How many Macross series' are there?

[Super Saiyajin Joshua]

I know the first series is coming out now. And I remember something from a long time ago called Macross II on VHS that was really weird. And Macross Plus are all I know. What am I missing out on?

[Njr Scrawl]

Macross, Mac. II & Mac. Plus are all there is on R1.

Unlicensed is Macross Zero & Macross Seven. You can also include Macross:Do You Remember Love movie - an alternative reality, but similar story of SDF Macross TV.

[Super Saiyajin Joshua]

What are Zero and Seven like? Are they any good? Mac. II was pretty lame if you ask me but Plus was pretty good. Any hope of Zero and Seven getting licensed? Thanks.

[Reinhardt]

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SuperSaiyajinJoshua said:
What are Zero and Seven like? Are they any good? Mac. II was pretty lame if you ask me but Plus was pretty good. Any hope of Zero and Seven getting licensed? Thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

Macross Zero is a prequel to the original Macross series that takes place after the SDF-1/Macross crashed to earth, but before the first episode of Macross where the Zentradi show up. The show was excellent up until the final episode (really lame ending) - it has high production values cause it was a 5 episode OVA release released over a period of 2 years (2002-2004). The CG animation for the transforming planes (VF-0) was really sweet and makes the show at least worth renting if it is ever released in region 1. I also enjoyed the plot, characterization, and music for the first few episodes, but how they tied it all together in the end was such a let down that it leaves a bad impression and makes me question whether I want to own it.


Macross 7 is kind of the opposite. It starts off as a "fluffy" show with moments that make you go "huh", but it develops quite an interesting plot from the teens onwards (although I never did get a chance to see past the mid 30s episodes). Macross 7 is a sequel to the original Macross series/Macross Plus, and ignores the existence of Macross II. It takes place 30+ years later when Earth launches colonization convoys and encounters another alien race. Maximillian (and Millia of Macross) commands the City 7 convoy, and his daughter and her band are the main characters of the show. The animation is just okay, but the music was really good, albiet repetitive. I don't ever expect Macross 7 to be released in Region 1 because of the tangled licensing of the music rights (and music plays a key role in the series so it cant be cut like OP1 of Kodocha).

[citicslmatts]

Dude, you need to have a look at Macross Zero - it is rude!!!

Although I must agree the ending lacks that special something, but other than that I don't have a bad word to say about it.

The animation during the fight scenes (which, IMO, is a very watchable blend of CG-new-school and regular-old-school) is really rather enjoyable...

I rate it.

[Shsway]

Man, I need to watch all of these. I only just fell in love with the original show yesterday!

[Mazinkaizer]

Each of the other Macross shows has it's special touch. While M0 & M7 are related to the original timeline M2 is the one that has many elements from the originals IMHO. Same old school style doe story and plot, character design by Mikamoto (character designer for the original Macross) though Kawamuri had nothing or very little to do with the series (probably it explains why went on with M7 ignoring it).

I enjoyed M7 and M0 also, though i do have to agree that the ending was stupied. The least one i liked was Macross Plus but it is still very good though. So if i was to make an order for my favorite Macross shows, it would be:

Macross
Macross II
Macross 7
Macross Zero
Macross Plus

Humm, since next year would be the 25th anniversary of the series i wonder if Kawamuri would decide to make a new series or something.

[Super Saiyajin Joshua]

So where does that new show that's coming out fit in? I was gonna link to it but I couldn't find the thread that Chris had a link to it in.

[samwise]

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SuperSaiyajinJoshua said:
So where does that new show that's coming out fit in? I was gonna link to it but I couldn't find the thread that Chris had a link to it in.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you are refering to Robotech: Shadow Chronicles, that one is not part of the Macross franchise.

Robotech is an 85 episode series, created in the US, that aired in syndication in 1985-86. It is edited/dubbed from the episodes of the original Macross series and two of its imitators (Southern Cross from 1984 and Mospeada from 1983). The three unrelated shows were rewritten into a single continuity to create a series that met the needs of the American syndicated market. The company that created Robotech (Harmony Gold) is the same company that retains the domestic rights to the original Macross anime.

Robotech: Shadow Chronicles is a sequel to the Robotech series, and a potential sequel to Mospeada (should the Japanese company Tatsunoko choose to rewrite the movie/series for their own market). Due to conflicts between Big West (which owns Macross) and Tatsunoko (which had a hand in the production of the first Macross series), the Robotech sequel will likely contain minimal references to the Macross segment of the Robotech series. In no way will Shadow Chronicals be at all compatable with Macross (the actual series/franchise).

-sam

[macross011a]

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SuperSaiyajinJoshua said:
So where does that new show that's coming out fit in? I was gonna link to it but I couldn't find the thread that Chris had a link to it in.

[/ QUOTE ]

Macross and Robotech are not related. They are similar but they distinctively different.

Both became different after episode 36 of both series. In Macross, the ship Macross (registry SDF-01) survived the final battle with the crew alive and well. Robotech rewrote it that the ship was destroyed and the crew dead.

Compare the timelines from both of them and they tell everything:

Macross Universe timeline, courtesy of Macross Compedium (officially sanctioned by the creators) (http://macross.anime.net//story/chronology/index.html)

and

Robotech Universe timeline, courtesy of Robotech -dot- com (http://www.robotech.com/infopedia/timeline/)

Two major diffences are that the Macross Universe did not face a major war since 2012 and that the Macross Universe variable fighters (such as the VF-11 Thunderbolt and YF-19) focus on speed and attack compared to Robotech's veritech fighters focusing on defense and fuel efficiency.

