Search - Crest of the Stars - To the Stars (Vol. 1) on DVD

Pretty much hooked....

R. Preisinger | Seattle, WA | 10/22/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First word that comes to mind about this series: slow, slow, slow. HOWEVER, it is different from faster paced anime and I appreciate that. It is as though you are watching every minute of Jinto's life, but you're not. This method really captures the obvious differences and misunderstanding of each race. It also seems to let you marinate in the moment. The jumping back in time gets rather choppy, but it does add to the suspense of Jinto's past.
Jinto seems to be a typical anime boy character (young, innocent, humble, reluctant hero, father issues). He does grow on you. The Abh girl, Lafiel has that predictable sweet charm, yet determination to prove herself. I rather enjoyed how they portrayed the sophisticated Abh race. They have an appealing nature about them that leaves you wanting to learn more about them.
The dubbed English is not too bad and the characters are very interesting. The intro is odd, but bearable. Some scenes are a bit painful to watch since everything seems to be going at such a slow pace.
Overall, I found myself intrigued and willing to finish out the series. Highly recommend to someone who wants to broaden their horizons."

Kin of the Stars

Strategos | In Space above Planet Earth | 01/09/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Crest of the Stars. I've seen a few anime in my time, but this one is different in several respects from your average anime show. For starters, it's the slowest moving anime I have ever seen. Things that would happen in one episode in another series happen in two or three episodes here. And while there IS action (space battles and shootouts) they are few and far between. Nor is the plot very complex or mind-blowing in nature.What makes this series engaging is characterization and attention to detail. Many of the characters say and do things that leave you wondering just what they are actually thinking. For instance, the first episodes have everyone saying that Jinto's father sold out his planet and betrayed everyone. Yet, what we see onscreen and what people later say about it suggests the opposite. Was Jinto's father really saving his planet from total destruction? And what of the Abh? Are they ruthless, heartless people of destruction, or a misunderstood race capable of great loyalty and kindness? I don't know. I may have to see this series quite a few times to figure everything out. If you want something to sink your teeth into intellectually, this series is it.Technically, this is also a very interesting series. The music is a beautiful orchestral masterpiece. The animation ranges from very good to breath-taking. But the English dub of the voices doesn't match the characters very well. And even in the excellent Japanese dub, the lip-synching is ocassionally so far off it becomes distracting. And then there is the Japanese text. At the beginning of the series, it seems like it's everywhere. At times you'll have Japanese text with English text on top, and it feels a bit overwhelming (on tv they put a black blank on top of the Japanese text so it wouldn't distract).So all in all, I recommend this series to hard-core sci-fi fans and die-hard anime fans looking for something different and having the patience for a show that's isn't full of action and violence, but instead relies on old-fashioned character development. I look forward to the next season."

Great scifi/fantasy

J. Bradham | Made it to Seattle! | 03/18/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a nice blend of western mythology and scifi. Genetically engineered space elves rule the universe with an iron fist and a beautiful, ever young face. Lovely animation, well developed characters - a great watch whether you are a Cowboy Bebop newbie or a die-hard Macross otaku."

An interesting series

xj3dd1jx | off the soapbox | 03/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"an interesting story with excellent character development. very detailed history and background - the creator even invented his own entire language and alphabet. i couldn't help sensing an anomalous feel to the series - i wonder if this is because of the different histories and cultures between Japan and US. perhaps something at work on a subconscious level. also, there is a gentle bittersweetness to the series. i believe it's based upon an author's first novel, so there may have been very personal experiences and observations intertwined into the context and background of the story. you can enjoy it at whatever level you want. dive deep or swim shallow. it's good regardless."