The Vision of Escaflowne dates back to 1996, when animators understood the concept “nose.” Crunchyroll recently added it to their library. It’s allegedly a classic, but three episodes in, I’m not convinced. It seems to be an attempt to combine as many genres as possible. It’s partly shoujo, partly shounen, partly mecha, partly science-fiction, partly fantasy, partly romance, partly war story, partly whatever. Aside from the noses, the show is noteworthy mainly for the soundtrack, composed by Yoko Kanno and her then-husband, Hajime Mizoguchi.1 I may watch more, or I may not.
*****
From Laid-Back Camp, universal languages
and strange sights.
*****
Designing and sewing costumes can be fun, but it’s a lot of work. Possibly the most unbelievable aspect of Cardcaptor Sakura is the closetful of outfits that Tomoyo has made for Sakura. If Tomoyo made them all by herself with her treadle sewing machine, her power as a seamstress exceeds that of Sakura as a card-wielder.
Notes
- Some samples of the music: “Dance of Curse,” “Cat’s Delicacy,” and from the Escaflowne movie, “Sora.”