Entertaining, But Nothing More - A Review of Legend of the Galactic Heroes Vol. 1: Dawn

Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Vol. 1: Dawn by Yoshiki Tanaka

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


My very first science fiction experience came in the form of giant mecha anime. This was all the way back in the late 1980s; the Philippines had just ousted Ferdinand Marcos, and one of the many, many shows that returned to local television was of Voltes V, which had been taken off-air during the Marcos regime out of fear that it would encourage “revolutionary sentiments”. Whether or not Voltes V did indeed inspire the spirit that led to the 1986 People Power Revolution, is not the point; the point is that I was there to watch it again.

Over the years, Japanese sci-fi in the form of anime would continue to feed the interest kindled by Voltes V: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gundam Wing, Dual!, and so many other shows whose names escape me now. Things changed as I grew older, however; Japanese sci-fi gradually lost some of its shine as I became more interested in Western sci-fi novels and the occasional television show. There is still plenty of sci-fi anime out there, but I have not had any particular interest in reengaging with it - at least, not until recently.

( Read more... )