Do you remember love?
Driven by my obsession with Sheryl Nome and my curiosity in Macross lore, I embarked on a journey of discovery to watch every single Macross series ever. Weeks later, I’m not yet at the goal, (*cough* Macross 7 *cough*) but I have seen enough to speak about my otaku trip.
It is a story of excitement and expectations, boredom and disappointments, and most importantly, a story of love.
The discovery that most surprised me was just how little Macross lore there is. Compared to the well-milked Gundam universe, Macross barely has any continuity between individual series, and the links between spin-offs/sequels to the original are vague at best.
My only prior contact with Macross pre-Frontier was Macross Zero. I read enough to know that it was a prequel to the original, but that was about it. I thought it was a decent OVA series at the time, and along the way it gave me the impression that my ignorance of the franchise was causing me to miss out on a rich background story in a well-established fictional universe. It turns out that this is not entirely true…
Super Dimensional Fortress Macross
The original Macross is definitely the best in the franchise, barring a possible future upstaging by Frontier. Like most anime titles of its era, including the fanboy favourite Mobile Suit Gundam, the original Super Dimensional Fortress Macross suffers from bad pacing, awkward dialogues and weird directing. There are times when the characters behave pointedly out-of-character, and there are often unnecessary pauses in the dialogue that interrupt an emotional exchange. But the series makes up for all that with its sheer awesomeness, a sense of epic grandeur, and a decent mastery of emotive storytelling.
Ahh… The 80s
Macross is a pioneering work in the genre of mecha-moé hybrid, the fusion of testosterone-fuelled variable fighter combat with the pop idol music of Lynn Minmay. It is undeniably far from perfect, limited by the technology of its time, particularly in terms of achieving harmony between the on-screen animations and the accompanying music. The movie Do You Remember Love? improves on the original concept with upgraded animation and better rhythm synchronization, but the experience is still nowhere close to the immersion level of Frontier‘s musical battle scenes.
The 80s with a larger budget
Still, despite its imperfections, Macross is definitely the most enjoyable and engrossing mecha musical I’ve watched since RahXephon. The plot-heavy storytelling works well in establishing the characters without having to do so blatantly. It annoys me when anime titles have clearly-demarcated “character development” episodes which are really just glorified fillers. The only real problems I have with the story are the underdevelopment of the subplot between Max and Milia, and sudden character deaths that do not achieve any purpose.
Off-topic: What’s with Minmay’s name? She’s supposedly Chinese, but no one romanizes Chinese like that. It should be Lin Mingmei… >_<
Kyuun Kyuun
And as awesome as Sheryl’s songs are in Frontier, Minmay’s Watashi no Kare wa Pilot and Ai Oboeteimasuka are simply magical in the way they have come to embody the spirit of the story. I also love Silver Moon Red Moon. <3
The rest of it
The original Macross is awesome. That said, I would be lying if I said that the rest of it is just as good. Remember what I said about the lack of lore? Well, there are a few sequels and spin-offs, notably Macross II, Macross Plus, Macross 7 and Macross Zero. The problem is that they mostly suck and, with the exception of Zero, generally contribute nothing to the overall Macross universe.
The only reason why I finished watching the thing
Macross II: Lovers, Again is ostensibly an OVA sequel set 80 years after the original series. Unfortunately, the story makes a good dentist, in the sense that it’s done before you even feel anything. The execution is one huge yawn and there’s nothing about the series that feels Macross. The appearance of SDF-1 is about the only thing that justifies having “Macross” in the title at all. It is barely watchable.
Macross Plus is a short OVA series set a few years before Macross 7. Similar to Macross II, it’s a story that can easily exist independently of the Macross universe and, once again, the appearance of SDF-1 is the only link to the original. However, the story and execution does fare better than Macross II and at the very least the series is enjoyable and has music by Yoko Kanno. It would’ve been a lot better if Sharon Apple actually sang anything at all.
