Fox Kids never finished their edited version of this series on television (cancelled due to low ratings), although I understand YTV in Canada did air all of the edited dub. As I remember, Fox Kids aired the edited dub (for a little while anyway) about the same time as Bandai began releasing the unedited English dub VHS and bilingual DVDs. I recall first seeing the show on tv then going to Suncoast every couple months to purchase the next dubbed VHS volume in the series as they became available. I eventually bought Bandai's DVD set. Btw, the subtitled VHS collection of Escaflowne was available starting in the late 90's through Anime Village (eventually absorbed by Bandai). Fox Kids did actually release their edited version on VHS, but stopped after I think four volumes after cancelling the show on tv. Thus, I'm not entirely sure you can find the whole edited version of the series unless you recorded it off YTV.
That is my story almost exactly, except I bought the subtitled VHS tapes at Suncoast. I bought the first tape of the Fox Kids version, but then I found out that it was butchered and missing the whole first episode. At least I got the free tarot card deck... had it in my drawer for years. It's really amazing how much footage from episode 1 they used in this OP, considering that they cut the entire episode from broadcast because it introduced a girl as the protagonist. The real travesty was how they edited in this technobeat in place of Kanno's ost during the show... fkn phillistines.
I heard it was canceled because It was too much for little kids to handle and too dark. The last esp I remember was when Hitomi had that "heart attack" and was brought back to life. I was so mad they ended it on such a cliff hanger! Internet wasn't around during that time and I had to wait yearsssss to find it on DVD finally lol
retronostalgio I remember being so pissed off when an episode of digimon came on instead. I remember it was that heart attack for Hitomi and it was left on the worst damn cliffhanger! At least I’ve seen the original years later. So it worked out. But damn this music brings back those memories and never wanting to miss the intro.
To be fair, the rest of the songs are in a very similar vein. Dance of Curse is just them saying "Escaflowne, Escaflowne is coming" in French or something.
@@bellgrand Well all that is really heard in Dance of Curse and Black Escaflowne is just plain Escaflowne but dividing the name in syllables like "Es, ca...Flow, ne!" rinse and repeat, then yes in some parts is something similarly to Latin, since it is Operatic...Maybe Sephiroth's music band has a side gig Lmaooo
Not to mention that Miroku from "Shonen Sunday’s InuYasha", was also one of his most-memorable voice roles, as well, right before he sadly died, days ago.
No joke, this was the very first anime I recall watching before I knew what it was called and before it was mainstream. I used to wake up every Saturday morning just to watch it.
@@smtsmt1223they didn’t know how violent it got they took out some in the first then realized by the end they’d have to basically take out everything and just stopped airing it
This is exactly as I remember it as a kid, beat for beat. Haven't heard since until this moment but always would randomly have it pop into my head for no reason at all and I'd go, "Wonder what ever happened to that weird little anime." I just traveled back in time so hard. The brain is an incredible thing.
I remember that same week, when the ads for "digimon coming up next" came on during the commercial break I remember thinking 'they must mean AFTER escaflowne. *sigh* fox kids always getting things wrong," and to my surprise....
I couldn’t wait to watch this when I was little. I remember specifically recording this opening on my Talkgirl FX Plus because I loved it so much. Years later, I’ve become an even bigger fan of the original, raw version.
Ha, wow, this made me remember how I used to record sooo many openings back then on my Talkboy (the one from Home Alone 2) -- this show included. I went through a ton of audio cassette tapes...
Ugh! To be able to go back to the days of an early teenager... I watched the real, uncut version of the show years later and it is totally different. However, I still have a spot for this opening, as it started my love affair with anime.
This is in the holy trinity of bizarre misaimed anime edits, alongside Kids WB trying to make Cardcaptor Sakura for boys and Toonami showing Outlaw Star after school.
My god. The memories are real. This was the show that got me into anime. This show airing Saturday mornings on Fox Kids! Too bad it didn't last long on there, but I did finally get to see the rest. I still haven't finished it. no one spoil it for me!
@Jungle Bunny ehhh, sort of. We can primarily thank Toonami and the growing abundance of internet forums and media sharing platforms for that honestly, as well as the growing number of homes with a computer that had an ethernet port and web access. Although even then, it was still considered pretty obscure and almost even a bit taboo in many circles. In 2000 I would have been 10 years old, so mostly watching Dragonball Z, Ronin Warriors (still one of my all time favorites), Outlaw Star, and it would have been right around the first time I ever saw Akira, which was my first foray into subbed anime. I also saw "Escaflowne: The Movie" or "Escaflowne 2000" as it's often referred to shortly after it released in the states. That said, I would argue that it wasn't until 2004 to 2005 or so that anime became an official "mainstream" entity in the west. By this point, the internet had become essentially universally accessible and "Otaku culture" had a much more abundant presence both online and within the 'Con circuits in Europe and North America. Many "closeted" anime lovers had begun coming out of the proverbial woodwork, and began wearing their love for anime openly on their sleeves, as it were. It's really quite fascinating so far as being its own sociocultural microcosm that operated "under the radar" for years until access to the relative media became much more simple and universal, and certain social sensibilities regarding some of the more risqué subject matter contained within anime and manga progressed to a more enlightened point of view. I highly recommend looking into it honestly.
