Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu: Die Neue These - Kaikou

For over a century and a half, two interstellar states have wrested for control of the Milky Way. The Galactic Empire, an absolute monarchy ruled by Kaiser Friedrich IV and an entrenched nobility, seeks to suppress the rebels daring to oppose the inviolable crown. The Free Planets Alliance, a representative democracy led by a corrupt High Council, degenerates as its elected leaders⁠ use war and conflict as a way to win popular support.

But this long-standing stalemate between the Empire and the Alliance ends with the rise of two opposing military geniuses. Reinhard von Lohengramm, a minor noble and High Admiral of the Empire through his strategic brilliance and his sister's position as the favored concubine of the Kaiser, dreams of conquering the galaxy and uniting mankind under his iron fist. Meanwhile, Yang Wen-li of the Alliance, an avid historian and reluctant commodore hailed as the Hero of El Facil, uses his tactical prowess to navigate around his leaders' incompetence—and to carve the path to lasting peace. As the war rages on, Reinhard and Yang each strive for their ideals and to secure their place among the stars as the leaders of a new era of galactic heroes.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Yang, Wen-li Main

Suzumura, Kenichi Japanese

von Lohengramm, Reinhard Main

Miyano, Mamoru Japanese

Kircheis, Siegfried Main

Umehara, Yuuichirou Japanese

von Reuenthal, Oskar Supporting

Nakamura, Yuuichi Japanese

von Oberstein, Paul Supporting

Suwabe, Junichi Japanese

von Schönkopf, Walter Supporting

Miki, Shinichiro Japanese

Mittermeyer, Wolfgang Supporting

Ono, Daisuke Japanese

Minci, Julian Supporting

Kaji, Yuuki Japanese

Attenborough, Dusty Supporting

Ishikawa, Kaito Japanese

Greenhill, Frederica Supporting

Endou, Aya Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Kuroki, Rui Producer

Tasaka, Hidemasa Producer

Isobe, Maaya Producer

Reviews

Jun 26, 2018

Lindle

Recommended

Legend of the Galactic Heroes - Die Neue These stands in the unenviable position of being a remake of one of the greatest and most beloved anime ever made. The original OVA series commands a passionate and loyal cult fanbase, to whom the slightest fault or deviation is tantamount to a personal insult.

Considering the baggage this show is carrying, it can be difficult to judge it by its own merits. Which is a shame - viewed in a bubble in which the OVA series does not exist, Die Neue These is not a bad anime. In fact, it's quite a good one. It is, however, ... a bad remake, and a bad adaptation.

That it is a bad adaptation is curious, as this serves as a more faithful adaptation of the source material than the OVA. But the problem lies in that adapting Legend of the Galactic Heroes into a visual medium is nigh impossible, and it's a small miracle that it was done successfully once. The original novels are so dense with description, backstory, context, lore, and philosophical navel-gazing that to adapt only that which is shown is to adapt around a third of its actual content.

While there is minimal narration at the start of each episode, Die Neue These otherwise ejects the narration that was so frequent in the first adaptation in favour of showing rather than telling. "Show, don't tell" is a good principle in theory, but here it doesn't work in practice, resulting in the loss of vital information, important context, and thematic weight. This leads to a lack of emotional investment in certain major battles that the significance of is not made clear, and character moments that echo historical events not shown to the audience. In some instances, the lack of information can simply be baffling - a notable example includes a mob being dispersed by the activation of fire hoses, which in turn automatically alert the fire department. However, these fire hoses are only previously shown to be sprinklers, and their function as fire hoses is not explained, nor is the fact that their activation alerts the fire brigade - as such, it looks like an angry, bloodthirsty mob dispersed because they got a little bit wet.

Likewise, without the room to explore their motivations, many minor characters come off as one-dimensional strawmen, whereas their reasoning and motives, whilst usually misguided, were actually grounded in some kind of reasoning or principle in both the OVA and novels. The worst example is Maximillion von Kastrop, who in the original OVA punches a couple of subordinates towards the end when his impending defeat becomes clear, and only when at wits' end. Here, he is characterized entirely by punching everybody who speaks.

Aesthetically, the overall design of the FPA and the Empire's societies and uniforms are excellent, sticking close to the design of the original series, and showing a clear divide between the European-styled aristocracy of the Empire and the modern metropolis of the FPA. The ships are similarly well-designed, with a mechanical, utilitarian feel to them that suits their role. By contrast to the rest of the series' design, the much-maligned character designs stick out like a sore thumb. There is a very shallow variation in the character faces, and whilst not quite samefaced, it would be hard to tell most characters apart by face alone. This would not be worth comment in most series, but in Legend of the Galactic Heroes this presents a unique problem. To compensate for the similarity in faces, focus was put into giving the characters unique hair, as this was not possible with character costumes due to 95% of the cast being in uniform. The problem is that this leads to many of the characters having very over-the-top and elaborate hairstyles that are unfitting of military personnel who doubtlessly do not spend an hour every morning fixing their hair up. It's a distracting feature that breaks the immersion of a series otherwise grounded in realism (It is also worth noting that the original series managed to give most of the cast distinctive hair without the need to overly stylize any of it). Similarly, many characters appearances are otherwise ill-fit to their lifestyle and personality, such as Fahrenheit and Schenkopf.

