Legend of the Galactic Heroes
|
|
Legend of the Galactic Heroes, known in Japan as Ginga Eiyū Densetsu (銀河英雄伝説) is an anime in the genres of space opera, science fiction, military (military science fiction/military space opera), action, drama, epic. It is based on novels with the same title written by Yoshiki Tanaka. A manga series based on these novels as well, with art by Katsumi Michihara.
Legend_of_Galactic_Heroes_dvd2jp_boxcover.jpg
Legend_of_Galactic_Heroes_databookcover.jpg
| Contents |
Alternative titles
- Original title is often abbreviated as 銀英伝 Gin'eiden (Japanese)
- Legend of Galactic Heroes (often abbreviated as Logh, LoGH, or LOGH)
- Heldensagen vom Kosmosinsel (German)
- Les Héros de la Galaxie (French)
The story
The story is staged in the distant future within our own Milky Way Galaxy, approximately in the 35th century. Unlike most other science fictions, there are no alien civilizations. A portion of the galaxy is filled with terraformed worlds inhabited by interstellar traveling human beings. There has been a war on and off for 150 years between two mighty space powers: the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance.
Within the Galactic Empire, an ambitious military genius, Reinhardt von Müsel, is rising to power. He is driven by the desire to free his sister, Annerose, who was taken by the Kaiser as a concubine. Later, he wants not only to end the corrupt Goldenbaum dynasty but also to defeat the Free Planets Alliance and to unify the whole galaxy under his rule.
In the Free Planets Alliance is another genius, Yang Wenli. He wanted to be a historian, and joined the military only because he needed money for tuition. He is gradually promoted to be the commander because of his demonstrated excellence in military strategies and tactics. He becomes the archrival of Reinhardt, though they highly respect one another.
As a historian, Wenli often narrates the rich "future history" of his world and comments on it. One of his famous quotes is: "There are few wars between good and evil; most are between one good and another good."
Besides the two main heroes, the story is full of vivid characters and intricate politics. There is a third neutral power called the Phezzan Dominion, which trades with both warring powers. There is also a Terraism cult, which claims that human should go back to the earth, gaining popularity within the Free Planets Alliance and the Phezzan Dominion. The story often switches away from the main heroes to the Unknown Soldier fighting for his life on the battle field.
Series Length, spinoffs, technical details
The series is based on novels. The anime is made of 110 25-minute episodes (divided into 4 sections). The first episode was released on home video in December 1988, and the last in January 1997. Since Legend of the Galactic Heroes was released directly to home video and not shown on TV first, it the entire series is technically an OAV (quite possibly the longest ever). However, it has since been shown on TV several times. There are three two-hour movies and two spinoffs (Gaiden) which are both prequels:
- Legend of Galactic Heroes: My Conquest is the Sea of Stars - Movie, 1988;
- Legend of Galactic Heroes: Golden Wings - Movie, 1992;
- Legend of Galactic Heroes: Overture to a New War - Movie, 1993;
- Legend of Galactic Heroes: A Hundred Billion Stars, A Hundred Billion Lights - OVA, 24 episodes, 1998-2000;
- Legend of Galactic Heroes: Spiral Labyrinth - OVA, 28 episodes, 2000-2002;
The series, while over 10 years old, has not been released officially with English dubbing nor subtitles and is only available on in Japanese, Chinese or in incomplete (up to episode 49) English prerelease fansubs. Even so, it has been highly ranked on most international sites about anime and/or space opera. A petition for DVD English release can be found and signed at Legend of the Galactic Heroes Information Center (http://www.logh.net/).
Games
Additionally, several Japanese video games have been released based on the Legend of Galactic Heroes world, including one MMORPG/Strategy game. They have not been translated into English.
