The 1996 Sunrise anime "The Vision of Escaflowne" is one that is known to most Mecha fans as it aired in America some years ago and is generally very fondly remembered. The Beautifully designed titular Escaflowne itself however has been something of a pipe dream for many fans, when it's transformation to the just as elegant Dragon mode was animated no thought was given then as to the practicality of any toys being made of this design so the animators were free to use as much anime magic as they liked. While the end result is quite awe inspiring on first viewing, it was thought of as being impossible to realise in a 3D figure.
That is until Studio Halfeye opened it's doors in 1997, their first release was a beautifully realised fully transforming Escaflowne. Thought it was a resin kit, hideously expensive and did require some parts switching it was still an amazing achievement. This was the only transforming Escaflowne figure money could buy until 2003 when Yamato, early into their complicated Mecha toy manufacturing career teamed up with Studio Halfeye to release a transforming toy of the Escaflowne based on SHE's kit. Released to the delight of many fans who could now afford a transforming Escaflowne of their own it was sadly deeply flawed. Yamato were infamous in their early days for poor quality control, loose fitting parts and just generally bad design. All of those unfortunate quirks were present in the Escaflowne and it resulted in a figure that while affordable and transformable as claimed looked nowhere near as good as the resin kit upon which it had been based.
Fast forward to today and Escaflowne seemed all but forgotten, especially by Bandai and Yamato. Studio Halfeye itself had sadly been forced to close in late 2009 so a further reissue of the kit also seemed impossible. Fans have been clamouring for a new Escaflowne for some time, toy engineering it was generally believed had advanced to the point where it would be possible to better replicate SHE's stunning work in a mass produced affordable figure or for the well respected Soul of Chogokin team to design their own from the ground up. Well the time has finally come. :D
On Friday the 1st of October, 2010 Bandai opened their annual Tamashi Nation show to give fans, retailers and press a glimpse of upcoming toy goodness from the big B and among the many drool worthy items on display was none other then Escaflowne. A very accurate looking Escaflowne, so accurate that from just the first picture no one expected it to transform but Bandai have worked miracles and produced what looks like a stunning replica of the much wished for mech. Perhaps even more amazingly Bandai have partnered with the now closed Studio Halfeye to deliver this masterpiece. The exact extent of this collaboration isn't yet known nor do we know if it is indeed a perfect transformation piece. No Escaflowne to date has been so I await with baited breath to see just how much of a miracle Bandai has worked and how much it's going to cost me! :D
The display at Tamashi Nation, the stand on the left seems to be a general selection of products from Studio Halfeye's past. This picture is from Akiba Hobby.
A much clearer view of the Studio Halfeye figures, from moeyo.
Great shot of the Studio Halfeye history placard from moeyo.
Lovely close up of the Escaflowne, also from moeyo.
Another fantastic clear shot, you can see some of the workings and the great detail. From GA Graphic.
From Ami Ami's blog.
From Akiba Hobby.
From Akiba Hobby.
From Hobby Stock.
This last picture gives you a good look at the placard, showing this to be a Chogokin item. From Hobby Stock.
Ultra clear shot of the Escaflowne's product card from moeyo.
The Bandai/SHE team up is presumably explained on this card, also from moeyo.
