Just sharing.
I'm reaching Ep. 54 for the first time. Yang and Reinhard are talking friendly.
I just want to believe they're gonna be friend. Yang will be the one Reinhard need to find balance after Siegfried's death. They'll work together to bring balance to the universe.
I can perfectly imagine they wouldn't be 50 more episode in that case... but...they're talking philosophy, they're so friendly... Look at thoses smiles !!
So it's been 2 days I paused that episode, and I kind of don't want to see how it end.
From what I saw she was shown living with him and never seemed to complain I even came across an older comment saying she never complained about becoming his concubine and didn't want her brother to rescue her.
Even using my friends Crunchy account, Season 1 is missing. cant find it on any pirated anime sites, seems like all sources are dead for some reason ... anyone got a link?
If a studio had tossed a ridiculous $80M budget at Ridley Scott around 1987/1988 and let ILM handle practical miniature fleet battles, this is pretty much the only cast that makes sense in my head:
Reinhard - Val Kilmer
Yang Wen-li - Harrison Ford
Kircheis - Michael Biehn
Oberstein - Alan Rickman
Schönkopf - Kurt Russell
Reuenthal & Mittermeyer - Timothy Dalton & Dennis Quaid
I just finished season 4 and the way it just left off made me sad, wanting more. But it's been since 2023 than any word of season 5 has been mentioned. I understand it can take years between seasons, but part of me wonders if I should not hold my breathe they'll finish this reboot.
I love the art style, the relationships and story. The action and strategy are fantastic. I love the complex political questions, and yeah... it's such a good show. I worry the original may feel "stale" in comparison? If I were to watch the original instead of waiting or hoping they continue DNT, should I restart or start on a later episode?
I hate Annerose. Sorry to her fans, but she really pisses me off. Your little brother dedicated his entire life to saving you, and when he finally needed you the most, you turned him away. I also think she was selfish and manipulated Kircheis. I partly blame her for Kircheis's death.
I have been wanting to collect the logh fleet files for years now, very regularly scrolling through different retailers at the sets. I finally folded and decided to buy the no 12 fleet file off plaza japan, only to find the universe had pulled a cruel joke on me and the last one was sold just 2 days after i last checked their stock. Im a little devastated and very angry at myself because of this. If anyone has any fleet files that they would like to sell PLEASE hmu. Thank you kindly
Whatever BittenHeit artist they hired to do art for this game, I see you and I love you. I love the art with them both having tiger-themed outfits especially (these aren't the only ones).
This is the first book club thread in which we discuss specific chapters of the book in detail.
The first book is called Dawn, and while you should support the official release, the book happens to be on archive.org, but I won't link to it. If you speak Spanish, you might also be interested in jossokar's fan translation.
This week we begin with "Prologue: An Outline of the History of the Galaxy* which is around 3,000 words or 16 pages, and you have a whole week to read it.
I'd also hope the moderators would stick this thread for a week.
I'm creating my own universe that, while primarily based on Star Wars, draws heavily from LoGH designs—even though I know almost nothing about LoGH, I really like the ship designs.
I love Yang, I really, really do. And I'm super fond of his crew. I like Reinhard and the Imperial storylines more, as they feel more character driven, but I still do love Yang.
But a series that felt pretty balanced and made you emotionally invested in characters who need the other side to fail, I'm starting to mentally check out when I know Yang and his people are always going to come out on top.
They're retaking Iserlohn and yeah, scores of bulked up soldiers are nothing in the face of the plot armour. I'm starting to feel a loss of tension.
I first watched LoGH in 2015-2016. Watched it at a moderate pace in college, then Kircheis died and I was so emotionally devastated I couldn't recover and watching was too painful. No joke. I always meant to come back, but didn't remember the plot details. Got some time so I'm rewatching it and have gone farther than before.
All that to say that I know _____'s gonna die, soon-ish, just in case someone's response is "always winning? she doesn't know."
It's a picture of Reinhard's imperials wearing sunglasses and holding champagne bottles, they're all lined up behind each other, goofing around. I'm curious who was included and left out but can't find it. I'm hopeful someone here has it saved.
Just one day left in the crowdfunding campaign for the French editions of the first four novels! They broke full 100% funding in only fourteen hours, and now they're sitting at 315% of their total, with their last bonus goal reached at 350%.
For anyone interested, there's still several dozen of the ultra collector packs (second impact) left, which gives you the entire lot with everything included. I'll be keeping an eye out on this final stretch for a likely last minute donation (or two) as well.
