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Maybe the best anime of all time. I'm not sure what the 10-or-so negative reviewers are smoking, but after you've watched a decent amount of shonen, seinen or shoujo anime, LoTGH comes in as a refreshing change of pace, and is extremely easy to binge. For someone like me who often judges too harshly, too quickly, the beginning definitely left me with doubts. But by the end of the series, I was absolutely ruined that it was over, and in love with many of the characters.

The characters are easily the biggest draw to LotGH. If, like myself, you have a particular itch for ... strong, realistic, rich characters in your anime, then you should stop reading this review here and go watch the show, because LotGH is as detailed as anime characters get. The cast of LotGH are down to earth and complex, and do not suffer from archetypes which make them too predictable, where other anime would falter.

The show itself doesn't often rely on novelty or twists to keep the story interesting: instead it gradually builds up character arcs, maintains a consistent sense of suspense about the fate of the characters, much like a Game of Thrones does. And sure, there are many climactic moments throughout the series, but you'll find that unlike many other anime which rely on novelties to carry the audience's interest, with LotGH, the journey becomes just as interesting and meaningful as the many "high points" the series has.

It's also fairly politically literate and accurate, which you would hope for in a political drama. As someone who is on the far left side of politics, I found that the show generally didn't come across as distasteful or stupid, which is something of a rarity when it comes to series centering on 'war' or military drama. Of course there is some amount of glorification of war, but it's mostly counterbalanced by the horrors of war the show details. Instead, the all-consuming war is the playing field for different characters to express their personalities and ideals.

Overall a huge recommendation for fans of political drama, strong characters and series of grand scope. If you can find the time to get some snacks, get cozy and regularly binge this series, you won't regret it.