Legend of the Galactic Heroes OVA Season 1: Director Ishiguro's Appeal and Evaluation

"Legend of the Galactic Heroes" OVA Season 1 (directed by Ishiguro) - The appeal and evaluation of this magnificent space epic

■Overview of the work

Legend of the Galactic Heroes is an OVA series based on the novel of the same name by Yoshiki Tanaka, with a total of 165 episodes produced between 1988 and 2000. In particular, the first season, directed by Noboru Ishiguro, was released with a total of 26 episodes between December 21, 1988 and June 20, 1989, and laid the foundation for the subsequent series. The work was distributed by Kitty Enterprises and animated by Kitty Film Mitaka Studio and T.P.O. The production involved Kitty Film, Tokuma Shoten, and Tokuma Japan, and the copyright is held by Yoshiki Tanaka, Tokuma Shoten, Tokuma Japan Communications, Light Staff, and Suntory.

■ Story

"Legend of the Galactic Heroes" is an epic story set in a galaxy in the distant future, where humanity is engaged in a series of fruitless battles. Reinhard von Lohengramm, born into the noble family of the Galactic Empire, has an ambition to take control of the empire after his sister Annerose is taken by the Emperor. Meanwhile, Yang Wen-li of the Free Planets Alliance aspires to be a historian, but achieves many accomplishments as a soldier. As arch rivals, Reinhard and Yang throw themselves into a battle that will change the history of the universe.

■Explanation

"Legend of the Galactic Heroes" is an anime adaptation of Yoshiki Tanaka's popular epic novel, and has been a long-selling hit for 16 years since 1988. Set in a future universe, it depicts the drama of fascinating heroes, centered around Reinhard and Yang, and complex strategic tactics on a grand scale. The first season, directed by Noboru Ishiguro, faithfully reproduced the depth of the original work while successfully drawing viewers in with the visual expression unique to anime.

■Cast

The voice actors for the main characters are as follows:

• Reinhard von Lohengramm: Ryo Horikawa
• Yang Wenli: Kei Toyama, Hozumi Goda
• Siegfried Kircheis: Masashi Hironaka
• Julian Mintz: Nozomu Sasaki
• Narration: Yusaku Yara

■ Main staff

The main staff are as follows:

• Original author: Yoshiki Tanaka
• Director: Noboru Ishiguro
• Screenplay: Shimao Kawanaka, Takeshi Shuto and others
• Chief animation director: Keizo Shimizu
• Character design: Okuda Mantsuri, Kume Kazunari, Shimizu Keizo
• Concept mechanic design: Naoyuki Kato

■ Main Characters

The details of the main characters are as follows:

• Reinhard von Lohengramm (voiced by Ryo Horikawa)
  A beautiful woman with blonde hair and ice-blue eyes, she was known as a genius in war. She was promoted to marshal at the age of 21 and took command of the flagship "Brunhild."
• Siegfried Kircheis (voiced by Masashi Hironaka)
  A childhood friend of Reinhard, he shares his anger over the loss of his sister Annerose and acts as his aide. He commands the flagship "Barbarossa."
• Hildegard von Mariendorf (voiced by Masako Katsuki)
  Nicknamed Hilda, she is intelligent and has excellent political sense, and serves as Reinhard's secretary.
• Countess Annerose of Grunewald (voiced by Keiko Han)
  Reinhard's older sister, she was welcomed into the emperor's harem at the age of 15 and given the title of Countess of Grünewald. Her presence had a major impact on the lives of Reinhard and Kircheis.
• Wolfgang Mittermeyer (voiced by Koichi Mori)
  He is the best friend of Reuenthal, the Empire's greatest warrior and known as the "Twin Peaks of the Empire." He sided with Reinhard from early on and is nicknamed "Gale Wolf." He commands the flagship "Beowulf."
• Oskar von Reuenthal (voiced by Norio Wakamoto)
  He is the best friend of Mittermeyer, the Empire's greatest warrior and known as the "Twin Peaks of the Empire." He sees through Reinhard's genius and ambition and becomes his subordinate. He commands the flagship "Tristan."
• Paul von Oberstein (voiced by Kanehito Shiozawa)
  He is Reinhard's advisor and a cold-hearted strategist. He has prosthetic eyes, which sometimes emit a strange light.
• Yang Wen-li (voiced by Kei Toyama and Hozumi Goda)
  He is the greatest general in the Free Planets Alliance and is known as "Miracle Yang" and "Magician Yang." He wants to retire and become a historian, but he continues to achieve military success. He commands the flagship "Hyperion" → "Ulysses."
• Julian Mintz (voiced by Nozomu Sasaki)
  Yang's protégé and successor. He has exceptional talent in tactics, aerial combat, and hand-to-hand combat, and is good at general household chores. He commands the flagship "Ulysses."
• Frederica Greenhill (voiced by Ryoko Sakakibara)
  He is Yang's adjutant and has an incredible memory, and assists him. He has been devoted to Yang ever since they first met at the age of 14.
• Katerose von Kreutzer (voiced by Kotono Mitsuishi)
  Nicknamed Karin. A Spartanian pilot and Poplan's apprentice. A strong-willed and dishonest girl, but also a caring one. She is Schönkopf's illegitimate daughter.
• Dusty Attenborough (voice: Kazuhiko Inoue)
  He is a junior of Yang's from the military academy and aspires to be a journalist. He is skilled in guerilla-style tactics and commands the flagship "Triglav."
• Alex Caselne (voiced by Keaton Yamada)
  He is an expert at desk work and has outstanding talent as an economic and military bureaucrat. He has a sharp tongue and a good sense of humor, but he is no match for his wife.
• Walter von Schönkopf (voiced by Michio Usami)
  He was the commander of the "Rose Knights Regiment", excelled in hand-to-hand combat, and played an active role in the bloodless capture of Iserlohn Fortress. He later became Yang's staff officer.
• Olivier Poplin (voiced by Toshio Furukawa)
  A Spartanian pilot and a leading ace of the Ace of Hearts. He is a cheerful and fearless man with a sharp tongue, and is said to be the "two greatest" when it comes to relationships with women, along with Schönkopf.

