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To say that « The Vision of Escaflowne » aired at the right time would be an understatement.

The year was 1996 and with the success of « Evangelion » and Gundam’s 90’s peak, this series had the right credentials to be a success both in Japan and in the USA. While it didn’t reach the legendary status of the aforementioned shows, it did gain a special place in many hearts.

Now, « Escaflowne » is by no means a bad product, however to see it often compared to the likes of its contemporaries leaves me quite perplexed.

First, a quick rundown of the plot.

Hitomi, a schoolgirl ... with a passion for running and a talent for reading tarots, gets transported into another world, or better, to another planet, Gaea. Her newfound psychic powers quickly become a key part in the conflicts ongoing in this world.
But this is also a shojo, after all, and, as such, our heroine not only has to navigate war and political intrigues, but also the difficult passions of the heart.
It’s a premise with the potential to attract a quite large demographic: it borrows many elements from its predecessors anc clichés, after all, can be quite reassuring and cozy.

Let’s start with what’s good about it.

From a visual standpoint, it’s absolutely stunning. Some people might be (reasonably) put off by the dated artstyle – and, admittedly, those long noses are quite a weird sight – but the fluid, excellent animation, the memorable character designs and the stunning backgrounds might fascinate even the less accustomed viewers. The mecha design is especially detailed, with the titular Escaflowne being arguably one of the most unforgettable giant robots in the genre.

It’s also worth noting that, although many directors, storyboarders and writers worked on different episodes, the series never suffers from drastic tonal shifts, aside from the occasional, tiny change in character design, at least as far as art direction goes.

Another very strong point lies in its soundtrack, but that’s expected when you get someone as talented as legendary composer Yoko Kanno (from « Cowboy Bepop », « Ghost in the Shell : SAC » and many others, but you already knew that) involved.

A shame that, sometimes, the greatness of the soundtrack does not match what’s happening on screen.

Now, the sore points (contains light spoilers!).

Primarily, thematic ambiguity.

The story puts great emphasis on “destiny”, whatever that might mean, but never sets a clear view on it. Can destiny be changed or can we only go along with it? The series swings between “yes” and “no” pretty often and, by the end of the story, we’re left with no clear answer.
Actually, the trend of not giving clear answers seems pretty constant all throughout. Several plot points are raised (Atlantis and its people, Allen’s sister and father whereabouts, Hitomi’s grandma…), but are always given very superficial, brief and unsatisfying answers. Instead, the series focuses on a plot that, at a certain point, stops being about war intrigue and starts resembling a soap opera, featuring not just a love triangle, but – hear that! – a love pentagon, illegitimate children and lost sibilings.

Secondly, Hitomi herself.

Our main character reaches Gaea as a wide-eyed, naïve and confused high school girl. During the first part of the series, following her is quite fun: the discovery of a rich, intriguing new world is enlivened by her lighthearted bickering with her two new companions, prince Van and Merle.
Her instantly falling in love with a guy that resembles her senpai back on Earth is worth an eye roll, but we’ve seen romances set up in worse ways (looking at you, Tomino).

However, one deus ex machina after the other, the viewer starts realizing that Hitomi doesn’t change with the events around her, that she doesn’t learn nothing from them. If anything, she starts rejecting them.
But hers is not Amuro’s terrified rejection during the One Year War, nor Shinji’s desperate call for help in Evangelion. Mostly because she doesn’t actually fight and just implores other people not to, spouting generic “war is wrong”, “I don’t want to see people hurt” nonsense.
The story acts as if her action are vital to the world around her, while she’s nothing but a passive, reactionary bystander. Even her own powers don’t seem to activate of her own volition, but only when the plot requires them to.

All of this leads to an ending which I won’t spoil, but I can only describe as “extremely unsatisfying”.
Overall, the best moments of the story are when it focuses on other characters, particularly Van, the brave prince that wants nothing but the best for his people and whose relationship with his family should have been simply developed more.

Now, I must note that the series was initially intended to have 39 episodes, later cut to 26 due to the lower budget. While this explains the rushed plotlines, the problem might have been solved by simply cutting down on the more soap opera-like elements of the romance.

In conclusion, “Escaflowne” is a series with plenty of visual charm and an intriguing premise that crumbles down by focusing too much on romance clichés instead of the actual story. The great worldbuilding of the first episodes builds up to a disappointing amount of unanswered questions and zero payoff.
A shame, but the series is still worth a watch, mostly because of its relevance in the history of the community. It being often juxtaposed with the likes of "Evangelion" and "Cowboy Bepop" might create expectations within the viewer that probably won't be met, but if you go into it simply looking for a fun time, you will not be disappointed.

