Legend of Galactic Heroes (Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu)

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Hitoshura said:
Both the OVAs and the novels have finally gotten licensed for an English release. Sentai Filmworks has the OVAs, while Viz Media has the Novels under their Haikasoru imprint. :ubik:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-07-02/sentai-filmworks-adds-legend-of-the-galactic-heroes-higurashi-anime/.89987
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-07-02/viz-adds-legend-of-galactic-heroes-novels-one-punch-man-anime/.89995

This is fantastic news. I'll be all over those novels. I never thought I'd be able to read those.

I really hope it does well for them, and that more people can discover the series.
 
Walter said:
This is fantastic news. I'll be all over those novels. I never thought I'd be able to read those.

I really hope it does well for them, and that more people can discover the series.

Totally. I just started my third rewatch recently. Easily the most though-provoking television I've seen.
 
Some new info on the new anime along with a key visual has finally surfaced over three years later.
[quote author=ANN]
The official website for Production I.G's new anime of Yoshiki Tanaka's epic science fiction novels The Legend of the Galactic Heroes confirmed on Wednesday that the new anime is recasting the main characters Reinhard, Kircheis, and Yang Wen-li. An event will introduce the new voice cast, staff, and special promotional video at Tokyo's Shinjuku Bunka Center on September 20.

The site also revealed a new "opening visual" showing a young Reinhard.
[/quote]
QVFktDL.jpg

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-05-10/production-i.g-new-legend-of-the-galactic-heroes-anime-recasts-main-characters/.115900
 

RaffoBaffo

Ex-Newser of the late Berserk Chronicles
The original OAV series is one of my favorite Anime [and I'm currenty rewatching it] so, let's hope they will not screw too much with this remake/reboot/whatever.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Cool. Not sure I need yet another adaptation of this series though. The OAV is just fine.

Speaking of LoGH though, I just started finally reading the novels. They're good, and it's impressive to me (so far) how faithful the OAV is at conveying not only the story, but also the character designs.
 

Dar_Klink

Last Guardian when? - CyberKlink 20XX before dying
Walter said:
Cool. Not sure I need yet another adaptation of this series though. The OAV is just fine.

Speaking of LoGH though, I just started finally reading the novels. They're good, and it's impressive to me (so far) how faithful the OAV is at conveying not only the story, but also the character designs.

I recently finished book 1 after having it sit around for a while and it really is crazy how closely the anime followed the books. Sometimes the writing(well, translation more likely) feels a tiny bit clunky, but it's a really easy read and quicker way to re-experience the story without going through 110 episodes.

I have not real opinion on the anime yet, it doesn't feel like something that needs to exist but I'll definitely watch it.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
I'm onto book two, and it's pretty incredible how there's hardly ever a sense of disconnect between the books and the OVAs. It's a real treat for those who are already familiar with the animated version, and immediately benefit from the added detail of the books.

Furthermore, the books mostly remedy one of my consistent complaints about the series -- simpleton enemies. Though on its face, the series' lofty goal is to contend the merits of a democracy in decline with a benevolent autocracy on the rise, so many of the practical conflicts are brought about by one-note bad guys who are completely incompetent. These Adon-writ-large characters consistently drag down the story, as the primary characters on either side, bearing cold logic and competence, inevitably mop the floor with these morons.

That one-color shade the opposing forces are painted in seems to be a fabrication of the OVAs to streamline the storytelling. Because in the novels, these characters are given a bit more life, and make ON PAR, fewer boneheaded decisions. However, so far it seems there are certain characterizations that are better in the novel (every character is more well-rounded in the books than in the series), and some which are better or worse than in the OVAs (Kircheis and Julian). On the whole though, the additional details added in the novel breathe much more life into the world.
 

Walter

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Staff member

Dar_Klink

Last Guardian when? - CyberKlink 20XX before dying
Walter said:
Wow that's truly incredible! And it is a lot of money... Will there eventually be a "non-premium" edition? :griffnotevil:

Apparently there won't be, but I mean, if this sells out, which I'm sure there's just enough rich LoGH fans out there for it to, then I'd hope they'd just fund a regular release.

Hope 800 bucks falls into my pocket randomly at some point if not...

In other LoGH news I've been rewatching it from the beginning with my GF and enjoying it all over again while ignoring the really bad looking remake. Oh, and a friend working at a retro game store in Little Tokyo in LA got me the super famicom game that I can't play but looks nice sitting on my shelf! :badbone:

Lastly, I really have to get back on reading the novel translations, I think they're on 5 or 6 now and I'm still in the middle of 2. My attention span is really crappy these days.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Dar Klink said:
Lastly, I really have to get back on reading the novel translations, I think they're on 5 or 6 now and I'm still in the middle of 2. My attention span is really crappy these days.

Make sure you're reading it while listening to Gustav Mahler to get the full effect :guts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHsFIv8VA7w

I'm on book 4, and so far no surprises. The OAV adapted the book very well, aside from a few slight character personality differences (Julian's is the most noticably changed, he's more age-appropriately headstrong, and not as monk-like).

I suppose the biggest change is the overall atmosphere, which the book does its own work to describe, wheras in the animation, it's mostly the duty of the artists. So the in-between, quiet moments come across much less "anime" which is a welcome change. For example, Mittermeyer & Reuntal aren't constantly clinking their glasses together and talking like lovers (same with Reinhart & Kircheis. :casca: ) Also, The Phezzan angle also is virtually nonexistent so far, which is strange. I think we've seen Rubinsky on the page maybe twice since the story started.
 

