Those Who Hunt Elves
Encyclopedia
is a manga
series and an anime
television series by Yu Yagami
, released in North America on VHS
and DVD
by ADV Films. The plot revolves around three travellers, the eponymous "Elf Hunters", and the elven
sorceress Mistress Celcia.
The Elf Hunters travel by means of a Type 74
tank, which has been transported to the magical world with them.
The reaction of various elves as the team attempts to strip them naked is a primary basis for much of the show's humour, and are more ridiculous than risqué. The series is also known for breaking the fourth wall
, mostly from Junpei.
for Season 1 and Shelley Calene-Black
(English) for Season 2
for Season 1 Eps. 5 -9 and Christopher Bourque (English) Season 1 Eps. 10-12, Tiffany Grant
(English) for Season 2
for Season 1 and Randy Sparks (English) for Season 2
Andy
Bronco
Hammerhead
Gabriella
Dihal
Rapier
Sister Romina
Emmy
Pierre
Colleena
Grace
Milliea's Grandfather
for Season 1 and Jay Hickman (English) for Season 2
for Season 1 and Monica Rial
(English) for Season 2
Rosa
Lana
Nancy
Dr. Bruno
Beano
Mr. Tomato
Lilia
Mr. Wolf
Grandma
Elven Hunters
Pulana
The Friskers:
There are several Father Christmases in the world in which Elf Hunters find themselves, including Satan, Infomercial and Salary Man Santas, as well as several female Santas - including Annette. There is also a Dog Santa.
Mayor of Treetown
Bizarre
Legendary Sorcerer
. It was serialized by MediaWorks
in the manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao!
from June 1995 to
March 2003, and collected in 21 bound volumes
. It is licensed in English by ADV Manga, with only the first seven volumes published in English in 2004, before the series went on indefinite hiatus. ADV's website makes no mention of the series in manga form, so it is unlikely the series will be continued.
Those Who Hunt Elves 2
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series and an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
television series by Yu Yagami
Yu Yagami
is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for the manga Those Who Hunt Elves, which was adapted as an anime series. His works Those Who Hunt Elves, Dokkoida?!, Go West!, and Hikkatsu! Strike a Blow to Vivify have been licensed in English....
, released in North America on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by ADV Films. The plot revolves around three travellers, the eponymous "Elf Hunters", and the elven
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
sorceress Mistress Celcia.
Plot
Elf Hunters seek five spell fragments that have been placed on the skin of elves, similar to tattoos, throughout the magical world they have been transported to. When they find them, they will be able to return to Japan.The Elf Hunters travel by means of a Type 74
Type 74
The is a main battle tank of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force . It was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as a replacement for the earlier Type 61. It was based on the best features of a number of contemporary designs, placing it in the same class as the US M60 or German Leopard 1. Like...
tank, which has been transported to the magical world with them.
The reaction of various elves as the team attempts to strip them naked is a primary basis for much of the show's humour, and are more ridiculous than risqué. The series is also known for breaking the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
, mostly from Junpei.
Elf Hunters
- A 19-year-old KarateKarateis a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
ka & strongmanStrongman (strength athlete)In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or circus performers of similar ilk who displayed feats of strength such as the bent press , supporting large amounts of...
with incredible fighting ability, Junpei is the muscle of the group as well as being the only male in the group. However, his rather rough way of saying things as well as his eye for beautiful women get him into trouble more often than not. He is constantly arguing with Celcia and obsessed about curryCurryCurry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
and, briefly, heliocentrismHeliocentrismHeliocentrism, or heliocentricism, is the astronomical model in which the Earth and planets revolve around a stationary Sun at the center of the universe. The word comes from the Greek . Historically, heliocentrism was opposed to geocentrism, which placed the Earth at the center...
. Junpei abhors fantasy stories and might be atheist or agnostic. He is infatuated with Airi but is clueless to Celcia's own feelings for him as well despite their constant bickering. Junpei carries a wallet filled with membership cards from various dojos, and a condom with the words 'Use with Airi Only!' written on the wrapper.
