DESCRIPTION

CAST

ANIME ActionSeikai no Monshou
ANIME ActionSeikai no Senki II
SPECIAL ActionSeikai no Senki Tokubetsu-hen
MANGA Sci-FiSeikai no Monshou

REVIEWS

• 

  PlatinuMan

  55/100
  Banner of the Stars takes the series in a slightly new direction that polishes strengths but introduces new weaknesses

  There is an effect in the arts, most notably in music, dubbed the "sophomore slump". It relates to the fact that the sequel to an acclaimed or beloved work often pales in comparison to its predecessor. If a movie is a smash hit, the sequel will be less of a hit. A band's first album is a milestone in its genre? Next album is half of one. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule and the term is fairly overstated. Yet the term has become so commonplace that it's much easier to think of the "slumps" than it is of the "rises". In the case of the Stars series, I found out that Crest of the Stars was much more of a beloved show than I had thought (outside of knowing the novels won a Seiun award back in the 90's). However, its sequel Banner doesn't seem to get the same amount of love. In Banner's defense, I don't think it's a case of "sophomore slump" as much as it is the expectations of the viewers coming into it.

  The most notable thing that Banner does, for me, is that it "stops pretending". I mentioned in my Crest review about how one-sided the politics feel and how it tends to be biased towards the Abh. Banner drops this element - now its Abh focused for the duration of the show. It focuses more on the battles and how the characters (most notably Lafiel's division) feel about their placement in the war. Though dropping the politics may put some in a dour mood, I actually see this as an improvement for the show. If the show wanted to be like LoGH and show balance between the two sides, it did a poor job at it - its hard to see the conflict past "Abh good, humans bad" with such a warped perspective. It now has more time for action and the characters, which is something I liked about the show in the first place. Dropping the weaker elements and strengthening the more prevalent elements allows me to see the show for what it is instead of what its trying to compete with.

  So what's happened in the 3 years since the last adventure? Lafiel's become a captain of the ship Basroil while Jinto has become a trusty supply officer (who, obviously, is enrolled by Lafiel for her crew). Some new characters are introduced as Lafiel's crew members, like the taciturn and serious Ekuryua, the drinking blue-collar spirit of Samson and the mature Wing Flyer Sobaash. Other characters are introduced as commanders of other ship divisions. Lafiel's commander, Atosuryua, is the sister of the Baron they killed 3 years prior. The Bibos twins, Nefei and Nereis, are known for their "Beautiful Insanity" when it comes to drawing up battle plans. Finally, a few characters return from Crest - the haughty commander Spoorh and the supreme commander Dusanyu. Rather than an adventure, the episodes focus on the buildup and battle defending the critical area of the Aptic Gate. We see how the Abh react, prepare and fight against a human fleet of 15 times their own size. Fans of more tactical thought will enjoy this season more as there are a lot more dangerous situations. Outnumbered battles and new enemy weapons keep the Abh on their toes and the battles often turn from one of equal footing to one of strategic survival.

  That said, the best part of Banner of the Stars is not these battles but the characters. Banner of the Stars' theme is discussing a person's place and role in the universe and these introspective moments is when we see the characters as more than cartoons. Jinto channels his inner Shinji Ikari (Evangelion) and contemplates his loneliness in the empire (non-Abh race, lost his family completely) and if anyone would truly miss him if he were gone. Lafiel battles her strong will against the commands of others and learns of the important roles that a leader has vs. her usual solo nature. Outside these two, Samson is the best character in the show. He comes from the surface like Jinto, but is older and has experienced years of the Abh's space service. His remark that people much younger than him are passing him by while he retains the same position is a bittersweet message of the show. We don't get to see too much of his serious side, as he prefers drinking and joking, but the few moments of solemnness we get with him are some of the best in the show. Perhaps that's why I find it to be so special - it's rare but it's there and it makes an impact.

