24 opiniones
In the year 1999 a city-sized extraterrestrial battle cruiser crash lands on Earth, and over the next decade scientists and engineers repair its damage and refit it into a hybrid of human and alien technologies. What the Earth-folks don't realize is that the ship has been tailed by an entire armada of heavily armed space battle cruisers who seek to claim the ship and its secrets for themselves. The aliens, called Zentraedi, are a formidable race of giants who have been bred for warfare, but as they approach their presence triggers a booby trap on the downed space-fortress called the Macross that plows through them with a devastating energy weapon. Thinking the Earth fired upon them intentionally, the Zentraedi retaliate, thereby launching Space War I. Realizing that it would probably be a good idea to move the conflict off of the Earth (which has just gotten over a long on-planet war), the captain of the Macross orders the use of the ship's untested "fold" system to warp the ship to the dark side of the moon; the warp is initiated, but it brings the small city that had grown around the Macross with it, plus, to the horror of all involved, they find themselves just outside orbit near Pluto (that's what you get for messing around with technology that you don't know how to operate!). And as if that isn't bad enough, the fold system has completely vanished, leaving the ship's crew and the now-rescued inhabitants of the city no alternative but to make their way back home using only conventional engines. And as the Macross crawls back to the Earth, the enemy fleet is not far behind...
That's the basic setup, but what makes Macross stand out from the plethora of alien invasion space operas that came before it most notably the classic Space Battleship Yamato (1974) is its focus on the human element of its story, becoming in essence a soap opera in sci-fi drag. Nearly every character is in some way flawed, and despite the military experience held by many of them, that experience frequently proves moot in the face of deep space combat and technologies that they simply do not comprehend. The ostensible hero, sixteen-year-old stunt pilot Hikaru Ichijo, comes of age during the course of the narrative and we follow him through every awkward step, tracing his evolution from prodigy civilian airman to ace space-fighter, as well as seeing him swallow his reluctance to kill once he joins the United Nations Space Navy (annoyingly dubbed the "UN Spacy" for short). Hikaru's also at the center of a love triangle that sees his emotions split between a cute Chinese girl who ends up going from waitress to pop idol overnight, and his by-the-book career military commanding officer; this triangle is milked for all it's worth and is the primary reason that the series proved so popular with female viewers, along with the romantic trials and tribulations of the rest of the voluminous cast.
Another thing that sets the series apart from the cliché template is the pan-cultural scope of the cast. The hero may be Japanese, but the rest of the characters run the ethnic gamut, the bridge crew alone being comprised of a couple of Russians, an American or two, an Italian, and a black chick. This was very refreshing at the time, with the then-most-contemporary multi-cultural cast of characters being found in the various incarnations of Cyborg 009, but each member of that international team was drawn in the most broad of ethnic stereotypes. Not so with Macross, which didn't make a big deal ou t of the characters' ethnicities and saw only the Chinese character standing out because of her frequently-worn Hong Kong-style dresses and hairstyles.
And while the show certainly has a contingent of fans who revere it for its space battles and transforming mecha, I have to say that I love it most for starting things off on a footing that allows the viewer to think they know exactly where the story's going to go and then consistently pulling the rug out from under them. The love triangle plays out in a way that sees all three participants change and grow, the B-characters go through some serious drama involving the tragic casualties of war and the possibilities that can blossom between even the most bitter of enemy rivalries (let's hear it for Max and Millia!!!), and even the enemy aliens prove to be far more than just stock evil world-conquerers when their strange and ancient history proves that there really is something to the universal nature of basic "humanity."
Super Dimension Fortress Macross is easily the most well-crafted and intelligent of the space operas from the 1980's, both in terms of narrative and visual impact, and totally raised the bar on how such material can and should be handled. In fact, the only serialized alien invasion show to come along since that even comes close is Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995), a series that wears its Macross influence on its sleeve but somehow comes up a lot less satisfying. If you can get your hands on the Animeigo boxed sets of the original uncut and subtitled Macross series avoid the sequels and the not bad Americanized version, Robotech do yourself the favor and check them out, starting with episode number one because the whole thing's one long story told in thirty-six chapters. Even if you're not an anime fan I urge you to give this stuff a chance. Space operas seldom get any better than this, and Super Dimension Fortress Macross sure as hell beats the three recent Star Wars atrocities.
That's the basic setup, but what makes Macross stand out from the plethora of alien invasion space operas that came before it most notably the classic Space Battleship Yamato (1974) is its focus on the human element of its story, becoming in essence a soap opera in sci-fi drag. Nearly every character is in some way flawed, and despite the military experience held by many of them, that experience frequently proves moot in the face of deep space combat and technologies that they simply do not comprehend. The ostensible hero, sixteen-year-old stunt pilot Hikaru Ichijo, comes of age during the course of the narrative and we follow him through every awkward step, tracing his evolution from prodigy civilian airman to ace space-fighter, as well as seeing him swallow his reluctance to kill once he joins the United Nations Space Navy (annoyingly dubbed the "UN Spacy" for short). Hikaru's also at the center of a love triangle that sees his emotions split between a cute Chinese girl who ends up going from waitress to pop idol overnight, and his by-the-book career military commanding officer; this triangle is milked for all it's worth and is the primary reason that the series proved so popular with female viewers, along with the romantic trials and tribulations of the rest of the voluminous cast.
Another thing that sets the series apart from the cliché template is the pan-cultural scope of the cast. The hero may be Japanese, but the rest of the characters run the ethnic gamut, the bridge crew alone being comprised of a couple of Russians, an American or two, an Italian, and a black chick. This was very refreshing at the time, with the then-most-contemporary multi-cultural cast of characters being found in the various incarnations of Cyborg 009, but each member of that international team was drawn in the most broad of ethnic stereotypes. Not so with Macross, which didn't make a big deal ou t of the characters' ethnicities and saw only the Chinese character standing out because of her frequently-worn Hong Kong-style dresses and hairstyles.
And while the show certainly has a contingent of fans who revere it for its space battles and transforming mecha, I have to say that I love it most for starting things off on a footing that allows the viewer to think they know exactly where the story's going to go and then consistently pulling the rug out from under them. The love triangle plays out in a way that sees all three participants change and grow, the B-characters go through some serious drama involving the tragic casualties of war and the possibilities that can blossom between even the most bitter of enemy rivalries (let's hear it for Max and Millia!!!), and even the enemy aliens prove to be far more than just stock evil world-conquerers when their strange and ancient history proves that there really is something to the universal nature of basic "humanity."