@@puppymolly123 Oh don't worry, I was sure to watch the uncut and unedited versions for both the subbed and dubbed incarnations. Personally I prefer the regular English dub version of "The Vision of Escaflowne", but that's just me. I tell you what though, the plot REALLY starts to go off the fuckin' rails there towards the end... What with Dilandau being Alan's long lost sister and having undergone a forced gender reassignment procedure involving not just medical techniques, but various mystical aspects and manipulation of quantum physics and shit as well. Then there was the whole deal with Dornkirk manipulating events via his "Destiny Prognostication Engine" or whatever, and it was never really made clear if all of that was based in science, mysticism/sorcery, or both. Frankly, that whole aspect was made out to be pretty archaic and ultimately just came across as overly convoluted, which looking back really might have been the point all along lol. Honestly I didn't really care for the inclusion of that whole plot element, as it made everything seem pre-ordained and orchestrated and thus ultimately pointless and without meaning. I mean I get that this is part of the whole philosophical concept that is meant to be evoked here, but it seems EXTREMELY out of place in a fantasy/mecha/Isekai anime that is primarily aimed at a younger teenage demographic. Just my opinion really, for whatever it may be worth... I went back and watched the "Fox Kids Cut" of the first ten episodes here recently, just to see how much I remembered and how different it was from the original intended story. Let me just say too that finding that specific cut for those episodes was an impressive feat on its own... In any case, the entire feel of the plot was remarkably different and honestly failed to make much sense in a lot of areas. It seems in the effort to reduce the significance/presence of Hitomi in the plot, many key story and world building elements were also carved out or omitted resulting in a fairly bland and at times confusing/conflicting premise altogether. Man, they sure did not like her at all! Lol. They definitely just skipped over or excised a bunch of pretty crucial storytelling and character development points to lend focus essentially entirely to that sweet, sweet "badass mecha action!" haha. With a far more developed mind and discerning intellect on my side, coupled with a bit of experiential wisdom and the benefits of hindsight; I can certainly understand completely how my 10 to 11 year-old brain thought that this new anime series on Fox Kids was the greatest thing since DragonBall. The fact that it was so very 'different' in it's concept and animated using traditional hand-drawn techniques is why it stuck with me all these years and remains one of my all time favorite titles for not just its story and characters, but for the visual aspects as well. It's definitely one of the most visually stunning pieces of anime even by today's standards, and considering the fact that the entire series was produced on what some may refer to as a 'shoestring budget,' even within a frame of reference of the period it was made serves to only further endear the series to me beyond a point that would in many cases otherwise be attributed to the "rose-colored" filter created by nostalgia and the degree of faux fondness it may induce. As such, I can say without a doubt that the series in its TRUE form has all the capability to stand on its own. Truly a remarkable and memorable work ❤.
Same. However, it wasn't until High school that I was able to watch the entire series via original Japanese version. So when I heard the Japanese opening, my reaction was: "What the F***!? This isn't the Escaflowne I remember!"
They had no business making the opening theme song so damn good! They didn't have to go so hard but they did and now we all wish there was a longer version of it.
@@olivercharles2930 no, why? Are you implying that I said that we wish there was a full version of this song and you are saying that this video is the full version of this song? This is the only version of this song and I am saying that I wish we had a longer version of this song. I'm not sure what your angle is but please clarify.
@@DamienZshadow You say they had no business making this opening "so damn good", even though on some objective terms this the complete opposite of good. It is awful.
This is a series that deserves to be revamped, we need a Fantasy Theme Mecha series like Escaflowne as Mecha Anime has boomed to such great levels and there are only a few Fantasy Mecha series out there
Ten years old me waiting for Saturday to come so I can catch the next episode. So disappointed when it stopped airing. Those were the days when two months seems like an entire year.
I only watched thsi show one time as a child. And then i remember not being able to see it again. I finally figured out what anime this was. My only clues to go on was the shield and the mechs. FINALLY!!! Now i can finally watch thsi damn show... 13 years later.
Its funny as heck because I remember watching Escaflowne when I was 9 and then being sad when it went off the air, even moreso the memory of the anime faded except for the vision of Van and his wings and the part where Hitomi imagines Allen with wings. A few long years into my high school anime club someone brings in Escaflowne and I recognize the scene above. Though hearing the opening to this... Im surprised the name didn't stick to my head XD
As incredibly stupid it was for Fox to even THINK this was something suitable for a Saturday-morning line-up, I do have to give them some credit for actually hooking me in, and eventually checking out the original unedited version.
I was super into this show bakc in the day and for some reason, they only aired it at like 2-3:00 in the morning and I wasn't allowed to be up that late. Little did my mother know, my dad woke me up one time at 2am to watch an hour of this even though the episodes were not in order. I own the set now and it's still one of my favourites!
*The Escaflowne series (and movie) can now be purchased on Blu-ray from Funimation (it looks like they have a lot of the old Bandai-licensed anime now). Funimation did a Kickstarter back in 2016 to produce a new English dub and remaster to include on their Blu-rays, but I think it was only available in a limited edition collection. Yes, this series is from way back when you couldn't just use a streaming service or RUclips to watch your anime. You had to wait for (*gasp*) VHS/DVD releases or whenever a tv channel decided to air the episodes or..."alternative" download methods...on a slow internet connection. ;-D
I watched this version first and got hooked. Then when they stopped airing it, I went and found the uncut version. Still have it on DVD to this day and I will never get rid of it.
I bought each VHS tape of the original series as they came out years ago. Need to clean the tape head in mine and rewatch them. Loved the musical score as much as the anime.
