Rating: 
Summary: Really good series, A must see for fantasy fans!
Review: This is a great series, but its not my favorite. Id say its in my top 10 list. To tell you the truth the show gets really good starting from eps#13. The series is about a highschool girl named Hitomi who get transported to another world called Gaea and meets up with the young king Van. Van has a large legendary espano robot called ESCAFLOWNE (hence the name of the series) While in Gaea Hitomi, Van and Merl (A cat-girl who is an old friend of Van) meet up with new firnds (like Allen and Millerna) and enemys (like Fulcen and Dornkirk). Hitomi has the power to see and predict the future and to see the unseen. The art work in this anime is amazing (especially one of the last battles with VAN vs ALLEN) and the dubbing is not bad at all. I do recomend this to all fantasy fans!
Rating: 
Summary: A Fantastic Fantasy: Some For The Guys, Some For The Girls
Review: Even when the edited version of "Escaflowne" played on Fox, the series showed that it could still hang as a great story. With the fully unleashed, unedited box set of the entire series, Escaflowne goes from an relatively unknown hit on early Fox Saturday mornings, to something that anime fans, serious and casual, can appreciate. Hitomi, an ordinary girl, living an ordinary high school life, complete with stressing out over academics, athletics (she runs track) and boys (her enormous crush on the track team captain). She runs a final race for him, using the swings of a pendant she's had passed on to her since youth as a timer. Suddenly, an enormous dragon, followed immediately by a sword-wielding youth, burst out of thin air. A fight and chase ensue, before the dimension that spit the boy and dragon out reclaims them, along with Hitomi. She learns that the young boy is Van, king of Fanelia, a distant land that's half-medieval, half-technological, with battles fought in mystical-caped giant robots called guymelefs. Van's village is decimated by invading invisible guymelefs from the evil Zaibach army of emperor Dornkirk, but not before his countrymen make a valiant sacrifice to ensure the escape of Van, his cat-girl childhood friend Merle, Hitomi, and the ultimate guymelef Escaflowne, thus setting off the rest of the story. Sounds a bit nerdy and too "magical." But "Escaflowne" manages not to completely classify itself as magical fantasy-type anime. In fact, magic is but a small factor in the series--Hitomi's pendant carries some powers that not only allow her to see into the near future, but to spot the invisible enemy guymelefs; Van and Dornkirk's right hand man Folken both sprout wings, and are descended from a now extinct race--the main action involves swordfights, giant robot battles, and...giant robots. The love story aspect is very obvious, and muddled, with more love triangles than a high school geometry class (i.e. Hitomi and Merle love Van, or Hitomi and Marlene and Millerna fight over master swordsman Allen Schezar). It's 35 percent guymelef fights, 25 percent love story, 15 percent swordfights, 10 percent magic and 15 percent everything else (including politics, physics, legends). There's an enormous, but not overwhelming amount of characters, weaving in and out of several plot layers. Van, Hitomi and Schezar end up as the major characters viewers will latch on to, with interesting and well-developed secondary characters in Folken, cat sisters Nariya and Eriya, and deranged Van-counterpart Dilandau. There is never a slow, dragging episode in the series, and "Escaflowne" never deviates from the main storyline with "comedic" or "new adventure"-type episodes that other series like to throw in to prolong their shows. Art, sound, animation and music are all top-notch for the period it was released (factoring in the new art standards in series like "Full Metal Panic," "Gasaraki," "Ex-Drivers" or "Nightwalker"). The simple character designs are balanced out by the complex, caped, sword-bearing guymelefs. The swordfights are the extended type, not the one strike battles other series offer. The characters battle it out in one-on-one scenarios or in the army-on-army levels. The pacing is especially rare in that it is constantly action-packed throughout the series. Many series start off slow to set up the more action packed climactic end volumes, or slow-down and deviate during explanatory flashback sessions, but "Escaflowne" flows as continuous roller coaster ride, with no stops for reloading. Plot points, new characters, deaths and revelations come flying at you faster than you can say "Hitomi's haircut's too short." Those interested in "Escaflowne: The Movie" are better advised watching the entire series first, before watching the movie, which is more of a re-telling of the series, than a movie about it. For one, the movie's art and animation is far superior to the series, and the characters co-exist in completely different roles and attitudes. Watch the series first, then watch the movie. Recommended for all anime fans and non-anime fans.
Rating:
Summary: Great anime-
Review: I'm not usually too into anime, but I've loved this one so far. The plot is very interesting but not too hard to understand (like some other animes I've seen...) and all of the characters are well-made. The music is great also; the theme song is really catchy. I have to watch the intro to every episode just for that song! The one complaint I have with pretty much all animes is that the episodes end abruptly, but if you have the next episode available at your fingertips that's really not a problem. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic series!