Super Dimension Fortress Macross is easily the most well-crafted and intelligent of the space operas from the 1980's, both in terms of narrative and visual impact, and totally raised the bar on how such material can and should be handled. In fact, the only serialized alien invasion show to come along since that even comes close is Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995), a series that wears its Macross influence on its sleeve but somehow comes up a lot less satisfying. If you can get your hands on the Animeigo boxed sets of the original uncut and subtitled Macross series avoid the sequels and the not bad Americanized version, Robotech do yourself the favor and check them out, starting with episode number one because the whole thing's one long story told in thirty-six chapters. Even if you're not an anime fan I urge you to give this stuff a chance. Space operas seldom get any better than this, and Super Dimension Fortress Macross sure as hell beats the three recent Star Wars atrocities.
- GrandpaBunche
- 1 ene 2008
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The Macross franchise is to the anime industry what Star Trek is to live-action sci-fi television in terms of precedent setting and influence on their respective worlds. Macross has trace elements of Gene Roddenberry's magnum opus and even little bits of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey in that alien technology advances humanity's social and technical progress to levels un-imagined before.
As a space opera fan this is deeply compelling work and I recommend it for anime buffs and science fiction fans as well; truly great stuff honestly. And this series explores relationships between humans and extra-terrestrial humanoids incredibly well! Give Macross a go whenever you can.
As a space opera fan this is deeply compelling work and I recommend it for anime buffs and science fiction fans as well; truly great stuff honestly. And this series explores relationships between humans and extra-terrestrial humanoids incredibly well! Give Macross a go whenever you can.
- MovTV
- 15 ene 2010
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Anime at first before it became a common norm in American entertainment culture, it was a novelty which revolutionized animation and changed the way we watched cartoons forever.
Macross was the first anime I saw and it's still the best in my opinion; and I will dare say it this show is not just my favorite Anime of all time but it's also my favorite romance story and one of my favorite TV shows in general.
There are a lot of qualities to admire about the show. For one thing the style. The animation is beautiful looking from the backgrounds, mecha, but most importantly the human characters look a little more human. I still feel the animation holds up today in my book, I feel it's a prime example of using animation well and for the right reasons. The battle sequences are violent and well choreographed, the combat vehicles look cool from the way they function mainly the Veritech which is supplied with the options of changing into a half robot half jet, or a full robot, seeing how it functioned I wanted one of my own to drive. The soundtrack is just beautiful to listen to, from the theme song which to me is one of my personal favorite themes in general, down to Minmei's actually songs, they just have a big operatic feel to it.
However the true strength of the show is in it's characters and their drama, in fact that is the real plot of the show while the war with the aliens is really just icing on the cake. Despite animated I deeply cared about them on a human level which was something thats never happened, not that I didn't care about characters in some usual cartoons I watched like "G.I. Joe" but never on a deep level because I always knew the good guys would be alright let alone not much depth. The show was revolutionary in characterization at the time, because they all felt human it was easy to forget their animated. All of them had wants, needs, loves, and development; they physically and psychologically struggle with the war down to their person dilemmas intermixed. Also people die in the show, one character I really liked dies and it made me actually tear up which is something that doesn't happen with me much. You could say the interaction and development plays out almost like a soap opera but I feel saying that is insulting because unlike soap opera characters the characters of Macross are given believable situations, talk and deal with their dilemmas like everyday person would.
This was also revolutionary in developing story arcs which are common now from current shows like "Battlestar Galatica (revival version)", "The Walking Dead" and others. Like the little one with human pilot Max and Zentradi beauty Milia a strange romantic couple whom have fought each other as enemies but this rivalry turned to love, I feel that's a good message that it's better to make friends and significant others then to create bitter rivals.
But the one arc that was the main drive of the show was fighter pilot Hikaru, superior officer Misa, and celebrity Minmei. The love triangle plays out with just enough romance and tension that it actually feels like it matters because of how interesting all three characters are and their development. Hikaru at first is a young hotshot who is a bit arrogant and brash but is compassionate and slightly mature. Misa is slightly older but a beautiful woman who was strong and feisty, has criticism which can be a little unforgiving but is mature and has strong desires in her career but most importantly love. Minmei is a character I both liked and disliked at the same time from her positive qualities looks, beautiful singing voice, fun/funny vibrant persona however her negative qualities are what make her lose points in my book from her immaturity down to being short sighted, self centered and immature.
This romance sort of plays out like a sci-fi version of Jane Austin's "Pride and Prejudice. The relationship between Hikaru and Misa sort of reminded me of Darcy and Elesebeth even in characteristics their uncannily similar. We already know both character are clearly right for one another but the question is when and how they'll make the connection. Hikaru and Misa at first don't really like each other, in fact almost hate each other due to some ill timed first encounters which created lots of misunderstanding. But as the story develops both develops a close friendship, here we already know Misa is the right one for Hikaru do to how well they understand each other; I actually found myself routing for them to get together because both make sense like Castle and Kate in the TV show "Castle", Helo and Athena in "Battlestar Galatica", and well you get it. But like any great romance before true love can blossom both have one obstacle to get past which is themselves.
Super Dimension Macross isn't just another cartoon but one of the greatest love stories of all time.
Rating: 4 stars
Macross was the first anime I saw and it's still the best in my opinion; and I will dare say it this show is not just my favorite Anime of all time but it's also my favorite romance story and one of my favorite TV shows in general.
There are a lot of qualities to admire about the show. For one thing the style. The animation is beautiful looking from the backgrounds, mecha, but most importantly the human characters look a little more human. I still feel the animation holds up today in my book, I feel it's a prime example of using animation well and for the right reasons. The battle sequences are violent and well choreographed, the combat vehicles look cool from the way they function mainly the Veritech which is supplied with the options of changing into a half robot half jet, or a full robot, seeing how it functioned I wanted one of my own to drive. The soundtrack is just beautiful to listen to, from the theme song which to me is one of my personal favorite themes in general, down to Minmei's actually songs, they just have a big operatic feel to it.
