Legend of the Galactic Heroes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Legend of the Galactic Heroes (銀河英雄伝説, Ginga Eiyū Densetsu^?) is a series of science fiction novels by Yoshiki Tanaka. An anime adaptation of the novels ran from 1988 to 1997, and a manga is also based on the novels, with art by Katsumi Michihara.

Neither the novel, anime nor manga have been released officially in the English language, but there exists an unofficial fansub of the anime. For that reason most English-speaking fans identify Legend of the Galactic Heroes with the anime.

Set somewhere in distant space around the 35th century (the 9th century of the story's "Space Era"), Legend of the Galactic Heroes is a story of the epic struggle between the monarchic Galactic Empire and the democratic Free Planets Alliance.

[edit] Alternative titles

• Original title is often abbreviated as Gin'eiden (銀英伝)
• Die Legende Der Sternhelden
• Legend of Galactic Heroes (often abbreviated as Logh, LoGH, LGH, or LOGH)
• Heldensagen vom Kosmosinsel (German, or better 'Fake German', using correct German grammar the title would be 'Heldensagen von der Kosmosinsel' and that wordly translated in English would be 'Heroic tales from the cosmic island')
• Les Héros de la Galaxie (French)

[edit] The story

Cover of the original novel of "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" volume 1, first edition (Tokuma Novels, 1982). This book is considered valuable and famous because the character of the volume number came to attach since the second edition.

The story is staged in the distant future within our own Milky Way Galaxy, approximately in the 35th century. Unlike most other science fiction stories, there are no alien civilizations. A portion of the galaxy is filled with terraformed worlds inhabited by interstellar traveling human beings. For 150 years two mighty space powers have intermittently warred with each other: the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance.

Within the Galactic Empire, based on 19th century Prussia, an ambitious military genius, Reinhard 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 Wen-li. He originally aspired to become a historian, and joined the military only because he needed money for tuition. He was rapidly promoted to an admiral because of his demonstrated excellence in military strategy. He becomes the archrival of Reinhard, though they highly respect one another.

As a historian, Yang 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. All types of characters, from high nobility, admirals and politicians, to common soldiers and farmers, are interweaved into the story. There is a third neutral power nominally attached to the Galactic Empire called the Phezzan Dominion, a planet-state (city-state on a galactic scale) which trades with both warring powers. There is also a Terraism cult, which claims that humans should go back to Earth, gaining popularity throughout the galaxy. The story frequently switches away from the main heroes to the Unknown Soldier fighting for his life on the battlefield.

[edit] Background Timeline

2039: A massive nuclear exchange between the powers which dominate the Earth (identified as the United States of Euro-Africa and the Northern Coalition) destroy most major cities.

2129: After 90 years of chaos Earth is united under the "Earth Unity Government" based in the capital of Brisbane.

2166: What will be a massive research installation on Io is begun.\

2253: A slower-than-light vessel is launched for Alpha Centauri but never returns.

2360: The first faster-than-light drive is developed, but turns out to have deleterious effects on females.

2391: The problems with FTL are solved.

2402: A habitable world is discovered near Canopus.

2404: As the first colony ship is launched for Canopus, Earth's government establishes a "Navigation Safety Department" which later becomes known as the Department of Public Safety.

2428: The Department of Public Safety reorganises itself as a formal navy.

2682: Disgruntled colonies unite to complain about high taxes, interference in local administration, and their lack of proportionate representation in the Humanity Congress which is weighted to ensure that Earth will always have the deciding vote. Earth responds by trying to make Sirius into a scapegoat, accusing them of spreading subversion as part of a plot to take over.

2685: Earth's denunciation of Sirius makes it into the natural leader of the dissident colonies and they establish the "Sirius Congress" and begin to gather military power.

2689: Earth attacks the on Sirius VI (aka Rondolina) to suppress the dissidents. Earth's forces become increasingly undisciplined, culminating in a massacre of the city of Laglane similar to the Rape of Nanking.

2703: The lack of discipline among Earth's forces leads to a devastating defeat at the hands of the much smaller rebel "Black Fleet".

2704: The Black Fleet blockades the inner Solar System for two months and then attacks the starving population, killing most of them.

2706: The death from heart attack of Carl Palgrem, the leader of the revolution, ends the unity of the rebels and they fragment into factions fighting for control.

2801: The United Stars of the Galaxy is formed, centered on Theoria, the 2nd planet of Aldebaran, and a new calender era is adopted, "Space Era" beginning in this year

2906 (106 S.E.): In order to deal with ongoing threat of space pirates descended from elements of the Sirius/Earth war who never reintigrated into civilisation, the U.S.G. authorises the creation of of a large military to combat them.

3088 (288 S.E.): A military genius named Rudolph Von Goldenbaum leads the U.S.G. space army to wipe out the resurgent pirates, becoming an idolised hero similar to Julius Caesar.

3096 (296 S.E.): Rudolph Von Goldenbaum having rocketed up the ranks to Admiral by the age of 28, retires to run for a seat in Parliament forming the National Reform Alliance. The public is eager for a man on a white horse to take over since the U.S.G. has become decadent and disorderly.

3110 (310 S.E.): President-for-life Goldenbaum declares himself Emperor of the Galactic Empire and this to be Imperial Year 1.

