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Macross
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is a long-running series of science fiction Mecha anime, created by Kawamori Shoji of Studio Nue in 1982. The franchise features a fictional History of Earth/Humanity after the year 1999. The franchise title features three TV series, three movies, six OVAs, and two manga series.
Within the series, the term Macross is used to denote the main capital ship. This theme began in the original Macross, the SDF-1 Macross.
Overtechnology refers to the scientific advances discovered in an alien starship (Alien Star Ship - One later renamed Super Dimension Fortress - One Macross) that crashed on South Ataria island.
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Encyclopedia
is a long-running series of science fiction Mecha anime, created by Kawamori Shoji of Studio Nue in 1982. The franchise features a fictional History of Earth/Humanity after the year 1999. The franchise title features three TV series, three movies, six OVAs, and two manga series.
Within the series, the term Macross is used to denote the main capital ship. This theme began in the original Macross, the SDF-1 Macross.
Overtechnology refers to the scientific advances discovered in an alien starship (Alien Star Ship - One later renamed Super Dimension Fortress - One Macross) that crashed on South Ataria island. With this technology, Earth was able to reverse engineer the technology to create mechas (variable fighters and destroids), a faster-than-light drive Space Fold for starships and other advanced tech, which shows up throughout the series.
Title
The series title comes from the name of the main human spacecraft (which is usually shortened from Super Dimension Fortress to SDF-1 Macross as it is version 1.0). The original name for the Macross project was Battle City Megaload (or Battle City Megaroad, as the Japanese transliteration to either "L" or "R" gives the title a double meaning in reference to the story line: Megaload, referring to the spacecraft containing an entire city of people; and Megaroad, referring to the long journey through space back to Earth), however one of the sponsors of the project, Big West, was a fan of Shakespeare and wanted the series and the spacecraft to be named . A compromise was made with the title due to its similar pronunciation to Macbeth in Japanese and because it still contained connotations to the original title. The word Macross comes from a wordplay combination of the prefix "macro" in reference to its massive size (though when compared with the alien ships in the series, it is only a relatively small gun destroyer) and the distance they must cross.
Themes
The following are themes commonly seen and established among the various series in the Macross franchise.
U.N. Spacy
The U.N. Spacy is a fictional military arm of the . It was established by the successor to the modern United Nations in order to defend Earth from a possible attack by hostile aliens, and was involved in Space War I against an extraterrestrial race called the Zentradi. Later operations of the U.N. Spacy expanded into interstellar colonization and general peacekeeping of off-world Earth settlements.
The term "Spacy" is an extrapolation of the terms Army and Navy - though some Japanese sources also use the term Space Army and some English-language sources use the term Space Navy, suggesting that the term is a contraction.
Variable Fighters
A variable fighter is one of a series of transformable aerospace fighters, primarily designed by Studio Nue's Shoji Kawamori and Kazutaka Miyatake. They are generally able to transform into jet/space fighters, a humanoid robot and a hybrid of the two mode, better known as Gerwalk. These crafts are referred to in the original series by the model name "Valkyrie".
Music
Music plays an integral part in almost every Macross title, having significances in the way a series' antagonists behave towards it. Music idols also play a central role to various Macross stories. Often, the protagonist will be forced into a love triangle with a series' music idol; the most notable of them all is Lynn Minmay.
Space Fold
Faster-than-light travel in the Macross franchise is achieved via space-folding. This capability was introduced when the SDF-1 crash-landed on Earth. It has since been officially described as a type of space warp (or what is called super-light-velocity spatial displacement) navigation, allowing ultra-long distance travel nearly instantaneously. Simply put, a space-fold transports a spacecraft in a very short amount of time, by first swapping the location of the spacecraft with super dimension space or subspace, and then swapping the Super Dimension space with the space at the destination.
According to U.N. Spacy First Lieutenant Hayase Misa during Space War I (2009-2010), an hour passes in super dimension space as approximately ten days passes in normal space. The latest Macross T.V. series Macross Frontier further expands on that concept by introducing fold faults or dislocations which further slow down fold travel and interfere with fold communications.
The act of entering Super Dimension space is called "fold in". When arriving at the destination, the act of leaving Super Dimension space is called a "defold" or a "fold out".
Series chronology
Several sequel series and one prequel have followed, with most using a chronology created by the Studio Nue creators, the rest followed their own storylines regarded as "parallel storyline" by the studio. The main Macross production consists of (in chronological release order):
A feature film, subtitled Do You Remember Love? (?·???????? Ai Oboete Imasu ka), was released in 1984, with a condensed version of the storyline and cutting-edge animation. This movie was later described as a "historical drama" movie within the Macross universe (similar to, for example, Braveheart in the real world). In Macross Plus and Macross 7, it is revealed that there was a movie produced after Space War I (the original Earth-Zentradi conflict). (A shortened, English-dubbed version of the feature was also released to video as Clash of the Bionoids, though this is largely lambasted).
Macross II, the only animated project without Studio Nue's direct involvement, was declared a parallel-world story by Studio Nue.
