The Vision of escaflowne is an anime which came out in the late 90's was first dubbed by FOXkids in 2000 but was cancelled after 11 episodes because of how mishandled it was then Ocean entertainment picked it up and redubed with the same their same cast. Then in 2016 Funimation held a kickstar to redub the series for it's HD release with a new set of voice actors and with some deleted scenes added which weren't in the Ocean dub or the original format.
If you don't want to be spoilt I recommend you click off my review and go watch it.
A young fit and beautiful girl called Hitomi is a middle schooler who on a track team with her friend Yukari and her crush Ameno. One day her crush Amano announced that he is going to leave the county, so as a favour Hitomi ask him to time her rounds.
As Well as a good runner Hitomi as can tell fortunes with her tarot cards and because of the pendent she is wearing she can spot a hidden enemy which is invisible or clocked.
Meanwhile on Gaaia a 15 year old soldier by the name of Van has been sent out on a mission by his general/mentor Balgas to kill a dragon. He bumps into Hitomi along the way and though their relationship starts off as to rocky start but eventually it becomes more then just that. As a reward he ends up taking Hitomi as a souvenir to his planet but he later sees her more then that.
Things then become worse for the characters when the sibok soldiers invade his village and he most find somewhere to stay.
Story wise it was thoroughly enjoyable with all the battles, the past of why Van was living with Baglas and what happened to his family including his brother and picked up some good lessons from the story. The only thing I did not like was the whole love relationship with Hitomi and Allen not because I am a HitomiXVan fan or because I hated either of the characters. I just think because 1 Hitomi is 15 and Allen is 21 so big age gap and 2 it just ruined the atmosphere. Mainly in episode 21 I hated especially that one scene when they kissed I literally cursed at the screen. Because there were two dubs of the series I had to experience that twice, I didn't so it the first time but second time I did. And honestly, it feels a lot like if your older brother (who is 28) is making out with your crush/girlfriend (who is 14-15 and is in the same class as you) in other words the relationship between them did not feel right.
Other then that it was a good story.
Animation and art style was good especially in HD release.
The music in both the end credits and opening are dope. Not the FoxKids version they removed it and added their own music which just made me cringe like if it was some Saturday morning cartoon and on top of that in serious scenes they added music which was inappropriate for the setting.
In terms of which dub I prefer I think both dubs did good although there was a few faults with Ocean dub, which included mishandling of script, hilariously bad acting and of course poor quality of dub. But of course at the time Ocean dubs in the late 90's and early 2000's were like that. But as far as going for voice acting the best voices were Kirby Morrow as Van Fanel, Brian Drummond as Allen Schezar, Alex Doduk as Prince Chid, Scott McNeil Jajuka, Paul Dobson as Folken Fanel and Venus Terzo Princess Millerna Aston.
The only voices I did not like were Kelly Sheridan as Hitomi (Barbie as Hitmoi seriously), Jocelyn Loewen as Merle (too annoying), Andrew Francis as Dilandau Albatou (bad acting and his voice sounded like a pre-pubescent kid but i am glad his voice for young Vam made up for it) and Brian Drummond as Susumu Amano (just cause Allen and Amano look like each other that doesn't mean they should sound the same.
Everybody else did a good job in that dub.
For the Funimation dub the voice actors including Aaron Dismuke, Vic Mignogna, Caithlin Glass, Alexis Tipton, Joel McDonald, Sonny Strait, Colleen Clinkbeard, Eric Vale, Jad Saxton, Chuck Huber, Christopher Guerrero and Jeremy Schwartz all did an excellent job and I gradually prefer them over their Ocean counter parts.
The only voices I did not like was Bryn Apprill as Prince Chid and Maxey Whitehead as Kid Van as both Andrew Francise (who was 15) and Alex Dudok (who was an actual kid at the time) and alot of people say child actors are bad. But not here.
Also there is one thing I would like to point out, I have been hearing a few claim that Joel McDonold was not good as Dillandau because he is a genderbend. In my opinion Joel voiced the character in personality and acting. Sure the voice might sound weird if you watched the Ocean dub first but honestly, I watched the first half of the funimation dub first then I switch to the Ocean dub when I did that voices sounded very alien too me but I got used to them then went back to the funimation dub to pick up where I left. Back on topic Joel might not be perfect but at least he is better then his badly acted Ocean counterpart. Plus if a woman was casted as the character I would have likely cringed.
