Having already watched the first two El-Hazard OVAs I was a bit tentative about the third series. The original El-Hazard was fantastic while its sequel lacked entertainment value and quality, would the third installment make things even worse or redeem the franchise? That was my question heading in and the answer is while Alternative World is a big improvement over El-Hazard 2 it doesn’t quite match the original. I’m going to assume that anyone reading this review is at least mildly familiar with character names from the first two OVAs, if you aren’t then just skip down a couple places and read my earlier critiques to avoid confusion.
El Hazard the Alternative World begins when a new water priestess is chosen to replace Miz, who is now married to Mr. Fujisawa. The ceremony to officially instate her is ruined by yet another dimensional anomaly. The main cast are all thrust into yet another unfamiliar world where they meet some new faces but face familiar challenges.
That’s really The Alternative World in a nutshell, new characters with the same old obstacles to overcome. The first two OVAs had very similar storylines and this series does little to stray from that formula. Luckily, unlike El-Hazard 2, this show throws enough interesting twists into the tale to keep the viewer interested. The new dimension differentiates itself enough from the previous one to keep your attention and the handful of new faces mesh with the original cast well. The show really takes some time to get off the ground and at times it can drag but it’s never too severe, the conclusion is the high point without a doubt and that’s a blessing and a curse. On one hand it’s preferable for a show to conclude with a bang, but some viewers may have difficulty slogging through the first nine episodes to ever actually reach the meat of the story. For anyone familiar with the first two OVAs the entire cast is back and as likable as ever. Fortunately a few new characters have been added that are vital to the story and just as charming as the original crew. The Emperor Dalton is especially important, if only because he’s the first villainous character in the series who wasn’t an insect or some ancient demon.
The production values are what really separate Alternative World and make it superior to El-Hazard 2. The animation has gotten a significant upgrade, even better then the original OVA, and I never noticed any dips in quality at all. The soundtrack is also better, but in a different way then the original. The first OVA featured a lot of synthesized but catchy tunes while this series has more of a traditional anime score. It fits the atmosphere perfectly though and it’s understandable why the change was made, I would say the music is equal to the original’s just in an entirely different way. The dub is solid once again, the same voice cast is back for the third time around and they remain as reliable as ever. The dialogue is significantly better then El-Hazard 2 and that helps the dub out as well simply because the actors never have to deliver anything totally ridiculous anymore.
Alternative World is not without its faults however, and there are several. The fact is this is the third consecutive El-Hazard featuring almost the same story. The concept has simply run its course, the creative team apparently cannot imagine any use for these characters outside of inter-dimensional adventures and it’s easy to see why this was the final installment in the series. While the show’s climax is excellent and enjoyable it once again boils down to a scenario where you end up right where you started. In this case it’s exactly where they started, no one even knew the characters were ever away. This makes you wonder how confident the writing staff was in the first place, if every story you come up with has absolutely no effect on the universe how is the audience supposed to care? Some of the mechanisms that set up the conclusion are incredibly convenient as well, though not as bad as many anime. The original El-Hazard was enjoyable and had an infectious energy that compelled you to keep watching, this show doesn’t do nearly enough to carve out its own legacy and just seems to be living off the familiar faces set up by its predecessor. A good sequel expands upon the original premise in a meaningful way, El-Hazard the Alternative World is just a well-polished holding pattern and that can’t be overlooked.
To conclude El-Hazard the Alternative World is a worthwhile addition to the franchise, but only barely. If you’ve seen the original El-Hazard the familiar faces will keep you engaged but don’t expect any sort of meaningful additions to the universe. This anime is strictly a cash-in, albeit a much better cash-in then most, and only recommended for those who enjoyed the original.
Final Score: 7.9
Storyline: Passable
Animation: Good
Soundtrack: Good
Dub: Good