However the true strength of the show is in it's characters and their drama, in fact that is the real plot of the show while the war with the aliens is really just icing on the cake. Despite animated I deeply cared about them on a human level which was something thats never happened, not that I didn't care about characters in some usual cartoons I watched like "G.I. Joe" but never on a deep level because I always knew the good guys would be alright let alone not much depth. The show was revolutionary in characterization at the time, because they all felt human it was easy to forget their animated. All of them had wants, needs, loves, and development; they physically and psychologically struggle with the war down to their person dilemmas intermixed. Also people die in the show, one character I really liked dies and it made me actually tear up which is something that doesn't happen with me much. You could say the interaction and development plays out almost like a soap opera but I feel saying that is insulting because unlike soap opera characters the characters of Macross are given believable situations, talk and deal with their dilemmas like everyday person would.
This was also revolutionary in developing story arcs which are common now from current shows like "Battlestar Galatica (revival version)", "The Walking Dead" and others. Like the little one with human pilot Max and Zentradi beauty Milia a strange romantic couple whom have fought each other as enemies but this rivalry turned to love, I feel that's a good message that it's better to make friends and significant others then to create bitter rivals.
But the one arc that was the main drive of the show was fighter pilot Hikaru, superior officer Misa, and celebrity Minmei. The love triangle plays out with just enough romance and tension that it actually feels like it matters because of how interesting all three characters are and their development. Hikaru at first is a young hotshot who is a bit arrogant and brash but is compassionate and slightly mature. Misa is slightly older but a beautiful woman who was strong and feisty, has criticism which can be a little unforgiving but is mature and has strong desires in her career but most importantly love. Minmei is a character I both liked and disliked at the same time from her positive qualities looks, beautiful singing voice, fun/funny vibrant persona however her negative qualities are what make her lose points in my book from her immaturity down to being short sighted, self centered and immature.
This romance sort of plays out like a sci-fi version of Jane Austin's "Pride and Prejudice. The relationship between Hikaru and Misa sort of reminded me of Darcy and Elesebeth even in characteristics their uncannily similar. We already know both character are clearly right for one another but the question is when and how they'll make the connection. Hikaru and Misa at first don't really like each other, in fact almost hate each other due to some ill timed first encounters which created lots of misunderstanding. But as the story develops both develops a close friendship, here we already know Misa is the right one for Hikaru do to how well they understand each other; I actually found myself routing for them to get together because both make sense like Castle and Kate in the TV show "Castle", Helo and Athena in "Battlestar Galatica", and well you get it. But like any great romance before true love can blossom both have one obstacle to get past which is themselves.
Super Dimension Macross isn't just another cartoon but one of the greatest love stories of all time.
Rating: 4 stars
- hellraiser7
- 20 jul 2012
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Macross... The original.
Originally intended to be just a parody of Gundam, it evolved into becoming an entity of its own, with a compelling storyline and a deeply anti-war message.
Genre-defining character designs by Haruhiko Mikimoto, excellent space craft and mecha designs by Shoji Kawamori and Kazutaka Miyatake and great directing work by Noboru Ishiguro were the first part of Macross' enormous success. Shoji Kawamori's VF-1 Valkyrie is one of the most easily identified anime mecha ever and for good reason: I've yet to see one that can match its sleek, yet strong and purposeful lines. It looks like it's ready to take off and go on a war, whereas other mecha often look like gimmicks.
The characters seemed to actually live and breathe, developing their personalities through the ordeal of their perversely unequal war against the Zentradi, the loss of friends, loved ones, the senseless suffering and carnage that war is, their change of heart over time...
And all this enhanced by the very fine voice acting of Arihiro Hase, Mari Iijima, Mika Doi, Akira Kamiya, Michio Hazama, Noriko Ohara and other distinguished Japanese voice actors and actresses, who conveyed the dialogue in a manner forceful, economical, emotionally wealthy and mature.
Add to this Mari Iijima's excellent voice and performance on each and every one of Lynn Minmay's songs - even the songs seem to evolve as Minmay grows: from the childish and girlie-love pop of "Zero-G Love" and "Watashi No Kare Wa Pairotto" ("My Boyfriend Is A Pilot") to the beautiful, softly-sung and emotionally overwhelming anti-war "Ai Wa Nagareru" ("Love Drifts Away"), which was performed during the Macross' battle against Gorg Bodolzaa's armada, the equally powerful elegy "My Beautiful Place" or the series' last song, "Yasashisa Sayonara" (Farewell Tenderness"). And the rest of Macross' soundtrack is a wonderful merger of a symphonic orchestra with rock, jazz and even blues influences.
Macross is a sad story; it is not quite an epic, although it features battle after battle. It's an anti-war story - it brings forth a message to everyone, a message stating that the works of peace and culture are immensely superior to the cruel barbarity of war.
Sadly, in the haste to produce the episodes fast enough, a number of episodes was farmed out to a Korean studio named Anime Friend, whose work was sub-par and introduced a fair number of animation errors. Despite this, Macross still is a shining gem and deservedly enjoys a strong following in Japan and internationally, even now, 20 years on.
Unfortunately for the Western world, in 1985, an American company named Harmony Gold and someone named Carl Macek combined Macross with two other anime series (Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross and Genesis Pit Climber M.O.S.P.E.A.D.A.), dumbing down the dialogues, to which they added even more (to the point where you wondered if the characters ever stop talking), replacing the meticulous use of silence with excessive narration with someone who sounds like a sportscaster on steroids, the cohesive storyline with a mangled patchwork, the artful voice acting with over-the-top "performances" by third-rate "actors", the lovely soundtrack with generic synth stuff, Mari Iijima's wonderful songs with outrageous "creations" "performed" by the Reba West (Rebecca Forstadt), who is more annoying than a car alarm. The worst display of Harmony Gold's inability to comprehend ANYTHING that Macross stands for is the replacement of "Ai Wa Nagareru" with the jingoistic attempt at anthem-writing titled "We Will Win".
Originally intended to be just a parody of Gundam, it evolved into becoming an entity of its own, with a compelling storyline and a deeply anti-war message.
Genre-defining character designs by Haruhiko Mikimoto, excellent space craft and mecha designs by Shoji Kawamori and Kazutaka Miyatake and great directing work by Noboru Ishiguro were the first part of Macross' enormous success. Shoji Kawamori's VF-1 Valkyrie is one of the most easily identified anime mecha ever and for good reason: I've yet to see one that can match its sleek, yet strong and purposeful lines. It looks like it's ready to take off and go on a war, whereas other mecha often look like gimmicks.
