El Hazard: The Magnificent World

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Shinpi no Sekai Eru Hazaado, Shinpi no Sekai El-Hazard

Japanese: 神秘の世界エルハザード

Information

Type: OVA

Episodes: 7

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: May 26, 1995 to Jan 25, 1996

Producers: Pioneer LDC

Licensors: Nozomi Entertainment, Geneon Entertainment USA

Studios: AIC

Source: Original

Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Fantasy

Duration: 34 min. per ep.

Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Statistics

Score: 7.30¹ (scored by 6,661 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #2335²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #4213

Members: 15,773

Favorites: 93

7.30

Ranked #2335Popularity #4213Members 15,773

OVAAIC

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Episodes: /7

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Synopsis

After Makoto Mizuhara agrees to testify against the boisterous student council president Katsuhiko Jinnai for bribing school clubs in the recent student council elections, Jinnai chases him down in an attempt to silence his self-proclaimed rival. Suddenly, during the chase, time stops for everyone—except Makoto. Perplexed, he wanders around the campus until he notices a light coming from the school's closed-off basement, where an ancient relic had just been uncovered.

Makoto is walking toward the artifact surrounded by strings of light, when out of it comes an otherworldly woman who claims she has been waiting for ten thousand years to see him. Weakened by the passage of time, she uses her remaining power to transport a confused Makoto to another world, which she refers to as El-Hazard. However, others who are still at school are also caught in the spell, namely: Jinnai; Masamichi Fujisawa, the alcoholic teacher; and Nanami Jinnai, the headstrong sister of president Jinnai.

The fantastical and magnificent world of El-Hazard awaits these four individuals where they will become entangled in the story of its inhabitants and embark on an adventure filled with laughter, danger, and even romance.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

El Hazard: The Magnificent World was formerly distributed in the U.S. by NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan, whose North American branch was then known as Pioneer Entertainment. In July 2019, Nozomi Entertainment, a division of Right Stuf Inc., took over and rescued the license for the series. In 2001, the series also inspired a role-playing game called the El-Hazard Role-Playing Game released by Canadian company Guardians of Order.

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Related Anime

Adaptation:	El Hazard: The Magnificent World
Alternative setting:	El Hazard: The Wanderers
Sequel:	El Hazard 2: The Magnificent World

Ishimura, Tomoko
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Inoue, Hiroaki

Producer

Hayashi, Hiroki

Director, Storyboard

Kimiya, Shigeru

Episode Director, Storyboard

Nakazawa, Kazuto

Storyboard, Chief Animation Director, Character Design

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Opening Theme

No opening themes have been added to this title. Help improve our database by adding an opening theme here.

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Ending Theme

#1: "Boys be Free!" by Etsuko Kozakura (eps 1-6)
#2: "Chiisana Hana (ちいさな花, Little Flower)" by Yuri Amano (ep 7)

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Reviews

Jan 9, 2008

7 of 7 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

Gaidai (All reviews)

34 people found this review helpful

The Magnificent World of El-Hazard, truly a classic for the ages! And I mean that, too. In comparison to more 'modern' shows, it's my opinion that El-Hazard still measures up to this day, and whether you've loved anime since the days of Astroboy (though I'm not sure how much other anime there was in the 60's, heh), or you've just recently started into the hobby, I'd still strongly recommend the first series of El-Hazard. Be ready for some high-fantasy with a few Final-Fantasy-esque technological advancements. If you're the mecha only type or just aren't a big fan of such things, I'd still recommend you give this one a shot, as it tends to suprise with a little something for everybody--great laughs, sweet romance, courtly intrigue, lots of action, and a tearful ending.

El-Hazard has all the hallmarks of an excellent series. The story is deep and engrossing, and told well despite the short length. You won't feel as though you've been gypped out of closure due to the lack of episodes. At the same time, nothing is really 'glossed-over'--though the plot is involved, most everything is well explained.

The characters are memorable and dynamic. While it's true that most of them have their stereotypes, the series manages to take a little time, sometimes if only a scene or two, to paint most of them in another light--just to let you know there's more to them. There are two disctinct camps of villains as well, each with their own agenda. If you like dashing, cunning baddies with a web of secrecy, El-Hazard has that. if you prefer your enemies maniacal, biosterous, sometimes silly, and slightly insane, El-Hazard has you covered. The same goes for the protagonists. El-Hazard has your 'knight in shining armor' types; your well-meaning perverts; your innocent, 'didn't ask to be here' types; and even your 'You're such a $&(*$@, why do you have to be a good guy?' types.