  Although the show's change of direction is something I approve, it still ultimately has problems. I didn't mention it in the Crest review but both Crest and Banner suffer greatly from one thing - its dryness. A show about space battles with grandiose scores should be exciting, but I don't feel it too often due to the Abh race. The Abriels, Ekuryua, and even the Bibos twins deliver lines in a very flat way with no dynamics in range. They're not free of emotions, but it often feels like they're trying their best to not show any - they don't come off as charismatic nor remotely interesting. You'd think that the Bibos twins, with the name "Beautiful Insanity", would do something mind blowing but the only real insanity is the constant one-upping the brothers try to do with each other. Even they admit they play it quite safe for battle plans this time around. Some characters, such as Sporh, break free from this but in the wrong way, coming off as bratty and more in place for a rom-com than a space opera. Not all characters suffer from this (Samson, Atosuruya), but they're a minority in the cast of undesirable characteristics. I'm not asking for people goofing off or being comic relief - this is a war and lives are on the line, after all. Just a little more expression would go a long way with me. The anime, as said above, is based on a novel series. For books, you don't get to see the action - you have to imagine it. So if I can imagine the characters saying their lines much more expressively than I can see them in the adaptation, I'd rather read the book.

  Other issues I find stem not from what the show does but what it doesn't do. An example is the earlier mentioned Bibos twins, who aren't particularly insane in their battle performance. The way I see it, Sporh is far more "insane" in her approach ("crush the weak" philosophy) than the Bibos twins. Another good example is Roi Atosuruya, Lafiel's commander. You would think that Atosuruya, being the brother of the Baron that Jinto and Lafiel killed, would have contempt towards them and use her position of power subtly to endanger their lives further (as well as be an early example of cracks in the Abh empire's perfect image). However, it is treated as water under the bridge. That's a surprisingly mature approach and Atosuruya has good reasons for why there's no real issue, but it passes on an opportunity for conflict/excitement. And when a series is a dry, slow-paced watch, that can go a long way to making it a worthwhile viewing. Ultimately, many of these issues can be brushed away by stating this is a beginning or prologue to events to come. This is based on the first book in a series of five, so changes can happen and what I've said could end up being irrelevant. That said, this review covers what is shown and known for the anime, so it's a bit unfair to say "the sequel fixes this" when this cour must be watched first.

  This show, to me, is the equivalent of reading a textbook. Yes, it's factual and there are a lot of important details you need for your classes or major. However, it's not an exciting read and it's hard to maintain excitement or interest. Like I said before, this may not apply to everyone. Those that want a more technical and tactical show will enjoy this, maybe even more so than Crest of the Stars. This isn't a bad show by any stretch, but it's just not to my preference.

  As I said before, this show is more action based and it shows in a slightly higher budget. There are more fight scenes and therefore more times to show off said action. There are a lot of camera tricks involved to simulate flight (Crest also did this, in fairness) and there's some ugly early CG used occasionally, but there's more fluidity and a bit higher production qualities. Those looking for what's new in the sound department will be disappointed - most of the tracks here were all previously used in Crest. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though - Crest of the Stars had a good orchestral soundtrack. The exception is the new ED "Pink" by YUAMU, which evokes a 90's alternative rock song. It's a good song, and shows great contrast with the slight roughness of the lead vocals and some nice chorus harmonies. It's better than Crest's ED, though I still like the chorus for Crest's ED a bit more (it's too infectious).

  Overall, I give this show a 5.5. From a numerical standpoint, it may seem that I think this show is equal to Crest but that's not the case. I prefer Banner over Crest, but I find both to be similar in strengths and disappointments that they fall around the same level. If you like Crest of the Stars for its romanticized adventures, tread cautiously for Banner. You'll get more Jinto and Lafiel, but the romance and adventure aspects are both downplayed. Those looking for a more grounded show (as strange as that is to say for a space opera) will enjoy this, while those looking for something a bit more flashy should give a pass to this one. I'll admit, Banner of the Stars is for a niche audience and I am not part of that niche. Those that are will find this show to be a definitive favorite.

  Do you like or dislike this anime? If you haven't watched it, are you encouraged to watch it or not? Leave a comment on my profile telling me what you think of the anime and/or my review.

  Thanks for reading and have a blessed day!

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• 

  Rastrelly

  95/100
  Still a master-class in character and world building - now with added beauty of realistic warfare

  Welcome to the war, son

  Banner of the Stars (BotS) is, oddly enough, a sequel to Crest of the Stars (CotS), but I am lying, because this is the way I am. If you'd ask the author of the original story - Hiroyuki Morioka - it's actually the other way around - Crest is the prequel to Banner, and Banner is actually the main story, while Crest is there to be an extended prologue.

