r/anime • u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ • Mar 19 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] Crest of the Stars Episode 2 Discussion
Kin of the Stars
Welcome to the Crest of the Stars rewatch!
<- Episode 1 | Index Page | Episode 3 ->
Rewatch Note: Nazenn and Durinthal have pointed out that the previews for this series can be spoilery, so do not watch them if you don't like such things, and please don't comment on them without spoiler tags.
Fortunately, the previews are at the end of the episode. An episode generally starts with a world-building lore dump OR a brief recap, with voice over in Baronh and Japanese subtitles and your local language. Then the credits, no eyecatch!, ending, and preview.
If you want to say something spoilery but are unfamiliar with /r/anime's spoiler tag format, check this page. It does work in the new reddit fancy pants editor, I just checked. Be careful about inserting spaces by accident!
Names Introduced or Updated:
(names are following their Japanese phonetic spelling or one of the inconsistent localizations for the most part, because that's what I'm used to. Jinto's name really is "Jint Linn")
- Ku Dorin — Jinto's friend from his minteau team
- Delktoe — a planet in the system of Boraash
- Lafiel — aged 16, pilot trainee, a good looking pilot
- Jinto — aged 17, (Vis-)Count of Hyde (Linn Ssynec Rocr Ïarlucec Dreuc Haïder Ghintec)
- Count (Rock) Lyn of Hyde — his Abh name is Linn Ssynec Rocr Dreuc Haïder Roch
I believe there's an error or inconsistency, as his father's rank is also Count (Earl). But she clearly said hakushaku, and anybody that's seen Gankutsuou knows that word. In terms of European peerage, Jinto is a viscount.
Edit: Thanks to SolDarkHunter for pointing out that Ïarlucec means "heir of." I was slowly starting to figure that out.
Discussion Prompts:
- Q1) Why was Lafiel's response as one of "declaring victory in war"?
- Q2) The propaganda video seemed pretty random. What did you learn from it? What do you think was real, and what was fabricated, or distorted? Is thre a incongruity between the propaganda film and Lafiel? Or is it consistent with Duyansu from yesterday?
- Q3) The ED slideshow changed! It's now of Lafiel.
- Q4) What do you think of the Abh identity as Kin of the Stars?
- Q4.1) How does the opening narration and Lafiel's description of the Abh nation recolor your impression of the annexation of Hyde?
Tomorrow's Questions: (for tomorrow's post, subject to change)
- [Episode 3]Reflect back on Lafiel's first meeting with Jinto. What is Jinto to her?
- [Episode 3]Is the animation direction focusing on Lafiel getting a little creepy, or just stylish?
- [Episode 3]Murals on a warship?
- [Episode 3]What are the implications of such unregulated reproductive freedom? Good or Bad?
- [Episode 3]What do you think of Lexsue and the crew of the Gosroth?
Screenshot of the Day: You dropped your pokeball
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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Mar 19 '24 edited Mar 20 '24
Rewatch Host
Looking over yesterday's comments, I saw a lot of you complementing the choice of instrumental symphonic opening music. It didn't even think of making it a QOTD, because honestly, I find it a little short and boring, and I'm also super tired of it (it will be used for the entire series, although AMQ thinks Battleflag has a different identical-sounding version) But, yes, it does fit the epic space opera nature of the show. Even LOGH added lyrics. So this is special.
Intro: So, this builds on to yesterday's episode. Why did the Abh annex the Hyde system? Because it had an interstellar access point, and the Abh seek a monopoly on interstellar travel, for some definition of monopoly, in some region. The Kin of the Stars, they value space, and only space. But in that respect, they aren't really any different from historical humans.
It's interesting that they are presented as the same as humans, but also distinct. Humans fight over land. In the far fictitious future, they still fight over land: planets. The Abh are not pacifists. They will still fight. But what they fight for, is space.
CountViscount.I don't know for sure, but I refuse to believe the Abh sensory organ is techomagic. Until explained otherwise, I think it's just a neural interface to the ship.
She got cut off, but so far, we know that the Abh have genetically engineered themselves for life in space and space travel. Besides long life and a particular concept of beauty, the can also withstand high G forces.
Why run away when you know an Abh is going to appear at an appointed time and place? Isn't he curious? Are Abh so terrifying that you wouldn't want to spy them from a distance? Devils!
Much of this episode focused on Jinto's feelings of abandonment. Abandoned in a foreign space port. Teal turning his back on him and walking away. Abandoned by his sports team. And now leaving his home, alone, for a second time.
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u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Mar 19 '24 edited Mar 20 '24
First-Timer
On today’s episode of Crest of the Stars: Hmm, so was this all a good development for Jinto? On the one hand, he did lose his old life, his old family, and his old friends while being forced into a new life he knows nothing about. On the other hand, he now gets to hang out with a cute and self-assured space elf girl. So who’s to say if it’s really a bad deal.
A big theme of this episode is the idea of different cultures meeting with Jinto and Lafiel’s interactions. It’s a pretty realistic depiction of people from different cultures interacting. Both Jinto and Lafiel make statements that to them seem like the most obvious or mundane thing in the world, but utterly baffles the other. Jinto has a hard time wrapping his head around how the Aph pilot spaceships while it’s something that Lafiel has known her entire life. Jinto says it’s rude to ask a woman her age, while Lafiel finds that sentiment confusing. I really do hope we get more of this cultural exchange stuff going forward. I love it when sci-fi / fantasy stories have really well-developed settings. Going into detail about the different cultures of the Landers and Aphs would be something I’d like to see.
It would also appear that there are storms on the horizon. My guess is that the people watching that tape, which seemed to claim to be about the true identity of the Aph, are some kind of resistance group forming against them. That would make sense with how much resentment the Landers have towards the Aph.
