Anime Thoughts: Legend of the Galactic Heroes

In my first term at university, the big anime club I was one tiny part of there put out a newsletter talking up various titles, whether well-known among fandom at large or just the favourites of the writers. One of the articles in it promoted a series called "Legend of the Galactic Heroes," an apparent favourite of some of the club executive, and the description of space opera involving a clash of personalities with a soundtrack of classical music caught my attention, even if I had no idea how I would ever get to see it. Several terms later, approaching the end of my time at university, the club started showing the series, and as I began watching it at last I found myself quite interested in it. I knew it was a very long series, though, and I would only get to see a part of it... and then, technology I could at best dream of when I first joined the anime club gave me a chance to see the whole series for myself. It still took a while, and probably placed my karmic balance in deficit in the process, but it was an impressive experience. In a way, "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" may embody the appeal of "story" in anime to me, an appeal that first grew when I could do little more than try to remember "Robotech's" composite story while hearing the first whispers that there really were other animated series a whole lot like it. It's lengthy and complex, developing and changing along the way, and the main characters on both sides of the battle can't be summed up and dismissed as just "good" or "evil."
( I don't think I give any secrets away, but it is kind of lengthy... )