Legend of the Galactic Heroes Novels Get New Anime

The latest stage production of Yoshiki Tanaka's space opera novel series Legend of the Galactic Heroes opened on Wednesday, and it ended with an announcement of a new anime adaptation. Tanaka's secretary Hirofumi Adachi confirmed the news, and relayed the producer's comments that the new anime is not a remake of the earlier anime, but another anime adaptation of the original novels with a new staff.

The story follows the epic conflict between the Galactic Empire and Free Planets Alliance, as well as the personal stories of Imperial Admiral Reinhard von Lohengramm and the Alliance's Yang Wen-Li.

The late director Noboru Ishiguro (Macross, Orguss, Megazone 23) and his Artland anime studio spent over a decade adapting the novels into a theatrical and video anime franchise, with over 100 installments, from 1988 to 2000. The series has also inspired a recent cafe and various stage plays, including one by the famous all-female Takarazuka Revue Company.

The 10 main novel volumes and four side-story volumes in the Legend of the Galactic Heroes saga have sold 15 million copies and earned Tanaka a Seiun Award. Besides Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Tanaka also wrote the original novel inspirations for The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Ryoko's Case File, Sohryuden - Legend of the Dragon Kings, and Tytania anime projects.