“Why am I stuck in this piece of crap?”
Macross 7, as far as I can tell, is a handful of monkey feces that was violently flung into the collective faces of Macross fans everywhere. Among the titles listed here, this series is probably the only one that can be considered a direct sequel to the original, which only worsens the insult. To top it off, it is also the longest series in the entire franchise at 49 episodes long. I just can’t bring myself to continue watching this crap. Someone tell me if it’s worth the effort… I really want to find out more about Max and Milia, but Basara is putting me off.
Considering the poor quality of its successors, it’s quite an amazing feat that the popularity of the original Macross managed to survive to this day to justify the celebration of its 25th anniversary with a new series. The entire Macross franchise appears to be nothing but uninspired subpar works leeching off the success of the original. It is truly a miracle that we are able to enjoy the delicious love triangle that is Macross Frontier today, instead of a second Macross 7.
Conclusion
- Do watch the original Super Dimensional Fortress Macross. It’s awesome.
- Do watch the Do You Remember Love? movie. It’s good enough for fanboying purposes.
- Do watch Macross Zero. It’s interesting background story.
- Do watch Macross Frontier. Why aren’t you watching it already?
- Do not touch any of the other titles. They are a waste of time.
- Misa is hawt. <3 I wonder what happened to her Megaroad-01? This is why Macross lore fails.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:28 am
I did this too, prior to Macross Frontier’s screening. I agree that the original is still the best. DYRL is also very good. Macross II is pretty terrible. Plus is great (I suggest grabbing the movie version if you can, it’s a better cut), and I really enjoyed Zero despite the fact that the cool kids seem to hate it. Incidentally, if you watch them in production order you can clearly see Kawamori’s slide into insanity. Especially if you factor in his other works along the way, like Arjuna and Aquarion.
Don’t let the haters turn you off Macross 7. It’s an extremely enjoyable show with some very memorable moments. They hate it because it’s not very much like the classic Macross stuff, and admittedly it is too long for what it wanted to achieve, but it’s certainly not monkey feces.
July 9th, 2008 at 11:28 am
“Do you remember love?”
I still remember ROBOTECH…I watched the entire SDF Macross in the 80`s when in the U.S. it was known as ROBOTECH….Great series, but nothing made too much sense until I discovered the truth about it….It was a butchered series adapted for the U.S. audience…but I still loved the intro of it.
July 9th, 2008 at 11:34 am
LOL slide into insanity.
Plus is my favorite. Probably because that is actually the first Macross series I finished in one setting. I think DYRL has a big advantage over the original in that regard. I enjoyed Zero a lot too, but probably because I enjoy sliding into insanity while doing it inside a badass transforming fighter with all that CG candy.
July 9th, 2008 at 11:35 am
It’s great to hear that such a journey was embarked :)
and yea, i was wondering the same thing with Minmay’s name…
and yea, i wanna know more between Max and Milia >.<”
maybe it’s the fact that Macross 7 is the first franchise i’ve watched, and it was during my early childhood, my memory somehow glorified it. I’m not saying it’s awesome, but, wasn’t that bad… despite i’m not sure if i’ll be able to give the same answer if i watch it now ^^;;
but somehow you do get the feeling of “stage passing and small boss versing” with the individual episodes for the initial quarter of the series (i can’t remember too well though, it was ages since i watched it) but drama in it does get better… despite i really think its end was pretty bullshit… one of the reason it kept me watching was Max and Milia…’s daughter :P sure that Mylene is too ‘wagamama’… but i remember i was pretty impressed by its ED when i first watched it…
*look towards the horizon* *deep breath* you know…childhood :P
p.s. and yea, just have to agree: Zero was awesome
July 9th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
I don’t know which version of Macross Plus you saw. I’ve only seen the movie version, but I thought it was a worthy addition to the Macross name. For once the characters are adult and act that way, and having a love triangle between two guys and a girl is an interesting twist. While it does lack the epic scope of the original SDF and Zero it still has some great action and wonderful animation for the nineties. Sharon Apple does suck as a musical diva, though. That’s the one part that doesn’t make any sense.
