#escaflowne sequel

[katiajewelbox]

Under the Moons of Gaea: A Tale of Adventure

Hi Escaflowne community,

Would anyone be genuinely interested in reading this pitch as an actual fanfiction? When I complete my PhD I plan to seriously develop my fiction writing and art skills through practicing with different projects, and it would be wonderful to receive feedback from readers. If this is a story you would like to read one day, I will consider writing it as a multi part fanfic that would be posted here and on A03. I'd like to learn how to write an enjoyable action adventure fantasy tale on a par with Edgar Rice Burroughs' novels one day, and if Escaflowne fans can also derive pleasure from my work while giving helpful feedback then it's a double win!

Here's the pitch, which I originally wrote as an April Fools' post in 2023 with some modifications...

This story follows the adventures of Van and Hitomi’s son Kenzo who was born on Earth after Hitomi left Gaea following her passionate love affair with Van. Kenzo and his Mom have relocated to London where Hitomi is a grad student researching ancient artefacts at the British Museum. Through a mysterious incident with an ancient relic in the Museum's collection, Kenzo is transported to Gaea where he realises that he can discover the missing half of his heritage and identity. He meets a fascinating young lady who is the Crown Princess of Asturia, Millerna and Dryden’s daughter Delcardes. However, a dark evil is rising in the faraway Gaean country of Vallusia where the sinister leader Lord Ascalante has rediscovered the Atlantean technology and is using it to gain ultimate power over fate. We haven't heard the last of Zaibach either, and the mysterious Prince Consort of that country may well be a person from Earth.

With exciting new Guymelefs to pilot, new cultures to discover, and the return of many favourite characters, the sequel to Escaflowne promises to be an exciting ride for the imagination and the heart!

[parasolladyansy]

The White Dragon

“In ancient history, when one seeking Truth appears, so does Reshiram. Reshiram faces them, testing their mind & strength. Once the test is complete, & Reshiram recognizes the human as a Hero, they bestow knowledge & wisdom upon them, & bear their fangs towards any who mean to harm them. Reshiram thus watches over the Hero similar to a loving parent. However, if the Hero’s eyes ever become clouded with greed, wealth & power corrupting their good heart, Reshiram will turn the Hero’s country into a land of flames, then leave their side forever…”

-adapted from the beta leak

A combination of things led to this - feeling a little stuck on the DxP page I’m on, the beta leaks, already thinking about the possible next story in Unova whenever we get BW remakes / sequels, & the reappearance of a song that took over my life when I was younger that also involved a white dragon: “Sóra” (Escaflowne the Movie). 🪽

At face value, Reshiram is an odd match for Ansy; Fire / Dragon, their Electric counterpart Zekrom would be a much better fit for a rain user, & representing an absolute while Ansy is a very strong believer of balance.

Putting aside their Pokedex entry that says “when Reshiram's tail flares, the heat energy moves the atmosphere and changes the world's weather” (heat being a key ingredient to clouds, turning water to vapor), I feel like maybe it was mostly because Ansy saw the truth that balance is what’s needed - whether it’s Truths & Ideals, or both living together with Pokemon & respecting their space. That’s why N lost all those years ago - he was unbalanced, largely thanks to Ghetsis’ methods for raising him to be the Hero of Ideals involving rejecting Truth over Ideal to pursue a fantasy (at least in Ansy’s timeline)

Going into Kyurem’s leak (btw, if you read the Pokedex or look into the Mystery Dungeon games, it seems most if not all these leaks about the Tao trio are actually canon), Kyruem can see the future. I wonder if maybe that was the reason for splitting of the Original Dragon, where the first Twin Heroes fought with each other over Truth & Ideals - what if the elder twin argued they had to follow the Truth of the predicted future while the younger fiercely held on to an Idealistic alternative?

Or, even more tragically…what if it was a self-fulfilling prophecy, the Original Dragon predicting the Twins would fight, & they would break in two, leaving Kyurem as their empty shell?

Then there’s the mystery of how this Original Dragon fell from the sky as a meteor in ancient times, the Giant Chasm being the falling site (filled with meteorite Pokémon like Solrock & Lunatone). Were they pulled here by the future they saw?

TLDR: I really like lore 📖

[myrmyrtheorca]

give me your favorite manga or anime of all time. NOW. like, the ones who changed you as a person. if you are okay with questions like that!

HELLO HI I RISE FROM THE GRAVE FOR THIS INCREDIBLE YAPPING OPPORTUNITY

fr tho thank you Lottie for asking me too despite my death apparent, this will be long, I'll put the honorable mentions first as to make it a little more interesting and KHR will be at the bottom for the same reason-

Honorable mentions!

Sailor Moon - love myself some female friendship and magical girls. And women who could kick my ass like Pluto.

Black Rock Shooter - as above, plus vague setting and cool transformations.

