El-Hazard: The Wanderers

Makoto is a brilliant high school student who likes to tinker with machines in the science lab. When his crazed rival, class president Jinnai, interferes with an experiment, both are thrown through a portal into the fantastical realm of El-Hazard. Jinnai quickly morphs from simply creepy to outright megalomaniacal when he meets and becomes leader of the Bugrom, a race of bug people who want to take over the world. Meanwhile, Makoto ends up in the human kingdom of Roshtaria and together with his history teacher Fujisawa and best friend Nanami (Jinnai's sister)—who were also teleported into the mysterious land—tries to find a way back to Earth. Their quest leads them across El-Hazard and into the path of Jinnai, who has developed apocalyptic powers. Despite the plot's various threats and dangers, El-Hazard: The Wanderers—aired as a TV series in 1995–96—emerges more as a silly, fluffy, rollicking adventure rather than dark drama. Presenting all 26 episodes in a dual-language, four-disc set, rated 13-up, DVD extras include art galleries and animated comics. Recommended. (L. Martincik)