Staff
Production
- companies involved: Tokuma Japan Corporation, Animage Video
- Director: Noburo Ishiguro
- Character Design: Matsuri Okuda
- Mechanical design: Naoyuki Kato, Studio Nue
- Original story: Yoshiki Tanaka
- Producer: Yukio Kikukawa
Japanese Voice
- Akio Otsuka as Chun Wu Chen
- Akira Kamiya as Bagdash
- Akira Murayama as Focker Axel Von Büro
- Aya Hisakawa as Marika Von Feueurbach
- Banjou Ginga as De Villier
- Chikao Ohtsuka as Rudolf Von Goldenbaum
- Daisuke Gouri as Ovlesser
- Fumi Hirano as Dominique
- Goro Naya as Merkatz
- Hidekatsu Shibata as Gregor von Mückenberger
- Hideyuki Hori as Maximillian von Kastrop
- Hideyuki Tanaka as Jean Robert Lap
- Hiroko Emori as Erwin Joseph II
- Hiromi Tsuru as Reinhardt Von Müsel (young)
- Hirotaka Suzuoki as Konev Ruppert Kesserlink
- Hiroya Ishimaru as Karl Robert Steinmetz
- Hisao Ohyama as Karl Eward Bayerlein
- Ichirô Murakoshi as Schtaaden (1st season)
- Ichirô Nagai as Thomas Von Stockhausen
- Iemasu Kayami as Joanne Lebello
- Isao Sasaki as Erich Von Haltenberg
- Issei Futamata as Flegel
- Issei Masamune as Dwight Greenhill
- Juurouta Kosugi as Kasper Linz
- Kan Tokumaru as Paeta
- Kaneto Shiozawa as Paul von Oberstein
- Kappei Yamaguchi as Lanberts
- Katsuji Mori as Wolfgang Mittermeyer
- Katsunosuke Hori as Cornelius Lutz
- Kazuhiko Inoue as Dusty Attenborough
- Kazuki Yao as Warren Hughs
- Kazumi Tanaka as Edwin Fischer
- Keaton Yamada as Alex Cazellnu
- Kei Tomiyama as Yang Wenli
- Keiichi Nanba as Reiner Brumehart
- Keiichi Noda as Fritz Josef Bittenfeld
- Keiko Han as Annerose von Grünewald
- Kenichi Ogata as Marinesk
- Kenji Utsumi as Sidney Sitolet
- Kenyuu Horiuchi as Anton Ferner
- Kinpei Azusa as Wilhelm Von Kropstock
- Kiyonobu Suzuki as Elsheimer
- Kiyoshi Kobayashi as Adrian Rubinsky
- Kôhei Miyauchi as Klaus Von Lichtenlade
- Kotono Mitsuishi as Katerose Von Kreuzell
- Koichi Yamadera as Bruno Von Silverberg
- Kouji Totani as Arthur von Streit
- Kousei Tomita as Alexander Bucock
- Kôzô Shioya as Feodor Patrichev
- Makio Inoue as Ansbach
- Mami Koyama as Jessica Edwards
- Mari Yokoo as Magdelena von Westptfahle
- Masaaki Okabe as Samuel August Wahlen
- Masaharu Satou as Erlache
- Masako Katsuki as Hildegarde Von Mariendorf
- Masami Kikuchi as Konrad von Modell
- Masane Tsugayama as Ernst Von Eisenach
- Masashi Hironaka as Siegfried Kircheis
- Masashi Hirose as Athur Lynch
- Michie Tomizawa as Elfriede
- Michihiro Ikemizu as Evans
- Michio Hazama as Walter von Schenkopp
- Michitaka Kobayashi as Tonio
- Mika Doi as Valerie Lynn Fitzsimmons
- Miki Narahashi as Young Reinhard
- Mikio Terashima as Wilhelm Von Littenheim
- Minori Matsushima as Cornelia Windsor
- Nachi Nozawa as Herman Von Lüneburg
- Nobuo Tobita as Simon
- Noriko Hidaka as Therese
- Norio Wakamoto as Oskar von Ruental
- Nozomu Sasaki as Julian Minci
- Osamu Kobayashi as Otto von Braunschweig
- Osamu Saka as Kaiser Friedrich IV
- Ryo Horikawa as Reinhard Von Lohengramm
- Ryotaro Okiayu as Emile Von Seelle
- Ryouichi Tanaka as Hans Eduard Bergengrun
- Ryunosuke Ohbayashi as Admiral Ulanfu
- Ryuusei Nakao as Louis Maschengo
- Shigeru Chiba as E.J. Mackenzie
- Shigeru Nakahara as Frantz Varlimont
- Shinya Ohtaki as Isaac Fernand Von Turneisen
- Sho Hayami as Fahrenheit
- Shozo Iizuka as Hans Dietrich von Seeckt
- Shuichi Ikeda as Ulrich Kessler
- Tadashi Nakamura as Franz von Mariendorf
- Taimei Suzuki as Edwin Fischer
- Takaya Hashi as Ernest Mecklinger
- Takeshi Aono as Murai
- Takeshi Kusao as Hazuki
- Takeshi Watabe as Helmut Lennenkamp
- Tesshô Genda as Karl Gustav Kemp
- Tohru Furuya as Andrew Fork
- Tamio Ohki as Lazll Lobos
- Toshihiko Seki as Fügenberch
- Toshiko Fujita as Susanna von Benemunde
- Toshio Furukawa as Poplan
- Unshou Ishizuka as Job Trunht
- Wasashi Hironaka as Siegfried Kircheis
- Yasunori Matsumoto as Theodor Von Lücke
- Yoku Shioya as Alfred Von Lansberg
- Yoshiko Sakakibara as Frederica Greenhill
- Yoshito Yasuhara as Boris Konev
- Yousuke Akimoto as Leader of the PKC
- Yuji Mitsuya as Heinrich Von Kummel
- Yuri Amano as Charlotte Phillis Cazellnu
- Yuriko Yamamoto as Evangeline Mittermeyer
- Yusaku Yara as Narrator
- Yuu Mizushima as Neithardt Müller
External links
- Legend of the Galactic Heroes Information Center (http://www.logh.net/)
- Forum about LoGH at CentralAnime (http://www.centralanime.net/bboard/viewforum.php?f=2)
- Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu Official Website (Japanese) (http://www.ginei.jp/)
- Review at AnimeNfo (http://animenfo.com/animetitle,644,uinshf,legend_of_the_g.html)
- Review at THEM Anime Reviews (http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=494)
- Revew on Anime News Network (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=1786)
- 銀河英雄伝説INFORMATION (Japanese) (http://www6.plala.or.jp/satakun/gineiden/g-1.html)
Categories: Anime | Space Opera | Manga