The seven-episode OAV "El Hazard: The Magnificent World" began the popular comedy-adventure that encompasses the 13-part broadcast series "El Hazard: The Alternative World" and the four-episode OAV "El Hazard 2: The Magnificent World". Director Hiroki Hayashi is the co-creator of "Tenchi Muyo", and both series focus on strong, outrageous female characters who fight for the affections of a dense but well-intentioned hero; in this case, Nanami and Shayla-Shayla over Makoto. Makoto lacks Tenchi's charm and secret powers, but the hard-drinking teacher Mr. Fujisawa balances the flakiness of Tenchi's father with genuine strengths. In the ruins beneath Shinanome High School, Makoto encounters Ifurita, an ancient, mysterious entity who transports him to the parallel world of El Hazard. She also takes the scheming Jinnai, Jinnai's irrepressible sister Nanami, and Mr. Fujisawa. The Earthlings find themselves in an elaborate sword-and-sorcery tale involving the Eye of God, a super-weapon created by an earlier civilization. Balanced against this threat are comic interludes that include Makoto posing in drag as the Princess Fatora and Jinnai making himself ruler of the insectlike Bugrom. The plot has an odd, circular structure in which the climax sets up the action in the first episode. "El Hazard 2" picks up the action, but much of the story feels like a rerun: the characters deal with similar problems, and the threat comes from another terrible weapon, "the Trigger of Destruction." The many fans of "El Hazard" will welcome this set, even though it contains no supplemental material. Rated 13 and up for drinking, mild profanity, and violence. "--Charles Solomon"