The appeal and evaluation of the Legend of the Galactic Heroes spin-off "The Reclaimer": Exploring the depth of director Ishiguro's version

"Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden: The Reclaimer" - A moving OVA depicting the younger days of heroes

■Overview of the work

"Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden: The Reclaimer" is one of the OVA series based on the spin-off of Yoshiki Tanaka's popular novel "Legend of the Galactic Heroes". It was released by Tokuma Japan Communications on June 23, 2000, and was directed by Noboru Ishiguro and Keizo Shimizu and Asami Kasa. It consists of four episodes, each 30 minutes long, depicting the younger days of the main characters, such as Reinhard von Musel, Siegfried Kircheis, and Yang Wen-li.

■ Story

Reinhard, Kircheis, and Yang...
The unknown days of these heroes' youth are depicted!
Another page in the history of the galaxy...

■Explanation

"Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden: The Reclaimer" is an OVA series that is an animated spin-off of Yoshiki Tanaka's popular novel of the same name. By revealing past episodes of Reinhard, Kircheis, and Yang that were not depicted in the main story, you can gain a deeper understanding of the characters' backgrounds and growth process. This work is an essential piece for fans of the Legend of the Galactic Heroes series, and is an important piece for deepening your understanding of the story.

■Cast

・Reinhard von Musel/Ryo Horikawa・Siegfried Kircheis/Masashi Hironaka・Yang Wen-li/Hozumi Goda・Walter von Schönkopf/Michio Usama・Bruce Ashby/Morio Kazama・Christoph von Kefenchler/Masaaki Yajima・Hermann von Lüneburg/Nachi Nozawa・Narration/Yusaku Yara

■ Main staff

・Original work by Yoshiki Tanaka・General director by Noboru Ishiguro・Director by Keizo Shimizu and Asami Kasa・Series composition and script by Shimao Kawanaka・Original character design by Mantsuri Okuda, Hisatoshi Motoki and Kazunari Kume・Character design by Keizo Shimizu・Conceptual design by Naoyuki Kato・Mechanical design and art design by Seibi Tanaka・Art design and art director by Jin Nagao and Takeshi Waki・Producers by Yukio Kikugawa and Takahiro Inagaki・Produced by K Factory・Produced by Tokuma Shoten and K Factory・Produced by Light Staff

■ Main Characters

●Galactic Empire, Reinhard von Lohengramm The protagonist of "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" with striking blond hair and ice-blue eyes. A genius in war, he steadily achieved military success as a victorious general, and became a field marshal at just 21 years old. Flagship "Brunhild"
Siegfried Kircheis: He met Reinhard when they were children, and shared Reinhard's anger towards the power and society that had taken Annerose away from him. He always acts as Reinhard's assistant, but his modest and gentle personality makes up for Reinhard's sharp side. Flagship "Barbarossa"
Hildegard von Mariendorf, commonly known as Hilda. Daughter of the prestigious Mariendorf Count family. Intelligent and with excellent political sense, she assists Reinhard as his secretary.
Annerose, Countess of Grünewald. Reinhard's older sister. After being welcomed into the harem of Frederick IV at the age of 15, she was given the title of Countess of Grünewald. She is strong-willed and intelligent, but also modest and gentle in all she does. Her presence has had a great influence on the lives of Reinhard and Kircheis.
Wolfgang Mittermeyer - The Empire's greatest warrior, he is known as the "two great men of the Empire" along with his best friend Reuenthal. He was one of the earliest to side with Reinhard. He is known for his speed in tactics, and is also known as the "Gale Wolf". He is also known as a devoted husband. His flagship is the "Beowulf".
Oskar von Reuenthal is the Empire's greatest warrior, and together with his best friend Mittermeyer, they are known as the "two pillars of the Empire." He recognized Reinhard's genius and ambition early on, and became his subordinate. He has a sharp blue left eye and a dark, sunken right eye called "heterochromia." Flagship "Tristan"
Paul von Oberstein: As Reinhard's advisor, he is a skilled political strategist. His cold-heartedness often earned him the resentment of his colleagues. Due to a congenital abnormality, he uses prosthetic eyes in both eyes, but sometimes his eyes emit a strange light.
●Free Planets Alliance - Yang Wen-li The Free Planets Alliance's greatest general, known as "Miracle Yang" and "Magician Yang." Originally aspired to be a historian and always wishing to retire, he continues to achieve military feats despite his wishes. In his private life, he is extremely lazy and a big tea drinker. Flagship "Hyperion" → "Ulysses"
- Julian Mintzyan's protégé and successor. Showed exceptional talent in the fields of tactics, aerial combat, and hand-to-hand combat. Has a straightforward personality and is calm despite her age. Good at all kinds of housework, especially when it comes to making tea. Flagship "Ulysses"
Frederica Greenhill: Yang's adjutant. With an incredible memory, she assists Yang as a capable subordinate. She has been in love with Yang ever since they met by chance at the age of 14.
・Katellose von Kreutzer, commonly known as Karin. A Spartanian pilot and Poplan's apprentice. Although she can be strong-willed and dishonest, she is a considerate girl. In fact, she is Schönkopf's illegitimate child, and has complicated feelings towards her father.
Dusty Attenborough was a junior of Yan's during their time at the military academy. He originally wanted to be a journalist, but also showed his skills as a commander. He excelled in guerilla-style tactics, and was especially known for leading the resistance of defeated troops.
Alex Caselne: A master of deskwork, he is a talented economic and military official. He has a sharp tongue and a good sense of humor, but he is intimidated by his wife.
Walter von Schönkopf: Regimental commander of the Rose Knights. He excels in hand-to-hand combat and plays an active role in the bloodless capture of Iserlohn Fortress, after which he becomes Yang's staff officer.
Olivier Poplin is a Spartanian pilot and a leading ace of the Ace of Hearts. He is cheerful and fearless with a sharp tongue. He is said to be the "two greatest" when it comes to women, along with Schönkopf.

