How were you hooked?

[Spanner]

To this day, I still can't really figure out what drew me to it... the cover art was not particularly inspiring (anyone who wants to see what the VHS covers looked like back then, I'll be scanning and donating them to Rob, hopefully by next week ^_^), and the blurb describing it made it sound pretty generic ("High school students are transported to another dimension... gain strange new powers... save the day..." Gee, where have we heard that before?). Still, I picked up the first volume of OAV1, and was instantly hooked!

I wrote this in the "age" topic in the "Not El-Hazard Online" forum. So, the answer to how I got hooked, was I pretty much picked up El-Hazard on a whim, even though there was nothing about it that should have attracted me. (Well, I did think that the girl on the cover of volume one - Nanami - was cute... Maybe that was it. ^_^) I'm sure glad I did, though.

So, how about the rest of you? How did you learn about El-Hazard? What led you to try it out? Or, in the case of some of our members, what led you to hang around in El-Hazard forums even though you haven't actually seen the show?

[larewen_evenstar]

Well, you see. I was looking around on the net for anime images, and I came across a few images of Shayla-Shayla. I looked at some other images from El Hazard, and thought that the art was really good, and the fact that Shayla reminds me of Washu, I suppose I got an instant liking for it.

I have seen the first two episodes of EH2. The only thing is that El Hazard hasn't been fully released in this country, so I can't get it until it is. I mean, things like sailor moon, tenchi and gundam, were only aired here a few years ago, and only came out on Video and DVD about six months ago. Sailor moon only came out this March, so as you can imagine, I haven't had the chance to watch the whole series' yet.  

I am planning to buy all of the episodes though.

Why did I join an EH forum? Well, El was always going on about how cool forums were, so as I was surfing around for EH images, I came across this website, and I saw that it had a forum, and went: 'yey! anime fans!' I was hooked from then on.  

[amanda_dale]

Way back when the scifi channel was showing anime marathons, a friend made me watch a few things. The next day I was in the video store, hanging around the anime section looking lost. One of the employees was a veteran otaku, and the next time i came in he handed me a stack of tapes and told me to see what appealed to me. (Maybe not entirely altruistic...I ended up buying a lot of the stuff he lent me.)
EH was one of them, and it was just instant love. I called up all my friends, babbling incoherently, and made them watch it. It was just everything that attracted me to anime...the art, the characters, the way the plot kinda had everything.... I loved the way the plot never quite went where you might expect it to.
And it has IFURITA-SAMAAA!   What can I say? I still cry at the end of OAV1.

[executor82]

I'm an anime fan for years now. So I'm interrested in anime generally.
Once, when the card game 'MAGIC - The gathering' started booming in germany, there were many clones of this kind of game. I found a similar game with anime chars that started to interrest me. That was the first time when I saw 'Shayla-Shayla'. The image looked quite cool and it was a powerful char as well. So I started to search the anime she was taken from and finally found 'El Hazard'.
Then I got my hands on the OVA 1, the first nine episodes. Now I got the OVA 2 and I like it even more. I can't await to see the rest of it.  

How I got to EHOL?
I was searching for images of El Hazard and information how many Episodes and different types of El Hazard there are (you know: Magnificent World, Alternative World, Wanderers) because I got a little confused of it. Then I strumbled over EHOL causually. The great amount of information and the forum made me stay here now.

[jewel_of_roshtaria]

Actually, I was one of the unfortunates who started off with the Alternative World. My sis had gotten a free ticket to the Nan-Desu-con in Denver, and seeing as how I didn't get to go, she was nice and decided to spend her own money buying me a few suveniers. She had seen the first episode of EH at the con in the viewing room, and decided to buy it. However, the one she picked up was AW. After a little confusion and a LOT of explaining on Care's part, I figured it all out, and decided it really wasn't worth the confusion.

The reason I kept watching long enough to get really hooked: Jinnai. Actually, I ent up writing a really sloppy fan-fic about him, and I even animated a short, really ametuer film!   Of course, none of it is ever coming into public, since I was like, 12 and the work really sucked... But the movie was cute.  

How I found EHOL- accident. I was looking for an ancient site that I used to download music off of a year ago, and it happened to be served by EHOL. Anyways, I typed in the adress, and it came up here...

http://www.el-hazardonline.net/error/404.html

It was a sign! So I peeked at EHOL and immediatley fell in love with it, and, truth be told, I was actually in love with Rob for a little while! Hehehe! Little did I know Lar was on the site...   Anyways, I went into a whole donation spree in light of the discovery, and long story short, I found my niche!!!  

