Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes (1988)

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes (1988, Artland, Madhouse, Magic Bus, 110 OVAs) on 8/18/2018.

   Two opposing forces rule the Milky Way. The Free Planets Alliance, whose military space force is commanded by the talented genius fleet admiral, Yang Wenli; and the Galactic Empire whom with their very own military prodigy, Reinhardt von Musel quickly rising up in the ranks, seek to overpower the alliance for complete control of the galaxy.

   Oof! What a long and intricate journey this show has been for me. Definitely glad I watched it for sure. Seems like a very important piece of anime history in my books, at least. Seriously, the immense size and depth of Legend of the Galactic Heroes is not one to take lightly. And while it may overwhelm its viewers with history and military technicalities, I believe most folks can still very well enjoy the show just on the easier elements to grasp. I'm talking about the character aspect of the show and the beauty of its art style. What I mean is that Legend of the Galactic Heroes dwells immensely on political monkey-business and space war shenanigans, which is fine, I believe that's one of the major things that defines the series, but its individual characters and their personalities and development are just as fleshed out as the tactical warfare that goes on in space. To compliment the beauty of this show, the soundtrack is comprised of various works by famous classical musicians such as Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart, Vivaldi among many others. I'm not quite sure of this, but I believe not one track was composed specifically for this show.

9/10 - Legend of the Galactic Heroes is a beautiful piece of artwork in all its aspects, and one that I think represents the best in the vast world of anime.

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Overture to a New War

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Overture to a New War (1993, Magic Bus, 1hr 30mins) on 1/20/2018.

It's October, 795 of the Universal Calendar. Imperial and Alliance fleets return to their nations after the gruesome Fourth Battle of Tiamat. On the Imperial side, Reinhard takes a chance to visit Annerose, his beloved sister. On the other side, Yang encourages Jean Lapp, a close friend to go forth with a marriage proposal to Jessica Edwards, another close friend of theirs. But contrary to Yang's and Reinhard's assumptions, a major expedition is soon scheduled by the Empire to have Reinhard invade the Alliance with 20,000 ships.

Man... this movie. It was a gem. I don't want to say a lot because I want you to experience it for yourself. Obviously the story is great. Definitely has some top notch art quality. It just left me with a lot of emotions.

8/10 - Really awesome movie. It has more of an impact if you've familiarized yourself with the characters through the Gaiden series.

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden: Dishonor

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden: Dishonor (1998, Artland, JC Staff, 4 OVAs) on 1/17/2018.

November 795 of the Universal Calendar. As Reinhard von Musel's countship to Lohengram is almost upon him, he must prepare himself for the occasion. Meanwhile, promising to join him after the ceremony, he instructs Siegfried Kircheis to leave for a vacation at an artificial resort satellite called Kreuznach III. Upon check-in at a hotel however, Kircheis takes action to save Michael von Keyserling, a disgraced former Vice Admiral from a knife-wielding drug addict, turning his vacation into a police investigation.

This was a really fun arc because the story wasn't the usual Gaiden format. It didn't focus on Yang or Reinhard. This was Kircheis participating in a police investigation! There was even a crazy zero gravity knife fight! It was nuts! I almost feared for his life. I love Kircheis. I hope nothing bad happens to him. Ever. My baby.

8/10 - Long live Kircheis.

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden 2: The Third Tiamat Battle

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden 2: The Third Tiamat Battle (2000, JC Staff, 2 OVAs) on 1/12/2018.

December 794 of the Universal Calendar. Kaiser Friedrich IV's 30th year of reign is almost at-hand. To commemorate this, the Galactic Empire announces a large scale military campaign against the Free Planets Alliance comprising of 35,400 ships.

Man, this battle was a bit of a mess from start to finish. Specially for the Alliance forces with warships abandoning their escort missions in fear of the impeding massive Imperial fleet. And then there's the Alliance's 11th Fleet pulling a bold opening attack, ignoring tactics by-the-book.

8/10 - A short arc, this one. But the ending was so good!

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden: a Hundred Billion Stars, a Hundred Billion Lights

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden: A Hundred Billion Stars, a Hundred Billion Lights (1998, Artland, JC Staff, 12 OVAs) on 1/9/2018.

March 794 of the Universal Calendar. Galactic Empire forces under Gregor von Mückenberger command are stuck in a stale-mate with Alliance Forces, commanded by Lasalle Lobos in the Van-Fleet Starzone. Mückenberger orders the Grimmelshausen Fleet to reorganize at Van-Fleet 4-2, a satellite of the fourth planet orbiting Van-Fleet. But the Imperial forces biggest obstacle in Van-Fleet 4-2 might just be a group of experienced ground forces known as the Rosen Ritter.