Take a look at Macross Plus, which is set in 2040 in the Macross Universe, which RT in the same year is when the Invid occupy RT Earth.

Macross Plus has strong ties to the original Macross TV show such as:

* The Macross is intact and functional. It was repaired and refitted, with the possibility of reactivation.
* The kareoke song was from the original TV series, called "My Boyfriend was a Pilot". RT doesn't have this song and was replaced with "My Time to be A Star".
* We see photos of older variable fighters, not just the VF-1 Valkyrie, in Millaird's office. We see scrapped Destroids for target practice.
* The YF-19, YF-21 and X-9 Ghost are the pinicalle of UN Spacy's military tech. All of them became standard vehicles since then. None of RT mechs can match it.

Any questions?

[macross011a]

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Samuel said:
If you are refering to Robotech: Shadow Chronicles, that one is not part of the Macross franchise.

Robotech is an 85 episode series, created in the US, that aired in syndication in 1985-86. It is edited/dubbed from the episodes of the original Macross series and two of its imitators (Southern Cross from 1984 and Mospeada from 1983). The three unrelated shows were rewritten into a single continuity to create a series that met the needs of the American syndicated market. The company that created Robotech (Harmony Gold) is the same company that retains the domestic rights to the original Macross anime.

[/ QUOTE ]

You forgot Megazone 23: Part 01, which was rewritten as part of the Robotech story. It is non-canon after Harmony Gold let the rights expire due to complaints for keeping the bloody deaths intact during its theatrical release.

[ QUOTE ]
Robotech: Shadow Chronicles is a sequel to the Robotech series, and a potential sequel to Mospeada (should the Japanese company Tatsunoko choose to rewrite the movie/series for their own market). Due to conflicts between Big West (which owns Macross) and Tatsunoko (which had a hand in the production of the first Macross series), the Robotech sequel will likely contain minimal references to the Macross segment of the Robotech series. In no way will Shadow Chronicals be at all compatable with Macross (the actual series/franchise).

-sam

[/ QUOTE ]

One of the major things they did was changing the designs of the SDF-3 and the Factory Satellite completely, which no longer resemble a Macross-class battleship and Zentraedi Factory Satellite, repectively.

[samwise]

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Scourge said:
You forgot Megazone 23: Part 01, which was rewritten as part of the Robotech story. It is non-canon after Harmony Gold let the rights expire due to complaints for keeping the bloody deaths intact during its theatrical release.

[/ QUOTE ]

And therefore seemed trivial for the purposes of explaining Robotech from Macross. I also left out Robotech II: The Sentinels [EDIT: also noncanon].

[ QUOTE ]

One of the major things they did was changing the designs of the SDF-3 and the Factory Satellite completely, which no longer resemble a Macross-class battleship and Zentraedi Factory Satellite, repectively.

[/ QUOTE ]

I haven't checked out the designs. But weren't they already changed for The Sentinels?

[macross011a]

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Samuel said:
And therefore seemed trivial for the purposes of explaining Robotech from Macross. I also left out Robotech II: The Sentinels [EDIT: also noncanon].

[/ QUOTE ]

True, but I brought up Megazone 23 because that title is available on R1 from ADV Films. Macross, Southern Cross and Mospeada are all also available from ADV.

While the Sentinels pilot is non-canon, the characters aren't. Several of them are brought back for Shadow Chronicles in revamped form. Yet, T.R. Edwards hasn't changed much and still bears a similarity to B.D. from Megazone 23. The character was supposed to be B.D. but changed when the Movie and the Sentinels were rewritten back then.

[ QUOTE ]
I haven't checked out the designs. But weren't they already changed for The Sentinels?

[/ QUOTE ]

This thread from a message board (http://p081.ezboard.com/frdfhqcommunicationscenterfrm35.showMessage?topicI D=437.topic) shows all of the incarnations of the Factory Satellite. The Sentinels design has only a color change and a different external pod layout, compared to the original design. Still, HG changed the design for Shadow Chronicles because the Sentinels design bears a striking similarity to the original. So they chopped off the "head cabbage" hub in half and remove two external pods, to avoid a legal confrontation from Big West. The design featured in the Macross VF-X2 PS1 game (canon because the Macross creators were involved) uses the design from the original and added natural progressed details on its refit. Of course, HG can't use the design because it's owned by Big West/Studio Nue.

As for the characters from the Macross arc of RT, they are not used for Shadow Chronicles as far as I know. All I know is a revamp of Lynn Kyle being more different than Lynn Kaifun. Another was a design of Rick Hunter that was pulled because the fans complained, yet it tried to pass being different from Hikaru Ichijo.

[Super Saiyajin Joshua]

I forgot that the show Chris linked to was "Robotech: Shadow Chronicles" and not "Macross". I did at least know the difference between the two but sometimes it hard for me to hear one and not think of the other.

[macross011a]

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SuperSaiyajinJoshua said:
I forgot that the show Chris linked to was "Robotech: Shadow Chronicles" and not "Macross". I did at least know the difference between the two but sometimes it hard for me to hear one and not think of the other.

[/ QUOTE ]

Tell me about it. Some anime fans have this urban myth that "Robotech" and "Macross" are the same, but it's actually not. The two biggest differences are their historical events are very far apart, as I mentioned the URLs above and the technologies of the two are too different.

Everytime I hear that the Macross world is too mystical, I say that the world of Robotech isn't that different either, due to the Flowers of Life having mystical properties such as telephatic linkage and used by the Invid to construct their machines.