The new opening theme is a completely forgettable Jpop ballad completely out of line with the exotic Mideastern feel of El Hazard as a whole, and the closing credits are downright scary, with hideously painted images of women's faces in flowers and linked hands circled by glowing halos, having nothing to do with the plot or story of the anime and looking like spooky illustrations out of some evangelical Sunday School picture book.
The Alternative World introduces several new major characters, but with such a huge cast and so few episodes to work with, the only one that comes off seeming like they might be a real person is Qawoor. Qawoor seems to have some mysterious past connection to Makoto, but like so many other things in this series, that revelation ends up being brushed aside and forgotten.
As if all that isn't enough bad news, most of the events in The Alternative World do not actually take place in El Hazard, but in a new world whose history, geography, and politics are never explained in any detail. The climax of the series is one of those infamous "dream endings", and the final episode is the most boring onsen episode I've ever seen. (Oh god, all the nipple-less breasts! Make it stop!)
In short, El Hazard: The Alternative World is a disappointment from the word go. Only recommended for completionists. At least it's short.
