Beginners Guide to Macross

Throughout its relatively short lifespan, there are remarkably few names that are roundly perceived to be amongst the most important in the history of anime. While there are many titles that are considered classics, many more that have become firm favourites, and many more still that are popular all over the world, there are not many that can claim to have influenced a whole generation of anime fans and creators. There are even fewer that can claim to be all of the above.

Macross is one of them. Ever since it first aired in 1982, the Macross saga has captured the imaginations of people across the globe. With its epic story of intergalactic war, romance and giant robots, Macross helped ignite the anime industry like few before it. It was also instrumental in giving Japanese animation a foothold in the west, as one of the first true anime series aired on US television, albeit under a new guise.

However, the long road has not been an easy one, and the Macross name has taken a few knocks along the way. Many legal battles have raged for years, and the complexity of just who exactly owns what is staggering. There have been many different Macross stories released over the years, and newcomers to the franchise may not know where to begin. In this guide, I will attempt to explain all (or the basics, at the very least), hopefully alleviating any confusion and answering and questions. And where better to begin than at the beginning?

• Super Dimension Fortress Macross
  36-episode TV, 1982

In 1999, a large alien spaceship crashlands on a small island on the Pacific. Ten years later, and humanity has rebuilt it and is about to send it back into space. But when another alien race called the Zentradi begin a surprise attack on the Macross, the ship is sent to the far end of the solar system. Now, rookie pilot Hikaru Ichijyo, his commander Roy Focker and the other Valkyrie pilots must defend the Macross -and the thousands of civilians accidentally transported with them, including singer Lynn Minmay- as they make their way back to Earth.

While Mobile Suit Gundam is often seen as the origin of the ‘real-robot’ genre, Macross is seen as the series that popularised it. Originally concieved as a parody of existing mecha series, with the development name “Macbeth,” Macross was eventually made into a serious war-time space opera (although not without a sense of humour: many subtle little jokes made their way into the production). Taking the modern fighter jet and giving it the ability to transform into a giant robot resulted in one of the most iconic mecha designs in anime history; the Valkyrie. It is also seen as the main cause for the explosion of transforming robot shows during the eighties; after Macross, everything seemed to have something that transformed. Even Gundam followed suit, as many of the Mobile Suits in Zeta Gundam had multiple modes.

Macross is also notable for creating the first anime idol. Music was a core theme in the series, and Lynn Minmay proved popular enough to warrant the release of her songs on an album, creating a whole new subgenre of Japan’s music industry. It could be argued that were it not for the success of Macross and Minmay, anime soundtracks, theme songs, and seiyuu albums would not exist in their current form. Indeed, Minmay’s seiyuu, Mari Iijima, originally took the role to help boost her music career; ironically, and much to her chagrin, it was Minmay that became the more popular.

The original, unedited, remastered subbed version of Super Dimension Fortress Macross was available in the US from AnimEigo until last year. A new version with an all-new dub is slated for release in the US in 2006 by ADV. With any luck, a UK version shouldn’t be too far behind.

• Macross: Do You Remember Love?
  Theatrical Movie, 1984

A condensed retelling of the events of the series, DYRL is widely regarded as one of the best anime movies ever to be released theatrically. Made with completely new animation that continues to impress today, the movie also featured a number of aesthetic and design changes -such as the distinctive striped shoulder pads- that have since stuck with the series in its later incarnations. Fans used to debate endlessly as to which version of events was the ‘official’ one, as DYRL had some rather large changes to the continuity. It has since been described as a historical movie within the Macross universe, similar to Braveheart or the Dambusters, putting an end to such discussions.

DYRL was released on VHS in the UK, subbed and uncut, by Kiseki films – but as it has been out of print for so long, good luck finding it. Another version, Clash of the Bionoids was dubbed and edited, and released in both the UK and US. Those that have seen it warn to stay away. A third version, Super Space Fortress Macross was an uncut dubbed version released in the US by the same company responsible for Clash. Although Kiseki’s rights will have long since expired, ADV are rumoured to have picked them up for a DVD release. It would be very welcome indeed; Macross: Do You Remember Love? is one of the best-loved anime films ever made.

• Macross Flashback 2012
  1-part OAV, 1987

A one-off special featuring Minmay’s farewell concert, Flashback is essentially a thirty-minute long AMV, with many of her best songs performed over scenes from the series and movie. A special ‘thank you’ to Macross fans, it also had some new animation, showing the launching of the new colony vessel the Megaroad-01, commanded by Misa. This also represents the last time, continuity-wise, that we see Misa and Hikaru. The colony ship is lost in space, presumably because the creators wished to let them ride off into the sunset.

• Macross II: Lovers Again
  6-part OAV, 1992

Set eighty years after the original series, Macross II follows rookie reporter Hibiki Kanzaki as war breaks out with a mysterious new enemy. A chance encounter with a strange girl has far reaching implications, and the pair soon find themselves in the middle of the battlefield.