I remember watching this back in high school. My buddy had broadband so we really got into downloading anime. This and Rurouni Kenshin were two of the first anime series I ever watched via download. I was stoked when this came to FOX as I would finally have other people get to watch it and talk to them about it but FOX cancelled it pretty early IIRC. Fortunately, I was able to show this to my buddy in college and we really started powering through a lot of series. For any of you NA residents who watched FOX Kids back in the day, do any of you recall watching Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog? I always mentioned that and Escaflowne when talking about late 90s FOX shows to see if I get glazed over looks. Good times.
I actually l prefer this to the Japanese opening. The Japanese opening is a good song, but it sounds like every other slow melodic anime opening. The Fox Kids opening sounds exciting and dramatic.
Japanese Exec-We hope your edit of VoE does not screw things over and respect our creation Fox Exec-Of course, here's the theme. -this theme plays- JE-Woah, that was awesome. You go ahead and edit as much as you want! "signs editing authorization contract" FE-Thank you. FE ten minutes later-Ha! That theme fooled them into signing over the editing rights! We can do whatever the hell we want with VoS no matter how much it will offend the anime fans for no real reason! Muhahaha!
This and UPN’s dubbed version of “Tekkaman Blade” (“Teknoman”) made weekends quite enjoyable. I just wish Escaflowne was added to the Toonami line-up over some of their choices.
My first "real" anime after pokemon and dbz, was so upset it got cancelled but then I stumbled upon a dubbed VHS boxset of "the VISION of Escaflowne" 2 years later in a miscellaneous asian store. Begged my mom to buy it and was so happy I could watch it again
Shorter than the Japanese intro, but a LOT more epic. Normally I prefer the Japanese version of an opening/intro scene, but in this case the US version was seriously the more awesome version, far better than the Japanese one.
I agree whole-heartedly! The US Opening, made me wanna watch the show more than the Japanese version. No offense to those who like the Japanese version BTW.
They aired the whole thing on Nickelodeon in the UK at least twice, I remember watching it both times as a kid. Missed a few episodes here and there but between the two showings I think I got every episode. I've got the Japanese and English dub dual release on Blu-ray now.
I remember the rumors that Fox Kids also tried to get Detective Conan (Case Closed). Their producers must look at pictures and not watch the anime itself when they choose what to air.
Memories! so its not just me thinking everything was better when i was young, we actually did used to show awesome animes in the uk 10 years ago! We just got crap on tv here now ¬_¬
i have a Mandela Effect with this show, i could swear it came out earlier than summer '00. i started middle school in July and i just dont remember my shedule allowing me time for this show (which i watched religiously) I can recall Pokemons and Digimons start as we all do, but Excaflowne i still maintain was earlier in time (along with Neds Newt). Then again with starting 6th grade, The Lakers starting their NBA title dominance, the new millenium and the Sydney olympics my realitty was all over the place.
When this series premiered I was tuned in to it for the moment it aired. Surprisingly I preferred this intro to the Japanese original because the song was not over the top as Dragon Ball Z was with their rock heavy scores. For Vision of Escaflowne this intro song was leveled and even fitted the feel of the series. Wish to see an HD version of it.
I remember asking people for years about this show no one knew the name thanks to the olden age on FB I was able to find it and start it again to finish it
I remember when this show got cancelled on Fox Kids. Not that I blame them. The amount of editing they had to do just to make it kid friendly really butchered it!
+Matthew Ingraham amen to that. YTV glory days ftw. I remember they had an event where they showed anime for a whole day...24 hours of anime episodes and movies
If I remember correctly (it's been a while) I think we got it unedited, but with the fox opening. I remember seeing the original japanese opening on youtube years later and being surprised.
Matthew Ingraham Yeah I heard somewhere recently that Canada got it unedited on YTV. I'm pretty sure we got the edited version too though sine I remember the guy being the MC and that was only in the edited version.
I remeber coming home eveyday early just to see this! I wont lie i teared u when i found out they were taking it off the air i loved this anime good memories of my childhood
I remember watching this show on TV,I was disapointed when it was taken away. I have watched the trailers on my Gundam Wing VHS Collection,but I didn't get anywhere after getting the first volume on VHS, but soon went for DVD,and gotten the series,and later the movie which was a retelling. I also watched the series as part of my tribute to the cast of Beast Wars.The series is also in memory of Kirby Morrow, the voice of Van, RIP.
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This and Macross were the first animes I had ever watched. I didn't see Pokémon as anime, only as a cartoon in my nine year old mind. I could have sworn that there was more chorus in the beginning.
I remember watching this on FoxKids!! 😳 They must've got a ton of complaints from parents because they only aired up to episode 14 in my area. I remember watching it and noticing that they didn't do a very good job editing out all of the blood. 💀👀 'Wow, are we really going to be able to watch this entire show although it's obviously quite bloody during FoxKids???' ...Guess not. 😂😂😂
I hate to say it (and I REALLY hope I'm not alone on this), but this is actually BETTER than the original theme song (please don't kill me). Edit: Also, I like how, at 0:41, you can see they slowly made Van become bigger.
+Ky, Ky Like It, Like It I like em' both. I was just completely UNAWARE of THIS opening. It KICKS ASS! I'd say if it aired the uncut version, put this opening on, then it'd get people HYPED to watch it.
