Time: 00:01

Shots from episode 1 are superimposed over Hitomi's voice-over recap. The duration of the recap with the changed footage is the same as the original, though. This is the first of many attempts by Fox to explain what's going on, but it still leaves the episode feeling rushed, and leaves everyone feeling like they missed something (um, because they DID).

Time: 01:12

At this point originally, Hitomi has a Vision of Impending Doom(tm) of Fanelia getting destroyed by a strange transluscent giant that skewers people on extendable claws. Instead, Fox replaced this scene with a flashback to episode 1, summing up her request of a first kiss to Amano, running into Van, Van killing the dragon, and the two of them getting swept away into a column of light in the space of about a minute. However, this scene is much longer than the scene it replaces. Since Hitomi's Visions of Impending Doom(tm) are an integral part of the storyline, I hope they don't change ALL of them into flashbacks.

Time: 01:25 6 Seconds

The wolf guy comments that the Mystic Moon is shining brighter than usual. Random shots of the yak walking. Nothing too terribly important.

Time: 01:48

This is when the group first returns to Fanelia. I'm noting this scene becuase it is the ONLY time in the ENTIRE episode where the correct music is playing at the correct time.

Time: 01:52 7 Seconds

Random people running through the streets yelling that Van's back. Shot of the gates opening from outside. Again, nothing really important.

Time: 03:43

Right after Hitomi comments that Van is a prince, a commercial break is added. I knew that the show was probably going to be interrupted by ads in more places than just the original break, but it still took me by surprise.

Time: 03:49 4 Seconds

A pan over the city. Ooh, we're losing some quality footage here :P. However, I must commend Fox on not cutting anything important (so far). Most of these cuts seem to be for running time.

Time: 04:13 13 Seconds

Shots of that soldier saying that he can't wait for the melef tournament. Also, the shot of Hitomi pulling up her skirt was cut (may have been considered too suggestive, but you can't see anything ^_^*).

Time: 04:33 8 Seconds

Hitomi staring longingly out the window. I honestly didn't notice this scene was missing until I watched the original and TV version side by side ^_^*.

Time: 04:54 7 Seconds

This was originally a flashback to Yukari asking Hitomi to read the tarot cards, and a pastel shot of Amano. However it was changed to the Vision of Impending Doom(tm) from the first episode! However, what the vision is missing is the guy with wings swooping down to save her. Unless they add this somewhere in episode 3, we will not see this again before Hitomi wonders if Allen is the mysterious winged man. Therefore, that comment will make no sense. It's also notably ironic that they changed a Vision of Impending Doom(tm) in the beginning to a flashback, and now they change a flashback to a Vision of Impending Doom(tm). ^_^*

Time: 05:51

The little vocal theme that played while Merle was rifling through Hitomi's stuff is gone, and replaced with just some typical BGM. In my opinion, the original music made this scene notably cuter, and a little funnier. Sound clip from the uncut dub scene Sound clip from the dub TV scene

Time: 06:24 4 Seconds

Hitomi chasing Merle around a corner and yelling that she shouldn't underestimate an athlete (has anyone else noticed that almost every cut so far involves Hitomi?).

Time: 08:55

This isn't a visual change, but a sound effect change. This is the scene right before the commercial break of the snake-like sight scope coming out nowhere and spinning around. Originally, there were some very loud and kinda cool clanging sound effects here, but now it's pretty silent save for some added foreboding bgm. Sound clip from the original scene Sound clip from the dub TV scene

Time: 09:12 9 Seconds

Merle complaining that she can't see Van looking cool in his armor.

Time: 09:59

The two guards in the tower getting smashed are obscured by a flash of white. Also, the sound effects are once again different. This scene used to be completely silent save for the really loud CRASH of the claws hitting the fort.

