Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu Gaiden

A prequel to the best anime series ever. With a touch of a mystery it is quite as interesting as Gosick. Give it a try. And don't forget to check out the main series which are even better. 

A blond(e) and haughty youngster must make their way into the military world and earn the respect of their superiors. Lots of talking about military strategy, powerful battles and struggles for power. 

Both of these anime series show how brilliant blonde commanders rose to power, taking place before the military sci-fi epics we're more familiar with. Both Char and Reinhard were separated from their family members early on and care very much for their respective sisters, Sayla and Annerose. For a greater cause in society (the aristocracy, statehood, the environment etc.) and their personal grievances, Char and Reinhard are determined to change their nations from the inside. Although they serve different roles and have different abilities on the grand battlefield of space (Char more of a pilot than a tactician like Reinhard), they have very similar experiences and abilities outside of that environment. Because of their lineages, they are frequently subject to assassination attempts (Reinhard from rival nobles, Char from the Zabi family). Due to these assassination attempts, both anime series add excellent thriller and espionage aspects to the underlying mix of military and political drama. Because Char and Reinhard are also targets whilst not in space, they have to engage in hand-to-hand combat, swordfights and gunfights outside the shelter of a cockpit or bridge. As mobile suits aren't developed until the latter half of The Origin, there is a lot more ship-to-ship combat reminiscent of Legend of the Galactic Heroes, too. In summary, both of these anime have main characters with very similar experiences, offer intriguing political thriller, espionage and combat sequences of multiple varieties (ship-to-ship, dogfights, gunfights, swordfights and hand-to-hand). read more