Synopsis
Was it all just a dream or a vision? No, it was real all right. It all began on the day Kanzaki Hitomi asked the tarot cards if she’d find true love. She made a promise that if she could run 100 meters in under 13 seconds, then Amano-sempai was to give Hitomi her first kiss. As Hitomi sprints, the Earth and the world of Gaea overlap momentarily creating a portal. From the gateway proceed forth Van, heir to the throne of Fanelia, and a fire-breathing land dragon.
Review
Escaflowne or Vision of Escaflowne is a 26 episode anime television series produced by Sunrise Studio. It first aired in Japan from April 2 to September 24, 1996. It then was broadcasted BRIEFLY in edited form on FOX Kids between August and October 2000 episodes 2-10 (episode 1 was cut) and a butchered half of episode 11. It was canceled officially during early plot development and replaced with Nascar Racers due to ratings. The shows before and after it both received higher ratings than Escaflowne. Word on the internet says that the FOX network originally acquired Escaflowne in order to compete with Gundam. The edits in background music and a focus more heavily on Van as the main character instead of Hitomi clashed with the animation and story. As latter episodes revealed that Vision of Escaflowne was more of a dramatic love story than action series it was yanked off the air. Another reason is that the series was too episodic, that missing an episode meant missing a vital part of the storyline (I myself did not know Escaflowne was on tv until I accidentally stumbled upon it while flipping through channels. Already it was in the middle of episode 4 and I had no idea what the story was like in the previous episodes). The show did appear on YTV in Canada for some time after it was cancelled in America, much like how the English Yugioh episodes on YTV are already past the final rounds of Battle City while KidsWB is painstakingly behind.
The Breakdown
Escaflowne has everything one can ask for in an anime. You see battling with the sword and in their guymelefs, floating ships and castles, cat girls to princesses to a doppelganger, love triangles and affairs, prophesying, fortune telling, and luck amplification. The ending is moving and picture perfect.
» The Pros
I'd like to think of Escaflowne as the series applicable to the events of the past couple years since 9/11, the War on Terror, and Operation Iraq. People respond to your feelings is the message this anime puts across. Folken explains to his younger brother Van that just as a drop of water causes ripples in a pond, where there is anger and fear, there is conflict. The goal of man, the goal of democracy, is to create a new world free of that fear and hatred - a world free of war. Methods that place little value on human life are wrong. As Folken tells Hitomi, people's emotions sometimes move the heavens. But when those emotions conflict, it causes great ill will. If people can rid themselves of that, they can change.
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» The Cons
FOX ruined the initial impression of the anime series. On one side were those who made Escaflowne seem as bad as the plague thus turning away would be fans of the series from picking up this title to watch. On the other were those defending the series, giving rise to confusion and mixed opinions on what Escaflowne was all about.
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» Animation
9.0 |
Animation is good. Computer effects blended seamlessly so one can't tell that they were really there. The noses appear too extensive in my opinion. Folken reminds me of the son of Dracula. |
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» Sound
9.0 |
The English theme aired on FOX was short and action oriented echoing a single line Es-ca-flow-ne, Es-ca-flow-ne, similar to KidsWB's version of Yugioh. FOX made a drastic mistake in choosing the English voice actor for Dilandau, one of the main villains of the series, as the youngster who played Genki, the protagonist in Monster Rancher. The original Japanese intro Yakusoku Wa Iranai (No Need to Promise) is romantic with the lines I love You sung in the lyrics. Ending theme Mystic Eyes is popish and is an anachronism in respect to the medieval feel of the series as a whole. Background music composed by Hajime Mizoguchi and Yoko Kanno is splendid and adds a Middle Eastern flavor also utilizing western choir hymns. The final violin score in episode 26 is beautiful. |
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» Story
9.5 |
Before Hitomi was another human sent from the Mystic Moon (Earth) whose name was Dornkirk (Sir Isaac Newton, the one you studied in grade school, yes him). Fate had put him in the wasted land of Zaibach. The populace suffered under the fear of constant invasion. Dornkirk showed them the wisdom of science, taught them how to tame nature, and how to drive away their enemies. Eventually he became emperor. He had heard of the legend of Atlantis and finally obtained the ability to control destiny at will through his Fate Alteration Engine but at the cost of human life. The inhabitants of Fanelia, the people of Asturia, the citizens of Freid, all have been sacrificed in the name of destiny. It is up to Van, Allen, and Hitomi to save Gaea. Just enough plot is revealed to maintain the sense of mystery about Atlantis, Zaibach, and the future of the world. |
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» Recommend
9.5 |
One of the best anime series ever and among the top three in the Fantasy genre (the others being Slayers and Record of Lodoss War). Forget about the movie, this is the one you should spend your money on. |
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» Other Information
Language: English dub, Japanese with English subtitles
Extras: Interactive Animated Menus, Non-credit opening, and Music Videos
Package: Van grasping for Hitomi's pendant, Escaflowne in dragon form flying the in background, further the two worlds Earth and Gaea |
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
