Galactic Thoughts I - The Political Divide
Finally found some time to make a series of posts post about this underappreciated masterpiece.
The moment I finished Legend of the Galactic Heroes (LotGH), I couldn't really think of anything to describe it mainly because my head so full of ideas and information that I couldn't even begin to form a coherent opinion. Now that I've seen the two LotGH movies (My Conquest is the Sea of Stars and Overture to a New War) and the Hundred Billion Stars; Hundred Billion Lights Gaiden OVAs, I am finally a little more organized in my thoughts.
What a ridiculously amazing anime.
In fact, this is possibly the best space opera I've ever seen. If you enjoy Babylon 5, BSG, Star Wars, Star Trek, or series that touch on war and politics with a strong human element, I highly recommend Legend of the Galactic Heroes.
LotGH is, without a doubt, EPIC in every sense of the word. Despite its length, the story moves at a relatively fast pace and not a single episode is wasted on filler material. LotGH takes you straight into the action from the get-go by opening in the middle of a war which has lasted for 150 years. Although I like war dramas, I'm not usually interested in the political side of things but LotGH has such a compelling narrative on the government systems of the dictatorial Galactic Empire and the democratic Free Planets Alliance that it's hard not to care about them. The anime doesn't try to drown the viewer with political jargon or convoluted conspiracies, but rather, present the advantages and shortcomings of the two different systems from a very human perspective.
"Sometimes I have my doubts. The Empire, with a few nobles ruling the masses, is a bad government. The Alliance, with a government chosen by the people, is badly governed. Which one do you think is wrong?" - Yang, on the Goldenbaum Dynasty and the FPA.
At the end of the day, I don't believe LotGH suggests the triumph of one system over another, or even a co-existence. It is the person or the people running the government that really determines the integrity of the system and whether the rights of the common people are protected. We have the Goldenbaum Dynasty, a dictatorship through and through, and breeding ground for the corrupt machinations of the nobility, under the authority of an emperor who prefers to be idle and is indifferent to the responsibilities of having so much power. On the other side of the galaxy, we have the Free Planets Alliance that boasts of freedom and equality except it's only a democracy in name and a closer inspection reveals selfish politicians, like Job Trunicht, who manipulate national resources and the media for no other purpose than to keep their party in the public's favor. With democracy presented at its worse there doesn't seem to be a 'better' system between the Empire and the Alliance as there are bad apples in both baskets. Of course, the reverse is also true.
Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen Li are more than just the finest military strategists of their time or the two halves of the greatest rivalry the galaxy has ever seen. They are the star figures of the two opposing systems. Reinhard is a revolutionary of the autocratic system, becoming the most just and beloved of the Empire's Kaisers; Yang is practically the incarnate of the spirit of democracy. Despite being on opposite ends of the political spectrum (and in nearly every other respect), they're incredibly similar in terms of moral integrity. The question that plagues Yang is what happens to democracy as a principle when the majority want an autocratic ruler? Reinhard's fair rule and lack of any actual misgovernment makes him the greatest enemy of democracy. Yang noted that as a democratic force trying to defeat Reinhard and his administration, which liberated billions in the Empire from 500 years of despotic rule, they were standing on shaky moral ground. If the 25 billion citizens of the Empire were to take a vote, Reinhard would have a landslide victory.
As for Reinhard's military expedition into Alliance territory, I personally think of it as the triumph of the better administration rather than the triumph of autocracy. Heinessen was conquered not so much because 'democracy' lost the war as the fact that the government was corrupted with disrespect for human rights and the freedom of expression. The people-in-charge are more than willing to forfeit individual rights in the name of preserving a democratic nation, a scheme almost worthy of Oberstein's Machiavellian tendencies. When push comes to shove, the ideals of equality don't seem so feasible and is really easier said than done. On the other hand, the government that Reinhard strove to establish protected the rights of people as dishonorable as Lang and Trunicht. The Lohengramm Dynasty made so many reforms to Imperial law that it was almost as good as a democracy. Even if it wasn't a government by the people, it was a government for the people and I strongly believe it was just one step away from the introduction of a constitution.
For the characters implicated in the action, it ultimately boils down to a choice between the best autocracy or the most rotten democracy. And I think Bucock, instead of Yang, gave the best answer for democracy. Bucock wants a 'friendship, not a good master-servant relationship.' In other words, equality of all rather than a fair, hierarchical society. IMO, autocracy is a bit of a gamble: it can be paradise with a noble and capable ruler but absolute hell with a tyrant. It also runs the risk of passing on power to those who fail to live up to the standards of their predecessors. I think, even if a democratic government is plagued with mediocrity, the majority of the population have the chance and ability to make changes as long as they still have their rights and freedom of choice. Change would be somewhat difficult in an autocratic nation without some sort of revolution or usurpation of the throne.
That said, I don't know for sure if I could live in a rotten democracy. BUT, if I were a soldier in LotGH, I would much rather serve under Reinhard's command than fight a war for democracy which would benefit parasites like Trunicht.