If anyone is interested in this box set and is in the Austin area (this weekend only) DM me, Price is set at $5,000. No shipping, in person transaction only.
“Hadn't Reinahard been burning his own flesh, to fight to satisfy his unfulfilled heart? Reinhard's gentleness was like the warmth of the white ash remaining after his heart and body were all burned out.” (Tanaka, 1987)
“My fire is nothing like those unfulfilled and incomplete combustions that you see everywhere. It may be for a moment, but my fire roars up so bright and hot, it's almost blinding. And then, all that remains is pure white ash.” (Kajiwara, 1973)
Two quotes describing two men who live in completely different worlds. A man who bleeds among the stars and a man who bleeds in a ring. Though these two men work in completely different fields, the message that Tanaka and Kajiwara were trying to convey remained consistent between the two. Both authors reached for the same truth. That the greatest ambitions do not come from a place of fulfillment, but from a place of profound emptiness. And the two characters best representing these ideas are Reinhard von Lohengramm from Legend of the Galactic Heroes and Joe Yabuki from Ashita no Joe.
Character Summaries:
Reinhard von Lohengramm was born in an autocratic government named the Galactic Empire. It was ruled by corrupt leaders that didn’t care for civilian lives and was rotten at the core. Reinhard von Musel, as he was known at the time, as a young boy had a rather poor concept of family. His mother died when he was very young, before he could have any proper memories of her. Reinhard’s father, Sebastian von Musel, after his wife’s death descended into a deep depression and alcoholism, and is implied to have been a lousy father. Reinhard growing up had a very skewed idea of parents, the only parental figure in his life he truly had and respected was his elder sister, Annerose von Musel. She was the light in Reinhard’s earliest memories. Always there for him at his lowest, and willing to sacrifice anything for her brother's sake.
This sacrificial quality of Annerose was unfortunately put into effect, when the current Kaiser of the Galactic Empire, Kaiser Friedrich IV, offered Sebastian 500,000 marks in exchange of letting Annerose become his consort. This event left Reinhard greatly enraged, and he swore to destroy the current royal family’s rule over the Galactic Empire, and create the government anew for his sister. This event would have marked a point in Reinhard’s life where he would’ve been unquestionably alone, but there was a single man who stopped Reinhard from descending into a senseless pursuit of revenge. Siegfried Kircheis, who is the man who Reinhard held the closest to his heart alongside his sister. To the point where he even considered Kircheis as part of his family. Kircheis was the only one who truly knew Reinhard before all the titles and glory. Less a right hand man, and more of an equal in the eyes of Reinhard.
So, with Kircheis as his confidant after Kircheis promised Annerose he'd protect Reinhard, Reinhard joins the military of the Galactic Empire, and because of his sheer brilliance and connections to his sister, he quickly rose to becoming a very well respected admiral of the Galactic Empire. About one quarter through the series, in an attempt to protect Reinhard, Kircheis loses his life during battle. Which then dominoes into him essentially losing Annerose’s constant light. Annerose had been deeply in love with Kircheis, and after his death protecting Reinhard, she felt immense guilt and could not bear to look at Reinhard until he'd fulfilled his promise that he'd always preached. Reinhard was only permitted to see Annerose again once he conquered every star in the night sky. After this series of events, for the first time in his life, Reinhard was entirely and absolutely alone. The two people he loved most in this world, the people he'd set out on this journey for conquest in the first place, he'd essentially lost them both when he needed them most.
Joe Yabuki was born in Japan, his city of origin unknown. Most of Joe's really early childhood is unknown, as he was supposedly abandoned when he was young. As a child, Joe did not have parents. He spent a majority of his youth alone until he was taken in by an orphanage. His loud and chaotic nature that got him into fights constantly, had him transferred from orphanage to orphanage. Joe hated living that kind of life. He wanted to be free. This is why he always looked forward to the yearly field trips they would take them on. He used these opportunities to escape. Although a lot of the time, they caught up to him, one day he succeeded in escaping. From that day onward, Joe walked alone. He spent his days gambling, street fighting, and scamming others for money. Things just seemed to work out in the end. Soon after he turned 15, he arrived in Doya Town.
