It tries hard to be an adventure, but Elf Princess Rane is mainly a vehicle for visual gags and jokes.

Plot Summary
Go Takarada is an adventurer and treasure hunter. On one adventure, he discovers a fairy named Rane - or rather, she discovers him - as she was seeking treasures in the human world. Together, they attempt to find what they are looking for with the help of the other.

The Review
This short series (whose title would have been more accurately translated as 'Fairy Princess Rane') is very, very bizarre, and is one upon which Akitaroh Daichi was honing his skills for his unique brand of humor. The plot is almost an afterthought, since jokes and crazy humor are the goal of Elf Princess Rane.

Elf Princess Rane is filled with strange characters. Rane's elf language sounds like confused random words to everyone else, except for a few times when a magic force kicks in. There's a guy with weird hair that talks in reverse 80% of the time. Go's childhood friend Mari is fairly normal... she's just tired of being left behind by Go, and wants him to notice her. There's another fairy from Rane's world named Leen who has come to the human world to look for Rane, though whether it's to exact revenge on her or be with her is up for debate. Leen herself seems to be conflicted on this matter.

So, if you are looking for weirdness, it is in plenty supply in this short OVA. Daichi fans will be able to spot early representations of what became trademarks of his later style, and most everyone else will be alternately laughing and scratching their head. The pace is so frantic that there isn't much time left in the 60 minutes to tell much of a story. Elf Princess Rane is a fun diversion; no more, no less.