Same here! This Opening grabbed my attention, and made me wanna watch the show a lot more! I eventually watched the entire series with my friend, thanks to her owning a DVD copy of it, but after hearing the original Japanese OP, my reaction was: What the F***!? This isn't the Epic feeling I had when I first watched it!?
Is anyone lead by a man named Bennett "Sage" White? Also, I actually find the show pretty cool. The only reason I'd watch it, it's because I was in a phase, where I was into Gundam.
This was my first introduction to Escaflowne as a preteen. I was so disappointed when it stoped airing. I later found out it was because of the little girl being turned into a boy. The crazy one from Ziabouch (not sure in the spelling) that had their face slashed by Van. I didn’t finish this series until the late 2000’s when I found the entire series at Best Buy while pregnant with my first born son….and got it. I love this series and I love anime in general.
I fail to see how spoilerrific rapid cuts and replacing the wonderfully dreamy, waltz-timed Japanese theme with third-rate 90s butt techno makes the opening *better*.
It's what you grow up on you dolt, this brings me back to the friday afternoons when i got home from school and this show came on so it's a nostalgia thing for me plus i thought the opening was really bad assed and still do
Al Fonz Not necessarily. I grew up on the Fox Kids version and even I'll say Maaya Sakamoto version is EXPONENTIALLY better, even after seeing it YEARS after originally seeing Escaflowne on Fox.
This took me a while even remembered the name of the show i had to literally go in the web to fine this show and had to start off with 90s cartoons to mecha anime and bam found it lol took me good min but hey worth it. It sucked most people wouldn’t remember this show but hopefully dey can bring it back one day
That was friggin' over 10 years ago! I was in the midst of my 16th year... and shows' intro like this were a weakness to me all the time especially in the non-surpassing dark days of winter - trying to focus on my studies (because I really had grades to churn out) but spending valuable hours to things like this...
super legends is the title of the dvd. like how funimation has "classics" "legends" "viridian" I wasn't sure what opening was on the super legends ver.
Fox Kids never finished their edited version of this series on television (cancelled due to low ratings), although I understand YTV in Canada did air all of the edited dub.
As I remember, Fox Kids aired the edited dub (for a little while anyway) about the same time as Bandai began releasing the unedited English dub VHS and bilingual DVDs. I recall first seeing the show on tv then going to Suncoast every couple months to purchase the next dubbed VHS volume in the series as they became available. I eventually bought Bandai's DVD set. Btw, the subtitled VHS collection of Escaflowne was available starting in the late 90's through Anime Village (eventually absorbed by Bandai).
Fox Kids did actually release their edited version on VHS, but stopped after I think four volumes after cancelling the show on tv. Thus, I'm not entirely sure you can find the whole edited version of the series unless you recorded it off YTV.
That is my story almost exactly, except I bought the subtitled VHS tapes at Suncoast. I bought the first tape of the Fox Kids version, but then I found out that it was butchered and missing the whole first episode. At least I got the free tarot card deck... had it in my drawer for years.
It's really amazing how much footage from episode 1 they used in this OP, considering that they cut the entire episode from broadcast because it introduced a girl as the protagonist. The real travesty was how they edited in this technobeat in place of Kanno's ost during the show... fkn phillistines.
I know.
I heard it was canceled because It was too much for little kids to handle and too dark. The last esp I remember was when Hitomi had that "heart attack" and was brought back to life.
I was so mad they ended it on such a cliff hanger! Internet wasn't around during that time and I had to wait yearsssss to find it on DVD finally lol
yeah they kept it on YTV in canada, I stayed up just to watch it. Mind constantly blown. Loved it.
retronostalgio I remember being so pissed off when an episode of digimon came on instead. I remember it was that heart attack for Hitomi and it was left on the worst damn cliffhanger! At least I’ve seen the original years later. So it worked out. But damn this music brings back those memories and never wanting to miss the intro.
Wow, they must have been up all night thinking up the lyrics to this.
To be fair, the rest of the songs are in a very similar vein. Dance of Curse is just them saying "Escaflowne, Escaflowne is coming" in French or something.
@@bellgrand Well all that is really heard in Dance of Curse and Black Escaflowne is just plain Escaflowne but dividing the name in syllables like "Es, ca...Flow, ne!" rinse and repeat, then yes in some parts is something similarly to Latin, since it is Operatic...Maybe Sephiroth's music band has a side gig Lmaooo
almost as long as they spent on the digimon song
@@deadmanslastwish At least that had more than one word.
😂
RIP Kirby Morrow, Van's dub VA
Its insane and sad I didn't know this was one of his most memorable roles
Not to mention that Miroku from "Shonen Sunday’s InuYasha", was also one of his most-memorable voice roles, as well, right before he sadly died, days ago.
RIP Trowa Barton.
Van was THE role I knew him for before he voiced Miroku in Inuyasha. He was so talented, & we all miss him. May he rest in peace.
No joke, this was the very first anime I recall watching before I knew what it was called and before it was mainstream. I used to wake up every Saturday morning just to watch it.
Same!!! And then it just disappeared from Fox. I don’t know why
Same on fox kids
Same! This is my gateway anime lol
@@smtsmt1223they didn’t know how violent it got they took out some in the first then realized by the end they’d have to basically take out everything and just stopped airing it
Same.
I wound up going to Japan for a year during college, and this is the show that started it all.