The moment I finished Legend of the Galactic Heroes (LotGH), I couldn't really think of anything to describe it mainly because my head so full of ideas and information that I couldn't even begin to form a coherent opinion. Now that I've seen the two LotGH movies (My Conquest is the Sea of Stars and Overture to a New War) and the Hundred Billion Stars; Hundred Billion Lights Gaiden OVAs, I am finally a little more organized in my thoughts.
What a ridiculously amazing anime.
In fact, this is possibly the best space opera I've ever seen. If you enjoy Babylon 5, BSG, Star Wars, Star Trek, or series that touch on war and politics with a strong human element, I highly recommend Legend of the Galactic Heroes.
LotGH is, without a doubt, EPIC in every sense of the word. Despite its length, the story moves at a relatively fast pace and not a single episode is wasted on filler material. LotGH takes you straight into the action from the get-go by opening in the middle of a war which has lasted for 150 years. Although I like war dramas, I'm not usually interested in the political side of things but LotGH has such a compelling narrative on the government systems of the dictatorial Galactic Empire and the democratic Free Planets Alliance that it's hard not to care about them. The anime doesn't try to drown the viewer with political jargon or convoluted conspiracies, but rather, present the advantages and shortcomings of the two different systems from a very human perspective.
"Sometimes I have my doubts. The Empire, with a few nobles ruling the masses, is a bad government. The Alliance, with a government chosen by the people, is badly governed. Which one do you think is wrong?" - Yang, on the Goldenbaum Dynasty and the FPA.
At the end of the day, I don't believe LotGH suggests the triumph of one system over another, or even a co-existence. It is the person or the people running the government that really determines the integrity of the system and whether the rights of the common people are protected. We have the Goldenbaum Dynasty, a dictatorship through and through, and breeding ground for the corrupt machinations of the nobility, under the authority of an emperor who prefers to be idle and is indifferent to the responsibilities of having so much power. On the other side of the galaxy, we have the Free Planets Alliance that boasts of freedom and equality except it's only a democracy in name and a closer inspection reveals selfish politicians, like Job Trunicht, who manipulate national resources and the media for no other purpose than to keep their party in the public's favor. With democracy presented at its worse there doesn't seem to be a 'better' system between the Empire and the Alliance as there are bad apples in both baskets. Of course, the reverse is also true.
Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen Li are more than just the finest military strategists of their time or the two halves of the greatest rivalry the galaxy has ever seen. They are the star figures of the two opposing systems. Reinhard is a revolutionary of the autocratic system, becoming the most just and beloved of the Empire's Kaisers; Yang is practically the incarnate of the spirit of democracy. Despite being on opposite ends of the political spectrum (and in nearly every other respect), they're incredibly similar in terms of moral integrity. The question that plagues Yang is what happens to democracy as a principle when the majority want an autocratic ruler? Reinhard's fair rule and lack of any actual misgovernment makes him the greatest enemy of democracy. Yang noted that as a democratic force trying to defeat Reinhard and his administration, which liberated billions in the Empire from 500 years of despotic rule, they were standing on shaky moral ground. If the 25 billion citizens of the Empire were to take a vote, Reinhard would have a landslide victory.
As for Reinhard's military expedition into Alliance territory, I personally think of it as the triumph of the better administration rather than the triumph of autocracy. Heinessen was conquered not so much because 'democracy' lost the war as the fact that the government was corrupted with disrespect for human rights and the freedom of expression. The people-in-charge are more than willing to forfeit individual rights in the name of preserving a democratic nation, a scheme almost worthy of Oberstein's Machiavellian tendencies. When push comes to shove, the ideals of equality don't seem so feasible and is really easier said than done. On the other hand, the government that Reinhard strove to establish protected the rights of people as dishonorable as Lang and Trunicht. The Lohengramm Dynasty made so many reforms to Imperial law that it was almost as good as a democracy. Even if it wasn't a government by the people, it was a government for the people and I strongly believe it was just one step away from the introduction of a constitution.
For the characters implicated in the action, it ultimately boils down to a choice between the best autocracy or the most rotten democracy. And I think Bucock, instead of Yang, gave the best answer for democracy. Bucock wants a 'friendship, not a good master-servant relationship.' In other words, equality of all rather than a fair, hierarchical society. IMO, autocracy is a bit of a gamble: it can be paradise with a noble and capable ruler but absolute hell with a tyrant. It also runs the risk of passing on power to those who fail to live up to the standards of their predecessors. I think, even if a democratic government is plagued with mediocrity, the majority of the population have the chance and ability to make changes as long as they still have their rights and freedom of choice. Change would be somewhat difficult in an autocratic nation without some sort of revolution or usurpation of the throne.
That said, I don't know for sure if I could live in a rotten democracy. BUT, if I were a soldier in LotGH, I would much rather serve under Reinhard's command than fight a war for democracy which would benefit parasites like Trunicht.