Escaflowne: the obsession continues

[dangermousie]

katranna came over and stayed the night so we ended up marathonning Escaflowne and I went to bed only when my eyes were literally not working any more. And we watched 2 more eps in the morning during breakfast. I am pretty fried today (obviously). It’s psychotically addictive, though, and I have only 4 episodes left

Comments

[crumpeteer]

I liked Allen simply because he wasn't the typical "hero" figure. He's got an illegitimate kid and is blatantly screwed up. He has no grand "love story" in the scheme of things. Allen really lost everything; his sister, his lover, his son, his country. It's understandable that he doesn't have a ton of scruples when it comes to doing things sometimes. It's amazing he has as many as he has. I respect the series because Allen DIDN'T get the girl and the girl DID end up falling for her husband (who you can't hate because he's a really good man). I personally find Allen too screwed up to convincingly get anyone in the series.

The other interesting part of the series is the Van/Folken dynamic. As I've said, I'm a Folken lover. I love the fact that even though they're on opposite sides and Van completely hates his brother, Folken still obviously cares about Van in his own way. Interestingly I don't see Folken as a cruel bad guy. I've always loved anime from not shying away from the grey areas. Folken isn't good, he isn't bad, he just IS. His downfall is conceivable from any angle (just like Anakin's is). Sure, he could have made different decisions, but wasn't capable of doing it. Anyone could make that mistake.

[dangermousie]

I actually screeched when we first saw the Duke because then it became clear that Allen was Chid's father and I thought it would be hinted at most, as a possibility, not shown as a certainty, this blatantly. I love the fact that when we first meet Allen he really is a very perfect knight, with a slightly superior manner, but the more we learn about him, the more interesting he becomes, and the more layered, and the more screwed up (character development in animation? Heavens!)

It's amazing he has as many as he has

Exactly. Allen strikes me as someone who could have easily gone the way of Folken if it wasn't for the fact that:
a. he didn't come across Dornkirk at his lowest point and
b. Folken is an idealist of abstractions, while Allen's notions of loyalty and honor are very personal. Folken can sacrifice pesonal views/people in the service of the greater good, while Allen is very Van-like in (IMO) not being able to do it.

I respect the series because Allen DIDN'T get the girl and the girl DID end up falling for her husband

Exactly. I especially love the fact that Marlene ended up loving her husband. Because this isn't grand Tristan & Isolde love story perhaps, but it's very realistic. No matter how much you love someone, with time you do move on when there is no future or any hope. You adjust to reality. It would have been beautiful and melodramatic if she was still calling out for Allen on her deathbed (would remind me of the death scene of Scarlett's mother in Gone With The Wind (the book) actually), but how infinitely more real that after living with her husband daily for a number of years, he's come to take precedence in her life over a memory of her first love, no matter how strong that love has been.

I personally find Allen too screwed up to convincingly get anyone in the series.

I think so too. He has a number of issues to work out, and he's got a good start on them, but while I can see him falling in love with someone and having a relationship that works out in the future, I don't think the time for it is yet.

they're on opposite sides and Van completely hates his brother, Folken still obviously cares about Van in his own way

Yes, this morning we got to the part where Folken protected Van from the dragons. He clearly loves Van and I think is haunted by his abandonment of him. And I do think Van, even with his hate (understandable, because Folken's actions aren't just a personal betrayal but resulted in a razing of Fanelia), clearly loves his brother as well.

What strikes me when thinking about Folken is that it's actually his soft-heartdness that leads him to be Dorkkirk's Strategos/tool. It's a good quality that dooms him, just as with Anakin, it's his love that dooms him into Vader. Folken actually strikes me as very Anakin-like, especially in that scene when he wakes up with the mechanical arm.

[crumpeteer]

Because this isn't grand Tristan & Isolde love story perhaps, but it's very realistic.

This is true. Tristan/Isolde romances are rare, honestly. In the natural progression of life, sometimes if you're not with the one you love, you love the one you're with. You make do. She had a child and kingdom to think about and was married to a kind man. It makes sense that she'd end up loving him. HE was the one that was there domestically for her instead of Allen, HE was the one who obviously loved her and was with her. It makes perfect sense.

He clearly loves Van and I think is haunted by his abandonment of him.

I love family dynamics (as my Supernatural love would attest) and this really is a relationship between brothers. Folken didn't WANT to hurt Van, but he thought it was for the greater good. He was misled. Folken carries around that guilt all through the series. He's not a bad man, he's not inhuman, he's just forced into an incredibly difficult situation and used. I think part of Van's anger stems from the fact that he DOES still love his brother deep down (when you get to the very end of the series there's a scene that's proof of that).

What strikes me when thinking about Folken is that it's actually his soft-heartdness that leads him to be Dorkkirk's Strategos/tool.

Exactly. He went bad not because "OMGPSYCHO!", but because he thought he WAS doing the right thing (very Anakin). He's another character who loves too much, just like Anakin did. They're both two good people twisted to be something they're not by people a lot less naive than they are.

[dangermousie]

She had a child and kingdom to think about and was married to a kind man. It makes sense that she'd end up loving him.

Exactly. Reality has a way of intruding on everything and you either deal with it, or you break down. I like the pragmatism she ended up with, really.

He was misled. Folken carries around that guilt all through the series. He's not a bad man, he's not inhuman, he's just forced into an incredibly difficult situation and used

Yes. He wanted to face the dragon to spare Van the pain (I love how everybody points out that Van isn't agressive enough, and no matter how effective a fighter, killing really messes him up). And then he expected to die. He seems so young and vulnerable when he goes "I am going to live?" once the dragon leaves. And he doesn't precisely has much of a chance once he wakes up in Zaidbach.

[crumpeteer]

Funny thing is I don't think Folken was agressive enough either. He's so soft hearted when it comes to the cat girls and everyone else he comes across. He's such a duality since he's also such a weapon of destruction.

I was mad at the movie version because they made Folken into just a thing of pure evil. It made no sense, his issues with Van. It was so simplistic and stupid.

[dangermousie]

And it's such a contrast when he is concerned for the cat girls and doesn't want to send them into danger and Dornkirk (who really is a monster) is completely uncaring and dismissive. So Anakin and Palpatine there, in many ways.

Yes, the movie version made no sense. He wanted to destroy the universe because he was emo is what it basically amounted to which is plain stupid.

[katranna]

I don't really see Dornkirk as a monster... just rather a sad old man. I don't like him, but I don't feel he's a monster.

[dangermousie]

I think this impersonal, arrogant, abstractions over people at all cost behavior and belief of his is what makes him a monster. And his dispassion over it and his coldness when confronted with the results. Folken might be a misguided idealist, but not only should Dornkirk know better at his age, I get the sense he doesn't care for people, singular or collective, except as tools in a rather abstract cerebral experiment.