The problem with Banner is that they focus way to much on the military aspect, when the author truly shines when she is focusing on the character interactions and dramas.
To this I will have to agree, banner I while really cool to see a military side of the story line and it was really quite cool besides being flashy because since it created an enviorment and setting of desperation for the characters, lacked the critical devolpment we saw between jinto and lafiel in crest. Watching crest the episodes seemed to pass by me seemlessly because of a great dynamic of action and development, banners while still quite amazing lacked that.
Moo?
...Seriously, though, what is up with Japanese military sci-fi and trying to rewrite World War II so the militaristic slaving empire are the good guys? At least in Gundam that was a twisted perversion of the original vision by the later writers, but between that, this, and Legend of the Galactic Heroes... I guess there\'s always Layzner.
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Excellent Sci-Fi with good plot and character development
Crest Of The Stars is an excellent anime/book series that works on several different levels.
A cursory look might be deceptive, as both enemy and allied propaganda regularly resort to stereotypes and cliches. These presentations are commonly at odds with what we observe ourselves. Occasionally I have found viewers who seem to have missed the point. We are not supposed to accept the propaganda at face value, instead we are to consider how both sides fall short of their ideals. Other times propaganda we dismiss out of hand as too outlandish to be true, is in fact, the truth. It truly is Gray And Gray Morality. Personally I find myself in agreement with the philosophy of the Designated Villain, yet at the same time cheering for our protagonists.
First, as a matter of Science Fiction, Crest fills a void, as an excellent modern example of "hard" sci-fi, but with the same vision about the potential of science as older sci-fi by greats such as Jules Verne or Isaac Asimov. Particularly in the books, which develop a unique description and plausible theory of how "hyperspace" travel would actually work.
Second, Crest has pitch perfect development of our two lead protagonists, and develops secondary characters as well. While the books allow for a more extensive character development, the anime does a superior job at developing the chemistry between the two leads.
Third, the plot is strong, and develops at a good pace. It begins with a great hook, as the main protagonist's (Jinto's) home world is invaded by the Ahb. Jinto's father betrays his people to the Abh, and Jinto is shipped off to Ahb school. The story then follows Jinto as he becomes more involved in the Ahb's war against the rest of humanity.
Finally, Crest challenges many of our assumptions who is right and who is wrong, and also about which side we should choose, both of whom are flawed. One of the more moving elements is the implication that Jinto himself is not in agreement with the Ahb philosophy, preferring that of his enemies, and yet he is bound to the Ahb by personal loyalties to his comrades. This is actually quite realistic.
The sequel series to Crest: Banner Of The Stars I, II, and III, while still quite good, do not rise to the same level of perfect balance. Either they over focus on specific portions of the plot, or they do not fully develop the plot.