Review: I've heard a lot about this show for the past couple years, so I decided to borrow my friends collection, and am I ever glad I did! This is a series you can't help but fall in love with. Great action, adventure, love, mystery, loyalty, betrayal, war...this has it all jam-packed into one awesome fantasy ride that keeps your interest all the way!! A colorful and intruiging array of characters brings even more life to the story as it unfolds. It all begins when Hitomi Kanzaki, an average high school girl who is on the track team and does Tarot card readings for her friends, is sucked into another world with a boy named Van-the king of a city called Fanelia. But then Fanelia is suddenly attacked by the Zaibachs-an empire who wants to control their world, and destiny itself!! Van takes up arms against the Zaibachs, with some help from Hitomi and new friends he meets. However, Hitomi's mysterious power that allows her to see into the future may be helpful to her friends, but when the Zaibach's learn of her abilities, they want her for themselves!! And could Van's Guymelef Escaflowne somehow be a threat to their empire? This fantasy/adventure is different from any other that you will ever see!! An excellent music score, along with quality animation and a memorable plot of human strength and determination makes this a wonderful title to get!!
Rating:
Summary: Vision of Escaflowne
Review: An astounding series brought to us by some of the top talents in anime, Escaflowne is in fact a story about the discovery of the lost city, Atlantis', secret and about the consequences of Isaac Newton's reactions to this discovery. On the somewhat atypical surface, however, Escaflowne is about a young Japanese girl's romantic involvements with the other main characters.A medieval setting allows for an all new and original interpretation on traditional mecha, as the behemoth battle armors, or "Guymelefs," are composed primarily of gears and use swords, as opposed the Gundam type servos and beams. Nevertheless, the animators found ample opportunity to include some flashy digital effects, stealth cloaking will impress you.Although I found Hitomi Kanzaki, our main character, difficult to relate to, Van Fanel and Allen Schezar, a descendant of Atlantis and a royal knight respectively, steal the show. Thier efforts against a powerful military regime known as Zaibach Empire, who seek not only control over the planet, but over the laws of casaulity (fate) itself, are truly a sight to behold. A seemless blend of science fiction and medieval fantasy produce some of the most memorable anime characters and scenes you'll ever set eyes on. A superb musical score and acceptable dubbing round out this awesome package.Unfairly labeled a "girl's cartoon" in some sects, Escaflowne is some of Japan's very best anime and is truly deserving of this fantastic box set edition (thanks bandai). Episodic anime just doesn't get any better than this!
Rating:
Summary: Some of the best nonetheless
Review: Do I really need to ring Escaflowne's praises for you? Most everyone who is into anime has already seen this series but for those of you who are not but may have seen and like movies like Princess Mononoke this is the series to pick up. It is by far the most accessible of any anime series I have seen and is perfect for a budding anime guru. In fact this is the very series I will show to my friends who have yet to see any anime they think is worth watching. Visually, Escaflowne is pretty remarkable for a TV series that shows obvious signs of extremely high production values. The story may not be the most intricate in the world of anime but it more than suffices. What is most impressive about Escaflowne is the characters. Van and Hitomi are some of my favorite characters ever and are both completely believable in their respective places; Hitomi as the fish out of water teenager and Van as the young kind thirsting for revenge. I also enjoyed many of the supporting characters such as Dilandu and Folken; even the bad guys were given a proper history and motivations rather than simple blind obedience to whatever evil scheme might be in style. In fact evil itself is somewhat grayed as no character is truly evil, only misguided doing what they believe is right and just. I would recommend Escaflowne to anyone and everyone; it is a series that can have appeal to the very young and old alike. Truly masterful work. Note that anyone who has seen this series on Fox Kids has been watching a kiddied down version of a show that wasn't really meant for children to begin with. Don't let that Escaflowne-lite ruin your opinion of the show.
Rating:
Summary: Just a 'heads up' re: the Limited Edition Boxed Set...
Review: For Escaflowne fans looking to purchase the Limited Edition set, be aware that many vendors listed as selling this item are actually offering the Escaflowne "Perfect Collection"... Though both contain all 26 episodes of the series, the latter will not provide you with a numbered "Collector's Box" or the extra features advertised for the former. To differentiate between the two, check the number of discs/DVDs that are said to be included in the set. The Limited Edition set will contain 8 DVDs, while the Perfect Collection is said to contain only 3. With that said, however, either should provide you with a complete collection of episodes from the series. I don't see how you can go wrong with that =P...unless, of course, you're a serious collector =)... As for a comparison on the quality of the two, well, I don't own either, so I honestly have no idea. Sorry for being a somewhat unknowledgeable reviewer, but I just wanted to add the above bit of info to hopefully prevent customers from obtaining something other than what they desired. Cheers!
Rating:
Summary: Simply the best anime series ever made.
