Andrew Huang wrote:

One warning before reading this, Andrew: There's some details about what
happened to Dilandu that I don't think you're aware of yet.  If you
don't want those spoiled as well, delete this.

A general warning for anyone here: If you don't like spoilers (even
small ones), delete and wait until you get a copy of Escaflowne.

This
        Small ones? This is no small spoiler, it's an "end of the
anime"
spoiler.... *sigh* Of course, I haven't seen the end of the anime, but
I
had the misfortune to read a plot summary a little farther than I
would
have liked. :P

Heh.  Don't you just hate it when that happens?  

is based completely off of the anime, BTW.

        How much different is the manga from the anime?

In this case it's important from a pronoun perspective.  The anime
involves pronounced physical changes as well as personality changes.  In
one scene, Dilandu rips his shirt off in a rage, and the chest there is
unmistakeably masculine.  

        Yay Escaflowne.... ^_^

Beautiful series, ne?  

  It's almost enough to terrify me anymore.  I know who I am now,
  and what happened to me... but it still doesn't help.  I wish I
  could get rid of him and everything he stood for in all his
  chaotic madness, but I can't. He is a small, frightening part of
  me, just as I was a small, quiet part of him when he was in
  charge.  And, when I look upon myself in the mirror, it isn't just
  me I see anymore... but him, with his blood-red eyes, and angry
  scar, and animal sneer.

        At this point, I realized that this would be Dilandau-after-
Dilandau, if that makes any sense.... Scary sort of thing to think
about,
though, isn't it?

Yep.  A friend of mine (who hasn't seen the series yet) told me to put
down the copy of Operation: Mindcrime and get out of the room.  He
wasn't very far off.

  Perhaps all this is a byproduct of what I have been through.  I am
  in truth a gentle soul, though I doubt I could be held back if I
  saw the sorcerors who did this to me.  What they did... most
  people would gut them on sight for, for a sin to the innocent is
  magnified a thousandfold.

        Good line.

It seemed to fit.

  Still, even in this dank pit, I found some friendship.  The lionic
  Jajuka protected me, becoming my sole comfort there.  A small part
  of me still longs for his warm touch; unfortunately, I was taken
  away once more, and would not see him again until shortly before
  his death.  Even then, I could not appreciate his presence... for
  _he_ was in charge.

        "He"? Would this be a reference to the shapeshifter who did
the
brainwashing?

Nope.  As I stated above, there was a pronounced physical change along
with the personality changes.

  For he is me, whether I like it or not.  I can still see his
  handiwork - the scars and scorchmarks along some of the city's
  streets let me know of his sins, and that he was as real as I am
  now.

        What a nightmare....

Yep.  

  It is the only way...

        Nice, nice job. Great piece of work....

Thanks.

>From Andrew Huang, brought to you by his computer, Oddzilla

-- Nick