July 9th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Macross established the Itano-Circus, description for the crazy missile flying sequences. Itano now directs Blassreiter.
Macross II was a big disappointment during my time, when I got to watch an episode on Laserdisc. Even with character designs by Hirohiko Mikimoto.
I love Plus though
Zero was yawn though I love the Yukikaze flight sequence
Didn’t watch 7 cos I thought that was travesty
As an old timer, Frontier does bring back my memories of Macross, the best anime that i watched in the 80s, after Gatchaman. This is the true spiritual successor in every sense.
July 9th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Where do you find shows that old?
July 9th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Old folks home. They have the cassettes there.
July 9th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
The original was the best in my book because of the excellent development of Minmay’s character. Her growth as a lady was clearly depicted throughout the story and is a rather accurate reflection of what we all would experience while growing up. She was impressionable, indecisive and slightly angst filled but those were the flaws that made her such an appealing character.
July 9th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
This actually will help me out when I eventually get around to watching the other Macross series. I have seen the original and I’m watching Macross Frontier (I’m behind a few episodes). But I have not seen any other Macross series besides those two. Your post will really help me narrow what to watch and what to not watch.
Also, I always preferred Misa over Lynn Minmay. Minmay can sing but I don’t care for anything else about her.
July 9th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I guess Plus is okay, but I don’t think that it’s worth watching as a Macross fan who wants to find out more about the overarching story. In fact, it probably would have been a more enjoyable viewing experience if it didn’t carry the Macross branding.
I don’t see what’s wrong with Zero, because I think it’s just about as boring as Plus in terms of execution (which is about mildly interesting), except that it is actually related to the original series and provides additional background story.
As I am extremely against spoilers, I did not read anything about Macross 7 before watching it. My low opinion of it is based solely on the first six episodes. I cannot find the motivation to continue. It seems that a lot of people suffered through the series for Mylene, but I don’t find her particularly interesting.
July 9th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
zero is by far the greatest macross (except for original). it has decent 3d and some good music too.
frontier is one big disappointment. it’s terrible. music is awful. (seems like they don’t even know the meaning of singing – it’s THAT bad. meaningless screeching they mistaken for singing makes my ears hurt.)
(just letting you ppl know ;) sorry, but i’m simply sick of hearing all that crap about how great macross F is – someone has to tell you the truth… 4/10)
July 9th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
id like to point out that Macross pluss was the true sequel on the macross timeline darkmirage. its where the vf-19 and vf-22 were in testing phases to replace the older model vf-14 thunderbolt. and it is a good ova that was converted into a movie. and if u watched macross 7 basara’s ship he pilots is a modified vf-19, and ugh where they did they get that from? Pluss of course. so DO watch original macross, DO watch do you remember love, and DO watch PLUS but you are allowed to pass on 7 because even tho it is a sequel, it doesnt really stick to the ol true macross spirits you see in macross original and frontier. thats why people are so psyched about frontier and appreciate all the nostalgia in it, its actually the true successor to the original macross story line from 1999 (robotech to america) to 2056 (macross frontier).
July 9th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
DYRL is my favorite of the old ones because it contains everything of what is Macross in one movie.
but nothing gets even close to Macross Frontier. It’s just sheer awesomenes! The characters, the music, the action, the love triange. but above all things: Sheryl. Oh god I love her! she has guts and I like my women to have guts.
July 9th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Looks like I’ve got a LONG road of watching ahead of me.
July 9th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
LOL, another person jumps on the Macross bandwagon.
I’ve pretty much covered everything myself except for Macross 7 and Macross II. Dear god, 7 is so fucking trash…
Anyways, the original series is pretty much a worthwhile watch, and Plus had some really awesome dogfighting. It’s awesome too see another person going back through the series thanks to Frontier!
