 "Escaflowne" | 2008-04-29 |
| - Reviewed By renatcon |
| Escaflowne has got to be one of the greatest series ever! I fell in love after just watching the series on fox edited and i was so dissappointed when it was taken off. To really appreciate the show though you should watch the unedited version with original music, yoko kanno is one of the greatest in her field and she makes the show come alive with sound. You're sure to get hooked. |
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 "misleading info on the product" | 2008-03-09 |
| - Reviewed By User: A37FPTU06VNAJD |
| I originally wanted this Escaflowne-The Limited Edition Boxed Set because it came with the bonus product and the special box case. I watched this series before, and my sibling has purchased the same boxed set edition beforehand. It's an awesome series; however, the person who previously owned it, he/she kept the special box case and the bonus item. All I got was the was the DVD series. I was very unhappy. I have purchased a lot items through Amazon before. This seller was the worse I have encountered. It was very misleading to me. |
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| "Majestic Fantasy of the Highest Caliber" | 2007-07-21 |
| - Reviewed By no1willfan |
SERIES REVIEW:
Escaflowne has been a favorite since its release over 10 years ago. It's one of those universal animes that appeals to almost everyone. Fantasy, action, romance, great characters, a well told, rich story and superbly constructed narrative - Escaflowne has it all. It will thrill adults and children alike, without pandering to either. It's also perhaps the single most enjoyable anime ever. Most importantly, it has heart and soul and a sense of honesty that too many animes lack. This is the type of fantasy Disney has failed to produce in a long time. It's actually more comparable to Lord of the Rings in quality.
Escaflowne is the story of a high school girl - Hitomi Kanzaki - who one day witnesses a light from which a strange boy - Van Fanel - and a dragon arrive from. After a frightening battle, Hitomi is sucked into the light with Van, ending up in an alternate world where Earth hangs in the sky. The mysterious world she enters is Gaea. A world similar to the ones of King Arthur - inhabited by kingdoms, dragons and knights. But Gaea also has technology in the form of (Guy)Melefs - huge mechs powered by Dragon Hearts known as energists. There is also organic technology that allows flight. In this frightening new world, Hitomi is swept up in war, romance, and intrigue as she desperately tries to survive and find her way back home.
Escaflowne's greatest strength might be in its characters. The cast is full of vibrant, lovable characters that's better than most any anime I've seen. Every one instantly found a place in my heart. Hitomi, with her shy demeanor, grows and finds confidence and strength throughout the series. She becomes the cornerstone of every character involved. Van is a young man at conflict with himself and his destiny. With the huge burden of being a Prince on the verge of becoming King, he is often hostile, but ultimately just juvenile and confused. Allen is the Lancelot of the story. A handsome ladies man, he is honorable to the end in serving as a knight. Merle will either charm or annoy as the cat-girl who is obsessed with Van, but I found her her likable - providing needed comic relief.
The "villains" of Zaibach are as intriguing as the heroes. Folken is quiet and strong. A great mystery surrounds him and his past, and his relationship with the heroes of the story. Dilandau is the one true despicable villain. Bloodthirsty and tyrannical, he has no problem killing anyone who gets in his way. Dornkirk, as the head of the villainous Zaibach empire is endlessly enigmatic. His intentions and goals remain a mystery until the end. Even the lesser characters are fascinating. Especially Princess Millerna whose 'love triangle' between herself, Hitomi, and Allen is interesting until the end. Prince Chid as the son of the Duke of Freid, Balgus as Van's mentor and Dryden as Millerna's arranged betrothed are equally essential as lesser parts to the big picture.
Escaflowne's narrative is direct and linear, but its rhythmic drive and pace is superb. The conflict between the heroes and Zaibach progresses in a logical manner. All the side stories, relationships, and multiple countries / kingdoms that become involved are superbly balanced as well. Escaflowne's focus is unusually sharp for an anime series and balanced as well as any I've ever seen. It never digresses and it doesn't feel as if any episodes are wasted, with every one enhancing the greater whole. Indeed, this superb PRAT (Pace, Rhythm, and Timing) is one of Escaflowne's biggest strengths.
The animation is a bit dated, but superb for that time. It doesn't hold up well to many of today's spectacular visual works, but it is by no means bad. Its signature style is its rendering of characters with unusually long limbs and pointy noses which lends the series a unique personality. The animation is surprisingly fluid in its motion, which makes many of the battles especially enjoyable. The details of the world it creates is outstanding and one could easily get lost in the scenery of its mythical world.
The voice acting is among the best ever captured in anime. Both the sub and dub are excellent, and for those who dislike subtitles, the dub is beyond adequate. However the sub is simply one of the best you'll ever hear. Each character is played with a sense of honesty and realism. No hokey, overdone voicework here. Each character is given a distinct personality without seeming forced. The ensamble as a whole is strong, but the one true standout is Minami Takayama as the evil Dilandau. Never in anime have I heard a character played better. A sense of melevolent evil drips from every syllable of Takayama's performance of the evil Dilandau. This makes the revelation of his past all the more disturbing.
The sweeping orchestral score by the brilliant Yoko Kanno is transcendent. Perhaps the finest ever featured in anime, and one of the finest ever in all of film. Every moment in the series that features Kanno's score is enhanced 10 fold. Beyond the orchestral score, the songs are equally as likable. The ending techno theme is the only thing that doesn't fit, but the opening theme song and almost every other featured in the series is superb. There are so many moving pieces that picking favorites would be an excercise in futility. I can only give the soundtracks (3 OSTs, Film OST, and the Theme Song and Lovers Only Compilations) my absolute highest recommendation.