Attempting to recreate what made the original Macross so special, many of the same themes can be found in this sequel, with a love triangle, massive space battles and lots of singing. While the animation is of a good quality, the songs and story lack much of the charm that made the original so popular. It was not well received in Japan, and it was almost cancelled after episode four. It was only due to interest in America, where it had been released almost simultaneously, that it was finished. Of course, many consider its very existence a blessing in disguise; had it not performed so poorly, original Macross co-creator Shojii Kawamori would not have created newer -and better- continuations of the Macross saga. Because it was created by Big West who owned the rights to the original series, and without the permission of Studio Nue, Macross II has since been relegated to “alternate universe” status.

Macross II was released in the US by Manga in both episodic and condensed movie format. The movie appeared on the Sci-Fi Channel over here several times back when they used to show anime. In the last few years it has made its way onto DVD in the States, but a UK release has yet to be announced.

• Macross Plus
  4-part OAV, 1994

Thirty years after the war, humans and Zentradi live side by side throughout the universe. On the planet Eden, a competition to design a new variable fighter brings together two childhood friends -Isamu and Guld, now bitter rivals- on opposing teams. Matters are only complicated when old flame Myung also appears, touring as manager of the AI pop star Sharon Apple. Tensions flare, feelings boil and old secrets threaten to surface as the three.

Arguably the single most popular Macross story across the world, Macross Plus is often thought as one of the finest examples of anime in general. Boasting a great story, impressive animation, and a wonderful soundtrack by Yoko Kanno (yes, that Yoko Kanno), this is one title that gets pretty much everything right. A movie version was also released, with a few changes and some new animation.

Macross Plus has been out on DVD here for a few years now, in a box set with all four episodes and the movie. If you still haven’t seen it, you really have no excuse. Do yourself a favour, go get it – now.

• Macross 7
  49-episode TV Series, 1994

Macross 7 takes place thirty-five years after the events of SDF Macross, aboard the colony ship City 7. Nekki Basara is a guitarist who wants his music to be heard by everyone, and with his group Fire Bomber, tries to write music that everybody will appreciate. When the city comes under attack, he flies out in his red Valkyrie to play his music, hoping to move both enemy and ally with his songs.

The only other Macross TV series, Macross 7 has received something of a frosty reaction from long-term Macross fans. Many found the seriousness of the original series missing, while others thought that the whole story was rather contrived. At the same time, many newcomers to the franchise loved it, and Macross found a new generation of fans. As a result, the series did well in Japan, resulting in a couple of spin-offs and sequels.

Although the series is very music-oriented, virtually no original music was prepared, instead using songs by the real Fire Bomber as well as music from previous Macross soundtracks. Similarly, few songs were performed by the seiyuu, resulting in a noticeable change of voice when a character begins to sing. Of course, because the different Macross incarnations were licensed to different companies, there exist a number of barriers in attaining the rights to all the music, which goes some way to explaining why Macross 7 has not seen a release in the west.

• Macross 7 Encore
  3-episode OAV, 1994
  Macross 7 the Movie – The Galaxy’s Calling Me
  Movie, 1995
  Macross Dynamite 7
  4-part OAV, 1997

Macross 7 proved popular enought to warrant two OAVs and a movie. Macross 7 Encore was made up of three episodes of the series that were not aired during the original broadcast, with one episode shedding some new light on how Fire Bomber was formed. Macross 7 – The Galaxy’s Calling Me was a theatrical movie that hit Japanese cinemas in 1995. Macross Dynamite 7, released in 1997, was a four-part OAV that followed Basara after his departure from Fire Bomber.

Although it fared reasonably well on the fansub circuit in the days before broadband, Macross 7 finds surprisingly few fans still loyal. Given its age and relative unpopularity -and the difficulties in securing rights to the soundtrack- it’s unlikely that Macross 7 will ever be given a domestic release.

• Macross Zero
  5-part OAV, 2002

Macross Zero takes place during the final days of the UN War. Ace pilot Shin is shot down over an isolated island, where the local legends tell of a Bird-man. Soon after, one of the UN’s new experimental variable fighters appears on the scene. As the war spills onto this isolated island, cultures and beleifs clash, and Shin finds himself protecting thoe same people that saved him.

The most recent return to Macross universe, this OAV is also a step backwards. Set before the events of the original series, it tells the story of the. Making heavy use of cutting-edge computer animation, this is a series that both looks and sounds gorgeous. The arial combat sequences are breathtaking, and Roy Focker is still one of the coolest anime characters ever. Although the story loses some of its momentum towards the end, it remains essential viewing for fans of mecha and Macross alike, and everyone else could do a lot worse, too.

Surprisingly it hasn’t yet been picked up for released in the west, although the possibility that Macross Zero will find its way on to shop shelves remains pretty good. We probably won’t have to wait too long.

