ESCAFLOWNE Voice meme (3/5)
[ Escaflowne voice meme made by @drkstars-art ]
3. Which side are you on ? What do you think happens Post-Hitomi when she leaves? Who do you think will be the next opposing power?
Why necessary choosing a side ?
(Funny, I never asked myself this question...)
Well... As the series focuses/develops way more "good" side than Zaibach’s side and its characters, it's easier for me to empathize and lean more towards main protagonists.
But deep inside, I’m a neutral observer.
Because each side has its own set of we can label "good" or "bad" moral aspects.
- I really love Folken, Narya and Eriya.
- I don't see Dornkirk as pure evil despite I don't appreciate him...
I would had loved to dive more in Zaibach generals (specially Adelphos), Sorcerers and Dilandau's soldiers psychology.
But I don't think staff had planned to explore or develop these points...
(Too bad because I love nuances in stories !)
I digress but that's why I love Mononoké Hime (Miyazaki) that much or enjoy a big part of Game of Thrones for example.
Well... I have more questions than ideas or answers on that matter...
- Post-Zaibach is a big enigma in my mind :
Who can rule or give a strong and desirable direction after Dornkirk's reign ?
What could be Zaibach people's opinion on Great War events ?
What would they want to do next ?
As Hitomi says in Ep 18 : " I wonder if Zaibach people are really happy... "
Personally, if many Sorcerers survive, I like to imagine high tensions with Adelphos.
We don't know lot of things about the General, but I noticed that :
He doesn't seem to appreciate or trust Sorcerers
He sees Dilandau as a demon.
He doesn't seem to blindly trust Dornkirk neither.
When he saw Celena in the garden scene, he felt clearly unconfortable. He even said : " I wonder what Zaibach has become (or what's going on in Zaibach)... "
He almost died in Basram's "energist" attack. But didn't go further in the war, unlike Alliance countries - betraying each other right away.
I tend to think he has a moral code and could play a good partition in "Peace" on Gaea.
- Globally, it's quite difficult for me to imagine what Post-War Gaea could be because the end of the series doesn't take time to properly explain political, energy and technological context with other countries (like with Basram for example).
I would be definitely interested in translated informations on that subject !
My inner feeling is that true Peace is an utopia because each country has its own point of view, interests, history, concerns, culture and beliefs... so it necessarily leads to tensions with other countries.
But nations have to do their best to aim for this ideal in the interest of the greatest number, respecting everyone’s differences, thanks to a true and permanent diplomacy.
When you know humanity's complexity, it's a huge challenge...
[ On a more character level ]
I am not quite confident in Allen and Celena's future...
I can not imagine she definitely recovered from all she's gone through in Zaibach.
And I think Allen would be (quite understandably) an overprotective brother...
(this attitude never brings anything good in a relationship, even a brotherly one.)
Not that I don't wish the best for them.
But I simply don't buy it...
(or at least, not without a huge and very long psychological work for Celena...)
My opinion on Millerna and Dryden is way more positive.
I really think they would form a great and supportive couple.
But they both need a lot of time.
However, I won't be surprised if Millerna relied once again on Allen for a while before going back to Dryden and sincerely falling for him (she is still lost at the end of the series...)
I can imagine her being the new Queen of Asturia, just as Eries
It's funny because I can just as easily imagine them never seeing each other again as they will definitely meet one way or another, whatever the form.
(single or already married, with or without children from another partner, or even with different ages...)
I would bet more on the idea they will meet again. It's how I feel and always felt since my first viewing. But it can also never happen.
[ NOTE : If I am not mistaken : Kazuki Akane (director) said in an interview in "Roman Album" Artbook that Hitomi would surely meet Van again.
But as they shared a "youth love", they need to grow up and mature before truly going back to one another.
( Please take this information with a grain of salt because I lost the translation many years ago... ) ]
Some elements make me question a lot on their non or hypothetical reunion :
Their last dialogue (based on subtitles of Japanese dub)
Time Flow (which doesn't seem to be the same on Gaea and Earth...)
( Their last dialogue )
H - I want to see this world with you, Van. But can I stay ? I love Gaea and Fanelia...
V - If you want it, so do it.
As long we would share the same feelings, we can see each other again.
( Hitomi cries and gives him her pendant, telling him )
" I will never forget you, even when I will be a grandma. I will never forget you. "
(I never get why she gives him her pendant before leaving Gaea...)
I'm maybe wrong but I always felt that Hitomi thinks she will never meet Van again, or if : only with a big age difference between them.
What does she mean by "grandma" ? That she will go on with her life, probably marry another man, have children, become a grandmother ? Or just an old lady ?
It keeps remind me about Hitomi's grandmother and Leon’s story...
( Time Flow )
Too many questions run through my head on this part...
I wonder if we can even define a temporal correspondence between Gaea and Earth.
(the more I try, the more I think this story element doesn't follow a strict rule... )
If we stick to chronological events :
> it seems Leon met Hitomi's grandma 2 times :
1) A first one (picture above)
- Hitomi’s grandma is around 15.
- About Leon :
No precise idea... Except he is an adult. No direct mention of his wife and his children.
2) A second (Leon’s search for Mystic Valley and meeting with Isaac / Dornkirk)
- We know at that point - for sure - Leon is married to Encia and already has Allen.
[ In his discussions with Allen, Leon never mentions Celena.
" I get married and became father by obligation. I tried to live denying who I was.
But men always wish to escape from destiny others impose on them.
When I saw this young woman the second time...
I realized I loved Encia... and you too, Allen..." ]
I guess Leon died 15 (gaean) years before the events of the story.
- Leon meets Hitomi’s grandma just before his death and is surprised to see her " like in the past ".
He concludes :
" I see... Here is the secret of Atlantis... The Power of Wishes..."
He gives the pendant to Hitomi’s grandma, telling her :
" Wishes become reality. No matter the distance, they transcend time and space."
It seems to imply that time has passed for him but Hitomi’s grandma (still 15) is the materialization of his desire to see her, as he knew her.
(Not her real appearance on Earth, on that moment.)
I tend to think Grandma was not 15 when she received the pendant.
Another fact which makes me lean towards this hypothesis :
> If Grandma really received the pendant at 15 and told her daughter about her experience when she was still a little girl, then : why did she give the pendant to Hitomi and not to her own daughter ?
A part of me wonders if she received the pendant when she was already a grandmother and gave it right away to Hitomi.
(But it's just my own hypothesis...)
This part of the story leaves me with many questions :
How old was Leon when he met Hitomi’s grandma the first time ?
Was he already married to Encia ?
How old was he on the second meeting ?
How old really was Hitomi’s grandma on the second meeting ?
Whatever the answer, it seems time passes quicker on Earth than on Gaea.
But this topic remains an enigma for me...
(Van’s royal status)
Moreover, "Hitomi living by Van's side" means sharing her life with a royal figure (and huge responsabilities) of a land she doesn't really know by the way...
She, who just wanted to live a simple life... What a pressure for her...
Van felt the same at the beginning of the series : he never wanted to be King and always clearly aspired to a simple life.
I think he would truly understand her need for time to adapt.
But it's clearly a situation that requires lot of compromises...
There are plenty of possibilities !
[ > PART 4 ]
