Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)THE FIVE STAR STORIES (1989) is just over an hour long and is so far the only animated OAV volume yet made from Mamoru Nagano's long-running manga about war, politics, ritual and romance amidst the four solar systems of the Joker Galaxy in the year 2988. (The planet on which this volume takes place, Delta Belune, looks and sounds an awful lot like Earth of past centuries.) Those anime fans who are only concerned with how a storyline plays out and how it ends may not be pleased with the way numerous details of the backstory are glimpsed but never fully explained and the way the ending leaves room for sequels which never come. If, however, you're enamored of the look and feel of 1980s anime and you appreciate beautiful artwork, a dreamlike mood and imaginative imagery, then FIVE STAR STORIES just might enthrall you as much as it did me.
There is just enough of a comprehensible storyline to keep one's interest. It has to do with the impending debut of two new "Fatimas," beautiful young female androids who are to choose masters for whom they will pilot giant mecha fighting machines called Mortar Heads. They are expected to choose from among assorted noblemen and a class of fighters called "Headliners." The handful of major characters include the two Fatimas, Clotho and Lachesis; a roving Headliner named Voards Viewlard; and Ladios Sopp, a handsome long-haired young man in the "bishonen" mode who knew Lachesis as a little girl and has plenty of flashbacks to those days. The gluttonous, hard-drinking mini-tyrant Duke Juba has designs on both Fatimas and takes custody of them from their father/creator Dr. Chrome Ballanche. Other characters flit in and out as needed.
There's not much suspense or dramatic tension since the good guys seem to outnumber the bad and have various allies, such as the Mirage Knights, popping up frequently to lend a hand (or chop one off, thanks to their lethal light-sabers). We see some mecha action and occasional bursts of blood-spouting violence as the blades of light slice through opponents' heads, arms and bodies quite effortlessly. But overall, it's a piece that's more character- and dialogue-driven. A lot of thought went into the art direction, the backgrounds and the design of the characters, costumes and mecha. It's a breathtakingly beautiful hour of animation. As long as you can get past the occasional narrative confusion and plot omissions. And the weird names (Voards Viewlard?!).
There are detailed liner notes, including a timeline, accompanying the DVD, although you may want to read them after viewing because of spoilers and then view it again armed with all the extra info you may need to understand it all.
Click Here to see more reviews about: The Five Star Stories
Within the five star systems known as the Joker System, the struggle for power has spanned centuries. Under the guidance of the Emperor Amaterasu, the brave Headliner knights, along with their Fatima counterparts, pilot powerful battle robots to ensure the safety and stability of the empire.
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