I haven't read the manga, but be aware that there are at least two - one primarily shonen, one primarily shoujo. There may be others as well.

Personally I find that the Escaflowne anime is a rare beast indeed. Extremely fast paced (as a result of having 13 episodes cut due to budget cuts), well balanced between shonen/shoujo aspects, and telling a superb story.

There is some dispute about the ending but I find it entirely appropriate for a series whose underlying theme is about personal responsibility for your own actions.