[larewen_evenstar]

*blushes* Thanks.  

I have to say the animation of EH is really good, better than some things that I've seen, and the dubbing is pretty good too.

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

*blushes* Thanks.  

I think I'm supposed to say that.  


Anyway, I've noted it several times before, but for this "official" thread; it was via the "Habba Habba Zoot Zoot" music video.  Some buddy of mine had sent it to me simply because he thought it was hillarious (and it was.)  For some reason the Jinnai character featured as "star" just drew my interest.  I asked of course if my bud knew anything of this "El-Hazard".  He said he didn't.

Well, since that was back in the days when I had steady work and paychecks, I figured there'd be no harm in throwing out the cash to buy the DVD boxset.

Me and my younger brother Tim both just "had a feeling" about this one.  We didn't know why.  We knew nothing other than Habba Habba Zoot Zoot which really doesn't tell us anything.

Our primary experience at this time would've been with The Irresponsible Captain Tylor, which I had watched and enjoyed very much with my sister.  That being the first official time I saw dubbed anime to be beyond "good" into "excellent."  (With stuff that typically airs on TV to be obviously watered-down "poor" or "average".)  This probably facilitated the buying.  At this time, subtitled anime did not appeal to me at all.  My youngest brother Joseph bought a DBZ movie that was the original subtitled, although still censored graphically if I remember.  At that time I just didn't get good results from the subtitles, so English dubbing was the good stuff.  (This changed later to a level of acceptance once my sister started downloading unlicensed anime; I think it was just DBZ that didn't work for me.  )

Anyway, so yeah, you know... We got it, we loved it, and I decided I must become a fanboy.  This was important because up until this point I was terribly depressed breaking out of a long-term, serious relationship and I had abandoned the fandom I was previously associated with.  Basically at this point in my life I was totally directionless in hobby and life.  (I was NOT attending school, just working full time for a dead-end retail job, not planning to move on, and didn't have anything to do in my spare time.)  

El-Hazard changed this.  Something about it all... maybe it was the thoughts of going to another world where all of your problems and past no longer really mattered as much.  Note almost all of the Earth characters had horrible things about to happen to them.  

* Fujisawa was caught drinking, which appeared to be a total surprise to the students.  He was probably reported and was likely to lose his job.

* Jinnai was about to lose his class presidency, which obviously meant everything to him, whether or not he had performed slanted actions.

* Makoto was about to reap the benefits of Jinnai's rage, so to speak.  

Nanami I'm not sure of, maybe eventual effects from the deranged brother but I digress.


Anyway, that's how I got hooked.  And had I not been hooked, none of you would be here now talking about being hooked.  

[mistercat]

If memory serves, which it sometimes does, I became hooked on El-Hazard via the inter-net.  Whilst looking for an image of something or other, I happened across an Ifurita wallpaper.

Something about her made me want to find out more, so one search-engine patrol led to another.  Eventually, I made it to the local video-rental store where I was able to get the usual some-episodes-are-missing stack of tapes.

The idea of El-Hazard appealed to me, for reasons which are difficult to articulate.  (You've noticed by now that doesn't stop me from writing.)  It's a wonderfully-different world to which I can escape when need be; and for that I'm thankful to its creators.



=^..^=

[mark_engels]

Back in 2001 I posted the story of how I became acquainted with El Hazard to the Yahoo! Groups El Hazard Fan Club forum, where I first met folks such as Erin-chan, Dooky, Amanda Dale, Mr. What and Spanner.

I've included it below in part, being relevant to the topic at hand:

--- In el-hazard@yahoogroups.com, "Mark Engels" <mark_engels@r...> wrote:
Special thanks to Spanner for the warm reception off list.  As it
turns out he and I both live in Minnesota's Twin Cities in the north
central US.  I am looking forward to meeting him in person for a
night of consuming edibles and watching anime in the near future.
.
.
.

