omg Legend of the Galatic Heroes!

[Himu]

AWESOME! I don't think this anime has ever came out here but it's really old (80's most definitely) and the story is AMAZING.

It's a space drama, like Star Trek (without the suck), stuff like that.

If you like sci fi, or war stories in general, you should check it out.

A quick search on google gives this excellent sypnosis:

Introduction to Legend of the Galactic Heroes

A vast science fiction epic, Legend of the Galactic Heroes is very different from most anime in many ways. While most anime is based on manga, Legend of the Galactic Heroes is based on a series of science fiction novels. In addition, there are no giant robots, hard suits, or alien monsters. It is simply about people, their drives, their pain and their conflict. The characters range from the Galactic Emperor all the way down to gunners, fighter pilots and ordinary townspeople.

Further setting it apart from the anime genre is the fact that Galactic Heroes does not have a techno, rock or pop soundtrack. Except for the opening and ending themes, the background music is almost all classical works by masters such as Wagner, Liszt, Dvorak, Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart.  For example, in the first movie a 20-minute space battle is set to "Bolero". The usage of these classic works adds to the epic feel of the series.

[Himu]

I see you distantmantra! Post! Share the LOGH love! 

[Coop]

Battlestar Galactica is better, watch that.

[Cheebs]

Battlestar Galactica is better, watch that.

Well there are almost no shows in the history of the medium of television that people would consider better than BSG. Not a fair argument.

[Himu]

Battlestar Galactica is better, watch that.

You've seen LOGH?

[Mr. Gundam]

I see you distantmantra! Post! Share the LOGH love! 

Hehe, yeah, I've seen some of LOGH. There was an effort to try and get it released here in North America on DVD, but it would've been something like $600-$1,000 for the set.

It's a 110 episode OVA series, which is really amazing.

[Coop]

Yeah I've seen it, I rather watch that god awful Stargate series

[Himu]

Hmmph. Stargate is poop. LoGH is not.

Wait. DM I thought I was watching a tv series, not an ova. o_O

Review

There are very few anime that have portrayed the nature of humanity as accurately as Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Although the action takes place in a fantastic setting the themes and analysis of civilization hit remarkably close to home. I went into this thinking it'd be a clone of Captain Harlock, but was blown away by this hidden gem that doesn't get nearly enough attention from the anime community.

What really drives LoGH is a truly superb story. We're taken through a dense plot where everyone has an agenda to fulfill: some people just want to get by ... and others want to get by with everything they possibly can. An epic in every sense of the word; empires both rise and crumble, important people are lost, and our characters grow as the events unfold.

Speaking of the characters, the most intriguing are our two main heroes. For the Alliance we have Yang Wenli, the obvious source material for Captain Justy Tylor. This amazing tactician joined the army so he could get free schooling – in all honesty, he would much rather see the war end so he could pursue his true dream of becoming a historian. Imagine MASH's Hawkeye in anime form and you basically get the idea. Yang is the source of most of the insight into human nature and philosophical musings of the series, and is laid-back to a fault. Oh yes, he's also the Alliance's greatest hope against the Empire somehow.

Representing said Empire is Reinhard: much colder than his counterpart, but just as cunning. His insight is no less than Yang's, but his methods are certainly stricter. Reinhard's motivations, and even applications, can't be seen as evil though. His original purpose for becoming a soldier was to take back his sister who was forced into marriage with the Kaiser. Sick of the corruptness of the Goldenbaum dynasty, he wants enough power so that the people will no longer suffer from others' tyranny. To get by in a monarchy takes more than just a bit of manipulation though, and among wolves a sheep must grow fangs.

That's not to say the rest of the cast is boring though – far from it. The story is conveyed through the eyes of literally hundreds, possibly thousands, of characters. From kings to normal townsfolk, head ministers and average guns men, we see how the actions of the characters affect those in the universe. Nobody is just a soldier or another face in the crowd – everyone represented has a story to tell, a background that affects his or her future decisions and LoGH does a wonderful job of painting a diverse picture of the universe.

The animation is average, really nothing to write home about. Just about the only thing I can complain about is the large number of difficult to remember German names. This is no more difficult than adjusting to Japanese names for the first time though. The musical selection is decent. With the exception of the opening sequences the soundtrack is made up entirely of classical music. In many instances this can be quite dull (see the Crest of the Stars opening for an example), but they've used it very well here. The songs make appropriate accompanyment to the action instead of being the sole focus of our attention.

If you want girls in skimpy clothes, giant robots, or a martial arts tournament I'd recommend looking elsewhere. If you want a well-thought-out drama with engrossing characters, stop here. Should you be lucky enough to have access to the episodes this is one you don't want to pass up.

Especially recommended for history buffs and fans of Irresponsible Captain Tylor. This is a genuine classic. — Hannah Stanton

[Mr. Gundam]

Hmmph. Stargate is poop. LoGH is not.

Wait. DM I thought I was watching a tv series, not an ova. o_O

Nope, it was an OVA release from 1988 to 1999.

[Mr. Gundam]

Double post

[Himu]

I LOVE this show. The politics, the war strategies, the CHARACTERS, and the fact there are so many well conceived sub plots interwoven in the plot..

This show is so GOOD.

<3

What is insane to me, is that this series has probably hundreds of involved characters, and they're, for the most part, all interesting.

[Mupepe]

Lost

[CajoleJuice]

I stopped watching Lost.

[The Sceneman]

Lost

Lost is manipulative bullshit

[Himu]

LOGH is LOGH not LOST

[Mupepe]

I know of LoGH is, Himuro.  And I love Lost