This series is more a spin-off than a sequel to the original 'Last Exile'; it has a mostly new cast of characters and those that do return are in fairly minor roles. It is centred on two young vanship pilots; Fam Fan Fan and Giselle Collette. They work with a group of Sky Pilots and make a living stealing warships! The story takes place against the backdrop of a war. The Ades Federation is fighting against nations made up of people who returned to the planet on the exile ships. Fam and Giselle help save Princess Millia but the Federation capture her older sister and use her power to control one of the exiles to give them a massive advantage in the war. To keep their independence the various nations will have to set aside differences to fight the Federation.
I enjoyed this series but not as much as I enjoyed the original. It has the same look and plenty of action. Unfortunately there is less time given to character development. Apart from Fam, Giselle and Millia everybody else feels somewhat secondary. It was nice to see Dio again although there was no explanation of how he survived the events in 'Last Exile'; perhaps that is covered in 'Last Exile: Travelers from the Hourglass', the manga that links to two seasons. The action is pretty good and there is plenty of it. Overall I'd say it was nice to see another story set in the 'Last Exile' universe but it was a little disappointing that this didn't have the depth of the original. I'd still recommend it though; I'd certainly advise watching the original first as it is great but I don't think it is essential.
These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.
