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 Sailor Moon

Finished watching Sailor Moon (1992, Toei Animation, 46 epi) on 6/12/2018.

   Tsukino Usagi is your average middle school girl. Or she would be if she wasn't late to school so much and her grades a little better. Not only that but now her life is even further from being average after meeting a talking, black cat named Luna who grants Usagi powers that turn her into Sailor Moon, a magical warrior of love. And with these powers she must fight the evil monsters of the Dark Kingdom, as she gathers together the remaining Sailor Soldiers to help her find the fabled Moon Princess!

   Sailor Moon has been a crazy ride of ups and downs for me. I've started reading the manga last year and I found it to be abysmal... but I'll leave that for the manga review. The anime however... blew my mind. It was so much better, I dare use the word superior even. And the funny thing is, I feel like it's only half based on the manga as most of the episodes stories didn't happen in the manga, and even the events that do take place tend to be very different. So a lot of it ends up being original stories that just happen to follow the base plot of the manga. Usually I'd scoff at that amount of filler content but this ended up working beautifully for something based on an original work where the only good thing it had for it was its basic concept. So the animated series ends up being what the manga should've been from the start. Heck, even the main character, who I despised the most in the manga, was pretty entertaining in the show. But that's why all the filler content is good. Because in this case it's used to flesh out characters and develop them in ways that the manga lacked.
   Okay, enough about the manga though. I want to talk about the background art and the music. As they are both amazing! I don't know whose idea was to create such magical backgrounds with colorful gradients and tones, but I'm in love with the style. And then there's the music. It was the 90's so it certainly has that city pop hint on some of the tracks, but I also think everything was recorded organically, or at least it sounds like it might've been. Not sure what the sampling technology was like back then. For anime productions, at least. The tracks used really convey the emotions they were intended for, and these range quite widely with a great variety in instruments.

8/10 - It's a really great show overall, and now I understand where the legacy of the franchise comes from, but for the time it was released storytelling techniques in anime were still developing and so there are some hiccups here and there.

Finished watching Banner of the Stars 3

Finished watching Banner of the Stars 3 (2005, Sunrise, 2 epi) on 3/23/2018.

Using his Navy pension and financial support from the King, Jinto plans to return to Martine, his home planet on the Hyde system with the goal of constructing of an anti matter fuel supply chain, thus establishing his Earldom. However, things don't go so smoothly as Martine has still not surrendered to the Empire. On top of that, a squadron of a new class of Assault Vessels is being commissioned by the Empire and Hyde has been chosen as the trial grounds.

Hm... Hahahah! I don't really have much to say about this one in comparison to BotS2. It was still a good production. I think if anything, it was interesting to see how things developed in Martine years after Jinto had left. With his return, he faces some racial prejudice against the Abh. And then there's his adoptive parents and how they feel about Jinto's life as they pose a difficult decision for Jinto to make. The production quality was still pretty good, but that's about it.

8/10 - Maybe I'll look into reading the novels one day.

Finished watching Banner of the Stars 2

Finished watching Banner of the Stars 2 (2001, Sunrise, 10 epi) on 3/15/2018.

Things only get more complicated for Jinto and Lafiel in this new venture. In the vast wake of Fleet Commander Bebaus' conquest of planets, Lafiel is put in charge of planet Lobnas II as a Territorial Ambassador. Upon arriving they come to find that Lobnas II was being used by the United Mankind to house a million prisoners divided into three blocks. The western block was designated for female inmates only while the eastern block is for males. In the middle however is the section where both make and female prisoners co-mingle on the condition of being sterilized. But when the women of the western block demand to be emigrated from the planet, the eastern men rebel. And to top it all off, Lafiel must deal with an incoming enemy fleet, forcing her to make what is possibly her most regrettable decision.

This season had me at the edge of my seat. Trying to handle the politics between all the prison blocks was quite troublesome for the main characters, specially when the show tells you straight off the bat something is going to go horribly wrong with one of your favorite characters. It was definitely well written and amazing to watch Lafiel deal with so much crap at once.

8/10 - It was a bit of a thriller, really.

Finished watching Banner of the Stars

Finished watching Banner of the Stars (2000, Sunrise, 13 epi) on 2/14/2018.

Three years have passed. Lafiel and Jinto have matured and achieved high ranks in the Abh navy. Lafiel has become the captain of a new assault ship called Basroil and Jinto has finished his training to become a Supply Officer under her command. And so, they depart to join a large fleet whose mission is to defend the Laptic Gate from a force that incredibly outnumbers their own. As if that wasn't troublesome enough, the Abh fleet commander comes from an infamous family name, known for their "spectacular insanity".

First thing to notice here is the improvement in art style. Namely, their head shapes are no longer distracting. And the animation quality has also improved as well with cleaner lines. No only that, but the bridge crew adds some new supporting characters to enjoy, which in a story that is not only politically-driven but also dependent on the relationship between characters, it comes as a good addition. However, only one of the new bridge crew members seems to receive most of the attention. And that is Samson Tirusec. Samson is a human Ship Engineer who likes to poke fun at Jinto about him and Lafiel once in a while, and enjoy a couple of drinks over a nice conversation with his crew mates. He's also a bit of a laid back character, but overall I enjoy his screen time.

8/10 - Definitely enjoyed it.

Finished watching Crest of the Stars

Finished watching Crest of the Stars (1999, Sunrise, 13 epi) on 1/27/2018.