The characters seemed to actually live and breathe, developing their personalities through the ordeal of their perversely unequal war against the Zentradi, the loss of friends, loved ones, the senseless suffering and carnage that war is, their change of heart over time...
And all this enhanced by the very fine voice acting of Arihiro Hase, Mari Iijima, Mika Doi, Akira Kamiya, Michio Hazama, Noriko Ohara and other distinguished Japanese voice actors and actresses, who conveyed the dialogue in a manner forceful, economical, emotionally wealthy and mature.
Add to this Mari Iijima's excellent voice and performance on each and every one of Lynn Minmay's songs - even the songs seem to evolve as Minmay grows: from the childish and girlie-love pop of "Zero-G Love" and "Watashi No Kare Wa Pairotto" ("My Boyfriend Is A Pilot") to the beautiful, softly-sung and emotionally overwhelming anti-war "Ai Wa Nagareru" ("Love Drifts Away"), which was performed during the Macross' battle against Gorg Bodolzaa's armada, the equally powerful elegy "My Beautiful Place" or the series' last song, "Yasashisa Sayonara" (Farewell Tenderness"). And the rest of Macross' soundtrack is a wonderful merger of a symphonic orchestra with rock, jazz and even blues influences.
Macross is a sad story; it is not quite an epic, although it features battle after battle. It's an anti-war story - it brings forth a message to everyone, a message stating that the works of peace and culture are immensely superior to the cruel barbarity of war.
Sadly, in the haste to produce the episodes fast enough, a number of episodes was farmed out to a Korean studio named Anime Friend, whose work was sub-par and introduced a fair number of animation errors. Despite this, Macross still is a shining gem and deservedly enjoys a strong following in Japan and internationally, even now, 20 years on.
Unfortunately for the Western world, in 1985, an American company named Harmony Gold and someone named Carl Macek combined Macross with two other anime series (Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross and Genesis Pit Climber M.O.S.P.E.A.D.A.), dumbing down the dialogues, to which they added even more (to the point where you wondered if the characters ever stop talking), replacing the meticulous use of silence with excessive narration with someone who sounds like a sportscaster on steroids, the cohesive storyline with a mangled patchwork, the artful voice acting with over-the-top "performances" by third-rate "actors", the lovely soundtrack with generic synth stuff, Mari Iijima's wonderful songs with outrageous "creations" "performed" by the Reba West (Rebecca Forstadt), who is more annoying than a car alarm. The worst display of Harmony Gold's inability to comprehend ANYTHING that Macross stands for is the replacement of "Ai Wa Nagareru" with the jingoistic attempt at anthem-writing titled "We Will Win".
- elp_gr
- 4 jun 2002
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Many fans dislike the Robotech version of Macross, but there is a more faithful, official English dub out there, and it's pretty great! If you're not a subtitle fan or just want one more way to experience this awesome show, check out the ADV dub from the mid-2000s! If you can't locate an original copy, there are plenty of unlicensed copies on certain giant auction websites :)
- robowang-14765
- 1 mar 2020
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- crimsonrchangel-34828
- 30 oct 2018
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- sakurakitsune
- 19 jun 2015
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In the middle of World War III in 1999, an alien spaceship crashes on deserted Macross Island. In response to this event, a cease fire is declared as the ship reveals evidence of a potential extraterrestrial threat that could come to retrieve her. In response, the nations of the world unite to create the United Nations Space Navy (UN Spacy). In ten years, the ship is rebuilt as Super Dimensional Fortress One (SDF-1) and her technology is adopted for use. On the day of her formal launch, the Zentradi arrive determined to retrieve the ship intact. As Earth defends itself, we also see the personal lives of the ship's crew and residents as the war profoundly changes them. Meanwhile, the Zentradi learn that their enemy bears an uncomfortable resemble to their creators, the Protoculture, a fact which threatens to take this war down paths that no one can anticipate.
I really loved this series from start to finish and it was a very thrilling ride.
Hikaru is a very well written protagonist and a great leader. Probably my favourite character a long side Roy and his teammate Maximilian.
The intro was good. The animation and art style definitely looks great for an 80's anime.
The English dub was great even if it's hard to find. Heck they even got Lynn Minmay's seiyuu involved that alone makes it a treasure.
In regards to Robotech yes I am aware that there is a version of the show under that title. However, I refuse to watch that as I saw some clips on youtube and the whole thing looks like a Saturday morning cartoon. So yeah don't expect a review for that anytime soon.
If you enjoy Mecha you definitely need to watch this anime.
I really loved this series from start to finish and it was a very thrilling ride.
Hikaru is a very well written protagonist and a great leader. Probably my favourite character a long side Roy and his teammate Maximilian.
The intro was good. The animation and art style definitely looks great for an 80's anime.
The English dub was great even if it's hard to find. Heck they even got Lynn Minmay's seiyuu involved that alone makes it a treasure.
In regards to Robotech yes I am aware that there is a version of the show under that title. However, I refuse to watch that as I saw some clips on youtube and the whole thing looks like a Saturday morning cartoon. So yeah don't expect a review for that anytime soon.
If you enjoy Mecha you definitely need to watch this anime.
- WeAreLive
- 1 abr 2023
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Must viewing for any fan of Japanese animation (anime) for any era & for anyone who hasn't seen it. Revolutionary!
- drivemenutzlong
- 22 mar 2020
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It has been a long time since an updated review. Here is why. The name of the series, "Super Dimensional Fortress Macross", the year 1982, the unwilling participant - me. Randomly drawn one evening, and eventually finding a copy of this difficult to find complete original series, I first ventured into the first episode nearly a month ago. With nothing under my belt, no knowledge, limited anime experience, I began. It was traumatic, it was intense, it was hated - but eventually, I can successfully say to strangers on the street, I have completed the entire 36-episode original run of "Super Dimensional Fortress Macross". As they run, fear in their eyes, at least I know that this sense of completion is over. Onto more cinema, perhaps more anime, but will my life ever be the same again?
