80sanime:

1979-1990 Anime Primer
The Five Star Stories (1989)

In a distant galaxy, those in possession of the elegant combat machines known as Mortar Headds hold great prestige and power. That is, assuming they also own a Fatima, genetically engineered women who are required for Mortar Headds to operate at full capacity. A young man named Ladios Sopp arrives on one of the five stars that make up the Joker System, looking for a particular Fatima: Lachesis, who he promised to make his bride.

Based on a very long-running manga by Mamoru Nagano, The Five Star Stories is only a snapshot of a much, much larger story. But while some of the jargon and mythos will fly over first-time viewer’s heads, the film is easy to enjoy as a straight-forward adventure. It is also a feast for the eyes: produced by Sunrise and with sumptuous character designs by Nobuteru Yuki (Escaflowne, Record of Lodoss War), no detail was spared in animating either the imposing Mortar Headds or the bewitching Fatima.

September 5th with 1,254 notes