El Hazard have the power to draw viewers in. In particular, the relationships and growth of characters such as Makoto, Katsuhiko, Nanami, Mari, and Ifrit are depicted, deeply moving the viewers. In addition, the history and culture of El Hazard, as well as the battle with Bagrom, are depicted in detail, drawing the viewers in. Following the success of the OVA, the world of El Hazard has expanded even further as it has been expanded into various media such as a TV series, manga, novels, and games. These related works also delve deeply into the charm of El Hazard, making them a must-see for fans.

The first reason to recommend this series is its unique worldview and fascinating characters. The world of El Hazard begins with a setting of being transported from modern Japan to another world, and depicts the battles and adventures that unfold there. In particular, the history and culture of El Hazard, as well as the battle with Bagrom, are depicted in detail, drawing viewers in. In addition, the growth of the characters and the changes in their relationships are also points not to be missed, and new discoveries are made in each episode. Following the success of the OVA, the world of El Hazard has expanded even further as it has been expanded into various media such as TV series, manga, novels, and games. These related works also delve deeply into the charm of El Hazard, making them a must-see for fans.

Furthermore, the appeal of El Hazard lies in its depth and complexity. The story begins with a setting of being transferred from modern Japan to the other world of El Hazard, and depicts the battles and adventures that unfold there. In particular, the history and culture of El Hazard, as well as the battle with Bagrom, are depicted in detail, drawing the viewer in. In addition, the growth of the characters and the changes in their relationships are also points not to be missed, and new discoveries are made in each episode. Following the success of the OVA, the world of El Hazard has expanded even further as it has been developed into various media such as a TV series, manga, novels, and games. These related works also delve deeply into the appeal of El Hazard, making them a must-see for fans.

Finally, the appeal of El Hazard lies in its depth and complexity. The story begins with a setting of being transferred from modern Japan to the other world of El Hazard, and depicts the battles and adventures that unfold there. In particular, the history and culture of El Hazard, as well as the battle with Bagrom, are depicted in detail, drawing the viewer in. In addition, the growth of the characters and the changes in their relationships are also points not to be missed, and new discoveries are made in each episode. Following the success of the OVA, the world of El Hazard has expanded even further as it has been developed into various media such as a TV series, manga, novels, and games. These related works also delve deeply into the appeal of El Hazard, making them a must-see for fans.

As mentioned above, "El Hazard: The Mysterious World" is a work that has gained many fans due to its unique worldview and attractive characters. Even within the genre of fantasy set in another world, El Hazard stands out for its depth and complexity. The story begins with a setting of being transferred from modern Japan to the other world of El Hazard, and depicts the battles and adventures that unfold there. In particular, the history and culture of El Hazard, as well as the battle with Bagrom, are depicted in detail, drawing viewers in. In addition, the growth of the characters and the changes in relationships are also points not to be missed, and new discoveries are made in each episode. Following the success of the OVA, the world of El Hazard has expanded even further with the development of various media such as TV series, manga, novels, and games. These related works also delve deeply into the charm of El Hazard, making them a must-see for fans.