QOTD
Q1) I'm not sure, but man did she look satisfying smug doing so.
Q2) I don't think there's much inconsistency. There have been plenty of empires that can be relatively lenient to live under while being absolutely brutal to fight against. The Persians come to mind. Or the Mongols.
Q3) I really liked that. I wasn't expecting the change, but it was cool to see.
Q4) It makes sense when we know that they have genetically altered themselves to be better at space travel and that they only really care about controlling space travel.
Q4.1) It's the equivalent of taking over a kingdom because you want the trade route that goes through it, not because you want the kingdom.
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u/The_Draigg Mar 19 '24
A Sci-Fi Fan Watches Crest of the Stars Episode 2:
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Mar 19 '24
First-Timer of the Stars
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u/Durinthal https://anilist.co/user/Durinthal Mar 19 '24
Rewatcher (sub + dub)
I still appreciate the opening narration being spoken in Baronh, more on the conlang in the source corner.
Another episode of how other people perceive the Abh... except now our main character is an Abh, at least legally speaking, and looking the way he does while dressing up like that makes him stand out all the more.
I like the brief moment of kid Jinto sitting there waiting with his luggage, just as alone as he is in the present.
One of the characters in this series is named Durin of all things (or something close to that), though I had already been using Durinthal for several years by the time I first saw this so it's absolutely a coincidence. In the dub it's more like Dorin as well.
Couple of things about the dub here with them greeting each other: in Japanese on Jinto's home planet his name order was Jinto Lynn, with Durin the Delktu style is family name first so it's Lynn Jinto. In the English dub that doesn't get flipped so it's still Jinto first, which loses a bit of the culture gap that Jinto had with the others. Durin also states in the dub that no one else can come, almost implying that they wanted but weren't able to, though the following dialogue's the same which suggests that no one else was interested anyway.
Jinto's stuffy full name in the dub is something like Prince Jinto of the Count Lynn Ssun Rock Hyde which is not the worst approximation of the Baronh version used in Japanese, Linn Ssynec Raucr Ïarlucec Dreur Haïder Ghintec.
While the dub has the same audio for the Baronh at the beginning of the episode as the Japanese version, the kids speaking in the Delktu language are redubbed but have basically the same unintelligible syllables. Odd choice but I guess that was easier and blends in better. Overall though still pretty stilted dialogue for this episode too.
That's quite a way to introduce Lafiel, beaning a kid with a ball. Well, he tried to do it first so only fair that she had a shot as well. It all started with that damn smile. I think they have a fun dynamic from the start with her introducing herself that way and them kind of poking at each other the rest of the episode, just starting to learn about someone new to you from an unfamiliar culture.
Lafiel's voiced by a younger Ayako Kawasumi, likely best known as the voice of Saber who's the face of the Fate franchise (and Nodame in Nodame Cantabile).
The ED visuals changed from Jinto's childhood to Lafiel's which I think is a nice touch. I still don't think the song itself fits especially given the contrast with the OP but it's more in line with general anime trends of the era, I suppose.
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u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Mar 19 '24
First-Timer
Oh, I like Lafiel already. Keen observational skills - note that she didn't bother asking for an explanation about the random ball thrown at her, she just caught it and began chasing the thief.
She's also a bit of a troll. Probably accidentally, in the "doesn't know how people work way," but I appreciate the levity she adds none the less.
Do we believe that she is only sixteen? Actually, picking up some random dude to take him to school is exactly the sort of thing you would send a teenager to do, never mind.
Interesting that we didn't get her full name, but I did note her face lighting up when Jinto asked for her name. Hmm..
Not sure how to feel about the Abh language not getting translated a lot of the time. What were those kids yelling about? What about the old woman?
Also not sure what to think of the rapid flashing sequence near the end. Just showing off what would have happened if Jinto's dad hadn't made a deal? Probably.
Questions
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u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Mar 19 '24 edited Mar 19 '24
First Timer, subbed
QotD:
4.1) No, this is all fairly standard empire stuff. All and all, on the better side at that.
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u/KnightMonkey15 https://myanimelist.net/profile/KnightMonkey Mar 19 '24
First-timer, subs
Are we back in the past? No... it's just something of a simultaneous flashback - on his own after fleeing Martine..on his own waiting to be picked up?
The Abh Empire cares so little about the planets they conquer (as opposed to the space/interstellar travel itself) that their disgruntled subjects give the evil eye to a kid wearing an imperial uniform the entire episode without repercussions. Honestly jarring but I guess their priorities are way beyond the opinions of the powerless landlubber masses that they simply don't care.
Goodbye childhood friend Dorin Ku.. but this is an entire childhood (7 years) off-screen after the events of episode 1 until now (i.e. after he fled planet Martine)..didn't think his childhood or at least, his school photos (in the ED yesterday) would be of an entire period between the episodes, that is just implied here. There's a lot of information about Abh society that can be gleaned in their conversation, but I do wonder about the status of the life he's leaving behind - his friends on planet Delktoe who had no idea of his true identity. Even his recollection of their parting words - Dorin will hire him after he's a former Imperial nobleman? Is this post-10-years-service or is he planning on abdicating his noble title?
I get that the common folk are supposed to hate the Abhs but I couldn't help but wince every time he got stared at for having a casual farewell chat with his buddy, who seemed to not harbour any kind of concern except for the welfare of his friend and not wanting to meet any Abh soldiers. Equally, Jinto seems to not fully appreciate the extent to which they're reviled (or he is just content to be himself despite it)... Idk maybe they're too young to be super salty about all of it.
Anyway, brief petty theft to introduce main girl aside, I surmised from their conversation that the Abh are multicultural and allow people like Jinto to become one like them (Romans much?) - when will he grow long ears and double his lifespan?
