Escaflowne: The Movie now on AS On-Demand...

[Iridium128]

The first episode of Harvey Birdman is also now on Adult Swim On-Demand as well.

[Lord Dalek]

Hmmm. I actually thought the Escaflowne movie could air on Adult Swim without a hitch.

[Chad Bonin]

Hmmm. I actually thought the Escaflowne movie could air on Adult Swim without a hitch.Except for the fact that they'd have to fight tooth-and-nail with the Toonami guys for it, even if it's not the newest show.

(Toonami's forever wanted Escaflowne)

[True Noir]

Yes! Now this is what I'm talking about. :) My love for Escaflowne lives! I'll shut-up now.

[MrBananagrabber]

I wish they had gotten the TV series. I love that to death, but the movie was just trash. It didn't really have much of a plot to it and it was needlessly violent, but it had some changes to the character designs that were nifty.

[Swordfish_II]

Isn't it possible the TV series is still muddled up with FOX/Disney/Saban/whothehellever?

[Keiichi]

I wish they had gotten the TV series. I love that to death, but the movie was just trash. It didn't really have much of a plot to it and it was needlessly violent, but it had some changes to the character designs that were nifty.Go figure. I loved the movie but did'nt really care for the TV series.

[MrBananagrabber]

Go figure. I loved the movie but did'nt really care for the TV series.
Yeah, it's weird, I've never met anyone who has liked both the movie or TV series, it's usually one or the other. To each his own ^^

[Youko Recca]

I still need to finish watching both.

And yet another step foward for the on-demand. How do these lisences work anyway? The shows are strictly for AS On-Demand? Like Outlaw Star and non-anywhere else shows.

[Lord Dalek]

Except for the fact that they'd have to fight tooth-and-nail with the Toonami guys for it, even if it's not the newest show.

(Toonami's forever wanted Escaflowne)I don't think it really matters, Vision of Escaflowne and Escflowne: A Girl in Gaea are near-polar opposites of each other.

[Duke]

The only parts I liked about the movie are the animation and the music. I hated the character designs (I think it's the same person that designed for Heat Guy J, another series where I don't like the designs), the story was too muddled, and I hated how the Escaflowne was now a living creature instead of just a suit of armor.

Oh, and I also hated how Merle lost any cuteness she had. Hitomi going from an energetic worrywart to a depressed goth-like schoolgirl didn't help any, either.

[Beat]

The movie is supposed to be this extremely depressing...thing. Not sure if I'd even want to see it on Adult Swim.

[Killtacular]

Sean Akins already said Escaflowne is too old to air on Toonami. The only reason the movie is airing on AS On Demand is because Bandai has free realm to show whatever they feel like when it comes to movies. A lot of movies on OnDemand will never air on Adult Swim. Just comes with the territory. There will always be some exclusivity.

[Lord Dalek]

Nobuteru Yuuki did the designs fot Heat Guy J and the Esca series, but not the movie. He also did Lodoss War.Actually....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v92/lorddalek/PDVD_013.jpg

Sorry about the quality of the pic, Bandai did a very poor transfer on the dvd.

[Lightwave]

Figures. I've wanted to see this for some time now, and I just happened to have canceled On Demand.

The fates are against me. I swear.

[SirLemming]

Yeah, I sort of guessed that On Demand had less company restriction thingies than regular Adult Swim. Plus, it's possible they just wouldn't want to air the movie there. I probably wouldn't have liked it too significantly if it didn't give me flashbacks to the TV series. It's very depressing and hard to follow.
But now that my brother finally has the TV series on DVD, I'll be able to see the TV series again and the movie will probably seem pretty disappointing. Even Fox's heavily edited version, which never even finished airing, seemed preferable to the movie.

Which of course is one of the things on my Fox revenge list, right behind the cancelling/pigeonholing of Sam & Max. I wish Fox didn't have the rights for Escaflowne and it were free for airing on Adult Swim or something, although I guess they wouldn't bother since it's probably too old for them by now. But they have made exceptions...

I must say, though, I preferred the English intro theme to the Japanese version. The Yoko Kanno one. Yes, I'm a heretic.

[Youko Recca]

I must say, though, I preferred the English intro theme to the Japanese version. The Yoko Kanno one. Yes, I'm a heretic.
You're not a heretic, you've just got a mad rhetoric.


And I don't by into the too old crap. Escaflowne could pass well enough. Hell, I look at Toonami and know it would make it a better lineup.

[SirLemming]

And I don't by into the too old crap. Escaflowne could pass well enough. Hell, I look at Toonami and know it would make it a better lineup.Well, it's just that AS representatives have said they want to deal mostly with new anime instead of bringing old stuff that will mainly please otaku types. I guess the mere fact that millions of anime nerds have heard of something and praise it regularly would tend to put off new viewers. Thus, if they got Escaflowne, it'd have to be during some sort of lull in new anime. And that's if it were easy enough to obtain, and it seems it's difficult to obtain.

