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Crest of Star vs. Banner of the Stars.




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Septeus7



Joined: 05 Aug 2003
Posts: 88
PostPosted: Wed Jan 12, 2005 1:36 am Reply with quote
I recently started watching the Crest/Banner of Stars series and I been having a problem with it. I had originally stayed from away from that perticular series as my first encounter with it was through Tech TV...aka the English dub. However, having been able to secure a copy of the series in the orginal Japanese I found the first series Crest of the Stars to by very enjoyable. I found the characters to very sympathetic as both stuggled with past of which they had no had put them into positions which both main characters find themselves. Although, the back drop is Sci-Fi in the worst way, the emotion behind the series was entertaining.

However, I have just finished 3 episodes of Banner and its seems to be taking all the interesting aspect of Crest and throwing out the window. Rather the character being conflicted as they were in the first series both have seem to found an identity to which both main character seem content with being and thus the major conflict of the series seems to have shifted from personal insecurities to momentary conflict regarding perticulars of running the Starship. In short, the series seems to have dead ended into mechaism i.e. psuedo military/techno babble and purposeless "missions" which bring nothing to the story or the characters. The character themselves also bear little interest as they have come to find their place as it where thus no conflict results...

Is there hope of this series or I should I not order more from netflix? Confused
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WaR.KiN



Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 68
PostPosted: Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:34 pm Reply with quote
Banner of the Stars 1 is mainly about the spaceship military conflict, but you'll see some of the character conflict later on in the series. If you miss the character development from COTS, try out Banner of the Stars 2. BOTS2 gives the same (or better) performance portraying characters and story.
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MasterFuu



Joined: 27 May 2003
Posts: 434
Location: Phoenix, AZ
PostPosted: Wed Jan 12, 2005 2:20 pm Reply with quote
Crest of the Stars = A+
Banner of the Stars = B
Banner of the Stars 2 = A ++

I recommend you finish the series since its not that many episodes. I really liked Banner of the Stars 2. It was truly epic series and the ending song is great. Smile
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Key
Moderator


Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18411
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Wed Jan 12, 2005 5:40 pm Reply with quote
Septeus7 wrote:
However, I have just finished 3 episodes of Banner and its seems to be taking all the interesting aspect of Crest and throwing out the window. Rather the character being conflicted as they were in the first series both have seem to found an identity to which both main character seem content with being and thus the major conflict of the series seems to have shifted from personal insecurities to momentary conflict regarding perticulars of running the Starship. In short, the series seems to have dead ended into mechaism i.e. psuedo military/techno babble and purposeless "missions" which bring nothing to the story or the characters. The character themselves also bear little interest as they have come to find their place as it where thus no conflict results...


You're right about Lafiel and Kinto finding identities that they seem comfortable with; that's partly a sign of their increased maturity (they're three years older) and partly a sign of the fact they know each other quite well by that point instead of feeling each other out, like they were in the first series. If they weren't more comfortable with each other and their roles then there'd have to be a really good explanation why.

Banner 1 is, overall, more of a "big picture" series. It delves heavily into the war effort and sometimes dwells on other important characters in the military scheme (way too much at times, IMO - my main knock against the series). Later episodes get heavily into the space warfare aspects, especially the tactical stuff. There are some chances for both Lafiel and Jinto to develop further character relationships, though, especially when they find themselves under the command of a relative of someone they had to kill in the first series. (That starts with episode 4 or 5.) There's also the barest hints of some romantic tension.

Banner 2, as already stated, is much, much more about interpersonal stuff, although it, too, get sidetracked for sometimes as much as half an episode with what other important characters are doing. Feelings come out in these episodes which were beneath the surface in Banner 1. The last American DVD volume also has a great full-length bonus episode which deals with Lafiel's parents in the time before she was born and directly leads in to her first appearance in Crest.