Fate series - ok hear me out. I haven't watched the anime and just started the VN, I mostly play the mobile game, but it's about history and there's cute girls in it. Peak.

The Vision of Escaflowne - COOL MECHAS (hasn't finished it)

Yuru Camp - CUTE GIRLS FRIENDHIP AND COZYNESS also relaxing music (hasn't finished it)

Serial Experiments Lain - what the fuck was that

Violet Evergarden - tears? tears in my eyes? stop???

Dungeon Food - I'd have put this above if I wasn't just at the second volume of it, holy shit this is so fun but I feel it will crush my soul soon

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Ah. Lord, NGE. The vagueness of its worldbuilding, the psychological aspects, the occult and religious simbology, and the GODDAMN MUSIC. If you like classical, epic and otherwordly music, I beg you to check out NGE's score even if you're not interested in the anime itself because Shiro Sagisu is a gift from the gods and one of the best composers of our time. The series is a masterpiece. People despise the movies but IMO they do exactly what a movie should do: entertain. Anno embraced the "I'll be cringe, but I'll be free" and went all out on them, as he should have. Also, there's Kaworu Nagisa. Look at him!

Steins;Gate

PLEASE. PLEASE DO AND DON'T DO THIS TO YOURSELF AT THE SAME TIME. I WAS NOT READY. This anime will take your heart, embrace it, warm it up, GRIP IT IN ITS HANDS, CHEW IT AND SPIT IT OUT. Admittedly I played the VN because I wanted to experience all endings and OH MY GOD. It's terrifying and emotionally damaging. I started playing the sequel (Steins;Gate 0) and I had to STOP because it's so gut-wrenching in all the good ways that I need to be in the right spot for it.

Bleach

talk about recent experiences. I live under a rock when it comes to popular anime most times, and I never had the occasion to watch Bleach until recently (still haven't technically finished it because I'm waiting for TYBW to finish releasing to watch it). I... don't know what it is about Bleach that I like so much, but it got me in a similar way to KHR, as in I think about it often against my will and I'm even considering creating an OC for it. I think it's the characters, because the story is pretty straightforward... yeah, yeah it's the fictional men again. Kubo makes handsome men who fight with swords and transformation and everyone has their own powerups and...hhhngh. Look at this batch of cookies.

Ah no, wait, there's Shiro Sagisu again as composer. Almost forgot. *dances aggessively to spanish guitars*

Dr. Stone

I'm not a science brain, totally the opposite. Math doesn't math, geometry is evil and chemistry is wizardry. BUT, I love things that TRY to teach me those things in a funny and accessible way. I still won't understand them, but it was fun trying! And Dr. Stone has that, it's the moment I realize I like it when things are explained to me in that way, especially through media. Plus, fun characters, emotional moments, and cool plot.

Katekyo Hitman Reborn

Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your opinion on the show, KHR was the first ever japanese piece of media (excluding videogames) I've ever consumed. Being a lonely and socially awkward human being, it soon became my personality. It was these fuckers who made me get into manga altogether, I started buying the volumes (but only up to Varia Arc because 1. I didn't have an allowance, everything was done with Christmas/Easter/birthday money and 2. I was so obsessed with the Varia that my goldfish brain lost interest mid Future Arc.) and from there I discovered the pleasure of physical copies. The show has never aired in Italy, so nobody knew what the fuck I was talking about. It was, as many others were for me, a very lonely experience. But it was also the first time I felt... unique? Like, "this is my special little treasure and nobody can take it from me" kinda thing. I was emotionally invested in this show and every small piece of merch I could find like my Varia character songs CD became some of my most prized possessions (UNTIL I STARTED GIFTING AWAY MY SET OF VONGOLA RINGS BECAUSE I WANTED TO BRIBE PEOPLE INTO LIKING THE SHOW) (YEAH THAT WAS. STUPID. BECAUSE IT OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T WORK. AND ONLY MADE ME FEEL MORE LONELY AND RINGLESS) Then, the falling off. I started playing an MMO that also shaped part of my personality and as you often do with things that remind you of lonelier times, I sold my volumes and stopped thinking of KHR... until recently, when I joined this fandom and the spark came back because fuck it I'll be cringe but I'll be free. I got my fair share of flack for hyperfixating on an old anime at 24 years old, but it's one of the best experiences I've ever had. So yeah. KHR was ultimately good for me.

[riafunnel]

All these mediocre-ass anime getting reboots, sequels, and other works in the same universe but Escaflowne getting none of that. You all sicken me

[its-a-kasshu-thing]

Escaflowne Voice Meme

@coverteyes suggested I do this so here’s my take on Escaflowne as a whole:

Anybody that wants to fill it out feel free. I will tag it ‘escaflowne voice meme’ to easily find the original.

