The second volume of Banner of the Stars swings the continuing story back into action on all fronts. The first volume of Banner worked well to get the story going again, and bring about new ideas and events. Volume 2 takes these new ideas and runs with them, lifting the depth of character and sheer imaginative force of the story back up to the heights of glory experienced in Crest of the Stars. For those who had doubts that Banner of the Stars could extend the quality of Crest, those doubts should vanish with this volume of the story.

Volume 2 begins with a dinner party arranged by Atosuryua, Lafiel's commanding officer, in honor of her late brother. Because of Jinto and Lafiel's past contact with the late Baron Klowal of Febdash, Atosuryua invites the two to the dinner, a celebration of his birthday. The dinner is host to many valuable lessons about the various Abh and Lander personalities, and how they interact in public.

As an Abh, Jinto feels inferior to those who were genetically engineered. It's evident in his speech and sheepish manner. In turn, the Commander feels awkward about speaking to Lafiel, because she is a mere noble and Lafiel is royalty. The fact that all three vastly different personalities are presented in the open during the dinner makes it a valuable exchange, and one of the more enjoyable episodes.

Lafiel in a dress triggers Jinto's insanity program.	Scenes like this one remind us just how good Sunrise is at what they do.

Moving on, the enemy begins reconnaissance operations in an effort to determine how best to counter the advances of the Abh, and Lafiel's Basroil along with the other attack ships in the squadron are drawn into conflict. The Basroil and neighboring Segroil fall victim to a new weapon of the United Mankind, which puts the two ships behind the other attack ships. Outside of the conflict, strategy is being discussed as to how to prevent the United Mankind forces from countering the efforts of Phantom Flame.

The sense of duty is heavily discussed in the episodes of Volume 2. Duty to the living and dead, duty to a crew, and duty to a people are among the topics brought to light. The fact that actions must be taken against one's will out of a sense of duty is a great reminder of the terrible responsibility resting upon the shoulders of some. Switching gears, the remainder of the second volume showcases the preparations being undergone for a defense against the United Mankind fleet, which has finally made its move. If the staging is any indicator, the third volume of the series should prove to have some exciting action.

There are no surprises on the audio and video fronts, and to be honest, I'm getting rather tired of pointing out its continued high quality. ;) The packaging for this volume shows Jinto, Lafiel, and Atosuryua in their dinner dress. In the background are the captain of the Segroil and Baron Klowal. The insert is titled "A New Weapon," and goes into the new mine that afflicted the Basroil and Segroil. Extras on the disc are similar to the last volume: trailers for Bandai shows, and a continuation of the "Newsletter of the Stars." A new addition to the extras this time around is a gallery of production art, focusing mostly on the characters.

In closing, I'd like to point out that wonder and curiosity aren't the only responses I've shown or expect for a viewer of this series. Morioka's vision for this story is so incredibly elaborate that it can seem overwhelming at times. One might watch an episode and wonder what the point of it was, then have this question answered at a later time. It's this confusion and even slight frustration that causes me to seriously pay attention to the details of the story, and question each element. In other words, the curiosity arises out of confusion. This element of the story has worked in its favor thus far, and I can't wait to see more. I'll be sure to let you all know how it goes.

Video Quality: A+
Audio Quality: A
Presentation: A+
Content: A+
Overall: A+