Escaflowne: I am hooked

[dangermousie]

katranna came over again last night and we watched more Escaflowne (anime about a 15 year old girl who occasionally has visions who was transported into a fantasy world of Gaea which is in the middle of a brutal war). I am hooked. The day before I watched 3 eps and had enough for the day. Last night we watched 5 and if she didn't have to go home, I could have watched 5 more.

I really do recommend it even if you don't like anime, because I am not an anime fan (only liked Howl's previously) and I am still in love with it: it has a twisty cool plot, characters I am in love with, and some fun world-building. Oh, and romance, angst, fighting and humor.

Of the four main male characters, I remain a Van (h/c and intensity and angst and just genuine niceness) and Allen (Legolas looks before Legolas hit the screens, chivalrous nobility and psycho combat competence, plus issues and lost love, and just a hint of wryness) girl, tending more towards Van though. I like Folken from what I've seen of him, but more in "like the character and find him interesting and Anakin-like" than "mad hots for him" way, even though he is quiet and competent and angsty and hot. He is ambivalently bad, but he does serve the bad guy. Dilandau, I am afraid, leaves me cold except for a 'get away from me, psycho' reaction. Though as katranna and I discussed, I can definitely see Dilandau/Van slash, but only of the "Dilandau captures Van and tortures and rapes him" variety. Because that? I can definitely see. I am afraid to look on ff.net, actually.

And I adore Hitomi who is competent and funny and cool and not Mary Suish or a Busty Bot but a neat 15 year old. I also like Millerna and her ladyish smarts (and can't blame the girl for being an Allen stalker, because who wouldn't be?) and Merle is totally adorable in a brattish 10 year old way and makes a fun little sister for Van.

So yeah, go watch.



Hitomi, a.k.a. the Heroine. She is a Japanese schoolgirl (of course) who has very useful visions from time to time and ends up being sucked through a rip in the time space continuum into the quasi medieval world of Gaea:



Van. King Van actually, thank you very much. Unfortunately, that is not a title that means much at the moment for reasons that are too good to spoil. He is my biggest crush on this show, even though he is entirely too young for me. He is the one responsible for Hitomi's trip to Gaea as he ended up on Earth while fighting a dragon as an initiation right through that same rip and then Hitomi was dragged back with him:









Channelling Michael Jackson?


Allen Schezar (anime Legolas?) A knight of Asturia who rescues Van and Hitomi. Not unjustifiably, Hitomi develops a yen for him:









Folken. The mysterious, David Bowie lookalike second in command/military leader/God knows what of Zeidbach, a military and agressive kingdom. Think Anakin only uncrispied and possibly with less child slaughter. Or maybe not:







Dilandau. Folken's second in command and certifiably batshit:





Princess Millerna. The beautiful and willfull daughter of the King of Asturia. She has a thing for Allen Schezar. Who could blame her:





Merle. She is 10, has a tail and I want to adopt her. Unfortunately I am too late as she and Van have adopted each other as quasi siblings and Van is utterly adorable with her:









Van/Hitomi. They are sweet together as there has been no hideous mush so far:











Allen and Van. Is it just me, or is poor Van a dwarf?



Two kinda-spoilery pics, so don't click if you are a spoilerphobe



Van and Hitomi:



My fave pic of the bunch. Van and Folken:

Comments

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

I love that picture of Van and Folken. I was always fond of Folken's facial tattoos as well. He gets more and more ambiguous as he goes. I honestly found him so interesting. Love the black wings too.

I love Allen's movie design. He really looks like a Sephiroth/Legolas knock off in the movie. Acted like one too. Loved the part where he just stepped off the massive tank and killed several things on the way down. I know you didn't like the movie, but having seen the series first, the movie didn't bug me that much. Perhaps because their noses wouldn't put an eye out.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Who is Sephiroth?

I know you didn't like the movie, but having seen the series first, the movie didn't bug me that much. Perhaps because their noses wouldn't put an eye out.

See, not having seen the show, the movie made NO sense to me. But I think I'd always have a problem with whiny Mary Sue Hitomi they had in it.

But yeah, Folken is quite interesting. And I do feel bad for him.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

Sepiroth is the very long haired bad guy of Final Fantasy VII (which was recently turned into a GORGEOUS movie).