Review: Many people will throw around compliments like "The Best" rather easily, and change their minds like the wind. I dislike using that level of description, because usually there's several things competing for that position. Not, however, in the case of anime series. No series I've ever watched -- and I've watched a lot of them, from Mobile Suit Gundam to Harlock to Outlaw Star, Slayers, Hellsing, Metal Fighter Miku and Space Adventurer Cobra -- comes close to matching Escaflowne. Visually, Escaflowne is stunning. Most series animation is clearly inferior to that found in anime movies, but in the case of Escaflowne it's hard to recognize that this is, in fact, a series. The backgrounds, the main characters, the action, all are done with a warm, lush attention to effect that never fails. The music is one of the finest anime soundtracks ever made. Composed by Yoko Kanno (Macross Plus, Cowboy Bebop), it captures a spirit of mysticism and high adventure which is perfect for this series. I often leave this disc running in the background because it's so much fun to listen to. I rip TRACKS from this CD to put on my favorite collection CDs (I'm particularly fond of "Angel"). The story... how can I do it justice? It contains something for everyone -- love and romance, combat, magic, mecha, nods to history, duels, and all assembled in a unified whole. The best way to put it is this: for nearly seven years I ran a monthly anime night at our local Borders, and Escaflowne was the ONLY -- let me repeat that: ONLY -- anime to consistently pull in people of all walks of life. I've seen it enthrall Dragonball Z fanboys, Sailor Moon addicts, 65-year-old grandmothers, 7 year old little brothers, casual Yuppie passers-by, and cynical goth poseurs. It has magic and war, politics and romance, intrigue and action, swords and giant mecha suits, and somehow all of it works to form a dazzling coherent whole that is unmatched in all the history of animated television. When its opening theme song started, everyone would fall silent, or else sing quietly along -- even if they didn't know a word of Japanese. And for those who accuse it of unoriginality... certainly it uses tropes from other genres -- what doesn't? -- but I defy you to find any other show (anime or otherwise) which manages to combine Japanese dating customs, track and field running, mecha construction, honor duels, Sir Isaac Newton, ancient Atlantis, and parallel world cosmology with a classic romantic triangle, revenge, military strategy, and espionage. Watch "The Vision of Escaflowne". You will never regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Fantasy Fun
Review: The story starts out on planet Earth, where a high school girl named, Hitome is accidentally teleported to a strange world called, Gaea. Even though she wants to return to Earth, many bad circumstances prevent her from doing so. She gets involved with the young king named, Van whose kingdom was destroyed by the evil Zaibach empire. Hitomi slowly finds out that she has great telepathic powers where she is able to see into the past and future as well as read the minds of people. The world of Gaea is like something out of fantasy novels; containing castles, kings, knights, wizards and dragons. Visions of Escaflowne contains a lot of elements from fantasy stories, but adds a unique twist by combining the world with advanced technology. For example, the military have mecha war machines, mechas with cloaking (invisability) video screens for communication, flame throwers, flying machines, floating fortresses and more strange technology. In a way their technology is more advanced than what currently exists in our own time, yet they use the mechas for sword fights (duels). I just have some minor complaints about this anime: my first complaint is the main character, Hitomi is a sissy. She was constantly fainting and getting kidnapped by the bad guys. And the good guys always came to rescue her- the damsel in distress. Secondly- almost all of the supporting characters get kidnapped and they needed rescuing as well. My last complaint was the fact that they should have killed the bad guy named Dilandua. Dilandua was always blood thirsty, killing innocent people and destroying villages just to get at the hero's. The hero's had several opportunities to kill him, but didn't. Instead they just continued running away from him. Despite these minor flaws, the stories are interesting and have lots of surprises (I won't spoil them for you). I also enjoyed the action sequences, watching these massive sized mechas slashing at each other in melee combat with swords and metal fists... it's a sight to see. Character development and interaction were also interesting to watch, kind of like a soap opera from the middle ages when courage, nobility and chivalry were important. The creators of this series created a truly unique world that is rich in detail. Every sound fx, music score, animation sequence, and not to forget the storytelling is of superb quality! Even though the story panders more to a female audience, anyone can enjoy it. Even male audience will enjoy; I know I did! Minor violence- good for all ages. Ends on episode 26, but there is also a movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Escaflowne, decent but not great.
Review: This anime has a sort of cult following, so I decided to borrow my friend's set seen above and try it out. I got into it right away during the first couple of disks, but after that, it was abit of a disappoint for me. The reason for this is because of the writer's use of the literary mechanic of "Deus Ex Machina," or "God as a machine." Normally this literary device is used sparingly, it is comparable to God intervening to get a character or situation to change course. I realize this anime was about fate and all that jazz, but saving the main character's lives by whisking them away on a beam of light whenever they are in trouble gets annoying after the 10th time. A prime example of this device being exploited was when the Escaflowne is damaged, so they press/pull a button/lever on the Escaflowne and low and behold(!) an interdimensional fixing service appears out of thin air to repair it! When stuff like this happens repeatedly throughout episode after episode, I tells me 1 of 2 things, either the writers didn't know how to get the characters out of the situation they got themselves into (which makes you not really care about the characters anymore) or the writers really had such low expectations from their target audience's intelligence levels! In closing, before you flame me, remember that I am an Anime fan myself. I have seen great anime, like Grave of the Fireflies and I have seen piss poor ones which I won't mention. Escaflowne as a series is neither of those. It is a decent series, don't be a lemming and love it because it has such a hard core fan base, judge it on it's merits.
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