- A 16-year-old high school girl and military otakuOtakuis a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga or video games.- Etymology :Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another's house or family , which is also used as an honorific second-person pronoun...
. She's a tomboy but not to the point where she loses her femininity. She drives and maintains the tank (to which she has a strong attachment) and also acts as a sniper from time to time; she often sets landmines and booby traps. Despite her love of modern military hardware, Ritsuko also displays a more sensitive and innocent side: she falls in love with the cute Pichi and maintained a belief in Father ChristmasFather ChristmasFather Christmas is the name used in many English-speaking countries for a figure associated with Christmas. A similar figure with the same name exists in several other countries, including France , Spain , Brazil , Portugal , Italy , Armenia , India...
long after her peers had abandoned it and is also frightened to death of ghosts. Ritsuko carries a Howa Type 64Howa Type 64The , is a Japanese battle rifle used exclusively by the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the Japanese Coast Guard. It is a gas-operated, selective fire weapon which is chambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO round and uses a detachable 20-round box magazine. The Type 64 was never exported outside of Japan...
Battle Rifle, SIG SG 550SIG SG 550The SG 550 is an assault rifle manufactured by Swiss Arms AG of Neuhausen, Switzerland...
assaut rifle, SIG P226SIG P226The SIG P226 is a full-sized, service-type pistol made by SIG Sauer. It is chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, .357 SIG, and .22 Long Rifle. It is essentially the same basic design of the SIG P220, but developed to use higher capacity, staggered-column magazines in place of the...
semiautomatic pistol, USP40USP40Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 40 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the USP40 gene.-Further reading:...
, G36C Assault Rifle, PSG1 Sniper Rifle, a sheath knife, some C4C4C4, C04, C.IV or C-4 may refer to:* C-4 , a type of plastic explosive* Hafdasa C-4, an Argentine submachine gunIn biology:* C4 carbon fixation, a pathway for carbon fixation in photosynthesis...
and a ColtColt's Manufacturing CompanyColt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
M16A1 Assault Rifle. She also speaks fluently in English and German.
- A 24-year-old American-born talented actress, Airi is as skilled as she is beautiful. Able to cut from one emotion to another in an instant, and even disguise herself as someone else, Airi's talents come in useful for getting out of sticky situations that require trickery rather than brute force. Airi also has an ability to quickly and accurately assess any given situation and to plan for its eventual outcome. Although aware of Junpei's blatant affections for her, she does not reciprocate (although she does use them to her advantage, for example when getting Junpei to volunteer to be live bait to catch a giant shark by saying "Pretty please"). Airi carries a Katana sword and a make-up compact kitCompact (cosmetics)A compact is cosmetic product. It is usually contained in a small, round case, with two or all of the following: a mirror, pressed powder, and a powder puff. The term is an abbreviation for "compact powder"...
.
for Season 1 and Shelley Calene-Black
Shelley Calene-Black
Shelley Calene-Black is an American actress and voice actress who has worked for Funimation Entertainment, ADV Films, Seraphim Digital, and OkraTron 5000...
(English) for Season 2
- The unfortunate elf who happens to get tied up with her world's new visitors, Celcia offers to transport Junpei and the others back with a spell, but gets distracted in the process and causes her spell book pages to be spread out all over the world. She is a bit of a ditz and a bit psychotic and is constantly at odds with Junpei, but she is just as determined to get him and his friends back to their own world as they are - even despite her own feelings for Junpei (who she's actually in love with but publicly butts heads with). Generally, she wants them to get back home because they tend to cause a LOT of trouble. During the efforts to retrieve the spell fragments, Celcia displays an uncanny knack for getting stuck in animal form - first as a dog (Pochi), into which she'd willingly transformed, and secondly into a panda. The reason for her retention of these forms is that it is she who recovers spell fragments from the bodies of other elves, only for them to become cloven to her. Unfortunately, if they become cloven to her while she is in another form, it traps her in that form. Also, some of these marks are rather annoying. One, for instance, is a goofy looking black eyeBlack eyeA black eye , or or 'shiner', is bruising around the eye commonly due to an injury to the face rather than eye injury. The name is given due to the color of bruising. The so-called black eye is caused by bleeding beneath the skin and around the eye...
