Conversation with Associate; OAV3, EHOL

[Spanner]

While I respect the opinions of those who feel that Makoto/Ifurita is the most important part of El-Hazard, I can't help but notice that most of you are using the argument that "If the Makoto/Ifurita wasn't there, it'd still be a good show, but not the masterpiece that we adore so much."

I agree.

But what you have to understand is that argument works the other way around, as well. The Makoto/Ifurita stuff is not the ONLY part of El-Hazard that is irreplacable. If we were to have lost the great villian that is Jinnai, or the beautifully Arabian fantasy setting, or the interesting and often comically appropriate powers given to the Earthlings, or any of a thousand-and-one other elements - EVEN if we kept that Makoto/Ifurita romance - we would, as Ken Wolfe put it, smiled and said "That was okay" and filed away the disk. I firmly believe that this applies even to the most fervent of Makoto/Ifurita fans here.

El-Hazard achieved a remarkable balance, that managed to mix some admittedly cliche elements in a way that caused it to just... CLICK. With a whole lot of people. It is very misleading to insist that, "Without element X, this series would have sucked," because X is just one of many elements that is irreplacable in El-Hazard.

I've seen Makoto and Ifurita in other series. Average Joe J who manages to teach humanity and love to alien/robot/whatever girl G is a classic formula, and there have been times when I've been impressed and unimpressed with its treatment. In El-Hazard, though, combined with elements X, J, L, I, O, and W, it was moving on a whole new level - a level it could never have achieved on its own.

[dooky]

Well put, Mr Spanner sir. Precisely what I was aiming for, but in a fraction of the verbiage.