"Flag of the Stars III" review: How will the epic space war end?

Detailed review and recommendation of Starry Sky Battle Flag III

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

novel

■ Release date

August 26, 2005

■Release and sales

Bandai Visual

■Frequencies

50 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 2

■Original Story

Hiroyuki Morioka (published by Hayakawa Bunko)

■ Director

Yasushi Nagaoka

■ Production

・Production: Sunrise

■Works

©Hiroyuki Morioka/Hayakawa Publishing ©Sunrise

■ Story

In the year 956 of the Imperial Calendar, the Starry Sky Army launched Operation Hunter to suppress the enemy fleet remaining in the territory of the divided Human Integration. Captain Lafiel of the Versailles and Jinto are caught up in the battle of the penal colony Robnas II, but they barely manage to escape thanks to a desperate operation by Admiral Spall. Having survived, Jinto temporarily leaves the military and heads for the Hyde system with Lafiel. In order to govern his homeland, which has been returned to the Empire through Operation Hunter...

■Explanation

Five years after the release of "Banner of the Stars II," the sequel to the Stars series has finally been released as an OVA in response to the enthusiastic support of many fans! After overcoming a fierce battle and reaffirming their mutual existence, Lafiel and Jinto set out on a new journey!

■Cast

・Rafiel/Ayako Kawasumi・Jinto/Yuka Imai・Eclya/Kaori Shimizu・Sobash/Mitsuki Saiga・Samson/Akio Otsuka・Atsulya/Miho Yamada・Serunai/Ikue Otani・Parvelya/Hisao Egawa

■ Main staff

・Planning: Shigeru Watanabe, Kenji Uchida ・Original story: Hiroyuki Morioka (published by Hayakawa Bunko)
・Director / Yasushi Nagaoka・Screenplay / Yasuyuki Muto・Visual concept / Takami Akai・Character design / Keisuke Watanabe・Mechanical design / Yasuyasu Moriki, Susumu Imaishi, Mitsuru Owa・Art director / Hiroyuki Hasegawa・Color design / Sayoko Yokoyama・Director of photography / Hirofumi Yagi, Hideo Oihira・Editor / Takeshi Seyama・Sound director / Katsuyoshi Kobayashi・Music / Katsuhisa Hattori・Music production / Tadafumi Tsumi, Noboru Mano・Producer / Atsushi Yukawa, Mikihiro Iwata, Tadafumi Tsumi・Production / Bandai Visual, Sunrise

■ Main Characters

・Granddaughter of the Emperor of the Lafiel'ave Empire. She serves as the Vice Commander of the Starry Sky Army, but is currently on leave. She travels to Ginto as the representative of the Cruve royal family, and watches over his "battle" from the sidelines.
Jinto: To govern the planet Martin, which has been recaptured from enemy territory, he must once again face his home. To him, his home is another 'battlefield'. With the responsibilities he has been given and his feelings for his family that he has parted ways with, he heads for Mother Earth.
Sobash is a former member of the Barthroil crew. He is currently the captain of the new ship, the Cove-class Freakov. After a successful voyage, he is heading to the Hyde system for a battle maneuver training exercise.
- Eclure: A former crew member of the Barthroil. Like Sobash, he serves as the navigator on the Freekov. He doesn't show his emotions much, but sometimes the words that come out of his mouth can confuse those around him...
After retiring from the Samson Starry Sky Army, he becomes a retainer of the Hyde family and supports Jinto as a friend.
Atsulya
The First Tramp Squadron Commander commands 12 Cove-class battleships. The purpose of this mission is to test the Cove-class ships, but at the same time, he is trying to understand the Empire's intentions that are being plotted behind the scenes.
・As the supervisor of the Grincia raiding ship, the Freekoff, he oversees the engineering department and other squires. Despite his reliable appearance, he also shows a gentle side, such as caring for his subordinates who were injured in the brawl at the crest awarding ceremony.
・An investigator from the Chancellor's Office Financial Inspectorate, dispatched by the Yestash Empire. He accompanies Earl Hyde on each occasion to conduct various investigations, such as the asset value of the country, which has since been returned to the Empire. He has a long history as an investigator, and his duties also include advising the lord on how to run the country. He can be said to be one of the people Jinto can rely on.
Sernai: The president of the Sernai Trading Company, he was a former retainer of the Febdash Baron family, but lent his hand to Lafiel's rebellion and later became independent. He is an extreme Lafiel devotee, and when he heard that the Hyde family had a letter of introduction for Lafiel, he volunteered to become a retainer.
Like Arsacernai, he was once a vassal of Baron Febdash. He and Arsacernai visit Samson to become vassals of the Hyde family.
Like Greidaselnai Alsa, she used to serve the Baron Febdash family. At first glance, she appears to be a gentle woman, but in times of crisis, she shows leadership and has excellent command skills. She volunteered to become a retainer of the Hyde family along with the other two.
- First officer and gunner of the Idria raider ship, Freekov. During battles, he is responsible for important duties such as navigating the ship.
Captain of the Logdogne lightly armed cargo ship Borkbirsh. Dispatched by the Empire to manage the ship's operations.
・Communicator for the Yatesh raider ship Freekov. He handles all types of information, from regular communications to confidential communications during battle.
Secretary of the Starsh raider ship Freakov. His main duty is to protect the environment on board the ship, but his scope of responsibility is wide-ranging, including protecting supplies, damage during battle, and ensuring the safety of the crew.
Parvelua served under Samson in Old Bathroyle. He left the army when Samson retired, but when he learned that the Hyde family was looking for a retainer, he returned to Samson's base.
Kuu Durin is an old friend of Jinto. He welcomes Jinto back as an Arv nobleman, just as he did in the past. He now runs the factory that has been passed down from his ancestors, but his family has a complicated past.