Wakusei Robo Danguard Ace is Leiji Matsumoto's only mecha work and, by watching the show, it's easy to notice why.
Let's start with some background. After the end of Toei's partnership with Go Nagai, creator of smash hits such as Mazinger Z and Ufo Robo Grezinder, the company was desperately searching for a worthy substitute. Among those asked to create new giant robots, there was Matsumoto himself, coming off Uchuu Senkan Yamato's unfortunate flop.

Given its creator, it's not surprising that the show manages to put a quite unique spin on the cliches of the genre.
Humanity is, as usual, in danger: the Earth is so polluted that ... its only hope is to migrate to another planet, Promethe. However, Doppler, an evil scientist wants to make out of that same planet a paradise accessible only to a small élite of "worthy" and "enlightened" people. Thus, a race starts: whoever gets to Promethe first, gets to colonize it.
Meanwhile, Takuma, a young man whose father is a famous pilot gone missing, is training to become the pilot of the Danguard, humanity's only hope against Doppler.

The first half of the show revolves around this specific plot point: Takuma trying to overcome his flaws and become a pilot, while cleaning up his old man's reputation.
When it focuses on it, the show shines and Matsumoto's typical melancholy comes through. The production team probably realized this, since most of the time is spent taking a look inside the characters' heads.
In fact, the Danguard doesn't show up until episode 12 and, even after that, the battles are very short, underwhelming. In some cases, the mecha is not even required to win against the enemy. In this respect, Danguard Ace is probably one of the first animes to go beyond the "super robot" category and fall into the "real robot" one.

Unfortunately, except for that, the show has shaky foundations.
The plot itself feels like a Uchuu Senkan Yamato rip-off, but with a mecha and no sense of urgency whatsoever.
The second half of the show, where they finally take off towards Promethe, is basically full of filler episodes, where Matsumoto seems to rehash themes (such as the horrors of war and the humanity within androids) developed much better in previous and later works. The protagonist also seems to have suddenly fixed every single flaw of his after the departure from Earth and the father-son dynamic, the best thing about the show, is missing. Also, please, can we stop overdoing the "falling in love with one of the main characters at first sight" trope? It happens at least four times in this show and it gets ridicoulous really fast. Thanks.
Even the enemy organization loses every credibility when you realize they didn't even try to hide the nazi inspiration. In the italian dub they even gave goddamn german accents. While on the subject, I believe it's important to point out that this review is based on the italian dub, which is, to put it bluntly, horrible and may have harmed my enjoyment of the show.

As for art and animation, the token mecha is not exactly memorable and the sporadic appearances certainly don't do it any favours.
The characters designs (and their roles) also seem straight out of Uchuu Senkan Yamato (but worse). The only notable one: Takuma's father, who looks like a Captain Harlock prototype.
Taking a look at the staff working on the animations, seems like some notable talents (first of all, Yoshinori Kanada) were wasted on static and uninventive directing.

I believe Danguard Ace is a show that had very little passion put into it. This becomes more noticeable the more episodes you watch, culminating with a predictable, underwhelming and uninspired ending. It's what you get when a talented team is put on a project born from the needs of the current market and strangled by them.
The overall product isn't bad per se, but it feels for the most part empty and formulaic. And this becomes a particular flaw when its creator is someone who made so many childhoods special with his other stories.
A shame, really.

Cutie Honey was such a disappointment.

I was watching the 1973 anime and quite enjoying, so I decided to take a look at the manga.
While I've appreciated Go Nagai's other works, especially during my childhood, this one reveals itself to be disrespectful and disturbing.


Honey's mission is your typical avenge tale, but it could have developed some interesting implications. However, it takes a step back to leave space to Nagai's need to make some of the most idiotic jokes I've heard since I was in middle school.
The manga seems to want not to take itself seriously, but it ends up showing a lack of respect towards its ... own story and characters.

First of all, Honey is reduced to an empty shell, a beautiful statue to be admired and almost never a real person. She is but an object, unfortunately.
Towards the later chapters, there is an occasion where she shows actual emotions and attachement to people but that's where it ends. A shame, really, especially comparing it to its anime counterpart.

Her schoolmates and teachers' sexuality is always used to ridicule them, as well as their appearance. Nagai shows absolutely no tact towards them, probably hoping to be funny.
There are themes of abuse, but, again, it's just the mangaka trying to be funny and looking for an excuse to show more nudity (because why not).
The reader ends up not caring at all about them, since they are so absurdly mean, and when something happens, the scene carries no impact at all.

Regarding the artstyle, there's not much to say.
It's your tipical, fun Go Nagai characters (complete with sideburns, of course) and it is pleasant to look at, although the proportions bend themself to the fanservice, sometimes.


Overall, I really wish I could have liked it.
This is definitely the least sensible side of Nagai's work and I do not recommend it (unless you want to spend a couple of hours cringing).
You're better off watching the anime, with its fun fanservice and uniqueness.