January 10, 2025 12:23 pm
This is a great space epic that deserves more attention.
The anime franchise Legend of the Galactic Heroes, based on the novel series of the same name by Yoshiki Tanaka, is a cult, but underrated thing.
At first glance, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, released in 1988, is a large-scale space opera epic, a kind of anime Star Wars. The action takes place in the distant future, the plot is based on a war between galactic superpowers.
How many stories like that have we seen? But if Legend were just a space opera about war, it would not have stuck in your soul. Above all, it is a profound story about the nature of power, about a great purpose, about good intentions, and the price that must be paid.
What Is Legend of the Galactic Heroes About?
The distant future in which humanity has populated the galaxy. Two giant interstellar states – the monarchical Galactic Empire and the democratic Free Planets Alliance – are engaged in a protracted war that fades and flares.
Two brilliant young commanders – the ambitious, handsome Reinhard von Lohengramm and the good-natured cynic Yang Wen-li – intervene in the sluggish course of military action. On the battlefields, they decide not only the fate of their states, but also their own.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes Does Not Have Heroes and Villains
The main thing that distinguishes Legend of the Galactic Heroes from many other space epics is the author's objectivity. Tanaka does not idealize anyone: both the Empire and the Alliance have their pros and cons.
There is no fight between good and evil. It is a historical chronicle in which the fighters of the Empire and the Alliance can be heroes or villains, depending on the situation.
The comparison of two systems, democratic and authoritarian, became one of the key topics of the anime. Again, Tanaka does not make a clear choice, although his sympathies seem to lie with the more effective authoritarianism.
Much attention in the legends is given to reflections on the price of power and the good intentions that pave the way to hell. Which of the characters is right? Reinhard, willing to sacrifice millions of lives to end the war and save billions?
Or Yang, who is unwilling to go beyond his principles – causing many people to die, but opening the way to a new future? It's up to the viewer to decide.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes Is an Anti-war Anime
But sometimes the author of Legend of the Galactic Heroes makes his preferences clear. Tanaka is extremely negative about the war – and the main characters share this attitude.
Quite a few episodes are dedicated to honorable people from both sides, who are forced to kill and die while taking part in a slaughter that is alien to them. And watching these bloody episodes, it is simply impossible to remain indifferent.
This is a great space epic that deserves more attention.
The anime franchise Legend of the Galactic Heroes, based on the novel series of the same name by Yoshiki Tanaka, is a cult, but underrated thing.
At first glance, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, released in 1988, is a large-scale space opera epic, a kind of anime Star Wars. The action takes place in the distant future, the plot is based on a war between galactic superpowers.
How many stories like that have we seen? But if Legend were just a space opera about war, it would not have stuck in your soul. Above all, it is a profound story about the nature of power, about a great purpose, about good intentions, and the price that must be paid.
What Is Legend of the Galactic Heroes About?
The distant future in which humanity has populated the galaxy. Two giant interstellar states – the monarchical Galactic Empire and the democratic Free Planets Alliance – are engaged in a protracted war that fades and flares.
Two brilliant young commanders – the ambitious, handsome Reinhard von Lohengramm and the good-natured cynic Yang Wen-li – intervene in the sluggish course of military action. On the battlefields, they decide not only the fate of their states, but also their own.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes Does Not Have Heroes and Villains
The main thing that distinguishes Legend of the Galactic Heroes from many other space epics is the author's objectivity. Tanaka does not idealize anyone: both the Empire and the Alliance have their pros and cons.
There is no fight between good and evil. It is a historical chronicle in which the fighters of the Empire and the Alliance can be heroes or villains, depending on the situation.
The comparison of two systems, democratic and authoritarian, became one of the key topics of the anime. Again, Tanaka does not make a clear choice, although his sympathies seem to lie with the more effective authoritarianism.
Much attention in the legends is given to reflections on the price of power and the good intentions that pave the way to hell. Which of the characters is right? Reinhard, willing to sacrifice millions of lives to end the war and save billions?
Or Yang, who is unwilling to go beyond his principles – causing many people to die, but opening the way to a new future? It's up to the viewer to decide.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes Is an Anti-war Anime
But sometimes the author of Legend of the Galactic Heroes makes his preferences clear. Tanaka is extremely negative about the war – and the main characters share this attitude.
Quite a few episodes are dedicated to honorable people from both sides, who are forced to kill and die while taking part in a slaughter that is alien to them. And watching these bloody episodes, it is simply impossible to remain indifferent.
