Those Who Hunt Elves ~Season 1~ VHS

When a trio of bizarrely talented humans—a hot-headed martial artist, a brilliant Academy Award-winning actress, and a completely gun-crazy high school girl—are suddenly transported to a mystical fantasy world, they accidentally ruin the elven spell meant to send them home. The teleportation spell shatters, scattering its fragments across the continent where they seamlessly attach to the skin of unsuspecting elves. Left with no other choice, this eccentric team boards their magically possessed Type 74 Japanese military tank to hunt down the indigenous elven population. Their goal is as absurd as it is simple: strip every elf they encounter to find the hidden spell tattoos and piece together their ticket back to Earth.

Based on Yu Yagami’s beloved fantasy-comedy manga series, Those Who Hunt Elves is a legendary staple of late-90s anime comedy. Produced by Group TAC and Amuse, the series gleefully throws typical high-fantasy serious tropes out the window in favor of pure, unadulterated slapstick humor, isekai parody, and chaotic energy. Directed by Kazuyoshi Katayama (The Big O), the show perfectly balances over-the-top tactical gunplay with lighthearted fantasy misadventures. Released in North America on VHS by the iconic ADV Films, this classic home video tape captures the vintage aesthetic, featuring early English voice-over work that helped define the golden era of Western anime licensing.

Notable Staff & Voice Talent

Director: Kazuyoshi Katayama (The Big O, Appleseed OVA)
Original Creator: Yu Yagami
Studio: Group TAC / Amuse
Music: Takashi Kenno
Cast:

• Tomokazu Seki / Andrew Klimko as Junpei Ryuzoji
• Michie Tomizawa / Kelly Manison as Airi Komiyama
• Yuko Miyamura / Rozie Curtis as Ritsuko Inoue
• Kotono Mitsuishi / Jessica Calvello (or Shelley Calene-Black) as Mistress Celcia Marie Claire
• Eriko Kawasaki / Tiffany Grant as Mike / Mihke (The Tank)

VHS Features

• Vintage NTSC Format Presentation (Full Screen 4:3 Aspect Ratio)
• ADV Films Home Video Trailers & Previews
• HI-FI Stereo Audio Track
• Original English Theme Song Packaging

Edition Details

Japanese Title: エルフを狩るモノたち (Erufu o Karu Mono-tachi)
Runtime: ~50-75 Minutes per Volume (Contains 2-3 Episodes)
Director: Kazuyoshi Katayama
VHS Release Year: 1998–2000 (ADV Films North American Home Video Releases)
Original Air Date (Japan): 1996
Publisher: A.D.V. Films (Anime公共/Advanced Media Systems)
Rating: 13+ / TV-PG (Contains Comic Nudity, Animated Violence, Slapstick Humour, and Suggestive Themes)
Signal Standard: NTSC (Region 1 / North America Compatible)
Genre: Isekai, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure
Themes: Magic Spells, Elves, Military Tank, Stripping Tattoos, Dimension Hopping

Media assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.