The Vision of Escaflowne is an underrated mech anime perfectly tailored to fans of isekai. Until Funimation successfully funded a Kickstarter campaign to re-release the series in 2016, Escaflowne seemed destined to go down in anime history as an underrated cult classic. However, Escaflowne is now more easily accessible than ever before, and it's the perfect time to discover this classic anime.
Although Escaflowne was initially among the English-dubbed anime released in early 2000s, it was never aired in its entirety in the United States. Originally included on the Fox Kids Saturday morning programming block, Escaflowne was pulled from the air due to its excessive violence and subject matter. Despite its initial inclusion in a children's programming block, Escaflowne was felt out of place among other Fox Kids shows. As part of the 2016 re-release, Funimation produced a second English dub with a new cast of actors.
Escaflowne Is a Unique Blend of Genres
Escaflowne is an isekai story at its core. A high school student named Hitomi gets caught in a portal between worlds, and Prince Van of Fanelia crosses over into the real world while hunting a dragon and returns to his home world of Gaea with Hitomi in tow. Hitomi, Van, and their companions soon become embroiled in a war with the Zaibach Empire, whose Emperor has built a powerful machine to control destiny and is constantly plagued by visions of Van's transforming mech Escaflowne preventing his plans from being realized. The Fantasy setting helps distinguish Escaflowne from other mech series that are usually science fiction oriented and commonly set in space. Similarly, the prominence of the mech action really sets Escaflowne apart from other high fantasy isekai series. There really isn't another series that makes for an easy comparison with Escaflowne
While Van is important and Escaflowne itself is a major element driving the plot and conflict, Hitomi is indisputably the series' main character, and the romance between the pair steers the main story. On the other hand, the series' depiction of violence and mech combat is unflinching in its brutality, and it can be jarring given the series' romantic focus in other times. That being said, the visual designs of the mechs, especially the eponymous Escaflowne, are remarkably unique among mech anime and the fight scenes are impressive, especially with the accompaniment of the series' absolutely phenomenal soundtrack.
Combining a unique isekai premise with impressive mech action and a genuinely emotional romance arc, and underrated classic finally gets its time to shine and win new fans. The Vision of Escaflowne is unlike any other anime series and definitely deserves a watch.
The Vision of Escaflowne is available to stream on Funimation.
