The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982)
Animation Production: MBS & Tatsunoko Productions
Released by: Animeigo
Episodes: 36
Some images from: Macross World
By Jeffrey Couto

Introduction

In a frame of time that expands over 20 years I’ve had the opportunity to see a lot of anime, everything from the original Tetsujin TV series to more contemporary shows and films like FLCL and Spirited Away, however very few of these can inspire the sense of awe that the original Macross does, even in these days of high tech animation. Like Space Battleship Yamato before it Macross manages to surpass its medium and firmly establishes itself as one of the most influential animated works of all time.

Story

“In 1999 a giant alien spacecraft crash-lands on South Ataria Island. Humanity proceeds to attempt to rebuild this marvel, but political conflicts centered around the “Macross” result in a global war. After 10 years, the “Unification Wars” are finally over; the new Earth United Nations Government is in power, and work on the Macross is complete. On the day of the launching ceremony, its main cannon fires on its own, destroying the alien spacecraft. The fateful day marks the beginning of the war between the humans on the Macross and the Zentradi, a race of humanoid alien of giant proportions.” -DVD box

Review

To say I’m very fond of this series would be a major understatement. The first time I saw this show many years ago I immediately fell for its story, Haruhiko Mikimoto’s timeless character designs, the revolutionary Valkyrie mecha designs and the unforgettable soundtrack. It was one of those rare TV series where all the elements just came together in perfect unison.

At the core of what makes this series such a memorable story are the themes of love, friendship and coming of age, each of these elements being integral component in a storyline that revolves around a cosmic conflict between the Earth and Zentradi, and which help form a narrative that despite its fantastic setting and happenings we can all relate to on a universal level.

Artistically, Macross was many years ahead of its time. The aerial action scenes were some of the most accomplished of its day and still hold up well to today’s more complicated CGI enhanced anime battle choreography. Watching one of the fighter jets transform and shoot a huge missile barrage at an enemy pod all while transforming to robot mode and avoiding a shower of enemy missiles in a hand-drawn animation sequence is the stuff of anime legend and which made this series the landmark that it is.

Macross is about much more than these mechanically driven scenes though, which often come second to the human drama that drives the show. The characters in this series and their ever-evolving relationships are some of the most unforgettable and complicated to be seen in any anime series, even today. Make no mistake, Macross is about its characters, not the robots or action scenes.

Many years ago I could have never imagined that this series would be released in its original form in the United States, especially by such a great company as Animeigo. The restoration work they carried out on this title is nothing short of jaw-dropping; simply put Macross has never looked this good! The image is so sharp and clear you can literally sometimes see the scratches in the glass of the photographic equipment used to capture the cels into film. It really is that good!

The DVD's themselves come in some very nicely put together DVD boxes that feature a different character in front of each volume and descriptions of each episode on its backside. Inside each case you will also find those classic Animeigo inserts, each featuring different information for the series that ranges from song lyrics to some very interesting production notes for each episode.

Final Thoughts

Macross is the type of TV show that should be required viewing for all anime fans and a part of all animation fans collections, especially now that Animeigo has restored it to such a pristine state. I cannot recommend this title highly enough! Even if you have already seen the series through it's American release of Robotech I really ask that you look up this version of it, you will be amazed at how different the show is and more importantly you'll finally learn what was really going on in it this whole time!

Jeffrey Couto