If there are flaws, they're rather insignificant. Escaflowne is rather simple and linear. It avoids any kind of complexity and heavy themes and simply focuses on its fantasy narrative. I vastly prefer Escaflowne's avoidance of pretentious, trite philosophy that's too present in modern anime. However, when compared with profound works like Evangelion, Texhnolyze, or Haibane Renmei it feels a bit shallow. It's also entirely unoriginal and doesn't add anything new to the world of anime. It doesn't offer any challenge or require any need for intellectual engagement. But, faulting Escaflowne for these things would be trying to turn it into something it's isn't and didn't try to be. It simply relies on its adept execution of old ideas to present a rich and dazzling story.
Ultimately, Escaflowne gets my highest recommendation. If I refuse to compare it to more complex and profound works then I can easily justify a 5-star rating. It succeeds at being superb entertainment that isn't devoid of quality and craftsmanship, and that's something that's sorely lacking in modern anime and film alike.
DVD REVIEW:
If it can be found at a reasonable price, the Limited Edition Box Set is definitely the one to own. It has a ton of extras in a superb presentation. With it being OOP and increasingly hard to find, only the recent Anime Legends set is available. I was lucky enough to get the Limited Edition version so I can only comment on it: It comes with a Black Escaflowne action figure as well as several special features such as music videos of the songs and a "Club Escaflowne" (making of, kinda) featurette. |
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 "It starts with a bang, but does it" | 2007-05-30 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1986BCS1U36ZD |
| Escaflowne is a fantasy story with all the soap opera components. The characters and their relationships are very dramatic and it is nice to see the different interactions between the good, bad and in between guys. However as any good anime, death is disregarded easily and characters you learn to love like Vargas and the Raja, die quickly, full of pride, and achieving nothing. I think the back stories are stronger than the real story. |
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| "van and hitomi we miss you!" | 2006-05-04 |
| - Reviewed By User: A395XUZCLZHQFR |
| the anime is so great .i like to see van and hitomi again more happy this time.they really suffer before . |
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| "hitomi van we miss me!" | 2006-05-04 |
| - Reviewed By User: A395XUZCLZHQFR |
| i really hope to see hitomi and van again .hitomi can participate olympic 2006 and have new adventures with van.cool! |
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| "A must see even if you aren't a mecha fan -" | 2005-03-17 |
| - Reviewed By bloodytickles |
Escaflowne has many strenths. The music score is one of the best I've heard and the plot is epic and has some twists. Another nice thing about Escaflowne is the show never stands still. The plot is constantly moving and there are several tragic events happening throughout the show, the first is Van's kingdom being completely destroyed. Hitomi's dark, morbid visions help increase the adrenaline rush of the show. If you're suspicious that the show will be centered around mecha finding, no need to fear. The plot and characters are given just as much time as the action in the episodes.
The only thing I don't like about Escaflowne is the character's faces are a little distracting at first. Their noses don't look quite right, but I adjusted quickly. Other than that, the animation is great. Overall, I think the show should satisfy the overwhelming majority. There is plenty of action, drama, and the characters feel very real. |
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| "Okay, so I'm biased" | 2004-12-20 |
| - Reviewed By nero422 |
I'll admit it. This is the first and only anime series that I watched from beginning to end. I'm not an otaku and I watch anime on a very limited basis.
But this series rocked the house. People should see it. There are scenes of true beauty here, great characters, dastardly villains and a wonderful love triangle [more of a love pentagon really...]. The ending has a bad twist and a truly shocking development and ends bittersweet. All in all, it was worth my time and it should be worth yours. |
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| "Has to be one the best Series out on Anime" | 2004-06-30 |
| - Reviewed By User: AHPPJBUUS9U2S |
| I have seen a lot of Anime series, but only a few have come close to this fully complete story. It has a lot of good fighting scenes including massive battles. The only series that I have seen that comes close is Evangelion series. I give Evangelion a 3.5 becuase of the ending. It just went out the window when I saw that ending, but Escaflowne does not have that flaw. It has a good beginning and draws you in with good character development. 3 different love triangles with a whole bunch of enemies and a whole bunch of killing. Most important it has GOOD ANIME none of those cheesy faded colors and x out eyes when someone gets knocked out. Or sweat coming down the side of the cheek when someone messes up or gets angry. The ending was also pretty good. The only flaw I give this series is when the intensified luck soldiers come into play. That was dumb. You'll see what I'm talking about if you see it. Well that's all for now untill next time |
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| "Just a 'heads up' re: the Limited Edition Boxed Set..." | 2004-05-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1DCTFVZ8SR95Z |
| For Escaflowne fans looking to purchase the Limited Edition set, be aware that many vendors listed as selling this item are actually offering the Escaflowne "Perfect Collection"... Though both contain all 26 episodes of the series, the latter will not provide you with a numbered "Collector's Box" or the extra features advertised for the former. To differentiate between the two, check the number of discs/DVDs that are said to be included in the set. The Limited Edition set will contain 8 DVDs, while the Perfect Collection is said to contain only 3. With that said, however, either should provide you with a complete collection of episodes from the series. I don't see how you can go wrong with that =P...unless, of course, you're a serious collector =)... As for a comparison on the quality of the two, well, I don't own either, so I honestly have no idea. Sorry for being a somewhat unknowledgeable reviewer, but I just wanted to add the above bit of info to hopefully prevent customers from obtaining something other than what they desired. Cheers! |
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