Those Who Hunt Elves

Reading any synopsis of this show, if you are of a more concerned, Christian mind-set, you might wonder just what kind of demented, perverted sicko of nature would ever consider watching this show. Well, this sicko, I suppose, though maybe you won[t think it’s so bad when you get to the end of this review. Doubtful, but just maybe you’ll understand why I enjoyed this series so much.

We are instantly thrown into a fantasy world with no explanation as to how our heroes Junpei, Airi, and Reitsuko got there. All we know is that they’re strangers to this world which happens to be filled with elves, and that they’re job is to go around and get these elves as bare as the day they were born. Why, you ask? Why must there be a story where human beings from the REAL earth go about baring the butts and boobies of elves? Female elves only, I might add, just to make it better?

Simple, in my opinion. Because the writers are SICK! They have a messed up idea of what would be funny that goes against just about anything else that should sanely be put into a cartoon, especially targeted at a young teenage audience, but strangely it happens to be quite funny, and would be reprehensible if it harbored on the nudity and sexual angles any other way than it does. You’d think that the show would be nothing but nude elves to heat the hormones of the male crowd watching this show, but hentai this is NOT.

More than anything the show focuses on the characters and their personal “struggles”, one might call them. Jumpei is the martial arts expert who is also a lovable airhead. He goes at it with the team’s chief elven comrade, the ever insane Mistress Celcia, who happens to turn into a dog during the course of this show and gets stuck that way until the end. Reitsuko is a high school militia expert who loves to blow things up, and Airi is the cool, level headed and charming actress who is basically all of the others’ brains put together to form something that’s actually SANE in this series.

They must recover a spell that was broken apart mostly by Junpei’s stupidity and Celcia’s lack of concentration, and the fragments have all materialized as tattoos on the bodies of attractive female elves, respectively between the ages of 16 and 30. Still not convinced that it’s not a messed up premise? Well, I guess there’s no denying that the premise is messed, but it does allow for some very funny moments that are not graphic or objectionable.

The first series was twelve episodes, and right after I got them there was a sequel series released from Japan, continuing from where this one left off. This review is only for the first series, which can either be followed by the sequel show or stand alone, and I think it definitely better than THOSE WHO HUNT ELVES 2, at least of what I’ve seen of it so far.

Again, the nudity is not as big a deal as you might imagine for a show that revolves around it as a central plot point, but it does raise an eyebrow now and then. Most of it is undetailed stuff, and rarely occurs throughout the show in full. Mostly it’s cut-around nudity.

The thing that makes the show in either the American or Japanese version is the constant bickering between Celcia and Junpei. They have some hilarious stuff together, and it gets better as it builds in every episode. Sometimes the show takes strange dramatic and serious turns, but on the whole it manages to be worth a laugh or more.

Not for little ones I think, but there is a definite group in the older category who would appreciate this one. It’s fun, short and simple, if not the greatest show ever. If you like elves though, this may scar your psyche. You’ll probably never look at Dobby or Arwen the same way again…

Voice Acting: Well cast in both versions, but better in Japanese. The Japanese Junpei is the funniest character I’ve ever heard, rivaled only by Celcia.

Violence:

Special effects:

Language: to
In the Japanese there is considerably less language than in the English version. My greatest disappointment with this show is that some true fool at ADV decided it would be fun to include as much filthy language as possible on the American dub, so for the last six episodes you get a**hole, a trillion s words, and basically everything but an F bomb. Watch the Japanese is you have a choice in the matter.

Sexual content: 1/2 at highest. Again, for anyone looking for hot, yummy sexy treats with the nudity in this show, they are well disappointed. The nudity serves only for laughs now and then, and only rarely. Even with shots with full on breast views, there is no more detail than if you were looking at a Barbie doll. The worst is an elf in the third episode who has, um, quite a bit of fullness, let us say. Her beach balls have air in them. Other than that, just some VERY close cut-arounds most of the time.

Overall: 1/2 I really liked this show, which means I’m on the other side of 50/50. Most people seem to either love it or hate it, with little in-between ground. It makes for an entertaining few hours, and tries to have just about everything for everybody. Not a great show; just a fun one. I’ll review the second series fully once I’ve seen it all.