• Robotech
  85-episode TV, 1984

Robotech is the name of an American-produced series that combined three entirely separate anime series (Super Dimension Fortess Macross, Genesis Climber Mospeada and Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross) and edited and reworked them into a single coherent storyline to fit US TV’s length requirements. Producer Carl Macek was the man behind the creation of Robotech, and while he still firmly believes that this approach was a smart move, many purists will disagree. Indeed, a good many anime fans still decry the massive butchering of the series; names were americanised, stories merged together or skipped, key scenes rewritten, and characters often took on very different personalities. Much of the changes made wouldn’t even be considered in todays market for fear of such a massive backlash from fans. Robotech got away with it because it was the eighties, and no-one knew any better.

As infamous as this series may be, there is no doubting it’s importance. For many in the west, Robotech was the first foray into the world of anime, with a sense of scale and seriousness not found in other TV shows at the time, let alone cartoons, and is still one of the most fondly remembered sci-fi series ever made. Indeed, Robotech was among the first anime series to gain a solid fanbase in the west, and was fundamental in helping anime get where it is today.

Even today, the Robotech brand name still carries some weight, particularly in the US, where comics continue to be published. There have been a number of sequels announced, although most didn’t even pass the pre-production stage. Ideas for these sequels were later integrated into some of the Robotech novels and comic books. A new sequel, Robotech: Shadow Chronicles, is currently in production, and is reported to fill the continuing story of the Macross characters. Harmony Gold’s old bedfellows Tatsunoko are behind the animation production.

Robotech is currently being released on DVD in the UK by Manga. ‘Remixed and remastered,’ it has digitally restored footage and audio, as well as some scenes that were dropped from the original broadcast. One of the driving forces behind the anime explosion of the west, if you want to see what all the fuss is about there’s no better place to start.

• How Many Lawyers Can you Fit in a Valkyrie?

Oh, what a horribly complex and tangled web we have here. The intricacies of the whole Macross legal mess would warrant a whole new article, so I’ll keep it relatively simple here. In many ways, Macross has become a victim of its own success. With so many companies involved in the creation of the original series, there were many people wanting a piece of the pie. It seems that everyone had a different idea of what to do with that piece, too: the mecha designs for Macross have found their way into at least three completely different franchises.

Each of the main parties involved in the production of Super Dimension Fortress Macross got rights to different things. Studio Nue was responsible for story and development, and both they and financial backer Big West got the character and mecha designs, while animation company Tatsunoko Productions kept the original animation. Meanwhile, Bandai had acquired the rights to make toys and models based on Macross. The complications begin to arise when these companies decided to do different things with these elements.

Bandai sold the rights for the Valkyrie toy to Hasbro for inclusion in its Transformers line of toys. The model became known as Jetfire, but was never included in the TV series (likely due to Robotech hitting the airwaves (in his stead was ‘Skyfire,’ who didn’t look like a Valkyrie). At the same time, Bandai also gave Revell the rights for model kits of the Valkyrie as part of their ‘Robotech Defenders’ range. The name of Revell’s model line is not a coincidence – they entered into a partnership with Harmony Gold as the latter needed a name for a new series…

Shortly after, Tatsunoko licensed the Macross series to Harmony Gold for distribution in the US. After also picking up the US rights for Mospeada and Southern Cross, Harmony Gold began to sell Robotech to US TV stations. Robotech proved to be so popular in the US that Harmony Gold has often tried to stop anything Macross-related from being released stateside. It is only in the last few years, and after numerous lengthy legal battles, that the original Macross series is finding its way on to store shelves – and Harmony Gold still have a hand in that, too.

Further adding to the confusion, a number of Macross mecha (as well as designs from Fang of the Sun Dougram and Crusher Joe) appeared in early versions of FASA’s Battletech board game. While FASA maintains they had permission from the various Japanese companies to use these mecha designs, Harmony Gold will argue that they did not. After a bit of legal action, FASA decided to settle and removed the Macoss designs from the game. The Dougram and Crusher Joe mecha soon followed, and were all completely written out of Battletech’s storyline.

• Macross in the Future

A recent promotional film has confirmed that Macross will indeed continue, something that a good many fans around the world will be glad to hear. Now that some of the nastier lawsuits are out of the way, there is plenty of room to play with. So where does one of the most influential anime titles of all time go from here?

For years there has been rumour upon rumour about new Macross projects. Among them are sequels, prequels, live-action adaptations and more, and while it’s safe to assume that most of these projects will now never see the light of day (most of the dates for these projects have long since passed), it does show that there are people still thinking about it. It’s surely only a matter of time before plans for the next Macross are revealed. Some have already lost faith, believing that more recent offerings have failed to capture the spirit of the original.

Personally, I can’t wait.

Thanks to Ork_dreadnought for his contributions to this article.