The Kingdom of Fanelia. Zaibach's floating fortress, Veewon.		(page 2 of 3) The Vision of Kawamori This "retro tech" idea is nothing new in anime. NADIA is based, albeit loosely, on Jules Verne's 10,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. In ORGUSS 02, combat mecha from the future appear in the past by accident, and are used by two opposing nations in a conflict. KISHIN HEIDAN features a version of World War II where Earth is under attack by aliens. Capturing computer modules from alien drones, these are then used to control turbine powered robots called Machine Gods to fend off the alien threat. As the saying goes, however, it's all in the details, and what sets ESCAFLOWNE apart from the rest is its atmosphere and beautiful execution. Featuring a unique blend of technology and fantasy, ESCAFLOWNE succeeds in captivating its audience. While the character designs are somewhat unusual, the visuals are gorgeous, the music fits the setting very well, and the mechanical designs are a real treat. When it comes to mecha design, Kawamori is certainly no neophyte. A seasoned veteran with a number of designs to his name, such as the GP-01 in GUNDAM 0083, he is most invariably associated with the show MACROSS, and is immortalized in the minds of anime fans for having designed the transforming Valkyrie.
	Macross Digital Mission VF-X, by Kawamori Shoji, is due for release on the Playstation in a few months.		Kawamori is more than just a designer, however. His recent work, the incredibly successful MACROSS PLUS, proved him to be a capable director as well. More importantly, Kawamori is credited as the original conceiver of ESCAFLOWNE, and while it remains to be seen whether he can shake off his "MACROSS" image, it's refreshing to see Kawamori presented with an opportunity to demonstrate his creativity outside the realm of MACROSS. Though the concept of ESCAFLOWNE started long before work on MACROSS PLUS began, it wasn't until recently that Kawamori's story saw fruition. After the successful conclusion of the recent MACROSS projects (MACROSS PLUS, MACROSS 7), Bandai contacted Kawamori, provided him with a big budget, and gave him the go-ahead on the ESCAFLOWNE story. A large vote of confidence in Kawamori's talents, to be sure, and the fusion of an interesting concept, creative talent, and a large budget have proven to be stunning indeed.

Gaea can't be seen from Earth, but Earth and its Moon can be seen clearly in the skies of Gaea itself. The summoned Escaflowne stands before Hitomi.

Gaea, a world close to Earth... An otherwise ordinary schoolgirl, Kanzaki Hitomi has one ability: she can sometimes see glimpses of the future. Along with her mysterious pendant, this "vision" becomes the bond between Hitomi and the world of Gaea. After getting the track team captain to agree to a first kiss should she make the 100 meter dash under 13 seconds, Hitomi starts running -- and suddenly crashes into Van Fanel as the dimensional gap between Earth and Gaea is breached for a brief moment. A dragon follows Van through the gap, which Van manages to slay after some difficulty. At this point, Van and Hitomi are dragged back through the dimensional gap to Gaea. As it turns out, Van is to become king of Fanelia -- slaying the dragon was his test of worthiness, and Van has the crystalline heart of the dragon, called a "Drag-Energist," as proof of his successful quest. Just as Van is about to be crowned, however, the Zaibach army attacks Fanelia. Using Guymelefs (8-meter-tall humanoid armors) equipped with cloaking capes and superior weapons, Dirandu and Volken's army swat aside the castle defenses with ease and lay waste to the city. Summoning the Escaflowne by a bloodpact, Van boards it using his Drag-Energist and puts up a valiant but unsuccessful attempt to defend the city. Just as the Escaflowne becomes surrounded by enemy mechs, however, Hitomi's power teleports the Escaflowne, Van and herself away from the burning city. Although she has no control over them, Hitomi's latent powers have been growing on the world of Gaea, and until she can find a way back home, Hitomi must use them to help Van and his friends defend Fanelia from the advances of Zaibach. As the story progresses, Hitomi's power of "vision," along with the pendant given to Hitomi by her Grandmother, play an increasingly important role in the story. (continued)