Any promising space opera on the horizon?

[Uraniun235]

There's the conclusion of neoBSG which starts in January, and some people are optimistic about Abrams-Trek coming in May. That's the only pending material I'm aware of.

Aside from that, is there any other space opera due within the next couple of years that we can look forward to?

[Darksider]

Neo-battlestar Grimdarktica is space opera?

When did this happen?

[Ford Prefect]

If we're talking space opera, then we can't go past the anime series Tytania, which is airing currently. It's about as space opera as they come, which is appropriate given it is a spiritual successor to Legend of the Galactic Heroes.

[Icehawk]

I second Tytania. Classical music soundtrack, 18th centuryish looking wardrobes, large Galactic Empire, large capital ship fleets engaging at lightsecond combat ranges, political themes, etc, etc.

[Uraniun235]

I'll have to check out this Tytania.

Neo-battlestar Grimdarktica is space opera?

When did this happen?

uh well let's see

- religious prophecies being a huge part of the series

- prophecies involving supernovae being fulfilled

- battlestar livejournal narrowly jumping out of the way of a supernova

- starbuck coming back from the fucking dead

- starfighter combat, at all

- cobbling together a stealth fighter out of spare fucking parts

- plot contriviances


i mean where exactly does neoBSG fail to be space opera, I mean sure it might be kinda dark but that's no preclusion at all

[Ryan Thunder]

Neo-battlestar Grimdarktica is space opera?

When did this happen?

What the hell would you call it?

[The Romulan Republic]

I suppose that live action Star Wars series I keep hearing about. My hopes aren't to high after the recent flood of low quality Star Wars products.

[Molyneux]

I suppose that live action Star Wars series I keep hearing about. My hopes aren't to high after the recent flood of low quality Star Wars products.

Wasn't there another Genndy Tartakovsky animated series in the works, too?

[SAMAS]

No, that's the computer animated one.

[The Cooler King]

Well, if you're interested in one of the original space operas, Ron Howard and J. Michael Straczynski are working on an adaptation of the 'Lensman' series of novels.

Found here.

[K. A. Pital]

Tytania. You won't be dissappointed. I wasn't so far. It's still aired, though, so quality drops can happen.

Edit: while the story may somewhat dissappoint later on, I'm pretty damn sure in the way of ships and battles Tytania would crush any other SO on the horizon. That's like Anime Star Wars with excellent graphics, including 3d and cel-shading.

[Darth Raptor]

I see you're betting on the right horse, comrade. That guy is the next Reinhard von Lohengramm. Oh I wonder whoever could be the Wenli Yang?

[Uraniun235]

Thanks for mentioning Legend of the Galactic Heroes, guys. I hadn't looked into it before, I'm about three episodes in and enjoying it quite a bit. Tytania can wait until I finish this one - which is fine, gives them time to get more episodes out.

[Darth Raptor]

Even old space opera is new if you've never seen it. LotGH is a classic. Yes, the animation is dated and yes, it gets a bit slow and info-dumpy in places (there will be an exam after this episode). And sure, it's longer than the Sagittarius Arm, but it's one of my favorite animated series of all time. I was most impressed with it doing moral ambiguity successfully. You know, the whole "heroes on both sides, evil everywhere" thing that Star Wars tried to do and failed miserably at? Galactic Heroes is probably the best showing of a realistic (in terms of human behavior, not science, natch) war story in a space opera I've ever seen. Tytania, I'm not so sure about yet, but we're only three episodes in.

[Molyneux]

Even old space opera is new if you've never seen it. LotGH is a classic. Yes, the animation is dated and yes, it gets a bit slow and info-dumpy in places (there will be an exam after this episode). And sure, it's longer than the Sagittarius Arm, but it's one of my favorite animated series of all time. I was most impressed with it doing moral ambiguity successfully. You know, the whole "heroes on both sides, evil everywhere" thing that Star Wars tried to do and failed miserably at? Galactic Heroes is probably the best showing of a realistic (in terms of human behavior, not science, natch) war story in a space opera I've ever seen. Tytania, I'm not so sure about yet, but we're only three episodes in.

Wait, what? When the heck did Star Wars try to do that? The Emperor was explicitly as close as you can get to ultimate evil without actively eating babies. The only person who's not completely evil in the Empire is Vader...and anyone who thinks he would have changed without his son being involved is very strange in the head.

[Darth Raptor]

PT, Molyneux. There's supposed to be moral ambiguity between the Confederacy and the Republic, at least according to the Episode III opening crawl (where that quote is from).

[Molyneux]

PT, Molyneux. There's supposed to be moral ambiguity between the Confederacy and the Republic, at least according to the Episode III opening crawl (where that quote is from).

I guess that really is a failure, then. I couldn't see any way the Confederacy were anything more than dupes at best, or moustache-twirling blood barons at worst.

[Darth Raptor]

Right, and it's not like making the Republic or Jedi Order flawed as all hell immediately vindicates the other side. Amidala's mewling notwithstanding.

[NecronLord]

Well, if you're interested in one of the original space operas, Ron Howard and J. Michael Straczynski are working on an adaptation of the 'Lensman' series of novels.

Found here.

Oh dear. That could be great, but is much more likely to suck. Aside from the technical issues of trying to realise proper Lensman space battles, stylistically, and scale wise, the tendancy to update things for a modern audience (some things it could do with; female lensman, computers, and so on) I fear could undermine the sheer competance and effectiveness of the protagonists, as well as their sheer black and white dichtomy of good and evil.

And he's also supposedly working on a remake of Forbidden Planet...

PERSECUTE THE BLASPHEMERS!

[Uraniun235]

Even old space opera is new if you've never seen it. LotGH is a classic. Yes, the animation is dated and yes, it gets a bit slow and info-dumpy in places (there will be an exam after this episode). And sure, it's longer than the Sagittarius Arm, but it's one of my favorite animated series of all time. I was most impressed with it doing moral ambiguity successfully. You know, the whole "heroes on both sides, evil everywhere" thing that Star Wars tried to do and failed miserably at? Galactic Heroes is probably the best showing of a realistic (in terms of human behavior, not science, natch) war story in a space opera I've ever seen. Tytania, I'm not so sure about yet, but we're only three episodes in.

I'm about halfway through right now and it's been an awesome ride. The surprise reversal right as Lohengramm was about to bite it at Vermilion was pretty wicked. It's not really that long a series, though. Yeah, it's more than a hundred episodes, but those are only half-hour episodes. Babylon 5 is actually a longer series.

The animation doesn't bother me in the slightest. I find it charming, much like other older space opera anime that I love (like Captain Harlock and Space Battleship Yamato).