■Subtitle

・Kap.I
・Kap.Ⅱ
・Kap.Ⅲ
・Kap. IV

■ Related works

Legend of the Galactic Heroes Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden Legend of the Galactic Heroes OVA series

■Detailed evaluation

"Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden: The Reclaimer" is one of the most beloved works in the Legend of the Galactic Heroes series. The reason is that it delves deeply into the humanity and background of the main characters by depicting episodes from their younger days. In particular, the friendship between Reinhard and Kircheis and Yang's growth as a tactician leave a strong impression on viewers.

The story of this work depicts the growth and conflict of young heroes against the backdrop of the conflict between the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance. The personality and background of each character is carefully drawn, such as the episode where Reinhard's sister Annerose is welcomed into the harem of Friedrich IV, and Yang's dream of becoming a historian but his dedication to the battlefield. This allows viewers to gain a deeper understanding of the reasons for their actions and decisions.

The character and mechanical designs are also superb, with Keizo Shimizu's character designs in particular faithfully recreating the image of the original while bringing out the unique charm of anime. Naoyuki Kato's conceptual design and Kimiyoshi Tanaka's mechanical design also enrich the worldview of the work.

As for the cast, the voice actors who play each character, such as Ryo Horikawa as Reinhard, Masashi Hironaka as Kircheis, and Hozumi Goda as Yang, give excellent performances, expressing the emotions and feelings of the characters realistically. In particular, the scenes depicting the friendship between Reinhard and Kircheis are moving, with the two voice actors performing in perfect harmony.

Music is also an important element in enhancing the appeal of this work. The magnificent orchestral music enhances the vast universe of the galaxy and the drama of the heroes. The music, especially in the battle scenes, conveys tension and excitement to the viewer and adds depth to the development of the story.

■ Recommendation points

"Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden: The Reclaimer" is a work that can be recommended not only to fans of the Legend of the Galactic Heroes series, but also to those who are experiencing this series for the first time. The following points in particular are the reasons for the recommendation.

1. **Deeper character exploration**: This work depicts episodes from the younger days of the main characters, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of their humanity and backgrounds. This will deepen your understanding of the series as a whole and make you even more immersed in the story.

2. **Beautiful visuals and music**: The character and mechanic designs, as well as the magnificent orchestral music, enrich the world of the work. It is a work that is satisfying both visually and aurally.

3. **A moving story**: The series is packed with touching episodes, such as the friendship between Reinhard and Kircheis, and Yang's growth and struggles. Viewers will empathize with their stories and be moved by them.

4. **Understanding the historical background**: The growth and conflicts of young heroes are depicted against the backdrop of the conflict between the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance. This allows you to gain a deeper understanding of the historical background of the entire series.

5. **Great voice acting**: The voice actors who play each character are amazing, and they express the emotions and feelings of the characters so realistically. The acting in the scenes depicting the friendship between Reinhard and Kircheis is particularly moving.

■ Summary

"Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden: The Reclaimer" is a particularly important work in the Legend of the Galactic Heroes series, and by depicting the episodes of the main characters' younger days, you can gain a deeper understanding of their humanity and background. This work combines beautiful visuals and music, a moving story, and the wonderful performances of the voice actors, and is highly recommended not only for fans of the series, but also for those who are experiencing it for the first time. Be sure to check out this work that depicts the younger days of the heroes, another page in the history of the galaxy.