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Escaflowne ?


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balla



Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 255
Location: Toronto aka T.DOT
PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2004 1:00 am Reply with quote
I just started this series and saw the first episode I thought it was ok. I saw up to about the first 6 on fox years ago without giving any spoilers what should I expect from this show why people call it a classic.
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Animefreak08



Joined: 24 Jul 2003
Posts: 882
Location: Michigan ftw.
PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2004 1:08 am Reply with quote
Expect cool "robots". Awesome fight scenes, great fluid animation, and good looking character designs. Not to mention a story with a bit of a twist. A pretty good anime indeed.
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Syto



Joined: 14 Nov 2004
Posts: 16
PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2004 1:32 am Reply with quote
I plan on picking up this one soon. Glad to hear its good!
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Tony K.
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Joined: 18 Nov 2003
Posts: 11433
Location: Frisco, TX
PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2004 3:43 am Reply with quote
I haven't seen the show in quite some time. I listened to the dub and thought it was pretty good, being an Ocean Studios fan, but I hear a lot of people really dislike it (the dub), which is understandable only because I am partial to Ocean. After seeing the movie in both languages though, I will admit that the original track is MUCH more emotional, which is only expected given the likes of Tomokazu Seki and Shinichiro Miki.

In terms of character, plot, music, animation, etc., I did enjoy this series tremendously. The characters are somewhat cliche, but very well portrayed nonetheless. The plot is somewhat shoujo-esque with it being mostly from Hitomi's point of view, but it still remains a very shounen series.

The music needs no further explanation than Yoko Kanno and Hajime Mizoguchi. Truly, if ever there was a soundtrack to describe an epic story of fate, love, deception, growth, and fantasy, this what it should sound like. Many a tune in this fine score are excellenty composed, fitting each and every scene right down to the last emotional chord. Of course it helps when a majority of these peices are also being played by the Warsaw Philharmonic. I'd highly recommend you also get the OSTs if you ever get the chance. If orchestrated music is a plus for you, I guarantee you'll like Escaflowne's soundtrack.

And as far as art and animation go, it was made in 1996, so it's not spectacular. What really got to me sometimes though were the people's noses. They're really... pointy.


Aside from that apsect though, the art for the backgrounds are especially lush and exotic looking with lots of green, blue, and white color schemes. The animation isn't what you'd call superb, but for 1996, as mentioned earlier, it's pretty smooth for a TV series of that time. There is nothing in particular worth bashing in terms of fluidity.

The mecha designs are very nice as well. Futuristic looking for a fantasy world, but they still have a nice hint of feudalism, giving them some very well balanced appearances.

I would also recommend the movie, but that is for another thread. I will just say that the series and the movie are almost TOTALLY different, so for now, just watch the series, then the movie.


Last edited by Tony K. on Mon Nov 29, 2004 11:20 pm; edited 1 time in total
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ShellBullet



Joined: 20 Mar 2003
Posts: 1051
Location: I hit things, with my fist.
PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2004 5:25 am Reply with quote
Escaflowne was I think the first and only series that I knew I would absolutely love after seeing only one episode. Maybe its just that I have a thing for dragons, but I was hooked right from the get-go and the show only became better with time. The plot is fairly intricate, anyone who enjoys historical drama will get a kick out of the series seeing how the creators worked hard creating a believable world. The show does have a lot of Shoujo elements as Tony pointed out, but it also shonen elements. I think it's a series that effectively bridges the gap between the two genres.

One thing that has to be mentioned is the awesome soundtrack. Tony mentioned the music, but I have to mention the sound effects. They are awesome, some of the best and most realistic sounds I've ever heard in an anime. It's amazing to hear the sound of the mecha in action, sounding just as you would imagine them to in real life.
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Inu-Yasha



Joined: 21 Sep 2003
Posts: 373
Location: Quad Cities, Iowa
PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2004 6:45 am Reply with quote
I like it so much because all the characters appeal to me and most of my friends. There not perfect, there both good and evil and so on. Other great things about this series is the plot, characters, masterpiece classical and neoclassical score done by yoko kanno and Hajime Mizoguchi. (These two should work more often together Smile ).
The ending is more original and more complete in my mind than most animes but I haven't read any of the manga yet. Some people hate the movie but I don't. The movie to me is a darker, shorter retelling of the tv series in an alternative universe.
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Naiera



Joined: 21 Nov 2004
Posts: 42
Location: Denmark
PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2004 7:02 am Reply with quote
I didn't exactly "love" the first episode, but after watching the second episode, I quickly gathered that it would pick up A LOT over the next episodes. It just got better from there, and it's definitely some of the best stuff I've ever watched.

