By Alison L. Roberts

Escaflowne (above) is a legendary "Dragon Armor" with unparalleled power.

In the world of Japanese animation, it is not unusual for a television series to receive a big-screen treatment. What is unusual? For that movie to debut nearly four years after the initial series takes its final network bow.

Let's take this one step further. Although it was successful, spawning two manga interpretations, radio dramas and the requisite merchandise so coveted by fans, The Vision of Escaflowne (Tenkuu no Escaflowne) was not automatically considered to be a "hot" property for a movie adaptation.

According to Jerry Chu, a producer and marketing guru for Bandai Entertainment's American operation, the decision — and the green light — to make Escaflowne, the movie, was a surprise, even to the creative staff who had labored on the television production. "It was funny," he says. "The creative staff — no one — expected a movie to be made on the series. It threw everyone off."

But when the series, created by legendary animator Shoji Kawamori (Superdimensional Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?, Macross Plus), gained international acclaim, and all of its original collaborators agreed to revisit the fantasy world of Gaia, what was initially improbable became inevitable... with a twist.

The fates of Hitomi (left) and Van (right) are inextricably linked.

Many of the alterations are the result of condensing a 26-episode series into a coherent, 102-minute movie, says Chu."A lot of it has been changed for the sake of retelling the same type of story to the people who haven't seen the television series," Chu continues. "Yet the people who have [seen the series] can appreciate it for what it is as well."

Judging from fan reactions at North American festival and convention screenings, there is a lot to appreciate.

Escaflowne is still a story of miracles and magic, where a world's existence depends on a young woman's ability to believe in herself and act upon that belief. But where the original animation includes various subplots, the movie is more tightly-focused on its heroine, Hitomi, and the young warrior-king, Van.

Unlike the chipper athlete of the television series, the film's Hitomi is more melancholy, whisked into the middle of a war-torn Gaia when she is at her lowest point and wishing she could "just disappear." She does . . . only to find herself in the middle of a desperate battle, between outnumbered rebels and the ruling Black Dragon clan, for the power possessed by the legendary, dragon armor known as Escaflowne. In the midst of harrowing, exciting battle sequences and inner turmoil, Hitomi must decide whether she stands for good or evil and face the realization that — this time — her decisions make a life-or-death difference in the fate of a world.

Van, with Hitomi in tow, pilots Escaflowne.

With Escaflowne's theatrical release, starting in selected cities on January 25, 2002, Bandai is making a bold statement: in addition to attracting fans who have been exposed to the franchise via television and home video, they are attempting to draw general audiences, who have varying levels of awareness about anime.

To this end, the film's 35 mm prints will be screened with an English-language dub — with members of the North American television cast reprising their respective roles — in Dolby Digital 5.1. They also plan to forgo the traditional art house circuit in favor of placing Escaflowne in hand-picked, but highly-visible, entertainment complexes during the its national roll-out beginning in February 2002.

"We want to open up the film to a wider audience," says Chu. "From the way they are seeing the film to the way it is advertised. . . mainstream appeal with a Japanese animation touch."

"Everyone is kind of expecting big things out of it," says Chu, noting that the fantasy-drama of Escaflowne differs, in tone and in subject matter, from the other anime features that have had theatrical runs in the U.S. "They've all been good releases, and Escaflowne will make sure we continue to widen the appeal and audience for Japanese animation."

Folken, the leader of the Black Dragon Clan, is intent on claiming Escaflowne and using its powers to destroy Gaia.

Based on its origins and on the pedigrees of its creative staff alone, Escaflowne is special. It is simultaneously unique and accessible. These factors combined give it the potential to be widely-considered, not just a "good anime movie" or "fine animated feature," but a "great film" — with no qualifiers necessary — to individuals both inside and outside the anime community.

Will Escaflowne be the "one" — an anime film to enjoy critical success, popular success and a run that extends beyond the usual cities? I don't have a crystal ball (or tarot cards, or a cool pendant like Hitomi's). In the meantime, I'll continue to pester Jerry for a screening near me.