; another gives her a set of whiskers.
for Season 1 Eps. 5 -9 and Christopher Bourque (English) Season 1 Eps. 10-12, Tiffany Grant
Tiffany Grant
Tiffany Lynn Grant is an American voice actress and script writer who is known for her English-dubbing work with the former ADV Films on such anime films and television series as Neon Genesis Evangelion, in which she voiced the character Asuka Langley Soryu...
(English) for Season 2
- The Type 74 tankType 74The is a main battle tank of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force . It was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as a replacement for the earlier Type 61. It was based on the best features of a number of contemporary designs, placing it in the same class as the US M60 or German Leopard 1. Like...
is possessed during the show by the spirit of a cat known as Mihke. Mihke is first met by Elf Hunters possessing a giant teddy bear, which is then attacked by villagers, who explain that the spirit has been harassing them for some time. Upon the destruction of the bear, the spirit possesses a toy dog, found floating in a river by Ritsuko, before this too is destroyed.
- A small, white, teddy bear-like interdimensional creature with the ability to produce toilet paper, to whom Ritsuko takes a liking. Pichi ends up proving an incentive for the group, especially due to a plot involving a scarcity of toilet tissue.
Supporting
- A priestly elf and acolyte of Celcia who often appears during the group's adventures. Early in the series, she loses her faith and trust in Celcia for she thought she'd betrayed the elven race for helping out Those Who Hunt Elves and sought to stop TWHE by using a powerful spell, but ended up opening a portal and bringing more earth-originated material through. Subsequently, she ended up stripped naked and flowing down a river attached to a log. Despite this, she is later seen as a major supporter of Elf Hunters efforts to return to Japan. Probably because this is the best way to stop them.
- Voiced by: Motomu KiyokawaMotomu Kiyokawais a Japanese actor and seiyū from Kanagawa Prefecture. He is affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society.-Voice roles:*The Big O *BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger...
(Japanese) for Season 1 and Genmu Kiyokawa (Japanese) for Season 2, Bob Elliott (English) for Season 1 and Rob Bundy for Season 2
for Season 1 and Randy Sparks (English) for Season 2
- They are the two Elven Bishops, with whom Annette and Celcia often consort and often disagree.
- An elven wind-priestess. She initially mistakes TWHE as the Legendary Trio when Hammerhead and his pirate crew raid her village.
Andy
- An inhabitant of Emily's village.
Bronco
- Andy's younger brother.
Hammerhead
- Leader of a group of anthropomorphic sea creatures who hunt elves to sell as stuffed hunting trophies. They prove to be no match for Junpei's fighting skills, Ritsuko's weaponry and the T-74 Tank's gun.
Gabriella
- An Amazon-like female elf. Her forces would be effortlessly defeated by Those Who Hunt Elves and she herself would fall to Junpei. After which she develops feelings for him for his honor as a fighter.
Dihal
- A female elf and leader of a town beset by skeletal warriors, she drinks a magic potion which causes her to grow, thus enabling Elf Hunters to search her naked frame. She spends the rest of the episodes in her giant form.
Rapier
- A female elf and accomplished fighter, cursed with the numbers of her defeated rivals on her back. It can't come off until she's defeated her 1,000th opponent. She would fall to Junpei but was relieved of her curse because she learned the true way of the fist that her late senseiSensei' is a Japanese word that basically means "person born before another." In general usage, it means "master" or "teacher," and the word is used as a title to refer to or address teachers, professors, professionals such as lawyers, CPA and doctors, politicians, clergymen, and other figures of authority...
taught her but refused to listen. She thanks him and Junpei for relieving her of the curse.
Sister Romina
- An elven nunNunA nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
.
