Like you and Ghostlightning pointed out, one of the key things that make Crest of the Stars so special is the balance between the vastness of his setting and the personal, living characters inside it. I also agree that a less unbiased portrayal of the United Mankind forces would have added significantly to the story.

I’ll be interested to read your opinion on the novels once you’ve finished reading.

oh, and the themepark episode was awsome; heroic robotic horses and everything!

-What The Big N said-

The consequence of not having a developed United Mankind as a character group/antagonist is that we do feel that something’s missing: as if the whole show can feel like the propaganda that the UM broadcasts to its population, only this time promoting the Abh, and ever more subtly.

That said, it also gives us a stronger experience of Jinto’s isolation. We see how dependent he is on Lafiel, which is beautifully balanced by how she depends on him in her own fashion.

The Abh is the subject of the narrative, and the whole thing works as well as it does because we get to know this alien world through the eyes of a n00b like Jinto.

The characters and character interactions are the best part of the show, no doubt. :3

@Ryan A: subtleties indeed. I don’t think the nuances in body language and designs of the mecha and vehicles don’t get enough credit; it’s a complex universe, whose surface is merely scratched here.

@hashihime: I don’t understand how Lafiel could be misunderstood either! She’s the gutsiest and most entertaining female lead I’ve seen outside of a Miyazaki movie, and definitely not a fanservice character at all.

@Omo: there’s the issue of whether certain things work better in a visual medium, but I don’t think Morioka intended them to be adapted that way at first. It certainly works well in the animated format - the facial expressions and banter shouldn’t be restricted to print on a page!

@Crusader: I’d like to see the human side given a bit more attention - they are after all the opponents in the conflict. I would certainly add a more balanced perspective but I suspect the story decided to concentrate on exploring the Abh culture instead. I can’t wait to see what ‘chaos’ Spoor wreaks in Banner though!

@ghostlightning: I don’t think I’ll track down the manga for this series - the novels and the anime give a full enough grasp of the bigger picture for me. ‘Restraint’ is the key in the Jinto/Lafiel dynamic, although I’d like to see less of their feelings left to the imagination by the end. Maybe Morioka is leaving that resolution for his final novel…?

@mechafetish: I think I’ll make a start on Banner in the new year..need to survive Christmas first though! You might be surprised how many Sheryl fanboys there are among us by the way…

@IKnight: The AE is useful, but it doesn’t have the advantage of constant updates for new shows that the likes of ANN and Wiki have. Furthermore, the contributors are more or less the only well-known ’serious’ UK anime critics so I guess fans are reluctant to disagree with them, even though they’re as prone to occasional mistakes of judgment as anyone else. In terms of LotGH, I suppose I had Tytania in mind here (which is very similar indeed…in a good way of course), and perhaps Star Wars. The …Stars franchise is more appealing to me than anything George Lucas can come up with, though.

I’ve waxed lyrical about Crest before, so you already know I agree with you on its quality and on the need for its sequels to be released here. Crusader raises an interesting point about the United Mankind. As far as I recall all we get about them is an excerpt from one of their propaganda videos, which is more about how they perceive the Abh.

Are there any Legend of the Galactic Heroes clones? I haven’t looked very hard, but I couldn’t think of any offhand - and it’s the kind of clone I’d be interested in watching . . .

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@ Martin
If you haven’t seen the rest of the series, you must! Especially Banner II which rivals Crest as the best of the series. Even Banner III (which looks like it could serve as the ending of the animated series) is a fitting farewell to the universe.

@ Crusader
Grand Duchess Spoor is indeed awesome! I find it funny how ghostlightning tells me that you are an even bigger Sheryl fan than me, looks like we have more than that in common! My favorite Spoor moment: Her negotiation with the United Mankind Admiral in Banner II. Sheer WIN.

Mechafetishs last blog post..Only in the Philippines: a national love affair with a combining super robot

I can’t really explain it, but I’m glad that this is anime. I may change my mind later when I get around to reading the books (I have the first volume of the manga and the character designs are ugly and killed my willingness to read it). I feel that it is an example of what can be told through the anime medium, how nuanced and meaty the dialogue and the characters can get.

I agree that part of how the series showed its class is through the restraint it held on developing the relationship between Jinto and Lafiel. It’s beautiful and I prize this kind of storytelling. I do say here that I sometimes wish that they do gave in to the cheesy romantic tropes if there will be a continuation of the story. I’ve been rooting for Jinto the whole series, and a kiss… hell, a few kids between the two would be fine by me. Be glad that I’m not the one calling the shots!

Grand Duchess Spoor is my hero, in fact many of the female captains in Crest and Banner are vastly different from any other series for their ability to credibly think about a tactical problem. Just wait until you meet the blokes from Banner I am sure you will be pleased.

The relationship between Jinto and Lafiel was handled in a much more dignified and subtle way, such a pity that it is over as an anime franchise.

But Banner of the Stars, oh how lovely thou art.

Just as Ryan A said, this is one of the series that made me love this medium.

This is the sort of series that makes lovers of the media.