Legend of Galactic Heroes

[Arbiter Libera]

Title: Legend of Galactic Heroes
Japanese Title: 銀河英雄伝説 (Ginga Eiyu Densetsu)
Genre: Drama, Romance, Science fiction
Premier: 1988
Original Creator: Yoshiki Tanaka

For decades, the Galactic Empire has been locked in an interstellar war with the Free Planets Alliance, a conflict that involves thousands of spaceships and millions of soldiers on both sides. Two new commanders enter the conflict with great hopes: Imperial Admiral Reinhard von Lohengramm and the FPA's Yang Wen-Li. As they deal with superiors and subordinates, maneuver through complicated political arrangements, plot strategies, and win battles, each will be tested, and ultimately, changed, by the reality of war.

(Material taken from ANN)

My thoughts:

Personally, I'm kinda surprised there's no official thread for this one, considering it's possibly one the greatest and most complex animes out there (in both production, with it's insane number of VAs for example, and the actual depth of anime itself). If you're into politics, social commentaries (on both government types and humanity itself) and space warfare then this is for you. And considering it has 110 episodes (not counting the movies and other stuff) you're in for quite a ride.

Of course, it's old school and takes its self quite seriously aka. no moe material for you fans out there, but that seriousness itself is one of it's main selling points.

 

[Kit-Tsukasa]

one of the best series out there, or rather I should say OVA. The original series is 110 Episodes long. AND THEIR ALL OVAs! If I remember this had 110 OVA episodes, another 50, and two or three movies. If you thought Tytania was good, this is probably much better. This is one of the best classics out there that make many sci-fi anime in present day shameful and look disgusting.

 

[Arbiter Libera]

I think that one of many spectacular things, if not even unique in this case, that LotGH has going for itself is how it manages to coherently tell a story from... well, ~100 characters in total, from major movers and shakers in the galaxy to lowly characters such who'd be sorted under "generic no name" in 99% other animes.

And seriously, characters like Poplan, Schenkopp, Oberstein... can't beat those epic characters, no matter how secondary they may seem.

 

[Arbiter Libera]

Just saw this today (I know it's old, bear with me here). Felt like I was getting mentally raped.

Parody

 

[gdpetti]

Actually just finished watching the 110ep series last week... very adult in terms of the commentary of empire vs democracy, mostly by Yang Wen-li. Just took a while to get over the 80s anime and the 'galactic' empire

Might have to check out the rest of the films et al. When Yang dies, the series does seem essentially over, as if he was the only one keeping the Free Plants Alliance alive at all, same as now with our Western empire/Axis of Evil.... living on fumes... trying to dispose of the few remaining free/independent countries left on the planet, with Putin being the one keeping the opposition to our 'dark' empire alive and kicking. The difference is Russia/China et al are growing as we are in decay, kept alive by drugs, debt and war. The parallel with the Free Planets Alliance fits if the Phezzan Dominion is included. The difference is that we are the empire using democracy as a mask of sanity for our pschopathic state and the "East" is where real freedom is breaking out, in Russia specifically, as Edgar Cayce proclaimed long ago.

Now it seems there's talk of a new anime treatment of the novels?

I do have to disagree with Yang on that statement posted on Wikipedia:QUOTE As a historian, Yang often predicts the motives behind his enemies and narrates the rich history of his world and comments on it. One of his famous quotes is: "There are few wars between good and evil; most are between one good and another good." It is actually the opposite, but hard to see and be able to tell the difference at times, so that it most often comes down to one's perspicacity.... but I really liked seeing the effort in this anime, just wished it was placed in our current timeline and not some fantasy one... but perhaps reality would be a much harder sell?

How were the other projects, the films, side stories etc?