The final volume of Crest of the Stars is hardly a finale at all, but rather an end of the beginning. It is the tale of the initial contact between two people of different worlds, and the trials which threw them together as a team and changed their lives. The first chapter of their history has real significance to the rest of the story, and the Crest series tells it masterfully.

As with many great tales, the final challenge Jinto and Lafiel face proves to be the most difficult. Stranded on a planet occupied by the United Mankind, they also encounter a group of outlaws who attempt to kidnap them for ransom. The kidnappers aren't without their own problems, however. The United Mankind are after them on bogus charges, so victim and kidnapper end up cooperating in one of the most unorthodox alliances ever conceived.

Meanwhile, things are heating up in space. The Abh are not exactly happy that their Sufugunoff base was attacked and taken over, and they make a sizeable show of force to scare off the grossly unprepared attackers. In a move that shocks the Abh commander in its ridiculousness, the attacking United Mankind enter into battle with the fleet. Admiral Spoor of the ship Futune is sent in to engage the United Mankind fleet. The battle showcased in this volume is more or less devoted to her, almost as a sign that she will be a prominent figure throughout the later chapters of the story. Commanding the only red ship in the fleet, she is a unique personality, and her presence helps to spark interest in the story beyond Crest. She sees most of her tasks in battle as a chore, all the while dazzling the commanding Admiral Trife with her tactical genius. Through Spoor, we also get a glimpse of the relationship between an admiral and her chief of staff, which proves to be wildly interesting.

Jinto and Lafiel face one problem after another while on the hostile planet.	In space, the colorful Admiral Spoor steals the show.

Another side of Admiral Spoor is her tendency to tease others, and her merciless attitude toward opponents. Another important thing about her is that she is the heiress of the Spoor family, which is one of the eight royal families of the Abh (Lafiel belongs to the Abriels, another of the families). The addition of Spoor to the story is a great one, because she is a staunch individual who does her own thing, whereas the other Abh are all similar to each other in manner.

The height of human angst toward the Abh is shown in this volume, in the form of a military officer who is using the local police to track Jinto and Lafiel down. He sees the Abh as inhuman and arrogant - their lack of humility gets to him. When he reaches his breaking point in a powerful scene, for the first time we can relate to the humans' struggles. The volume closes on a note of simultaneous sadness and joy.

Note: There is an additional scene leading into the story of Banner of the Stars (the successor of Crest) after the credits of the final episode. Be sure not to miss it, because I did the first time around.

There is little to say about the transfer quality, other than it being up to par with the second and third volumes. The packaging for the DVD sports a shot of the magnificent Futune, accompanied on either side by Admirals Spoor and Trife. The insert provides information about the Abh in wartime, and is helpful reading, being that the story is so elaborate and complex. Extras on the disc include trailers for other Bandai shows, and a history lesson for Crest of the Stars. Normally, extra information doesn't do anything to boost a show's experience, but it is beneficial with this show.

Watching Crest of the Stars has been a unique experience, to say the least. The epic space battles kept things tasty, but the secret was in the sauce. The show has an uncanny ability to bond with the viewer through Jinto's point of view. Jinto and Lafiel were as different as man and woman, but also as different as terran and Abh. The things Jinto learned about her were humorous at times and fascinating in others. I found myself chuckling and breaking into a nervous laugh at some of the situations, which were never exactly funny, but there's no other reaction to describe the amusement of it all. This show brought out an overwhelming sense of childish curiosity that I forgot I once had, and I am...thankful for it.

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