This is exactly as I remember it as a kid, beat for beat. Haven't heard since until this moment but always would randomly have it pop into my head for no reason at all and I'd go, "Wonder what ever happened to that weird little anime." I just traveled back in time so hard. The brain is an incredible thing.
Did you ever get to watch the whole thing?
This is literally my same exact story and experience lol have not heard this theme song till today
Same. Lol
I remember being so upset if I missed that opening music. I also remember when it was canceled an episode of Digimon came on instead! I was pissed!
Oh yeah me to. I was FURIOUS
I remember that same week, when the ads for "digimon coming up next" came on during the commercial break I remember thinking 'they must mean AFTER escaflowne. *sigh* fox kids always getting things wrong," and to my surprise....
Why was this also my experience?!
I couldn’t wait to watch this when I was little. I remember specifically recording this opening on my Talkgirl FX Plus because I loved it so much. Years later, I’ve become an even bigger fan of the original, raw version.
Ha, wow, this made me remember how I used to record sooo many openings back then on my Talkboy (the one from Home Alone 2) -- this show included. I went through a ton of audio cassette tapes...
Haha I remember recording the intro and burning it on vhs and I’d replay the intro over and over! Good times lol
Ugh! To be able to go back to the days of an early teenager... I watched the real, uncut version of the show years later and it is totally different. However, I still have a spot for this opening, as it started my love affair with anime.
Same. Although for me, it was InuYasha that got me hooked on Anime. More specifically: the Sit Commands from Kagome. LMAO!
Haim Saban should've called FOX a bunch of machuganas (which they were) for acquiring the broadcast rights in the first place.
OMG!!!!!!! Memories..it hurts seeing this..this was my childhood and this was REAL ANIME...RIP..ONE OF the greatest of all time.
This is in the holy trinity of bizarre misaimed anime edits, alongside Kids WB trying to make Cardcaptor Sakura for boys and Toonami showing Outlaw Star after school.
Or 4kids trying to turn one piece into a kids anime.
@@dwainsimmons3447 One Piece is a kids anime. It airs in a kids timeslot in Japan.
I remember watching this intro and show with my Dad every Saturday morning.
My god. The memories are real. This was the show that got me into anime. This show airing Saturday mornings on Fox Kids! Too bad it didn't last long on there, but I did finally get to see the rest. I still haven't finished it. no one spoil it for me!
I haven't watched it yet but you should probably watch the uncut version instead. From what I've hear that version is much better
+puppymolly123 I've sine watched both. I like both equally. Still my favorite anime.
@Jungle Bunny ehhh, sort of. We can primarily thank Toonami and the growing abundance of internet forums and media sharing platforms for that honestly, as well as the growing number of homes with a computer that had an ethernet port and web access. Although even then, it was still considered pretty obscure and almost even a bit taboo in many circles. In 2000 I would have been 10 years old, so mostly watching Dragonball Z, Ronin Warriors (still one of my all time favorites), Outlaw Star, and it would have been right around the first time I ever saw Akira, which was my first foray into subbed anime. I also saw "Escaflowne: The Movie" or "Escaflowne 2000" as it's often referred to shortly after it released in the states.
That said, I would argue that it wasn't until 2004 to 2005 or so that anime became an official "mainstream" entity in the west. By this point, the internet had become essentially universally accessible and "Otaku culture" had a much more abundant presence both online and within the 'Con circuits in Europe and North America. Many "closeted" anime lovers had begun coming out of the proverbial woodwork, and began wearing their love for anime openly on their sleeves, as it were. It's really quite fascinating so far as being its own sociocultural microcosm that operated "under the radar" for years until access to the relative media became much more simple and universal, and certain social sensibilities regarding some of the more risqué subject matter contained within anime and manga progressed to a more enlightened point of view. I highly recommend looking into it honestly.
@@puppymolly123 Oh don't worry, I was sure to watch the uncut and unedited versions for both the subbed and dubbed incarnations. Personally I prefer the regular English dub version of "The Vision of Escaflowne", but that's just me. I tell you what though, the plot REALLY starts to go off the fuckin' rails there towards the end... What with Dilandau being Alan's long lost sister and having undergone a forced gender reassignment procedure involving not just medical techniques, but various mystical aspects and manipulation of quantum physics and shit as well. Then there was the whole deal with Dornkirk manipulating events via his "Destiny Prognostication Engine" or whatever, and it was never really made clear if all of that was based in science, mysticism/sorcery, or both. Frankly, that whole aspect was made out to be pretty archaic and ultimately just came across as overly convoluted, which looking back really might have been the point all along lol. Honestly I didn't really care for the inclusion of that whole plot element, as it made everything seem pre-ordained and orchestrated and thus ultimately pointless and without meaning. I mean I get that this is part of the whole philosophical concept that is meant to be evoked here, but it seems EXTREMELY out of place in a fantasy/mecha/Isekai anime that is primarily aimed at a younger teenage demographic. Just my opinion really, for whatever it may be worth...
