is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yu Yagami. The plot revolves around three travelers, the eponymous "Elf Hunters", and the elven sorceress Mistress Celcia. The anime was released in North America on VHS and DVD by ADV Films and later re-released by Sentai Filmworks.
On June 12, 2015, the Chinese Ministry of Culture listed Those Who Hunt Elves among 38 anime and manga titles banned in China.
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 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 humor, and are more ridiculous than suggestive. The series is also known for breaking the fourth wall, mostly by Junpei.
Characters
Elf Hunters
A 19-year-old karateka and strongman with incredible fighting ability, Junpei is the group's muscle of the group as well as being the only male. 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 curry and, briefly, heliocentrism. 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 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 otaku. 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 Christmas long after her peers had abandoned it and is also frightened to death of ghosts. Over the course of the manga, she gradually falls in love with Junpei. Ritsuko carries a Howa Type 64 battle rifle, SIG SG 550 assault rifle, SIG P226 and Heckler & Koch USP semiautomatic pistols, G36 assault rifle, PSG1 sniper rifle, a sheath knife, some C4 and a Colt M16A2 assault rifle. She also speaks fluent English and German.
A 24-year-old talented Japanese-American 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 handy 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 and a make-up compact kit.
for Season 1 and Shelley Calene-Black (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 eye; another gives her a set of whiskers.