For all the errors that Die Neue These makes as an adaptation, however, it still retains a great deal of what made the source material so excellent in the first place. Legend of the Galactic Heroes follows a dual narrative with protagonists from both sides of a centuries-long intergalactic war, in which both sides are almost as bad as each other. The Galactic Empire is a fascist autocracy in which nobility are an oppressive ruling class, whereas the Free Planets Alliance are a corrupt, failing democracy, controlled entirely by politicians motivated by greed and self-interest. The Empire's side of the story is a slow-burning tale of political intrigue, while the alliance's story focuses on scathing social and political commentary, both of which are pulled off excellently.

This divide between two sides of the story also shows a dichotomy between its two leads, Yang Wenli of the Alliance and Reinhard von Musel (later Lohengramm) of the Empire. Where Reinhard is a character wronged by the empire, determined to exact his revenge and take over the empire from within by any means necessary, Yang is a scholar at heart, only joining the military to gain a history scholarship he couldn't otherwise afford, and was drafted into the military when his tactical prowess came to light. While both are extremely skilled, they otherwise offer a direct contrast in temperament and motive.Their combat ability also brings to focus grounded and realistic battle tactics ripped straight from the pages of history.

It's this, along with Yang's fascination with history, that lends LotGH a tone of a historian looking back on past events. Yang often wonders how the events of the present will be regarded in the future, whilst comparing them to those of the distant past.

This gives LotGH an excellent sense of scale, which is also shown in how war is perceived - shown not only in the bigger picture of grand victories and defeats, but focusing on the human element of it all. It's made clear that for every one of the many ships that sink in this series, thousands of lives are lost. It even goes so far as to explore the societal impact of war, focusing on the effect on the economy and standard of labour.

Unfortunately, Die Neue These - Kaikou is only the prologue, a taste of things to come. It was never going to achieve greatness in of itself - even the original adaptation was only able to do so much in its first 12 episodes. However, Die Neue These gets enough of the core elements of the series right in spite of some issues in execution that it's a solid show unto itself. It is somewhat hard to recommend, however, as the original series accomplishes almost everything this series does just as well, and more. The only things DNT has to offer in comparison are slightly better pacing, and an excellent score by Hiroyuki Sawano. But if it didn't have an older sibling to be compared to, Die Neue These would no doubt be considered excellent.

Story/Plot: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Animation/Art: 5/10
Sound: 8/10

Overall: 7/10

For Fans Of: Mobile Suit Gundam, Monster

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jun 26, 2018

Eanki

Mixed Feelings

The New Thesis will have to stand or fall on its own merits. The fact that the series takes great pains to introduce and endear its main characters tells us the series is intended to be enjoyed on its own without previous knowledge of the source material and the OVA.

One of the things I ask myself with every time I encounter a remake/reboot/reimagining is “Why? What does it offer that wasn’t done before?”

Admittedly, I haven’t finished watching the OVA, nor have I read the source material. So I can’t in good conscience tackle the issue about what the story offers more than what was told ... before. Here’s what I do know though: The New Thesis will have updated visuals. It is only expected. A New Thesis and a generation to entice; and it went okay. I guess.

For one, despite criticisms of its character designs, exemplified by the mocking fan title “Legend of the Generation of Miracles”, the characters feel a little more varied than what we usually get in anime, some with distinct facial features and enough variety in hairstyles and facial hairs to easily identify them if you’re that much of a hardcore fan, at least for the more visible characters.

The rest of the show’s aesthetics is nothing too surprising. It is par for the course of what I would expect from a modern day depiction of the future environment and technology. There’s the usual drill of holograms, although it’s far more toned down, far less intrusive, and far more useful than some movies I can name. Other than that, there’s also the same old cinematic technique of having a contrast between the spaceships of both factions: the Alliance’s ship designs and ship interiors is austere while the Empire’s is steeped in grandeur.

In terms of battle, it puts priority on spectacle as is expected. It evokes the same technique of fleet-wide battles Star Trek and Star Wars employ: cinematic first and foremost. Think DS9's Sacrifice of Angels. And it is as illogical and inefficient. In fact, LoGH has often been described as a series that views warfare in only two dimensions. And it retains that aspect. Fleet tactics doesn’t seem to be more advance than the line-of-battle approach of the 1600s.