I am going to let you decide which dub you would want to watch that depends if you are going to watch it dubbed because I don't want to recommend you the wrong thing.
If you want a classic which has adventure, drama, violence, love and amecha I recomand this anime.
If you don't want to be spoilt I recommend you click off my review and go watch it.
A young fit and beautiful girl called Hitomi is a middle schooler who on a track team with her friend Yukari and her crush Ameno. One day her crush Amano announced that he is going to leave the county, so as a favour Hitomi ask him to time her rounds.
As Well as a good runner Hitomi as can tell fortunes with her tarot cards and because of the pendent she is wearing she can spot a hidden enemy which is invisible or clocked.
Meanwhile on Gaaia a 15 year old soldier by the name of Van has been sent out on a mission by his general/mentor Balgas to kill a dragon. He bumps into Hitomi along the way and though their relationship starts off as to rocky start but eventually it becomes more then just that. As a reward he ends up taking Hitomi as a souvenir to his planet but he later sees her more then that.
Things then become worse for the characters when the sibok soldiers invade his village and he most find somewhere to stay.
Story wise it was thoroughly enjoyable with all the battles, the past of why Van was living with Baglas and what happened to his family including his brother and picked up some good lessons from the story. The only thing I did not like was the whole love relationship with Hitomi and Allen not because I am a HitomiXVan fan or because I hated either of the characters. I just think because 1 Hitomi is 15 and Allen is 21 so big age gap and 2 it just ruined the atmosphere. Mainly in episode 21 I hated especially that one scene when they kissed I literally cursed at the screen. Because there were two dubs of the series I had to experience that twice, I didn't so it the first time but second time I did. And honestly, it feels a lot like if your older brother (who is 28) is making out with your crush/girlfriend (who is 14-15 and is in the same class as you) in other words the relationship between them did not feel right.
Other then that it was a good story.
Animation and art style was good especially in HD release.
The music in both the end credits and opening are dope. Not the FoxKids version they removed it and added their own music which just made me cringe like if it was some Saturday morning cartoon and on top of that in serious scenes they added music which was inappropriate for the setting.
In terms of which dub I prefer I think both dubs did good although there was a few faults with Ocean dub, which included mishandling of script, hilariously bad acting and of course poor quality of dub. But of course at the time Ocean dubs in the late 90's and early 2000's were like that. But as far as going for voice acting the best voices were Kirby Morrow as Van Fanel, Brian Drummond as Allen Schezar, Alex Doduk as Prince Chid, Scott McNeil Jajuka, Paul Dobson as Folken Fanel and Venus Terzo Princess Millerna Aston.
The only voices I did not like were Kelly Sheridan as Hitomi (Barbie as Hitmoi seriously), Jocelyn Loewen as Merle (too annoying), Andrew Francis as Dilandau Albatou (bad acting and his voice sounded like a pre-pubescent kid but i am glad his voice for young Vam made up for it) and Brian Drummond as Susumu Amano (just cause Allen and Amano look like each other that doesn't mean they should sound the same.
Everybody else did a good job in that dub.
For the Funimation dub the voice actors including Aaron Dismuke, Vic Mignogna, Caithlin Glass, Alexis Tipton, Joel McDonald, Sonny Strait, Colleen Clinkbeard, Eric Vale, Jad Saxton, Chuck Huber, Christopher Guerrero and Jeremy Schwartz all did an excellent job and I gradually prefer them over their Ocean counter parts.
The only voices I did not like was Bryn Apprill as Prince Chid and Maxey Whitehead as Kid Van as both Andrew Francise (who was 15) and Alex Dudok (who was an actual kid at the time) and alot of people say child actors are bad. But not here.
Also there is one thing I would like to point out, I have been hearing a few claim that Joel McDonold was not good as Dillandau because he is a genderbend. In my opinion Joel voiced the character in personality and acting. Sure the voice might sound weird if you watched the Ocean dub first but honestly, I watched the first half of the funimation dub first then I switch to the Ocean dub when I did that voices sounded very alien too me but I got used to them then went back to the funimation dub to pick up where I left. Back on topic Joel might not be perfect but at least he is better then his badly acted Ocean counterpart. Plus if a woman was casted as the character I would have likely cringed.
I am going to let you decide which dub you would want to watch that depends if you are going to watch it dubbed because I don't want to recommend you the wrong thing.
If you want a classic which has adventure, drama, violence, love and amecha I recomand this anime.