1. When did I first discover Escaflowne?

I first heard about it around the time (2012) I discovered Gundam (G Gundam and Gundam Wing to be exact) but never watched it. I saw many of the English voice actors for Gundam Wing were in Escaflowne like Kirby Morrow (Van/Trowa) for example. I figured I’d give it a shot just recently this year (2023) and liked it a lot. Yasuhiro Imagawa was originally set to be the director but instead he left the project to work on G Gundam. I thought Escaflowne looked interesting regardless but add a mere mentioning of Imagawa, I was sold for sure. (Fun fact it was Imagawa that came up with the name ‘Escaflowne’) G Gundam is my all time favorite anime so I’m glad things worked out the way they did and the director that actually worked on Escaflowne did a better job then what was initially planned with adding Tarot and making Hitomi into the strong female lead we know and love. I ended up watching the Funimation dub and I believe it was a stellar performance.

2. Favorite character and why?

Van hands down. Him and Domon (main character of G Gundam) share the same Japanese voice actor which I think is kinda funny because their characters are pretty similar. Glad that the director kept some of Imagawa’s initial concepts. I also just really like Van. Like Domon, he’s pretty relatable to me and those are the characters I go for. I loved the way his character progressed throughout the series too and I just want him to be happy. He’s quite adorable :)

3. What do you think happens after Hitomi leaves Gaea?

Don’t know. All I can say is she’ll be back lol. Aside from her mother, I don’t really think there is anything calling her back to Earth. Her friend likes her crush and he seems to like her back plus she seems really depressed when she does return. Why would she go back when she could be a queen in Gaea? Not to mention, she finds true love in Van which isn’t easy to come by so why just throw that away? She can take her mom with her and start a Tarot reading business :D

4. Least favorite plot point?

When Hitomi did that reading for Millerna regarding her marriage to Dryden. I like Dryden and he wasn’t a bad guy at all. He literally saved Van when he paid the bill for Escaflowne’s repairs. Plus, I couldn’t see the appeal anymore for Allen either towards the end… I know Hitomi is only fifteen and understandably boy crazy but that was just plain mean and manipulative what she did. Van suffered from that dirty stunt too.

5. What would you want to see in a possible sequel?

The sappy ending Imagawa would have definitely delivered lol. Hitomi could help Van rebuild Fanelia. I honestly think this is what the movie should have been but instead they took out the Tarot and I personally didn’t like the way her depression was handled. Her friend literally laughed at her suicide note (what kind of friend is that?) and her depression was already starting to show at the end of the anime. I think they should’ve just went with it as a continuation of the anime and eventually bring her back to Gaea to stay but that’s just my opinion.

Thank you for inviting me to take part in this. It was fun to really organize my thoughts on the series!

[ruinsoftime]

Escaflowne Voice Meme

Okay, I guess it's my turn. This is a Written Meme instead of voice btw. The original questionnaire is here: Escaflowne Voice Meme.

01. Introduce yourself! When did you first watch Escaflowne? What brought you into the fold?

I already shared part of my experience in this post, so I'm gonna expand on that.

I was young and naive and in Junior High. There was an open tv channel that broadcasted anime shows all evening. One of them was Escaflowne, and I liked it, I mean, it's medieval! With robots! And swords! And the robots wear capes! But I wasn't a fan.

I saw the movie until I was in college and I loved it.

Years later, I always attempted to watch the series, because I thought I never watched it complete (and I never passed from the first episode in those tries). In 2021 I finally watched the entire series again… I didn't remember a thing hahaha and I discovered that I had actually seen it completely before because the only things I recalled were the "Aoi Hitomi" song and that Dilandau was a woman (and I spent the entire time looking for the womanly clues on Dilandau, with no success).

But you know, I really really loved the movie but I forgot how much I did it, it took some effort on my part to remember… hell, I even had magazine clippings in my room (still there) and used to draw Van and Hitomi, but all that is still lost in my mind and from the world (I rescued a drawing, not the great thing).

So here I am.

I already had a tumblr account but I guess due to inactivity I couldn't use the tags, so I better started anew.

02. Who is your favorite character and why? Was it love at first sight? Has any of their qualities or quirks swayed you on characters in other series?

Van. The guy grew on me after my second watch, it's easy to sympathise with him.

03. Which side are you on? What do you think happens Post-Hitomi when she leaves? Who do you think will be the next opposing power?

This is fanfic area, but I think Basram would get everyone in trouble if not kept in check. Zaibach could resurface years later, too. Or, you know, Hitomi returns and starts a fight :P

04. Least favorite plot point? Was there something you think should have changed? What do you think would have made it better.

I found Millerna and Dryden's love story boring (because there's none?). Van's wings are too corny (lol) What's up with Varie? I'd have liked to see more about the war. Escaflowne's customer service was ridiculous hahaha I had to pause when Folken performed the "let's make Hitomi and Allen a couple" mission.

Movie: I wanted to know more about... everything.

05. OTP? What kind of art and fiction would you like to see? What are some head canons you have for them? What is you NoTP?