Jinto was a young lad when the Abh Empire invaded his home planet. On that day, his father traded his position as the president of Martine for a high rank in the Empire. Years passed and now Jinto, as a young count must learn the ways of the Abh by attending one of their schools. Babysitting him through this process is an Abh princess named Lafiel Abriel. But after being picked up by an Abh ship, they come under attack by human Alliance forces.

This series was brought to my attention by a close friend of mine. And I'm very happy he mentioned it to me as I've come to enjoy this series very much. It had a hint of Legend of the Galactic Heroes in terms of political strife, and a hint of Space Battleship Yamato in terms of action and a character-driven plot. I think what I enjoyed most about this was the relationship between Lafiel and Jinto. Some might find Jinto to be too simple of a character. In my opinion however, I think it's that ordinary-Joe characteristic to him that I find appealing. He also seems to be very laid back and kind person which I think plays well into the dynamic between him and Lafiel. Lafiel can be a bit of a mean cat sometimes with her tsundere antics, but Jinto's kindness sort of tames that feistiness in her. I somehow find that comforting to watch. Maybe Jinto is the kind of person I wish I was. Maybe that's why their relationship is the main thing that kept me watching.

7.5/10 - The only two things that really bothered me was the very strange shape of their heads and the almost trivial conversations and monologues of the Abh captains. Almost as if stalling for screen time.

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 Record of Lodoss War

Finished watching Record of Lodoss War (1993, Madhouse, 13 epi) on 1/11/2018.

Parn is a young man traveling the land of Lodoss with a diverse group of allies such as Deedlit the elf, and Ghim the dwarf. Together they plan to oppose the forces of a witch bent on political chaos between the kingdoms of Lodoss so as to preserve the land by keeping any one faction from taking central control. 

This was a beautiful show based on a series of novels about a land of magic and mystical beings. I'd love to own an HD copy of this show because I'd watch it again in a heartbeat. Seriously, it's got that beauty that good anime shows in the 90's used to have and the animation is pretty awesome too. The story though is a little bit slow at times, despite the small number of episodes, and sometimes it gets a little jumpy. There's only so much character development going on too, but not to say that the character's themselves weren't interesting, because they were fun to follow. And the soundtrack isn't too shabby. It's got some memorable tracks here and there, specially the opening and ending themes. Speaking of which, the opening for this show is a beautiful piece of art all on it's own, the song only makes it an even more memorable experience.

Also, apparently there's a top-view MMORPG by the same name. Here's a Portuguese video by a friend showcasing the gameplay:

8/10 - If you're into Lord of the Rings then there's a good chance you'll enjoy this baby.

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 Macross 7

Finished watching Macross 7 + Macross 7 Plus + Macross 7 Encore (1994~95, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Studio Nue, 49 Epi + 3 OVAs + 11 Shorts) on 12/17/2017.

Nekki Basara is the lead singer of Fire Bomber, a somewhat popular rock-band aboard the space colony ship, Macross 7. During one of their outdoor concerts, Macross 7 is attacked by a large number of mysterious enemies piloting heavily-modified Valkyries. Named Protodeviln, these enemies attack opposing pilots by stealing an energy called Spiritia, leaving them seemingly brainwashed. Owning a modified state-of-the-art red Valkyrie of his own, Basara takes off mid-concert to engage the enemy... with his own fighting style; playing music.

So, usually when I get into an anime franchise I tend to be a completionist (to some extent) by watching all the episodes of all the different series and spin-offs by either release date or story chronology. Macross 7 however was a bit of an exception for me. When I first researched the franchise, I often heard that Macross 7 was skippable or it was a silly series, not to bother with it, etc. Others however loved it, and apparently it was very popular in Japan. Or at least the music was, I heard. After watching Delta, I had gotten used to watching Macross and sort of needed one more hit, that's when I decided to give 7 a try. And boy, what a ride I was in for. It really was as I had been advised. Silly, over-the-top, corny, ridiculous, confusing. But it was good! It was also fun! I think having gone into 7 with the expectations put forth by other fans was what sort of eased me into enjoying 7. I knew it was going to be different from what I had seen so far, and so with that open-mind... I found myself singing with Basara outloud as he battled cringy alien monster designs and even when he wasn't battling and his band needed a helping-hand! And Basara, oh, Nekki friggin Basara, that man is quite the work-of-art. Not only do I think he's pretty awesome, but also a complete ass butt to his friends. He can be such a selfish little toad! Aside from that... I really enjoyed the music in this one, and they really make the show about it. There's always two or three songs that get played by episode, but they're so catchy and awesome that I don't really get tired of them. In fact I look forward to it. The variety of songs keep it from getting repetive... well, to an extent. Aside from that the show could really be more coherent. Some episodes feel a bit filler-y and the enemy designs, like I mentioned are just not that great. They seem a bit generic for my taste.

7.5/10 - Really love the music!

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 Space Guardian Angel Links

Finished watching Space Guardian Angel Links (1999, Sunrise, 13 epi.) on 10/5/2017.

Li Meifon is the captain of a beautiful, white spaceship appropriately named Angel Links. Her and her crew run a free space escort service, providing protection from space-pirates and other threats to those traveling or transporting their goods through space. 

7/10 - Hmm... this one's tough. I feel like it deserves a better score. It was an entertaining series for sure, but the final episode didn't do the story much justice and is probably the biggest reason for the score it got from me. Up until then I was always intrigued to watch the next episode. The characters were pretty cool, Meifon's backstory seemed pretty interesting, the pacing was good and so I was really getting excited to see what the final episode was going to be like. Well, maybe the show had to end prematurely, I'm not sure. Maybe I'll try to read the manga that it's based on one day to see how it compares.