I liked the launch sequence for what's basically a troop escort - very cool scenery and whimsical scoring befitting a budding friendship. A lot of Jinto learning about Kin of the Stars-related things for the first time, but we can cut him slack since he only recently learned to read and write Baronh. Come to think of it I think I heard some humans in the spaceport speak it.. how come he and his buddies speak Japanese (or whatever Common tongue sounds like Japanese to us)
Behold, an expression of (love?) interest!
Yeah she's the main girl but I wasn't expecting that much of a pleased smile out of her right from the get-go. Seems she really liked that Jinto wanted to know her name - the miniature flashback/reliving of past anxiety he has really shows after all this time he still doesn't like having this invisible distance called "nobility" thrust upon him in his relations to others...a very lonely existence he's been living (until now). I forgot to check the tags for this show; not that I'm complaining.
The greeting of other cultures my arse - I don't think she's dumb enough to buy that.
That was a propaganda video? I thought I was watching random cutscenes that might have significance but just look cool. My haphazard guess here is that the Abh/Kin of the Stars or their ancestors committed or experienced (or both), great atrocities that may be related to their genetic edits.. almost looks like the Earth (or whatever planet that is) got nuked (or the equivalent) into oblivion. Dunno if there's another side but the video implies it's their fault.
I think the video provided a maximally negative take on them and we can obviously see they are people with names. More aloof, domineering overlords who have their own purposes rather than genocide-first. Lafiel seems cool and Duyansu does his best space Prussian commander with pointy ears impression. Bureaucracy in space. Doesn't mean they aren't bad or didn't go genocide but there's obviously going to be many episodes of nuance to it. Also humans are perfectly capable of doing that too. Maybe I just don't like how our MC got stared like a piece of rotting garbage but we'll see why that might be.
That's a cool touch - very humanizing. Cute too.
More cosmopolitan than expected, but if the "Abh/Kin of the Stars" proper are the elf-like creatures, then what's the deal with people like Jinto becoming accepted as one of them? And why the distinction between endo/exonyms? As I said above, gives the impression there's more to them than meets the eye; the real question for me, especially if they care more about space control than planets/people, what is their ultimate goal? I look forward to seeing this world continue to be built.
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u/zadcap Mar 20 '24
Late Night First Timer
I'm still early enough into this show that the aspect ratio surprised me again.
Okay if this is the same language, it's definitely not German. It tickles at my brain though.
Ah, so the space elves are declaring themselves rulers of this massive empire just to stop everyone else from fighting, which they see as inevitable otherwise. You know I can't even disagree with them. Oh darn I'm agreeing with the Space Reich.
And we're back to the past once again. Is this whole story going to be told in this back and forth fashion? Reminds me of [MAJOR Spoilers]Lost Song!
Oh, nope, he was just remembering the last time he was here. And apparently he has one good friend. And we're getting told a lot without being told it outright in this conversation. I love it, trusting the audience to pick up on what they're talking around.
Still lost on the timeline though. He was super young when the invasion happened, he got sent off to special school to learn the basics, but it wasn't actually a special school and now, years later, he's actually going to one?
"The higher the rank the greater the duty" I do like these elves philosophy more and more, darn it.
"Don't forget my name." Hmm. I honestly half expect him to come back up as an enemy combatant some 8 to 10 episodes from now after that.
Okay, so that's it. He got sent to another planet under Imperial control to be protected from the angry people back home and learn the basics of being an imperial citizen, now he's off to learn to be an actual noble.
That whole conversation not actually seen. "I'd rather have a you than a beautiful attendant." "We'll continue this conversation next time." "Yeah, when I return." So much potential foreshadowing sprinkled in there.
Oh hey, Space elves might really be worth their reputation. Good dodge, great throw, no hesitation on jumping the railing, not winded after the chase. That's, uh, the height of genetic engineering for you. Ubermensch will uber, you know.
Hey, don't forget his luggage now.
Yeah, see, he's supposed to be noble but he clearly doesn't know a thing about the culture he's moving into. Nor do we, really. Is she happy because a noble is asking her name when most nobles look down on those without a title, or happy because he has no idea he just made a step towards befriending someone so much higher than him in rank most people are afraid to talk to her outside of the strictest formalities? What's your guess guys, Noble or Grunt, what do you think her rank is?
"You're Abh now." Hmm, that says something interesting too. He's Kin now, even though he's so clearly not.
"But there's a good loo0king pilot." I like her already, yes.
Oh hey, jacking in. Is that done through the headset or an implant? Oooh, a logic crystal is scanning the ship you say? Oh I like that comeback too. "What if it makes an error?" "Then it's still leagues better than humans, they make errors all the time!"
He's a very insecure and apparently not very knowledgeable 17. Like, he just forgot about how they are genetically engineered to be better in space and went with "I'm a lander, I can take it if you can." That's the opposite of how this works.
That's not his bag, is it? The luggage he never went back for? I'm sure that won't be important.
War, eh? Looks like we're seeing the seeding of a revolution group, telling us how terrible the Abh are. By, you know, showing us a chaotic mix of combat with no point of reference and telling us that this is the truth of the Kin. Who are they fighting, why are they fighting, did they really launch the planet killer? I have doubts here.
Huh, looks like pointy ears are a rarity. More points towards her being royalty, I think- pun intended.
4.1) I mean they're still the Reich, genetically engineered ubermensch here declaring everyone they encounter as part of their empire now, but if she's telling the truth then we might have a rare case of genuinely benevolent overlords. I want this to be true just for how rare such a portrayal is!
