Finally found some time to make a series of posts post about this underappreciated masterpiece.

The moment I finished Legend of the Galactic Heroes (LotGH), I couldn't really think of anything to describe it mainly because my head so full of ideas and information that I couldn't even begin to form a coherent opinion. Now that I've seen the two LotGH movies (My Conquest is the Sea of Stars and Overture to a New War) and the Hundred Billion Stars; Hundred Billion Lights Gaiden OVAs, I am finally a little more organized in my thoughts.

What a ridiculously amazing anime.
In fact, this is possibly the best space opera I've ever seen. If you enjoy Babylon 5, BSG, Star Wars, Star Trek, or series that touch on war and politics with a strong human element, I highly recommend Legend of the Galactic Heroes.

LotGH is, without a doubt, EPIC in every sense of the word. Despite its length, the story moves at a relatively fast pace and not a single episode is wasted on filler material. LotGH takes you straight into the action from the get-go by opening in the middle of a war which has lasted for 150 years. Although I like war dramas, I'm not usually interested in the political side of things but LotGH has such a compelling narrative on the government systems of the dictatorial Galactic Empire and the democratic Free Planets Alliance that it's hard not to care about them. The anime doesn't try to drown the viewer with political jargon or convoluted conspiracies, but rather, present the advantages and shortcomings of the two different systems from a very human perspective.

"Sometimes I have my doubts. The Empire, with a few nobles ruling the masses, is a bad government. The Alliance, with a government chosen by the people, is badly governed. Which one do you think is wrong?" - Yang, on the Goldenbaum Dynasty and the FPA.

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