The Eye of God reveals truth.

Travelling between dimensions brings out a power already latent in the psyche of the individual. Naname, for instance, is essentially a very practical young woman, not to say a little cynical. She has little time for the fripperies of life, preferring to get on with the hard- headed business of making her way in the world financially. "A girl's gotta make a living,". She has no time for those who would seek to succeed through dishonesty or false appearances. She is under no misapprehension about the character flaws of her brother and has no qualms about profiting at the expense of his corruption. She is not particularly bright but knows it doesn't matter because of her good looks. She also knows that it doesn't pay to rely on appearances, that a person has to make their own way in the world. Even in romance, the essential mainstay of this type of anime genre, she is the most likely to give up on a bad job and seek fulfilment elsewhere. "Love the one you're with,". She can't help being attracted to Makoto because of his essential honesty but is (eventually) content to let him find his own way. She has no illusions.

Jinnai, on the other hand, possesses the essential character flaw of insecurity. For him, it is not enough to be talented, he has to be the best, to come out ahead of his competition. This makes him unpopular despite his gifts because he is unable to communicate except through the language of domination and submission. Hence, in El Hazard, he finds himself to have the unique ability to communicate with and control the most numerous and physically powerful force in the world but one which is unlikely to relate to him emotionally. Even its most human exponent, Diva, is in a dilemma whether she should form a relationship with Jinnai or to use and betray him.
Ironically, the Bugrom do relate to Jinnai. Groucho, in particular, shows great loyalty and is seen to try and comfort Jinnai at moments of personal stress. However, his mistreatment and dismissal of his retainer's attempts just points up his own coldness, even in comparison to insects.
Personally, I think Diva is barking up the wrong tree. Like I've said before, its the only insect army I've ever seen with two queens. 'Course that could just be his inability to communicate emotionally with people in general and not just women.

Fujisawa's dominant characteristic is weakness. He is a functional alcoholic and is a heavy smoker. His concerns about Makoto's morality seem to be largely created out of personal projection ("...chamber-maids, student teachers..."). However, he is at heart a good person and cares deeply about the well being of his students. He would never let his own failings betray those left in his charge. He is always the first to defend and try to redeem Jinnai, sometimes blaming himself for him taking the wrong path. El Hazard has given him the method to conquer his personal weakness through physical strength in the defence of those weaker than himself. If he succumbs to his addictions then he betrays those he cares about and that he will not do.

Makoto is a science nerd and gains the ability to use ancient El Hazard technology. Simple enough, no? On Earth Makoto is talented, intelligent, popular and athletic. In El Hazard, however, his only important role seems to be dressing up as a girl.
Who is the true Makoto? At first he seems to have no power at all. Later what power he does have seems to be useful for threatening his friends with ancient weaponry and recreating partial functionality in useless gadgets. Yet, at the end, his is the only power that is of any relevance whatsoever.
Ifurita is so overwhelmingly powerful that any other character fades into insignificance. And we're talking about some pretty powerful people here. Remember when you first saw El Hazard and Fujisawa beat up on those Bugrom? Cool huh? And then when Shayla dispatched a force of them that threatened even him? I still love that scene and I must have seen the whole thing over a dozen times by now. And then when Afura took out a whole battleship of them when they weren't even on her element for chrissakes. And yet... "Combat technique... Northern capital... merely a novice,". Shayla gets taken down. Always game, she has another go. Gets taken down. Again. Miz has a go. No luck. (This is the only priestess we actually see kill someone remember. Stand by your man, Miz.) She has her blows stopped in their tracks and dodged, this demon goddess doesn't even bother to shield for some of the time. Afura does get the grudging compliment of Ifurita having something to learn from her but she also gets slammed into a wall for her trouble. And the wall is also visibly not helped by the experience. This being is so manifestly powerful that it is hard to conceive of anything that could defeat her. And yet she has flaws. She regrets her actions but seems powerless to change them. She finds it impossible to believe in hope.
Of course we know what will release Ifurita. As classic fantasy as always told us, love is a force powerful enough to conquer all and El Hazard is classic fantasy. So, who will be a believable Prince Charming for our "perfect little bunny demon"? A high school nerd with an irrelevant power? No, because that is not who Makoto is. Like him or loathe him, I defy you to watch El Hazard and not believe Makoto. That is his power. In school Makoto was not popular because of his grades or coming first in races. Jinnai had ability but was despised. Makoto was popular because people believed him and believed in him because of his fundamental honesty. His ability to use gadgets is an aspect of his scientific ability which relates to the discovery of truth. And his most important perception is that of the truth about Ifurita, truths she doesn't know herself or doesn't dare to believe. Because Ifurita is not a gadget, a product of technology. Like all the El Hazard characters, she is a person with strengths and weaknesses and a history and a personality. And that is why you can understand Ifurita being freed by Makoto because he is the person who truly knows her and allows her to know herself.
Like all good fantasy should, El Hazard gives you something that while you're in it you can believe. And maybe as well, something to believe in. I thank you and good night.