Tenkuu no Escaflowne

Escaflowne is an isekai mecha action show that really really really wishes it could just be an isekai romance show. The first half balances those elements reasonably well and strings the viewer along with a lot of mystery about its world and why the evil Zaibach empire is so bent on finding "Escaflowne". Ultimately that promise is never delivered on in any meaningful way and halfway through the show the shounen action and romance fall completely out of balance and get in each other's way. Everything does reach a rushed yet functional conclusion but the wasted potential is massive.

Pros+
+ Escaflowne is a visual feast if ... you’re a fan of that certain sort of 90s animation. Sunrise really put their best effort into showing the eponymous Escaflowne transforming and swinging its sword against other Gunda-I mean Guymelefs. Cockpit shots showing gears and pulleys and braided steel are very smoothly drawn.

+ Yoko Kanno’s work on the OST is tremendous. Action and drama are well supported with choral backing and high tension string instruments while gentler moments have flowing piano and gentle violin. Truly an excellent work from a renowned musical director

Cons-
- The story of Escaflowne is not confusing but it is quite slow for no particular reason until the final few episodes where it races to the finish. The first half of the show involves a lot of the main cast running from the enemy while sheltering in various locales such as military outposts, capital cities, airships, and the wilderness. Then it just sort of stalls and turns into long emotional exchanges punctuated by somewhat weightless action.
- The characters. This is truly where Escaflowne falls utterly apart. Allen, is the only character that truly gets consistent character development and backstory. New characters are introduced and seem interesting enough (Van the prince of a ruined nation; his cat friend Merle; Chid the child prince; Folken the brooding strategist of Zaibach) and then nothing really happens. Van, for instance, fights for revenge after Dilandau destroys his country while looking for Escaflowne. We see this in the first episode. And then nothing really changes about that at all. He runs, he fights, he learns a bit about his family, and then at the end he fights Dilandau and says “You destroyed my country so I will kill you!”. We never really see him do much other than fight and talk to people about nothing. Some side characters have character arcs but mostly nobody is well developed.
- The romance. Hitomi arrives in Gaea and is immediately treated well by everyone and there is a clear connection between her and Van but also her and Allen. And then…nobody tries to do anything. Hitomi increasingly seems attracted to Allen but eventually learns he likes more age and class appropriate women and backs off. And then any “will they? Won’t they?” progress goes away until about episode 20 when it becomes plot relevant and everything is forced to an unsurprising but still somehow very weird conclusion in 6 episodes. The show has all the trappings of a romance but because it also has giant robots it doesn’t let itself get too lovey dovey because that will get in the way of robot fights.
Ultimately Escaflowne is a great looking and sounding show that starts strong, slows down rather quickly, and then never finds a good speed before crashing into its ending at 150 mph. There is enough to like that I can’t honestly call it worthless but I almost certainly wouldn’t have gone back to it if I hadn’t watched some of it as a kid and after seeing it I don’t think romance or mecha fans would be satisfied watching it over something else.

Don't be fooled by Escaflowne's fantasy setting
Escaflowne is about Love, against fate

that is all, if you think this show is about anymore than that, then you're wrong

True it has its moments when the plot seems to intensify or when you (hope) for a character development that will really change the (gooey) romantic mode, but in the end it is rather disappointing to the fantasy genre as a whole

The soundtracks are good, the battle scenes could have been better, and it could have benefited the series if fighting was really a bit more implemented, and that is why

Escaflowne is for those of you who think that ... Love and romance is a major theme in anime and who are willing to actually enjoy it (which unfortunately I didn't)

There are a couple things that seem way to ‘well placed’ almost. For instance, is it just me or her carrying her bag with her into the other world was a smart move on the writers. It actually gives her a reason to be dressed up in her school uniform unlike every other show out there. Now there are some things in this show that remind me a lot of Inu-yasha. It’s the whole transportation thing. I really don’t like how they keep recapping the last episode. I feel they could have really gone without that. They do it in a way that reminds me ... of the opening to YuGiOh. I am happy about the very little fan service that is in this show. You rarely see anything that would be considered fan service except for the cat girl at some points.

