El Hazard: The Alternative World DVD

Life in El-Hazard has finally settled into something resembling normal. The wedding of Mr. Fujisawa and Miz Mishtal has actually happened — and before the celebration can fully wind down, the universe intervenes again. During the initiation ceremony for Qawool Towles, the newly appointed Priestess of Water, a mysterious entity named Arjah activates a dimensional rift that scatters the entire cast across yet another world: Creteria, a grim, industrialized realm of grey towers and military rule, utterly unlike the pastoral landscapes of El-Hazard. Makoto finds himself stranded once more. Jinnai, naturally, immediately attempts to exploit the situation — Arjah has promised to make him master of the universe, which Jinnai considers a reasonable career move. Shayla-Shayla and the priestesses are captured. The Emperor of Creteria's ambitious guard captain, Gilda, seizes power while Makoto discovers a dangerous truth: the transdimensional reactor powering Creteria is failing, and if the Spring of Life — the source of the realm's energy — is forced open by the wrong hands, the consequences will be catastrophic.

El-Hazard: The Alternative World is the 13-episode television series that serves as the final chapter of the El-Hazard franchise, produced by AIC and directed by Yasuhito Kikuchi. It picks up immediately after the OVA continuity of El-Hazard: The Magnificent World 2, bringing back the full cast — including the returning voice cast from the original OVA series — for one last dimension-hopping adventure. The series adds the new character of Qawool Towles and shifts the setting to the darker, more militaristic world of Creteria, creating a noticeably different visual and tonal register from the sun-drenched fantasy of El-Hazard itself.

Originally released in Japan in early 1998 and brought to North America on VHS and DVD by Geneon Entertainment (Pioneer) between July 1999 and January 2000. Also notable for a 13th bonus "Thirteenth Night" OVA episode included in later releases. 

Notable Staff & Voice Talent

Director: Yasuhito Kikuchi (The Legend of Black Heaven, Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure)
Series Composition: Ryoe Tsukimura (original El-Hazard creator, Tenchi Muyo! writer)
Studio: AIC (Anime International Company) / Pioneer LDC

Cast:
- Tetsuya Iwanaga as Makoto Mizuhara
- Ryotaro Okiayu as Katsuhiko Jinnai (Burn Up W, Nadesico)
- Rio Natsuki as Nanami Jinnai (Battle Athletes OVA)
- Koji Ishii as Masamichi Fujisawa
- Tomo Sakurai as Shayla-Shayla
- Miho Yoshida as Afura Mann
- Saeko Shimazu as Miz Mishtal
- Etsuko Kozakura as Alielle Relryle (Ryo-Ohki / Tenchi Universe)
- Kikuko Inoue as Rune Venus (Tenchi Universe, Battle Skipper)
- Yuri Amano as Ifurita (Battle Athletes OVA, Burn Up W)

DVD Features

- "Thirteenth Night" Bonus OVA Episode (later releases)
- Textless Opening & Ending Animations (Nozomi/Right Stuf release)
- Art Gallery
- Geneon / Pioneer Previews

Spoken Languages: English & Japanese Audio, English Subtitles

Edition Details

Japanese Title: 異次元の世界エルハザード (Ijigen no Sekai Eru Hazādo)
Runtime: ~325 Minutes (Complete Series, 13 Episodes)
Director: Yasuhito Kikuchi
DVD Release Year: 1999–2000 (U.S. Release, Geneon / Pioneer)
Original Broadcast Date (Japan): January 8 – March 25, 1998
Publisher: Geneon Entertainment (Pioneer LDC)
Rating: 14+
Region: Region 1 (U.S. / Canada)
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Themes: Alternate World, Dimension-Hopping, Industrial Dystopia, Spring of Life, El-Hazard Finale

Media assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.