Finished watching Banner of the Stars 3

Finished watching Banner of the Stars 3 (2005, Sunrise, 2 epi) on 3/23/2018.

Using his Navy pension and financial support from the King, Jinto plans to return to Martine, his home planet on the Hyde system with the goal of constructing of an anti matter fuel supply chain, thus establishing his Earldom. However, things don't go so smoothly as Martine has still not surrendered to the Empire. On top of that, a squadron of a new class of Assault Vessels is being commissioned by the Empire and Hyde has been chosen as the trial grounds.

Hm... Hahahah! I don't really have much to say about this one in comparison to BotS2. It was still a good production. I think if anything, it was interesting to see how things developed in Martine years after Jinto had left. With his return, he faces some racial prejudice against the Abh. And then there's his adoptive parents and how they feel about Jinto's life as they pose a difficult decision for Jinto to make. The production quality was still pretty good, but that's about it.

8/10 - Maybe I'll look into reading the novels one day.

Finished watching Banner of the Stars 2

Finished watching Banner of the Stars 2 (2001, Sunrise, 10 epi) on 3/15/2018.

Things only get more complicated for Jinto and Lafiel in this new venture. In the vast wake of Fleet Commander Bebaus' conquest of planets, Lafiel is put in charge of planet Lobnas II as a Territorial Ambassador. Upon arriving they come to find that Lobnas II was being used by the United Mankind to house a million prisoners divided into three blocks. The western block was designated for female inmates only while the eastern block is for males. In the middle however is the section where both make and female prisoners co-mingle on the condition of being sterilized. But when the women of the western block demand to be emigrated from the planet, the eastern men rebel. And to top it all off, Lafiel must deal with an incoming enemy fleet, forcing her to make what is possibly her most regrettable decision.

This season had me at the edge of my seat. Trying to handle the politics between all the prison blocks was quite troublesome for the main characters, specially when the show tells you straight off the bat something is going to go horribly wrong with one of your favorite characters. It was definitely well written and amazing to watch Lafiel deal with so much crap at once.

8/10 - It was a bit of a thriller, really.

Finished watching Banner of the Stars

Finished watching Banner of the Stars (2000, Sunrise, 13 epi) on 2/14/2018.

Three years have passed. Lafiel and Jinto have matured and achieved high ranks in the Abh navy. Lafiel has become the captain of a new assault ship called Basroil and Jinto has finished his training to become a Supply Officer under her command. And so, they depart to join a large fleet whose mission is to defend the Laptic Gate from a force that incredibly outnumbers their own. As if that wasn't troublesome enough, the Abh fleet commander comes from an infamous family name, known for their "spectacular insanity".

First thing to notice here is the improvement in art style. Namely, their head shapes are no longer distracting. And the animation quality has also improved as well with cleaner lines. No only that, but the bridge crew adds some new supporting characters to enjoy, which in a story that is not only politically-driven but also dependent on the relationship between characters, it comes as a good addition. However, only one of the new bridge crew members seems to receive most of the attention. And that is Samson Tirusec. Samson is a human Ship Engineer who likes to poke fun at Jinto about him and Lafiel once in a while, and enjoy a couple of drinks over a nice conversation with his crew mates. He's also a bit of a laid back character, but overall I enjoy his screen time.

8/10 - Definitely enjoyed it.

Finished watching Crest of the Stars

Finished watching Crest of the Stars (1999, Sunrise, 13 epi) on 1/27/2018.

Jinto was a young lad when the Abh Empire invaded his home planet. On that day, his father traded his position as the president of Martine for a high rank in the Empire. Years passed and now Jinto, as a young count must learn the ways of the Abh by attending one of their schools. Babysitting him through this process is an Abh princess named Lafiel Abriel. But after being picked up by an Abh ship, they come under attack by human Alliance forces.

This series was brought to my attention by a close friend of mine. And I'm very happy he mentioned it to me as I've come to enjoy this series very much. It had a hint of Legend of the Galactic Heroes in terms of political strife, and a hint of Space Battleship Yamato in terms of action and a character-driven plot. I think what I enjoyed most about this was the relationship between Lafiel and Jinto. Some might find Jinto to be too simple of a character. In my opinion however, I think it's that ordinary-Joe characteristic to him that I find appealing. He also seems to be very laid back and kind person which I think plays well into the dynamic between him and Lafiel. Lafiel can be a bit of a mean cat sometimes with her tsundere antics, but Jinto's kindness sort of tames that feistiness in her. I somehow find that comforting to watch. Maybe Jinto is the kind of person I wish I was. Maybe that's why their relationship is the main thing that kept me watching.

7.5/10 - The only two things that really bothered me was the very strange shape of their heads and the almost trivial conversations and monologues of the Abh captains. Almost as if stalling for screen time.