  Note 1: this review inevitably spoils Crest of the Stars, so please do watch it before reading okaythanks.

  Note 2: This review might reference my Crest of the Stars review. It is fat enough already, so I will not repeat certain fundamental stuff, though I might elaborate on some.

  While Crest is a small-scale story about two people trying to survive while the war starts to rage on, Banner is actually the story of that war. Misunderstanding this is probably the reason why so many people feel weird dissonance between Crest and Banner. The central character of the story is now Lafiel. Jinto is a supporting character, who loses his importance as the story goes on. At this point he still is an important narrative anchor, and still has a character arc to complete, but structurally he's here to provide a comfortable viewpoint for the reader; this approach migrated to the anime version, but now the original main duo is no longer the main focus.

  This is the story of two major... let's say -- processes.

  First - this is the story of the Humankind Empire of Abh going through their greatest war in order to achieve their eternal goal. In this war the fundamental principles of the philosophy the Empire proclaims are constantly tested on multiple levels, and this is why we barely see anything of the opposing factions - at this point of the war they are unimportant, and their approach to internal policies was shown in Crest well enough - for those who forgot, I'll remind: United Mankind, the major force in Four Nations Alliance, is a monolithic entity, which forces its planets into their cultural paradigm, streams non-stop propaganda and builds its war effort morale on brutal dehumanisation of the enemy. Further down the line we'll see that everything is not that simple, too, but fundamentals are there and will remain unchanged.

  Second is a personal story of Lafiels ascension to power. It was explained in Crest, but was really cut down from the books, so I'll more or less fill in the basics here: the Emperor is not a title that is inherited. Due to the nature of the Imperial order, there are many founding families in the Empire, who were founded even before the Empire came to be, when the Abh were wandering through the stars on their city-ship. Professions were taught by a parent to the child, forming tightly related specialized clans. The most powerful clan - the Abriels - were responsible for navigation and command duty, as this is what their originator was literally breeded to be. Now Abriels form 8 royal families, each of which nominally rules over 8 kingdoms of the Empire. Abriel family is symbolic to the Empire - the star they rule is named after them, and this symbolism lies within the concept that Abriels are the empire; they exist to be the cogs who run it, not to rule it from above. Basically, Abriels are the most duty-bound family in the Empire, and they strictly oversee this order of things from within. The Imperial Elder Counsil, consisting of ex-emperors and kings, oversees careers of young Abriels, and the Emperor himself, and has the power to eliminate any of them at any point. Each Abriel is bound to aspire to become the Emperor. They compete by military advancement - the Abriel, who reaches the rank of Imperial Marshal of the Fleet (Rue Spen) -- the highest rank in Star Forces - is declared to be the crown prince, and when the other Abriel from next generation reaches the same rank, current Emperor resigns, crown prince becomes the Emperor, and the new Marshal becomes the crown prince. Now, the important part: Lafiel at this moment is the leader in her generation. Dusanyu, king of Barker, is the current crown prince. He is not related to the ruling Empress Ramaj, as she belongs to the Kryb branch, as well as Lafiel.

  Lafiel is currently a deca-commander, a rank allowing her to captain a ligth ship. She is assigned to a Roil-class destroyer "Basroil". She drags in Jinto, who just has finished the Academy, as an administrative officer, and the rest of her crew is assigned by the crew commission (and the picks were clearly dictated by the Elder Counsil, but shhhhhh). So, who is in the crew?

  First Mate Sobaash, and old and skilled officer, who just no so long ago rejoined the Star Forces, as he spent most his life as a captain of a trade ship and an owner of a trading company. Smart, decisive, pragmatic and stoic, he's the perfect foil to impulsive Lafiel. His function on the ship - planar navigation, consulting of the captain, secondary command duties. In the books he sports a moustache :D

  Chief Engineer Samsonn, the only crew member who was in actual battle, an optimistic man's man, who likes booze, girls, and preferably at the same time. He's responsible for machinery and equipment on the ship.

  Officer-navigator Ekurya - a menacingly calm girl with empty look, who hates cats but likes Jinto in her own odd way. She manages 3d navigation and secondary armaments of the ship.

