Escaflowne (2000)

Directors:

Kazuki Akane
Yoshiyuki Takei (co-director)

Writers:

Ryota Yamaguchi (script) and
Kazuki Sekine (writer)

Release Date:

24 June 2000 (Japan)

Genre:

Adventure | Animation | Drama | Fantasy | Romance | Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

One Will Wake It. One Will Destroy It.

Plot:

A grim retelling of the television series "The Vision of Escaflowne".

Plot Keywords:

Remake | Splatter | Mecha | Brother Brother Relationship | Super Villain

Cast

Maaya Sakamoto	...	Hitomi Kanzaki
Tomokazu Seki	...	Van
Jôji Nakata	...	Folken
Mayumi Iizuka	...	Yukari / Sora
Minami Takayama	...	Dilandau
Kôji Tsujitani	...	Jajuka
Shinichirô Miki	...	Allen
Ikue Ootani	...	Merle
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Trevor Devall	...	Shesta (voice: English version)
Brian Dobson	...	Nukushi (voice: English version)
Michael Dobson	...	Dryden (voice: English version)
Paul Dobson	...	Folken (voice: English version)
Brian Drummond	...	Allen (voice: English version)
Andrew Francis	...	Dilandau (voice: English version)
Nobuyuki Hiyama	...	Oruto
Willow Johnson	...	Yukari (voice: English version)
Yoshiko Kamei	...	Van
Terry Klassen	...	Mole Man (voice: English version)
Hisako Kyôda	...	Old woman (as Naoko Kyoda)
Jocelyne Loewen	...	Merle (voice: English version)
Scott McNeil	...	Jajuka (voice: English version)
Kirby Morrow	...	Van (voice: English version)
Richard Newman	...	Black Dragon Clan Captain, Adon Chief, Pyle, Van's Father (voice: English version)
Ward Perry	...	Gaddes (voice: English version)
Kelly Sheridan	...	Hitomi (voice: English version)
Venus Terzo	...	Millerna (voice: English version)
Kappei Yamaguchi	...	Shesta
Sylvia Zaradic	...	Sora (voice: English version)

Also Known As:

Escaflowne the Movie: A Girl in Gaea (Japan) (working title)
Escaflowne: The Movie (USA)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for strong animated violence.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Canada:14A | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Germany:16 | Australia:M

Company:

Bandai Visual Company

Trivia:

The movie was a darker, action-packed, very abbreviated version of the series, and a great many changes were made from the original.

Quotes:

Hitomi Kanzaki: Van! Why... why are you so hurt?
[Van has been wounded deeply, and Hitomi tries to stop his bleeding as her voice grows desperate]
Hitomi Kanzaki: No, please stop! Please stop bleeding! Van, come on! Open your eyes! Someone! Is anyone here? Someone, save us! Please save Van! Someone! Someone! Someone save us! Save Van!
[suddenly, out of the mists, Jarjuka appears]
Jajuka: Let him die. Free the young man from the sorrow of fighting alone. Death is what he wishes for. Death is peace.
[he speaks as he clutches the fallen body of Nukushi in his arms]
Hitomi Kanzaki: Van...
Jajuka: Sorrow never ceases until death sweeps it away.
Hitomi Kanzaki: Does he want to die? Why? Is he so sad? Is he in that much pain? Why? Why do you live alone in sorrow? You're not alone, Van.
[she turns, and looks up at Jarjuka]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Remake of "Tenkû no Esukafurône" (1996)

Not your average Escaflowne

Anyone settling down to watch the usual romantic fluff of the series might be disappointed by this movie. However, if the same audience wants to drown in the glory of wonderful storytelling, a beautiful soundtrack worthy of Williams, and heartstopping animation, this is the perfect film for them.

"Escaflowne: A Girl From Gaea" is loosely based on the already popular series "Tenkuu no Escaflowne", where Hitomi, a young school girl with psychic powers, is whisked away to the magical land of Gaea, filled with mystical creatures, gallant knights, and gigantic suits of armor. However, here, the happy Hitomi and the peaceful Van are very much gone. The movie opens with Van brutally slaying a group of enemies and Hitomi rethinking the decision to hand a suicide note she has written over to her best friend Yukari. This is a very dark, but compelling Escaflowne. Much of the storyline from the series has been changed dramatically, as one can tell, but it gives the movie it's own original feel and one does not have to be familiar with the series to enjoy the movie. The soundtrack, once again handled very nicely by Yoko Kanno, is absolutely top-notch and might remind one of the power of John Williams' score to "Star Wars". The animation is very different as well, more mature and detailed than the average anime series. Older teens will love it, but smaller children familiar with the series might find the action too intense, some scenes and animation echoing the works of Akira Kurosawa, particularly "Ran".

I have only seen bootleg copies of this, but I hope the rumour of the movie coming stateside is true and we American otaku will get to enjoy the majesty that is "Escaflowne: A Girl From Gaea" on a theatre screen. Anything less cannot do it justice.