"The Vision of Escaflowne" is by far, one of the best anime series I've ever seen, and in my heart I still feel the many, many emotions it awoke on me.
Kanzaki Hitomi is a cheerful and athletic girl who is about to confess his love for his "sempai" - word used in japan to describe someone superior - Amano, Captain of the race team. But that day she receives visions about a young man who's preparing to fight a dragon in order to become king.
It is easy to see where this goes: the usual story about a girl sent to another world. However Escaflowne is far better than what someone would expect. And this superiority lay upon it's characters.
Van Fanel, the young prince, is a guy with a troubled fate, who in order to become king must kill an earth dragon, a hunt rite that his elder brother failed to accomplish.
Allen Schezzar is a Caeli Knight of Asturia, a powerful country, who values chivalry and honor, even when he's labeled as a traitor for his own country...
Folken, a mysterious and cold strategist of Zaibach a nation determined to conquer other countries, has a dark and mysterious past, but his actions are guided but what he believes is best for others Dilandau Albatou, is a twisted general of Zaibach, consumed by madness and blood lust...
I could go on, the series is full of great characters, even if they just walk by.
And the feeling I got while watching it, was that of an infinite sadness, maybe because of the story, too real and sincere about human nature, or maybe because of Yoko Kanno's magical and haunting soundtrack. But I know it was mainly because I knew there were only 26 episodes, and the series was bound to end too soon.
A must see, it was Beautiful, tears rolled down my face...
