Maze: The Mega-Burst Space OVA DVD

Mei Ikaruga wakes up with no memory, her room destroyed, and her house inexplicably transported to a fantasy world that looks nothing like modern Japan. A girl named Princess Mill is outside, on the run from the Jaina Holy Group after her house landed on one of their soldiers in a manner highly reminiscent of a certain famous story about Kansas. Maze — as Mei now calls herself — has developed considerable magical and combat abilities she didn't have before, and finds herself appointed as Mill's protector. The complication: every night at sundown, Maze transforms into a male — specifically into Akira, her brother from the real world, whose personality is aggressive, flirtatious, and entirely comfortable using violence. Mill, who has developed very strong feelings for the female Maze, is somewhat confused by this. Akira, who has very strong feelings about most of the women they encounter, does not help. Together they travel with a growing ensemble of companions — the swordswoman Rapier, the archer Solude, the knight Aster, and others — through a world of mecha battles and magical warfare, gathering allies and trying to figure out how any of them got here and whether they can get back.

Maze: The Mega-Burst Space OVA is a two-episode 1996 production by J.C. Staff, directed by Iku Suzuki and based on Satoru Akahori's light novel series — the same creator behind Sorcerer Hunters and Knights of Ramune. It served as the pilot for the full 26-episode TV series and sequel movie that followed in 1997. The series draws self-consciously from The Wizard of Oz in its opening setup and layers in Slayers-style fantasy comedy, fan service, and genuine mecha action. Kotono Mitsuishi voices female Maze and Tomokazu Seki voices male Maze — two of the most recognizable voices in the franchise's core cast.

Both the OVA and TV series were licensed in North America by Central Park Media and released on DVD under their Software Sculptors label. 

Notable Staff & Voice Talent

Director: Iku Suzuki
Original Light Novel: Satoru Akahori (Sorcerer Hunters, Knights of Ramune)
Character Design / Mechanical Design: Eiji Suganuma (Ninja Cadets)
Studio: J.C. Staff (Slayers, Little Snow Fairy Sugar, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, Descendants of Darkness)

Japanese Cast:
• Kotono Mitsuishi as Female Maze / Mei (Dragon Half, Sailor Moon, A Little Snow Fairy Sugar, Steel Angel Kurumi)
• Tomokazu Seki as Male Maze / Akira (Chobits, Arjuna, Vandread, Gate Keepers, Sorcerer Hunters)
• Sakura Tange as Princess Mill (Battle Skipper, Cardcaptor Sakura)
• Yuri Amano as Rapier (El-Hazard, Burn Up W, Magic User's Club, Moldiver, Sorcerer Hunters)
• Akira Ishida as Solude (Gokudo, Slayers, Now and Then Here and There, Fruits Basket)
• Michiko Neya as Mix (Nadesico, éX-Driver, SoulTaker, Steel Angel Kurumi, Burn Up Excess)

English Dub Cast (Central Park Media — New York):
• Debora Rabbai as Female Maze
• Greg Wolfe as Male Maze
• Elisa Wain as Princess Mill
• Tara Jayne as Solude (Night on the Galactic Railroad, RG Veda)
• Tristan Goddard as Woll (Descendants of Darkness)
• Michael Schwartz as Aster

DVD Features

• Both OVA Episodes on Single Disc
• Central Park Media / Software Sculptors Previews

Spoken Languages: English & Japanese Audio, English Subtitles

Edition Details

Japanese Title: MAZE☆爆熱時空 (Meizu Bakunetsu Jikū / Maze: The Mega-Burst Space)
Runtime: ~60 Minutes (Complete OVA, 2 Episodes)
Director: Iku Suzuki
DVD Release Year: Late 1990s (U.S. Release, Central Park Media / Software Sculptors)
Original Release Date (Japan): July 24 – September 21, 1996
Publisher: Central Park Media (Software Sculptors)
Rating: 16+
Region: Region 1 (U.S. / Canada)
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Mecha, Fan Service
Themes: Gender-Switching Protagonist, Wizard of Oz Homage, Fantasy World Isekai, Pilot OVA for TV Series, Satoru Akahori Comedy

Media assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.