I went back and watched the "Fox Kids Cut" of the first ten episodes here recently, just to see how much I remembered and how different it was from the original intended story. Let me just say too that finding that specific cut for those episodes was an impressive feat on its own... In any case, the entire feel of the plot was remarkably different and honestly failed to make much sense in a lot of areas. It seems in the effort to reduce the significance/presence of Hitomi in the plot, many key story and world building elements were also carved out or omitted resulting in a fairly bland and at times confusing/conflicting premise altogether. Man, they sure did not like her at all! Lol. They definitely just skipped over or excised a bunch of pretty crucial storytelling and character development points to lend focus essentially entirely to that sweet, sweet "badass mecha action!" haha. With a far more developed mind and discerning intellect on my side, coupled with a bit of experiential wisdom and the benefits of hindsight; I can certainly understand completely how my 10 to 11 year-old brain thought that this new anime series on Fox Kids was the greatest thing since DragonBall. The fact that it was so very 'different' in it's concept and animated using traditional hand-drawn techniques is why it stuck with me all these years and remains one of my all time favorite titles for not just its story and characters, but for the visual aspects as well. It's definitely one of the most visually stunning pieces of anime even by today's standards, and considering the fact that the entire series was produced on what some may refer to as a 'shoestring budget,' even within a frame of reference of the period it was made serves to only further endear the series to me beyond a point that would in many cases otherwise be attributed to the "rose-colored" filter created by nostalgia and the degree of faux fondness it may induce. As such, I can say without a doubt that the series in its TRUE form has all the capability to stand on its own. Truly a remarkable and memorable work ❤.
This was unedited and fully released on YTV in canada. I remember watching it aroundddd 2000-2001? this theme song always got me so hyped.
This show had top tier animation for back in the day
This is still top tier quality, IMO
A lot of 90s anime had some really great consistent animation. But I'm sure we all know why that isn't common in anime anymore
My opinion this story is about the laws of destiny, how even your very emotions can change the world around you.
Not gonna lie, I kinda love this.
Same. However, it wasn't until High school that I was able to watch the entire series via original Japanese version.
So when I heard the Japanese opening, my reaction was: "What the F***!? This isn't the Escaflowne I remember!"
I do too, it's simple but epic
it's like a Xena opening haha
This brought back some memories
They had no business making the opening theme song so damn good! They didn't have to go so hard but they did and now we all wish there was a longer version of it.
My sentiments exactly! 😆🥹
are you deaf`?
@@olivercharles2930 no, why? Are you implying that I said that we wish there was a full version of this song and you are saying that this video is the full version of this song? This is the only version of this song and I am saying that I wish we had a longer version of this song. I'm not sure what your angle is but please clarify.
@@DamienZshadow You say they had no business making this opening "so damn good", even though on some objective terms this the complete opposite of good. It is awful.
@@olivercharles2930 Oh I see, you just don't like what I like. Lol now it suddenly makes sense. Well buddy, agree to disagree I suppose.
It's a shame Fox canceled the show after only a few episodes. I really wanted to know if Hitomi ever made it back to Earth.
It's 2024. a part of my brain trigger a small music in the back of my head and recall this song. wow..this still give me chill
I remember watching this every Friday and Saturday!
This theme always reminded me of the moment Mufasa tells Simba, "Remember who you are..."
lol
I remember watching back on Fox Kids which lasted 9 episodes until it moved to YTV due to low ratings. I miss Fox Kids and the good old YTV.
Jokes aside, this is probably one of the first animes I ever watched as a kid
I don’t know if it’s a Berenstain Bears situation, but I could have sworn that there was a different opening credits song.
This is a series that deserves to be revamped, we need a Fantasy Theme Mecha series like Escaflowne as Mecha Anime has boomed to such great levels and there are only a few Fantasy Mecha series out there
It's already had a stand alone movie retelling. That's all it needs. The last thing we need is another Evangelion.
You did not just compare Esca to Eva.
Have you ever played a video game for the PS3 called White Knight Chronicles? That might scratch your itch.
What’s a good one you could recommend?
Every now and then I come back and watch this. Not because I'm nostalgic for this version, rather I'm making sure I didn't make this up in my head.
Ten years old me waiting for Saturday to come so I can catch the next episode. So disappointed when it stopped airing. Those were the days when two months seems like an entire year.
Fox is legendary. Goated for the rest of time. Fox impacted the lives of millions
Memories thank you so much
Growing up sux
I know how you feel bro, stay strong 💪🏾
I only watched thsi show one time as a child. And then i remember not being able to see it again. I finally figured out what anime this was. My only clues to go on was the shield and the mechs. FINALLY!!! Now i can finally watch thsi damn show... 13 years later.
Wtf I'm a 90's kid how did I miss this gem!? :o
Its funny as heck because I remember watching Escaflowne when I was 9 and then being sad when it went off the air, even moreso the memory of the anime faded except for the vision of Van and his wings and the part where Hitomi imagines Allen with wings. A few long years into my high school anime club someone brings in Escaflowne and I recognize the scene above. Though hearing the opening to this... Im surprised the name didn't stick to my head XD
The vocals are amazing. No lie.
As incredibly stupid it was for Fox to even THINK this was something suitable for a Saturday-morning line-up, I do have to give them some credit for actually hooking me in, and eventually checking out the original unedited version.
I'm sure Haim Saban thought they were a bunch of idiots.
I never got into this series back when I was a kid.
I was super into this show bakc in the day and for some reason, they only aired it at like 2-3:00 in the morning and I wasn't allowed to be up that late. Little did my mother know, my dad woke me up one time at 2am to watch an hour of this even though the episodes were not in order. I own the set now and it's still one of my favourites!
*The Escaflowne series (and movie) can now be purchased on Blu-ray from Funimation (it looks like they have a lot of the old Bandai-licensed anime now). Funimation did a Kickstarter back in 2016 to produce a new English dub and remaster to include on their Blu-rays, but I think it was only available in a limited edition collection.
