Tenkuu no Escaflowne is the story of Kanzaki Hitomi, a junior high school student on Earth. Through magical/mystical means, she is transported to Gaia, an alternate world where the moon and the Earth hang in the sky. Although she doesn't know exactly why she was brought to Gaia, she wants to help the people she meets.

It is also the story of Van Slanzer de Fanel, the young king of Fanelia. He was part of the reason Hitomi was transported to Gaia, and he is her means of returning to Earth. While the story focuses on Van and Hitomi, there are many sub-stories woven throughout the twenty-six episode series.

Classifying Tenkuu no Escaflowne is rather difficult, because it doesn't fall in either of the 'main' classifications (shoujo and shounen). It is a fantasy drama that appeals to both boys and girls, and it was meant to. Many different cultures are portrayed throughout the series, and they seem to mirror various cultures and time periods of Earth.

The music of Tenkuu no Escaflowne was composed by Yoko Kanno, who is often regarded by anime fans as one of the best composers working today. She has done the music for other series such as Cowboy Bebop and Wolf's Rain, and her range of musical styles is truly amazing. The music she wrote for Tenkuu no Escaflowne follows that tradition.

Tenkuu no Escaflowne has a style of animation that is very different from any other series I have seen. It is very beautiful, but it takes some getting used to. The distinctiveness of the style makes it very easy to pick out characters from this series when looking at a group of images.