Those Who Hunt Elves Second

—by Charles McCarter

The gang is back! Those who followed THOSE WHO HUNT ELVES during its first television series know that the group encountered some — well — difficulties. This series picks up where the first one left off, meaning the group is still stranded in the Elf World and is still trying to get home. High Elf Circia is still helping them out, too, although the results, as usual, don't seem to be as successful as one would expect.
The first episode deals with some Elf Mermaids and the problems they are having in getting to and from their island sanctuary. It seems that a very large, hungry, and otherwise unpleasant shark has made these waters his home, and anything in them is the special of the day. The Elf Hunters arrive in town, and Circia, driven by some strange dreams, realizes what they must do. Of course, the others are very eager to cooperate if it will help them locate the missing pieces of the spell. Junpei is once again subject to the playfully malicious manipulations of Airi as she gets him to act as "bait." Apparently, love is not only blind but it also has the approximate IQ of a doorknob.
At any rate, with Junpei bobbing in the water and his line tied to Mike (the tank), the others sit back, relax and wait. A short while later, their patience is rewarded, but in a different way than one might think. After a couple of misunderstandings, the Elf Hunters manage to dispense with the fish (in their usual eccentric but serendipitously effective fashion) and they find the first piece of the missing spell. They also discover a very surprising fact about the Elf Mermaids.
This series is pretty much a continuation of the first one, and as a result, very little has changed. The quality of the animation and voice acting is the same as before (all of the original cast has returned), and the music is being handled by the same composers. Combine all of this with the continuing story from the first series, and ELF II feels more like a continuation of the first series than something entirely new. And, in this case at least, that's a good thing.
One difference so far is that Circia appears in her natural state, rather than as Pochi, the dog from the first series. Fans of Kotono Mitsuishi, who provides the voice for the high elf, will probably be relieved that she is voicing an actual female character rather than one disguised as an odd-looking canine. Enjoy it while it lasts because I have a feeling that it's not a permanent thing.
THOSE WHO HUNT ELVES II delivers more of the off-the-wall humor that started with the first series. This time, though, they find even more remote and bizarre sections of this magical world to explore. If you liked the first series, the second series is more of the same, so enjoy.