This approach is probably the most pleasing visually and the most workable one in fleet-wide battles, cinematically speaking. I can understand. I'm okay with that. It’s simply the one that gives you plenty of frames of reference for the action occurring on the screen. It’s for the same reason fighter aircraft engagements in movies are set to occur within visual range. It gives you visual cues that are easy to understand and process. You can easily pinpoint who is winning and who is losing. The problem with this series in particular is that it doesn’t make full use of the visuals. The battles feel like set piece engagements instead of dynamic and ever-shifting. It’s just two sides exchanging a volley of fire, with no meaningful information given. It doesn’t help the viewer(s) understand what is happening. It just gives them something to look at. Given the space battle style used, I feel like that’s missing half the purpose. Heck, the visual cues (holograms) inside the spaceships' bridge areas are more informative and helpful in informing us of the state of battle. This is a series that banks on improved visuals as one of its perks. Its visuals should be more useful and informative. That or they utilize the holograms more and create more focus and depth on the commanding officers as they give the orders that decides the fates of entire planets.

Because, ultimately, I consider this to be the main draw of the series: two legends in the making, their choices, and their intertwined story that spans the galaxies and affects the entire course of humanity.

I feel that the series has taken solid steps in that direction. Episode 1 begins in the Battle of Astarte and wastes no time in introducing and establishing one of its main characters while Episode 2 shows us the same battle, this time through the perspective of the other main character. It then utilizes Episodes 3 & 4 to individually introduce each character, where they’re coming from, and how they got to where they were in the Battle of Astarte. This setup allows us to appreciate and understand where both characters are coming from without fighting for our attention over the course of a single episode -a far, far stronger approach than the first episode of the 110 episode OVA where both characters are fighting for screentime, resulting in a far more fragmented introduction. Here, we are allowed to focus on one character for one episode, and then the other in the next.

It could have done more though. It wasted some prime opportunities to delve even deeper.

Case in point: the simulation in Episode 4 flashback. Episode 4 tries to paint Yang, still a cadet, as someone worthy of the title magician, through a simulation against the top student of the class. Demonstrating a character’s capability and, well, measure of his character, using a simulations program is not a new concept. It’s the futuristic space exploration stories’ shorthand/equivalent to demonstrating a character’s intellect using chess. It has been used for example, to paint a picture of James T. Kirk, in what is commonly known as the Kobayashi Maru scenario.

The series did not use its simulations effectively. It could have been used far more effectively to tell us what kind of commander he is by putting him in a situation where he has to make difficult choices or emphasizing clearly how he pursues his mission. Perhaps it tried to tell us what kind of commander/tactician Yang is (one that values the objective much more than anything else, according to his actions in this test at least) but it was vague and inconclusive because we don’t understand what that test entails. Was his move really a gambit, sacrificing the bulk of his fleet in an outnumbered fight of attrition while a detachment the opponent blatantly ignored accomplished the objective? We don’t know. All we know is that it was supposed to be the test that gets him noticed and set him on his path, and he won over the top student of the class because the top student of the class simply forgot Yang’s win condition.

But still, all in all, it could be a decent space opera. Viewers who came here for political intrigue or military strategems would be disappointed however.

The series attempts to tackle the political sphere and sets up its narrative in part to cater to that. But it strikes me more as a space opera than a debate, a space age set drama about the follies and triumphs of humans. With that, it attempts to put its characters to the forefront at first, and the political sphere is secondary; which is nice, because its politics and arguments are basic and simple. It lacks nuance and detail, and relies on simplified versions and preconceived notions of concepts such as liberty, the social contract, and government. How they view political systems may not be as black or white as is the norm but it also still boils down to the basic identities of what constitutes a democratic and an authoritarian government. That it is different from the way political viewpoints are normally tackled in the entertainment industry is not a testament to its genius but a reminder of how low that particular bar is set.

At times it can even get more comically, unintentionally or not. Those patriot patrol guys or something should have been a far more insidious symptom of the cracks in the Alliance’s façade. The reaction of the kid especially should have been the creepier option: thinking this was all perfectly normal and acceptable in this society rather than being self-aware, extremely so. The scene felt like it wasn’t given gravity it needed. It could have felt as fucked up as a child continuing to love the parents who neglect and hurt him because he thinks that it’s one of their ways of showing love or that because it’s his fault he misbehaved that they beat him severely.

