Although tastes differ radically in the anime world, there is one thing almost everyone agrees upon … Tenkuu no Escaflowne is a top class series. This doesn’t necessarily mean everyone will swoon over it or even enjoy it. It does mean that it is a well-produced, well-executed anime that exemplifies the potential of anime.

So what, exactly, is this Escaflowne series, you ask?

The series has several names -- Tenkuu no Escaflowne, or Vision of Escaflowne, but most often simply Escaflowne or ESF for short. It’s a 26 episode TV series, directed by Kazuki Akane, created by Shoji Kawamori, and starring the voice talents of Maaya Sakamoto. Great care was taken with its creation – it was in production for five years before it hit the airwaves in 1996. Escaflowne was a high budget operation, so the animation is truly top notch for a series. It’s OVA quality, and (ahem) back in the day, that was a rarity. It was originally supposed to run for 39 episodes, but was cut down to 26. Instead of hurting the production, this actually aided in creating a fast moving, engrossing plotline with little room for filler. It’s easy to appreciate the streamlined plotline and outstanding animation, no matter what genres you might enjoy. But speaking of genres …

Escaflowne contains many elements, combining genres to create something that appeals to a wide variety of fans. The title subject, Escaflowne, is a giant mecha (termed Guymelef in this world), which fights in traditional giant-robot form and will allow for plenty of violence, blood, and gore. Don’t worry guys; your bloodlust will be satiated. But wait, girls! Don’t leave. The main character is (gasp) a teenaged girl, with several love interests and a torn heart! So is it shoujo? Not really. There’s romance and character interaction, but hacking and slashing, too. Oh, and did I mention Hitomi has visions? And that an evil megalomaniac is after her and the rest of the world? Maybe it’s a magical girl series … not really. Hitomi’s powers are more complex and ultimately credible than the normal “I-have-been-ordained-to-protect-love-and-justice” line. No goofy getups or formulated magic attacks here. But wait, there’s more -- Hitomi has been transported to the very medieval-feeling world of Gaea where kingdoms, complete with their kings, princesses, knights and dragons, are warring and in turmoil. Fantasy? You should know by now – Not Really. The fantastic elements are certainly there, and perhaps most prominent, but exist mostly in background, whereas the characters themselves are not just the normal, somewhat clichéd RPG characters we often see in a fantasy anime. They could be, don’t mistake, but the combination of the other elements in their characters and the plot give them depth and emotion. “Damn it, Kate, which is it?!” Well … just about everything: mecha, shoujo, magical girl, and fantasy. Admittedly, this show is not driven by an overly original plot. It’s driven by the brilliant combination of the many elements we know and love into a single series. It’s all in the execution, execution, execution.

Arguably, Escaflowne sports the best musical score of any anime ever. (Depending on whom you talk to.) It was scored by Yoko Kanno and Hajime Mizoguchi, both rather famous composers in the anime realm. The powerful, haunting choral pieces, and gorgeous orchestration of Mizoguchi, juxtaposed against the funky synthesizer use and lovingly composed ballads of Kanno make up a diverse yet well fitted group of pieces which are in themselves notable works of art. Forgive me that biased spiel – I’m a music major; and a perfect blend of anime and music is my dream come true. Suffice it to say, you may find it very, very difficult not to chant “Es-ca-flow-ne!” along with the chorus of monks. To sample some of the music yourself, check out this shrine at The Anime Shack.

The character designs are a little … different (alright, they’re wacky.) Their noses are extra pointy, and they are graced by halos no matter what the lighting actually calls for. In the first episode, you will be a bit distracted by the noticeable trait (Pinocchio much?) But as my anime buddy Jai loves to point out, “By the end of the series you just can’t imagine them any other way!” It in no way should distract you after you get used to them, and after a while they will become just another endearing quirk of the characters and the show.

The most unfavorable element of Escaflowne, for many, is the personality of the main character, Hitomi. Some feel she is whiny, annoying, or weak, due to her indecision on several issues and general wide-eyed school-girlie demeanor. Others love her and feel she is sweet and sympathetic in her willingness to help and put herself on the line for others. I, personally, was never annoyed in the least. After all, she is a wide-eyed schoolgirl, and she acts just like one. OK, she’s hypersensitive about some things – we all are at that age. But whenever the situation demands, she guts up and does what has to be done, which (for me) indicates her inner strength and elasticity. The other side of her only makes her more realistic, in my eyes. Being self-conscious or vulnerable doesn’t necessarily make Hitomi unlikable … it really depends on the viewer’s preferences.