I never really liked Dilandau myself. He disturbed me for MANY reasons. And no, you don't want to browse the fanfic for this one. It will leave your eyes bleeding, much like the fanfic for Inuyasha.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I like a bad guy if he is ambiguous and tormented over it. If he is psycho glee than he is not for me (but I don't think Dilandau will be left lonely if I look at the fandom for this show :P)

And no, you don't want to browse the fanfic for this one. It will leave your eyes bleeding, much like the fanfic for Inuyasha.

Once I finish all the eps and won't worry so much about being spoiled, I am sure it would make a good badfic post.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

I always found it a little disturbing how many fans Dilandau had. Of course this is coming from the girl who loves Vicious from Cowboy Bebop ("but his was more revenge issues" I keep saying).

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

From what little I saw of Vicious (Hee, what a name), he struck me just as much of psychopath as Dilandau. I am afraid I generally go for the heroic good guys in a very predictable fashion.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

Oh, Vicious is a stone cold psycho (just smack me in the face with your symbolism why don't you). I'm not in that much of a fantasy world not to recognize that. For some reason he just grew on me though. You'll love Spike though.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

You'll love Spike though.

Is it another anime that really must be watched in order btw?

[katranna.livejournal.com]

It's not as super-sequential, but I think it would be best. I have to say though, I love Spike, but I find the anime itself really pretty boring.

Spike is so very hot, though. In a very laid-back, mellow, sort of dorky way. Mmm. He's like the definition of cool.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

Tripod hates people. Here.

http://www.animegalleries.net/img/59510

http://www.animegalleries.net/img/59534

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Mmmm. Cute. And with a tie.

Love the icon!

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

It's better if you do. It really is a pretty tight story arc compared to a lot of anime. If you really want to get the full effect of the Spike/Julia/Vicious love triangle.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I remember the Julia bit because I watched the last couple of eps. Yay, angst!

[katranna.livejournal.com]

I think I used to like Dilandau so much because he was so messed up. I mean, anime baddies with secret goodness inside them and issues about their past are par for the course. I liked the fact that Dilandau was out-and-out psychotic, and that he was broken in all sorts of horrible ways. Maybe I'm a bit of a sadist. (I also like Burton's Wonka because I see him as a narcissistic effeminate psycho who is cracked and can't relate to others, so maybe it's a type?)

Speaking of Dialndau's fandom, I think I want to quote these excerpts from a Dilandau mailing list I used to belong to way back when...

Fangirl A: (Does it worry anyone else here that Lan-chan's only
15?)

Dilandau: It worries me. You're going to scar me for
life.

Fangirl B: That's Van you're thinking of *^.^*

Dilandau: I mean where it *doesn't* show. *head in hands*: I can't stand it. I just can't stand it.

Fangirl A: Don't worry! To restore your dignity, I will write a fic where *you* rape Van, ok? You'll even get to torture him before and after! He'll scream a lot. C'mon! Cheer up!

Dilandau: SHUT UP ALREADY!! I don't want to rape anyone! Except maybe you. Just leave me alone! Gah! (Why can't I kill you again?)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

ROTFLOL. *cracks up in a most infantile manner*

[katranna.livejournal.com]

If there are supposed to be two lj-cuts there, the second one is not showing up...

Anyway, I think it's good that you think Dilandau is batshit insane. As I said, someone has to, and I'm far too fond of the boy.

Folken, btw, is the Strategos of Zaibach. That mostly means he plans out the modes of attack, though I think he also designs some of the innovations for the guymelefs. (Cannot remember where it is actually said that he designs/invents things, but I suppose it might come up in later eps.)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I fixed the lj-xut thing. Thanks!

The stategos label makes me think of Ancient Greece which is quite neat.

[plazmah.livejournal.com]

Yeeeaaay! I knew you would love Esca :D

Are you watching the sub or the dub?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

The sub. With few exceptions (I reallt wanted to hear Christian Bale as Howl), I prefer subs to dubs because that's how they are supposed to sound like.

Now I really nead some Escaflowne icons.

[plazmah.livejournal.com]

Cool. I asked because the woman who does the voice of Merle is also the voice of Pikachu. LOL ;)

Escaflowne icons? I made some; there are a bunch under the anime section on my icon website.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Ooooh. *off to check icons*

I love your Van with sword and feathers icon.

[plazmah.livejournal.com]

I enjoy it too :) It's one of my favourites!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I took a bunch of your icons. Gorgeous.