For those unfamiliar with this series, you are not going to get a recap here. The length of this review, and my dedication to the cause will not allow it - but I will leave you with these not-so-random words. Songs. Love Triangle. Roy Focker. Protoculture. Cousin love. Robotech. Death. Rebuilding. Destruction. That get's most of the groundwork out of the way, now a more formal review. "Macross" (to keep it short) is a series well before its time. Despite the ups and downs of the series, the overall sentiment is defining and will continue to propel this series into further cult status. As a non-anime watcher, I was enthralled with the power of the story. The darkened themes, the obvious symbolism to modern culture, and our characters pushed me through each episode. It was emotional and intense as the battle for survival and culture of humanity came into each finely drawn frame. It was visually beautiful, the music was grandiose, and again, the characters did keep your attention - but - "Macross" is not for everyone. I would love to recommend this series to everyone, but the dry, tedious nature of some of the episodes just forbids me to be excited about repeat viewings. Again, "Macross" was, now that it is finally over, a powerful series that will always remain a staple in future anime viewings, but to view this again - one just couldn't enjoy Minmay's annoying attitude, Ichijo's inability to make a decision, and the lemming-ish way this series was filmed. "Macross" transformed 36-episodes into a defined "love-hate" relationship.
After defining what was enjoyed by this series, one needs to prepare themselves for what just doesn't work. We have all driven home after a tough day at work, blaring our favorite song, and allowing the rough edges to fade away - and in "Macross" that idea is developed through Minmay's voice. Alas, it is beaten over our heads, submerged in water endlessly, and flashed into our eyes again and again and again. Confused. Don't worry, just watch "Macross" and you will understand. I will be the first to say, that I hated Lynn Minmay. She was annoying, childish, and forced our favorite characters into situations that were just in place for drama. Don't hate me if I kept hoping for her to be finished off early in the series. The passion between Ichijo and another character was far superior, and more interesting to watch. Minmay's possible love interest with another family member only heightened this hatred. This was followed by the daily destruction of the cities within the Macross and further within the story. It seemed as if every day attacks would ravish the built city, and with an endless supply of resources suddenly they could easily rebuild? It was like watching "Fraggle Rock". Death of citizens and other soldiers that were outside of the story, again, seemed to be in no-short supply. These seemed like larger elements that should have been developed, or at least understood, despite the series released in 1982. For some scenes, it just felt like cheap animation. Finally, in the version that I watched, the ending credits which were done in Ichijo's photo album in live action - it just felt again, further cheapened and not well fit within the series. These are just three obvious issues with this series, while there were smaller problems (the length of 36-episodes felt extremely too long - and lack of character development), these stood out.
Overall, "Super Dimensional Fortress Macross" isn't perfect. I can see the value in the overall story, the power of the symbolism and idea of culture, but there were small issues within the episodes that I couldn't handle. Minmay was the downfall of this series to me. She was annoying and misleading - not the power character everyone has quoted her to be. Yet, despite the negative elements that rage through my mind, there were scenes, episodes, and moments that I just loved. The ending was as big as any summer-blockbuster and remains in my mind as I write my review. The progression of the story was fabulous as well. To see one small ship's discovery on Earth to the eventual decline of everything was impressive. I loved this series for that - and perhaps the slight religious undertones - but (now that I am thinking about it - maybe it is a good thing) there were just parts I hated. I would, against my will, suggest this to die-hard fans of anime. This shows the birth of something big, but just poorly executed. I think I am going to go as Global this year for Halloween - but "Macross" is a chapter in my life I do not want to repeat. Good, just not great.
Grade: *** 1/2 out of *****
For those unfamiliar with this series, you are not going to get a recap here. The length of this review, and my dedication to the cause will not allow it - but I will leave you with these not-so-random words. Songs. Love Triangle. Roy Focker. Protoculture. Cousin love. Robotech. Death. Rebuilding. Destruction. That get's most of the groundwork out of the way, now a more formal review. "Macross" (to keep it short) is a series well before its time. Despite the ups and downs of the series, the overall sentiment is defining and will continue to propel this series into further cult status. As a non-anime watcher, I was enthralled with the power of the story. The darkened themes, the obvious symbolism to modern culture, and our characters pushed me through each episode. It was emotional and intense as the battle for survival and culture of humanity came into each finely drawn frame. It was visually beautiful, the music was grandiose, and again, the characters did keep your attention - but - "Macross" is not for everyone. I would love to recommend this series to everyone, but the dry, tedious nature of some of the episodes just forbids me to be excited about repeat viewings. Again, "Macross" was, now that it is finally over, a powerful series that will always remain a staple in future anime viewings, but to view this again - one just couldn't enjoy Minmay's annoying attitude, Ichijo's inability to make a decision, and the lemming-ish way this series was filmed. "Macross" transformed 36-episodes into a defined "love-hate" relationship.
After defining what was enjoyed by this series, one needs to prepare themselves for what just doesn't work. We have all driven home after a tough day at work, blaring our favorite song, and allowing the rough edges to fade away - and in "Macross" that idea is developed through Minmay's voice. Alas, it is beaten over our heads, submerged in water endlessly, and flashed into our eyes again and again and again. Confused. Don't worry, just watch "Macross" and you will understand. I will be the first to say, that I hated Lynn Minmay. She was annoying, childish, and forced our favorite characters into situations that were just in place for drama. Don't hate me if I kept hoping for her to be finished off early in the series. The passion between Ichijo and another character was far superior, and more interesting to watch. Minmay's possible love interest with another family member only heightened this hatred. This was followed by the daily destruction of the cities within the Macross and further within the story. It seemed as if every day attacks would ravish the built city, and with an endless supply of resources suddenly they could easily rebuild? It was like watching "Fraggle Rock". Death of citizens and other soldiers that were outside of the story, again, seemed to be in no-short supply. These seemed like larger elements that should have been developed, or at least understood, despite the series released in 1982. For some scenes, it just felt like cheap animation. Finally, in the version that I watched, the ending credits which were done in Ichijo's photo album in live action - it just felt again, further cheapened and not well fit within the series. These are just three obvious issues with this series, while there were smaller problems (the length of 36-episodes felt extremely too long - and lack of character development), these stood out.
Overall, "Super Dimensional Fortress Macross" isn't perfect. I can see the value in the overall story, the power of the symbolism and idea of culture, but there were small issues within the episodes that I couldn't handle. Minmay was the downfall of this series to me. She was annoying and misleading - not the power character everyone has quoted her to be. Yet, despite the negative elements that rage through my mind, there were scenes, episodes, and moments that I just loved. The ending was as big as any summer-blockbuster and remains in my mind as I write my review. The progression of the story was fabulous as well. To see one small ship's discovery on Earth to the eventual decline of everything was impressive. I loved this series for that - and perhaps the slight religious undertones - but (now that I am thinking about it - maybe it is a good thing) there were just parts I hated. I would, against my will, suggest this to die-hard fans of anime. This shows the birth of something big, but just poorly executed. I think I am going to go as Global this year for Halloween - but "Macross" is a chapter in my life I do not want to repeat. Good, just not great.
Grade: *** 1/2 out of *****
- film-critic
- 12 dic 2009
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Macross is one of the best mecha animes of all time. From the studios that brought you Speed Racer and the creator of Transformers Optimus Prime brings you Super dimension force Macross. That's a mouth full!
Macross is about a future where the strongest and smartest live on a giant city that's also a giant robot called "Macross City". It's a large giant utopia after the apocalypse of 2009. One day the city shoots a canon beam into the skies and it destroys an alien space ship of Zentradi. A giant race of aliens that that attack earth also using giant robots. A young soldier pilot named Hikaru must fight the Zentradi army with the UN Spacy's Valkyries. Medium sized airplanes that transform into humanoid robots! They fight each other. But then they learn to love each other as Zentradi and Earthlings learn to make peace with each other and yet fight again. There is a love triangle.
Be in mind the whole story revolves around a Chinese singer named Lin Minmay. She is so cute and sings "Kyun kyun my boyfriend is a pilot". The whole story is great but feels slow at times but I can still stand it.
ANIMATION The animation in Macross is some of the best of the early 1980's. All of the robots and planes feel rotoscoped and look realistic. The character designs are very early 80's with doughy big eyes. Lots of frames. If not re-used. So many MANY crazy effects like seeing robots transform into planes vice versa and Itano circus with missiles flying about. Macross city and it's sets have high appeal as the city is big and alive. Even when it's not moving it feels alive and bustling.
You'll love the early scifi art style even if it feels poorly drawn at times.
SOUND The sub is good. The music is funky as heck! So much bass and rock fusion! I'm so funky to this anime! Wow! It gave me vertigo. And Lin Minmay is just lovely.
Do yourself a favor and don't watch Robotech if you don't like the funk.
OVERALL Best anime 10/10
OVERALL Macross is a very deep and wonderful mecha anime. I'd totally watch it.
Macross is about a future where the strongest and smartest live on a giant city that's also a giant robot called "Macross City". It's a large giant utopia after the apocalypse of 2009. One day the city shoots a canon beam into the skies and it destroys an alien space ship of Zentradi. A giant race of aliens that that attack earth also using giant robots. A young soldier pilot named Hikaru must fight the Zentradi army with the UN Spacy's Valkyries. Medium sized airplanes that transform into humanoid robots! They fight each other. But then they learn to love each other as Zentradi and Earthlings learn to make peace with each other and yet fight again. There is a love triangle.
Be in mind the whole story revolves around a Chinese singer named Lin Minmay. She is so cute and sings "Kyun kyun my boyfriend is a pilot". The whole story is great but feels slow at times but I can still stand it.
ANIMATION The animation in Macross is some of the best of the early 1980's. All of the robots and planes feel rotoscoped and look realistic. The character designs are very early 80's with doughy big eyes. Lots of frames. If not re-used. So many MANY crazy effects like seeing robots transform into planes vice versa and Itano circus with missiles flying about. Macross city and it's sets have high appeal as the city is big and alive. Even when it's not moving it feels alive and bustling.
You'll love the early scifi art style even if it feels poorly drawn at times.
SOUND The sub is good. The music is funky as heck! So much bass and rock fusion! I'm so funky to this anime! Wow! It gave me vertigo. And Lin Minmay is just lovely.
Do yourself a favor and don't watch Robotech if you don't like the funk.
OVERALL Best anime 10/10
OVERALL Macross is a very deep and wonderful mecha anime. I'd totally watch it.
- nyarnebbanot
- 10 sep 2020
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--I've recently re-watched the original Macross series. Well... more accurately, I've watched it for the first time. As a kid, I really liked Robotech, an adaptation of the show for the US and international distribution. The producers of Harmony Gold had the show edited and some of the dialogue re-written to connect three unrelated shows into one with three seasons, as the minimum number of episodes a show can have to be aired on their TV stations at the time was 60 something.
--They also had a new soundtrack recorded, which was honestly much better and varied than the original Japanese version and likely in part influenced by Star Wars. Both versions feature pop idol songs which were very watered down and overused, although the melodies are slightly more complex in the US version, but overshadowed by the otherwise fairly good Robotech soundtrack. Also, an interesting thing occurred with the script in the rewrites... They kinda improved it by cutting some of the melodrama from the original show, and they added a narrator which allowed discussion of the inner feelings of characters, making them more fleshed out. Also, I'm not sure if it was less misogynistic than the original Japanese script, or perhaps the bad writing simply flew by my attention as a kid, and I was too fascinated with the sf elements and the characters actually changing dramatically throughout the course of the show. The Japanese version however has some intense levels of misogyny displayed mostly by the two main female characters, which soured the experience quite a bit for me.
--After re-watching it, I got disillusioned with my idea of what the show was as a kid. I love the pacifist threads in it, but it is ultimately definitely trying to show a pro-military story and the pacifism is a caricature contrasted by the glorification of the fates of soldiers. When I watched Gundam, I could instantly see how it influenced Robotech, as many elements were directly lifted from there, some of them being explored a bit more, with a relatively serious tone. The mature themes of the show are sadly just a backdrop for the dreaded love triangle. One which is played out so much, to absurdity, until the episodes revolve only around it, and there is no story and it's just nauseating melodrama and rather shallow writing.
--The show required too much work for the original studio to complete, so a lot of the work was outsourced, creating a ton of animation discrepancies, as well as some downright ridiculous drops in quality, all the way down into the territory of "so bad it's good." And although the bad parts are hilariously bad, this really butchers the premise and the elements of the show which were actually good and showed potential if they were written with the pen of a more skilled writer and with a consistent tone.
Realistically a 2/10, although I'll probably always have a soft spot for this one.