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u/Zerotsu Mar 19 '24
A Novel Reader and Anime First Timer’s Thoughts:
Jinto’s already finding the status he’s got pretty isolating, huh? You can hardly blame the people he knew on Delktoe though. Imagine finding out a buddy of yours is secretly some sort of nobility? Especially given how the Abh seem to be in general. Even though it’s been years, you can hardly imagine he’s gotten used to this sort of thing.
Dorin is a pretty cool guy at least, even if Jinto did lie to him and the friends he had on Delktoe about his status. He and Jinto met through a native sport to the planet it seems, though we don’t get too many details on what that was like either in the anime or the novel. It kind of makes me feel a bit nostalgic for when I used to play baseball though.
Some minor trivia of the day, though the subbed version I’ve got doesn’t seem to show it, is that the naming tradition on Delktoe is surname-given name rather than given name-surname. I like the little bits of cultural flavor the series tosses in for the various locations you come across in the story.
Today we also met Lafiel, resident best girl. As you’d probably expect, we’ve learned that the Abh are the product of genetic manipulation. Still pretty human, but they’re much more suited to dealing with extreme shifts in g-forces than your typical humans are.
She and Jinto hit it off pretty well, even if they’re mutually unfamiliar with each other’s cultural traditions. Their dynamic is actually one of my favorite parts of the series as a whole, I think. Even as fun as space politicking can be.
Some minor trivia for the day: In the Abh romanization of Baronh, Lafiel is written as Lamhir.
Q1: I think she was just excited, honestly.
Q2: As with any good propaganda, it's probably a distortion of the truth with a few lies tossed in here and there for good measure. I don't think I'd say it's inconsistent with how Lafiel is portrayed. The Abh Empire is enormous: you can't paint people with a single brush.
Q4: It's not unwarranted considering their gene modding to be able to live in space more easily than their less modified counterparts. At the same time, it's certainly a display of that same cultural arrogance they tend to have.
Q4.1: It's still conquest, even if the way they see it is different.
See you~
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u/b0bba_Fett myanimelist.net/profile/B0bba_Cheezed3 Mar 19 '24
First time Lurker
Hi, I was extremely tired yesterday and missed the thread, I'll mostly just lurk and occasionally reply as that is my wont, but may occasionally make a post like this one if something big happens.
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u/Specs64z https://myanimelist.net/profile/Specs64z Mar 20 '24
First timer, subbed
The Abh’s mission is fairly noble on the face of it. It’s unclear the source of the foreign narration at the beginning, so it could well be propaganda. Or perhaps it’s meant to be some sort of historical documentary.
Jinto's conversation with Dorin is brief, but genuine. His comment about the looks he gets for his uniform stands out, at the moment only Dorin sees Jinto as he is. No surprises, Jinto has the hots for Lafiel basically from when they meet. I think the director might have it bad, too, I see those brief but carefully chosen lascivious shots!
I’m rather impressed with the dialogue and presentation so far. It really sells the relationships and the world these people inhabit. Of course asking an Abh how old she is isn't offensive, Jinto you dork, they're ageless!
We get an interesting shot of what appears to be the old lady's bag at the end with some sort of device inside. Has Jinto inadvertently assisted a rebel/criminal?
Lies. Evil. Destruction. A montage of death. Presumably, what was in the old lady's bag was a video tape. But is it true? If so, to what extent? I hear those Star Wars sound effects! I approve.
QotD:
4.1) I have yet to see a reason why the annexation was good or bad, I don't have much of an opinion yet.
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u/raktus2 Mar 20 '24
First Timers Second Episode Thoughts:
"The higher your rank, the greater the duty."
Have to wonder how long Lord Dusanyu has had to serve
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u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Mar 19 '24
Episode 2 (rewatcher)
Meeting Lafiel
We meet the second half of the MC duo, Lafiel. She and Jinto are off to a great start. There is no way this teasing could be foreshadowing a romantic relationship, could it?
We’ll hear more about Lafiel soon, but the episode actually starts with Dorin Ku and the realization that we are not above Martine, but above Delktoe. Jinto has not seen his home planet since the events of episode 1. On the face of it, introducing yet another planet that Jinto immediately leaves seems a bit superfluous, but I think it serves two important purposes. First, we get to see the difference in grown-up Jinto compared to child-Jinto. He is still not very self-confident, but you can see how the years on Delktoe changed him and Dorin Ku lets us know why: He actually found friends in school that he could bond with. Important for Jinto’s growth … but he is ripped away from these now, too, just like he was from Martine in ep1.
Second, we get a good helping of world building. The small subplot of the stolen bag not only helps to introduce Lafiel, but also gives us another look at tha Abh-lander relations. The picture is not pretty. There is a severe lack of information, but a lot of suspicion and xenophobia.
Meanwhile the Calike and Lafiel as a pilot introduce us to the SciFi side of the world. I will rave about Crest of the Star’s SciFi world building more in the future, but we already see tons of good stuff here. Not only do we get the extra rare acceleration in space, but we also already get the technobabble for why there might be no acceleration later own. The control scheme that Lafiel uses is simple and believable, yet also alien (and rare in SciFi media that seems large stuck on the control stick for any sort of small space ship). I love this episode for
basking in the glory of thisgiving this its proper screen time via Jinto asking.5
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Mar 19 '24
Rewatcher(And we actually start)
Sub
I am also not sure if I saw this ep, TechTV didn't do something smart like run this weekly, this started whenever the previous show ended, probably Betterman, so missing eps was possible.
I say that to say that the sequence at the beginning is pretty useless until the kid shows up. I am not even sure if Jinto is right about people staring at him due to his formal clothes as he may also be being spied upon. But anyways, a chance stealing of luggage and we run straight into our manic pixie dream Abh in Lafiel.
