The Vision of Escaflowne

Tenkuu no Esukafuroune

Also Known As: Escaflowne, VoE

Genre: Action/Drama

Format: 26 Episodes

Allegiance: Sunrise

Director: Akane Kazuki

Vintage: 1996

Intelligence Agency Report by: Djudge

Kanzaki Hitomi’s days as a high school girl are fairly ordinary. A rising track star at her own school, she spends most of her time preoccupied on how to express her feelings to for a fellow teammate. However, before she gets the chance to confess to him, the world she knows is violently interrupted by the arrival of a dragon hunter and his quarry. The titanic battle between the two forces results in Hitomi being whisked away to a new world filled with unfamiliar surroundings. It is here that our heroine struggles to find a both a way to stop the cataclysmic conflict raging around her and a path back home.

Field Agent Report by: Djudge

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

9.75
9.50
9.50
9.25
8.50

Overall

9.50

(not an average)

Very few anime ever excel at a single feature, let alone multiple ones. Let it be said here that The Vision of Escaflowne stands as one of the most complete titles ever put out by the anime industry. With excellent performances in the visual, auditory, and writing fields, Escaflowne has become one of the true standards, and probably even necessities, that all otaku have to watch at least one time through.

The animation used in Escaflowne started strong, ended strong, and even incorporated some well done computer generated work to boot. Like many action titles, the easiest instances in which to observe the high quality of animation occur during its fight sequences. With no shortage in such scenes, Escaflowne had many chances to flaunt its crisp and vivid visual technique (especially in the bolder acts where the title’s mecha units are involved). Even in more placid circumstances, it was hard to find artistic fault within any of the series’ twenty-six episodes. Moving on to Escaflowne’s auditory performance, credit has to be given to the tracks composed by Kanno Yoko. With the title’s incredible background music in perspective, Kanno manages to sew together the emotions on screen with a series of enthralling melodies and tunes.

Escaflowne’s biggest accomplishment is by far its character and story development. In the span of just twenty-six episodes, virtually all of the main cast had been fleshed out through and through. For every initial impression the viewer has for a character, the series writing staff easily pens a whole slew of analytical aspects to the plot to augment the viewer’s opinion. This great hallmark of Escaflowne is especially evident in the highly original villains Dilandau and Folken; both of which transform considerably after their respective debuts.

All in all, with an amazing all-around performance, The Vision of Escaflowne definitely stands as the best fantasy anime out there today. Without a doubt, the ambitious Escaflowne serves as benchmark for other series to follow and also as an anchor to keep otaku in perspective as to what exactly a great anime series is all about.

Field Agent Report by: Kuzu Ryu Sen

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

9.50
9.00
9.25
9.25
8.75

Overall

9.25

(not an average)

The Vision of Escaflowne is definitely one of the more neglected mecha anime out there. Overshadowed by the reputation of Gundam and Macross, and outshone by its psycho-thriller contemporary Neon Genesis Evangelion, Escaflowne has quietly avoided mass popularity, stepping onto the stage only to be desecrated by FOX. This is a tragedy; for Escaflowne is definitely superior to Anno Hideaki’s angst driven, pill induced fiscal disaster.

Escaflowne’s main strength is in its well written and well paced plot. The first half is fast but not overwhelming, and serves as an action packed introduction to the characters and nations of Gaea, as well as the politics and circumstances that bind them together. The second half then proceeds to tie everything together, and works towards a powerful climax, followed by a fitting denouement and conclusion. The cast is excellent, presenting characters with powerful personalities and intriguing depth, and more often than not, both. While some will find Hitomi’s personality grating or annoying, this reviewer found it more to be a product of insecurity and someone who has yet to come to terms with her awesome new responsibilities.

Mind you, the animation and music aren’t exactly dragging the show down. Kanno Yoko once again delivers with a stellar and amazingly diverse soundtrack, although it does chant “Escaflowne” one too many times. Scenery and setting are very well depicted down to the most minute details. The character art is very shoujo, but it works because of the creative mecha design and the general lack of sparkles and twinkles. Aside from the rather average ending song “Mystic Eyes,” there’s nothing lacking about Escaflowne in the audio/visual department.

While overshadowed, The Vision of Escaflowne presents one of the most solid all around packages in anime. Fans of mecha and action will be entranced by the fluid guymelef combat, fans of storytelling will enjoy the political intrigue and internal relationships presented, and fans of romance will enjoy a love triangle that is presented without too much second-guessing or melodrama. Even if you don’t want Escaflowne for any of the above reasons, there’s still Sakamoto Maaya, eh?