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Review

Those Who Hunt Elves

VHS 1

Synopsis:
Those Who Hunt Elves VHS 1
Airi, a beautiful moviestar, Ritsuko, a gun-toting school girl (with a tank), and Junpei, a brainless pile of muscle, are for some reason stranded in another world, one that comes complete with magic-using elves, talking anamorphs, and the occasional village in distress. (Oddly, they have plenty of Japanese-style cuisine. Go figure.) While head Elf Celcia is casting a spell to send them back to Japan, she gets distracted, and pieces of the manifested spell have deposited themselves on the bodies of several elves across the world. So, what are the trio supposed to do? Travel the world getting elves to take off their clothes, of course!
Review:
Few shows have a premise so utterly ludicrous as Those Who Hunt Elves. Even fewer shows can take that premise and make it into something watchable, let alone enjoyable. Which is why Those Who Hunt Elves is such a surprise.

There aren't that many nudist elves out there, so usually this results in a battle of some kind. In the first episode, the gang saves a village from being under attack by a group of fish-pirates (!) who just happen to be after the local elf. In the second, they're after an elf who runs a group of thugs. Meanwhile, Celcia, not content to look on as the thee make idiots of themselves, can't leave well enough alone, and transforms into a little doggie (Pochi) but when part of the spell is stuck over her eye, gets stuck that way!

A silly plot to say the least, but hillarious enough to span two popular 12-episode late night TV series. The humor is a little flat at times (usually during the fight scenes), but there are so many outragous elements in the series (elven magic against a tank??) that it's usually pretty fun to watch. The dubbing keeps the comic timing perfect (and even improves on it in some aspects by adding abrasive American insults en masse), and is done well enough to forgive some weak bit parts.

Other than that, the only thing that leaves a little something to be desired is the animation itself... Being a late-night TV series, there isn't much in the way of production values to be had here. Who cares? Those Who Hunt Elves is too much fun to care about that.
Grade:
Overall (dub) : B

+ Funny, well-timed over-the-top humor. Most of the voices are well-dubbed
Occasional bad voice. Below-par animation. Too many talking animals. Can get a bit boring.

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Production Info:
Director: Kazuyoshi Katayama
Series Composition: Masaharu Amiya
Script:
Masaharu Amiya
Masashi Kubota
Yasunori Yamada
Music: Hideki Tsutsumi
Original Manga: Yu Yagami
Character Design: Keiji Gotō
Animation Director: Keiji Gotō
Director of Photography: Motoaki Ikegami
Executive producer:
Toshikazu Fukamori
Eiji Izumi
Producer:
Kenichiro Kaizen
Toshiki Ōnishi
Licensed by: ADV Films

Full encyclopedia details about
Those Who Hunt Elves (TV)

Release information about
Those Who Hunt Elves - Fishy Beginnings (Dub.VHS 1)

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