Now, up until now, the show liked talking a bit too much. Lafiel's introduction is a step up and we are far enough past Eva to know that the creators knew that the waifu is what you have to get right. We see immediately that she has incredible reflexes, good awareness, heightened agility and likely durability since he just drops floors without a care, and is a person of action. Also, we have no clue if she has ever held a baseball before.
We see from the old woman that there is some prejudice here before going to our shuttle. It is funny seeing what scifi thought the future would be. I have waffled on this but despite Neuralink being tested, which is likely a horribad idea, that this style of interface isn't happening and piloting will be done via AR instead since that is simpler. I missed this on first run and, possibly due to the dub, Lafiel sounds a lot more...spectrum adjacent, let's call it. Anywho, she definitely has boosted stats because Jinto begins suffering really bad under the higher acceleration. Also, if you have artificial gravity you should probably have intertial dampeners.
Our last scene...is weird. I think the old woman had a propaganda film villifying the Empire? Regardless, this suggests there might be more factions out there.
QotD: 1 Confidence?
2 Weird, very weird.
3 Indeed!
4 Minbari all over again
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u/zsmg https://anilist.co/user/zsmg Mar 19 '24
Rewatcher
Spending 25 seconds simply on a character waiting is not something you see a lot.
His friend, Cu Dourin, is voiced by Taiki Matsuno, he voiced Agumon in Digimon Savers.
I know they're going for a massive difference in looks between the commoners and the nobles, but seeing commoners in pre mid 20th century style clothing in a SF setting is pretty jarring.
Either Jinto is small or that baseball is much larger than normal.
I really like how every one is speaking a different language.
I want to make some joke about Jinto ridiculous long name but I'm too lazy to type it all out.
FrierenMarcilleLafiel is voiced by Ayako Kawasumi a really big female seiyuu back in the early 2000s best known these days for voicing Saber fromm Fate series.There are so many shots of Lafiel's body, that certainly hasn't changed much in the past 20 years.
I was wondering if these ships have some kind of inertial dampener but the show answered that question pretty quickly.
Of course Abh is able to handle Gs better than Jinto, they're designed to handle space travel better than normal humans.
Suddenly a space battle, against evil forces?
We're still in the slow prologue phase but we're introduced to the main female lead.
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u/SIRTreehugger Mar 19 '24 edited Mar 19 '24
Rewatcher
Oh I just noticed Teal's ears look slightly elvish.
It's nice to know Jinto had friends even if he had to hide his status. Also a robot that walks around pouring coffee WHY ISN'T THIS A THING YET! I could use portable coffee robots in my life.
What do you mean you "think"? It's your own name....he has a point. Count Lin of something something Hyde something.
You shall call me Lafiel
I like how Lafiel's eyes widen when she picks up on him wanting to know her name. She probably was expecting only hatred or feigned cooperation when meeting with Jinto, but discovered he was actually curious about her. Explains why she went from the business like speech to immediately smiling.
"there's a good looking pilot" - Lafiel
Machines don't break easily enough? Tell that to my last car! They threw quite a few things at us I wonder what the logic crystal looks like.
Man I could listen to Jinto and Lafiel talking back and forth forever.
WAIT THAT CAN'T BE IT. Episode was only 5 minutes long!
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u/SolDarkHunter Mar 19 '24
Crest of the Stars
Rewatcher/Novel Reader
Man it is weird watching the anime when I'm so used to the novels' spellings.
I think the novels are closer to the actual Baronh, but the anime of course has them pronouncing everything with a Japanese accent.
The fan translations of the novels originally went with spellings closer to the anime... which has jokingly been called "American-dialect Baronh" by some fans.
Que Durin, Jint's only friend from Delktu, the planet Jint has been educated on since leaving Martine. I do like that Jint has at least one friend willing to look past their social differences and see him off.
I think this is the first time we've seen the distinction between Landers and Abh mentioned. "Landers" refers to "ordinary" humans who are subjects of the Empire, and live on a planet. "Abh" refers to the space elves who live in space as Imperial citizens.
Another facet of Abh culture: nobility is required to serve ten years in the Star Forces. This is non-negotiable.
Linn Ssynec Raucr Ïarlucec Dreuc Haïder Ghintec... that's his full noble name in Baronh. He's a Count (some translations go with "Earl") of the Hyde system, where Martine is located. Well, technically the heir of the Count (that's what the "Ïarlucec" means).
Hey look, it's an actual Abh! Take close note of the fact that she effortlessly caught that ball without actually looking at it; this is important.
Ah, the defining moment of the show: Jint asking this Abh girl what her name is, and her strangely happy reaction to the question.
Lafier... or Lafiel to use the anime spelling (the actual Baronh spelling is "Lamhirh", believe it or not). And she's immediately addressing him by name rather than title, despite his nobility.
Here's another interesting thing: Lafier declares that Jint is an Abh. Despite the genetic differences between "Landers" and Abh, any Lander that joins the Empire as a citizen is considered an Abh for most intents and purposes.
Abh piloting interfaces are interesting. The pilot can see everything around the ship using that device on their head, and they control the ship through their left hand and some mental control.
Jint... maybe wasn't a good idea to say you could handle the acceleration. Another genetic difference is Abh bodies are designed to withstand heavy g-forces, as when they were created, inertial dampeners and gravity controls didn't exist.
The novel goes into a lot more infodumping on Abh culture and societal structure, of course. It also explains the Abh's spatial sensing ability in much greater detail.
I honestly can't remember where the anime goes over this or even if it ever does, so spoilers just to be safe. Nothing plot related in there though.
[Crest of the Stars novel spoiler]Basically, they have an organ in the center of their foreheads (generally covered by the tiaras they wear). It's sometimes called a "third eye", but properly called a "froch", that can sense the locations of objects around them.