The artwork won't disappoint. It's probably not the best you've ever seen, but it's certainly not the worst. What's most important is that it's an enduring enough style that it's hard to see it as 'dated'. The sound is exceptional too. The background music really helps to get you into the 'feel' of the world you're experiencing, and the opening score is powerful and memorable. The ending themes are enjoyable, too. 'Boys Be Free' ('Back in Love' in English) is performed by Alielle, is catchy, fun, and bemusedly suggestive, while 'Little Flower' (which takes over as the ending theme after a few episodes) is mellow and somber, in keeping with how it wants to make you feel by that point in the storyline.

One of the most impressive qualities of El-Hazard in my opinion is the exceptional ability of the English dub actors. Yes, we all have our own opinions, but I personally don't care for dubs, and I can count on one hand the anime I've ever seen that I could stand in anything other than the original Japanese. This is one of them. The dub actors get the inflection right and deliver some great one-liners that probably aren't what the original characters were saying, but are close enough to make the experience that much better for the non-Japanese speaker.

I'll also give El-Hazard an impressive rewatch value. This is the show I tend to use to get curious newcomers to anime started, and it never gets old after many re-watches.

To be fair since this is a review, if I were to knock anything about El-Hazard, I would have to go with some of the faster animation sequences. The art is great, sure, but whenever there's a scene where lots of people are moving really quickly all at once (IE, a fight, a bunch of people running, or some acrobatics), they tend to shift about rather strangely, making it look as though some corners were cut on the drawing board. Que sera.

All in all, El-Hazard isn't long and it's worth your time to add it in to your anime watching experience. Maybe you'll even enjoy it enough to catch some of the other series, though keep in mind that 'The Wanderers of El-Hazard' is a TV version (so it's the original story told differently). 'El-Hazard 2: The Magnificent World' is the sequel, if that's what you're looking for.

So what are you waiting for!? Check out El-Hazard, and trust me, give the English dub a try this time! ^.^

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Jun 4, 2019

7 of 7 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

SeekingWaylander (All reviews)

9 people found this review helpful

El Hazard stands out as a magnificent masterpiece.

I've rewatched it and it hasn't lost its fragrance.

The art is top notch. Starting from background art to characters, everything is well-defined and has its place in the story.

The story itself may look meh, but, it really isn't. It is a well thought story. The characters may get sloppy from time to time, but they are well defined and fluid. The plot itself is great and it has its share of everything. Its catchy and it stays catchy. Its funny. Its dumb. Its wonderful. Its original.

The music and the sound is impressive.

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May 16, 2010

7 of 7 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

andalib13 (All reviews)

11 people found this review helpful

Watched it on anime marathon at AXN back in 2002. Started watching, and could not move from in front of my TV until it reached the end. Art, sound quality is not as good as today's anime, but storyline is amazing and its enjoyable. The entire story is linked and it is revealed at the last episode. If someone thinks it is made of misplaced events, then I should say he did not understand it properly. Its very precise, never gets boring, and best part is it has a nice flow that will keep you attached. I've rewatched it so many times, never felt boring.

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Jun 8, 2016

7 of 7 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 7

ktulu007 (All reviews)

11 people found this review helpful

El Hazard is an anime franchise from the mid 90s. It was written by Tsukimura Ryoe with production by AIC. You may remember them from their work on OreImo, Solty Rei, Blue Gender, Sasameki Koto and several others I've reviewed. The first entry in the El Hazard franchise was Magnificent World, a seven episode OVA which gained enough popularity to spawn two tv anime series, and more OVAs. So, was this OVA actually good enough to warrant that? Let's take a look at El Hazard The Magnificent World and find out.

Story:

We begin our story with high school politics. Because don't all great fantasy tales begin read more

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El Hazard: The Magnificent World

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El Hazard: The Magnificent World

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

Synopsis

Background

Related Anime

Characters & Voice Actors

Staff

Opening Theme

Ending Theme

Reviews

Recent News

Recent Forum Discussion

Recommendations

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