See if you can't get the original DVD releases somehow, or even the R4's (well, if your TV can display PAL resolution), because the re-release "Complete Collection" looks cack.
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Yuki555



Joined: 13 Jun 2003
Posts: 164
Location: Georgia
PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2004 1:11 pm Reply with quote
! _ ! I love this series! It's one of my favorite. The story is really good and does indeed have a twist here and there. I think the characters variations is what make this anime interesting. Everyone is really different. When I finsihed watching it, I wished Gaia did exist so I could hop on a rocket and get on over there. lol
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ParaParaJMo



Joined: 06 Jun 2004
Posts: 333
Location: Gilbert, AZ, USA
PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2004 2:51 pm Reply with quote
Well if you like Escaflowne, you will love Aura Battler Dunbine. I would say that Kawamori pretty much based Escaflowne off this one. It was created by Tomino (of Mobile Suit Gundam) with the designs of the Macross staff. Aura Battler Dunbine is the anime to watch because without it, there probably would have never been an Escaflowne.
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Kruszer



Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 7992
Location: Minnesota, USA
PostPosted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:38 am Reply with quote
I'd definitely recomend the series I caught what little FOX aired and bought the set, when I saw it on Amazon a few years ago, on a whim. Wasn't disappointed at all, I loved pretty much everything about this one. Good storyline, characters, mecha action, plot twists, music, annimation, all excellent.

Not to mention the series turned one of my friends into an anime fan after I showed him a couple episodes, which soon became a full blown marithon as he insisted on finishing the whole thing.
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starfireliz



Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 6
PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2004 10:44 pm Reply with quote
i fell in love with this series when i first saw it. but like you i saw its first like... 6 eps before they quit showing. it's waaay expensive to buy around here too. i was a bit upset with the movie though. i thought it would go with the series a bit better.
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Kruszer



Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 7992
Location: Minnesota, USA
PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2004 11:35 pm Reply with quote
The only real thing the two have in common are characters and Escaflowne of course, it's basically an alternate universe retelling.
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Tony K.
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Joined: 18 Nov 2003
Posts: 11433
Location: Frisco, TX
PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2004 11:49 pm Reply with quote
Kruszer wrote:
The only real thing the two have in common are characters and Escaflowne of course, it's basically an alternate universe retelling.

For discussion involving the movie, check these following threads:

"Escaflowne: the vision was lost when they made the movie"

"Escaflowne Movie"
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Baka...



Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 98
Location: Edmonton. Alberta Canada
PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2004 12:48 am Reply with quote
Personally i saw Escaflowne on YTV. So it probally wasnt all that good. But i just think the story line is a little bland. Guy back in time fights a dragon comes back to his time and the girls with him. Then Main character has to fight his brother. Meh. Its not something id recomend anyone Very Happy
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gladiolii



Joined: 30 Sep 2004
Posts: 5
Location: Boston, MA
PostPosted: Thu Dec 02, 2004 10:07 am Reply with quote
ShellBullet wrote:
Escaflowne was I think the first and only series that I knew I would absolutely love after seeing only one episode. Maybe its just that I have a thing for dragons, but I was hooked right from the get-go and the show only became better with time. The plot is fairly intricate, anyone who enjoys historical drama will get a kick out of the series seeing how the creators worked hard creating a believable world. The show does have a lot of Shoujo elements as Tony pointed out, but it also shonen elements. I think it's a series that effectively bridges the gap between the two genres.

One thing that has to be mentioned is the awesome soundtrack. Tony mentioned the music, but I have to mention the sound effects. They are awesome, some of the best and most realistic sounds I've ever heard in an anime. It's amazing to hear the sound of the mecha in action, sounding just as you would imagine them to in real life.


thank you, just what i would say. i wasn't exactly hooked from the first ep, but the plotline was so ambitious and there were so many twists.. i couldn't NOT love it. first anime, still one of my faves. oh, and is it just me or does escaflowne draw most of its world of gaea ideas from record of lodoss wars? and then record of lodoss wars i found had a HUGE similarity to lord of the rings.. so in that sense i think escaflowne derived through a long chain from lord of the rings. just thought i wanted to say that =P
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