SHERYL BANZAI!
July 9th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
I still have Macross II: Lovers, Again on LD. Pity my LD player kicked the bucket and I couldn’t find another one.
Coincidentally it’s the only Macross series (OVA) made without Studio Nue.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Its actually a rather interesting topic you are bringing up, because my watching of Macross Frontier has caused me to buy (well, exchange for a gift voucher someone gave me for fixing their computer) the Macross subtitled box set they have in Australia. (Linky http://www.madman.com.au/actions/catalogue.do?releaseId=3470&method=view ) Right now Im onto the 6/6th disc, right after the Miclone machine was taken.
Its actually quite interesting not only to watch something made before me, but to also highly enjoy it… I definitely got a joy at seeing how many references Macross Frontier pulls to the original.
If anything, watching Macross has raised my enjoyment of Macross Frontier. If you have access to subtitled Macross, I do recommend you get it and watch it. Overlooking the animation (at least compared to todays standards), its actually very good.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Just wanted to point out a few things to help you along your macross journey.
You’re pretty correct in your time line, the only exception is that Macross 2 is not considered canon as it had no input from the original SDF-Macross creator. Speaking of said creator, his goal with each macross production is to do something DIFFERENT every single time. While Frontier has plenty of aspects taken from all of the previous series, it’s the first one to try and combine all of them while updating the universe and technology available.
Plus is pretty important technology wise as some of the tech in that show is featured in Frontier. The biggest being emotion driven (see crazy) AI, which Grace might actually be. Also, it’s be theorized that Macross Galaxy is actually funded or at least connected to General Galaxy the manufacturer of the VF-22 (brain wave system, which Brera might be using) and the current Frontier main stay fighter the VF-171.
M7 is very very bad to start with. I wouldn’t say until about ep 12 or so did the series grab my attention. For a lot of people this production was what Macross is really about, ie ending conflict by something other than mutual annihilation. Seriously though, if you’re a Milia fan there’s several of great moments for her. There is one character that mirrors most people’s opinion of M7, Gamlin. I’ll just mention that for a first part of the series he absolutely hates Basara and his antics because it makes no sense and is endangering lives. By the end he comes around to understanding what Basara is trying to do and actually does what he can to defend Basara and the other that share his way of thinking. Do give it a chance if nothing more than to see how the M7 fleet works and the similar designs between it and the MF fleet.
July 10th, 2008 at 12:23 am
I consider myself to be a pretty decent fan of the Macross franchise as a whole. So, I was very happy to see diving into the Macross series and OAVs, DarkMirage.
I do have alot of comments.
MACROSS TV: A very dated work by today’s standards, but for its time, it was impressive, even revolutionary. It could have used better pacing, better animation (some episodes, the characters just looked horrible), but I found it very engaging. The first time I saw the variable fighter transform. The Macross’ first transformation. Firing of its main cannon. Hikaru’s shifting attention from Minmay to Hayase. Max and Miria! Roy’s death. The destruction of Earth’s population. As boring and horribly animated as some episodes were, I still love original Macross. Establishes “My Boyfriend is a Pilot” as the song that ended the war.
MACROSS MOVIE: Great, consistent animation. Good music. Did not like the pointy ears so much. But still, I loved this movie. I found it amusing that the Macross 7 TV series explains that the Macross movie really is a movie in the continuity. (The Battle 7 bridge crew were talking about the movie… I nice nod/homage to the movie, I think). Personally, I liked the “Do You Remember Love” song way more than “My Boyfriend is a Pilot”.
MACROSS 2: Not part of the official Macross continuity. I saw it. 2 thumbs down.
MACROSS PLUS: The animation was pretty good. I enjoyed the dogfight between the 2 variable fighters. I was not a fan of the Sharon Apple music, other than for “Information High”. Was good to see settings like Planet Eden, the Earth 25 years after the original Macross, and the fate of the SDF-1. First “official” use of music as a weapon used against us (Sharon Apple), as well as that which helped save us (Myung’s singing helping free Osamu).
