During the fifth anniversary of the iconic "Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These," the anime that brings to life Yoshiki Tanaka's epic science fiction novels, "Legend of the Galactic Heroes," excitedly revealed the green light for the creation of a sequel.
Tanaka's novels, set in the vast backdrop of a space opera, depict the monumental conflict between the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance. They also explore the personal stories of the cunning Imperial Admiral Reinhard von Lohengramm and the strategic Yang Wen-Li of the Alliance. These magnificent works consist of 10 volumes of the main novels and four volumes of side stories that make up the Legend of the Galactic Heroes saga, a collection that has reached the astonishing figure of 15 million copies sold and has bestowed upon Tanaka the prestigious Seiun Award. In addition to his renowned work, Tanaka has also contributed original novels that inspired notable anime projects such as "The Heroic Legend of Arslan," "Ryoko's Case File," "Sohryuden – Legend of the Dragon Kings," and "Tytania."
The first season of "Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These," titled "The Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Kaikō (The New Thesis: Star-Crossed)," aired as a series comprising 12 exciting episodes that debuted in April 2018. The continuation of the series came in the form of three movies making up the second "season" titled "Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Second (The Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Seiran)," released in the fall of 2019.
The third season, known as "Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These – Collision (Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Gekitotsu)," made its triumphant entry in theaters on three dates: March 4, April 1, and May 13, 2022. This season was also broadcast on television as a total of 12 episodes, numbered 25 to 36 in the overall series.
The exciting fourth season, "Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These – Intrigue (Ginga Eiyū Densetsu Die Neue These Sakubō)," unfolded in three parts with limited theatrical screenings taking place over three weeks, starting on September 30, followed by October 28 and concluding on November 25, 2022.
Viz Media's Haikasoru imprint acquired the license and published the original novel series in English, allowing English-speaking fans to enjoy this remarkable work.
It is worth noting that the late director Noboru Ishiguro and his anime studio Artland dedicated over a decade to adapting the novels into an extensive anime franchise, including theatrical and video releases, totaling over 100 installments from 1988 to 2000. Sentai Filmworks handled the licensing for the home video release of the anime series.
