The Vision of Escaflowne [Anime Series]  (2000)

Theatrical Release Information:
The Vision of Escaflowne [Anime Series]

Hitomi Kanzaki has always had subtle psychic abilities and a way with tarot cards, but the most that she has ever used them for has been to provide readings for the other girls in her high school about boys. This all changes for Hitomi one night when she is practicing for the track team, hoping for a first kiss from her not-so-secret crush and teammate, Amano. While she's sprinting, she sees a vision of a young man battling a dragon which materializes right before her on the field. In a moment of confusion, Hitomi is transported with the young man back to the world he came from, Gaea. Upon arriving, Hitomi learns that despite his youth and simple attire, the man is Van Fanel, king of the country of Fanelia. Van swears to return Hitomi safely to her home somehow, but before that can happen, Hitomi finds herself involved in the war brewing on Gaea, as her powers are somehow linked to the huge mecha of the Fanalia kingdom called the Escaflowne. The Escaflowne is the key to defeating the hostile Zaibach Empire, where a madman is trying to create a machine to control destiny itself, at any expense. Hitomi must come to terms with her role in the salvation or destruction of a land, her own feelings about Van and for Allen Schezar, the gentile king of a neighboring country, and she will also have a chance to learn the truth about what destiny and her own abilities really are. The Vision of Escaflowne is a Shoujo anime, but with a very broad audience. It explores not only the perspective of Hitomi but battle sequences, intrigue, possible long-lost worlds, and the meaning of fate. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide