Macross Zero

A prequel to tthe eighties "Macross" series ? It could have been junk, but asides of some lackluster animation and stylistic differences between the traditional cell animation (characters, bgs) and non-ILM-quality CG (dogfights, mecha) it´s quite probably one of the finest first episodes I´ve seen in some time. Rumored to be a 5-part series, it deals with several interesting issues: UN forces unifiyng the world under one government to oppose alien invasion, anti-unificationists rebelling with superior mecha, anthropological research beginning to suspect mankind is genengineered by aliens, Roy Fokker (hero of the original series) testing the first production run VFs (modernized decently and visualized with one of the most beautiful transformation sequences ever)...and our hero is stranded not only on an island, but also without any distinctive political opinion.

Technically great stuff, good writing, decent humor, interesting characters bearing some resemblance to the original "Rick Hunter" character, a youth shaped by the conflicts around him.

As I am from the United States, my first exposure to the world that is Macross actually came from Robotech, the combination of three anime titles: Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber Mospeada. While there were some similarities to the original Macross storyline, between the Americanization of the story and the new English dialog, I don't consider that my first exposure to REAL Macross, although it did get me interested in the original anime.

I recently had the opportunity to watch Macross Zero, a 5-part OVA (direct-to-video) prequel to Macross. I was just going to watch one episode at a time and decide if I enjoyed it or not. I ended up watching the entire story in one afternoon.

The animation in Macross Zero is nothing short of stunning. The use of CGI animation with "old school" 2D animation is almost seamless and there are sequences which will just cause your jaw to drop (Roy Focker's first transformation of his VF-0 to Battloid is a prime example).

The story, however, is not as strong. Part 5 of the series seems to suffer from a need for a part 6. Too many plot lines are resolved in the final episode in an unsatisfactory manner. The viewer is expected to assume the causes of some of the events seen at the beginning of part 5 which were not even hinted at in earlier episodes. The story is still quite entertaining, but it just loses cohesiveness at the end.

The music is either good or bad. Actually, it is either extremely good or extremely bad. The battle sequences have a soundtrack which just draws you into the action. If you're REALLY crazy, you could even take the battle sequence music and plop into any Hollywood dogfight footage from the past 30 years. It's that good. On the other hand, incidental music for other non-combat moments is sub par at best, especially one of the main themes (don't know the name, sorry). You'll know the one I'm talking about, though, for two reasons:

1) There's a real high note which the singer just CANNOT hit, always comes up short.

2) Obligatory naked anime chick in the scene where the music is used. What is it with this obsession with naked women in anime, anyway?

This is a series which I will want to watch over and over (not for the naked chick - get your mind out of the gutter). I would even put money down for the soundtrack, although only for certain tracks. Too bad iTunes doesn't have an anime soundtrack section.

This series involves a pilot crash-landing on an island where he meets a stern priestess and fire-spirited island, with the pilot learning that the island and its inhabitants have a secret linking them to the mysterious Protoculture alien spaceship. Of the Macross franchise, this is one of my favorites. I would say it is better than some of the others and deserves the current rating, especially due to the obvious criticism of colonialism and its ill effects on people.

The story is a little hard to follow, and honestly a little dry. The characters are not particularly strongly conceived, but this is only five episodes in length. Are the islanders Polynesian? That makes more sense than them being Mayans, as they are called in the show. I don't know.

To me, the most memorable character interactions occur during the dogfights, because, honestly, those visuals carry the show! I'm not a huge fan of the character design here (nothing here is as distinctive or attractive as Do You Remember Love or Macross II), but golly the CGI dogfights are spectacular. There are times when the Valkyrie sequences are astonishing, and the operatic music is beautiful and affecting. The intense last episode really moves at a fast clip; things are finished up but not necessarily tied up story-wise.

Once again Shoki Kawamori-San has given us something that rivals the complexity and sheer beauty of Macross Plus. Seeming to follow a Lucas-esque trend he has chosen to do a prequel instead of a sequel in an attempt to show us a key point of the Macross 7 series. Spiritia.

This strange, mystical, yet apparently inherent part of us all all, force. Stirrings of the Force from Star Wars abound, but you won't be seeing people leaping 50 feet in to the air. Its more nature based. With episodes 1, 2, 3 & 4 out, and only 5 to go we are all still a little confused as to spiritia and more important the 'birdman' alien device, for which the head is running around whilst the body is sat on a Stealth Aircraft carrier. Hopefully all will be explained in the final episode as its set one year before the original series, (set in 2009, but released in 1984.)

The artwork and action is amazing in some places, (during fight scenes mostly,) and a little lacking in some others, but overall is pretty good. Better even than Macross Plus. Unlike before however characters are not predominantly Japanese but American or European. An attempt to play to the large US and European fan bases that have had immense difficulty getting hold of Macross material due to legal constraints over distribution rights. Shin is an often confused character, much like Hikaru Ichyjo in the original series, (NOT Rick Hunter his americanised version in the stolen series.) The stories have progressed and are more mature, although still comprehensible and enjoyable by the kids.

All in all an excellent buy, if you can find a copy outside of Japan.