The meaning and effect of the transformation of the main character robot of "Escaflowne in the Sky" into a "dragon" [Nostalgic Anime Memoirs Vol. 59

This October, director Kazuki Akane's new anime "Hoshiai no Sora" will begin airing. Director Akane's TV debut work was "Escaflowne in the Sky" (1996). It is often described as a fantasy-style robot anime set in the otherworldly Gaia (......), but there is no reason why a robot must appear, as no toy manufacturer is involved as a sponsor (in fact, the main character, Escaflowne, does not appear in the first episode). (In fact, the robot Escaflowne does not appear in the first episode).
So what is the point of having a robot ...... that transforms into dragon form?　Let's look at episode 4, where Escaflowne transforms into flying dragon form for the first time.

Which robots can fly and which cannot?

Escaflowne, the robot ridden by Baan, prince of the kingdom of Farnellia (the giant robots are collectively called "Guymelef" in the film), is being targeted by the Seibach Empire.
At the beginning of episode 4, the emperor of the Seibach Empire, Dornkirk, says, "If we let the dragon go, we cannot predict how much it will affect our future. He orders the boy knight Dilandu, who is under his command, to lead Gaimmelef "Arseides" to a remote fort in the kingdom of Astoria, where Baan and Escaflowne are being held.
Allen, a knight defending the fort, tries to escape the attack by Alseides' troops on his own personal guymelef "Scherazade".
According to Allen, Escaflowne is "carried in a cruzade. A cruzade is an airship with two wings. The cruzade launches from the basement of the fort, behind a waterfall that cascades down a cliff.
Let's take a look at the mechanics that have appeared so far, once and for all.

A: Guy Melef (on the allied side), ridden by Escaflowne...... baan. At this point, it has never transformed and its flight capabilities have not yet been revealed.
B: Scherazade...... Allen rides Guymelef (on his side), which has sword power comparable to that of A, but without the ability to fly.
C: Arceides...... Dirandu and the knights under his command ride the Guymelef (on the enemy side). It can transform into a flying form with its arms and legs retracted and can fly. A total of five appear here.
D: Cruzade...... an airship steered by Allen's men. It carries A in its hangar.

Since C's objective is A loaded in D's hangar, C flies and chases D. B jumps on top of D and is already in action with him. when C transforms into flying form and chases after him, Allen is surprised that "that Guymelev can fly? is somewhat understandable.

What the deformation of Escaflowne means

In order to protect B and D who are in danger, A, the main robot, dives from the hangar and transforms into a dragon form in mid-air.
D, the allied amphibian, unfolds its wings like an umbrella when it launches; when A transforms into flight form, it unfolds its wings in the same way.
C, the enemy's guymelef, folds its arms and legs in the middle before flying, and A does the same, folding its legs into a dragon shape.
--The same steps were taken with the flying mecha of the enemy and friendly sides that had already appeared, making the deformation of the main robot look natural.
When the reinforced mecha "G Fighter" appeared in "Mobile Suit Gundam" (1979), the enemy side also put a robot (mobile suit) on top of the "Do-Dai YS Bomber," in an effort to counteract the unnaturalness of the tactic due to the convenience of the toy version. This stunt is still alive in "Escaflowne in the Sky," which is not bound by the restrictions of the toy version.

The reactions of Allen on B and Dilandu on C are also not to be missed.

Allen: "Escaflowne is a flying dragon?"
Dilandu "A flying dragon?　I see, is that the dragon that Dornkirk-sama was talking about?"

To Dornkirk's words, "Seize the dragon," he replies with a "picture" of a dragon. The dragon's appearance also makes sense as a decoy to lure Dilandu away from his allies. The deformation of Escaflowne plays a double and triple role in supporting the story.


(Text by Keisuke Hirota)