[Clip] Mecha Battles in a (Mostly) Pre-CG World - Vision of Escaflowne
[Clip] Mecha Battles in a (Mostly) Pre-CG World - Vision of Escaflowne
Source is from episode 13.
I only recently watched this series despite it originally airing in 1996. It stands as an early example of the isekai genre, before that was even considered a genre of its own. It also blends fantasy aspects with the mecha genre as seen in this clip.
I originally decided to watch this show because I had read that it blends fantasy with mecha. I had thought this meant that there would be wizards firing off spells as mecha fight back or something like that. I am disappointed to report that is not what happened. The fantasy aspects of this show are more centered around mystical things like visions, dreams, fate, etc. rather than your typical D&D-type magic. However, I still enjoyed my time with this show even if the story is a bit weird sometimes.
One thing that I did really appreciate about this show is the mecha animation. There are some nice sequences showcasing complex geometry doing lots of motion. The other thing I liked about it is how they show things like mechanical joints flailing after an arm gets cut off or goes limp after getting stabbed and some lines cut. There is also a whole sequence about trying to find a place to get maintenance performed on the mechs.
The run of this show is 26 episodes long, but I feel like the story meanders at times and introduces some narrative dead ends. After I finished watching the series, I discovered that there is a movie version of the story that condenses it down to <2 hours. I haven't watched it, but that might be a more approachable way for modern viewers to digest the story maybe not, see disclaimer in comments below.
After I finished watching the series, I discovered that there is a movie version of the story that condenses it down to <2 hours. I haven't watched it, but that might be a more approachable way for modern viewers to digest the story.
I have seen both (a long time ago), and from what I remember the movie was REALLY different -- like, almost unrecognizably different. I do not recommend substituting one for the other.
Good to know. I was wondering how they condensed it down from a full 26 episodes so much. There are sections I could imagine cutting out without too much impact, but that is still a lot of cutting for time. I have updated the post.
Medieval fantasy mecha is such a rare genre, I wish it was tried more.
I loved Vision of Escaflowne back in the day. (In 2006 I rated it 9/10 apparently.)
I wonder how it would hold up if I were to watch it today.
To me, the story felt like it narratively wandered a lot compared to modern works. If the show were made today, I suspect that it wouldn't have spanned 26 episodes, but would have been trimmed quite a bit. Sometimes I enjoyed the diversions, and sometimes I was just wondering why we were focusing on this or that character. I do think it is better than a lot of other shows from its time though. I think it has proven more memorable than a lot of other 90's shows I have watched and then completely forgotten about.