--They also had a new soundtrack recorded, which was honestly much better and varied than the original Japanese version and likely in part influenced by Star Wars. Both versions feature pop idol songs which were very watered down and overused, although the melodies are slightly more complex in the US version, but overshadowed by the otherwise fairly good Robotech soundtrack. Also, an interesting thing occurred with the script in the rewrites... They kinda improved it by cutting some of the melodrama from the original show, and they added a narrator which allowed discussion of the inner feelings of characters, making them more fleshed out. Also, I'm not sure if it was less misogynistic than the original Japanese script, or perhaps the bad writing simply flew by my attention as a kid, and I was too fascinated with the sf elements and the characters actually changing dramatically throughout the course of the show. The Japanese version however has some intense levels of misogyny displayed mostly by the two main female characters, which soured the experience quite a bit for me.
--After re-watching it, I got disillusioned with my idea of what the show was as a kid. I love the pacifist threads in it, but it is ultimately definitely trying to show a pro-military story and the pacifism is a caricature contrasted by the glorification of the fates of soldiers. When I watched Gundam, I could instantly see how it influenced Robotech, as many elements were directly lifted from there, some of them being explored a bit more, with a relatively serious tone. The mature themes of the show are sadly just a backdrop for the dreaded love triangle. One which is played out so much, to absurdity, until the episodes revolve only around it, and there is no story and it's just nauseating melodrama and rather shallow writing.
--The show required too much work for the original studio to complete, so a lot of the work was outsourced, creating a ton of animation discrepancies, as well as some downright ridiculous drops in quality, all the way down into the territory of "so bad it's good." And although the bad parts are hilariously bad, this really butchers the premise and the elements of the show which were actually good and showed potential if they were written with the pen of a more skilled writer and with a consistent tone.
Realistically a 2/10, although I'll probably always have a soft spot for this one.
- aractos-890-607133
- 16 abr 2021
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This anime series is one of the most outstanding anime series available. As many have said, it was one of the first I saw and it hooked me to anime for life. Now the original Macross series is available uncut on DVD from Animeigo. I recently purchased the limited edition box set and it was amazing! For all you searching for this series, it's now easily available in the U.S.! It's a must.
- int1
- 27 ene 2002
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With two of the worst characters in any anime ever, those being the ultra-iper-giga idiotic dick Hikaru and the extremely annoying and childish Lynn Minmay. Sorry, Team Lisa Hayase here.
Edit: if you (like me) rightly hate the Lynn Mynmay character, listen to the AMAZING Mari Ijima albums and you'll learn to love the original singer and her work. She has ten times more courage and guts than overrated-as-everything Death Metal bands active in the current scene.
Edit: if you (like me) rightly hate the Lynn Mynmay character, listen to the AMAZING Mari Ijima albums and you'll learn to love the original singer and her work. She has ten times more courage and guts than overrated-as-everything Death Metal bands active in the current scene.
- TooKakkoiiforYou_321
- 6 jul 2020
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Every day for 36 episode - just over 5 weeks - I could think about nothing else but Macross Season One. My 5th grade academic studies tanked, I had no after school social interactions (I came to realize several of my friends had the same experience), and I could think about nothing else but Rick Hunter, Minmay, Lisa, Max, etc. I lost all interest in Transformers, Star Wars etc.
SDF was the first cartoon I ever watched that incorporated mature themes. Death was a thing and it gave weight to every episode. It had a complicated romance (Lynn Kyle being in love with his cousin was pretty messed up). The protagonist was flawed. His romance interest(s) were flawed. And the story itself was complex, interesting and with high stakes.
It sucks they stitched 2 unrelated series to make seasons 2 and 3, all I wanted was to see the return of Admiral Hunter and it never happened. The disappointment was tantamount to seeing Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi. Not sure which was worse: Seeing a childhood hero reduced to a pathetic shell of his former self or being teased to his existence and it never happening.
SDF was the first cartoon I ever watched that incorporated mature themes. Death was a thing and it gave weight to every episode. It had a complicated romance (Lynn Kyle being in love with his cousin was pretty messed up). The protagonist was flawed. His romance interest(s) were flawed. And the story itself was complex, interesting and with high stakes.
It sucks they stitched 2 unrelated series to make seasons 2 and 3, all I wanted was to see the return of Admiral Hunter and it never happened. The disappointment was tantamount to seeing Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi. Not sure which was worse: Seeing a childhood hero reduced to a pathetic shell of his former self or being teased to his existence and it never happening.
- Saint_Rinzler
- 18 abr 2025
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Still has a strong following and for good reason: The plot, the character descriptions, the mecha, the music, everything was wonderfully done - except for some sub-par episodes done by a Korean studio.
The voice acting was just what you would expect from self-respecting professionals. The storyline is tight and cohesive, while the characters seem to actually grow and mature before the viewer's eyes, seeming like actual personalities rather than just being mediums for the action.
This is definitely an anime everyone must see.
The voice acting was just what you would expect from self-respecting professionals. The storyline is tight and cohesive, while the characters seem to actually grow and mature before the viewer's eyes, seeming like actual personalities rather than just being mediums for the action.
This is definitely an anime everyone must see.
- elp_gr
- 2 jun 2002
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What can I say about this fantastic series.
Unlike "Robotech:the Macross Saga" which is good in spite of it's terrible dub, terrible music and overall cheesiness, Super Dimensional Fortress Macross is so perfect in every way (with the exception of the poorly done episodes by animefiend).
A fantastic and sad love story. An epic tale of growing up and moving on.
Buy the animeigo remasters which are brilliantly subtitled. Do NOT get a Hong Kong bootleg- the subtitles are unintelligible.
Unlike "Robotech:the Macross Saga" which is good in spite of it's terrible dub, terrible music and overall cheesiness, Super Dimensional Fortress Macross is so perfect in every way (with the exception of the poorly done episodes by animefiend).
A fantastic and sad love story. An epic tale of growing up and moving on.
Buy the animeigo remasters which are brilliantly subtitled. Do NOT get a Hong Kong bootleg- the subtitles are unintelligible.
- Nattylite
- 29 ago 2003
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The Important stuff first; if you've seen the entirety of the non-Robotech version, then you've seen the series that's included in the Blu-ray version. The only thing that you're missing are some booklets and the "special disk" which includes some re-animated sequences using a mixture of CGI and traditional cel-animation.