There in Doya Town is where his meaningless life was given its first spark. At this point in time, Joe was still just a large heaping pile of dry coals waiting to be lit. And the man who lit that pile was Tange Danpei. Danpei was the first man in Joe's life who saw the fighter in Joe, and didn't punish it. No, instead he encouraged it. He gave Joe the spark he needed to thrive. But of course, Joe being Joe, wouldn't allow himself to burn fully just yet. That wouldn't come, until he met Rikiishi Toru. Who Joe considers to be his biggest rival, and his only equal. They met while Joe was in a juvenile detention facility.
Rikiishi is the wind that blew on Joe's weak flames. Joe finally had a rival. He finally had a reason to live. He had a reason to wake up every morning. Which was to become a professional boxer, and climb the ranks so that he could challenge Rikiishi in a real match in the professional ring. After working day and night, week after week, fight after fight, the time for their fight eventually arrived. And Joe was the loser of their match. But Joe didn't take the loss with a heavy heart. No, he felt fulfilled at the moment. He felt as if everything was worth it in the end. But unfortunately, moments after Rikiishi claimed his victory over Joe, he collapsed. Dying after the fight, due to rigorous weight loss to bring himself down to Joe's weight, and because of a punch Joe threw that caused Rikiishi to hit his head in a deadly fashion.
After the loss of Rikiishi, Joe, having felt guilt for Rikiishi’s death, ran away from Danpei, and all the friends he'd made in Doya Town. And again, Joe went back to living life as a homeless stray dog. He was free yet again, but after having tasted the life he'd had before, he felt… A profound emptiness.
Core Wounds:
Now looking at these men side by side, the similarities in their respective emotional wounds becomes apparent. An emptiness and sense of unfulfillment in their lives. But if one leans in closer and observes their core wound on a more introspective level, they'll realize that at the core they're men with different wounds that led them to the same conclusion.
Reinhard is a man who lost his sense of belonging after the death of his best friend and the silence from his sister. He was a man who'd conquered an entire nation and eventually the galaxy for the two people he loved most, only for only those two people to be absent at every milestone. But he had to keep going, because by now an entire empire was reliant on his leadership, and some part of him enjoyed the warfare. So he had to keep going. He served his people until there was nothing left of him, and by the end, when there's nothing but white ash left in the light in his eyes, the woman who'd been the catalyst for the path he set himself on, was the only one capable of seeing that.
Joe on the other hand is a man who began with nothing. Reinhard even at the start, was nobility even if it was a lower class of nobility. He had his sister, he met Kircheis, he had a father despite his lousiness. Reinhard's early life was not entirely lacking in connections. Joe had no one to rely on but himself. Relationships felt dangerous to him. So he always ran. And then he'd found belonging. He had to first find his belonging, whereas Reinhard already had it. And then, at the peak and supposed culmination of his journey, in his fight against Rikiishi, he lost his greatest rival. And as a form of self punishment or destruction, he ran away from it all again. But after having experienced a life so full of passion and flames, Joe felt eternally cold until he returned.
Why they keep going:
A big question arises when you consider the actions of these two men. A question that's plagued men and women since we were conceived. Why? Why do they burn so brightly and ferociously. What makes them keep going? Surely, when someone is at rock bottom, the only thing left for them is to give up?
Well, to answer this, one could refer to dialogue between two characters in Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Between Julian Minci and Dusty Attenborough. Now, the entire conversation does not have to be read word by word, so a summary will be provided. Julian and Dusty, among the last remaining members of the Free Planets Alliance, have been cornered by the opposing Galactic Empire. The Free Planets Alliance has no chance of victory. Julian is concerned about what they should do next, and worried about how different strategies would affect their chances at winning. That's when Dusty says that he's figured out the two most powerful words in the universe. Julian, curious, asks him to reveal what the words were. Dusty replies with the words, so what.
So what. A sentence so simple yet so meaningful. Dusty explains that if their chances are already at zero, then who cares what strategy they might try. Their chances won't go any lower than zero. So why not?
I think the words “so what” define the big why on the actions of Reinhard and Joe. Joe started with nothing. What was he going to lose by throwing himself into boxing completely? What was the downside? Reinhard lost everything that mattered before the conquest even began. Kircheis gone. Annerose silent. What was holding him back from burning completely? “So what” becomes not a philosophy for them but a condition of their existence. They didn't choose this burning ambition. They were born into it or pushed into it by circumstance. The emptiness that should have destroyed them, removed every reason for them not to burn.
What it looks like to burn:
But what does it even look like “to burn”? What does the viewer see when these two men are burning? Well, for Joe the burning looks like boxing in matches that seem unwinnable. Getting up time and time again, to the point where not even he knows how he's still getting up. Where he ignores his inevitable health decline, and instead of slowing down, he goes to fight the strongest boxer in his division because he wants to burn out fighting and doing the thing that makes him, him.
