A girl gets pulled into a world that doesn't want her there, and discovers she's the only one who can save it. The show commits absolutely to making you feel her dislocation, her fear, her growing need to matter, this is shoujo romance that earns every emotional beat by refusing to shy away from real stakes. Yoko Kanno's orchestral score doesn't underscore the story; it becomes the story, turning sword fights and farewells into something that stays in your chest long after the final episode.
Hitomi Kanzaki, a 15-year-old schoolgirl with an interest in tarot and fortune telling, is swept from Earth to Gaea, a magical land where the Earth hangs in the sky. There she is drawn into the quest of Van Fanel, a young prince of Fanelia, who wants to unite Gaea's countries against the menacing Zaibach empire. When Zaibach attacks and destroys Fanelia, Van fights back in Escaflowne, his family's ancient guymelef, a mechanized battle suit. On the run, the pair meet Allen Schezar, an Asturian knight who looks exactly like Hitomi's crush back home. Along the way Hitomi discovers a hidden ability and works to uncover the mysteries around Van, his past and Escaflowne, while Zaibach tries to revive an ancient power. The result is a fantasy adventure that mixes mecha battles with romance.