Time: 10:15

Man, this WHOLE attack scene is MUCH less impressive without that cool Jaws-esque "Zaibach" theme playing in the background. Just the ever-present "duhn-duhn duhn-duhn duhn-duhn" in the background makes the scene MUCH more creepy and intense. Sound clip of the uncut dub, starting with the sound effect listed above, to the music listed here Sound clip from the TV dub of the same thing

Time: 10:36

Originally here, we're shown some of the soldiers getting stepped on by the invisible giants (well, you don't see anything, but it's pretty darn well implied). Instead, we're shown a quick shot of the crowd at the coronation wondering what's going on.

Time: 10:52

The line uttered here represents something I notice in dubs a lot. A soldier comes riding in, shouting, "It's a Zaibach attack!" Pardon me, but we're not supposed to know this is Zaibach until the next episode. I guess Hitomi isn't the only fortune-teller here...

Time: 11:29 4 Seconds

A shot of Hitomi looking on while panicking people run around behind her (look, they cut Hitomi AGAIN!)

Time: 12:11 16 Seconds

Okay, here's where the real violence in the episode gets cut. Two of the Samurai guys get impaled, and each utter last words about how they're sorry they lost or that the enemy's a coward, with their faces covered in blood. I mean, duh they were going to cut this.

Time: 12:33 3 Seconds

And another Samurai dies a violent and bloody death. Three down, one to go.

Time: 12:51 10 Seconds

Van, standing in the shrine to Escaflowne, cuts his thumb on his sword to put his blood on the Drag Energist, so that he can make a blood pact with Escaflowne. Even without that little scene, the scene runs fairly smoothly.

Time: 13:01

Ah yes. The big dramatic scene where Escaflowne is first unveiled. The scene here used to be completely silent save for a bunch of sound effects. Now, the sound effects are replaced by the techno-beat opening. Please don't kill me, but I honestly did not mind this at all. The scene still kept the drama relatively intact, and the music didn't really detract from it. It changed the mood of the scene, but it still works.

Time: 13:50 7 Seconds

Silhouetted shots of Escaflowne as it comes out of the rock.

Time: 14:39

Right after Van puts the Energist into Escaflowne's heart crystal thingy, we get another commercial break. Aaaah! You can't cut it off there! Evil!

Time: 14:51

Okay, the bgm track "Dance of Curse" is undoubtedly really cool, and I'm glad they kept it in the show but.... keep it in the right spot, dangit! It originally began playing right when Van takes his first step in Escaflowne, and ends when Balgus jumps in to block the enemy's attack. Now, it starts right when Van jumps into Escaflowne, and ends exactly where it was supposed to start ^_^*

Time: 18:15

First of all, note our wonderful jump in time without anything being cut or changed (visually)! Now, this music change right here was the one that annoyed me the most. When Van comes running out of the shrine originally and sees the burning carnage (which they left! Whoa!), it plays a really sinister track of repeated minor chords played really loud, accompanied by a really loud chant of "E-SCA-FLOW-NE!". That just made the scene sooooo much more dramatic and cool, I can't even explain it. Now, they don't even make a music change when they see the carnage. It's just some random Fox-addition playing, and it really does not do the scene justice. Sound clip from the uncut dub of this scene Sound clip of the TV dub version of this scene

Time: 18:38 3 Seconds

Although they actually still showed Balgus dying, they obviously cut the little part of him actually getting skewered. Yummy. They also played the short scenes out of order here. It originally went Balgus gets lanced, a shot of his face, Hitomi and Van freaking out, Balgus falling to the ground. Now, it's Balgus sees the lance coming, Hitomi and Van freak out, shot of Balgus's face, then Balgus falling to the ground.

Time: 19:19

Another alteration that I noticed something was different, but couldn't pinpoint it until I watched the two together. Originally here, there's a shot of Balgus lying in a pool of blood (or maybe that's just a really big, unexplainable shadow around him). Instead, they reuse a shot of Escaflowne kneeling over him, but played backwards (the lighting changes are in reverse).

Time: 19:22

That background track from before is still playing here, but it's changed to some really evil chanting while all the enemy Guymelefs uncloak around Escaflowne. Man, the visual is cool enough, but the music just adds to it so much more. It's not nearly as impressive in the TV version. Sound clip of the uncut dub of this scene Sound clip of the dub TV version of this scene