■Subtitle

・Volume 1: The Stars That Meet (2005/08/26)
・Volume 2/Family Dinner Table (2005/09/23)

■ Related works

・Crest of the Stars ・Crest of the Stars Special Edition ・Fragment of the Stars: Birth ・Banner of the Stars ・Banner of the Stars Special Edition ・Banner of the Stars II

■ Theme songs and music

・ED1
・Dream in the Palm of Your Hand・Song by Emiko Shiratori

Detailed evaluation

"Battle Flag of the Stars III" is the latest in the OVA series based on Hiroyuki Morioka's novel, and was released in 2005 as a long-awaited sequel to the original. The story follows the new adventures of Lafiel and Jinto, set against the backdrop of the Starry Sky Army's "Operation Hunter" in the Imperial Year 956. Below, we will provide a detailed review of the story, characters, production, music, and more.

story

The story of "Flag of the Stars III" begins with Operation Hunter in the year 956 of the Imperial Calendar. This operation was to suppress the enemy fleet remaining in the territory of the divided "Human Integration", and Lafiel and Jinto are caught up in the battle of "Penal Planet Robnas II". However, thanks to Admiral Spall's desperate plan, they barely manage to escape, and Jinto temporarily leaves the military and heads for the Hyde star system with Lafiel. With Jinto's homeworld being returned to Imperial territory, he is entrusted with governing it. The story has the power to draw viewers in, skillfully depicting the tension of war and the growth of each individual character.

Particularly impressive is the scene where Jinto takes on the new responsibility of governing his hometown. His hometown is another battlefield, and it is moving to see him try to fulfill the duties imposed upon him while secretly feeling for his family. The relationship between Rafiel and Jinto also deepens, and the scene where they reaffirm their existence in each other and set out on a new journey will be a touching moment for fans of the series.

character

In "Banner of the Stars III," many characters play an active role, centering on Lafiel and Jinto. Lafiel is the granddaughter of the Emperor of the Arv Empire, and serves as the vice commander of the Starry Sky Army, but is currently on leave. As the representative of the Cruve royal family, she watches over Jinto's movements and supports his battles. Jinto must face his homeland once again in order to govern the planet Martin, which has been recaptured from enemy territory. To him, his homeland is another battlefield, and he heads for Mother Earth while carrying with him the responsibilities he has been given and his feelings for his family, whom he has parted ways with.

