Cheap Escaflowne - Forever & Ever (Vol. 8) (DVD) (Kazuki Akane) Price

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Customer Reviews of Escaflowne - Forever & Ever (Vol. 8)

I was on the edge of my seat, until...
A friend of mine lent me all the Escaflowne tapes, and I watched all of them so fast that it seemed like I was giving him back one a day. Anyway, when I sat down to watch the last one, I was saying, "Jeez, how're they going to wrap it up in three episodes?"(I saw a VHS version from Anime Village.com, so the DVD might be slightly different in its divvying up of the episodes). Well, they managed it all right, and I won't tell you how, since it always makes me mad when people tell the world what happens in any given show/movie/book,etc., but I was a little disapointed at the conclusion of how everything was ended. Otherwise, I thought that what Dornkirk realized was realistic, though since he was really Sir Issac Newton, I would think he would have figured out human nature a bit sooner. Overall, this is pretty much one of the best anime shows I've ever seen. Plenty of violence, a couple of cute girls, and the traditional shojo "girl-saves-the-world-with-help-of-guy-she-likes" plot.

Be Careful What You Wish For¿
These are the last stanzas in what is one of the monuments of Japanese anime, a rich fantasy story as memorable as any other notable series. Hitomi, after fleeing Gaea back to earth finds that her experiences have left her with many unresolved feelings. When Van flies Escaflowne across the gap between the worlds to retrieve her she joins him, even though it is to return to the middle of an horrific war. Hitomi realizes that she can run no longer - that if Gaea is to heal, she must do her part.

By this DVD it is clear to the viewer that fate, and its changing, is the underlying theme of this series. Isaac Newton attempts to manipulate it so that the Zaibach Empire will rule the world, nearly repeating the mistake of the Atlantean forebearers of the Gaeans. Tarot cards reveal futures that seem inevitable. And the intertwining of the characters defies the rules of coincidence.

Into this apparent march to cataclysmic disaster and tragedy enters Hitomi, the most atypical of anime heroines. Thin and athletic rather than lush, cute rather than pretty, it is her inner nature rather than any physical ability that gives her the power to challenge the inevitable. Hitomi's special skill is the power to believe. And in doing so, she reveals that fate is far from ineluctable, that simply humans can change outcomes with their minds and hearts.

Hitomi's confusion about her feelings towards Van and Alan Schezar, her hatred of the continuous stream of violence that mars life on Gaea, and the struggle she has to accept what she can do make her a warm and accessible character to the viewer. This is true of all the protagonists of Escaflowne, making what would otherwise be a pompous fantasy concoction into a compelling, life affirming drama.

As endings go, this one starts a bit too slowly and ends too soon. I would have liked to see a stronger focus on the dynamics between Hitomi and Van as they realize their love for each other and must confront the roadblocks in their way. There is room for an entire additional episode, although the movie version of Escaflowne fills in much of this touching connection between two people separated by worlds. Even so, this is a fitting end to what has been a delightful series - one which I will always recommend without question.