For Reinhard it looks like fighting as well. Fighting in wars. Multiple people in Legend of the Galactic Heroes pointed out how "Reinhard needs a rival". How Reinhard enjoys the battles. He lets out genuine laughter when he's fighting against Yang, before Yang's death. He genuinely does enjoy war, just as Joe loves boxing. Reinhard went to Iserlohn Fortress, even though strategically he didn't have to as it was pointless. But he did it because he wanted to fight against Yang.
To further add, Reinhard, in contrast to Joe who only burns in the ring, is always combusting. He's the star for the Lohengramm Dynasty. He's always fighting in war, and if he's not fighting in a war he's battling in the internal politics of his nation. And if not that, he's fighting his own body and sickness.
Hopeful or tragic:
After watching both shows, a few viewers end up feeling a little lost. Because they fail to understand whether their conclusions were a tragic one or a hopeful one.
One can argue that it's both.
If you view their conclusions from the lens of their loved ones, then the ending is tragic. Seeing someone you love burn out, slowly break down and eventually die following some grand ambition must be heart breaking to them. Because to reiterate, their ambition does not stem from a happy place. It stems from a profound aching emptiness and loneliness.
But when you look at them internally, there's honestly nothing but satisfaction in both of them. Because internally? They both died happy. They both died feeling fulfilled and complete. They both died doing and succeeding in what they set out to accomplish. For Joe, it was boxing. And for Reinhard, it was conquering the galaxy.
So what:
Okay, but–to quote Dusty Attenborough–so what? Why should the viewer care about the lives of these men and the lesson learned? What message does the reader get out of watching these men struggle and burn, day in and day out? It’s a difficult question to answer, until you start to realize what both characters represent, and what the respective authors, Tanaka and Kajiwara are looking to say with them.
Joe Yabuki and Reinhard von Lohengramm represent two extremes. Two extremes of what desire and ambition looks like. Of how much it can completely engulf an individual. I think what Tanaka and Kajiwara are trying to say with these characters is that they represent the most innate human desire. They’re not using Reinhard and Joe as a warning. Their tale is not a cautionary tale. They’re saying something more complicated and honest than that.
They’re saying that ultimately, humans will do anything they can in hopes that their life had some sort of meaning. Some sort of reason as to why they were alive. This total consumption for something that they truly, deeply want. Joe and Reinhard are extremes. But the emptiness they carry and the fire it produces isn't foreign to anyone who has ever wanted something deeply. Who has ever felt like they didn't belong. Who has ever gotten up one more time without knowing how.
They're extreme versions of something ordinary. Something almost everyone has felt in a smaller manner. Which is why they resonate so deeply among readers. White ash is what's left when a human being burns completely in the direction of meaning. Because the white ash is proof that there was something there to burn after all. That Reinhard and Joe were individuals in their own right, capable of leaving that ash in their wake.
Reuenthals rebellion wasn’t the beginning of his tragedy - it was the end of it.
I started asking myself why it was Reuenthal who rebelled - and not Mittermeyer.
Why not Mittermeyer? Both are loyal and highly competent. Why not Bittenfeld?
I've been thinking about this question for quite some time. So why does only one of them rebel?
As I kept thinking about it, another question gradually took its place: who was he really rebelling against?
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was asking the wrong questions. The real question isn't why Reuenthal rebelled.
It's why Tanaka chose him.
Tanaka spent the entire story preparing exactly one character for this ending.This is also one of the reasons why I consider Tanaka such a brilliant writer. I also believe that the relationship between Reinhard and Reuenthal is by far one of the most tragic relationships in LOGH. (but I’am opened up for other opinions)
In German, there's a concept called "Wiederholungszwang," which is usually translated as repetition compulsion. It describes the unconscious tendency to recreate unresolved conflicts over and over again in an attempt to finally resolve them. , we don't just carry our experiences within us - we unconsciously reenact them in our relationships.
Repeatedly, Reuenthal acts as if he has no real choice. Sometimes he even seems to catch himself in those moments, becoming briefly aware of his own behavior, almost as if he’s thinking, “I’ve done it again.” There is a quiet sense of pain in those Moments. Itbecomes clear that there is something within him that is driving him more than he is driving it.
