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Title (English) Vision of Escaflowne - Movie

Title (Japanese) Vision of Escaflowne - Movie

Advertising
Fantasy Novel

Notes Movie, 2001, approx 90 mins, Bandai
Images: Hitomi & Yukari
Hitomi & Van
Hitomi & Van

Classification -

Synopsis Depressed teenager Hitomi wishes she could just die or disappear. Her wishes resonate with those of Folken, leader of the Black Dragons, who hopes that he can use the "Goddess of Wings" to summon the evil armour Escaflowne and reduce everything on Gaea, including himself, to ashes. Van, a violent young man and king of a destroyed country, lives only to kill all his enemies, including his brother Folken. Van also wants to summon the Armour, and is very angry when the Armour appears, ejects Hitomi and then disappears again. She is saved by the intervention of Allen, a landless fighter, and his followers, including the pubescent cat-girl Merle and the Princess Millerna. Before long they have to survive an attack led by Folken's blood-crazed subordinate Dilandau.

Review As the syopsis indicates, this movie diverges substantially from the TV series. Instead of trying to compress 26 episodes into 90 mins, the producers have instead told a different and much simpler story, with a setting that differs in many ways from the TV series. Many elements that were important in the TV series have been entirely omitted, including the Zaibach empire, Dornkirk, Hitomi's feelings for Allen, and Hitomi's fortune-telling.
Character designs have been revised - Hitomi for instance has shorter hair, a round-eyed look and more rounded features. Personalities of most characters have been changed to some degree.
Now I've explained that, I can review the movie!
The animation has the kind of realistic style (fully painted rather than black outline & fill) that can make you half forget that you are watching an animated film at all, and the opening scene with two schoolgirls on a roof, with its strange and economical dialogue, is light years away from most juvenile animation - the phrase "art movie" comes quickly to mind.
The action scenes are well animated, and the quieter scenes, like the scene in which Princess Millerna, clad in a sort of hot-pants outfit, wakes Hitomi and, showing her the view out of the window, convinces Hitomi that she isn't just having a nightmare, are superbly characterised.
The atmosphere of menace, blood and gloom is very powerful and the rumbling surround sound adds considerably to the general effect. The suicidal theme is really quite disturbing; fortunately there is also a message of hope.
Verdict: If you liked the TV series, you should sell your granny or pawn your Playstation to get a DVD of this and a decent sound system.

Credits

Episodes

Release Jap:DVD, US:DVD, CAN:DVD

TV Showing See the whole series for free? This series may be syndicated to regional cable, satellite or terrestial TV stations. For Europe click here.

Date 2001

Production Bandai

Broadcaster

Animation

References & Help Look up the latest data on this title at:
Richard Llewellyn's Animated Divots, or
Anime News Network (see Encyclopedia section) ,
or in "The Anime Encyclopedia" (Clements & McCarthy, Stone Bridge Press, 2001).
Help & further information.

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Information
Title (English)	Vision of Escaflowne - Movie
Title (Japanese)	Vision of Escaflowne - Movie
Advertising Fantasy Novel
Notes	Movie, 2001, approx 90 mins, Bandai Images: Hitomi & Yukari Hitomi & Van Hitomi & Van
Classification	-
Synopsis	Depressed teenager Hitomi wishes she could just die or disappear. Her wishes resonate with those of Folken, leader of the Black Dragons, who hopes that he can use the "Goddess of Wings" to summon the evil armour Escaflowne and reduce everything on Gaea, including himself, to ashes. Van, a violent young man and king of a destroyed country, lives only to kill all his enemies, including his brother Folken. Van also wants to summon the Armour, and is very angry when the Armour appears, ejects Hitomi and then disappears again. She is saved by the intervention of Allen, a landless fighter, and his followers, including the pubescent cat-girl Merle and the Princess Millerna. Before long they have to survive an attack led by Folken's blood-crazed subordinate Dilandau.
Review	As the syopsis indicates, this movie diverges substantially from the TV series. Instead of trying to compress 26 episodes into 90 mins, the producers have instead told a different and much simpler story, with a setting that differs in many ways from the TV series. Many elements that were important in the TV series have been entirely omitted, including the Zaibach empire, Dornkirk, Hitomi's feelings for Allen, and Hitomi's fortune-telling. Character designs have been revised - Hitomi for instance has shorter hair, a round-eyed look and more rounded features. Personalities of most characters have been changed to some degree. Now I've explained that, I can review the movie! The animation has the kind of realistic style (fully painted rather than black outline & fill) that can make you half forget that you are watching an animated film at all, and the opening scene with two schoolgirls on a roof, with its strange and economical dialogue, is light years away from most juvenile animation - the phrase "art movie" comes quickly to mind. The action scenes are well animated, and the quieter scenes, like the scene in which Princess Millerna, clad in a sort of hot-pants outfit, wakes Hitomi and, showing her the view out of the window, convinces Hitomi that she isn't just having a nightmare, are superbly characterised. The atmosphere of menace, blood and gloom is very powerful and the rumbling surround sound adds considerably to the general effect. The suicidal theme is really quite disturbing; fortunately there is also a message of hope. Verdict: If you liked the TV series, you should sell your granny or pawn your Playstation to get a DVD of this and a decent sound system.
Credits
Episodes
Release	Jap:DVD, US:DVD, CAN:DVD
TV Showing	See the whole series for free? This series may be syndicated to regional cable, satellite or terrestial TV stations. For Europe click here.
Date	2001
Production	Bandai
Broadcaster
Animation
References & Help	Look up the latest data on this title at: Richard Llewellyn's Animated Divots, or Anime News Network (see Encyclopedia section) , or in "The Anime Encyclopedia" (Clements & McCarthy, Stone Bridge Press, 2001). Help & further information.