[Youko Recca]

I'm not even talking about pleasing otaku, it's just that Escaflowne(which is now an example) isn't so old that a casual viewer will be like "ugh, look at those blocky ass heads...I ain't watching". Lupin is a good example of what you were saying those damn suits were against. But as far as I'm concerned there are still plenty 90's anime that could still work along side the new. Put Yu Yu Hakusho next to Gundam Seed and each won't detract from either viewing experience in a person's point of view. I'm not against going for the ripe new stuff, but they aren't even jumping on some of them. And some of them are generic crap, though the recent Fall batch has supplied a good deal.

Imagine a world where they would get one 90's for every two recent.

[Duke]

Sean didn't mean "old" as in dated animation. He meant "old" as in "It's been aronud for at least 5 years, and won't attract an audience as big as a newer-release would."

The exact same with Slayers. If both series were released in the U.S. this year, they'd have a MUCH better chance of landing on Toonami.

[ClockStomper]

Except for the fact that they'd have to fight tooth-and-nail with the Toonami guys for it, even if it's not the newest show.

(Toonami's forever wanted Escaflowne)
It's better no one gets the movie since it's a weird alternate universe version of the TV series which panders to series' fans by having self indulgant cameos by characters from the show, which of course defeats the purpose of having it be on it's own continuity.

But I don't think the movie or series looks any worse than Hakusho...the higher budget makes it look better than a lot of anime CN has aired recently. I'd say it's most equivilant to Rurouni Kenshin.

[Killtacular]

Sean didn't mean "old" as in dated animation. He meant "old" as in "It's been aronud for at least 5 years, and won't attract an audience as big as a newer-release would."
I think it's both. Consider the reaction to Case Closed, a show from 1996! Seems like unless an anime is digitally colored, CN isn't interested anymore. Outside of Case Closed, what have they bought since 2003 that wasn't digital? I can't think of anything. YYH was lucky to be acquired in late 2001... if it were on the table today...

[True Noir]

Yeah, it's weird, I've never met anyone who has liked both the movie or TV series, it's usually one or the other. To each his own ^^
Hehe.... well, you met me. There were always different things I liked about each the movie and the tv show. None of them ever matched up. For instance, I have to say that the ending to the tv series was a lot better and cuter than the movie ending.

By the way, that reminds me. I should probably finish collecting. I mean when the dvds are up for $10 buck a piece and the movie at $14.

[SirLemming]

The oldness is an issue in and of itself, but combine that with the fact that they'd have to get the rights from Fox and you've got something that, to them, isn't worth the trouble.

It is weird, though, that adultswim.com once advertised Escaflowne figures. Never understood that. I got false hope for a week or two, but...

[Duke]

It is weird, though, that adultswim.com once advertised Escaflowne figures. Never understood that. I got false hope for a week or two, but...
I guess it makes a little more sense than selling the Eva movies on shop.cartoonnetwork.com

[Gary L Thompson]

Isn't it possible the TV series is still muddled up with FOX/Disney/Saban/whothehellever?That's what I'm wondering. I know that "Escaflowne" has been kept off "Toonami" all these years because of Fox swiping it, but it's been several years now. I would think the rights would be expiring pretty soon, if they haven't already.

I don't think it really matters, Vision of Escaflowne and Escflowne: A Girl in Gaea are near-polar opposites of each other.From my understanding, there was the TV series, the movie, a shonen manga series, a shoujo manga series--and the story was different every single time!

Sean Akins already said Escaflowne is too old to air on Toonami. The only reason the movie is airing on AS On Demand is because Bandai has free realm to show whatever they feel like when it comes to movies. A lot of movies on OnDemand will never air on Adult Swim. Just comes with the territory. There will always be some exclusivity.I wonder then how Akins would respond to this commentary on "Escaflowne" in next month's issue of "Anime Insider" (which I think is hardly aimed at a hardcore otaku audience)....

"Hitomi and friends may be pushing 10 years old, but the show looks like it could have been made yesterday. Not even Miss Cleo could have predicted that." (emphasis author's). AI ranked Escaflowne 16th in a list of 50 must-own DVDs.

[Duke]

From my understanding, there was the TV series, the movie, a shonen manga series, a shoujo manga series--and the story was different every single time!
The two manga came first, then the TV series to try and combine the two, and the movie was created because someone on the production staff (either the director or creator, I forget which) wanted more swordfights & stuff.

I wonder then how Akins would respond to this commentary on "Escaflowne" in next month's issue of "Anime Insider" (which I think is hardly aimed at a hardcore otaku audience)....

"Hitomi and friends may be pushing 10 years old, but the show looks like it could have been made yesterday. Not even Miss Cleo could have predicted that." (emphasis author's). AI ranked Escaflowne 16th in a list of 50 must-own DVDs.
Esca's TV animation is, for the most part, similar in tone to Rurouni Kenshin or Neon Genesis Evangelion or Detective Conan, except with brighter colors. However, it has several digital shots in it (the dragon in the beginning was heavily edited with the computer, some shots of Hitomi's predictions, the title screen, etc.), making it seem weird. One minute the colors are subdued and the animation has the usual limited frames, the next you have uber-bright colors and flowing animation.