Emmy
- A ghostly elf who claims to be a lesbian to keep Junpei from stripping her.
Pierre
- Born-again ex-alcoholic hotelHotelA hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
ier.
Colleena
- An elf who works in flower delivery.
Grace
- A human dressmaker.
- An elf cursed to eternally wear a magical suit of armor she donned in order to protect her city from an evil giant. After a few comical attempts by TWHE to strip her of the armor, she finally manages to remove it, only to put it back on again.
Milliea's Grandfather
- A short, shriveled-up elf who is also a pervert who holds an antidote for Millia's armor to come off.
for Season 1 and Jay Hickman (English) for Season 2
- The chief elven prosecutor for the world in which Elf Hunters find themselves. He is often looking for ways to end the heroes' reign of terror.
for Season 1 and Monica Rial
Monica Rial
Monica Jean Rial is an American voice actress, ADR Director, and Script Writer who works for Funimation Entertainment, ADV Films, Seraphim Digital, and OkraTron 5000...
(English) for Season 2
- A female elf presiding judge who heard the case against Elf Hunters, only to award them a license to keep stripping elves as a means to return home.
Rosa
- Mermaid elf leader.
Lana
- Elven thief.
Nancy
- A healer who has become a recluse after being inflicted with spell fragments.
Dr. Bruno
- A scientist and astronomer, developing her father's heliocentric theories, much to the chagrin of the astronomical council. However, her theories are far different than the normal scientific definition.
Beano
Mr. Tomato
- Voiced by: Donaldo (English)
- They are two island-based botanists whose experiments with increasing plant growth exponentially end in conflagration.
Lilia
- An elf who plays the part of a ditsy schoolgirl in a scenario invented by the Judge to entrap Elf Hunters.
Mr. Wolf
- A wolf who bears a grudge against humanity after the death of his parents. His plans are thwarted by Elf Hunters, who later save him from four elven hunters.
Grandma
- Grandmother of Little Red Riding HoodLittle Red Riding HoodLittle Red Riding Hood, also known as Little Red Cap, is a French fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings....
.
Elven Hunters
- Voiced by: 1. Jessica BooneJessica BooneJessica Boone is a classically trained American actress with extensive experience in Shakespeare and musical theatre. She has been a leading player with Prague Shakespeare Festival and Houston Shakespeare Festival where her roles have included Rosalind, Juliet, Helena, Regan, Thaisa and Innogen...
{English) 2. Kathya Coker {English} 3. Kim PrauseKim PrauseKim Prause is an American voice actress and theatre actress. She has done several anime voice roles for ADV Films.-Voice roles:* Air - Kano's Mother* Angelic Layer - Chitose Tanaka* Aquarian Age: Sign for Evolution - Arayashiki East...
(English) 4. Melissa Williams (English}
- Four psychopathic hunters who are eventually shown as female elves.
Pulana
- An elf bearing an enchanted Chinese-style dress. She is rescued by Junpei and Ritsuko from the Friskers.
The Friskers:
- The Chairman
- Leader of the Friskers, a group who pride themselves on being the primary stripping faction in the Elf Hunters' fantasy world. Ironically, they worship TWHE as the premiere elf strippers.
- Bunny Mask
- Mary the Shepherd
- Man Who Stripped the Emperor
There are several Father Christmases in the world in which Elf Hunters find themselves, including Satan, Infomercial and Salary Man Santas, as well as several female Santas - including Annette. There is also a Dog Santa.
- Satan Santa
- Infomercial Santa
- Voiced by: Vic MignognaVic MignognaVictor Joseph "Vic" Mignogna is an American Anime Award winning voice actor and musician who has done voice work for many anime series, movies, and video games...
(English)
- Voiced by: Vic Mignogna
- Salary Man Santas
- Voiced by: 1. Chris PattonChris PattonChristopher David Patton is an American voice actor who works on anime for Funimation Entertainment, ADV Films, Seraphim Digital, and OkraTron 5000...
