First off, lemme say how being an adult animation (never mind animu) fan makes you notice things you never did back when you were young. When I was young, I saw only the story in this block of episodes. As an old fogey, I see not just the story but also one dealing with a very low budget. Take a gander up at those four featured shots, and it pretty much entails a good portion of this episode. A character is in the foreground or background, and either is alone or conversing with the person on the other side. Had this been a lesser show, it would have been a rather underwhelming episode. Yet since this is Escaflowne, a show always trying its damndest to be topflight no matter what, even as they skimp on animation.
The Vision of Escaflowne Episode 16 – Papa Dryden’s Storytime
Seems legit. Before our heroes go to the Mystic Valley, where the formerly great Atlantis once resided, we have an entire episode inundated with lore from a very distinct individual: Allen’s father. The seeds planted as far back as Episode 5 (where we find that Allen has daddy issues) have now taken root. How this takes place is another great example of building from long ago laid foundations. Our first instance of Allen thinking about his dad once again is in Episode 14 when he thought to himself about how all these revelations remind him of ‘him’, then Dryden asked for his father’s journal the next episode, and now it is snowballing into a full on confrontation with Allen’s past. It’s a very natural progression, and the speed it acquires does not feel in the slightest bit shoehorned, since it ties so well into the plot.
PG Banshee Gundam – WIP Update
It’s been a long while since I’ve posted anything Gunpla related. This has been partly because I’ve been super busy, and partly because the kit I’ve been working on has been yet another Perfect Grade. This time, it’s the PG Banshee. Since I’m not attempting to build this in a single week, like my last PG Unicorn, this one has taken ages. The first paint tests took place a whopping 3 months ago. The backpack and beam magnum got finished a month ago while I only finished the torso yesterday. If all goes well, I’ll finish this kit by the end of the month. In the meantime, here’s how things are currently looking…
Otaku Evolution Episode 68 – Mid Year English Dub Review II
Can you believe it took me three weeks to make this video? It’s that damn casino opening thing. Honestly, I originally planned for it to be longer, but I made my point, which was atmosphere. In comparison, my commentary on the English dubs of anime I’ve covered this year, is pretty miniscule. But I covered my bases, talking about dub studios like Animaze, Bang Zoom, and Funimation. Who knew that Animaze produced such crummy dubs at one time? Well, I did, but I’m sharing it with you! Also, what is with my penguin pal? Some mighty suspicious doings are afoot!
The Vision of Escaflowne Episode 15 – Call of the Catgirl
If you are either Japanese or a guy who bought the individual volumes as they were released, I imagine you were highly pumped and relieved to FINALLY see how Van gets out of his predicament. Thankfully, since it is Escaflowne, the conclusion to this harrowing cliffhanger is resolved with its usual high quality dramatic flair with a bit of grand teasers with where the story might be going. There are no complaints to be had here.
Now, we’ve come to the second act blues protagonists have at this juncture, which has unfortunately occurred during a breather portion of the story. Given the whirlwind series of revelations, deaths, near-deaths, and cliffhangers, it’s well deserved. Yet, Van for the first time is shaken of his confidence as a swordsman and coming to grips about the murder rampage he had last episode; Hitomi confesses her crush to Allen by accident; Allen is annoyed his father is being brought up again; and Millerna is trying to make do with a quite astute betrothed who notices her infatuation with Allen. It seems like a lot, but there is a lot of good foundation building and a lot of great callbacks, including some I’ve forgotten. Allen reminisces about his connection to Balgus (complete with flashback), and we see Millerna and Hitomi interacting once again after the former said to the latter they should try and get along a few episodes back.
The Vision of Escaflowne Episode 14 – A Wish for Wings that Wound
Well, best laid plans am I right? One minute you’re all “I’m gonna merge with Escaflowne and we’re gonna kick ass and be awesome n’ shit!” Next minute, your guymelef gets wrecked in a battle and somehow, despite not even getting wounded much, YOU suffer for it. You suffer so much that the only way to actually alleviate said suffering is to repair your guymelef’s body. That’s gonna be painful.
