Reviews

If you’ve been paying attention to the show, the revelation in this episode shouldn’t come as a surprise. After mentions from Episode 1 (Van moments before going off to slay some dragons) and Episode 3 (the conversation before meeting with Emperor Dornkirk), it is finally revealed Van and Folken are brothers. The former’s pretty pissed off that the brother he thought died during the very ritual he went through episodes ago is on the other side, and the latter just likes to be enigmatic as all get out because of some big Gaea-saving Plan the dear Emperor has. It cements all those floating bits of info into one of the major conflicts of the show in a natural way that unveils quite a bit but not TOO much.

First off, hard to believe the stupid losers at Saban and Fox would start here when it aired the butchered Escaflowne on Fox Kids. You’d think censorship and it treating you as stupid (what with all the forced flashbacks) is bad, but the worst part is what they did with the music. No they didn’t replace Yoko Kanno’s score; they kept it, but shifted it around so much that it no longer felt right in the very show it was made for. Even worse, they overused the most iconic BGM in the series, and made it legit tiresome to listen to. That’s like… a war crime, man.

Cameo by Batman!

Not to be crude, but when last viewed, Cassandra was screwed, Mother came unglued, and our heroes barely subdued Mother's brood (she's so rude!), but the story concludes and the villain's subdued, and with allies accrued, Batman's a popular dude! All this includes a confidence that's renewed and I'm in the mood for the grand finale of DC's second weekly Batman comic, Batman & Robin Eternal. Harper makes her (pretty predictable) decision on Mother's offer, Azrael actually does something that contributes to the plot, the Robins reunite to show the melevolent matriarch she doesn't know shit about Robins, Cassandra becomes an orphan, and Batman returns (not to be mistaken for the movie Batman Returns directed by Tim Burton)! There's a lot to say, so let's get started!

To celebrate 20 Years of Escaflowne, I’ll be following the original schedule of the Japanese run and doing weekly write-ups for its episodes. If you’ve been following my Cross Ange and Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans reviews you know what to expect. Also though, expect with each episode an extra section where I cover a memorable piece of music from the series by the legendary Yoko Kanno. Hope you enjoy.

No period jokes, please. It just doesn't flow well.

The balance starts shifting as Crane's gas is now misting and while Mother is persisting, Dick is resisting, and Midnigher does all the heavy lifting in the penultimate chapter of DC's weekly padding showcase. JUST FUCKING END ALREADY. The past few issues could have been made a single issue with little change to the plot, and it's frustrating that a book with many a good turn has spoiled its potential by just listlessly meandering and filibustering at this point. Was everybody in the Bat team too busy preparing for DC's Rebirth relaunch to take a look at the pacing of this story? It's really not looking like I'll bother collecting this, even for Cassandra.

Way to help the polar ice cap melt, Azrael.

While Dick attempts, Azrael preempts, and Harper's not exempt from how Mother tempts all in this twenty-fourth episode of DC's weekly Batman adventure (that lacks Batman and only has one person who's legitimately a current-serving Robin). While Damian, Jason, Tim, Barbara, Kate, Jim, Duke, Helena, Selina, Dinah, and... others are busy around the world smashing kids in the face in attempt to gain control of the broadcast towers to Mother's hypnotizing satellite (formerly Spyral's hypnotizing satellite), Our Man Fl--- I mean Dick is right in front of Mother's hideout in the Antarctic Circle. but is waylaid by the self-styled Angel of Death (and haver of ridiculous hair under that helmet).