Johnstantine

Skibbidy Boo Bop
I'm about to bog down and start the 110 episode version. Is that a good place to start? I just saw this thread and it piqued my interest, so I'm going in blind.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Johnstantine said:
I'm about to bog down and start the 110 episode version. Is that a good place to start? I just saw this thread and it piqued my interest, so I'm going in blind.

You should start with the first movie: My Conquest is the Sea of Stars. It functions as the pilot, so you'll want to see that before you start on the series proper.
 

Johnstantine

Skibbidy Boo Bop
Walter said:
You should start with the first movie: My Conquest is the Sea of Stars. It functions as the pilot, so you'll want to see that before you start on the series proper.

Thanks, Walter. I'll give it a shot tonight. I've never seen so many positive reviews for a series, let alone as much of a legacy.
 
Johnstantine said:
Thanks, Walter. I'll give it a shot tonight. I've never seen so many positive reviews for a series, let alone as much of a legacy.

It's an incredible series Johnstantine. My favorite element of the show is how it plays with, simultaneously, two competing ideas about how civilizations transition between epochs: Carlyle's great man theory and the Providential/Environmental counterargument. You'll really feel that History is unfolding before you while you watch it.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
So I had no idea, but the new LoGH series is streaming on Crunchyroll: http://www.crunchyroll.com/legend-of-the-galactic-heroes-die-neue-these

I'll probably check it out.
 

RaffoBaffo

Ex-Newser of the late Berserk Chronicles
I'm watching it o VVVVID [an Italian Streaming Service].
It's not too bad.
The Chara Design it's SO MUCH generic Bishounen Anime, it's obviously not as in-depth as the OAV Serie, but, well I thought it would be worse.
Now let's see what they can do with 30 Episodes.
 
Truly incredible series. It's the most mature anime series I've ever seen and I would like to even clarify this because its maturity transcends genres and goes even beyond, it's just that good. Politically it's non biased and accurate vision of what makes democracy and authoritarianism and even monarchy - what they really are. Throughout the series you will see comparisons of political systems and their leadership, flaws, advantages.

Even the vision of the future itself is something really believable, humans look like humans,, not really infested and eventually overshadowed with technology, cities on other planets are not really that different from real cities in real world, I'd say that architecture isn't really sci-fi like. Specifically I mean that this means humans are still working with what's already practical and tested for many many years. Technological advancements are huge yet focused in very limited aspects like exploration of cosmos and military technology. That makes it much more different from science fiction subgenres like cyberpunk.

Interesting addition is that there's no sign of extraterrestrial life, it's not something you would think of while imagining future with galactic scale empires and stuff.

Character development isn't something I was particularly focused on, when I've seen them for the first few episode, they were already fleshed out with their characteristics and direction. Two amazing minds of two systems, Yang and Reinhard, there was so much to differentiate them, from simple life ambition to even way of talking, and that's a detail, Yang wasn't charismatic through way he talked nor he was through his ambitions ( he lacked of it ) however he was charismatic through his actions when he had no other option ( or at least it seemed so ) just like he was charismatic through his knowledge which got him there to fight the battles he fought.

On the other hand Reinhard, I remember him well, with his eager for justice, power hungry ambition, loyalty towards friend like that of upper class towards the state. Genius with everything he needed to have to achieve his goals.

With such a big cast of characters I'd have problems to remember all of their names I have my own quiet wishes to re-watch this excellent series, however time plays a role, not having a lot of time is a big problem, especially with 110 episodes.

I didn't watch the new series, I'd rather watch the old one with classic animation. Music was amazing in that series, anything below is not classy and does not fit for anime like this one.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Even the vision of the future itself is something really believable, humans look like humans,, not really infested and eventually overshadowed with technology, cities on other planets are not really that different from real cities in real world, I'd say that architecture isn't really sci-fi like. Specifically I mean that this means humans are still working with what's already practical and tested for many many years. Technological advancements are huge yet focused in very limited aspects like exploration of cosmos and military technology. That makes it much more different from science fiction subgenres like cyberpunk.

Interesting addition is that there's no sign of extraterrestrial life, it's not something you would think of while imagining future with galactic scale empires and stuff.

Decisions like these that dispense with the chaff of traditional sci-fi stories are likely because the series is primarily concerned with comparing two political systems devoid of the baggage of our history.

For those who don't know, LoGH is mostly about the merits of an "ideal" autocracy versus a decaying democracy, set on the stage of a future so far advanced that Earth's historical dealings with those systems of governance is mostly removed from the equation. This is a bit of an oversimplification though, since part of what makes Yang Wen-Li special is that he hasn't forgotten the lessons of human history and how older empires crumbled. Such information is treated like trivia to everyone else though.

It's pretty incredible that I can say such things about a fucking anime, but that's because of course it's not just an anime.

I'm on Book 9 in the novels at this point, and it's wrapping up. You know how people in Japan complained to Miura and the publisher when he pulled off the Eclipse and killed a bunch of popular characters, but then evolved the story significantly? The same thing happens in LoGH, only it never fully recovers, lol. It's taken me years to realize this, but as I read the novels it truly struck home that the author made a bold choice, but never evolved after it. And that's a shame! It doesn't maim the series, of course. I still love it to pieces, but things feel pretty stale after a certain key event later in the series.
 
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