Current topic: No Earth Talent in EH? [see inside]

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

That was a rather unexpected rant.

All I can say is, standard formula or not, without them arriving, El-Hazard would've been doomed to Galus activating the Eye of God and sending them ALL to oblivion.  (OAV original plot anywho.)

I think the major reason its important to have brought Earth people into the picture is because it gives you a feeling of emotional attachment.  Sure, a fantasy kingdom on a fantasy world is a great place to be, but it becomes so far-fetched at that point.  You have to totally believe in this world but keep in mind that you yourself are never allowed to be there.


The creators of Back to the Future made up the kick-ass modified DeLorean for the point of bringing a machine to the time travel, as opposed to just some "magical" event causing Marty to be time-fully displaced.  "A machine makes it believable", the creators said.

The fact that Ifurita opens a gateway between Earth and El-Hazard lets you think that it exists scientifically, as opposed to pure fantasy, and that there is a way, somehow, that you too could get to this world.

But never mind that.  It also carries some important human interest.  Do any of us ever wish we could just be whisked away to another world?


Makoto's been reduced to a political pawn to oust Jinnai, who was probably only moments away from killing him, literally.  


Jinnai's presidency is over at the revelation of scandal (from his own sister even!)  


Mr. Fujisawa is likely to be fired from the school after the students catch him very blantantly with alcohol on school grounds.


Had everything run its course, their lives would be over, and so would El-Hazard.
Yet, this all gave them a chance to find a true self.  Makoto went from an awkward teenager with sexual orientation conflicts to a strong, sure man in the end [-Neil L.].  Mr. Fujisawa goes from a constant drinker to a justice fighter, showing how much good comes from NOT intoxicating himself two ways.  Jinnai... well, he's happy as a world dictator anyway.

Granted, El-Hazard follows cliches... such as the one many guys have come to hate, the "all girls on dorky main character" cliche.  ;p  It doesn't happen to US, so why should it happen to him?  
But look past the cliches, and look to the things that El-Hazard actually did very well.  And try to see it on an emotional attachment angle.  You can't as easily become attached to people that you will never meet.  As long as you can dream that there's a real, existing way to get there, then its not so far away.

(P.S. I have no idea if thats related to the Gulliver's Travels defense, which I'm not exactly sure what that is. )

[larewen_evenstar]

                                    ...erm...

[Kathy Guinea]

(P.S. I have no idea if thats related to the Gulliver's Travels defense, which I'm not exactly sure what that is. )

Bob I KNOW you know the basic Gulliver's Travels story O_O;  (if you somehow forgot, let me know... I'll remind you...)

To make this short and to the point, what you wrote has nothing to do with that ^_^;

Incidentally, I LIKE dorky guys AND power mad freaks... though if I were to DATE someone... umm I think I'd rather be with the dorky guy... cos I think my personality would clash with a power mad freak...

[larewen_evenstar]

YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!

Lar.

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

Excuse me, Lar.  All she did was confirm I didn't have anything to do with 'Travels and that she'd date dorky guys. ;p

[larewen_evenstar]

So?

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

I guess ... try to comment on topics at hand, not off-to-the-site points.

[larewen_evenstar]

Okay. Sorry. BTTF &EH are cool. I liked the second BTTF movie best.

[jewel_of_roshtaria]

WOW!!! This is actually totally off topic even for a topic that IS totally of topic, but I just have to say, that guy in one of Robs Pics,


"Mr. Fujisawa is likely to be fired from the school after the students catch him very blantantly with alcohol on school grounds. "

That fat guy, the one with the big lips, looks exactly like my ex-boyfriend, Phil! Woah, talk about inter-dimensions! *ahem* Uh, Ladies and Gentlemen, that is all... That and

I LUV LAR!!!

[mr._cat]

Thank you Rob Jinnai, for your reply.  I feel much better now, having gotten that rant off my chest!

Yes, your points are well taken; especially regarding the umbilical cord connecting the two worlds, ours and theirs, made possible by the presence of characters who are Earth people.  (By the way, I want to go there too; so please send me Ifurita’s e-mail address.)

Oh, yes:  the Gulliver's Travels thing.  Actually the original title of Jonathan Swift's book, published anonymously in 1726, is Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World; In Four Parts; By Lemuel Gulliver; First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of several Ships.  Well, in Part One, Gulliver was (shall we say) traveling when he came upon the land of Lilliput.  The Lilliputians were very-small people who proceeded to, amongst other things, tie Gulliver down with lots of little ropes whilst he was asleep.



The point being, that we'd not have learned of the Lilliputians had it not been for the Gulliver character; so, in a way, were it not for the Earth-people characters we would never have learned about El-Hazard — and so forth and so on.  If this literary device was all right for Swift in the 18th Century, then I guess it’s allowed for El-Hazard today.  (I still can’t stand Makoto and Jinnai, though.)



=^..^=

[bakasama]

Speaking of EH as a clone thing... how bout an Clone series of El-Hazard?
The title: Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure.
It is described as "El Hazard meets Evangelion". Designed by those guys who gave you Tenchi.
You got the alternate world formula, the giant robots and a boy flocked by a bunch of girls.

[Neil Lafrenais]

Mr. Cat: El-Hazard would suck without the Shinonome travellers. Seriously.

As I see it, the first OAV of El-Hazard is a complex jigsaw puzzle. The humans, dimension travel and the 'fish out of water' concept are all essential to the story. They fit together with the fantasy, sci-fi, war and magical girl elements perfectly to make one, giant, beautiful picture.

You suggest that the series would be better with only the "cooler" characters (such as Ifurita, The Priestesses etc)? What kind of story would that leave us with? A bland and poor one, in my view. Sure, there would be the whole Ifurita vs. whoever fighting sequences, but El-Hazard's most charming feature is character interaction. And that is mostly supplied by the 4 initial Earth talent.

It is also worth noting that the Earth characters are also the ones who supply the series with most of the humour. The Makoto - Jinnai rivalary, Fujisawa's drinking problem, the Jinnai - Nanami rivalary, the Nanami - Shayla rivarly, the Fujisawa - Miz romance... it's endless. With those elements missing, the series would be no where as good as it is right now.

The travelling to another world concept maybe overused, but by god, it's executed maginificently in this series.

... Yeah, I felt like a rant myself

[larewen_evenstar]

I feel sorry for Gulliver.  

[mr._cat]

Aha, I found the thread!  Anyway, I'm sure everyone here likes El-Hazard for one reason or another; and so do I, but not because of the Earth characters.

It's a matter of personal taste, which hopefully varies from one individual to another.  I'm not trying to impeach those who like the Earth characters; I'm only asserting that I don't care for some of the Earthlings in El-Hazard.

For example, I like Mr. Fujisawa; and I like Jinnai's sister.  But I personally dislike the schoolboy-hero scenario, as well as Jinnai himself.

Hey, it's only me!  El-Hazard is what it is; and my likes or dislikes aren't going to change anything.  Perhaps my style of communication offends, so if that's the case I'm sorry.



=^..^=

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

Well, no, many people have an El-Hazard character they don't like... although Makoto and Jinnai both is a bad combination because you just killed the primary hero and primary conflict.

Anyway, me and Neil have stated our positions, the scenario may be overused, but it's done magnificently for the Magnificent World.