This was a bit longer Gaiden arc than usual, but also just as entertaining. Lots of man to man battles on this one as opposed to the usual space stuff. But also a good focus on some other Alliance characters that aren't Yang's direct friends or subordinates. A liked how Grimmelshausen was a bit of a crazy old-coot. I almost lost it when he tried shooting himself in the head during a mission briefing meeting because they wanted to put his fleet in the the rear lines where he couldn't affect much of the battles. Talk about a passive-aggressive tantrum. And then there's Reinhard of course. He just couldn't stand the guy, but the way he reacted to him was funny.

8/10 - Definitely another fun arc.

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden: Dreams of the Morning, Songs of the Night

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden: Dreams of the Morning, Songs of the Night (1998, Artland, JC Staff, 4 OVAs) on 12/23/2017.

April 793 of the Universal Calendar. Reinhard and Kircheis visit their Alma Mater in Odin during some downtime as they await their next assignment. After finally receiving their new posts in the Imperial Military Police, the two friends are summoned back to the school where they must investigate the apparent murder of Karl von Reifeisen, a student who died the night before.

Just some more bonding between the dynamic duo of LoGH as we continue on with the Gaiden series.

8/10 - D'awwww! Look at them sitting under a tree watching youthful boys play soccer and solving a case at the same time.

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden 2: Retriever

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden 2: Retriever (2000, JC Staff, 4 OVAs) on 12/19/2017.

December 792 of the Univeral Calendar. Half a year has passed since the Fifth War of Iserlohn. Reinhard von Müsel, now captain of the Hässliche Entlein cruiser receives a secret task to seek and apprehend Count Herxheimer, a defect of the Galactic Empire who escaped with a stolen Seffle Particle Generator prototype. However, the Count's escape has to be kept under wraps, and so Reinhard must carry on this mission with only his cruiser and no reinforcements.

Not much new to say about this arc of Gaiden 2. Though it is one of those uncommon instances where you get to see melee combat. I find the combat suits from both factions really interesting. Specially the empire ones. They're kind of creepy and remind me of the Crimson Knights from .hack//sign.

8/10 - Kircheis is an angel.

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Golden Wings

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden: Golden Wings (1992, Magic Bus, 59 mins) on 12/13/2017.

Young Reinhard von Müsel has just moved in town with his father, Sebastian and older sister, Annerose. The next door neighbor, not much older than Reinhard is curious to meet them, but also shy. His name is Siegfried Kircheis, and his curiosity is soon quenched when noticed by Reinhard in his yard. And when Annerose meets the two by the bushes where Siegfried peeked from, he immediately falls in love with her and the three become the closest of friends. A bond that would shape humanity and even space itself for years to come.

I think I had already watched Reinhard and Kircheis' meeting in one of the Gaiden arcs, but I found it interesting to see them drawn in a different style. Even the military outfits are different. Well, it's actually the style from the first manga adaptation in 1986 by the same name. However, I haven't read it so I can't say how it compares. Personally I enjoy the style of the original show better, but obviously that's from a different studio and it's one I've gotten used to. Anyways, I digress. The movie was still enjoyable and its animation quality was pretty decent.

7.5/10 - At 59 mins running time this movie is not too long and not too short.

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden 2: Duelist

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden 2: Duelist (2000, JC Staff, 4 OVAs) on 12/13/2017.

Reinhard von Musel finds himself involved in Imperial power politics after volunteering to duel on behalf of his sister's friend, Viscountess Dorothea von Schafhausen to settle a dispute over mining rights. Upon hearing of Reinhard's participation, Sussanna von Beenemünde hires an assassin to take the place of Reinhard's original opponent.

There's no keeping Reinhard and Kircheis from finding trouble, be it in space or on land. Again, these misadventures are very fun to watch as we accompany Reinhard's climb up the Imperial ladder.

8/10 - Moooar!!!

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden 2: Mutineer

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden 2: Mutineer (2000, JC Staff, 4 OVAs) on 12/8/2017.

Chief Navigator Reinhard von Müsel and close-friend, Security Officer Siegfried Kircheis embark on their first Imperial Fleet assignment aboard the Hameln II Destroyer. While captain of the ship, Adenauer welcomes the two on board impressed by their achievements, the rest of the ship's crew are not so warm to new recruits. During an Iserlohn Corridor patrol later on, Hameln II and the unit its part of are ambushed by a Free Planets Alliance squadron, severely injuring Adenauer who passes command over to Reinhard.

This story almost reminds me of an episode of Macross 7 where the colony ship is headed for a collision with a sun while repairs to an engine take place outside. Either way, the dynamic duo of Legend of the Galactic Heroes keeps on entertaining the fans with their smarts and bold ideas.

8/10 - Very entertaining as usual. Let's keep watching!

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden: Silver-White Valley

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden: Silver-White Valley (1998, Artland, JC Staff, 4 OVAs) on 12/09/2017.

