The Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross
Encyclopedia
was the third Japanese animated (anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

) series released under the "Super Dimension
Super Dimension
Super Dimension may refer to:* The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, a 1982 Japanese anime television series by Tatsunoko Production* Super Dimension Century Orguss, a 1983 Japanese anime television series by Tatsunoko Production...

" moniker by the sponsor Big West
Big West Advertising
Big West Advertising Co., Ltd. is a Japanese advertising agency. They are known as one of the sponsors of the Macross franchise in Japan....

. This 1984 science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 robotic mecha series followed Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982–1983) created by Studio Nue
Studio Nue
Studio Nue is a Japanese design studio formed in 1972 by Naoyuki Kato, Kenichi Matsuzaki, Kazutaka Miyatake, and Haruka Takachiho...

 with Artland and produced by Tatsunoko, and Super Dimension Century Orguss (1983–1984), also created by Studio Nue with Artland and produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha
Tokyo Movie Shinsha
, formerly known as , is a Japanese animation studio, founded on October 1946. One of the oldest and most prominent anime studios in Japan, it has also produced numerous animated series airing in other countries such as France, the United States, and Italy. The company currently uses "TMS...

. Unlike the other two series, The Southern Cross was created and produced almost entirely by Tatsunoko with mechanical designs by its sister studio Ammonite. The series lasted for 23 episodes. The three titles share some of the same creators, and Macross is referenced by character cameos and inside references by the latter two series. However, the basic stories are unrelated. Southern Cross was the least successful of the Super Dimension banner and was actually cancelled due to low ratings, forcing the scriptwriters to hastily conclude the series.

Most of the animation of The Southern Cross (with edited content and revised dialogue) was adapted outside Japan for the second part of Robotech
Robotech
Robotech is an 85-episode science fiction anime adaptation produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd. and first released in the United States in 1985...

, following The Macross Saga, and preceding The New Generation. In this form, it is frequently referred to as Robotech Masters (as it was titled in the comic book adaptation released by Comico
Comicó
Comicó is a village and municipality in Río Negro Province in Argentina....

).

Main characters

[Robotech adapted names in brackets]

[Dana Sterling
Dana Sterling
Dana Sterling is a fictional character from the Robotech anime television series. The character was adapted from the originally unrelated characters Komilia Maria Fallyna Jenius in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross and Jeanne Francaix in Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross...

] (Michie Tomizawa
Michie Tomizawa
is a Japanese voice actress born in Nagano and raised in Takasaki, Gunma. Her real name is .She is most known for the roles of Matsuzaka-Sensei , Linna Yamazaki , Rei Hino/Sailor Mars , Sumire Kanzaki , and Emi Ogasawara .Tomizawa retired from voice acting before getting married in 2002...

): At 17 years of age Jeanne finds herself the leader of the 15th Squad in the Southern Cross' Alpha Tactics Armored Corps (ATACs). A native from the planet Liberté, Jeanne sometimes has a tendency to follow her heart and act rashly, much to the chagrin of her superiors, who consider her to be an embarrassment to the army, believing that she doesn't take her duty seriously. Her frequent disregard for protocol, orders, and regulations continually lands her in solitary confinement, often placed there by Lt. Lana Isavia. Fortunately she always manages to be let out when needed. Jeanne develops a romantic interest in Seifriet Weiße, but his reaction is one of puzzlement and disdain. Most of the series revolves around Jeanne's escapades with the 15th Squad, and her almost personal war with the invading Zor.

[Marie Crystal] (Kumiko Mizukura): If Jeanne can be labelled as impulsive, then Mary can be her exact opposite. Nicknamed the "Cosmo Amazon" she represents the model soldier. She was once the leader of a biker gang and has also an aptitude for machines. Despite her tough exterior she still has deep feelings and begins a rocky relationship with Charles de Etouard. As a capable leader, Mary is often the one to snap Jeanne out of her periodic episodes of shock or indecision, usually with a harsh slap to the face. Mary leads her own unit within the Tactics Armored Space Corps, for which she is also an ace.

