Crest of the Stars - To the Stars (V.1)

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.


Pretty much hooked....   October 23, 2002
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

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.


Great scifi/fantasy   March 18, 2002
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

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   March 4, 2002
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

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.


Overhyped   February 19, 2002
 2 out of 11 found this review helpful

When this DVD was referred to me, I was curious...
When I saw it, I saw nothing special, and at times, I saw nothing good...

The story revolves around a story that's too common in anime, a plucky, yet somewhat lost hero, and his companion/love interest who is infinitely stronger, but very naive.

The story takes forever to unfold, and when it finally does, you wonder if it was worth the trip. To add to it, the soundtrack is horribly out of place, fraught with woodwinds that would have been more applicable to a series with a more organic feel, or sci-fi of the 70's.

On the whole, this is a series that is better skipped. There's much more promising titles out there that should have your hard earned money put towards.