Another “flaw” with Escaflowne is the Fate Generation Machine. And Dornkirk. And his whole empire. They’re corny, folks. At times powerful, at times intimidating, but also the most outlandish and hard to swallow themes in the otherwise fairly honest and cloying plot. The megalomaniac Dornkirk is the “evil”, and evil is much easier to screw up because it’s hard to make believable. The upshot is, Dornkirk and his whole empire are captivating. The main antagonist isn’t really Dornkirk; it’s Folken, a much more developed and sympathetic character who more than makes up for the rest of the empire in depth. Some may cringe occasionally at a corny line, but you may find yourself being simultaneously sucked in by the plot and that absorbing fascination we all have with “evil”.

Counterbalancing these weaknesses is the never-ending sense of action and suspense, upheld no matter how many times you watch it (and trust me, I’ve watched it.) Being a hopeless romantic, I found the romance between Hitomi and – oh, now, that’s a spoiler, isn’t it? – heart wrenching, lovely to watch unfold, and quite believable. The action, made especially fun by the attacks of quasi-insane Dilandu, kept even me, a sappy girly-girl, entertained and involved. (Usually when a fight scene pops in, I lose track of what’s going on.) And as for the corny antagonist? I found him to be endlessly entertaining. So what if they didn't mean for him to be funny? He's still the best tension breaker ... the kind that's supposed to be creating tension. All in all, this isn’t an extremely “deep” anime, or particularly dark. But it has a charm, style, and beauty all its own, which fills the viewer with a sense of awe for the people who created it.

The movie, Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea, is a sum-up rather than a prequel or continuation, so viewing is purely optional. When the series ended, and the final credits rolled, Jai jumped up and squealed, “But wait!! I want more!!” Well, that’s why the movie’s around, folks. To intrigue some and satiate others … it acts as more of an aide for the series than a good film in its own right. Of course, adaptations were made and the plotline was squished, but that’s what happens when you try to pack 10 hours of already well-trimmed plot into a mere hour and a half. If it’s not quite the same experience, blame your clock and not the show or the creators. If you’d like to see the movie, its release has been planned for late 2001 or 2002 (hopefully; you know those finicky studios).

Escaflowne has aired on American television, on Fox Kids, courtesy of Bandai. However, as is usual with national broadcasts, some … uh … “editing” … was done. Of course the standard gory-images-unsuitable-for-children editing was done. But other liberties that were taken have less excuse and more impact. The gorgeous musical score was reworked (why anyone would want to rework it, I don’t know); the opening and closing sequences were redone (again, why anyone would want to change the wonderful opening sequence I don’t know). The entire first episode was cut out and then spliced back into later episodes. Why? The world may never know. Needless to say, I for one was disappointed with the dub’s representation of the “real” thing – but anything that exposes more people to the show and anime itself is partway redeemed in my book. Much to fans’ surprise, the show was cancelled suddenly after it began airing in August 2000. But don’t despair! Cheap sampling is still at hand – sort of … Cartoon Network has (according to rumor) picked it up, although licensing issues in regards to Fox may stop them dead in their tracks. No matter, though, for the Anime on DVD reader … Escaflowne is being released on DVD right now in 8 volumes at a retail of $30. You can find them for a very affordable $20 per volume at Express or Buy.com. (Don’t forget to support this site by clicking onto them from here;)

Some concern has been expressed about the so-called "spoiler" art on the cover of the Volume 1 DVD. Now. I am going to let you in on a little secret: VAN HAS WINGS. Yes, wings. Who's Van, you ask? That doesn't matter now. You would have known within the first two minutes of the show anyway because the opening sequence practically spells it out for you. Feathers surround Van constantly, and they really spell it out for you in only the 4th episode. Now, why exactly would anyone purposely give you a spoiler in a primer?, you ask bemusedly. Because it's the lamest spoiler in the history of really, really lame spoilers. If you get mad at anyone, get mad at me, and not the poor folks who made you this nice DVD. On the bright side, girls, this is important information: Van has wings, and wings are good. Very good. Jai and I think so, at least.

I find it difficult to find reasons why anyone should not at least sample the series. The blend of genre, endearing characters, and superb craftsmanship make it enjoyable and very, very worthwhile. I’ve seen all sorts of people react to Escaflowne, and it seems that male or female, bloodthirsty or analytical or romantic, all of them enjoyed it. Even if you aren't sure whether you'll like or not, you owe it to yourself to give it a try, because a series you can love and appreciate is worth its weight in gold.

Written by Kate Montgomery

(The views represented in this article are not reflective of Chris Beveridge or his lovely site in any way. Or anybody's, in fact. I'm sure lots of people think Van's wings are horrid. Except maybe Jai. Ok, these views are reflective of Jai. But not Chris Beveridge. Or his lovely site. Just me. And Jai.)