El Hazard

Possibly my favourite series of all time, El-Hazard: The Magnificent World combines fantasy, sci-fi elements, and comedy into one neat story-driven package.

The basic plot is that 4 people from Earth (3 students and teacher from a Japanese high school) are warped to a strange and fantastic world, known as El-Hazard. Throw in a bit of "Prince and the Pauper" style cross dressing, Marx Brothers references and some "old skool" anime elements, such as magical powers and beautiful girls, and you're in for a great animated ride.

There's a lot to like about this series, but a few of my favourites include the maniac character, Katsuhiko Jinnai, the on-going action and adventure scenarios, and the dramatic Eye of God storyline.

I couldn't really see any down sides to the series, to be honest, but being at my most critical, I'd say some people would be annoyed by Fatora's character ("some" meaning "most") and others would probably be a bit uncomfortable with the risque situations that give the series an excellen t sense of humour.

To point out some more obvious things; the series is rated at PG-13, so it's really suited for teen/young adult viewers. Also, the excellent English dubbed version of the series knocks the original Japanese into dull inferiority.

The ending (and many other scenes in the series) should not be spoiled for anyone, prior to watching, as it was a genuine pleasure to watch.

Absolutely classic. A must see for anyone. 10 out of 10.

I originally started watching this to update the page for animated series with LGBTQ+ characters. Generally I enjoyed this series, especially the fact that there are two strong lesbian characters, Alielle Relryle and Fatora Venus, with their relationship between each other expanded in The Magnificent World 2. The story did get a bit in the weeds at times, but I generally enjoyed this series and would, as such, recommend it. I especially liked the absurdity of the evil characters and the connections between the characters. That's why this series is getting a ranking of 10, as it has strong characters and a generally strong story.

i throughly enjoyed El-Hazard, its probably the best series i've seen all year. the characters were all fleshed out well, even though there are only seven episodes to get to know them. my personal favorite is Alielle, such sincere love has never been more amusing. and of course, Mr. Fujisawa is the man.

Oh El-Hazard! I will never forget the first time that I watched this. It was in the spring of 1996. I was a sophomore in high school. My friends started getting into this really bizarre stuff called anime. There was one show in particular that they were always talking about. That show was, you guessed it, El-Hazard.

I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into when I first popped it into my VCR. But from the second the intro started and the lovely narrator first spoke "It is a place that dwells in the memories of those who still dream of its ancient glory" (words that will always dwell within me) I knew that I was in for something special.

To get to the point, El-Hazard has it all. It's got stellar artwork, lively and interesting characters, comedy (oh my, does it ever have comedy!), an epic (if somewhat common) story, magic, great action, demon goddesses, wonderful music, and a fascinating and beautiful world.

The characters in this show are some of my absolute favorites in all of anime. Masamichi Fujisawa - the alcoholic, chain-smoking history teacher - is my personal favorite, but others like Miz, Shayla, Ifurita, and Makoto are all fantastic as well.

I don't want to say too much more because I might be tempted to delve into spoiler territory. Suffice it to say that this show was virtually single-handedly responsible for setting me on a decades long journey of anime fandom. I highly recommend this to anyone who has a love for anime and/or fantasy.

Oh, and one more thing that can't be overlooked is the quality of the dub. As hard as it might be to believe, especially considering that this came out in the mid-90's, the dub is in my humble opinion far superior to the sub.

Easy 9/10

They don't make cartoons like this in the United States, one filled with the kind of creativity that this one holds. This 2 and one half hour plus adventure will change the way you view the animated film.

Romance? Its got plenty. Comedy? Mr. Fujisawa will keep your sides splitting. Action? The visuals are nothing short of kinetic. All of these wondeful elements are mixed together in a captivating story of unselfishness and sacrifice. Brilliant!