At the Anime Matsuri Convention, FUNimation announced that it has launched a Kickstarter with a $150,000 goal to create an HD remaster of The Vision of Escaflowne with a brand new dubbing. This project is to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the anime. The following is a quote directly from FUNimation’s Kickstarter page:
“The series is beloved worldwide, but there has never been a complete English dub for fans. The uncut HD Japanese version of the show includes scenes that have never been seen in North America, meaning that English speakers have never experienced the show fully in dubbed format. Also, despite the fantastic visuals, the series has not been released in its HD glory on Blu-rayhere either. Across forums, social media, conventions, and more, fans like you have voiced endless requests for a new full-series dub that gives this series the treatment it deserves. Team up with us to make this a reality!”
“We’ve been working hand-in-hand with Sunrise—and legendary director Kazuki Akane and creator Shoji Kawamori—to explore the possibility of creating this new dub for months. We aren’t attempting to raise the entire production costs of a new dub, but rather to demonstrate the extent of fan interest—is it enough to warrant the creation of this dub? If the demand is truly there, then you can think of this Kickstarter more as a pre-order campaign rather than a fundraiser.”
“If the project meets the goal of $150,000, we’ll be releasing The Vision of Escaflowne television series on Blu-ray and DVD with both the original uncut Japanese HD with English subtitles, and a brand-new English dub matching those materials. This release will also include an exclusive interview with Kazuki Akane and Shoji Kawamori specifically recorded for English-speaking fans, and the Escaflowne movie will receive a new matching dub. Certain tiers of this Kickstarter include Escaflowne Blu-ray/DVD releases as rewards, including a special pre-order of a one-of-a-kind version of Part 1 that includes a beautiful chipboard housing box and art cards featuring illustrations from the series. This Kickstarter Edition of Part 1 is ONLY available to Kickstarter backers.”
The original anime aired from April 2, 1996 to September 24, 1996 and contained 26 episodes. The series spawned a movie that aired on June 24, 2000. There was also a manga that ran in Shounen Ace Magazine from December 1994 to January 1998 spanning 34 chapters across 8 volumes. A spinoff manga, Hitomi: The Vision of Escaflowne, was serialized in Asuka Fantasy DX from April 8, 1996 to January 18. 2007 and ran for 10 chapters across 2 volumes.
MyAnimeList describes the story as follows:
High school student Hitomi is transported from Earth to the magical world of Gaea, where she meets boy prince Van Fanel, and is caught up in his quest to unite the countries of Gaea against the ominous Zaibach empire. On the way, she discovers a hidden ability and strives to unravel layers of mystery surrounding Van, his past, and the giant machine known as Escaflowne.
If you wish to participate in the Kickstarter, you can do so by visiting the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/funimationprod/the-vision-of-escaflowne-a-new-hd-dub-for-the-clas