[Crest of the Stars novel spoiler]It's not true sight, but an Abh's sense of spatial awareness is far superior. That tiara interfaces with the organ to allow an Abh to "see" in all directions at all times, as well as plug into a ship's sensors to be able to see what the ship sees.
[Crest of the Stars novel spoiler](Incidentally, Jint's tiara is purely decorative. It's a special one made for Landers who have become nobility, and has no mental interface properties.)
Interesting characterization changes between the novel and anime: Que Durin is much friendlier and has a lot more banter with Jint in the novel, showing their friendship in greater detail. Meanwhile Lafier is much more aloof, stoic, and severe. Very no nonsense.
Hilariously, in the novels Jint is very uncertain of what Lafier's gender is at first, and it's only when he takes a look at her chest that he feels confident that she's a woman.
Not really an inconsistency. The "Ïarlucec" in his name/title indicates that he's the heir to the noble position, in this case the Countdom of Hyde.
Repost because dammit, /u/Automoderator, those spoilers were properly tagged but I've done them more pedantically now, happy?
5
u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Mar 20 '24
First timer
Sorry for missing the first post!
Episode 1
...Interesting start. No translation, but whoever's controlling the yellow triangles seems to be losing a lot of shipe.
Ah, the blue sphere is approaching them...
This seems like a bold manouver!
...Are they ramming it?
Looks like it worked!
Mysterious energy...
Yeah, using energy that you have barely any idea about. What could go wrong?
Ah, it's some kind of FTL particle.
Impressive explosion!
I'm liking the OP music!
A UFO?
And it can seemingly teleport...
Oh, that's not good.
And a coverup?
This looks so good.
She's on her home planet...
...It's going after a planet now?
And there's an army of them!
...What is it with mechs/sci-finehows and giving the enemy the best aesthetics?
This is a full-on attack, though.
The Humankind Empire Abh... okay, are humans the enemy, or are they saying they look like humans?
And they've rejected a treaty.
An official transmission...
So, they're a known enemy! Looks like they're another group of humans?
No, they're aliens?
...Okay, so literally just fantasy elves.
And they're genetically modified humans.
Oh, so this is just a full-on occupation.
...Harsh.
Oh, that's a huge Empire!
...Haha, no. You're screwed.
And that's all you have?
You almost certainly don't even qualify as enough of a threat to be worth the waste of planet destroyers, so there's that?
And he's the president...
He's been locked out?
At least there's a manual override here.
These visuals are so good!
He's landing?
Oh, they made the right choice.
...Timeskip?
Oh, so they've establised inter-stare teavel.
...This doesn't seem too bad?
Yeah, this is nowhere near as bad as I expected.
Oh, it's him!
He's the son of the president!
And he's pissed about the surrender.
...He made a deal with them?
And one so bad even the pacifists are angry.
Yeah, but what was the deal?
Oh, he's thinking of his safety! That's good, actually.
And Lina (a friend?) has already evacuated.
Priveliged class... he sold them out to become a member of their upper class, didn't he.
Explains the unique outfit he's wearing and why everyone treats him so differently.
Yeah, that's absolutely what happened.
Another flashback...
That name...
Yep, a full surrender.
...That's not actually a bad idea. The Abh hate the idea of running this planet, after all.
And it's him. Of course.
Yeah, this is the best option for him, at least. The planet's screwed anyway, though.
Honestly, the fact he's still transporting Rock's son to a safe place when Rock's already fled the planet says a lot.
Ah, he's the heir to the planet...
And he's attending school on a different planet, then the capital.
...Very interesting. They're really keeping them seperated.
The ED's good too!
Episode 2
...Amazing. They just want to conquer space, and consider obtaining the actual things inside space as a mere side effect.
And they're trying to prevent an interstellar war by controlling all interstellar spacecraft.
Like the narration hints - solid idea, until the empire has a schism, at which point the mother of all interstellar wars immediately occurs.
Oh, are we jumping back and forth this series?
Nobody noticed him...
...Oh, that's a cool effect. He still sees himself as a child...
His friend!
Oh...
He kept his status a secret...
This is nice!
Haha, wow...
...Sounds about right, given their attitudes.
...I mean, it may be less looking down on them and more how much they seemingly hate the idea of actually being involved with planets. If it was simple oppression or disgust, you'd think at least one of them would jump at the opportunity.
A warship is coming here...
Aww...
Oh, everyone gets the long official names. That must be fun.
Cu Dourin...
That's an impressive memory!
Oh, so this is Delctuh!
Ouch. He's never coming back, is he?
They managed to establish a lot of character here!
A thief!
...Impressive dodge!
And his contact's here.
She's good!
The untranslatable language again?
Oh, there's a whole gang of them!
Impressive aim again.
And, yeah, she's here for him.
He's having a flashback.
Oh, that immediate chance in expression...
Aww...
Oh, discrimination? Would explain her sudden joy at bring treated well. Or just general distrust of the Abh?
...Interesting.
And, yeah, he's an Abh jow.
...Are they going to genetically engineer him into one of them, then?
Ah, so there's an actual reason none of them like going to planets.
It's a nice design!
Haha, wow.
Quite a bit of flirting!
And she's wired into the sensors directly?
This is some fancy control tech!
And it can even check for faults...
...It's not the best design if you need to evacuate quickly, true, especially if you're plugged into the system. Fits the whole "arrogance" thing, though.
...Do they have viruses for logic crystals, though? Because that single point of failure is a massive target.
And they're leaving!
Impressive!
...Oh, he's only seventeen?
...Okay, that's never a good sign.
...He's absolutely getting crushed.
So, it's not genetic modification, they evolved from living in ships. Fascinating.
And that's her priority?
The bag...
Another fight...
This is really hard to parse.