Every question is like 10 questions lol This one is pretty obvious: Hitomi x Van of course. If you drop Folken in there I won't mind (not sure if Van or Hitomi would agree though). I like to read so I find fanfics very entertaining and comfy. I like art too so fanarts are welcome. Alright my headcanon is… Hitomi comes back to Gaea, finds her place in there, marries Van of course, and the whole planet is in peace.

NoTP: Van and Dilandau. Van/Hitomi x OC (unless you convince me).

06. What would you like to see in a figurative remake/sequel? Would you include more minor characters? Would you want a whole new story that could be a stand alone?

I've lived long enough to see failed sequels shit on a perfect story so I'd go for standalone story or a backstory, like Goau's life, Varie's story, Moleman's, Leon's adventures, and so on.

07. Movie, Series, Game, or Manga preference? What are things you did/didnt like of each?

I love the movie, I love everything about it except for it to be so short, unable to expand on the new universe they built.

The series is great, we'll always wonder what would Escaflowne be if only they got all the episodes they needed and didn't have to pack everything in 26 episodes. A monumental work.

Everything else is meh to me. I've read both mangas and watched the extra scenes of the videogame. I haven't read the LNs for obvious reasons.

08. Do your favorite impression! Bonus points if you can do a conversation with a scene cut in!

floats in the middle of the room inside a levistone, taking a nap

09. What do you think about the idea of a re-dub? What are your feelings about the current cast selection for Van (and others if more are introduced)?

I haven't seen the english dub but I've seen the latino one. I wouldn't mind a re-dub, even if I feel that nowadays actors lack heart. Van's VA, Jesús Becerro, died some years ago so I'd prefer to watch it like it is for nostalgia's sake.

As for the japanese cast… it's perfect, period.

I love Maaya Sakamoto's voice (Hitomi), a shame I don't like her music. Tomokazu Seki (Van) surprised me, he's also Kougami's VA in Psycho-Pass (I love his voice in PP) and I didn't notice until certain line he said reminded me of some other character (Gilgamesh).

10. Recite your top five characters by name.

Van. Hitomi. Folken. 5 is a lot.

Secondary: Gadess, Ruhm, Moleman, Balgus, Yukari.

Fin

[silphine]

ESCAFLOWNE Voice meme (5/5)

[ Escaflowne voice meme made by @drkstars-art ]

PART 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

------------------  

6. What would you like to see in a figurative remake/sequel? Would you include more minor characters? Would you want a whole new story that could be a stand alone?

Honestly, I'm clearly not in "remake/sequel" things. (Most of the time, it ruins the universe or doesn't bring anything relevant to the story.) I really love the series as it is (despite elements I see as flaws) and it's clear for me it wasn't made to have a sequel. Now, if creators wished to do a remake or a sequel, I would watch it because I love the universe. But I don't ask or wait for it.    

7. Movie, Series, Game, or Manga preference? What are things you did/didn't like of each?

  I definitively prefer the Series : Because I love different themes through out the story, the characters, their development. The production always moves me. - I never played the game but I saw animated cut scenes. I've never really been in it. - I read Shonen manga once but I didn't like it. Mainly because I didn't feel empathy for characters. - About Shojo manga : I read it many years ago but it was so short... No real opinion on it. It didn't hit my mind. - The Movie... Well, I'm a bit conflicted about it... I love the design. Some scenes are just stunning (first sequence, Van vs Dilandau...) but I never bought in characters, neither in the story. I think my main problem is the movie is so short and full of characters that I don't have the time to really feel something for them/with them. I love loneliness and depression themes in it. But again, I don't know why, I didn't empathize for characters... So, it's quite difficult to enjoy the movie this way...        

8. Recite your top five [least] characters by name.

Argh, it's so hard to choose ! ... I would say...

    [ TOP 5 favourite ]

1) Van I already explained why in part 2/5. 2) Dryden Mainly because he is a human library, curious and funny ! An excellent travel and knowledge partner ! I love the company of this type of person. At first, I would have been quite suspicious about him. But he is so interesting and surprinsingly pleasant that I would definitively stay in his surroundings.   3) Gaddes Because he is reliable, calm and so pleasant ! 4) Mahad / Balgus I cheat - I know - but I love strong and kind men, with a great sense of duty and honor. 5) Folken Even if I don't always understand him. Beyond his cold appearance, he is warm and moving. I would love to hang out someone like him and learn about him, having deep meaningful discussions with him. He inspires me so much interest and tenderness. > No girls !? But I really appreciate Millerna and Hitomi too... I also love Merle, even if I find her quite annoying sometimes. But she is such a good, loving, smart and courageous girl !

        [ TOP 5 least favourite ]

I would say : 1) Zaibach Sorcerers 2) Meiden Fassa 3) Grava Aston 4) Dilandau 5) Dornkirk      

--------------------- THANKS FOR READING !