■Subtitle

The subtitles for the first season are as follows:

• Episode 1: In the Eternal Night (1988/12/21)
• Episode 2: Battle of Astarte (1988/12/28)
• Episode 3: Birth of the 13th Fleet (1989/01/10)
• Episode 4: Afterglow of the Empire (1989/01/17)
• Episode 5: The Castrop Crisis (1989/01/24)
• Episode 6: The Knight of the Rose (1989/01/31)
• Episode 7: The Capture of Iserlohn! (1989/02/07)
• Episode 8: The Cold-Hearted Prosthetic Eye (1989/02/14)
• Episode 9: The Klopstock Incident (21 February 1989)
• Episode 10: Jessica's Battle (1989/02/28)
• Episode 11: Actress exit (1989/03/07)
• Episode 12: Invasion of Imperial Territories (1989/03/14)
• Episode 13: When the sad rain comes... (1989/03/21)
• Episode 14: Liberation of the Frontier (1989/03/28)
• Episode 15: The Battle of Amritsar (04/04/1989)
• Episode 16: A New Trend (1989/04/11)
• Episode 17: Before the Storm (1989/04/18)
• Episode 18: The Secret Pact of Lippstadt (1989/04/25)
• Episode 19: Yang's Fleet Moves Out (1989/05/02)
• Episode 20: Bloody Space (1989/05/09)
• Episode 21: The Battle of Doria, and then... (1989/05/16)
• Episode 22: Courage and Loyalty (1989/05/23)
• Episode 23: The Golden Tree (Golden Baum) Has Fallen (1989/05/30)
• Episode 24: For Whom Victory (1989/06/06)
• Episode 25: The Day Before Fate (1989/06/13)
• Episode 26: Farewell, Distant Days (1989/06/20)

■ Evaluation and recommendation

The first OVA of "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" has been highly praised for its epic story, deep character portrayals, and detailed depictions of strategy and tactics. In particular, the human drama depicted through the contrast between Reinhard and Yang deeply moves viewers. In addition, director Noboru Ishiguro's direction faithfully reproduces the worldview of the original work while successfully drawing viewers in with the visual expression unique to anime.

This work is recommended not only for science fiction fans, but also for those interested in history and politics. The depiction of complex human relationships and strategic tactics has many elements that make the viewer think, and no matter how many times you watch it, you will discover something new. In addition, because it depicts universal themes of humanity through the character growth and conflicts, it can be enjoyed by a wide range of generations.

Furthermore, if you watch the entire OVA series, the backgrounds and episodes of each character are depicted in detail, allowing you to understand the work more deeply. In particular, the Gaiden series allows you to learn about the past and backstories of the main characters, which helps you to understand the story better.

"Legend of the Galactic Heroes" is not just an entertainment piece, but a magnificent space epic that depicts human drama, politics, and strategy. Its depth and appeal will continue to be loved by viewers for a long time. Please experience the story of the galactic heroes through this work.