  Officer-administrator Linn, also known as Jinto, or, more commonly, baka, is, obviously, the administrator. He oversees supplies and staff on the ship - cargo, medical section, life support etcetera. Makes clumsy attempts to hide his friendship with Lafiel, but discovered immediatley; the crew gives no damns on the subject, though.

  Chief manager of catness Diaho, the ruling ruler of the ship - Jinto's cat, whom Lafiel gifted to Jinto at the end of Crest. Was not supposed to be on board, as cats are traditionally not allowed on ships during the war (per tradition - the order "No cats allowed!"; it's book stuff, ignored in the anime), but Jinto is Jinto, and Diaho ends up on Basroil despite all.

  Captain, deca-commander Abriel - Lafiel, the hero of the story to some extent. She is doubly burdened in Banner I - on one side, whe kinda lives in the future, when she's the admiral of the fleet, giving orders to the entire armadas, but, heh, the reality is here - and she commands a destroyer, responsible for the lives of 20-something crewmembers, while being a subordinate to an unexpected commander, who probably has the most negative opinion of her, and to the Admiral, who is well known to be insane. Good stuff. For her this is the main test of her ability to continue the Emperor contest - if she will be able to command this ship properly _and survive, she might be considered a worthwhile investment as the Emperor material.

  The war got stagnant after the events of Crest. Invasion of Clasbul system and annexation of significant part of the Iriish kingdom was a side maneuver, while the main assult fleet was headed straight to the Imperial Capital of Lakfakalle. Prince Dusanyu managed to fend Lakfakalle off, but both fleets were barely capable of any further expansion, Three yeras later, the Empire is finally ready to start pushing back against the Alliance. A large assault force is formed, ready to push into the territory of United Mankind, and to create the connection between separated kingdoms of the Empire - operation Renibu, "Phantom Flame", begins. MAin force of the United Mankind is immediately pulled to the invasion area, ready to stop the progress of Imperial forces and they are armed with some new interesting weaponry.

  With Banner it is important to understand that the scale of events is much smaller than it seems. i saw complaints that the Empire is "just winning all the time" -- but it is deeply wrong. For example, the success of Operation Renibu allows the Empire to chip off a small chunk of the territory of the United Mankind, barely damaging either their economy, or their productive potential. All they would achieve by this success - is securing direct supply routes between separated territories of the Empire, and gaining momentum to retake what they lost in the first act of war. All sides of the conflict are straining their economies to supply the war effort - the fleets brought in are the attacking arms of the general forces, the part of the fleet, considered extreme for the defence efforts, and able to operate without creating risks for the main territories. This is classic warfare, in which the military forces are an expendable resource which is hard to recover. Loss of a fleet leads to several years of initiative provided to the enemy.

  Admirals of the fleet played high role in Crest already, but now we see a large war effort to be performed. The logistics, manoeuvrers, and decision making process are brilliantly shown, depicting the strategic side of warfare, which is almost often omitted or outright ignored in space operas, even as significant as the Legend of Galactic Heroes, where the war is mostly a foil for character progression. In Banner the war is the centrepiece, and it is flawlessly knitted into character stories and the rules of the setting.

  Character interactions and writing are still superb in this season, with highlights, except for "Basroil" crew, being Prince Dusanyu and his chief of staff archduchess Kenesh, who oversee the operation, the "brilliantly insane" Bebaus brothers and, returning from Crest, admiral Spaurh and her chief of staff Kufadiss in all their glory.

  large emphasis is made on tactical level as well - the battles are structured in a realistic manner, with sides trying to utilize their forces to their best, and utilizing ship classes to their proper function. We can see layered defences, mass "artillery" attacks, the doctrine of defensive supremacy in action, as well as smart usage of invented physics to amplify the way the battles are played out.

  In this one I can criticize only small things - final acts are a bit rushed at certain points, and the nonlinear structure strikes again a little bit. Jinto's narration in early episodes is equally unbearable to Crest, but is shortened. The scene with dresses, which I mentioned in CotS review, breaks the canon for no reason, as it could equally smexy with traditional Abh garments.

  Overall I can absolutely recommend the series, yet again, as the quality on the technical side only grows from here, while writing and narrative structure never fails. If you want a deep and realistic depiction of warfare with equally deep and realistic character interactions - please, do watch this. Or better read the books.

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