[coverteyes]

Escaflowne Voice Meme Part 2

Encouraged by @fayrinferno, here I am, six years late for @drkstars-art's Escaflowne Voice Meme. I'm a newer fan, though, so you'll have to forgive me. I'd love for anyone else new to the fandom to join in!

Go back to Part 1

What would you like to see in a figurative remake/sequel? Would you include more minor characters? Would you want a whole new story that could be a stand alone? 

I'm fine as it is. I don't want it redone or sequeled. They'll just ruin it. I'm happy with all the fanfic.

Movie, Series, Game, or Manga preference? What are things you did/didn't like of each? 

Movie and Series. Haven't seen enough of the other stuff.

There's something hopelessly romantic about the movie. I adore it, maybe even more than the series. The first time I watched it, it was Meh. But it kept pulling me back. The mystery of it. The music. The complex emotions. The animation, especially when Van is stumbling on the catwalk when Escaflowne wakes up. The more I watch it, the more I love it. Now, it's my go-to movie when I'm not feeling well.

But I love the series so much. The world-building, the music, the motifs that play throughout, the complex characters, the slow-burn romance. The fighting is cool, too. I love Van, Hitomi, and Millerna's character arcs. I hate the ending. I always will. I hate that Hitomi is blamed for all the bad stuff.

Do your favorite impression! Bonus points if you can do a conversation with a scene cut in!

Okay.

*awkward silence while I stare side-eyed at you through my hair*

How'd I do?

What do you think about the idea of a re-dub? What are your feelings about the current cast selection for Van (and others if more are introduced)?  

I was introduced via the Funi dub, so I don't hate it like the OG fans do. Aaron Dismuke has a nice enough voice, but he ended up reading Van way too harshly, and I'm not a fan of that. Meanwhile, Caitlin Glass sounds like nails on a chalkboard. Otherwise, I like the redub cast. I'll probably get a lot of hate for saying this, but I like the Funi Dilandau better than the OG English dub. There's something very rough and evocative about his voice that just adds to his character.

Recite your top five [least favorite] characters by name. 

I like all the characters. It's easier for me to do my least favorite:

Dornkirk, Meiden Fassa, Leon x 10, King Aston

Bonus:

Favorite side-characters: Mole-man, the Crusade Crew (Gaddes), Jajuka, Ruhm, and Dryden

[katiajewelbox]

Exciting news this morning rocks the Japanese animation world! Studio Sunrise has announced a sequel to the hit 1996 anime series Vision of Escaflowne! The series will debut on streaming services and Japanese broadcast television in early 2024. I screenshot captured this exclusive concept and promotional art from a livestream straight from Japan early this morning (UK time).

  This series follows the adventures of Van and Hitomi's son Kenzo who was born on Earth after Hitomi left Gaea following her passionate love affair with Van. Now a hot blooded teenager, Kenzo goes on a quest to learn who he really is and to claim his royal Draconian heritage on Gaea. He meets a fascinating young lady who is the Crown Princess of Asturia, Millerna and Dryden's daughter Delcardes. However, a dark evil is rising in the Gaea country of Valusia where the sinister leader Lord Ascalante has rediscovered the Atlantean technology and is using it to gain ultimate power over fate.

  With exciting new Guymelefs to pilot, new cultures to discover, and the return of many favourite characters, the sequel to Escaflowne promises to be an instant classic. Unfortunately the produces could not hire Yoko Kanno and Mayaa Sakamoto to create the music, so we will have a new Medieval-inspired soundtrack by esteemed composer Beedle the Bardcore and the Dungeon Synth archives.

  APRIL FOOLS!

This tantalising collage features official art from the fantasy manga Seimaden by You Higuri and from the anime series Aura Battler Dunbine. The new character and place names were taken from Robert E Howard's Conan the Barbarian and Kull the Conqueror novels. Beedle the Bardcore is real though!

What would YOU like to see in a sequel series to Escaflowne?

[bretwalda-lamnguin]

Escaflowne voice meme

Introduce yourself! When did you first watch Escaflowne? What brought you into the fold? I first watched Escaflowne about four years ago. I was introduced to the anime after coming across an AMV of scenes from the anime set to Battlefield by Blind Guardian, and I liked the animation style so much I decided to give it a watch. I loved it and it has been my favourite anime ever since

Who is your favorite character and why? Was it love at first sight? Has any of their qualities or quirks swayed you on characters in other series? I always liked Hitomi, I liked the depiction of her as a young person with anxiety and found it very easy to sympathise with her. I think she’s a very good example of a teenage girl protagonist who comes across as believable and genuine without being annoying, and I love that there are consequences for her immense power, and her fears and anxiety are treated in a genuine and sympathetic way. I like that she makes mistakes and doesn’t always do the right thing but still tries to be honest and brave.

