Anime Info
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Type:
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TV Series
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Length:
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26 episodes
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Genre:
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Fantasy/Mecha/Romance
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Review
Audio
The music is simply amazing. From the beautiful intro song to the intense battle music, Yoko Kanno and Hajime Mizoguchi have created one of the best (if not the best) anime soundtracks ever. The dub is average for the most part, but I would stick with the sub on this one. The Japanese voice actors just blew me away, and you don't get the same impact with the dub.
Visuals
Escaflowne has high production values for a TV series. Lots of really well animated fight scenes. I did notice some re-used animation in some parts, but the animation stays fairly consistent throughout the entire series. The character designs look good too, I even like their long noses.
Story/Entertainment
Hitomi is your average teenager, except she has the ability to predict the future using Tarot Cards. One day she runs into a mysterious warrior, Van, who kills a dragon, and then the two of them are suddenly transported back to his world, known as Gaea. After arriving at Fanelia, Van's kingdom, the Zaibach Empire launches a surprise attack on Fanelia and Van is forced to pilot a giant robot called Escaflowne. Fanelia is destroyed, despite the efforts of Van and other warriors. Now Van seeks revenge for his kingdom and must help Hitomi find a way back to Earth.
Escaflowne has always been one of my favorite anime series. There are so many good things about this show. First of all, Escaflowne has an awesome storyline set in a mystical world, Gaea. I found this to be a fascinating place, and I really enjoyed watching and learning about it. I also love how the story is constantly pushed forward thanks to the great pacing. There are plenty of awesome action sequences to accompany the plot though, and they really stand out with the smooth animation and kick-butt soundtrack. There is also a love triangle that runs pretty much through the entire show, and is handled quite well. The story eventually leads to an ending that left me teary-eyed. Escaflowne is a wonderful series, an essential show for all anime fans.
Overall:  Ryan Frost, 2002 |
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