Banner of the Stars III is a two episode OVA from 2005. It is the conclusion for the anime that began with Crest of the Stars in 1999. To this day, the novels are still ongoing, now up to Volume 6 of Banner of the Stars (9 including Crest). This OVA concludes Volume 3 of Banner of the Stars. Crest/Banner of the Stars was a classic space opera series for it's time, and it's easy to see why. The world building is well above average, the OST is good for it's time, and the cast of characters are colorfully interesting. The focus is mostly on the Abh.They're a peculiar race with a lot of positive and negative quirks. By and large, they make for interesting characters. Despite being intelligent, attractive, and long-lived, all of them have noteworthy character flaws, whether it be brashness, pride, narcissim, or arrogance. It's great having a cast of characters who are flawed, yet still unique and different from what you typically get.

The best characters however are the two leads, Jinto and Lafiel. Jinto offers perspective from someone who is with a human background (and now affiliated with the Abh empire). Lafiel grants a typical Abh perspective. That said, the two are at their best when they are together. The chemistry between the two is fantastic, as is their small, natural romantic progression. Every moment they are together is enjoyable.

Of course, this OVA is also lacking in some categories.

While the Abh are interesting enough as characters and we have two great leads, the series could benefit a lot if it gave us additional perspective from the Human Alliance. I like rooting for the Abh because of how unique and interesting they are, but the story would be more intriguing if we got to know the important Alliance characters more. Additional perspective would make the story more interesting and suspenseful.

The pacing and plot isn't as good as it was in previous seasons. It rushes through an entire novel in about 70 minutes, a stark contrast to the last seasons 200+ minutes for one novel. As a result, the OVA isn't paced or organized the best, and rushes through some scenes that needed time to breathe. There is almost no action to speak of either, which is hard to believe for a series that has some in every other season (in some respects this may be a positive though, since earlier seasons are brought down by poorly executed action sequences).

The animation and OST were solid for their time. This is an original, classic space opera story filled with interesting characters. Only a few mild complaints in pacing, structure, and the lack of characterization of the Alliance characters hold back this OVA.

If you are a fan of Sci-Fi, classic space operas, and a colorful cast of characters, I can heartily recommend the series, starting with the first season (Crest of the Stars). As for me, I'm ready to dive into the novels.