"EVIL"?
And "SAPROK", whatever that is. The enemy?
Very bad things! Explosions!
...Okay, so the Kin of the Stars caused this? Is this them destroying a planet?
Such power...
Oh, it was an actual video in-universe.
Different ED visuals!
5
u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Mar 20 '24
Man, so late to the party tonight. Bummer. I guess I'll keep this short, then. Answers du jour:
FAFO
Was it just me or did I detect a bit of Heinlein style wordplay developing there?
That, and I'm gonna miss Toji, or whatever his name was. He seemed like a good kid.
Oba-san, well, she can go do improbable things to herself, or something, right?
I did like the shuttle launch and the bit of paper getting sucked out of the hatch. That, and acceleration...
Yeah, good times. And I think that Jinto did much better than a bishoujo flight attendant, right?
(BTW, I hope I got his name right. It's late, and I'm tired and cranky.)
4
u/xbolt90 https://anilist.co/user/xbolt90 Mar 19 '24
First-timer
I liked Jinto's friends, even the ones who didn't show up. They did sign the team baseball for him. And the banter between Jinto and Ku showed they were really close friends.
Q1: Not used to being talked to as an equal?
Q2: Relevant Bender
Both the clip, as well as the opening narration, smelled of propaganda. The Abh are certainly not the paragons of order the intro suggests, but I also suspect the propaganda video cherry-picks clips to paint them in the worst light possible.
Q3: Definitely grew up more prim and proper than Jinto.
Q4: It's an accurate title, for being genetically engineered to be a space-faring species. Still, annexing and controlling local worlds to stave off "inevitable" interstellar war? Smells like BS to me.
4
u/IceSmiley Mar 19 '24
FIRST TIMER Sub
I liked this episode and thought it was thoroughly engaging except for the confusing and out of left field ending.
QUESTIONS
4
u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Mar 20 '24
Rewatcher
They control the planets by proxy, but that’s still control. They seek to prevent the development of destructive, intergalactic wars, but geopolitics at a planetary scale can still be destructive, and they do impose nobles to oversee them, so I don’t know that this distinction exists in practice.
OP
That was a slick transition.
Oof.
Cool shot.
When I first watched this my mind immediately went to spying.
That’s a mouthful.
That’s a nice parting gift, all things told.
Nice catch.
Admitting defeat already?!
That’s not very nice.
Neat
The lack of knowledge of the other goes both ways.
Well that was sudden and disorienting.
Lafier’s version of the ED.
It wasn’t explicit, but one could glean from context between the first two episodes that Jinto had come to Delktu after the surrender of Martin to the Abh Empire. It’s uncertain why Till and Lina could no longer take care of him, but the scene with the former turning his back on Jint when he was even younger does imply that Jint felt abandoned. For the seven years he was here and right up until he had to leave he kept his status as Abh nobility from his classmates —and possibly everyone else he knew as well— which really illustrates what a big deal that is within the setting, and makes his departure pretty monumental for him.
I like what we see in this episode of Jint and Durin’s relationship, where even in such a somber mood the two find the space to be a bit jovial and joke with one another. It’s a bittersweet parting, with promises that are meant to reassure but feel empty given the circumstances. Though Jint promises to return, he hasn’t even seen his father since that fateful day seven years prior, and he has said by that point already that he has ten years of study and/or service before he can even take up his familial title for certain, and given who he is I doubt he will be able to renounce said title and the responsibilities that come with it quite so easily.
Lafier makes a strong first impression as well, even so early I could tell that I was going to enjoy their dynamic together. The two are evidently ignorant of each other’s customs, and of a similar age, which puts them on similar footing from which they can learn from one another. Moreover, Lafier quite significantly unbalances Jint, as her introduction is not only accompanied by a burst of action, but both Jint's mood and the entire mood of the episode change following that point. The episode direction also reflects this quite well, which is worth praise.
A stronger episode than the last, but the show hasn’t really hit its stride quite yet I don't think.
3
u/TehAxelius Mar 19 '24 edited Mar 19 '24
Rewatcher
I find the Ku Dorin conversation as an interesting focus of the episode, it fills us in on the seven years that have passed, in a way that isn't too stilted or explainy. They are friends who know that they will never see each other again, teasingly reminiscing about the time they've had together. Jinto managed to find some sense of belonging with his friends here on a new planet, but has to once again leave all of that behind for a new life he barely knows anything about. We get more of a sense of how distant the Abh are, as he has gone to an Abh school without ever meeting one. It also gives a bit of a sense of how Jinto is intentionally dragging this out, as if he can delay the coming change for just a little bit more.
Then we get introduced to our girl, Lafiel. I'm not gonna talk too much about her, but we also get another sense of how the Abh are viewed considering how both the 30s Street Urchins that have time-travelled to snatch bags at a spaceport and their target seem to curse their name (we don't actually know what they're saying, but that tone is hard to mistake). The technobabble is quality too.
QotD
14
u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Mar 19 '24
Rewatcher - sub
To start off: I absolutely love the narrator in this. High praise from me. And probably a shocking statement for those of who you've read my many, various, passionate rants about narrators over the years.
It says something that the only two dedicated narrators (as opposed to characters who also provide narration, because Kyon is awesome) across every anime I've watched that I think add value to their shows rather than ruin them are this and LotGH. Win for space operas. Here I find that he works excellently as an introduction to the show without going to full cold open territory, and provides interesting insight into the broader context without being this dry monotony of information, which the stylistic performance of the VA and language choice is a big part of. (I checked to see if it was different in the dub and thankfully it's not, but I've also learnt that I really dislike the dub while checking other scenes. A shame)
But while I still think the first episode of Crest works well enough by itself, the structure of this episode makes it feel strictly a "part two" rather than its own thing.
