Twists of Fate and Mechanical Dragons: Two Escaflownes, Worlds Apart
Reviewed by Laura Blackwell
18 November 2002
This reference table is a companion piece to Laura Blackwell's review of the series and movie of Escaflowne.
| Hitomi Series | A lively and lovable protagonist who dreams of making her wishes come true. She channels her precognitive abilities through Tarot cards and dowsing. Torn between her feelings for Van and her crush on Allen. |
|
|
| Hitomi Movie | A sleepy and listless co-protagonist who wishes to "just fade away." She is the "Wing Goddess" who awakens Escaflowne. She looks to Van for a reason to live. |
|
|
| Van Series | Reluctant king of a fallen country, fiercely devoted to the memory of his family and to his scattered people. Bonded to the transforming guymelef, Escaflowne, he uses his sword and his mecha out of a sense of duty. Clumsy at expressing his tender feelings. |
|
|
| Van Movie | Destined king of a fallen clan, fiercely devoted to killing the older brother who destroyed his family and his people. Uses his sword, psychic blasts, and the transforming Dragon Armor, Escaflowne, on anyone in his way. Reported to have tender feelings. |
|
|
| Allen Series | Knight of the Kingdom of Asturia and the world's greatest swordsman. Battles in the guymelef Scherazade. Terribly handsome and charming, he attracts the attention of Hitomi and of Princess Millerna of Asturia. |
|
|
| Allen Movie | Leader of the Abaharaki, the survivors of countries destroyed by Van's older brother; an impressive swordsman, possibly the best. Aloof and driven. Millerna hangs on him. |
|
|
| Merle Series | Bratty little cat-girl and source of much of the series' comic relief. She adores Van and sees Hitomi as a rival. |
|
|
| Merle Movie | Bratty adolescent cat-girl and source of expository dialogue. She adores Van. |
|
|
| Millerna Series | A well-developed secondary figure torn between love, family, and duty. Youngest princess of Asturia. |
|
|
| Millerna Movie | A member of the Abaharaki, she has a well-developed figure. Mockingly called "princess" by her comrades. |
|
|
| Folken Series | Sorcerer, strategist, and right-hand man of the leader of the Zaibach empire, Dornkirk. Van's older brother. A complex character who has sided with the enemy for obscure, but compelling, reasons. |
|
|
| Folken Movie | Psionic who has declared himself leader of the Black Dragon clan by killing most of it. Van's older brother. An angry and brooding character who has destroyed his own family out of jealousy. He wants to die, and plans to destroy Gaea while he's at it. |
|
|
| Dornkirk Series | The main enemy in the series. An old man obsessed with shaping Gaea's fate to his own wishes. | ||
| Dornkirk Movie | Absent, as is the Zaibach empire. | ||
| Dilandau Series | Peculiar, murderously insane youth working for Zaibach. Seems vaguely effeminate. His fate ties in with those of other characters. |
|
|
| Dilandau Movie | Peculiar, murderously insane youth working for Folken. Blasts people with psychic powers. Present primarily for combat. |
|
|
| Escaflowne Series | A beautiful, transforming guymelef created by the mysterious Yspano people. Bonded to Van by blood. Steampunky in appearance, it uses a "dragu-energist" -- a magical stone wrested from a dragon's body -- as its fuel source. |
|
|
| Escaflowne Movie | A beautiful -- if occasionally disturbing -- set of transforming Dragon Armor. Squishy and biological in appearance, it appears to use Van's blood as its fuel source. |
|
|
| Alseides Series | Zaibach's guymelefs, the only ones in Gaea with cloaking ability. Armed with liquid-metal claws that can be shaped into various nasty weapons. Aside from Escaflowne, the only mechas that can fly. Dilandau and his Dragon Slayer unit operate several. |
|
|
| Alseides Movie | Only one exists. It can fly, but has no cloaking ability. |
|
|
| Scherazade Series | Though not of ancient Yspano design like Escaflowne, nor armed with powerful new technology like Alseides, the Scherazade is formidable, mostly because of its pilot. Its relative agility, and Allen's skillful fencing, make up for its limitations. |
|
|
| Scherazade Movie | If Allen has a guymelef, it's never mentioned. | ||
All images from the movie, Escaflowne, are copyrighted © 2000
SUNRISE · BANDAI VISUAL.
All images from the series, The Vision of Escaflowne, are copyrighted
© 1996 SUNRISE · TX.
All images used with permission.
Laura Blackwell lives in the fantasy setting known as the San Francisco Bay Area, where she writes reviews and short fiction. Her previous reviews for Strange Horizons can be found in the Archives.