In March 2007, Studio Victor placed a casting call for a voice actress to play the heroine, Ranka Lee , in a then untitled new Macross series. 18 year old Nakajima Megumi was selected in the nationwide singing and acting audition for the role of Ranka Lee in Japan. The project was given the tentative title of Macross 25. Later, as part of the 25th anniversary concert, a trailer was shown that revealed the new tentative title of Macross F (Frontier). During the concert, Kawamori Shoji mentioned that the timeframe of Macross Frontier was about 2070 A.D. Kawamori also announced that Yoko Kanno would be the music co-composer of the new Macross series. According to Newtype Magazine, this new series were supposed to take place in a school. The pilot episode aired in December 23, 2007. The new series were finally set in the year 2059 A.D. and took place in a new Macross Colony Fleet called "Macross Frontier". The new show was produced by Satelight and its episodes began their regular broadcast on April 4, 2008 in MBS channel of Japan. The final episode aired on September 25, 2008, what brought the series to a total of 25 episodes. A Macross Frontier Movie Edition was announced just after the ending of the new T.V. animated series.
Video games
Macross video games are based on its universe, sometimes expanding it with original characters and sidestories, latest games often include newly created anime footage. All of them were released in Japan only probably because of the Macross / Robotech license issue. These include:
- The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: A 2D sidescrolling shooter game released in 1985 for the Nintendo Famicom by Namco and Bandai. The main objectives of the lone Valkyrie are to destroy the Zentradi forces, penetrate the Zentradi mothership, and destroy it. A simplified midi rendition of the song "Shao Pai Long" plays in the background throughout gameplay.
- The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Eternal Love Song - A turn-based 2D strategy videogame released in December 1992 for the NEC PC Engine Super CD-ROMē that follows the continuity of Macross II and is a sequel to Macross 2036.
- The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? - A 2D shooter created for the Sega Saturn in 1997 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Macross franchise, it was co-programmed by Sega and was later ported to the Sony PlayStation in 1999. It is closely based on the movie, with a mix of 2D and 3D action and special effects. It was released with 2 CDs as it contained footage and soundtrack from both the Macross movie and Flash Back 2012. The footage contained also some new scenes including Hikaru and his fellow pilots still on Earth flying on their way to the Macross which made a space fold jump just before the massive Zentradi attack reached them.
- Macross Digital Mission VF-X - The first ever 3D graphics and polygonal game of the franchise made by Bandai Visual for the PlayStation in 1997. Set in 2047, the game focuses on a UN Spacy squadron assigned to rescue a girl band called the Milky Dolls. The game has been criticized for its poor graphics and sheer difficulty.
- Macross Digital Mission VF-X2 - Released for the PlayStation in 1999, the game is set three years after the events of VF-X. Was originally considered for North American release, but later cancelled.
- Macross Plus: Game Edition - Released for the PlayStation in 2000. It is based on Macross Plus, with cutscenes from the movie version included.
- Macross M3 - A 3D shooter released on the Dreamcast in 2000. M3 takes place around 2014 A.D., and covers the story of Max, Milia, and their adopted Meltlandi daughter Moaramia, as the three of them continue to serve as Valkyrie pilots.
- The Super Dimension Fortress Macross VO (Valkyrie Overdrive) - A space combat simulator released in 2001 only in Japan for the PC. It was compatible with Windows 95, 98 and ME. A Windows XP version was released (The Super Dimension Fortress Macross VOXP) in 2002. The game was unique in the fact that it enabled players to sortie online using the vehicles used by the different factions (Zentradi, Meltlandi and U.N. Spacy) featured in Macross DYRL. It has become quite popular recently among western players (thanks to translation patches and reference files) with multiple online tournaments being done regularly.
- The Super Dimension Fortress Macross ("?????????") - A full 3D shooter released by Sega-AM2 only for the PlayStation 2 in Japan during 2003. The game features both famous and new characters, as well as a large number of VF (Variable Fighters) from the TV series to Macross Flashback 2012. This game made by one of the most experienced and famous development team (Shenmue series, Virtua Fighter series, Daytona USA series, Virtua Cop series) has been acclaimed by both the media and the gamers as the best Macross game ever released.
- Macross 7 Ginga no Heart wo Furuwasero!! - A 2D side scrolling shooter released on the Game Boy Color in 2000. In this game you select three of six characters from Macross 7, who are split into "Fire Bomber/Soundforce" (Nekki Basara with his VF-19 Custom Kai-Fire Valkyrie, Mylene Jenius in her VF-11MAXL Custom Valkyrie, and Ray and Veffidas together in their VF-17 Custom)and the regular Macross 7 Military (Gamlin Kizaki in his VF-17 Nightmare, Max Jenius in his Blue VF-22 Sturmvogel and Millia Jenius in her Red VF-22 Sturmvogel).
- There were three arcade games released by Banpresto during the 90s, all of which were scrolling shooters: The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1992), The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II (1993), and Macross Plus (1996). The first game follows the events of the Do You Remember Love? movie.
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