Which side are you on? What do you think happens Post-Hitomi when she leaves? Who do you think will be the next opposing power? Van’s and Fanelia’s. I find Folken interesting and he has some sympathetic goals, but even he comes to realise you cannot liberate people at the point of a bayonet. You’re only creating more war and suffering. Post-Hitomi leaving? I hope she finds happiness. I wouldn’t be surprised if she returns to Gaia when she is older and more confident in her ability to control her anxiety and powers, but in any case I think her and Van will always have some kind of link even if they remain separated. Basram seemed very aggressive during the back part of the war. Either them or a revanchist Zaibach seem the most likely threat to Gaia’s peace.

Least favorite plot point? Was there something you think should have changed? What do you think would have made it better. Other than plot points that get brought up and then abandoned for time I think having Dilandau removed from most of the back half of the plot was a mistake. I think the parallel between him and Van is great, Van who almost has to force himself to fight and takes little pleasure in it slowly becoming more violent and aggressive as Dilandau who lives for war and brutality begins to unravel and lose the will to fight after Van massacres the dragonslayers in a fit of rage. I would have pushed that fight back and kept Dilandau as an antagonist for most of the plot, keeping the Celena stuff for the last few episodes. I don’t think Naria and Eriya manage to be as interesting as Dilandau.

OTP? What kind of art and fiction would you like to see? What are some head canons you have for them? What is you NoTP I’ve always had a soft spot for Van and Hitomi, they’re both quite stubborn about it and both too anxious to admit their feelings because of how much they like the other person and are scared of destroying their friendship. I see Van and Hitomi as very outdoorsy and gentle, I think they’d be quite a sweet couple. I’m quite fond of Van/Dilandau as well because of the parallels between the two, generally in post canon. They’d be the opposite, very passionate and fiery. Very intense and you wouldn’t want to be around them, whether they’re getting on that day or not. I haven’t seen any pairings that have made me uncomfortable so far, but I don’t think I’m an easily squicked person.

What would you like to see in a figurative remake/sequel? Would you include more minor characters? Would you want a whole new story that could be a stand alone? Mostly just the story expanded to the original 39/40-episode plan. I’m more curious about how that additional time would have been used than about alternate stories in the same universe or other characters. I think one of Escaflowne’s strengths are the characters, even minor ones feel like real people, it’s clear a lot of time and thought went into them. I worry that would get muddled if the cast got much bigger.

Movie, Series, Game, or Manga preference? What are things you did/didn’t like of each? I’m only familiar with the series and the movie, and of those I much prefer the series. The movie is visually beautiful and the music is great (even though Kanno decides to rip off Prokofiev’s battle on the ice at one point for some bizarre reason.) But Escaflowne’s plot was already struggling to fit into a 26 episode anime, trying to cut it into a single film was just madness. I still quite like Hitomi, who seems more depressed than anxious here, but she seems to have much less of an impact on the plot. Most of the other character changes are for the worse in my opinion (with poor Folken getting the full Denethor treatment.) Dilandau is still very fun though, and I love every scene he’s in!

Do your favorite impression! Bonus points if you can do a conversation with a scene cut in! If I could do I’d probably go for Dilandau. Might try it at some point if I can find my decent microphone.

What do you think about the idea of a re-dub? What are your feelings about the current cast selection for Van (and others if more are introduced)? I first watched the English subbed version, so that’s the version I’m most attached to rather than any English dub voices, and I think all the original Japanese voice actors did a great job. I think I first watched the film dubbed and I quite liked that but I don’t really have strong feelings on a re-dub, other than it might get more people into escaflowne and be good for the fandom!

Recite your top five characters by name. Hitomi, Van, Folken, Dilandau and Millerna

[bamboo-muse]

First Digimon, then Twilight and now Inuyasha is getting sequel.

What's next? -FireFly coming back? I'm not even gonna bother with Star Wars because we all know that bitch can't stay dead.

Is Community getting a movie? HD remaster of Naruto? Gundam Wing? Escaflowne coming back? I haven't checked, but is BBC Sherlock still a thing?

I SWEAR TO GOD JKR BETTER KEEP HER MOUTH SHUT.

What, what's next?

What god forsaken fandom is being necromanced from the bones of my childhood memory back to this twisted plane of existence?

[dejinyucu]

Guess who binge watched Lost Universe this weekend :’D

[giriduck]

Gotta say that it’s taken a bit, but I’ve learned to love watching shows and movies that extend canon. Years ago, I used to hate it because it typically took things in a different direction than expected or desired. But now, I’m framing them as works of fanfiction: They’re pulling from the same base and rearranging or leaning into pieces to tell a new story. I’m less annoyed by the details of things that may not align with my own headcanons, but instead appreciating the craft of taking a world and its characters and adding to it in a way that feels believable. Or—in some of the best cases—spins it in a fresh, new way (prime example: the new She-Ra).

