Thank you, Rob Jinnai! I didn't make that GIF, however. I followed inter-net tradition and nicked it from somewhere, but I can't recall where.
Yeah, you nicked it from me bloke! I made that GIF about a year or so ago. Still have it on my FTP. Although the other one I made of Ifurita flying up in your face (taken from the scene where she abducts Fatora from Gallus) seems to have been eaten by the internet. Anyway, here's one of Baiko and Tamasabaro you can nick too, if you like.
(http://members.aol.com/gransnoise/btani.gif)
Let's take, for example, El-Hazard. I'd be quite happy to follow the adventures of the Roshtarian royalty, the however-many priestesses, Iffy, et cetera. But no, along come these idiotic people from Japan to "save" the day for the local inhabitants!
If I had a dollar for every time I've been subjected to an apology for that formula, I'd be a rich man! I know all the crass commercial reasons for having to have some annoying schoolboy invade a fascinating foreign culture, with everybody behaving toward him as if he was actually a viable character.
Of course, that's supposedly "balanced" by having yet another tourist show up who's a total jerk; who in the blink of an eye manages to become El Hazard's chief criminal. Please, go back home and take your annoying countrymen with you!
*SHRUGS* Well, young people more often than not become the heroes in anime (just be thankful he wasn't a 9 year old girl). For younger folks, it's someone you can relate to (you know, being a student and all). For the older folks, youth represents optimism and hope (this is why the main chara in anime are often young, even in those series targeted at an older audience).
And well, as stated previously, it's the "fish out of water formula." And for good reason! It's escapism. You travel to an exotic world and meet exotic people, some of whom want your help. Some of who want your head on a pike. That's the breaks. It's fantsy and storytelling (and escapism). And as far as Jinnai goes, he is a "necessary" character. If the Bugrom could really accomplish all their goals, don't you think they would have already? Jinnai represents the Fairy Godmother that comes out of no where, waves a wand and accomplished what could not be accomplished before.
I dunno bro, it makes sense to me. It's just anime after all.