So much for a breather episode after that last one, instead we are reeling from an unanticipated event, but also being mired in Gaean lore. It is not just any Gaean lore mind you; it is lore about Escaflowne itself. In a situation rather reminiscent of when Millerna just happened to be on the same airship our heroes were on after Allen’s noble sacrifice to save Hitomi, an Asturian convoy they come across houses their key to Van’s salvation: Dryden Fassa. The son of the merchant who hung around the King of Asturia many episodes back, Dryden is a rather… interesting character. Like Millerna, it is hard to glean from his appearance on how much he will be liked down the line. Right off the bat the show reveals he’s not some playboy though, but a man who seems to live up to his hype in terms of wealth and intelligence.
The Vision of Escaflowne Episode 13 – Freid-xit
Here we hit the climax and conclusion of the Freid arc, where our heroes are given a terrible defeat at the hands of Zaibach. What a way to conclude the midpoint of the series with one gigantic bloody nose. We have seen Zaibach’s might given their easy takedown of Fanelia, but that kingdom is backwater compared to even Freid. Even so, it is pretty much a fact now that Zaibach is also at its best with raw power. Our heroes can do surgical strikes, but on a battlefield? That’s quite the different story.
Otaku Evolution Episode 67 – Yu Yu Hakusho: The Golden Seal
I thought I’d dip my toe into the waters of long-running shonen action titles again by taking on a small portion of Yu Yu Hakusho! The episode was originally a little bit longer, and you can probably tell where a few cuts were made, but I have a time limit on my videos now, and it would have looked really pathetic split up into two parts just over a few seconds of content. So here we go! Next time I have a mid-year episode, and I still haven’t even brainstormed ideas for that one. Sorry for falling behind!
The Vision of Escaflowne Episode 12 – Hos before Eskimo Bros
I couldn’t really find ONE good image to use for the showcase so I had to use four. For a non-action episode, it is chock full of such great dynamic shots rivaling that of Episode 5.
Sandwiched between last episode’s events and a nascent invasion by Zaibach being set in its last few minutes, this episode tries to cut three sticks of tension-brand butter with one knife in its 22 minutes. Needless to say it succeeded, because it not only answers a lot of lingering questions but also reveals multiple dimensions of all our characters. The ones who gain in this regard are our two ladies: Millerna and Hitomi, as the episode focuses on them the most. Millerna gets a great scene at the beginning where she defends Allen’s decision to leave Astura from the displeasure of the Duke of Freid (who doesn’t take kindly to desertion). As per usual, the shots (as seen above), the music, vocal performances, and the fact that it takes place IMMEDIATELY after an episode with a more optimistic ending, elevate what could’ve been a mundane scene. Then it is bolstered by Millerna’s open declarations to Allen of her devotion to him over her country, and the subsequent revelation she learns in a chance encounter with her older sister Marlene’s diary.
The Vision of Escaflowne Episode 11 – Erryboddy do the Doppelganggank!
This is quite the low point episode for our heroes. While losing Fanelia and being manipulated by both Asturia and Zaibach wasn’t enough, they’re on frayed terms with Freid now. It’s quite a low point for them in this arc (the lowest ones will be coming soon), and overall makes for a… modest unassuming episode. The crux of the episode falls upon the encounter between Hitomi and the doppelganger, Zongi, and that part provides a rather intriguing experience.
It’s intriguing because, being a regular high school girl; Hitomi is incapable of breaking her hypnosis with Zongi, and by and large spills what our heroes did the past few episodes. Thus, it seems they might be in for a troublesome time in Freid. However, due to Zongi’s curiosity about how Hitomi’s ability to see the guymelefs of Zaibach, his touching of her pendant triggers some world building. The fun part is how all this exposition about the history of doppelgangers is revealed by Hitomi while still under his thrall. She doesn’t know any better, and as such her power is amplified and relays his past to him inadvertently. It’s a great way to showcase one of Gaea’s more obscure races without breaking into a sordid narration and wasting time on why doppelgangers get a bad rap. It’s all weaved into the tapestry of the current story, and culminates into a fine scene which not only gives us sympathy for the doppelganger, but also a glimpse at the ambition of Zaibach.