Question. What other animes are the rest of the icons from?

[plazmah.livejournal.com]

(For the 100 px icons, in order)

Spirited Away
Princess Mononoke
Escaflowne
Witch Hunter Robin
Inu-Yasha
Sailor Moon
Love Hina
er... Fruits Basket? (can't remember, was for an i_contest)
Pokemon
Fushigi Yuugi
Chobits
Di Gi Charat?
RahXephon
Haibane Renmei
Samurai Deeper Kyo
Card Captor Sakura
X/1999
xxxHolic
Clover
Legal Drug
RG Veda

(Man, that's a long list!)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[wasabi-girl1.livejournal.com]

I was a Van girl the first time I saw the series, but I re-watched it over the summer and found out that I was more of an Allen girl. Hee, it's fun to switch it up.

And Merle is DEFINITELY my favourite character. (Along with a random character I don't think you've met yet)

Also, enjoy this post of mine:http://www.livejournal.com/users/wasabi_girl1/18734.html

Err...just look at the pics though, don't read anything I wrote...just in case. :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am sorta undecided between the two, but for some reason Van's intensity just generally wins for me.

Off to look at your post :)

Yay for dangermouise!

[goddess09807.livejournal.com]

Hi! I've been kind of nonexistant lately cause of school and family drama, but i'm sooooooooooooooo happy that you love Esca.

When I first watched the series I was a rabid Van/Hitomi fan so all the other characters only matterd in their relation to them. As a result I hated Millerna, didn't wanted to kill Allen, and couldn't stand Merle. But give me a break, I was 10.

When I watched it again at around 13, I didn't like Millerna, but still tolerated her, I like Merle better 'cause she was hyper like myself, still adored Hitomi and VAn, and still didn't appreciate Allen's awesomeness.

In between then and getting it for my b'day, I've changed my perceptions a lot. Van and Hitomi still own me, but I've really gotten to appreciate Millerna. There was this icon I saw a while ago, it said (paraphrasing) "I learned/know the difference between infatuation and true love. Have you?" And there is so much truth to that , so Millerna rocks as a character to me no. Plus anyone that can interest Dryden, who is teh sex by the way, is good in my books.

I still like Merle and think she's cool but unfortunately not that emotionally invested in her.

And Now Allen. I have so much Allen love right now, that it kind of scares me. Allen is, like, chivalry personified and I didn't appreciate that when I was younger. Honor means so much to him and he, it's hard to decribe, but after watching the series again, I just got hit with a huge wave of Allen love. I think it's like you said, he's very competant and I like that.

It's interesting too, 'cause watching the series again and knowing for sure that Van and Hitomi were going to get together, I quite enjoyed Allen and Hitomi's relationship, partly 'cause its so doomed, but I don't know. They were interesting, I think I might have inadveratntly become an Allen/Hitomi shipper. Plus, he is so lying to himself if he think he sees her as a sister figure.

*looks at page* Wow that's a lot. Bye!

[katranna.livejournal.com]

That's funny, I tend to like Allen less the more I watch the series. I still think he's a cool enough character, but his paternalistic condescension to women, manipulation of women, and control issues really put me off a fair amount. He strikes me as someone it'd be hell to have a relationship with if you wanted any type of equality. He wouldn't abuse you, but he'd keep tabs on you all the time, and would keep trying to limit your autonomy and independence because you must be "protected."

(Am trying not to spoil Dangermousie, but most of that has already come out, however subtly.)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

See, I have no problem with the control issues. Because he is not inflexible about it, you just have to push back when he pushes. And that would suit me well enough. I grew up in the family of over-protective pushy people after all. In fact, even though in a fictional sense, I have a crush on Van, if this was RL, Allen would be about the most suitable one (for me) of the bunch, and not just because he is older than Van. I am sucker for the "gentil perfait knight" (sp?) stereotype and I love how he is so rock-steady about honor and I think the desire to "protect" is actually pretty hot. Yeah, old-fashioned of me. Without these flaws/issues he wouldn't be nearly as cool though because then he'd be Gary Stuish what with his psycho battle skills. And I do generally have a thing for men with control issues because otherwise, being so strong willed (not to say pushy and stubborn) myself, I'd ride roughshod over a guy.

I adore Van though because for someone of his upbringing and background and age he is surprisingly gracious and sweet. He is a lot better at taking help from a girl than a lot of 15 year old boys (never mind boy Kings) and I love the hot-headedness and also the whole deep belief in honor (which is so hot) and how he does take care of Merle.

