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Escaflowne - Dragons and Destiny (Vol. 1)

Escaflowne - Dragons and Destiny (Vol. 1)

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Dragons, Kitty Cats, & Kings
Review: This incredible story of love, honor, betrayal, and emotional confusion is finally coming to DVD. Hitomi, Van, Allen, Millerna, Merle, Dryden, Dilandau and all the rest of your (soon to be) favorite characters inhabit the mythical world of Gaia. The premiere disc begins your immersion into this intense mecha/shoujo anime, available for the first time in English. If you haven't seen or heard of this anime, you soon will. There are rumors of it coming in the Fall schedule of the FoxKids Network. See it in all it's glory now.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: best soap opara shojo there is
Review: don't be fooled by title, this is a must for those who love adventure,action,romance and a story line that will suck you in big time. it starts with a girl named hitomi who gets taken to another world, one of dragons and magic. there is even giant medivel mecha suits(yeah, medivel mecha) but it all fits.evil people trying to conquer kingdoms, knights who sacrice their heritage to save the world and the ones they love. i can go on but that would ruin the story, trust me, you won't be able to tear yourself away once you start. name as the best shojo ever written and made, and i agree. you wont be dissatisfied.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: an epic anime for all ages
Review: Just wanted to share my thoughts on (Vision of) Escaflowne. It is an absolutely stunning anime for all ages to enjoy. First, a comment to "Rabid Rabbit"...the FOX broadcasts of Esca are edited quite a bit for reasons of time constraints as well as content (war violence and mild language). My point to the "Rabbit" is you will NOT be disappointed with the uncut/unedited DVD...you'll see Esca totally intact and should be a profound anime experience for you. Now, on with my thoughts...I think it's cool to have the edited version available on VHS to ease concerned parents minds. However, your kids need to eventually watch Esca as it was meant to be seen...filled with danger, romance, drama and interesting character development, Esca is one of the most compelling TV shows (live action or animated) I have seen...period. The music is one of the coolest elements of Esca (though the music is rather sloppily edited on the edited version, the unedited version is absolutely glorious! ) I have read neat Internet articles about entire families (not just in Japan, here in the US, too) watching this anime and are so entertained by it. I think all ages can appreciate this stunning work of art for all the reasons I just described. Hard core anime fans like myself will appreciate the unedited VHS/DVD. Young kids should appreciate the edited VHS...as they grow up, please don't let them miss out on the real (unedited) Vision of Escaflowne as it was meant to be seen. Highly recommended.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Is It in the Cards?
Review: As is normal for me, I always watch the wrong part of a series first. In the case of Escaflowne, I saw the movie, and that convinced me that I wanted to see the original TV series. Since that meant laying my hands (and eyes and ears) on an eight DVD series, I've been slow to carry out that commitment. Not that there is anything wrong with the film. In fact, I thought it was remarkable, visually, musically, and dramatically. Moreover, the director made a careful effort to point out the film is an alternative story line, not a recap of the original. But still, what a difference!

The first thing that strikes you (no matter which version you see first) is the comparative youth of the characters in the TV series, and, more important, the comparative slowness of development in the series. This is for the good. Already I have a better idea of who Hitomi Kanzaki, the beautiful young runner, really is. And a more meaningful sense of the mysterious world of Gaea where both dragons and giant robots are real, and our Earth is called the Mystic Moon.

When Hitomi is snatched from the earth in mid-race by the dragon-hunting Prince Van, she is barely in time to watch the destruction of his kingdom at the hands of Van's fallen brother, Prince Folken. Assisted by the insane Dilandau, Folken now serves at the head of the expeditionary forces of the Zaibach Empire. His instructions from Emperor Dornkirk are to seek out and destroy a mysterious dragon that threatens the future of his overlord. And the nature of the dragon is hidden within the magical suit of armor called Escaflowne.