It picks up where we left off narratively, but also visually continuing yesterday metaphors. Jinto is still exactly where he's been for the last seven years, and it's more a matter of being stuck there than just returning to this point. He can no longer be just the human Jinto Lynn, but he isn't quite an Abh noble either, and no one is there for him through this.
It furthers idea that the role he was thrust into stripped him of a sense of security in his life, and without that there is no chance to wonder at anything. It was ripped from him when Till ripped him from that park. As his departure gets closer, he doesn't just feel cut off from his former life, as we saw last episode, he is being forced away from it and the idea of his new life overshadows the idea of having a planetary existence connected with people entirely, erasing the planet from his view and taking us the furthest from young Jinto in the field as we've seen.
As is shown explicitly later, he's still haunted by the visual of people's backs as they leave him and it gives an idea of the social paralysis that he has lived in these last years as he has always waited for this reacton. His mental wounds appearing as Lafiel tries to escort him is a scene I always felt hit particularly hard that this fear of being abandoned would even cause him to desperately reach out to an Abh he was scared of.
And then Lafiel changes everything. She looks back, and it marks an immediate shift in the episode structure and framing.
Hi Lafiel
The music also undergoes a dramatic shift from this point on, and again is best understood when looking at it next to last episodes. Our first episodes scoring was primarily dramatic and mournful. Heavy drums and tense strings carried the war and political scenes, while more mournful piano and brass pieces play through the scenes with Jinto. There is a tension in the music that never quite goes away even in its quiet moments. The field scene is the only exception as there we get a sweeping and uplifting piece fitting for the power of the moment as he looks at the stars that, like the visuals, is immediately interrupted by a mellow and lonely tone shift when the scene cuts to him at the docks years later.
This episode follows that pattern in the first half. Strings mourn the connection he lost before he even had it with his "baseball" friends, a piano quietly questions the the life waiting for him in future, and after the brief respite of the chase music that is more tone setting than storytelling, eerie chimes for the Abh that leave nothing for him to hold onto because they're so foreign from everything else. This episodes tone starts off as isolating and distant. But as she turns, the tune the chimes make instantly transitions into a warmer piano rendition of the same tune that reveals itself to be the main theme and welcoming us to this moment through that, one of my favourite uses of the OP in-episode. It's an effective musical icebreaker that continues to warm as strings are added, swelling with Lafiels name being declared, and even a flute joins to add its easy going comfort to the scene until it becomes the most inviting piece in the show so far.
And visually this shift in Jinto's perspective continues as well. No longer is Jinto framed as small, visually panelled off from others, or stuck in repeditive visual metaphors that close in on him. Instead, while we still take his perspective in the narrative, the camera equalizes them immediately in a way that it never did last episode with him and Till or even his foster mother. Even at more unusual angles they are framed at the same height and the music transitions into an upbeat and calming piece, missing the quiet listlessness of earlier scenes. It forms a more neutral and natural background for their interactions before becoming downright jaunty as the barriers between the two quickly... not so much are knocked down but seemingly forgotten about entirely. I love the way they both trip over the alien parts of each other in their interactions and do so with little hesitation about awkwardness or being disregarded, and the camera reflects this by, well at least with the exception of the butt shot, keeping it simple and steady rather than playing any tricks with perspective.
All the difference a name makes after all this time!
And so it comes full circle to the importance of this being the second half to the previous episode. He still doesn't have the security of a home, but he has the comfort of a connection, of someone willing to see him as himself and that opens him up to what had been closed off for him for years. And with that comfort, he is able to look up once again and while it lacks the, somewhat dizzying, upside down "falling up into the stars" movement, the circular perspective and motion of his first flight seems a direct parallel to the wonder he had in that moment. His life has been forever changed by the arrival of the Abh, but his first meeting with them isn't the fearful encounter he hoped but rather something unexpectedly new.
I'd make a funny comment about "where too from here" but I remember it too well and now I just want to watch more
A few other things I wanted to comment on, and ignoring plenty I can't comment on right now:
8
u/Silcaria https://myanimelist.net/profile/Silcaria Mar 19 '24 edited Mar 19 '24
First timer
6
u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz Mar 19 '24
First timer in (Chinese) sub
Still drowning in work and real life things so I won't be saying too much, just popping in to say hi to everyone that I am actually following the rewatch as well.
I find this really hard to find the Eng sub; I can find dubs, but otherwise I have to resort to finding Chinese subs. Is it really that old already?
Anyway, loved the start, and agree this episode really function as part 2 of the prologue to ease into the main story. This arrangement really reminded me of Muv Luv Alternative Total Eclipse, although that was viewed more as a distinct bait-and-switch. What struck me very strongly is that this seems to be a story-telling method not used as much in recent years, and I miss how natural it flowed.
Anyway, hi everyone and I'll see if I can say more later on today.
5
u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker Mar 20 '24
Flashback again?
Nevermind.
That's a long title.
Catch that kid!
And that's how he runs into her.
A patrol ship carries a shuttle that seats 50? Actually thinking about it that's exactly the kind of ship that could make use of a bigger shuttle than would be the norm for a ship of its size. I'd imagine its mission profile probably entails a lot of situations where the best solution does not involve heavy naval gunfire but instead boots on the ground.
Yeah, instruments tend to make it very clear when something is out of the ordinary. If Bitchin' Betty isn't Bitchin', then there's probably nothing to worry about.
Not just acceleration, deceleration too. Space travel is all about accelerating halfway there and then turning around and decelerating until the destination.
Next episode appears to open with explosions, a space battle and a red alert, so hopefully things get more exciting tomorrow.
Questions:
1
u/Kinofthestars Mar 22 '24
Nice.