Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally!!, September 7, 2004
This review is from: Banner of the Stars - Complete Collection (DVD)
Yes!! Finally you can buy the complete Banner of the Stars season in a complete collection!! I can not begin to tell you how happy this is going to make alot of SiFi anime fans :) Banner of the Stars is the second season of Crest of the Stars with more character development and better plots. If you havn't seen Crest of the Stars yet I would recomend you watch it first then watch this complete collection of Banner of the Stars. The third complete collection for Banner of the Stars II will be released later this year (2004)!! Thank you Bandai Entertainment!! Anime fans everywhere will appriciate this series in complete collection format :)
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
AMAZING SHOWS, March 29, 2006
This review is from: Banner of the Stars - Complete Collection (DVD)
I have seen many shows in the past but about this one, I have to admit that it is truly an amazing show. I will avoid writing down all the names and terms that occur during the shows so that to avoid causing any "headaches" to the reader. The story basically evolves through a galactic war among an elf-look-alike nation, called the Abhs, and humanity. Thing is that the first ones are human beings as well; they just altered their DNA and became something like a supreme human race. Moreover, they are conquering the galaxy and as it becomes obvious let us say, the "primitive" kind of humanity resists. Apart from it, the amazing thing is that the story evolves around Lafiel and Jinto, the first is the daughter of an aristocrat and a princess at the same time, of the Abhs, and the second one is a human and a noble man among the ranks of the Abhs. May sound confusing, but in the series it will become apparent that some human nations have also formed alliances with the Abhs and fight side by side with them. Having watched the complete shows, meaning all the episodes from "Crest of the Stars" up to "Banner of the Starts II", the viewer will definitely get hooked up with the show. As the episodes go on, the more attached he or she will become with the main protagonists, especially with the relationship between Lafiel and Jinto, that starts as a strong friendship and evolves to a... . Furthermore, the protagonists are caught up in the mists of war and have to do anything possible not just to stay alive but also to protect each other... As for the ending, it surely answers all the questions that may be in the viewers mind and has a satisfying ending. All this been said, I will definitely suggest the show. But if you truly want to watch the show, than you must see it from the beginning, meaning to the "Crest of the Stars", then "Banner of the Starts I" and lastly, "Banner of the Starts II". The only sad thing is that in the end you will want more of these shows but I do not know if there will be anything new "out there". The only thing left to say is: Enjoy them...
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
"Greater Galactic Co-Prosperity Sphere", May 14, 2009
This review is from: Banner of the Stars - Complete Collection (DVD)
The title of this review is a play on the old "Greater East Asian Co-prosperity Sphere" the Japanese tried to create between 1905 and 1945, with Japan as ruler over "lesser" nations surrounding her. The difference between this and what the Abh are trying to do is depressingly small and explains why everyone else in the galaxy declared war on them in "Crest of the Stars": The galaxy got tired of being gobbled up by the greedy space elves. BOS takes up 3 years after the war ground to a halt. The Abh have rebuilt their fleet and have launched a counteroffensive to regain contact with the other half of their empire. BoS is a remarkably one-sided continuation of the story, with "United Mankind" being little more than crude icons moving across Abh battle screens. The enemy are depicted as largely cowardly, incompetent, venial, and prone to use dishonorable, sneaky tactics. I won't say the space battles are boring but during one an Abh fleet commander wanders off to take a bath. There's no real sense of danger to the main characters; they spend a lot of time sitting around drinking tea and discussing the upcoming battles. Character development seems remarkably lacking compared to the first installment Crest of the Stars. A major subplot running through the series is how long Jinto can keep his cat aboard before Lafiel orders him to ship it home. As for Jinto himself I get the strong feeling that at some point after the Abh invaded his homeworld he had some major brainwashing performed to make him a dutiful and compliant subject of the Empire. There's no sense of resentment at being subjugatedd, he's an amiable, likeable fellow with no strong convictions or passions and sees his place in the universe as a doting servant of Lafiel serving her refreshments and giving encouraging words to her during battles. "supply Officer" seems a major demotion from his role in Crest of the Stars. All in all I can't recommend the series to serious space-war junkies. It moves at a glacial pace, the characters aren't interesting, and it's an almost completely one-sided view of the war. The animation is good, the subbing excellent, and the figures are well-drawn. Aside from that I can't really recommend it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
