El-Hazard: the Wanderers Complete Collection
By Chris Zimmerman
December 7, 2010 - 10:33
ISBN: 1-57032-652-5
$39.98 US
Starring: Steve Blum, Eddie Frierson, Michael Sorich, R. Martin Klein, Lia Sargent
Directed by: Hideki Goto, Taro Maki
Produced by: AIC
Running Time: 650 minutes
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Distributors: Rightstuf/ Nozomi
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The series mirrors the handling of the Tenchi franchise in both conception and story. Like Tenchi, Wanderers is a reworking of an OVA that came before it under the El-Hazard banner, featuring the same characters with more room to allow for development of characters and plot. Also similar to Tenchi is its use of the usual trimmings of a harem comedy though taking care not to over expose itself as so many modern series tend to do.
The series follows Makoto, an unassuming genius of sorts, who goes out of his way to help others. Trailing him is his friend and secret lover Nanami, along with her brother Jinnai, whose warped sense of self-importance compels him to compete with Makoto in everything. When Jinnai fiddles with one of Makoto’s inventions, the trio along with their teacher, are sucked into a space-time vortex and dumped in the world of El-Hazard.
The series incorporates some RPG elements, introducing a princess whose kingdom is under siege, sending the group on a trek to locate some priestesses, and pitting them against a race of giant bugs. Meanwhile, Jinnai being the weasel that he is, takes it upon himself to co-lead the beasts in an effort to finally one-up Makoto, in the process throwing the world into chaos.
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El-Hazard doesn’t flaunt itself as a harem comedy. Sure, the series introduces a multitude of females who flock to Makoto later on, but as so many modern shows fail to do, El-Hazard tones these qualities down considerably, showcasing the girls as tough-as-nails fighters that have show an interest in Makoto but don’t necessarily throw themselves upon him. The series also refrains drawing attention to the female figure just for the sake of showing off big breasted women, deciding to spend its energy telling a compelling story.
As good as Rightstuf/ Nozomi’s releases have been as of late, El-Hazard is a bit of a disappointment. The series is contained in a standard DVD case rather than the sturdy art boxes the company has become known for and like Dirty Pair, it lacks an art booklet. The series’ age also wears on the product. Despite Rightstuf’s best efforts to clean it up, the colors still look muddled and grain is prevalent.
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Ultimately, El-Hazard is goofy fun from a time when the medium didn’t necessarily take itself seriously. It doesn’t flaunt sexuality for the sake of showcasing nudity and is even quite engaging at times. It’s not high art but if you’re a fan of Tenchi or stories featuring unlikely heroes saving the world, El-Hazard: the Wanderers is worth the pickup.
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El-Hazard: the Wanderers Complete Collection