[katranna.livejournal.com]

:-D Well, that's why you're different from me. One of my big no-nos is any man who's controlling with his women. I'll agree with you that it's good that Allex has those qualities, because that's what makes him more interesting--otherwise he really would be just a perfect Gary Stu. So on the one hand, I actually love that he's subtly creepy like that, because most other shows would never address that issue in the first place. (Ie, that a super chivalrous/protective man might not necessarily be perfect, because he wouldn't fully see women as his equals, and might in fact see them as property.)

But also, there's more to it yet. He IS supposed to be a sympathetic character, so I'm not saying you're supposed to hate him, but there'll be two-three particular scenes with him later on that really rub me the wrong way.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Ie, that a super chivalrous/protective man might not necessarily be perfect, because he wouldn't fully see women as his equals, and might in fact see them as property

It also fits for a time period that is supposed to be medieval/rennaissance. It's Allen's flaw, the way hot-headedness is Van's, but unless he auctions off Hitomi because she wouldn't make cookies for him, that aspect doesn't bother me (hello, fan of Rhett Butler, various Dumas character and Dickens men).

there'll be two-three particular scenes with him later on that really rub me the wrong way.

I am curious at to how they'll strike me. After all, I thought his kissing Millerna to send her away was rather gentle and sweet and you thought it was to shut her up so she could be sent away with no fuss. I do think that the fact that his sister disappeared under his care makes him extra into "women must be protected" idea.

[katranna.livejournal.com]

If you like Rhett, I think you'll be fine with it. :-) I didn't think his kissing Millerna was sweet because I think it's clear that, while he might be attracted to her, he doesn't really return her feelings--at least, not at that moment in time--and so to me, he was just fueling false hope, and using her infatuation with him to his advantage.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

If you like Rhett, I think you'll be fine with it.

Allen: You've turned me out while you chased Van, whle you dreamed of Van! Tonight is one night you are not turning me out!
Hitomi: Hell, yeah! (to self) Oops, must pretend to faint.

so to me, he was just fueling false hope, and using her infatuation with him to his advantage.


I think he was grateful to her for her help, and he does like her/find her attractive (in part because she reminds him or Marlene and in part because she IS pretty) and the kiss is the expression of that. Is it mad love? No, but it's gratitude and liking and it's a kiss, not marriage vows.

[katranna.livejournal.com]

My problem with it is that it can't be just a kiss since she's engaged and she's told him she'd run away from home for him, and since he isn't at this moment going to take her up on her offer--and perhaps might never want to--he's just making the situation messier. At this point, the right thing to do would have been to put a stop to her infatuation with him, not encourage it.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

But that would be waaaay too hideously bloodlessly perfect.

I guess I don't see any problems with his actions, because in his situation, I would have reacted exactly the same.

And also, why should he put a stop to the infatuation? He isn't even sure what his own feelings are, and she won't be any less reluctant to marry some stranger whatever she feels for him. If it's true love, then he can't stop it and if it's infatuation, it will wear off on its own accord once she has someone who is "real" (her husband or someone else). But clearly ymmv.

Btw, want to hang out tomorrow?

[katranna.livejournal.com]

Yup! Shall be coming over and staying the night.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Woo-Hoo!!!!

I'll be home at my usual 7:30.

Re: Yay for dangermouise!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Merle pushes all my "Mommy" buttons. I just want to adopt her and spoil her rotten (even though she is already plenty spoiled).

I have a huge thing for Allen (see my response to katranna below) but there is something about Van that just makes him my favorite male character from the show.

[dawntreader717.livejournal.com]

My friend is hooked on Escaflowne. I only tried one anime. I went to her house and we had a marathon of Fushigi Yuugi. I fell in love with that one. I also never thought I could find a cartoon male attractive! But I just loved Tamahome.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

katranna and aliterati used to watch/read Fushigi Yuugi when they were much younger so I still ocassionally tease them by doing the "Miaka! Tamahome!" chant.

I think you'd like Escaflowne. It's Bollywoodish in its drama and angst...

[dawntreader717.livejournal.com]

I will definitely have to check that out then!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Jensen!! Ackles!! (yes, gramatically incorrect but I don't care). Yum.

[dawntreader717.livejournal.com]

YUM indeed!