MACROSS 7: The VF-19 (introduced in PLUS) becomes the featured fighter in this series. Later on, the VF-22 (an update to the VF-21 from PLUS) is introduced as well. I liked some of the Macross 7 music. Honestly, the first half of the series was not that great, in my opinion. However, I found the last half was quite enjoyable. I was amused to see Miria still having her old red VF-1 (MACROSS TV). The introduction of Sound Energy, and the use of Sound Boosters were silly at first, but I think it was quite well used in the final battle. Speaking of the final battle, it was actually pretty epic. I loved those last few episodes. There was alot of action, they saved the best music for last (I loved “Try Again”), the animation was top notch. As crazy as Basara was (as a kid, he used to believe that music could even move mountains, and would actually try by singing in front of a mountain), in the end… his music saved the galaxy.
MACROSS ZERO: The CG was pretty good. It was interesting seeing the prototype variable fighter VF-0, as well as the anti-UN’s own variable fighter. I was not that big on the whole “birdman” stuff though. The one thing I thought odd about ZERO was that, while it did have music in it, I cannot say that music ended the battle. We hear Mao sing at the end, but that was after the fighting was over. An interesting prequel in my opinion, but I cannot help but feel that it was a bit off somehow. Can we still consider Basara (from 7) crazy because he believed that music could move mountains, when ZERO showed us that a naked girl singing can make rocks float?
MACROSS FRONTIER: I am in love in so many ways. I happen to love Princess Alto. The action, the animation, the music, the character designs (usually). I love Alto and Sheryl. I also happen to like Mihael and Kuran Kuran. “Infinity” and “Iteza * 9:00 Don’t Be Late” are great, upbeat songs for the action scenes we have seen them used in. And I liked seeing Macross Quarter kicking butt.
I want to see more of the VF-171 (an update of the VF-17′s we saw in Macross 7). More Koenig Monster please! I liked how FRONTIER pays homage to just about everything… noting that “My Boyfriend is a Pilot” is the famous song that ended Space War 1 (MACROSS TV), a Firebomber song playing on Ozuma’s car radio (MACROSS 7), the continued use of the New Macross class ship and the clam-shelled city colony ships (MACROSS 7), the use of Ghosts (MACROSS PLUS), the filming of the MACROSS ZERO movie, and the 1st generation Macross-class ship named “Global” (the captain’s name of the original Macross). These little tie-ins, in my mind, help make FRONTIER feel richer, more continuitous (is that even a word?), and helps me recall the best aspects of the various MACROSS series with FRONTIER.
Junko
July 10th, 2008 at 12:31 am
@minus-one
the truth is… something is wrong with your ears :P
July 10th, 2008 at 4:00 am
I was lazy so i just read the summaries
can’t really suffers the 80s anime tech after pampered by Frontier
Did watch Zero after the first few episodes found it to be rather entertaining as a prequel-esque material
7 sounds like…an ambitious project went out of control
July 10th, 2008 at 4:40 am
I feel that the only reason why Macross has never gone to the same fame and fortune as Gundam rests largely on the show’s creators not wanting to do the same things twice. I read that in the Anime Magazine, when the creator of the original Macross was interviewed. It sucks to have such a statement because had they continued on the original TV series continuity from 1982 til now relating to it, Macross would have eclipsed Gundam a very long time ago. And this is coming from a person who loved the Macross Saga from Robotech. And not Southern Cross of the New Generation, which didn’t make sense to me at all.
How I long to see the return of the original Macross characters.
July 10th, 2008 at 6:33 am
Wow..I definitely gotta start watching Macross Frontier.
July 10th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Think Macross is something i have always avoided. I have Macross Plus in my collection because its the special boxset which contains the OVA in three parts as well as the movie remake… the movie being the one which makes more sense as certain scenes are reordered as well as some of the missing footage added.
