|
|
continued... Besides the killer animation and attention to detail, the strength, sensitivity and human simplicity that Hitomi, as the heroine, brings to the story is purely refreshing. I’m sure many fans are relieved to be given a break from angst-laden killers, ditzy damsels-in-distress, and unremarkable geeks who (by some miracle) have dozens of girls after them. None of the characters are perfect by any means; in the episodes I’ve watched so far each character – from the dashing knight Allen Schezar, to psychotic pretty-boy Dilandau Albatou, have their personal human worries and struggles. The unusual character designs, done by Nobuteru Yuki (Record of Lodoss War) are probably what turned many prospective fans off this series. I for one had a hard time liking any of the characters when I first saw them in posters and stills. Those long noses had me bothered a bit, but to my pleasure it isn’t that evident once the characters are animated, and after a while isn’t really that noticeable. My only complaint might have been the fact that parts of the dialogue sounded rather overdone, a fact probably attributed to the difficulty of translating the complexities of Japanese into English. Merle, for example, is particularly grating when she goes into her dramatic fits (though she’s probably meant to be). When one of the characters launches into a sermon of sorts it gets tiring and cliched very quickly. Thankfully there aren’t many long heroic monologues in this series, in what episodes I’ve seen so far. Hitomi’s small flashes of personal reflection and vulnerability, her emotions regarding the people and events around her, are actually some of the higher points in the drama. It’s been a long time since any anime took my interest enough for me to follow it through thoroughly and actually do research on its characters and background. Evangelion did that with its use of Judeo-Christian mythology. Though not as meaningful as EVA or as ambitious in symbolism as other anime, Escaflowne managed to enchant me without any pretensions or gimmicks whatsoever. It evokes not the dull, four-square logic of our present world, but the magic and sheer beauty of the imagination. For someone as tired as I am, watching Escaflowne is a great way to start the weekend. Now if only GMA showed it more than just once a week...
|
|||
|
____________________________________________________ All works are copyrighted and trademarks of their respective owners. Our deepest apologies if we fail to mention them. If there are any copyright violations incurred, do not hesitate to inform us. The use of any material here without proper permission from the magazine and their respective authors is strictly prohibited. Distribution of P.Otaku Bytes is free. We are a non-profit organization. |
|||||