For example—these are likely going to show my age here—anime sequel series and movies taken up by different studios. Escaflowne had a wild movie retelling of the series, Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz was a strange sequel. Heck, even Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children was also a bit of a head scratcher, because the ambiguous ending to FFVII was (in my opinion) absolute perfection. Each of these were beautifully rendered, and—where applicable—recruited the same voice cast. They were potentially unnecessary, but are all nevertheless interesting side or AU stories.

Then there are more recent examples. I really liked 95% of the Netflix live-action Cowboy Bebop. It was perhaps a cursed problem to try to attempt to recreate / mildly extend such a beloved anime, and there are parts and characters I didn’t care much for (the whole Vicious subplot was meh on my opinion—I liked him better when we saw less of him because he had the shadowy menace thing going on), but the main cast was delightfully internally consistent and the world-building was phenomenal. It was excellent fanfic.

I’m watching Better Call Saul now, and as more characters from Breaking Bad appear, and I can’t but wonder how much of the sequel show was being sketched out as the first show was under development. BCS came out two years after BB ended, so perhaps there wasn’t any overlap at all. And yet, they created a six-season backstory series about a minor character that is arguably better than the original show, all while creating and interweaving backstory for all these other characters in the world. It’s kind of amazing.

As Disney continues to mine into the rich Marvel and Star Wars veins, it’s becoming more important (and easier) to shrug and accept that all of these are genuine works of fanfiction. We’re at the point where directors and writers who grew up on geeky content they love are publishing their stories for future fans (ex: Jon Favreau and The Mandalorian).

I remember when Wicked came out: a backstory fanfic about the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of OZ (the first book in the original OZ series was published in 1900 and all were well into the public domain by the time Wicked was published). It seemed pretty niche, but was later famously adopted into a Broadway musical.

There is no shame in fanfiction. It’s most of our mainstream content these days.

[coverteyes]

@its-a-kasshu-thing

Most people do like the series more, so nothing wrong with that. I don't compare them because, like I said, I think of them as two separate things with the same inspiration. The series builds the slow-burn romance so powerfully and all of the characters are given such a strong arc that it's hard not to love it.

I think the appeal with the movie for me is that there's no love triangle muddling things up between Van and Hitomi. They feel so natural together. I relate pretty hard to Hitomi (both the series and movie version tbh), so seeing her work through her depression and become a proactive person hits me hard. I love that Hitomi chooses Van, and then later, he chooses to listen to her, to follow her voice. To me, that is so poignant. (I actually wrote a one-shot about it.)

A sequel movie would have been nice. If only that had happened!! I don't know if I'd trust anyone to do it nowadays.

There's an Escaflowne Voice Meme going around. You should fill it out! We like new additions here!

God bless u and ur Escaflowne content

Thank you, kind soul. Just finished the funimation dub on Sunday and I loved it! Wish there was more 😭 will be watching the movie next but I hear it’s very different and has mixed reviews…

This boy’s my favorite :3 Hitomi kinda broke his heart in some episodes and the ending disappointed me 😑 but he precious must protec

[scope-dogg]

I'm like a mecha noobie, only watched things like Code Geass and Gurren Lagann, but I've wanted to try getting into more mecha anime, do you have any recommendations for toe-dipping into the genre?

If you’re looking for good series that A) aren’t massive time investments and are B) high quality, here are some of my favourites. You didn’t specify specifically what kind of stuff you’re looking for, so here’s a bunch of series that cover a wide variety of subgenres, tones etc.

The Mobile Suit Gundam movie trilogy (Mobile Suit Gundam 1, Mobile Suit Gundam 2: Soldiers of Sorrow, Mobile Suit Gundam 3, Encounters in Space. Trio of movies compiling the original Gundam TV series, space opera, late 70s / early 80s. The first entry of the largest and most popular mecha series, still one of the best ones despite its dated presentation.)

Macross: Do You Remember Love (Movie version of the original Macross series, space opera, mid 80s. Extremely beautiful animation, good character drama, high-stakes story.)

Expelled from Paradise (Movie, post-human sci-fi, 2014. Plays with interesting concepts, very good looking production despite being animated entirely in 3D.)

Aim for the top: Gunbuster (late 80s space opera OVA, 6 episodes. First work produced chiefly by Hideaki Anno of Evangelion fame. Excellent animation, incredibly emotional and dramatic plot arc.)

Armor Hunter Mellowlink (late 80s war drama OVA, 12 episodes. Spin-off of Armored Trooper Votoms that doesn’t need you to watch the main series first. Unique in that it mostly features the protagonist fighting enemy mecha on foot.)

Getter Robo Armageddon (Dark and violent post-apocalyptic late 80s OVA, 12 episodes, probably the best animated work featuring one of the genre’s founding franchises.)

Patlabor: The Mobile Police (Late 80s near-future setting OVA, 7 episodes. Also there’s a full length TV series by the same name that’s also excellent. All about law enforcement in a post-mecha world, mostly comedic.)