3120 (320 S.E., Imperial Year 9) Emperor Rudolph declares the Inferior Genes Exclusion Law which mandates sterilisation of the handicapped and execution of the mentally ill and terminates all social assistance of the poor. He begins selecting "superior genetic specimens", all of whom are white and have germanic names to form an aristocracy with titles handed out by Rudolph.

3141 (341 S.E., Imperial Year 42) Emperor Rudolph is succeeded by his grandson Sigismund, and widespread democratic rebellions break out, only to be suppressed. Billions of people lose their citizenship and become serfs for being family members or associates of executed rebels.

3263 (463 S.E., Imperial Year 164) Arle Heinnesen, reduced to serf status for being a member of a rebel's family, masterminds the escape of 40,000 serfs from a labour camp on Altair VII.

3327 (527 S.E., Imperial Year 218) The refugees, travelling more than 10,000 light years to flee the Empire arrive at a habitable world and decide to start the Free Planets Alliance from there, reviving the Space Era calendar.

3440 (640 S.E., Imperial Year 331) The Empire discovers the Free Planets Alliance and the war between them begins.

[edit] Manga

An image from the manga, showing Yang Wen-li on the left and Reinhard on the right.

The manga edition is authored by Katsumi Michihara, and is derived from the first two volumes of the original-novel.

This manga story is faithful to the original, possible more faithful than the anime. However, there are some changes that could be considered major, e.g. the sex of several characters is changed.

Akira Kasahara is cooperating in drawing mechanics.

This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it.

[edit] Anime adaptations

This is an image for the advertisement of DVD box of Legend of the Galactic Heroes, in around 2003, shows Yang Wen-li on the left and Reinhard on the right.

This is an image for the advertisement of the movie Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Overture to a New War (1993). The design of characters has changed a little because this series continued for so long.

[edit] Series

The anime 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 is technically an OVA (quite possibly the longest ever). However, it has since been shown on TV several times. There are three two-hour movies and two series of side stories (Gaiden) which are both prequels:

• Legend of Galactic Heroes: My Conquest is the Sea of Stars - Movie, 1988;
• Legend of Galactic Heroes: Golden Wings - OVA, 1992;
• Legend of Galactic Heroes: Overture to a New War - Movie, 1993;
• Legend of Galactic Heroes Side Stories (1st season) - OVA, 24 episodes, 1998 – 1999;
• Legend of Galactic Heroes Side Stories (2nd season) - OVA, 28 episodes, 1999 – 2000;

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 English fansubs. Even so, it has been highly ranked on most international sites about anime and/or space opera.

[edit] Production

• General Director: Noboru Ishiguro
• Original story: Yoshiki Tanaka
• Series Writer: Shimao Kawanaka
• Writer: Takeshi Shutou (1st movie etc.), Shimao Kawanaka (All episodes since ep.15)
• Character Design: Matsuri Okuda, Kazunari Kume, Keizou Shimizu
• Mechanical design: Naoyuki Kato (Studio Nue), Norifumi Shimizu
• Music: Shinsuke Kazeto
• Producer: Masatoshi Tahara, Yukio Kikukawa
• Companies involved: Tokuma Japan Corporation, Animage Video

[edit] Voice actors

Legend of The Galactic Heroes boasts the largest voice cast for any known animated production. It has been said that the cast listing is a Who's Who for almost every veteran and current Japanese voice actor, known as seiyū. For some voice actors in the series, this was their "breakthrough" role. Most notably Ryo Horikawa, as Reinhard, went on to star as the voice of Vegeta in the long running Dragonball Z.

This series also features a large number of primarily live action actors. As an example, Masane Tsukayama (Ernst von Eisenach) and Morio Kazama (Bruce Ashbey) etc. are famous live actors in Japan.

Yang Wen-li was the last role performed by veteran actor Kei Tomiyama who died in 1995 shortly after the end of the original series completion. His other most well known roles include Susumu Kodai from Space Battleship Yamato and Tochiro Oyama from Captain Harlock and Galaxy Express 999.

[edit] Golden Wings

The character design etc. is completely changed in Golden Wings

[edit] Production

• Director: Keizou Shimizu
• Original story: Yoshiki Tanaka, Katsumi Michihara
• Writer: Kazumi Koide
• Character Concept Design: Katsumi Michihara
• Character Design: Yuji Ikeda
• Mechanical Concept design: Akira Kasahara
• Mechanical design: Hideki Takahashi
• Music: Tomoki Hasegawa
• Producer: Tatsumi Yamashita, Kei Ijichi
• Companies involved: Tokuma Japan Corporation, Animage Video

[edit] Voice actors

• Reinhard von Müsel - Hikaru Midorikawa
• Siegfried Kircheis - Takehito Koyasu
• Annerose von Grünewald - Hiromi Murata
• Gregor von Klumbach - Kouji Ishii
• Yang Wen-li - Yasuyoshi Hara

[edit] See also

• Characters of Legend of the Galactic Heroes
• Legend of the Galactic Heroes release history
• List of Legend of the Galactic Heroes media

Related

• Seiun Award - Best Novel of the Year in 1988

[edit] External links

Official sites

• (Japanese) Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu Official Website - Official site of anime version
• (Japanese) Official site of Wright Staff - company that manages right of Yoshiki Tanaka
• (Japanese) Nekomatagi Club - Official site of Katsumi Michihara, author of manga version

Additional information

• (English) Legend of the Galactic Heroes at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• (English) Legend of the Galactic Heroes at AnimeNfo
• (English) fansubs by Central Anime
• (English) Chinese Site