{English} 2. Andy McAvinAndy McAvinAndrew Mark "Andy" McAvin is an American actor and voice over actor with nearly 80 credits to his resume. He also appeared in over 120 professional theatrical productions including Broadway musicals. He does voice work in anime dubs for ADV Films and Seraphim Digital.One of his most prominent...
(English)
- Voiced by: 1. Chris Patton
- A powerful elven sorceress residing in Treetown, who firstly attempts to lure Elf Hunters into becoming human sacrifices by a trick, in order to save her world from destruction at the hands of the Legendary Sorcerer (subsequently ending up stripped), before imploring their aid when her fears become reality.
Mayor of Treetown
- Helping Regina with her plans.
Bizarre
- An elven master thief with plans for global domination. She is aided by two goblins.
- Goblin 1
- Goblin 2
Legendary Sorcerer
- Having lain dormant for many years under Treetown, the sorcerer has the power to destroy the world.
Manga
The manga was written and illustrated by Yu YagamiYu Yagami
is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for the manga Those Who Hunt Elves, which was adapted as an anime series. His works Those Who Hunt Elves, Dokkoida?!, Go West!, and Hikkatsu! Strike a Blow to Vivify have been licensed in English....
. It was serialized by MediaWorks
MediaWorks (publisher)
was a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group known for their brand magazines and book labels. These included such well-known magazines as Dengeki Daioh, and Dengeki G's Magazine, along with MediaWorks' main light novel publishing imprint Dengeki Bunko. The company was merged with ASCII...
in the manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao!
Dengeki Comic Gao!
, also known as Dengeki Gao! as was a Japanese shōnen manga magazine that primarily contained manga and information about series featuring bishōjo characters. It was published from December 1992 to February 2008 by MediaWorks. The Gao in the magazine's title is a childish form of the sound Grr...
from June 1995 to
March 2003, and collected in 21 bound volumes
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
. It is licensed in English by ADV Manga, with only the first seven volumes published in English in 2004, before the series went on indefinite hiatus. ADV's website makes no mention of the series in manga form, so it is unlikely the series will be continued.
Anime
The series was licensed by ADV Films, who released as 4 DVDs. The first half was called Those Who Hunt Elves and the second two DVDs were called Those Who Hunt Elves 2. In 2009, Sentai Filmworks had released the series in a complete collection set.| Those Who Hunt Elves | ||
|---|---|---|
| Volume 1 - Ready, Set, Strip | ||
| # | Title | | Original air date |
| Volume 2 - Elf Stripping For Fun and Profit |
||
| Those Who Hunt Elves 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Volume 3 - Forgive Me for Stripping You | ||
| # | Title | | Original air date |
| Volume 4 - Still Stripping After All These Years |
||
Music
Those Who Hunt Elves- Opening Theme:
- "Angel Blue"
- Lyrics by: Naoko Hamasaki
- Composition and arrangement by: Chihiro Kiryu
- Song by: Naoko Hamasaki
- "Angel Blue"
- Ending Theme:
- "The Genius Comes At The End" (天才は最後にやってくる; Tensai wa Saigo ni Yattekuru)
- Lyrics by: Natsumi Tadano
- Composition and arrangement by: Hideki Tsutsumi
- Song by: Naoko Hamasaki
- "The Genius Comes At The End" (天才は最後にやってくる; Tensai wa Saigo ni Yattekuru)
Those Who Hunt Elves 2
- Opening Theme:
- "Round11"
- Lyrics by: Naoko Hamasaki
- Composition and arrangement by: Chihiro Kiryu
- Song by: Naoko Hamasaki
- "Round11"
- Ending Theme:
- "To a Place Beyond Miracles" (奇跡の向こう側へ; Kiseki no Mukou Soba e)
- Lyrics by: Naoko Hamasaki
- Composition and arrangement by: Hideki Tsutsumi
- Song by: Naoko Hamasaki
- "To a Place Beyond Miracles" (奇跡の向こう側へ; Kiseki no Mukou Soba e)