SSSS.Gridman (2018 giant hero TV series, 12 episodes. Technically a giant hero series like Ultraman but hits all the right spots for mecha fans. Good all round production by Studio Trigger, has a sequel series currently airing.)

Planet With (2019 space opera / absurdist TV series, 12 episodes. Extremely bizarre but ultimately well-made and emotionally touching story.)

Bokurano (2007 psychological thriller / cosmic horror TV series, 26 episodes. Features titanic robots, equal parts nightmare fuel and emotional roller coaster, probably the saddest mecha series.)

Overman King Gainer (2002 post-post apocalypse TV series, 26 episodes. Fairly light-hearted production by the creator of the original Gundam featuring excellent hand-drawn animation and exotic mecha designs.)

Terrestrial Defence Corp. Dai-Guard (Late 90s near-future comedy TV series, 26 episodes. Classic super robot setup featuring a giant robot against extradimensional invaders, but with the “realistic” elements played up for laughs.)

Tetsujin 28 (2004 retro sci-fi TV series, 26 episodes. Reboot of the original series featuring the very first giant robot in Japanese media. Highly melancholy series with heavy themes.)

Gun X Sword (2007 sci-fi Western series, 26 episodes. Great characters and humour centred around a story themed around the concept of revenge in a wild-West esque sci-fi setting. Earlier creation of the director of Code Geass.)

Martian Successor Nadesico (Late 90s TV series, space opera, 26 episodes. Tongue-in-cheek story that lampoons the genre with a great cast of characters, highly recommended.)

The Big O (Late 90s retro sci-fi series with noir trappings, 26 episodes. Strange but very compelling setting and story with an ending that remains hotly debated to this day. Visual style very similar to the animated batman TV series from around the same timeframe.)

The Vision of Escaflowne (Late 90s fantasy series, 26 episodes. Isekai series featuring giant robots, and a romance-heavy shoujou-esque storyline. Very high quality production values and soundtrack.)

Note that this isn’t an exhaustive list, there are still several other series that could probably fit this bill that I haven’t seen yet and thus can’t recommend with any confidence. I tried to keep all my suggestions under 30 episodes long, but there’s a bunch more I could recommend over that limit.

[brella]

are there any games/anime/poems/songs/shows that you've lately enjoyed? i've been feeling very apathetic to media lately and your taste is very trustworthy :)

hi anon! i'm flattered that you find my taste trustworthy since it really is very hodgepodge-like, lol. and can i just say, i totally know what you mean about feeling apathetic to media lately—it's been taking a lot more work for things to grab me than usual these days. i'm sure things are out there; i'm just not in a fannish mode!

shows:

my roommate and i are watching shadow and bone (she has seen it and is a longtime book fan but i went in blind) and i actually, like? kind of love it? fantasy driven by character drama and the fickleness of human relationships; nice! at times the broader writing is predictable but at other times there are moments and lines of dialogue that are really fresh and striking imo. i haven't finished it yet but i'm v invested... inej ghafa... my everything

i know the queen's gambit is kind of old news, but over the past two months i ended up rewatching it TWICE because both my mom and aunt wanted to see it, and just a quick update it's still magnificent. if you have NOT watched it yet i really do recommend it, favorite thing i watched in all of 2020 bar none.

currently watching pretend it's a city on netflix, which is just fun. i like listening to fran lebowitz talk. plus it's nice to remember that cities exist.

poems:

object permanence by nica bengzon has been knocking me on my ass since the first day it came out. every single poem in it is my favorite poem. 

“zuhitsu” by jennie xie

“this moment” by eavan boland

“on earth we’re briefly gorgeous” by ocean vuong

“the defeated” by linda gregg

anime:

i was skeptical about there being a sequel to megalobox, but so far nomad has kind of outdone it? i'm way more invested in the characters this time rather than the overall story. love the ED, too. never thought i would like a BOXING ANIME as much as i do but this one has been a great surprise!

i’m watching the vision of escaflowne on my boyfriend’s recommendation and while i’m not far i’m already very attached. van has eyelashes and hitomi saves his ass constantly with the power of tarot. this is what shoujnen is made of. 

songs:

"la spesa" – marta sui tubi (when that second verse hits i feel alive. i spent the last few months taking an italian class and decided to try my hand at translating this... translating... my old love)

"cherry in tacoma" – benjamin francis leftwich (obsessed with this one, so so obsessed)

"gasoline" – HAIM ft. taylor swift

"the slow parts on death metal albums" – the mountain goats

"dionne" – the japanese house ft. justin vernon

"higher power" – coldplay (when chris martin says i'm so happy i'm alive / i'm so happy i'm alive at the same time as you)

"sunset pink" – the ladles

"won't hurt myself" – fickle friends (I WON'T HURT MYSELF THE WAY YOU WANT ME TOOOO)

"twenty something" – nightly (this is so sappy but so sweet)

hang in there. there’s a tomorrow out there somewhere. i know it. 

love, gwen