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Go to the list of characters for e show and read what is written about the characters Yang Wenli and Reinhard von Lohengramm if you would like to know whether this anime will interest you or not. I was just like many of you that may be reading this: just surfing this website, looking at the "top anime" that was listed, and then seeing this one anime called "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" that I never heard of in my life. What was strange was not only how unpopular the anime is compared to most of the shows that are highest ranked, but that many ... of the people who hated it didn't explain why they didn't like it for some reason. I decided I should see this for myself, despite not being a sci-fi fan.

Things to note: First of all, the plot is extremely complex beyond your imagination. I'm an honor roll student in grade 12, and even I struggled a bit to get every single detail about the plot. Secondly, if you like history, military tactics, classical music or politics, than you will enjoy this show even though it looks more like your typical space opera at first glance. Lastly, the first season isn't as interesting as the two seasons that come after it (It's still good, but less worthy of a 9.13), so it's first impression isn't exactly the best.

Story - 7: I'm going to admit that I had some doubts regarding the show's plot. The plot moves very slow since it focuses on so many perspectives and events happening all at once. Some people may like that, but I think most people on this site might not. I'm not going to reveal much, since there are character synopses on this site and what not.

Art - 9: The show's art isn't pretty, both because it's old, and because it does not follow the usual style that is used in anime. I'm not going to consider the show's age in my critique of its art, since there are Laserdisc, DVD and Blu-Ray rips of this show with various differences in the art depending on which rips you decide to watch.I liked how spectacular some of the scenes looked , and I wanted to watch them again every now and then. I won't describe what they are since there are some minor spoilers associated with them. I feel that the anime having many characters with less anime-like facial features is probably a good choice, since it might give something more refreshing to the viewer who is probably getting tired of the more typical anime that's out there. More importantly, it looks a lot more serious, and fits in seamlessly with the tone of the show. Here are several screenshots of the Golden Wings OVA, which was made with the characters look more anime-like:

http://bakashots.me/i1ake0rcDZA2vzYgugvd==
http://bakashots.me/i0L6e0rcDZA-4oPK-fpa==
http://bakashots.me/i0Mke0rcDZAWyo_sFCqa==

Sound - 10: After seeing the first episode I just had to look up the opening and ending theme again on YouTube, even though the comments might spoil me if I see them (My monitor is big, so I can see the top comments without scrolling down). Whoever thought of hiring the people to sing the openings and endings is a genius. You will very often hear classical music during the actual show, and you will rarely hear the same theme being played more than once. Many of the sound effects however, seem like they are found in your usual old anime or drama.

Character - 10: Each character in the show has their own unique contribution to the storyline, with some characters being emphasized in some parts of the show more often than others. Some very minor characters may appear once or twice, and then you may never notice them again after that. Each of the characters all seem very interesting, and their personalities may engage you to watch the show even more. It's tough speaking about a specific character since the cast is huge, however throughout the course of the show there seems to be slightly more of an emphasis in the members of the Galactic Empire than there is in the members of the FPA. You'll come out knowing a bit more about Reinhard's life and past than you will with Yang's.

Enjoyment - 9: This isn't the kind of anime you should watch after a long day of school or work since it is very cerebral in nature because of the plot. I sometimes felt like I should watch an episode more than once sometimes. You'll get a much more classical feeling when watching the show than a futuristic one. Even during many of the battles in space; the ships are not seen moving up and down very often, and it will later give you the feeling that this is really an old naval battle. There aren't that many action scenes in comparison to your average space opera, and there is much more talk with just yourself being there to piece together the situation in your mind. This can become very challenging for an activity that is supposed to be more relaxing.

Overall - 8/10: I think the rating for this anime is a bit too high, so I'm giving it an 8 rather than a 9.