As a stand alone movie its an enjoyable watch but for some reason i just can not watch any of the series, even the new one, i just loose interest rapidly!
July 10th, 2008 at 8:48 am
I love original Macross. DYRL was good. Plus was meh and Zero was boring. The other titles… sucks.
Frontier is decent/meh. (I love Sheryll, Sheryll end!!! moeRanka sucks)
July 10th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
DM, just some things you might not have known:
1) Macross II has basically been thrown out of the Macross canon by everyone. It didn’t really involve any of the original creators at all, and it was just a crappy licensing job. That’s why the story sucks and has little to do with Macross, even if the lore of the Minmay defense lives on.
2) Macross 7 is the true sequel to Macross, and it does have continuity with the original.
3) Macross Plus is set concurrently to Macross 7 actually. It was also released concurrently. If you watch 7, you will see a lot of continuity in the form of the technology shown.
Macross Plus must be seen in context. At the time, it was by far the most expensive anime OVA ever produced, and the animation, computer effects, and mecha battle were simply the greatest ever seen. Zero took a lot of the groundbreaking things seen in Plus a step further, so to see it in reverse as you did makes Plus seem a lot crappier. Also Plus is where Yoko Kanno made her debut (well aside from Please Save My Earth! which no one saw anyway) which of course is very important as the music was absolutely groundbreaking for it’s time.
Of course you don’t seem to like mecha, so I dunno why you even bother watching mecha shows really.
4) Megaroad-01 disappears shortly after it launched.
5) There is a lot of continuity especially in the story of Max and Milia in endless Macross games released over the decades.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
The only thing I want to comment on is Macross 7. This was a series that I utterly despised after watching the first 6 or so episodes initially. Like most, I couldn’t get past Basara either — his utter inability to behave like a rational human being, to be reasoned with, and his obstinate attempts to keep singing to the enemy drove me nuts. Not to mention listening to Planet Dance every episode made my ears bleed. (Honestly, Planet Dance is probably the utterly worst song in the entire musical canon of Macross 7, if not Macross itself)
So I thought Macross 7 was crap and put it away for a while. But over a year later, I was bored and I thought — I need some Macross, so I dusted off the old copies of Macross 7 and gave it another whirl. This time I grit my teeth and pushed through the first 6 episodes, and the more I watched it, the more I began to like the series. It was interesting to have a hero who wanted to win over his enemies, to move their hearts and have them understand his feelings rather than destroying them with missiles. And once they finally stopped using Planet Dance for the other Firebomber songs, I could actually enjoy the music and accept the theme for what it was.
The character of Mylene is also a saving grace in the series due to her charm, and the appearances of Max and Millia are a great treat for fans.
Like others have said, the first half of the series is a little slow, but the latter half of the series, once the Protodevlin enemy are developed and Basara has his principles tested, the show becomes more interesting.
So maybe after some time, give it another shot! After I got over my initial distaste, I really enjoyed the show, and I love the Firebomber songs. That said though, it’s been tossed around the Macross 7 is something that you’ll either really like, or really hate. ;)
July 11th, 2008 at 8:41 am
If I said that Macross 7 was more awesome than Frontier with better songs and better love triangles would you watch it then DM?
The first eps are freaking boring, only fun ep is when Mylene runs around in her swimsuit.
It takes to about ep 20 or so before the show starts to get intresting and it finishes in quite the brand way.
Having Mylene sing Do You Remember Love should give you a taste for watching the series. Magical song being sung by a very good songstress.
The fault of the Macross 7 is that it is to long and well it repeats scenes, songs and all to it´s absolute maximum. What I do recomend is that you continue to watch it after ep 20 or so. And above all, repent for giving Basara a bad name, he´s awesome :)
For Lovers Again, please give me back my time wasted on it.