Upon graduating from an Imperial military school, Reinhardt and Kircheis are dispatched to serve at a snow covered military base on planet Kapche-Lanka. There, they receive their very first assignment against the Empire's enemy, the Alliance of Free Planets. But something more sinister is afoot when their assigned tank mysteriously runs out of fuel, leaving them stranded in a snow-storm.

Boy, what a duo of characters. It's really fun watching Reinhardt and Kircheis fold their enemies' plans as inseparable best buddies. I like how sly they can be too. Makes their revenge that much sweeter to watch. I'm also really enjoying this series art style. It's very beautiful. And I think it's interesting how the music tracks are all classical music by famous composers like Mozart.

9/10 - Really great, unique series here! It's very entertaining to watch!

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden 2: Spiral Labyrinth

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden 2: Spiral Labyrinth (1999, JC Staff, 14 OVAs) on 11/29/2017.

After his father's death, young Yang Wen-Li wasn't left with much to fend for himself, and his plans to study history at Heinessen Memorial University were made impossible by his lack of funds. He finds an alternate option by studying history through the War History Studies Department of the Free Planets Alliance Officer Academy where his tuition fees are waived in the condition that he join military service upon graduation. Left without much choice, Wen-Li agrees and later becomes the centerpiece of a fated event that would change his life and career in ways he could have never imagined.

After watching the first entry in the series of adaptations of the LotGH novels, I decided to start watching the rest of the series in the chronological order of events. And if I don't have the order wrong, this should be the first one to hit.
These 14 OVAs were extremely interesting to watch despite the lack of action and the crazy amount of monologue and dialogue present in the episodes. It sort of reminded me of Death Note. Lots of dialogue, but still interesting. In this case it's not about meticulosuly plotting supernatural death, but uncovering the intriguing truth behind the suspected murder of a great historical war general. But what makes it even more interesting is how Wen-Li's higher-ups move him around from assignment to assignment, landing him chance encounters with people somehow connected to his investigation.
Another thing to note is the visual quality of the show. The design of the characters seem to be pretty good and have a nice visual consistency throughout. But I think that's because there was perhaps little to animate as most of the time characters are just sitting around talking or thinking, so the resources were spent mostly on keeping each of the few frames from looking like crud.

8/10 - I'm really surprised at how I never got bored listening to Wen-Li just do his research and listen to war veterans reminisce for most of the episodes. Well, I guess there were the flashback sequences as the stories were revealed, so there was some action going on, specially later in the episodes. Either way I really enjoyed it.

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes: My Conquest is the Sea of Stars

Finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes: My Conquest is the Sea of Stars (1988, Artland, Madhouse, 59mins) on 11/8/2017.

Set in a fictitious future where mankind has expanded into deep space, even having colonized other habitable planets, two factions have been waging war for years in the sea of stars - the Free Planets Alliance, and the Galactic Empire. Working under the flag of the empire, Reinhard von Lohengramm arrives at the Iserlohn Fortress, but not before he has to deal with an attack by a small Alliance force in which Yang Wen-li serves as a Staff Officer.

After having watched a handful of space-opera series, namely Captain Harlock, Yamato and Macross, I came across recommendations for the Legend of the Galactic Heroes as THE space-opera to watch. Well, why the heck not, I thought. Having looked through a few screenshots and artwork I began to fear that the series might be too serious and technical for my taste. Well... I came to find that it was, but! It did a very good job at it, thus surprising me. Well, this movie at least. The artwork is beautiful and the classical music that goes with it only emphasizes its beauty. Specially when it plays during space combat and you see the tactical plans being made on the fly. It's... oddly exciting. And for a later 80's movie, I can only imagine the animation quality must've been pretty amazing! Another thing that caught me off guard was maybe how Reinhard and Siegfried acted around each other. From the movie alone I was able to gather that they seem to be close friends but... I guess I wasn't expecting how, uhm, well, comfortable they are with each other. As if the movie is trying hard to appeal to a specific audience... perhaps. Not that it's something that bothered me, in fact I was amused by it. There's just something, graceful about them. And to further accentuate that grace there's this visual theme that the Empire seems to have adopted with the inside of their ships. The decks all seem to share this early Roman aesthetic with marble pillars and architecture. And the uniforms they wear are also beautifully detailed as opposed to the more basic, army-like look of the Alliance.

8/10 - It's definitely quite different from what I've watched so far. Then again, I don't have that much space-opera under my belt. But it was a great movie for sure and I definitely recommend it. It's not very long either, which is great in case you feel like it's not really your cup of tea. But if you're into the genre, I'm sure you'll appreciate this movie for sure. And you don't have to pay much attention to the more complicated war mumbo-jumbo to appreciate the movie. As long as you get the basic gist of it, it becomes very enjoyable.