"Crest of the Stars" and "Twelve Kingdoms"

[Redcoffin]

It has been my experience that people who like either one of these shows, also like the other. What do these shows have in common--other than good writing?

One thing they have in common is that in both shows, the "Empire" is the good guys. There are bad elements and personalities within the Imperial administrations, but basically the empire is a civilizing force. This runs completely opposite to the general trend of American heroic fantasy and sci-fi, in which the "Empire" is usually the bad guys ruled by a Dark Lord somewhere, and the rag-tag band of rebels are the good guys.

Obviously, Japanese popular literature (and anime) have their share of evil empires, oppressive military regimes and dark lords, but there is a significant minority of stories and shows that are told from the point of view of people serving the empire, in which empire is a civilizing, stabilizing force and the rebels represent the dirty, chaotic element of society that causes nothing but trouble.

I find that kind of interesting. Any thoughts?

[perigee]

[ QUOTE ]
Hiyo_2366 said:
I find that kind of interesting. Any thoughts?

[/ QUOTE ]Maybe not so surprising when you consider that Japan is an empire. Seeing the world portrayed from a different perspective is one of the things that makes anime interesting. If you look under the surface, however, neither empire is without its faults. Monarchy sometimes gives rise to megalomania both in fantasy and real life.

[aquapermanence]

Tenchi Muyo! is another show set in an interstellar empire that's largely portrayed as a civilizing, unifying force. It's nice that the characters inhabiting it are shown by their personalities, rather than just by their titles and ideals, as it humanizes them and makes them sympathetic even when they're doing mean or downright evil things.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes is, by contrast, a show in which every character of consequence thinks about the big picture and their place in history - it's an extended study of a powerful empire attempting to recapture a large territory that's rebelled and become powerful on its own. While the characters themselves may come off as stiff and bland, their willingness to discuss the issues behind the struggle and walk the audience through their conclusions is something that's hard to find anywhere else. /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif Ghost in the Shell: SAC and Crest of the Stars are among a small handful of shows that do the talking head thing so well without inserting distracting fanservice, explosions, and relationship drama.