Macross 101

hey folks, Craig here with an update on our Macross specials. Right from the start I realised that folks who don’t collect Macross toys would be a bit confused by the conversation, as we throw around a lot of letters, numbers and terms which can be confusing if you dont know them all. So with Genes help i am making this blog post as a kind of Macross 101, for those who wish to learn a little somethin. This ISN’T Comprehensive, this is just the basics! 🙂

THE SHOWS

Super Dimensional Fortress Macross – (1982) – In 1999 a giant alien spacecraft crashes onto an Island on Earth. By 2009, the earth has largely united as one, though there was a war against a speratist movement.On the day of the launch of the SDF-1 Macross, a pilot named Hikaru Ichijyo, comes to visit his friend Roy Focker, and meets Lyn Minmei. During the launch ceremony, an alien species identifies the Macross as a former battleship used by their enemies, the Supervision Army and comes to Earth. As the aliens, known as the Zentradi, approach Macross, the original systems override the crew’s commands and fire its main cannon, wiping out the advance alien scouts and starting a war. While Hikaru takes the new VF-1 Valkyrie on a test flight the aliens retaliate. He then encounters Lynn Minmay and rescues her from the aliens. The Macross crew attempts to Space Fold (Sorta like Hyperdrive) to the Moon’s orbit, not knowing that such a system cannot be used in an Atmosphere. The malfunction takes Macross, the island and the area around it and throws it to Pluto. The rest of the series is about the Macross returning home, and the relationships between Hikaru Minmei and Misa Hayase.
For English Audiences, this was more or less “The Macross Saga’ of Robotech, though there are some differences. The most important one is Protoculture; Not a fuel as in RT, but the first culture that spawned all life in the galaxy.

Macross: Do You Remember Love – (1984) – An abridged Movie version of the Macross series, the film has been retconned to be in universe. Think of it as Like Saving Private Ryan is for us; a story, not accurate history. This still has some of the best animation ive seen in an anime, and holds up to this day.

Flashback 2012: – (1987) -Officially Minmeis final concert on Earth, this is a kind of addendum for the movie and series, with new animation. The important part is seeing Hikaru, Misa and Minmei leaving Earth on the Megaroad 1, the first Human exploration vessel. The ship heads to the centre of the universe, and disappears. One of the biggest fan wants is still to find out what happened to them.

Macross II; Lovers Again – (1992) Done without the involvement of key staff, Macross 2 is now considered an elseworlds like tale. It revolves around a reporter named Hibiki Kanzaki and an alien woman named Ishtar. While not officially canon, this still has a lot of fans, and overall isnt a bad little side tale.

Macross Plus – (1994) – The most well known of the Macross sequels (At least to western Audiences) the series is set 30 years or so after the original, and tells the story of Isamu Dyson and Guld Goa Bowman, old friends from the colony world of Eden. After a falling out when they are younger, they reunite years later as test pilots. They work for 2 companies who are competing for the license to make the new transforming fighter for UN Spacy. At the same time an old friend, Myune, is the producer for a digital idol named Sharon Apple. The three former friends will compete with each other and together against a greater enemy.
Mac+ is a 4 episode OVA, and a Movie. there are scenes in the movie not in the OVA, and visa versa, but only the OVA is done in English. You don’t need any prior knowledge to watch Mac+, though it helps. if u HAVE seen the series, check the movie for the extra scenes, some of them are great.

Macross 7 – (1995) – Set on the 7th colony fleet to leave Earth (Hence Macross 7), The show revolves around Basara Nekki and Mylene Jenius, 2 members of a band called Fire Bomber, which becomes a huge hit on the Colony. The fleet is attacked by the Protodevlin, who seem to be able to be defeated by Spiritia, an energy createdby song (I think). Fire Bomber fight in special Mecha that lets the enemy hear their songs and fight them off. The romance this time is Basara, Mylene and a UN Spacy Pilot named Gamlin.The show also features Mylenes parents, Max and Milia Jenius, who return from the original series.
M7 is a bit split in fan opinions. It was very popular in Japan, but is seen as sort of silly by western Audiences. Still, it has great music and some of the scenes later in the series are very well animated and fun. Plus, you just HAVE to feel sorry for the Flower Girl!

Macross 7: Encore – (1995) – a three episode OVA set during the main series. As far as I know, each episode is stand alone. One is about Milia, one is about the formation of Fire Bomber and the thirs is about fighting Meltrandi (female Zentradi).

Macross 7 – The Galaxy is Calling Me – (1995) – Basara gets thrown to an Ice planet by a fold accident and meets Emelia, another of Max and Milias kids. she wnats to be like Lyn Minmei. Protodevlin show up and there’s fighting….really u get the idea. Its sort of a lon, better animated episode of the show.

Macross Dynamite 7 – (1997) – Best anime rock song EVER! Set 36 years after the original (And about a year after the end of the M7 series i believe), Basara sets out on his own to roam the galaxy. He encounters Space wales, a Space Captain Ahab and Space Poachers. More stuff happens, but if that doesnt win you over nothin will. DYNAMITE EXPLOSION!!!

Macross Zero – (2002-2004) – Set just before the original series, M0 is about the war between the Un Spacy and the Anti-UN forces over the Macross, which is still under construction. A U.N. Spacy pilot named Shin Kudo is attacked on a mission by a transforming plane and crash lands onto an island inhabited by islanders called Mayans (No relation to the SA Mayans) These Mayans hold the secret of an alien race possibly the protoculture, which the UN and Seperatsts want for themselves. Shin is recruited by Roy focker and becomes one of the first Transforming fighter pilots for UN Spacy. Hijinks ensue.
Popular with western fans right up till the last episode when it gets a bit….odd, Macross 0 is a pretty good series, and the first Macross sweries to regularly use CGI Fighters. The ending doesnt ruin it for me personally, but its a weird one thats for sure. But then Mac 7 is about a guy who flies a red plane with a guitar and shoots speakers at people so he can sing at them. So u know, it’s all relative.

Macross Frontier – (2008) – The 25th Anniversary of the original show. Set about the Frontier 25th fleet, MF is about Alto Saotome, a young pilot and former kabuki dancer, Ranka lee, a survivor of a disaster of another fleet and singing idol hopeful and Sheryl Nome, a famous popstar visiting from the Macross Galaxy fleet. The main pilots are a private group called the SMS and they fight an alin race called the Vajra who start attcking the Frontier fleet.
MF is a great homage to the original, with lots of callbacks and references to all the previous shows. The show goes through a lot of changes, as do the cast, but in the end MF is a very cool series. There are 2 movie follow ups i haven’t seen yet, but one i understand is a recap movie, the other is all new.

TERMS

VF – Variable fighter, and the designation before most of the fighters in the show. YF denotes a prototype variable fighter.
FAST Packs – Fuel And Sensor Tactical Packs. these usually cover the booster/missile/armor add ons for the Macross fighters.’Strike’ packs are a variation with a huge cannon instead of a missile pod on a VF-1.
GERWALK – Ground Effective Reinforcement of Winged Armorment with Locomotive Knee joint – Essentially the half plane/Half Robot mode.
GBP -1 Amor, the heavy armor seen in Macross. prevents converting to fighter mode.
FOLD – basically Hyperdrive. Folder Drives and Fold Engines fall under this

THE TOYS

big thanks to Jenius from macrossworld who provided a lot of these links and reviews on his site:

destroids
http://anymoon.com/blog/category/destroids/

I hope this helps with following a long with us on the Macross Specials!

The Author

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