Yes, this series is from way back when you couldn't just use a streaming service or RUclips to watch your anime. You had to wait for (*gasp*) VHS/DVD releases or whenever a tv channel decided to air the episodes or..."alternative" download methods...on a slow internet connection. ;-D
Some of your videos have been blocked. You may want to do something about that.
I watched this version first and got hooked. Then when they stopped airing it, I went and found the uncut version. Still have it on DVD to this day and I will never get rid of it.
I bought each VHS tape of the original series as they came out years ago. Need to clean the tape head in mine and rewatch them. Loved the musical score as much as the anime.
I remember watching this back in high school. My buddy had broadband so we really got into downloading anime. This and Rurouni Kenshin were two of the first anime series I ever watched via download. I was stoked when this came to FOX as I would finally have other people get to watch it and talk to them about it but FOX cancelled it pretty early IIRC. Fortunately, I was able to show this to my buddy in college and we really started powering through a lot of series.
For any of you NA residents who watched FOX Kids back in the day, do any of you recall watching Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog? I always mentioned that and Escaflowne when talking about late 90s FOX shows to see if I get glazed over looks. Good times.
I actually l prefer this to the Japanese opening. The Japanese opening is a good song, but it sounds like every other slow melodic anime opening. The Fox Kids opening sounds exciting and dramatic.
Japanese Exec-We hope your edit of VoE does not screw things over and respect our creation
Fox Exec-Of course, here's the theme.
-this theme plays-
JE-Woah, that was awesome. You go ahead and edit as much as you want! "signs editing authorization contract"
FE-Thank you.
FE ten minutes later-Ha! That theme fooled them into signing over the editing rights! We can do whatever the hell we want with VoS no matter how much it will offend the anime fans for no real reason! Muhahaha!
This and UPN’s dubbed version of “Tekkaman Blade” (“Teknoman”) made weekends quite enjoyable.
I just wish Escaflowne was added to the Toonami line-up over some of their choices.
My first "real" anime after pokemon and dbz, was so upset it got cancelled but then I stumbled upon a dubbed VHS boxset of "the VISION of Escaflowne" 2 years later in a miscellaneous asian store. Begged my mom to buy it and was so happy I could watch it again
Such a shame there will be never be a version of this song over 46 seconds.
Ty for uploading this
ahh memories
Shorter than the Japanese intro, but a LOT more epic. Normally I prefer the Japanese version of an opening/intro scene, but in this case the US version was seriously the more awesome version, far better than the Japanese one.
+BankaiIchigo12345 Thank God, I'm NOT alone on this.
#FakeNews
I agree whole-heartedly! The US Opening, made me wanna watch the show more than the Japanese version. No offense to those who like the Japanese version BTW.
They aired the whole thing on Nickelodeon in the UK at least twice, I remember watching it both times as a kid. Missed a few episodes here and there but between the two showings I think I got every episode. I've got the Japanese and English dub dual release on Blu-ray now.
This was my 1st real anime. Pokémon and yugioh aside
i have been looking for this for years it is good to see it agen
I remember the rumors that Fox Kids also tried to get Detective Conan (Case Closed). Their producers must look at pictures and not watch the anime itself when they choose what to air.
Memories! so its not just me thinking everything was better when i was young, we actually did used to show awesome animes in the uk 10 years ago! We just got crap on tv here now ¬_¬
i have a Mandela Effect with this show, i could swear it came out earlier than summer '00. i started middle school in July and i just dont remember my shedule allowing me time for this show (which i watched religiously) I can recall Pokemons and Digimons start as we all do, but Excaflowne i still maintain was earlier in time (along with Neds Newt). Then again with starting 6th grade, The Lakers starting their NBA title dominance, the new millenium and the Sydney olympics my realitty was all over the place.
When this series premiered I was tuned in to it for the moment it aired. Surprisingly I preferred this intro to the Japanese original because the song was not over the top as Dragon Ball Z was with their rock heavy scores. For Vision of Escaflowne this intro song was leveled and even fitted the feel of the series. Wish to see an HD version of it.
I remember being so excited on Fridays after school in kindergarten to get home and watch this
I remember asking people for years about this show no one knew the name thanks to the olden age on FB I was able to find it and start it again to finish it
I remember when this show got cancelled on Fox Kids. Not that I blame them. The amount of editing they had to do just to make it kid friendly really butchered it!
Best part is that Canada got all of it dubbed and unedited... God bless YTV...
+Matthew Ingraham amen to that. YTV glory days ftw.
I remember they had an event where they showed anime for a whole day...24 hours of anime episodes and movies
Matthew Ingraham pretty sure we got this version too, as I remember this OP quite well (yet I don't remember the show at all funny enough).
If I remember correctly (it's been a while) I think we got it unedited, but with the fox opening. I remember seeing the original japanese opening on youtube years later and being surprised.
Matthew Ingraham Yeah I heard somewhere recently that Canada got it unedited on YTV. I'm pretty sure we got the edited version too though sine I remember the guy being the MC and that was only in the edited version.
I've been trying to remember the name of this show for 24 years
I remeber coming home eveyday early just to see this! I wont lie i teared u when i found out they were taking it off the air i loved this anime good memories of my childhood
Also hands down one of the best dub intros..
