When I watched the Escaflowne movie at Anime Expo 2000, I was captivated by the music--so much so that by the time I left the room, I was wondering when the soundtrack would be released and how quickly I could get my hands on it. Thanks to some extraodinarily fast service, I received the soundtrack within two weeks. I have to say that the music is not quite as enchanting by itself, but I usually enjoy BGM better as background music. I can't wait for the Escaflowne movie to come out on DVD--so I can appreciate the music in its proper setting.

I'm not a really good judge of BGM, though I will note that there are a couple of reprises from the TV series--such as "Dance of curse II" and "We're Flying." I'm going to work on this section, though, since there's no excuse to ignore the gorgeous instrumentals.

There are five vocal tracks out of twenty-five total--only three of which are really significant. The other two are more like BGM.

The first is "Yubiwa" or "Ring," the ending song sung by Maaya Sakamoto. It's a really nice song--soft without being sugary. I enjoy it even more every time I listen to it.

The second vocal is known simply as "Sóra"--a haunting song which is sung by Sóra, a new character in the movie. It was so beautiful and otherworldly, that I simply had to get the soundtrack so I could hear it again. Now that I have the lyrics, I realize that she wasn't even singing in Japanese. Words by Gabriela Robin, music by Yoko Kanno, and vocals by Shanti Snyder. Now for the frequently asked question, "What language is 'Sóra' sung in?" I have to thank the various members of the Escaflowne mailing list who told me what language it wasn't; Accius for completely ruling out Latin and bringing it to the attention of an old languages expert; and Iustinius for his evaluation that the words are all made up and directing me to this entry from the The Escaflowne Compendium. And finally to Kay, from the Escaflowne ML, for suggesting that the song is actually in old Fanelian, which is the answer I'm going with unless something else turns up.

The third vocal is known as "Sóra's Folktale" and is a misty version of "Sóra" sung by Midori. I believe this is the song that the twin catgirls sing in the pub. This song also appears in an operatic form in the BGM "Into GAEA".

The fourth vocal is a mercifully short piece called "nomi tori uta" sung off-key by the children of ADOM. I haven't the slightest idea what they're singing. In the movie, ADOM is a village that has some significance to Van--I think it's like a second home. Van-sama.

I'm not sure when this fifth vocal appeared. It's a duet in English sung by Sóra (Shanti Snyder) and Hitomi (Maaya Sakamoto). Actually, Shanti Snyder does the singing, but I think Mayumi Iizuka is the seiyuu for Sóra. While it's advertised as the English version of "Yubiwa," it doesn't really share anything other than a common theme and the melody line. The English lyrics and the Japanese translation are both written by Shanti Snyder.

Hmm..apparently, even CDs can have omake. It turns out that there are actually twenty-six tracks--the secret track is a song that Jenifa from the Escaflowne ML has identified as "Call Your Name" which is from Maaya Sakamoto's Single Collection Plus Hotchpotch CD. It's not exactly to my taste, but she does it well. There is only soft piano accompaniment so she's doing most of the work with her voice. (I guess this is a different arrangement?) There's a note in the CD booklet under Special Thanks-- To: Hitomi "CALL YOUR NAME" from Maaya Sakamoto.

Speaking of the CD booklet, it has a nice design. The cover is of Hitomi in her school uniform, lying unconscious on a dragon fossil. Strips seems to be the theme of the booklet, with a 1.5 cm strip running through all the pages, showing teeny screencaps from the movie, though most of it is of the sky. There is a range of color from sandy beige to sky blue to sunset red. What most impressed me is the middle of the booklet with its dragon fossils. There are lyrics for "Yubiwa" (Japanese), "Sóra" (in the mystery language and in Japanese), and "You're Not Alone" (English and Japanese). Sleeve design is by Naoyuki Yoshida and Rie Yoshizumi. Illustration is by Nobuteru Yuuki.

Maaya Sakamoto also had a single out for the Escaflowne movie. It contained the single version of "Yubiwa" which I'm told sounds pretty much the same as the movie version and a song called "Vector." Track listings and credits for this and other Escaflowne soundtracks can be found at The Vision of Escaflowne Audio section of the Escaflowne Compendium. Sample mp3s can be found at Maaya Sakamoto -- Dive, which is actually devoted to Maaya Sakamoto's Dive album.

You can also find some information and character designs for the movie through escaflowne: the movie which seems to be an early version of Chris McDougall's escaflowne: the movie page, but I think visiting both would be a good idea. Ah, my mistake. The first site is the more recent version. It seems that Chris McDougall is in the process of revamping and moving what will soon be known as Planet Gaea 4.0. The old site is still available here.

And perhaps the best fansite I've seen yet for the Escaflowne movie, by someone who has seen the movie more times than I can count. *jealousy* Check out Tsubasa no Kami for a terrific indepth review and synopsis of the movie as well as a great description of the BGM in the context of the movie.

If you can navigate the Official Escaflowne Movie site, more power to you. I think there are some postcards from Anime Expo 2000. If anyone would like to give me a rundown, I'd be appreciative. There are pictures, which will make a visit worthwhile even for the Japanese-challenged.

There's a review of the movie at scifi.ign.com, written by Emily Snodgrass of niko-niko.net.

And Justin Sevakis, now known as the Digital Otaku of dvdfile.com, has some fascinating news about Escaflowne debut on American television--and a tidbit about the possibility of a US theatrical release for the movie.

If you're curious about the musicians behind the soundtrack, here are a few links to follow:

These mp3s are provided as a sample only, because I really like these songs and want to share them with you. If you like them, please purchase the soundtrack. It can be ordered through a Japanese bookstore like Kinokuniya or Asahiya (usually takes a month) or purchased at an online store such as Tokyo Pop, AnimeNation, deodeo.com, or CD Japan. You can find lyrics here

Please don't link to these files directly. It would make me very angry. If you have to ask why, you're welcome to read my rant which pretty much explains my attitude about webpages and plagiarism. Basically, it's always better to ask.

Venkarel (venkarel@iname.com)