Who has seen the original version of Escaflowne?

[dark_neko_master666]

I saw the version that they had on adult swim and i thought that was the best movie since the Inuyasha movies. I just want to know if the original version is as good (or better) than the one that they had showed.

[SeijouOmni]

The original movie isn't THAT much different than the version on [adult swim]. Honestly, I kinda hated the movie. If you haven't seen the series, it doesn't make a lot of sense, and if you HAVE, then you notice they change a lot of things and make a lot of the most important characters insignificant, or give them COMPLETELY different personalities. I'd recommend getting your hands on the series and THEN watching the movie again.

[mokulen22]

The Esaflownne movie (or was it an OVA?) was an odd semi-revamping of the series in an hour and a half film. I'm not sure what Adult Swim did to it (since I live here in Canada and don't get CN) but the movie had pretty art but was stupid (in my opinion--mostly 'cause at the time I watched it I had been waiting for it for a while...I was SO disappointed) I doubt you'll get anything new from the subbed version.

[Saint Mana]

Well, I for one thought the Excaflowne movie was excellent. It featured the same quality and style of the Anime, but it was darker. Much darker... and I liked it.
The movie had a brilliant soundtrack too, very catchy. As always Dance of Curse, in series or in movie, is an excellent track.

I have one more thing to say though, to the creator of this thread, you thought that the Inuyasha movies were of the same caliber as Escaflowner: Girl in Gaea?
Surely you jest. The Inuyasha movies were infinitely greater than the series, but they still lacked so much. They had no character development what so ever, and the action scenes were mock-worthy. Heh, well I suppose in those aspects the movies stay true to the anime. To mention Inuyasha in the same category as Excaflowne is insulting. Inuyasha is, for lack of a better word, and insolent anime thinking it is better than it really is.

Alas, such people in these forums... I fear I may end up wounding you all...

[mokulen22]

Oh! I forgot to mention the soudtrack! You're right Saint, the soundtrack was well done. I actually own the CD (it was on sale at a local comicbook store so I picked it up).

[SeijouOmni]

As always, Saint Mana, I don't tend to agree with you, but you state your case so well that it's a pleasure to have a difference in opinion. I'll have to give you the soundtrack, though. It was absolutely great. But I honestly feel the the Escaflowne movie, outside of the music and overall animation quality...which was magnificent, wasn't any better than the InuYasha movies, and I don't even like the InuYasha movies.

I mean...Escaflowne didn't have any development either. Hitomi was suicidal depressive...for some reason, Folken, who wasn't even wholly a VILLAIN in the series was a sterotypical badguy, Dilandau had NO explanation, and nor did ANY of the other characters. They had random and mostly insignificant appearances that went without much exposition. Same with InuYasha, but at least the series connects with the movies, which can't be said for Escaflowne. I mean, once you've seen the series, it makes more sense, but still doesn't make a whole lot. Especially considering what happens in the end after ALL that buildoff. It was like a strange knockoff of the Wizard of Oz.

[Saint Mana]

Ah, SeijouOmni, we do tend to have a great difference in opinions.
Although at least we fully explain ourselves and our reasons. I must thank you for that, as I tire of all the one liner posts I see with no explanation.

The characters in the movie were not explained too well, but I still found it very enjoyable. I personally liked Hitomi a lot more in the movie than in the series. I thought the whole suicidal twist made her a more vibrant character.
What I do not like about the Inuyasha movies, is that if they were broken into three or four parts, you could just stick them into the anime as another filler arc. And Inuyasha is 95% filler, so we really do not need any more of that. While the Escaflowne movie was esssentially a different version of the series, I found it had subtleties that the anime lacked. And as I said in my earlier post, a darker atmosphere.
To be fair, I did see the series first, so my opinion stems from that experience. Also, I can agree with you about the ending, I found it lacking. I wish more thought had been put into the ending of both the movie and the series.
At least we agree on the soundtrack, heh.

[animeseishi]

hhmmm.. i like the escaflowne series better than the movie.. they look like war freaks in the movie though the plot and the story outline were almost the same...the series is better..

[dark_neko_master666]

Where can i get the series from? I'm not sure where to check for it. I've seen the book series, but i'm not sure where to get the TV series.

[SeijouOmni]

You could probably get the DVD box set from Suncoast or Best Buy. Then there's always bit torrent.

[mokulen22]

Where can i get the series from? I'm not sure where to check for it. I've seen the book series, but i'm not sure where to get the TV series.

I got the whole series off of Ares. But if you want to go the legal way I advise renting the frist DVD before buying the whole series.

[The Wing Man]

I really liked the movie better then the show, i think it worked out better as a movie and the original is close to adult swim's.