Its views and understanding of warfare roughly falls under the same pattern. The first episode attempts to demonstrate to us the cranial capacity of one of its main characters, Reinhard, by having him prevail while outnumbered two to one. Reinhard pulls this “amazing and unprecedented victory” off in a rather straightforward manner, through a concept we call Force Concentration. Look it up in Wikipedia. The problem with this is that it’s such a basic and commonly accepted concept in war that it’s hardly daring or revolutionary. And yet for the admirals and commodores of both sides that are not the main characters, this was baffling and overwhelming. The factions these characters are in have been at war for over 150 years and yet this is a revolutionary and daring plan, one that helps justify him getting promoted to one of the highest echelons of the Imperial Military? This doesn’t paint Reinhard as a genius. This paints him as a slightly competent man in a war fought by insufferable idiots. He’s not necessarily smart. He’s just fighting with and against dumbasses.

And frankly, that last couple of sentences sums up this series. This one stands out because it is different from the score of repetitive mediocrity.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jun 26, 2018

NoizyFrog

Not Recommended

Funny

I did not read the original novel or watched the OVA from the late 80s, but I heard a lot of praise for those works, as Legend of the Galactic Heroes (LotGH) is apparently one of the greatest anime of all time. Now, in 2018, we got a new take on this hot classic property and I thought it would be a perfect entry point for me.
It is hard to find any value in this anime: characters are not interesting to pull all the attention; action is dull; mind games are weak; depiction of war lacks necessary authenticity or meaningful commentary; rivalry is done better ... in any shounen anime. Where is the epos I heard so much about?
RATING: 3 – Bad

STORY: “Legend of the Galactic Heroes” - except every word is a lie.
“Legend” is an overstatement in association with events in this show. Yes, we see a greater scope of corrupt and egoistic governments mismanaging countries, disillusioned about their dependence on permanent state of war. However, (unintentional?) bad writing coupled with serious delivery tanks any credibility as social commentary as well as a parody.
“Galactic” does not serve the setting any justice, because the show lacks sci-fi vision. Technological progress is present only in military tools; everyday tech, clothing or architecture are frozen in time. It seems like society structures also did not evolve despite new hurdles, like administration of multiple planets; on the contrary, the society even degraded back in case of the Empire. Furthermore, warfare is executed with practices from Napoleon wars: huge armies stand before each other and trade losses or undertake a head on charge, which is sold as strategic masterpiece. Considering war is one of the major themes, the presentation is disappointing or even laughable. Just let it take place in 17th century with stupidity in commando tents and on the battlefield. The show simply does not explore potential of its own setting.
“Heroes” implies there are individuals, who excel above the masses. However, there are no such characters in this show. Wen and Reinhard are considered strategic prodigies, yet their skill is just an illusion, created by comparing those two with utterly incompetent and/or mentally challenged side characters, whose sole purpose is to make the supposed heroes look good. As one example look at Commodore Falk. The show simply fails to build up genuinely smart lead characters.
There are even more issues, like blatant introduction scenes and info dumps. The later ones are sometimes incomplete, like the world-building attempt in ep 3, which explains the history behind the conflict between Empire and Alliance, yet does not mention the 3rd faction. Where did they come from?
“Anecdotes of the Unimaginative Fakes” would be an appropriate title.

CHARACTERS: No bonds, no motivations, no characters.
The main characters are Reinhard, on the side of the Empire, and Wen on the side of the Alliance. In their environment, those two are considered strategic prodigies, as repeated ad nauseam on multiple occasions. Wen acquired his skills by reading history books, whereas Reinhard is a natural, I guess, because the show never bothers to show his development.
Should Wen’s character be close to source material, it would make him grandfather of all lazy and laid back attitude main characters infesting today’s light novels. Occasionally he will make a smart comment on events or dumb speeches, however his words are directed more towards the viewer and not his environment, thus have little narrative impact and serve as moral guideline for the viewer, which further devalues this character.
Reinhard is an ambitious smug with hatred towards the Empire because…I actually don’t know. How is it not an honor, but disgrace, for his sister to be Emperor’s wife? What are those motivations?
Support characters also got a budget treatment; relationships are clearly defined in dedicated introduction scenes, however there is no time to reinforce those bonds, so that in the end you know who they are but you do not care about them. “Wen’s little slave is cleaning the house and cooking meals again? Oh, it’s his adopted son. Didn’t notice that.”

ART & ANIMATIONS: talking heads; Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V ships.
LftGH 2018 is bland: bland character designs, bland ship designs, bland backgrounds, everything is bland. Animation did not strain the budget either, because there is not much to animate in a dialogue heavy show. Around episode 10 the overall quality takes a major dip with off model characters and horrible gray backgrounds.
Space battles are boring and void of any energy or tension: all you see are copy & paste CGI ships trading red or blue laser beams left and right. Expect to get zero visual entertainment. Fast-paced battles between small fighters, as you can witness in the OP, are rare and not impressive.

SOUND: Geshiikaaa!!!!!!!!!
Music, especially the OP, is way better than the show deserves and is the only positive remark I can make. Original voice act runs into serious troubles pronouncing overabundance of western names; professionals should show more expertize on their field.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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