If you liked Crest, I recommend sticking with Banner. The first couple of episodes are arguably the weakest point in the series. And yes, I must agree that the dub on Crest was poor, although it (very) gradually gets better through the Banner series.
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Kruszer



Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 7992
Location: Minnesota, USA
PostPosted: Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:50 pm Reply with quote
I personally loved all three series, and own them, all good stuff. Definitely stick with them. They all are slow to start plotswise but once it gets going it's great.
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ShellBullet



Joined: 20 Mar 2003
Posts: 1051
Location: I hit things, with my fist.
PostPosted: Wed Jan 12, 2005 9:04 pm Reply with quote
Think of Crest of the Stars, Banner of the Stars, and Banner of the Stars 2 as one story, it's only 39 episodes anyway. The story may slow down a bit for BOTS, but if you intend to finish the series (and you definately should) you need to stick with it. It is one of my favorite series, it keeps itself to a slow pace, which infuriates some and infatuates others.
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Lazuright



Joined: 12 Jan 2005
Posts: 54
Location: Leominster, MA.
PostPosted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 11:10 am Reply with quote
I watched it all and loved it all. The only problem I have with it is Crest of the stars draws you in and makes you interested, Banner of the stars just drags you, it flops back and forth between interesting and boring, and then Banner of the stars 2, boom! It’s great. They way they take all the loose strings, bring them together, and end the series with a blast. It is my personal opinion that you should get it all, enjoy Crest of the stars, try to bare with Banner of stars, and then prepare for a grand ending in Banner of the stars 2. Trust me, it’s worth it.
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tvgood



Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 56
Location: Salt Lake City Ut
PostPosted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 4:45 pm Reply with quote
I have got to agree with you in the low quality of the english dub. And Banner of the stars in the beginning is kinda of slow in the end though you get to see a very large battle seen. though crest was better i like them bolth and if you like any of them i would suggest getting Banner 2 that one has the strong contradidting emotions like the first.
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Sir_Brass



Joined: 11 Dec 2004
Posts: 476
Location: Prescott, AZ
PostPosted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:32 pm Reply with quote
So, am I the only person here who thoroughly enjoyed ALL 3 series fully?

I found NOTHING wrong with Banner of the Stars. I quite enjoyed the military focus in that series, just as much as I enjoyed the character development we see in Banner II and Crest.
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tvgood



Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 56
Location: Salt Lake City Ut
PostPosted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 7:17 pm Reply with quote
No your not the only one to see all three series all the way through. And yes number 2 is a really good series
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Nagisa
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Joined: 19 Aug 2003
Posts: 6128
Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh
PostPosted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 7:32 pm Reply with quote
Sir_Brass wrote:
So, am I the only person here who thoroughly enjoyed ALL 3 series fully?

I found NOTHING wrong with Banner of the Stars. I quite enjoyed the military focus in that series, just as much as I enjoyed the character development we see in Banner II and Crest.


I'm with you on that. I didn't really see what was so glaringly wrong with any of the series. Banner, I felt, still had a great deal of character development, but it also had to introduce us to the conflict at large (spoiler[which I felt was approrpiate since, if memory serves, it chronicled Lafiel & Jinto's first actual entry into the war, as well]). It also had a really wonderful cast of supporting characters, which I always consider a big plus (c'mon, Spoor, Atosuryua, the Bebaus twins, the Basroil's crew...how can you go wrong with characters like these?). After a series whose focus was solely on two players in an epic struggle (and their part in its beginnings, really), we finally got our first genuine glimpse of the "epic" side of it from their point of view. I don't see what's so wrong here.

tvgood wrote:
No your not the only one to see all three series all the way through.


Sir_Brass is asking who genuinely enjoyed all three series, not who's seen all three.
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Kruszer



Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 7992
Location: Minnesota, USA
PostPosted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 10:26 pm Reply with quote
Sir_Brass wrote:
So, am I the only person here who thoroughly enjoyed ALL 3 series fully?

I found NOTHING wrong with Banner of the Stars. I quite enjoyed the military focus in that series, just as much as I enjoyed the character development we see in Banner II and Crest.


I did as well, all great. Of course, I'd like a well told thought-out Sci-Fi adventure, with good characters, storyline, and interesting technology. I'm used to series like Star Trek's various incarnations and Babylon 5, so I don't mind long stretches of character devolopment either. The dub was rather mediocre though, I agree, though it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the three series.

Quote:
It also had a really wonderful cast of supporting characters, which I always consider a big plus (c'mon, Spoor, Atosuryua, the Bebaus twins, the Basroil's crew...how can you go wrong with characters like these?). After a series whose focus was solely on two players in an epic struggle (and their part in its beginnings, really), we finally got our first genuine glimpse of the "epic" side of it from their point of view. I don't see what's so wrong here.


Agreed, I also liked the supporting cast a lot as well, the dialouge for the series was well written also, in my opinion. Too bad no one has bothered to translate and import the original novels from which the animes themselves were derived. I for one would read them.
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