El-Hazard at IMDB

[Neil Lafrenais]

Well, as a big El-Hazard fan, I felt it only right to submit my own 200 word review of the original series to IMDB.

It hasn't been submitted to the page (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0112940) yet, but I'll present the review here, so you guys can tell me if you think I was harsh enough on my most favourite series ever. ;)

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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 excellent 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.

[Kathy Guinea]

Well, as a big El-Hazard fan, I felt it only right to submit my own 200 word review of the original series to IMDB.

It hasn't been submitted to the page (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0112940) yet, but I'll present the review here, so you guys can tell me if you think I was harsh enough on my most favourite series ever.

The other comments featured on their page aren't nearly as informative (Your first statement seems to sum it up pretty well. I'm surprised that no one mentioned Jinnai in their comments O_o  seeing as how he's such an unforgettable character...)

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 excellent sense of humour.

I hate Fatora... she's just such a jerk...    
Poor Ura...  

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.

What was with everyone spoiling the ending? That was starting to irritate me... All the other reviews were about how much they all loved Ifurita. Granted MW Ifurita is my favorite female character... but... that's probably just cos she's an ass kicking robot with feelings... (MW, MW2, AW Afura is my second favorite female character --- I hate Wanderers Afura...). And they kept talking about all the ending scenes... no talk about the tribes, the underlying plot, or the social commentary about the dangers of creating weapons of mass destruction and the intense hatred of the human inhabitants for one another... poor sentient machines... Not that I would include any or all of those things in one review... but hinting at some of the deeper plot points wouldn't kill them... I mean, Makoto and Ifurita's relationship was not the focus of the series... it was just a sort of side point... (which I feel had to do with the ideal relationship between humans and machines... where machines and humans work together for a common good... and that when sentient machines are mistreated by humans suffering follows for both... but I may be reading too much Tezuka)

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

I agree...

Overall Neil, your review gave the feel of the series without giving away too much plot (or completely ruining the ending). Good to point out that the rating is about PG-13... (you never know when some mildly involved parent will think they are doing their 6 year-old kid a favor by buying them some cartoons that are in the style of "that pokey-man thing...")