Hitomi Kanzaki was your normal Japanese fifteen year old who loved being on her school's track team, telling her friends their fortune and had a crush on track star Amano. During one of her track practices she suddenly sees a young man standing before her and shockingly, runs right through him before passing out. Later that day, she tries to persuade her crush Amano to give her a kiss if she can beat her own track record.
Without warning though, she finds herself running into the same boy from before only this time she actually runs into him and is knocked over. She finds out that he is Van Fanel and they both are swept up in a beam of light, leaving Amano and her best friend Yukari behind. When the light fades away, she is shocked to see the Earth and the moon hanging in the night sky. She had been transported to the mystical world known as Gaea.
She soon learns that Van is in fact the future king of the kingdom Fanelia who promises to return her home. But trouble lies on the horizon in the form of the Zaibach empire who plots to take over all of Gaea. It is up to Van and the guymelef Escaflowne to help turn the tides of war as it comes to fruition. Hitomi too plays a part and must find the strength in her heart and overcome her fears and anxieties if she is to help save Gaea from destruction.
gaea
Gaea is a beautiful world in an alternate dimension from Earth where technology and science seems to be just developing. The people live in similar lifestyles reminiscent of Medieval Earth and ancient civilizations with countries ruled by royalty. Due to a dimensional gap, the people of Earth cannot see Gaea but people on Gaea can see the Earth and moon in their night sky. The Earth is a mystery to them and is only referred to as the Mystic Moon and rumors are believed anyone from there is cursed. Hitomi herself is often referred as the girl who came from the Mystic Moon. War is currently brewing on Gaea from an independent country known as Zaibach. For more information on that click here.
escaflowne
Escaflowne is the ancient guymelef in the series, piloted by Van Fanel. It's of an Ispano make that was supposedly made hundreds even thousands of years ago. Nothing is known about how or why Escaflowne was created but it is far more than just a mere weapon. It is used as a soldier to protect Gaea in its most dire time of need and it would seem it is the key to Gaea's future.
guymelefs
Wars are fought very differently on the world of Gaea aside from arrows being used as projectiles and knights fighting in hand-to-hand combat. Victory is determined by the humanoid-shaped constructs known as guymelefs that are controlled by the pilot inside of them. The nations of Gaea have long been competing with one another over developing the strongest melef mostly with intent on conquest. Those that have the most powerful guymelef will determine the outcome of war. For more info on Dilandau's guymelefs click here.
energists
Drag energists are a crucial component for guymelefs since they are used as their power source. They are actually crystals created in the bodies of dragons and are the source of the dragons' energy. Because humans want this precious resource so much, the number of dragons has been dwindling to near extinction.