Robotech: Remastered Volume 2

After doing battle with the alien forces the SDF-1 finally makes it home but the Earth government have yet to break the news of the alien threat to the general public. As another wave of Zentraedi battle cruisers draws near, the SDF-1 is once again called upon as the first line of defence while its long-suffering citizens long to leave the ship and return to their home planet. The three Zendraedi spies who have been monitoring life on board the SDF-1 continue in their efforts to understand their enemy, while their superiors disagree on how to recapture the ship.

Even though the episodes have been remastered for better sound and picture quality it is obvious that the footage is over twenty years old: the animation is jerky and unsteady, the dub is not always convincing and the music varies from the quaint to the cringe-worthy. For all this, these Robotech episodes still make for compelling and enjoyable viewing. The simple fact is, for all its faults it tells a great story. On one level there are the periodic battles between the ruthless aliens and the valiant pilots of the varitech fighters (even here, the mecha designs look great); military strategy and politics show through in disagreements and shaken confidence that are evident in the Zentraedi high command; while inside the SDF-1 there is a cast of characters who are playing out plotlines that rival the best in anime romance and drama shows.

As Menmay’s singing career progresses and Rick Hunter’s promotion gives him more responsibility, they begin to drift apart and new relationships begin to appear. While on Earth, Rick has a rival for Menmay’s affections in the form of her cousin who joins her family on board the SDF-1, but in the confusion and terror of the war he begins to come to terms with his feelings for Lisa as well.

What shines through in the Robotech story is not just the portrayal of the epic battle for survival but the showing of how it affects the lives of the people directly involved. The cold, harsh truth of war is that no matter how brave the warriors are there will be casualties and those left behind will suffer: even in the ranks of the varitech fighters there is still room for tragedy and loss.

It is hard to say whether it was the “adaptation’ that the episodes went through or whether it was an aspect of Macross to start with, but there are a few moments that come across as a little too light-hearted for such a seriously-themed show; overall though the more hard-hitting scenes are very well handled and the Zentraedi, as heartless and militaristic as they are, show an interesting view of the human race from the outside. When the original Macross series is finally released in R2 it might make Robotech redundant for many but it is still well worth looking into for fans of “old school’ sci-fi that has much more to offer than just mecha action.

In Summary

For a fairly long series with a simple premise of an intergalactic battle, Robotech is proving to be enjoyable viewing with an intriguing story and a surprising amount of very well-written drama that is as powerful as it is unexpected. The argument that it is still not the same as the original Macross cannot be denied but the quality of an all-time classic shines through all the same.