I didn't even know this came on TV. I didn't see it until it was put OnDemand and they used the japanese opening, which I absolutely loved:)
Same with me.
This is essentially a completely different version. Edited all to hell for kids and they made the guy into the main character instead of the girl.
It was Sunrise , the comapany in japan whos best known for Mobile suit Gundam series made this anime and adaptation by same name
i fucking love this so much
I remember watching this show on TV,I was disapointed when it was taken away. I have watched the trailers on my Gundam Wing VHS Collection,but I didn't get anywhere after getting the first volume on VHS, but soon went for DVD,and gotten the series,and later the movie which was a retelling. I also watched the series as part of my tribute to the cast of Beast Wars.The series is also in memory of Kirby Morrow, the voice of Van, RIP.
could someone make an extended version of this please? This shit a bop
Takes me back to the good old days of daytime television
What if NG Knight Ramune & 40 series and Fire along with EX & DX
had a Fox Kids English dub fan made intro like this.
The instrumental is actually pretty good, the lyrics on the other hand...not so much.
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This and Macross were the first animes I had ever watched. I didn't see Pokémon as anime, only as a cartoon in my nine year old mind. I could have sworn that there was more chorus in the beginning.
I missed this
I remember watching this on FoxKids right after Beast Mechines Transformers I need to find the full series DVD
I remember watching this on FoxKids!! 😳
They must've got a ton of complaints from parents because they only aired up to episode 14 in my area. I remember watching it and noticing that they didn't do a very good job editing out all of the blood. 💀👀 'Wow, are we really going to be able to watch this entire show although it's obviously quite bloody during FoxKids???' ...Guess not. 😂😂😂
I hate to say it (and I REALLY hope I'm not alone on this), but this is actually BETTER than the original theme song (please don't kill me).
Edit: Also, I like how, at 0:41, you can see they slowly made Van become bigger.
+Ky, Ky Like It, Like It I like em' both. I was just completely UNAWARE of THIS opening. It KICKS ASS! I'd say if it aired the uncut version, put this opening on, then it'd get people HYPED to watch it.
+Ky, Ky Like It, Like It
The song that plays during the credits in the original is awesome
I like this one better too. A. because its my childhood and B. I like the beat and its catchy.
Same here! This Opening grabbed my attention, and made me wanna watch the show a lot more!
I eventually watched the entire series with my friend, thanks to her owning a DVD copy of it, but after hearing the original Japanese OP, my reaction was: What the F***!? This isn't the Epic feeling I had when I first watched it!?
Heck, I like this! XD
I knew I wasn’t crazy! 5 year old me waking up to a guy piloting a mech knight!!!!!
Is anyone lead by a man named Bennett "Sage" White?
Also, I actually find the show pretty cool. The only reason I'd watch it, it's because I was in a phase, where I was into Gundam.
I was so obsessed with this show :(
Love the opening
why does the one split show Merle and Dilandau..... wtf.
Sunday nights on Fox Kids, mum would let us stay up to watch then straight to bed 😂
You know, while the tune remains the same, I remember a bigger chorus in this opening.
One of the favourite anime series👌
Fox replaced the beautiful original opening for this... thing?!
This was my first introduction to Escaflowne as a preteen. I was so disappointed when it stoped airing. I later found out it was because of the little girl being turned into a boy. The crazy one from Ziabouch (not sure in the spelling) that had their face slashed by Van. I didn’t finish this series until the late 2000’s when I found the entire series at Best Buy while pregnant with my first born son….and got it. I love this series and I love anime in general.
Good thing I didn't know this anime as a kid back in the 2000s
Not gonna lie. This opening actually made me wanna watch the show, back when it aired on Fox Kids and YTV!
The nostalgia! I can feel it bearing down on me.
I remember watching like 5 episodes then it was gone wtf
Gud god i remember this being in the tv one of the few anime the uk got besides berserk on toonami and dbz one piece and cowboy bebop
I have been trying to find this version forever. It's corny af, but man I love it so much. The nostalgia is real
I fail to see how spoilerrific rapid cuts and replacing the wonderfully dreamy, waltz-timed Japanese theme with third-rate 90s butt techno makes the opening *better*.
It's what you grow up on you dolt, this brings me back to the friday afternoons when i got home from school and this show came on so it's a nostalgia thing for me plus i thought the opening was really bad assed and still do
Al Fonz Not necessarily. I grew up on the Fox Kids version and even I'll say Maaya Sakamoto version is EXPONENTIALLY better, even after seeing it YEARS after originally seeing Escaflowne on Fox.
Everyone knows techno is better than stuffy old waltz music.
This took me a while even remembered the name of the show i had to literally go in the web to fine this show and had to start off with 90s cartoons to mecha anime and bam found it lol took me good min but hey worth it. It sucked most people wouldn’t remember this show but hopefully dey can bring it back one day
Escaflowneee~ ESCAFLOWNEEEE!!!
That was friggin' over 10 years ago! I was in the midst of my 16th year... and shows' intro like this were a weakness to me all the time especially in the non-surpassing dark days of winter - trying to focus on my studies (because I really had grades to churn out) but spending valuable hours to things like this...
A anime/japanimation that introduced cat girl lesbians to north american children.
I love that music it takes me back just thinking about it.all day everyday not a single day pass me by escaflowne just thinking about it
super legends is the title of the dvd. like how funimation has "classics" "legends" "viridian" I wasn't sure what opening was on the super legends ver.