Escaflowne - The Series (Limited Edition Boxed Set) (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)Do I really need to ring Escaflowne's praises for you? Most everyone who is into anime has already seen this series but for those of you who are not but may have seen and like movies like Princess Mononoke this is the series to pick up. It is by far the most accessible of any anime series I have seen and is perfect for a budding anime guru. In fact this is the very series I will show to my friends who have yet to see any anime they think is worth watching.
Visually, Escaflowne is pretty remarkable for a TV series that shows obvious signs of extremely high production values. The story may not be the most intricate in the world of anime but it more than suffices. What is most impressive about Escaflowne is the characters. Van and Hitomi are some of my favorite characters ever and are both completely believable in their respective places; Hitomi as the fish out of water teenager and Van as the young kind thirsting for revenge. I also enjoyed many of the supporting characters such as Dilandu and Folken; even the bad guys were given a proper history and motivations rather than simple blind obedience to whatever evil scheme might be in style. In fact evil itself is somewhat grayed as no character is truly evil, only misguided doing what they believe is right and just.
I would recommend Escaflowne to anyone and everyone; it is a series that can have appeal to the very young and old alike. Truly masterful work.
Note that anyone who has seen this series on Fox Kids has been watching a kiddied down version of a show that wasn't really meant for children to begin with. Don't let that Escaflowne-lite ruin your opinion of the show.

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Complete 26-episode series: 1. "Fateful Confession," 2. "The Girl from the Mystic Moon," 3. "The Gallant Swordsman," 4. "The Diabolical Adonis," 5. "Seal of the Brothers," 6. "Capitol of Intrigue," 7. "Unexpected Partings," 8. "The Day the Angel Flew," 9. "Memories of a Feather," 10. "The Blue-Eyed Prince," 11. "Prophecy of Death," 12. "The Secret Door," 13. "Red Destiny," 14. "Dangerous Wounds," 15. "Lost Paradise," 16. "The Guided Ones," 17. "The Edge of the World," 18. "The Gravity of Destiny," 19. "Operation Golden Rule of Love," 20. "False Vows," 21. "Reaction of Fortune," 22. "The Black-Winged Angel," 23. "Storm Premonition," 24. "Fateful Decision," 25. "Zone of Absolute Fortune," 26. "Eternal Love."

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Mobile Suit Gundam Wing - Complete Operations Boxed Set (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)Gundam Wing is not just my favorite Mecha. Nor is it merely my favorite show. It is my favorite ANYTHING. Granted, it may not be for everyone, but it is definitely the deepest show I've ever seen on television. I have watched the entire show through at least twice, and some episodes I have seen more than a dozen times (Portrait of a Ruined Country and The Gundam They Called Zero are two of my favorites). This show is all about three things.
First and foremost, Gundam Wing is about the politics of war. There are so many plot twists that if you miss a single episode you may get completely lost. What starts out looking like your average show (good guys fight bad guys, good guys beat bad guys, repeat) quickly changes. Within the first 10 episodes, the main character will try to attack innocent people, the world government will be overthrown, and our heroes will start to wonder who exactly their enemy is. As the series goes on, things just get more and more complicated as military organizations are created, destroyed, and double crossed.
The second thing this series is all about is action. In every episode there will be Mech battles, and some of them are truly spectacular. Every once in a while, one of the Gundams will do something so cool, the moment just leaves you thinking "Whoa." And as the series goes on, the battles get more and more complex, and more and more heated.
But the third thing this series has going for it is character development. Treize Kushrenada is my idea of what would happen if James Bond became the leader of Spectre. Is he really evil, or just misunderstood? He eventually finds himself an outdated dinosaur, clinging to ideals that have becomes outdated with the times. Lady Une is one of the best examples of a person with split personalities I've ever seen. At first you hate her, but as you come to understand why she does what she does, you actually come to feel sorry for her.
This series has many great characters played by great voice-actors. Heero is great. Relena is solid. Even Hildi and Noin are great. But my two favorite characters in the series have got to be Dororthy and Zechs. Dorathy plays every scene with a perfect hint of sarcasm that constantly keeps you guessing if she's being sincere, or laughing inside at someone's actions. And then there is Zechs Marquise...
In the English version of Gundam Wing, Brian Drummond gives the single greatest piece of voice-acting I've ever seen in my life. He is PERFECT as Zechs Marquise. Zechs is a complex character. And I really feel that's he's the one that holds the series together. He's 19 year old who talks with an icy voice. He's ALWAYS serious. The only thing that matters to him is honor. And in his quest to do the right thing, he is forced to betray his friends, protect his family, come close to death, and even kill his own men. But like a tragic hero out of a Shakespearian tragedy, he is trapped by his actions. Never doing nothing, and never quite taking enough action, he lets a bad situation escalate until it's completely out of control and he's completely lost his mind (or has he?). Zechs is the perfect tragic hero/villain (depending on your point of view).
Some have complained about the animation in this show, but personally I love it. The watercolor style backgrounds and excellent Mecha designs are a winning combo in my book. I also really love the music.
If you love a complex political drama with great action and characterization, you owe it to yourself to give Gundam Wing a try. If you still have doubts, search the net and download the long toonami promo (the best promo or trailer I have ever seen for anything). Suit up!

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