Other characters with unique personalities include former Birthroil crew members Sobash and Ekruia, retired Star Force member Samson, and First Trampling Squadron commander Atthruia. Sobash, in particular, is the captain of the newly constructed Kove-class Freakov, and after a seasoned voyage, heads to the Hyde system for a battle drill. Meanwhile, Ekruia is also aboard the Freakov and serves as its navigator. She doesn't show her emotions much, but sometimes the words that come out of her mouth can leave those around her confused.

Samson plays an important role as a friend of Jinto and supports him. Atslua commands 12 Kovu-class battleships, and the purpose of this mission is to test the Kovu-class ships, but at the same time he is trying to understand the Empire's intentions. These characters add excitement to the story from their own perspectives and make a deep impression on the viewers.

Production

Banner of the Stars III was produced by Sunrise. It was directed by Yasushi Nagaoka, written by Yasuyuki Muto, with visual concept by Takami Akai, character design by Keisuke Watanabe, and mechanical design by Yasuyasu Moriki, Susumu Imaishi, and Mitsuru Owa. Art direction was Hiroyuki Hasegawa, color design by Sayoko Yokoyama, directors of photography were Hirofumi Yagi and Hideo Oihira, editor Takeshi Seyama, sound director Katsuyoshi Kobayashi, and music by Katsuhisa Hattori. Music was produced by Tsunefumi Tsumi and Noboru Mano, and produced by Atsushi Yukawa, Mikihiro Iwata, and Tsunefumi Tsumi.

The production team has faithfully recreated the worldview of the original work, creating visually stunning and tense battle scenes. In particular, the detailed mechanical design and the attractive character design are key elements that draw the viewer in. The music also plays a role in enhancing the atmosphere of the story, and Katsuhisa Hattori's music further deepens the emotional impact of the work.

music

The music for "Banner of the Stars III" was composed by Katsuhisa Hattori. The ending theme "Te no Hira no Yume" is sung by Emiko Shiratori, and is a beautiful song that deepens the moving story. Katsuhisa Hattori's music skillfully expresses the tension of the battle scenes and the feelings of the characters, and has the power to stir the emotions of the viewer.

Recommendation

"Battle Flag of the Stars III" is a long-awaited sequel for fans of the series and a fascinating work for new audiences. Below, we will explain in detail why we recommend it.

The appeal of the story

The story of this work skillfully depicts the tension of war and the growth of each character. In particular, the scene in which Jinto takes on the new responsibility of governing his hometown and the scene in which the relationship between Rafiel and Jinto deepens leave a deep impression on the viewer. In addition, it is also fascinating how each character adds excitement to the story from their own perspective against the backdrop of the large-scale operation known as "Operation Hunter."

Character Appeal

A diverse cast of characters play an active role with Lafiel and Jinto at the center. Lafiel is the granddaughter of the Emperor of the Arv Empire, and serves as the Vice Commander of the Starry Sky Army, but is currently on leave. As the representative of the royal family of Cruve, she keeps an eye on Jinto's movements and supports his battles. Jinto must once again face his home planet in order to govern the planet Martin, which has been recaptured from enemy sphere of influence. To him, his home planet is another battlefield, and he heads for Mother Earth while carrying with him the responsibilities he has been given and his feelings for his family, whom he has parted ways with. These characters add excitement to the story from their own perspectives, leaving a deep impression on the viewer.

Production quality

Sunrise's production team has faithfully recreated the worldview of the original work, creating visually stunning and tense battle scenes. In particular, the detailed mechanical design and the appeal of the character design are key elements that draw the viewer in. The music also plays a role in enhancing the atmosphere of the story, and Katsuhisa Hattori's music further deepens the emotion of the work.

The appeal of music

Katsuhisa Hattori's music skillfully expresses the tension of the battle scenes and the feelings of the characters, and has the power to shake the emotions of the viewers. The ending theme, "Te no Hira no Yume," is sung by Emiko Shiratori, and is a beautiful song that further deepens the moving feeling of the story. These pieces of music liven up the story and deeply move the viewers.

Conclusion

"Battle Flag of the Stars III" is a long-awaited sequel for fans of the series, and is also appealing to new viewers. All elements are high-level, including the appeal of the story, the appeal of the characters, the quality of the production, and the appeal of the music, making it a work that will deeply move viewers. Please watch this work and experience its appeal for yourself.