Escaflowne: Betrayal & Trust - Volume 2

Arrived in great condition and is ust a wonderful throwback to my childhood. I missed this show and for a long time didn't remember its name from its short run on For Kids. So glad that I can watch the whole series whenever I want. The characters are cute and the tension is always there. A fast paced story with lots of action that is almost always going on. I just love this series!

A schoolgirl called Hitomi gets transported into another world, where the Earth and moon both hang in the sky. Hitomi soon finds out that the Earth is called "The Mystic Moon" on Gaea. She meets Van, who is a prince, and Merle, a half-cat/half human person. Hitomi, Van, and Merle try to unravel the legendary power of Atlantis. A great anime series!

Van is captured by the Zaiback Empire. Allen, Hitomi, and the rest of the gang make a rescue attempt. When they arrive, they manage to set Van free. On the way out, they encounter Van's brother. This raises questions about Van's past and future. The group retreats to the country of Astoria, where Allen is reunited with the infatuated Princess Milerna. Her relationship and honesty about her feelings for Allen make Hitomi jealous. Her heart is confused, she is torn between her budding feelings for Allen and her old crush back home.This volume gets a little better than the 1st. The characters gain more depth, and the story gets more complicated. There is also much more action. I think that there is something here for every anime fan to love. I am watching it again after almost 10 years. I have become spoiled by the super amazing animation we have seen in the past several years, so it's taking time to get used to this again. The story is still great though. I think every anime fan should give this series a chance.

With the first four episodes of "Escaflowne", "Dragons and Destiny" captured our imaginations and prepared us for what could possibly be a monumental anime series. The second DVD, "Betrayal and Trust", expands upon the first DVD in every way and yet still hints that there is much more to be explored along the way.By now, Hitomi is pretty much a part of the turmoil going on in Gaea, whether she likes it or not. On the run with Allen and Van from the sinister Dilandau, her mysterious powers begin to grow and play a much larger role than with her simple Tarot card readings. And while Van has to contend with the fact that his long-lost brother Folken has betrayed his country, Hitomi tries to deal with her possible love of Allen, who already appears to have a lover in the form of Princess Millerna. And all the while, Dilandau schemes and acts rashly in his unstable and almost insane mood.Like the previous four episodes, the next four episodes play out at a very reasonable pace. Things slow down enough for back story and characterization to take place, but the plot moves along somewhat faster than most other anime series. Thankfully, the overall effect is a finely balanced series that doesn't sacrifice one thing for the other. And considering there are still 18 episodes left in the series, one can only guess what extraordinary and imaginative ideas this series can come up with next.Visually, "Escaflowne" is one of the better looking series on the market today. While colors may not be as sharp as many of the series that are coming out these days, the series still manages to hold up on its own with its unique art direction and wonderful character designs. And when the series wants to look good, it can look good. Definately something anime fans demanding quality eye-candy can enjoy.Audio-wise, you know you can almost always expect greatness when Yoko Kanno does the soundtrack. With her eclectic and mastereful genius, she has crafted music that is a league of its own. From orchestral to choral and back again, she truly knows how to make a great anime series even greater.As for the English dub (provided by the Oceans Group of "Gundam Wing" fame), this set of episodes reveals where the dub actually starts to get good. While the dubbing of the first set of episodes wasn't terrible, the voice actors failed to completely develop their characters and thus sounded stale at times. With "Betrayal and Trust", they finally manage to get into their roles, and by episode eight they sound emotional and vibrant. Sub fans may argue about certain choices of VAs for some characters, but dub fans and sub fans with an open mind should find the "Escaflowne" dub acceptable.As for extras, the second DVD has a set of interviews of the four main Japanese voice actors. Any fan of "Escaflowne" would be insane to pass this up, but be forewarned. These interviews contain many spoilers (the DVD even gives a clear warning of this) so it would be best for newcomers especially to watch the entire series before even looking at this.Overall, "Betrayal and Trust" in an excellent continuation of the first four series. The story is progressing nicely, characters are developing marvelously, and the dub is starting to sound more enthusiastic. Die-hard anime fans would be insane to pass up this epic, and even casual anime fans need to look into this show at least once. There is a reason, after all, why many people call this the "Saving Private Ryan" of anime.

Let me just start by saying that Escaflowne (Visions of Escaflowne) is not your typical anime TV series. If you have not yet seen the original uncut version and are only watching the FOX version, you are really missing out. This series has drama, incredible action sequences, and the music that will pull you completely into the story. Oh yes, and the animation is better than most other TV series, especially during the mecha battle sequences. The characters are extremely interesting, and they seem to display emotion and react as real people would in their various situations. This series is also very deep and sometimes may seem a little confusing to you. The plot has many secrets and surprises in store for you. However, trust me, no matter how confusing the series may get, everything will come together in the end. This is the second DVD release for Escaflowne which will continue the excellent story, and I can't wait to get my hands on it. This is the original uncut version with all of the video and music in its right place. And it's on DVD, which means that it will last you a lifetime, and you will get to see the crisp animation as it is meant to be seen with sharpness that only DVD can display. If there has ever been a reason to buy a DVD player, this series is it. I would reccommend Escaflowne to any anime fan, and especially fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gundam Wing, or other mecha series. I think that fans of those series will love the medievel spin put on the mecha in the Escaflowne series. So, do yourselves a favor and make sure that you have some money reserved for this DVD when it is released.