Product Details

• Actors: Kirby Morrow, Kelly Sheridan, Brian Drummond, Jocelyne Loewen, Andrew Francis
• Directors: Kazuki Akane
• Producers: Jerry Chu, Ken Iyadomi, Kumi Kiyonari, Richard Kekahuna
• Format: Animated, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: Bandai
• DVD Release Date: April 3, 2001
• Run Time: 75 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000059WIV
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #115,633 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #18 in

  Movies & TV > Animation > Characters & Series > Escaflowne

• For more information about "Escaflowne - Paradise & Pain (Vol. 5)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The story line of this popular "magical girl" series falters amid a welter of flashbacks, dreams, revelations, and character reversals. Prince Van, who's done nothing but fight since the adventure began, doesn't want to fight anymore--the feline Merle has to defend him from two cat-women sent by his evil brother, Folken. Dilandau, the Zaibach Empire's maniacal hit man, is really the victim of an experiment by mysterious "sorcerers." The wealthy Dryden leads the other characters on an expedition to find the Mystic Valley, where refugees came to Gaea after Atlantis was destroyed on Earth. (Gaea itself was created by the mass will of the Atlanteans.) Dryden is after their mysterious power source--to be distinguished from the "power spot" in the temple the Zaibach troops stormed in previous episodes. Allen wrestles with his feelings for his long-lost father while Hitomi discovers her grandmother once visited Gaea and inspired Allen's father. The ghost of Van's mother announces that the future of Gaea rests on her son's shoulders and Hitomi's anxieties have produced the problems wracking the alternate world; her grandmother tells Hitomi to believe in her wishes. Sorting out all these twists poses interesting challenges for director Kazuki Akane. Episodes: 15. "Lost Paradise," 16. "The Guided Ones," 17. "The Edge of the World." Rated 13 and up for violence and complex plot lines. --Charles Solomon

Product Description
Folken sends out Naria and Eriya after the Escaflowne as Van hovers between life and death. Meanwhile, Dryden has discovered what he thinks is the location to Atlantis. Hitomi finds that one of her ancestors has been to Gaea, and Allen confronts his past. Once they reach Atlantis, however, they find that they have memories to fight and fears to overcome.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Doesnt work and PS2, but Bandai denies any responsibility, April 15, 2001

By	Joe (Northville, MI United States) - See all my reviews

Great series, but unfortunately Bandai has just about the worst customer service imaginable. They take several days to answer emails concerning their products, and once they do answer your email, they deny that there is any problem on their part and blame all difficulties on sony. Nevermind the fact that their new casing is cheap and their new method of making these DVDs won't work on ps2s.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Doors of Destiny are Opening before Us", May 19, 2003

By	Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

When Van is stopped from killing Dilandau by a mysterious voice it triggers a reaction that forces Hitomi to go into a trance to try to bring him back to consciousness. What Hitomi sees in Van's mind is a vision of lost Atlantis, and Van overcome by terrible dread. Not only must she find a way bring Van back before he is swept away in his memories of the Atlantean cataclysm, she must help him recover his courage.

In the meantime, Dryden the merchant pieces together some clues and discovers that the secret they are looking for is in The Mystic Valley - the hidden home of the Atlanteans on Gaea. With the help of the diary of Allen Schezar's father, Dryden pinpoints the location on the continent of Asgard. This throws Allen into his own conflict - his father deserted Allen and his mother in his quest for the valley and Allen has never forgiven him.

Perhaps the most striking revelation is the nature of Hitomi's powers - that she is quite a bit more than an amateur card reader. Hitomi nearly crumbles when she realizes the extent of her responsibilities. Bringing the third of Escaflowne's main characters face to face with her own crisis. And the Mystic Valley is not necessarily the best place to have an identity crisis.

For a set of episodes where much of the action is internal, there is much to look at and absorb. The viewer will discover the truth of Gaea and get a deeper glimpse into the Zaibach Empire. One such is a bit of the story of Dilandau who has apparently been through brainwashing by the Sorcerers. To what point we have yet to find out, but perhaps he is more than the psychotic we've been let to see him as.

Writer Shoji Kawamori and Director Kazuki Akane have mastered the trick of pulling a new layer of the story out of their creative hats almost at will. Nor are they afraid to shift from romance, to philosophy, to action drama. The result is a story with enough to satisfy and grow with it's innumerable fans. Well worth pursuing.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No Spoiler-Simple Review, February 9, 2003

By A Customer

Escaflowne is the one of the greatest masterpieces ever. And I mean ever. Everything is done right... from the plot, the characters, the originality, the beautiful music, everything. If you are into the fantasy genre, you have to check this out.