My anime and manga interests are wide and varied.  It all began as I
suppose it does for most latetwentysomething and earlythirtysomething
listers here:  sneaking down at 6:30 in the morning to watch Kimba
and Speed Racer, then watching Battle of the Planets, then later
Voltron and finally Robotech (this all before we knew what "anime"
was.)  In college I experienced the requisite Bubble Gum Crisis,
Akira, and became hooked on the Heavy Metal motion picture.  (OK OK
not anime per se but a cult favorite.)  By this time I'd found out
there were actually COMIC SHOPS where one could buy manga.  While not
manga in the strict sense, I'm sure there are other fans of Steven A.
Gallacci, Stan Sakai and Reed Waller/Kate Worley on the group:  it
was about this time I first became a fan of their anthropomorphic
work.  I did collect every Macross/Robotech comic I could get my
hands on and ate up everything by Johji Manabe.  Miyazaki's Nausicaa
was also one of my early favorites.  After picking up Ben Dunn's
adaptation of Captain Harlock, I began Ninja High School.  That more
than anything set the hook for me, as I immediately began wondering
where all these "walk on" anime characters were coming from in the
NHS plotline (Salusian fanservice notwithstanding.    )
.
.
.
During college I had obtained a Commercial Driver's License.  I got
back into manga when I was driving tractor trailer on the weekends
hauling mail between Minneapolis and Chicago to earn some extra
pocket change.  I needed something to pass the time on my layovers,
so began toting various trade paperbacks with me in my grip.  I tore
up Battle Angel Alita and the collected Nausicaa with a vengeance.  
This was also when I'd started picking up Oh! My Goddess and Gunsmith
Cats.  I'd also become familiar with Rumiko Takahashi's works at this
time and began collecting Ranma, Inu Yasha, and Maison Ikkoku
(probably my all time favorite) in trade paperback form.

It was also about this time I first began spreading my wings as a fan
fiction author.  If any of the list is interested I'll be happy to
direct you to a link of my own works set in Kishiro's Battle Angel
Alita timeline.  At various Midwestern anime conventions I've had
pleasure to meet a number of fellow fictwriters and engage in
wondeful C&C with them (usually while consuming libations in generous
amounts.   )

More recent favorites include Neon Genesis Evangelion and Child's
Toy.  Other short series I've picked up in either manga or anime form
include 801st Airbats, You're Under Arrest, AD Police, Spirit of
Wonder, Legend of Kotetsu, All Purpose Cat Girl Nuku Nuku, Dual! and
Tenchi Universe.  Being a Kishiro fan I've enjoyed Aqua Knights and
await the coming of the new Battle Angel Alita adaptation.  I pick up
Animerica Extra and Super Manga Blast at every opportunity because
I've been enjoying each publication's serieses a great deal.  

Then there is El Hazard.  I attribute my latecoming the the EHFC due
to the fact I caught a very brief portion of the OVA 2 back in '98 at
an anime club meeting in The Cities (it was the part where Shayla
allows herself to be seduced by Fatora thinking it's Makoto.)  For
some reason it didn't really stick with me.  I blew it off entirely
until I was reading the Animerica Extra issue in which the EH manga
was previewed.  Those of you who haven't seen it...it was a wonderful
adaptation of the scene in which Makoto meets Ifurita for the first
time under Shinonome High.  Just from the three page preview I was
hooked!  I've collected the manga since and have purchased the EH DVD
box set.  In fact I'm looking forward to watching it again when
Spanner-san and I manage to get together.

I've also taken great pleasure reading some very literarily sound and
satisfying El Hazard fan fiction.  My favorites include the work of
Ken Wolfe ("Earth" and "Reunited") and Alan Harnum ("Mortal
Engines"...I'd like it more if he actually finished it!)  I did see a
rather intriguing fanfic post from our own Herr (or Fraulien?  I'm
confused!) Dititrich way back in the day describing a notably
different way in which Ifurita might later relate to Makoto after
their reunion.  I'll agree with Erin:  it was certainly a worthy
effort by a non-Anglophone to create a credible piece of work.

And I might be creating some new fanfiction of my own.  I'll leave it
to you all to tell me whether you'd be interested in reading it
here.  Some of you might want to check out my GUNNM body of work,
then tell me whether you want such rabble clogging up your in-
baskets.  

I've got some wonderful ideas that I might need fleshing out.  I had
the distinct pleasure of meeting Ken Wolfe in person last weekend in
Fargo, North Dakota (well, yeah, but it was halfway between Ken's
native Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and my Minnesota Twin Cities.)  He
and I have been enjoying a delightful correspondence that has only
served to awaken my sleeping muses.  I hope I might "get by with a
little help from my friends" as it were.

Time and again I've seen references to EH anime music videos.  I was
absolutely stunned back in '98 at Anime Central when I saw Neon
Genesis Evangelion set to Europe's Final Countdown.  More on topic,
at Ken's urging I downloaded the the Sarah Brightman Once In a
Lifetime El Hazard video by Michael Ko.  Wonderful piece of work,
that.  Watch it every chance I get!  I've got a few ideas for
creating AMVs of my own but will need some technical assistance at
some point.  
.
.
.
My apologies for the lengthy post, friends.  I wanted to give you
some background on me in the hopes we'll discover our common
interests, not the least of which is El Hazard.  I'm an Ifurita (OVA
1) devotee.  I am particularly fond of the relationship we see
developing between them in OVA 1 and Ken Wolfe's rendition of its
continuance in his work.  And while I prefer watching my anime
dubbed, I do believe there is room for improvement in vocal direction
and casting.  Maybe if more production houses paid SAG going rate...

Looking forward to being a member of the community.  Until next
time...

"...an' keep 'em between the white lines, driver..."

--me

Mark Engels

---------------------------------------------------------------------

And the madness continues.  I now have all the EH manga in both loose comic and trade paperback form.  I've downloaded several EH anime music videos that tend to focus primarily on Makoto and Ifurita, including ones set to such varying music types as Celene Dion's "You Look At Me" and Evenescence's "Bring Me to Life."  Of course there are now additional forays into El Hazard fan fiction for the community to enjoy, thanks to my collaboration of the aforementioned Mr. Wolfe and the support of my fellow online EH fans, including those here and still with the EHFC forum.  

Not bad, I figure, given the last new EH series was released in Japan several years ago now.  With the release of the Wanderers and TAW box sets, I hope the fandom will enjoy some momentum for some time.

--me

Mark Engels

[El The Istari]

It's all Lar's fault.  

I wish they would show EH on TV, or sell it in HMV...

*Sigh*

I've seen close to one episode, and I've found out more about the characters, here and there.

I can't tell one series from another though.  

[larewen_evenstar]

Well, *rubs back of her head* I suppose everything does have to be my fault.  :-/

[Xel]

Mine's embarrassingly simple, really... I heard Jinnai's laugh somehow one day, and thought "GOD that's sexy." I haven't looked back since.  

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

Suddenly I must practice a Jinnai laugh.

[Saucer]

Here's my story. A friend of mine in VA used to tape trade with me. We would just fill up 8 hours tapes with anime and send them back and forth. One day he sends me a tape with some stuff on it, including El Hazard. I vaguely remember reading about it as some mecha anime or something. I'm not sure why, but that was what was in my mind at the time. I couldn't have been more wrong! I set about watching the tape one day, (I think it had some Evangelion on it first) and eventually got to El Hazard. The tape had all of OVA1 dubbed and the first 2 eps of OVA2 on it. I'd already been watching anime for a couple hours that day, so by the time I got to El Hazard I watched about halfway through the first episode then just shut it off. I couldn't get into it and wanted to go out and do something anyway.

I came back to it later that night. Or, maybe the next day. I was hooked by episode 3. Who was that mysterious girl at the beginning? And who is this mysterious and terrible Demon-God? By the time I finished what I had, I was completely hooked and absolutely taken with Ifurita. To this day, she still is my favorite anime chara.

I next asked my friend for what he had of Wanderers (volume 1-4). And enjoyed that too. I bought what remained of the series, that I didn't already have, on VHS. And the neatest part, next month the first volume of a new El Hazard series The Alternative World was coming out on VHS! Ah yes, those were good times indeed.

I usually don't make it a habit of replacing my VHS anime with DVDs. That would be a costly venture that would break me. But, El Hazard being my favorite, I just had to pick up the OVA boxset! I'll probably pick up the Wanderers and Alt World boxes eventually as well. But he OVAs are still, and always will be my favorites.

edit: Reading your post Rob, it's an interesting situation that got you into El Hazard. And I had a similar situation! I was a fan (although not a terribly serious one) of anime for several years. Then, after I got dumped from what I thought was a serious, long term relationship all I had to turn to was anime. So, I embraced fandom whole-heartedly. With all this sparetime on your hands, and in serious need of distraction, what else is one to do?

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

I've never had VHS of El-Hazard... I figured I might as well utilize that DVD drive that was in my computer for something.    (At that time I was the only one in the house with any DVD accessability.  My dad had rented a movie once or twice just to check it out... ah well, whatever.

Eventually, when I have money, I'd like to buy all the VHS and LD copies I can find... not that I need them, of course.  I'm just a collector.    Plus the site -- or rather, the obese archive of El-Hazard as it seems to be -- can use some good scans of those buggers.