Oh, why am I writing this? take a look at my three part lookback at the Macross shows: http://otoboku.se/tag/macross/
July 11th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Oh. Genesis Climber Mospeada is worth a watch too.
July 11th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Man, when u compare frontier to the original the graphics, the sound quality, are worlds apart. Anime fans have it very good nowadays with CG and all.
July 11th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
By the way, Frontier episode 14 has the best song in the series so far! AIMO performed by Maaya! XD /fanboy
July 12th, 2008 at 7:18 am
Macross: DYRL is also classic because of things like the Budweiser can/missile and the zero-G shower scene. I keep watching Frontier in hopes that one of Alto’s missile barrages will contain a soda can.
July 12th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Macross Plus is the best!!!!!!!!!!!! the music is amazing and the the pilot stuff just gets me crazy about it.
If anyone has not seen it buy the series first, watch it and THEN buy the movie version
you will be like WTF. its even better!!!
July 12th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
I’ve watched the entire Macross franchise. I’ve been moved by Macross : Do You Remember Love most.
However i must say the best music comes from Macross 7.
Fukuyama Yoshiki has such incredible vocals but the videos on youtube don’t do him justice.
You’ve got to watch the 2 OVAs in Macross 7, some of the best songs come from there.
I liked Angel Voice, Submarine Street, Remember 16, Heart & Soul (a duet), Flash in the Dark and Light the light to name a few.
But then again, i’m someone who enjoyed Initial D music immensely so i may be discredited ……
July 13th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Watch robotech (the American bastardization)
It has a better continuity even if it combines three different shows.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:06 am
Nice overview. Besides Frontier, I have only seen Macross Plus so far – very long time ago, but definitely want to check out some of the others you mentioned.
July 14th, 2008 at 10:59 am
I found Macross 7 to be a better show than the original. Even though the main character, Basara did piss me off for a while with his non fighting attitude, I liked him later as he did actually start to get through to people. The music in it is also pretty good, and so is the OVA sequel.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
i liked zero for the connections drawn between life and music, and the amazing dogfights.
plus was great in visuals, but its story is so disconnected from the macross universe that i wasn’t drawn into it. The tech is there, and that’s about it.
July 16th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Macross 7 is a Total piece of crap, yep i agree with you.
July 22nd, 2008 at 10:13 am
I have to thank you for posting this, otherwise I would not have watched (well, up to ep26 now) the truly epic gem that is SDF Macross. I had previously only watched Macross Plus, which I thought was quite good, but I have been blown away by this series. And yeah, it’s also nice to fanboy over it (like the fact that both episode 2 in the original and F have the protaganist saving the girl). :P
July 31st, 2008 at 10:21 am
I did the exact same thing over the last few weeks. I really enjoyed SDF Macross (I think it’s the best so far), liked the movie and Plus, and got completely turned off by Macross 7. I’m only about 10 episodes in and I just can’t stand to watch anymore. I’m currently getting caught up on Frontier instead, since I realized there really isn’t an “ongoing” Macross continuity. Also need to go watch Macross Zero…
^_^
August 15th, 2008 at 1:13 am
Growing up an avid Macross fan since the early days, the memories of the original series & movie are still as vivid as when I first watched them in the 80s. By far, my favorites are still the originals, followed by Plus which really deserves some more special mention(watch the feature version following the flawed OAV ending, seriously, do yourself that favor at least).Frontier for me so far feels nothing more than a well done greatest hits compilation. I’m still very much addicted to it, but it no way repeats the classic vibe given off by these two seminal pieces of the Macrossverse.
And yes..Macross II is pretty painful..and screw it..I like 7 if only for the wacky music & goofier premise!(aliens? lets sing at em!!)
August 15th, 2008 at 1:16 am
Oh yes..and Zero while visually strong at points, is negligible at best.More of a commercial for Kawamori-san’s unique world view than anything else.(see Arjuna & Aquarion for more proof of that oddness)
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