The entire TV series has not been re-animated, as I and others were led to believe with this super-expensive special edition.
Background; I was first introduced to this series as Robotech way back in 1983 or 1984, and I didn't think much of the animation, as even for offshore Japanese animation it seemed a bit more jerky than normal compared to other shows.
Where I was impressed with the dynamics of the story, I had a hard time watching it because of the quality of the animation. So, fast forward to 2012 and the "30th Anniversary" blu-rays come out, only I've got lots of obligations to meet, and no time to buy, watch and enjoy this show. If and when that big promotion comes, then I'll splurge, but, as fate would have it, I would have to wait five more years.
In the meantime I'm seeing snippets of the special edition, and I'm seeing new intro and musical sequences for Lynn Minmay. It appeared that the show had been re-animated. I mean, wow. That's something worth buying. Unfortunately the entire series was not reanimated, as I had hoped.
In 1984 I was shown the Feature Film via a bootleg copy based off of the same TV show, and was impressed with it. It wasn't quite Disney quality in terms of the actual animation, but it was many time better than the TV series, and the entire saga was compressed into a two hour format from hours of animated TV episodes, and done with exceptionally high production values.
Regrettably only select segments were redone, and are on the "special disk" included with this set. It's not worth spending the extra cash, even if you're a millionaire. Oh sure, if you have a lot of friends who were Macross fans back in the day, you all might get a kick out of it, but otherwise pass it up.
The real odd things is that the opening episode is repeated on the special disk in addition to the Blu-ray disks of the actual show. What for, I can't imagine. There's even a recording from the VHS release included on this disk. Again, why this is I have no idea--perhaps to compare the image quality.
In short, it's not worth buying. If you have the money, and really want the show on bluray, then buy the less expensive no frills version.
I hope this helps.
The entire TV series has not been re-animated, as I and others were led to believe with this super-expensive special edition.
Background; I was first introduced to this series as Robotech way back in 1983 or 1984, and I didn't think much of the animation, as even for offshore Japanese animation it seemed a bit more jerky than normal compared to other shows.
Where I was impressed with the dynamics of the story, I had a hard time watching it because of the quality of the animation. So, fast forward to 2012 and the "30th Anniversary" blu-rays come out, only I've got lots of obligations to meet, and no time to buy, watch and enjoy this show. If and when that big promotion comes, then I'll splurge, but, as fate would have it, I would have to wait five more years.
In the meantime I'm seeing snippets of the special edition, and I'm seeing new intro and musical sequences for Lynn Minmay. It appeared that the show had been re-animated. I mean, wow. That's something worth buying. Unfortunately the entire series was not reanimated, as I had hoped.
In 1984 I was shown the Feature Film via a bootleg copy based off of the same TV show, and was impressed with it. It wasn't quite Disney quality in terms of the actual animation, but it was many time better than the TV series, and the entire saga was compressed into a two hour format from hours of animated TV episodes, and done with exceptionally high production values.
Regrettably only select segments were redone, and are on the "special disk" included with this set. It's not worth spending the extra cash, even if you're a millionaire. Oh sure, if you have a lot of friends who were Macross fans back in the day, you all might get a kick out of it, but otherwise pass it up.
The real odd things is that the opening episode is repeated on the special disk in addition to the Blu-ray disks of the actual show. What for, I can't imagine. There's even a recording from the VHS release included on this disk. Again, why this is I have no idea--perhaps to compare the image quality.
In short, it's not worth buying. If you have the money, and really want the show on bluray, then buy the less expensive no frills version.
I hope this helps.
- Blueghost
- 2 mar 2017
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- Miki-13
- 4 abr 1999
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My first Anime. I remember watching the RoboTECH version of this series as a child. Even with the horrible dubbing and scenes cut, at the age of 5 the story-line was addicting. I fell in love with the Valkyrie and commend them for the brilliant design. I remember being angry at Rick for not going after Minmei and choosing Lisa. To this day, I curse the creators of the show for making that happen. But when an television series starts to make you have feelings like that, actually giving a damn about the storyline, that's when you know it's a wonderful series.
- ~Galvatron~
- 16 dic 2000
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As has previously been stated, the cut-and-dubbed "Robotech" version is terrible. But the original Macross is a glorious piece of work. Supposedly intended as a parody of Gundam and Yamato, the story starts off in a rather innocent fashion. Hikaru Ichijo follows his childhood friend, right in the middle of an alien attack. Hikaru and Lin Minmei have a charming, innocent crush developing. But as the series progresses, Hikaru begins to grow up. War is not as glorious as he had believed, and love becomes much more complicated than he could have imagined.
- mrsatan
- 4 feb 1999
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- Sharkey360
- 3 ago 1999
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"Chojiku yosai Macross" is better known in America as the first third of the three part "Robotech" series in the U.S: sometimes subtitled: "The Macross Saga". Unfortunately this (bastardized) English version of this classic series suffers from over-zealous editing, so-so dubbing and an ill -conceived attempt to graft unrelated animation into the storyline to create a new continuity. I much preferred the original (subtitled) Japanese version that is available from Streamline Pictures. This so-called "Perfect Collection" is a series of nine (9) VHS tapes each of which pairs two (2) episodes of both the original Japanese version alongside their dubbed, Robotech counterparts. Unfortunately Streamline halted production of this version half-way through so you'll have to hunt around to obtain foreign copies of the second half of the series -- but its worth the search.
The Perfect Collection tapes are still commercially available as of 9/98. The best place to pick up foreign copies of the remainder of the series is from collectors on internet newsgroups or on-line auction web sites. Streamline did produce a six-tape collection of the Robotech series entilted Robotech: The Macross Saga in the late 80s. This tape was distributed by, now defunct, Family Home Entertainment. This version is no longer commercially available and can only be obtained second-hand from collectors.
Happy viewing!
The Perfect Collection tapes are still commercially available as of 9/98. The best place to pick up foreign copies of the remainder of the series is from collectors on internet newsgroups or on-line auction web sites. Streamline did produce a six-tape collection of the Robotech series entilted Robotech: The Macross Saga in the late 80s. This tape was distributed by, now defunct, Family Home Entertainment. This version is no longer commercially available and can only be obtained second-hand from collectors.
Happy viewing!
- tbass
- 13 sep 1998
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