The Artwork is interesting and very vintage, done pretty well for the time period that it was created as. The backgrounds feel almost oil based and rather pretty. Sadly, the stuff that is on the cell animation is lacking badly, and even when it’s supposed to be on the background or is seen close up, it’s again disappointing. The characters though are nicely designed. Some of the characters look like they are from other animes, such as the ‘wizard’ on the other side, Folken, looks like Vash and a side knight in Allan’s court, Getin I think his name is, looks a little like Wolfwood. It just makes me think of Clamp.

The voices in the English version are pretty good to me considering as well. Hitomi’s voice doesn’t make me cringe as bad as I would of thought, although, is it just me or does she sound a lot like Kagome from Inu-yasha? Sadly, the English and Japanese versions of the script differ a bit more then I would like sadly though they kept the just of what they were talking about. They had even cut out a lot some of the excess dialog. It’s bad when there is a little gap between when someone is supposed to say something and they are supposed to be interrupted. The Japanese seems a little better in that aspect. The music in the background is very hunting and kind of like Yugioh in a strange way.

The ending made me laugh so hard. It feels like it’s not supposed to be linked to this show. It’s also more up beat then the opening which doesn’t really make me get into the story.

To say that « The Vision of Escaflowne » aired at the right time would be an understatement.

The year was 1996 and with the success of « Evangelion » and Gundam’s 90’s peak, this series had the right credentials to be a success both in Japan and in the USA. While it didn’t reach the legendary status of the aforementioned shows, it did gain a special place in many hearts.

Now, « Escaflowne » is by no means a bad product, however to see it often compared to the likes of its contemporaries leaves me quite perplexed.

First, a quick rundown of the plot.

Hitomi, a schoolgirl ... with a passion for running and a talent for reading tarots, gets transported into another world, or better, to another planet, Gaea. Her newfound psychic powers quickly become a key part in the conflicts ongoing in this world.
But this is also a shojo, after all, and, as such, our heroine not only has to navigate war and political intrigues, but also the difficult passions of the heart.
It’s a premise with the potential to attract a quite large demographic: it borrows many elements from its predecessors anc clichés, after all, can be quite reassuring and cozy.

Let’s start with what’s good about it.

From a visual standpoint, it’s absolutely stunning. Some people might be (reasonably) put off by the dated artstyle – and, admittedly, those long noses are quite a weird sight – but the fluid, excellent animation, the memorable character designs and the stunning backgrounds might fascinate even the less accustomed viewers. The mecha design is especially detailed, with the titular Escaflowne being arguably one of the most unforgettable giant robots in the genre.

It’s also worth noting that, although many directors, storyboarders and writers worked on different episodes, the series never suffers from drastic tonal shifts, aside from the occasional, tiny change in character design, at least as far as art direction goes.

Another very strong point lies in its soundtrack, but that’s expected when you get someone as talented as legendary composer Yoko Kanno (from « Cowboy Bepop », « Ghost in the Shell : SAC » and many others, but you already knew that) involved.

A shame that, sometimes, the greatness of the soundtrack does not match what’s happening on screen.

Now, the sore points (contains light spoilers!).

Primarily, thematic ambiguity.

The story puts great emphasis on “destiny”, whatever that might mean, but never sets a clear view on it. Can destiny be changed or can we only go along with it? The series swings between “yes” and “no” pretty often and, by the end of the story, we’re left with no clear answer.
Actually, the trend of not giving clear answers seems pretty constant all throughout. Several plot points are raised (Atlantis and its people, Allen’s sister and father whereabouts, Hitomi’s grandma…), but are always given very superficial, brief and unsatisfying answers. Instead, the series focuses on a plot that, at a certain point, stops being about war intrigue and starts resembling a soap opera, featuring not just a love triangle, but – hear that! – a love pentagon, illegitimate children and lost sibilings.

Secondly, Hitomi herself.

Our main character reaches Gaea as a wide-eyed, naïve and confused high school girl. During the first part of the series, following her is quite fun: the discovery of a rich, intriguing new world is enlivened by her lighthearted bickering with her two new companions, prince Van and Merle.
Her instantly falling in love with a guy that resembles her senpai back on Earth is worth an eye roll, but we’ve seen romances set up in worse ways (looking at you, Tomino).

However, one deus ex machina after the other, the viewer starts realizing that Hitomi doesn’t change with the events around her, that she doesn’t learn nothing from them. If anything, she starts rejecting them.
But hers is not Amuro’s terrified rejection during the One Year War, nor Shinji’s desperate call for help in Evangelion. Mostly because she doesn’t actually fight and just implores other people not to, spouting generic “war is wrong”, “I don’t want to see people hurt” nonsense.
The story acts as if her action are vital to the world around her, while she’s nothing but a passive, reactionary bystander. Even her own powers don’t seem to activate of her own volition, but only when the plot requires them to.