The war spreads from Van's homeland to the castle of Knight Allen Schezar in Asturia. Leaving a trail of fire and destruction behind it. Hitomi's role is still unclear, although she is already showing considerable sensitivity as a Tarot card reader. Romantic complications ensue, than the viewer will quickly realize that this is more than a skeletal plot to enable a lot of action. Whatever the future holds, this first DVD proves a magnetic introduction to the series.

Stylistically, this is a no holds barred production. Fin graphics and animation by a noted production staff, and a musical team led by Yoko Kanno (also noted for Cowboy Bebop, among other things). Plot and dialog show complexity much like Evangelion. In fact the two series have a lot of quality in common, although they are much different in all other ways. As US audiences have become more aware of anime, Escaflowne's stature has steadily risen. It is a shame that it is almost impossible to find the individual DVD's but the complete set is well worth it, despite the cost.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent Anime!!!
Review: I really liked this anime. It was intense, and didn't have the main charecter(Hitomi) rushing off to save the world, as like in other animes. It kept my attention(extra kudos!) all the way through. All in all, excellent choice.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: You cannot live without this VHS
Review: This is the best series I have seen in all my life. If you have ANYTHING bad to say about Escaflowne,... Second, don't get the cut version. Dubbed keeps out the "harsh" words but if you get it cut, you miss sooo much and won't get A LOT of the emotional conflicts. It messes up the episodes too. Anyways, this movie is an amazing start to the best series you'll ever see. It's worth every penny. Hitomi discovers a different world, and her own powers and there's Van(I luv this guy) It's filled with adventure, action, the real reality of emotional conflicts, fantasy, a beautiful world, and more. These characters are so REAL that you are drawn in instantly. The fight scenes and gymelefs are awesome. And the swords! If your a romance/action/fantasy/in-your-face-it's-so-real than this is deffinetly for you. Heck, it's for everybody. I have NEVER heard a negitive comment on the 'flowne... It's sooo worth it... It always keeps you on your toes, and there's so many twists you can't even guess the end of that episode. It's plot is little complicated(not that that's a bad thing) There are no words to discribe the joy of seeing this movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A girl transported to another world.
Review: The story is about Hitomi Kanzaki, a girl with a bit of psyhic powers who reads tarot cards. ONe day she asks the cards if she's ever find true love, and wham suddenly she goes from telling Amano her feeling to being sucked up into a pillar of light with Van into Gaea. So begins Hitomi and Van's adventures in the war-torn world of Gaea. Whether its the middle of battle in Fanelia, Hitomi being swept off her feet by Allen, or Van being his cute arrogant little self, or Dilandau just going plain insane, Escaflowne is definitely a winner. It has everything for everyone and blends it together well. I recommend this for everyone. Escaflowne like Pringles, once you start you just can't stop(I do believe that what they say for Pringles) I can't wait to get my greedy little hands on disc two!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Esca-fan!
Review: The first espisodes are slow and it takes time to build up to the plot. But once it picks up, I could not turn it off. It is beauiful and romantic. It is by far the best anime out there. I enjoyed and watch it many times. I am an Esca-fan for life.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Was it all a dream?
Review: Hitomi,a schoolgirl from Japan, likes to give Tarot Card readings to her friends. But, she discovers one of her classmates is leaving the country. She does a reading and is disturbed that she pulled "the card of distant separation" and is baffled by the "Courage" card.
The classmate is Captain Amano, which Hitomi has a crush on. She tells Amano if she can beat 13 seconds on the track, she would like Amano to give her first kiss with a boy.
BUT, a white light appears on the track and suddenly a boy in strange clothing is there. The boy is Van Fanel of "Fanelia"
After Van kills a dragon that comes soon after him, he is sent back to his world...along with Hitomi!
Hitomi finds herself on Gaea, a world with the Earth and moon both hang in the sky. Natives of Gaea call the Earth "The Mystic Moon" On Gaea, Hitomi has adventures with Van, Merle and other people.
Will she ever return to Earth?


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