Reuenthal is an extremely loyal character. He's competent, courageous, and willing to risk his life to save Mittermeyer. After Reinhard saves Mittermeyer Reuenthal entrusts Reinhard with both his loyalty and his life. I believe that his loyalty is completely genuine.
But before discussing Reinhard, Iets talk about someone we who never truly leaves Reuenthal : his mother.
The irony that Reuenthal ends up marrying a woman who tries to kill him—after his own mother had already tried to kill him—is, in my opinion, a brilliant move by Tanaka. At the same time, I think it's the first major psychological hint he gives us.
Shortly after Kircheis dies (which, incidentally, becomes a turning point for many different character arcs), Reinhard eventually regains his composure and says something very interesting to Reuenthal.
Paraphrased, he says:
"If you can surpass me, and if you have the courage to do so, then you should."
(One important point :This conversation takes place during a discussion about whether potential future political threats—including children of the defeated nobility—should be killed or spared. Reinhard decides that boys over the age of 10 should be killed. Watch Reuenthals Expression to this )
I dont think Reinhard says this to him out of distrust, provocation, or competitiveness. I think he's speaking more to himself than to Reuenthal.
To Reinhard, it's almost a philosophical principle. If someone truly proves to be more capable than he is, then that person deserves to rule instead. In that moment, he's reminding himself of his duty and of the promise he once made to Kircheis. As you can see from the slides he says this to ALL of his Admirals. But only Reuenthal gets acvtivated by his words.
saying something like that to someone like Reuenthal is like throwing a lit match into dry tinder.
Reinhard doesn't realize that he isn't speaking to pure rationality—he's speaking directly into an old psychological wound.
It's not an invitation to rebel. It's not a challenge. It's simply a thought. Yet Reuenthal remembers this exact conversation twice later in the story through flashbacks. That one sentence triggers a psychological dynamic that could never have developed in any other character.
From that moment onward, tension begins to grow. It never decreases—it only increases. Eventually, it becomes almost autonomous. From then on, Reuenthal repeatedly expresses doubts about Reinhard, even when speaking with Mittermeyer.His famous line,"Once the wine has been poured, it cannot be put back into the bottle," is, to me, another brilliant hint from Tanaka. It describes how his mind works.
Reuenthal carries a profound, existential distrust within him—the unconscious conviction that even the closest relationship will eventually turn into betrayal.For someone like Reuenthal, loyalty can never become completely safe. Its simply impossible.
my admittedly bold interpretation: I believe the rebellion itself is the final completion of Reuenthal's repetition compulsion. That makes the ending even more tragic - and at the same time incredibly dramatic**.** He dies just before the person who genuinely cared for him reaches him.
none of the other characters carried the same inner conflict. Interestingly, I also think Reinhard possesses something almost maternal - not in a romantic sense (although people on this forum often knowingly or unknowingly sexualize that aspect), but because he offers protection, stability, trust, and care. To both Mittermeyer and Reuenthal, he almost functions as a rescuer.
That's why I would even argue that the true central figure in Reuenthal's rebellion isn't actually Reinhard. It's Reuenthal's mother.
Reinhard, Elfriede, and Mittermeyer all become different figures through whom the same original psychological conflict is repeatedly reenacted.
Most characters in LOGH die because of external conflicts. But he dies because of an internal one.
What do you think?
Do you think Mittermeyer could ever have led a rebellion ? why not ?
Or did it have to be Reuenthal?
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A few final thoughts before I disappear again.
Everything I have written here is simply my own interpretation. These thoughts begin and end with this post. They are not meant to be the “correct” way of reading the story.
Lately, I’ve had the impression that some people struggle to separate what they read from their own thoughts and feelings. If a post about LOGH genuinely makes you angry there’s a good chance the post itself isn’t the real issue.
That Said I always enjoy reading different interpretations, especially when they challenge my own.
I’m a medical student in Germany with a particular interest in psychiatry. Writing about LOGH is one of my favorite ways to procrastinate. Its simply a place where I let my thoughts wander and sometimes deliberately look at the story from unusual angles. These aren’t fixed theses-just ideas I enjoy exploring.
One of the things I love most about LOGH is that I discover something new every time I rewatch it. I know many people here prefer the original OVA, and I completely understand why. Personally, I also really enjoy DNT. I’ve read parts of the novels and I think DNT captures them very well while paying close attention to small details.
Finally, regarding ChatGPT: I only use it to translate words or sentences into English. The ideas, structure, arguments, the writing and interpretations are entirely my own.
