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VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE #2 - - Watch & Learn
If anybody gets around to reviving this brand (if only just to sell
a new collection), they’d probably get a lot of mileage out of presenting
ESCAFLOWNE as ‘the steampunk mecha.’ I
find it pretty amusing how the genre, as its labeled, has actually been around
since the 80’s, yet so few of the current crop of fans seem to have much
interest in seeking out older entries in the canon.
I mean, look at this - - it’s steampunk.
I guess the same sentiment applies to ESCALFLOWNE, on its own, as being
a criminally overlooked gem. Were I to hazard a guess, I’d say it’s perhaps
just a victim of getting straddled with an atrocious dub during the brief window of
opportunity it had to grab American TV audiences in the late 90’s/early 2000’s.
There’s no reason why, say, OUTLAW STAR should hold more enduring awareness for
American fans today - - other than the fact that it simply got to air on
Toonami during its prime.
Now, what about the episode itself? Again, I’ll praise the virtues of show not
wasting any time in getting to throat-grabbing conflict. No sooner has Van returned
to his home, and accepted his coronation, than we see him become a king without
a crown in a realm razed by horrific enemy forces. There’s no question of why I
need to come back next episode - - I have a physical compulsion to
see what will happen to our heroes next.
Also, I figure there’s got to be a subtle science to the way Merle’s
been crafted as a character. On paper, the prospect of a lovesick cat girl
incessantly who dotes on our hot-blooded prince sounds like something that'd get real irritating, real fast. However, in practice, some combination of voice acting and
body language makes her immediately likable, almost in spite of herself.
I suppose the lack of eye-roll inducing T&A (as we expect with
every other cat girl) might have also have a lot to do with why her presence isn’t
annoying.
Look up this
episode, "The Girl from the Mystic Moon" and decide for yourself,
then read my thoughts on the previous episode here.
About the Author
 | Tom Pinchuk’s a writer and personality with a large number of comics, videos and features like this to his credit. Visit his website - - tompinchuk.com - - and follow his Twitter: @tompinchuk |
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