All of this leads to an ending which I won’t spoil, but I can only describe as “extremely unsatisfying”.
Overall, the best moments of the story are when it focuses on other characters, particularly Van, the brave prince that wants nothing but the best for his people and whose relationship with his family should have been simply developed more.

Now, I must note that the series was initially intended to have 39 episodes, later cut to 26 due to the lower budget. While this explains the rushed plotlines, the problem might have been solved by simply cutting down on the more soap opera-like elements of the romance.

In conclusion, “Escaflowne” is a series with plenty of visual charm and an intriguing premise that crumbles down by focusing too much on romance clichés instead of the actual story. The great worldbuilding of the first episodes builds up to a disappointing amount of unanswered questions and zero payoff.
A shame, but the series is still worth a watch, mostly because of its relevance in the history of the community. It being often juxtaposed with the likes of "Evangelion" and "Cowboy Bepop" might create expectations within the viewer that probably won't be met, but if you go into it simply looking for a fun time, you will not be disappointed.

My thoughts on Escaflowne are very simple. It is something that could have been good, but unfortunately the budget was cut and the plot moved way too quickly all of the time. Even if the other parts of the series are of high quality, this nonetheless completely ruins the experience for me. If you like extremely fast paced anime, then you've definitely found your recommendation. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it. The theme of revenge is also very overdone; I don't think this needs to be expanded upon.

Numerical rating:
Visuals and sound - 7
Value - 7
Script - 4
Characters - 7
Enjoyment - 4
Overall - 6

Escaflowne is a fine anime with the setting being set in a fantasy world with some technology in it as well, although I wished more things could have been explained because many things just come out of left-field along with the fast pacing. There's never really that much foreshadowing of where stuff leads too, just boom this appears(somewhat more in the latter half) or they appear but sometimes get explained later. But at the same I think the story pretty much sets out what it's meant to do in the first place. The ending is rushed which just make everything feel a bit

Music: 9/10 The ... soundtrack is pretty good for its time, very orchestrate instruments + holy singing set the tone of the scenes that there's some deep meaning behind the story.

Characters: 6/10 Characters leave an odd taste in my mouth, from a turnabout on their actions are to just dumbright out what? The protagonists develop in weird ways that you don't really see in their character but happened down the line. Also minor characters completely in the background never really get explored since we're going from place to place. The villains get the same treatment as being minor characters, they're just there as well but the major antagonists are just better in general. The writing just feels a tadbit awkward on how they act towards each other in some scenes and at times can feel a bit forced into the action like a non-realistic way of reacting.

Worldbuilding: The Worldbuilding is alright, some places can be described in just a sentence albeit while others more I don't really think it's a major focus in the show so i'm not going to give it a score. I do wish locations were a little more explored in a sense cause they seem interesting as well such as races, monsters, beasts, kingdoms/nations, etc.

Art: 8/10 Artstyle would be very 90s Shoujo romance, Character designs are simple, Structures don't feel lazy at all, not as saturated colors cause it's vintage.

Escaflowne set as a story would be 7/10 by itself ,but I would elevate +1 compared to modern anime standards would be 8/10

Also this my first review, i'm making practice for critique.

I don’t remember how I found this anime, all I remember was I just started watching it on YouTube one night. But at first (probably within the first 2-3 episodes) I was honestly bored and felt that I was probably going to drop it. The main reason for this was the fact that the dialogue was a bit dull and I didn’t really like the concept at first and I was incredibly confused, but after persevering I eventually began to enjoy it lots. At first, the general plot wasn’t clear and I did not understand the concept of what an escaflowne actually was and who ... was fighting who, but after I watched for a while the plot became a lot clearer and easier to understand. Although the plot was not the most gripping, it was still entertaining and felt like a good watch. I felt that some of the characters were slightly poorly written, but overall I had a good understanding and liking for the characters. The ending may have been a little confusing, but I feel like that’s just a feature of a typical 90s anime, and nevertheless it was still good. To be honest this anime wouldn’t ever be near the top of my list, but it certainly wasn’t bad and I don’t regret watching it.