Robotech: The Masters Volume 1

Fifteen years after the first Robotech war the people of Earth are rebuilding their shattered civilisation. The planet is thrown into conflict once more when the Robotech Masters arrive to reclaim the Protoculture Matrix that the Zentraedi failed to acquire. The task of fighting this new enemy falls upon the ragtag members of the Fifteenth Squadron, led by Dana Sterling, the daughter of an ace Earth pilot and a high ranking female member of the Zentraedi military.

The Macross Saga is now over and we are introduced to the next generation who are fighting for survival and possession of the Robotechnology. This portion of the series is an adaptation of the Super Dimensional Cavalry Southern Cross and considering the fact that this is a completely separate production to the Macross TV show the writers have done a good job with the continuity. Dana Sterling does not resemble either of her parents and there are one or two other inconsistencies with the plot but overall the storylines, themes and artistic styles of the two series mesh very well indeed.

It is worth pointing out that the Robotech Masters themselves are more than just faceless enemies. Their drive to reclaim the Protoculture Matrix is that of survival: without it, they die. What results is a battle between two races in which there is the stark choice between life and death. The motley crew of the Fifteenth Squadron are a varied group of defined individuals with their own motives, personalities and misgivings; their no-nonsense attitude to getting the job done is quite touching at times, and adds a character drama aspect in addition to the repeated mecha battles.

With all of this (not to mention the footage’s vintage) taken into consideration it is a shame that the end result is so disappointing. Dana and her comrades are a likeable bunch but in truth they are a group of stereotypes: perhaps when Southern Cross was originally written the anime industry did not have the range of sci-fi show it has now but comparing it with what is on offer these days it is extremely clichéd. The battles aren’t badly animated considering their age and the dub isn’t half bad either but things get repetitive fairly quickly and there is a distinct feeling that it’s all been done before and since, and done better.

The bottom line is that the war is a fight for survival and as such it really should be more exciting than this. We are presented with two factions who have their own good reasons for going to war but it just comes across as two crowds of robots shooting at one another. The powerful romantic and dramatic elements that made the Macross arc so outstanding are clearly missing here and no number of gung-ho one-liners and mecha transformations can compensate. There are some interesting nods to the first Robotech war such as Dana questioning her motives for fighting considering her half-Zentraedi origins and the beginnings of a potential romantic subplot but overall the beginning of the struggle against the Robotech Masters is pretty lacklustre.

In Summary

After the high drama and epic scale of the Macross saga the Robotech Masters story arc pales in comparison with simpler characterisation and lack of originality in the storytelling. It certainly has potential to improve and offer more than some more transforming mecha battles but at this stage it is most highly recommended to Robotech completists only.