El-Hazard

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El-Hazard is a 1990s fantasy OAV series that is sometimes regarded as one of the keystones of the isekai genre, although El-Hazard is far more creative and interesting than the vast, vast library of drek associated with said genre. It revolves around a group of three Japanese high school students, and their history teacher, who are somehow transported from their high school to the magical world of El-Hazard. Whilst two of the students and the teacher want to get home and ally themselves with the Kingdom of Roshtaria in order to try and get home, the third throws his lot in with a hostile race of insectoids called the Bugrom and tries to take over El-Hazard.

This series is /tg/-relevant mainly because it's one of several popular late 80s-early 2000s anime to get licensed by Guardians of Order, either as setting splatbooks for Big Eyes, Small Mouth or fully marketed as "The Roleplaying Game" of their respective series. In fact, this was the very last licensed setting RPG that Guardians of Order did - not the last anime-licensed splatbook they did; Hellsing, Trigun, Slayers and Revolutionary Girl Utena all got splatbooks before GoO went bankrupt in 2006, but the very last to be marketed as its own independent RPG by placing a full copy of the Tri-System inside of it; for all the others, you needed the BESM or BESM D20 corebook to pull them off.

The Story

El-Hazard is divided into two continuities; the Original/OAV Continuity, and the TV Continuity. It began as a pair of directly linked OAVs; The Magnificent World and its direct sequel, The Magnificent World 2. These were then followed The Alternative World - an anime TV series intended as a direct sequel to The Magnificent World 2, but which was cancelled at episode 13 of its intended 26 episode run. The Wanderers is a 26 episode anime and represents the sole entry in the TV Continuity, being basically the Tenchi Universe to the Magnicent World's Tenchi Muyo.

Both the Magnificent World and the Wanderers begin the same way, with our four leads being transported from their high school on Earth to the world of El-Hazard.

The Characters

The Earthlings

Makoto Mizuhara is our lead character, a popular, multi-talented and all-around nice guy who had no idea his "old buddy" Katsuhiko hated him. In the OAVs, he is the spitting image of Princess Rune Venus' sister and forced to imitate her so she can assemble an alliance against the Bugrom. His special power is technopathy; the ability to mentally commune with and control all of the high-tech gadgets littering El-Hazard.

Katsuhiko Jinnai is our primary antagonist; a scheming, malicious little turd who bribed his way to the role of student president and was terrified of being replaced by Makoto when he was found out. His secial power is the ability to communicate with the Bugrom, which he uses to become their leader and direct them in a crusade of conquest against El-Hazard.

Nanami Jinnai is Katsuhiko's exasperated, money-loving sister. She has different special powers depending on the continuity; in the OAV, she can see through illusions, whilst in the anime, she can communicate with the Bugrom like her brother.

Masamichi Fujisawa is the history teacher, and a nice guy, despite his addiction to booze and nicotine. To his horror, his special power is that his physical abilities increase exponentially the longer he goes without drinking or smoking.

People of El-Hazard

Princess Rune Venus is the ruler of the kingdom of Roshtaria, and the first ally our heroes meet upon arriving in El-Hazard. In "The Wanderers", she is younger and becomes Makoto's love interest instead of Ifurita.

The World

In contrast to the "CRPG Sprung To Life" motif of its modern descendants, the world of El-Hazard is a fully functional and vibrant world in its own right, a Science Fantasy setting where "fantasy Arabia" aesthetics, high science and sorcery all come together in a singular whole.