[Nova Satori] (Mika Doi
Mika Doi
, née is a veteran voice actress who was born in Sendai.-Anime:* Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple * Air Master * Aura Battler Dunbine * Canvas 2 ~Niji Iro no Sketch~...

): The third central female of the Southern Cross. At 19, Lana is the youngest military police officer on Glorie, and one of the highest ranking. Like Mary, she is the polar opposite of Jeanne, taking her duties very seriously and allowing for no compromises regarding protocol and regulations. Her rivalry with Jeanne can be viewed as a subtle game of "cat and mouse". In the beginning of the series, Lana appears to be colder and less personable than Mary. But as the story progresses, she is revealed to be even more of a romantic than Jeanne. Her military training eventually conflicts with her passionate emotions, and she is forced to choose between her duty to the Southern Cross, and her friendship with the 15th Squad. She slowly develops feelings for TASC pilot R. Brown, and they later become romantically involved.

Other characters

[Bowie Grant] (Arihiro Hase
Arihiro Hase
was a Japanese seiyū. He was the son of seiyū Sanji Hase. His most famous voice work was that of Hikaru Ichijyo from the Macross series.He committed suicide on July 30, 1996 by jumping from his seventh-story window at the age of 31...

): Bowie is a private first class assigned to the 15th Squad at the age of 16. Due to his father's influence he was pressured to join the military even though he is a pacifist more interested in composing music rather than fighting.

[Angelo Dante] (Yūichi Meguro): The sergeant of the 15th Squad who occasionally acts as its leader in the absence of a superior officer. He has served longer than anyone else in the 15th Squad, but his conventional mindset is sometimes at odds with his new female leader, Jeanne Fránçaix.

[Louie Nichols] (Issei Futamata
Issei Futamata
is a veteran seiyū who was born on March 15, 1955 in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. He graduated from Towada Technical High School. He is a member of the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society....

): The resident mechanics expert and in-house genius. A quiet individual until a mecha-related issue comes up. His expertise comes in use when assessing and analyzing the Bioroid threat.

[Sean Phillips] (Bin Shimada
Bin Shimada
is a Japanese voice actor. He is currently affiliated with the talent management firm Aoni Production.-References:* Nakagami, Yoshikatsu et al. "You're Under Arrest: Full Throttle". Newtype USA. pp. 48–49.-External links:...

): At the age of 23 Charles was the former commander of the 15th Squad until a romantic indiscretion had him demoted to private. Charles is a constant womanizer who eventually winds up falling for Marie.

[Zor Prime] (Yoshikazu Hirano): A human pilot who was captured and brainwashed by the Zor to become a Biohuman pilot in their Bioroid forces and later an informant. Seifreit pilots a red Zor Bioroid and he is almost unstoppable in battle against Jeanne and her ATAC squadron. He is recaptured by Lana, and his memories are examined for clues into the Zor. His human mind begins to conflict with his Zor brainwashing, and he is nearly driven insane. But instead of breaking down mentally, he decides to take revenge on the Zor for their violation of his mind.

[Dennis Brown] (Kouji Totani): A lieutenant in the Tactics Armored Space Corps. Lana is impressed with Brown's sense of integrity, optimism, and duty, and she develops a crush on him. The two eventually become a couple.

[Eli Anatole Leonard] (Daisuke Gōri
Daisuke Gori
was a Japanese voice actor, narrator and actor from Kōtō, Tokyo. Throughout his life, he was attached to TV Talent Center Tokyo, Yoshizawa Theatre School and then Mausu Promotion; he was attached to Aoni Production at the time of his death. His real name, as well as his former stage name, was...

): The supreme general of the Southern Cross. A megalomaniac determined on wiping out the Zor at any cost, he begins to take extreme measures to ensure victory. His policies are heavily criticized by General Emerson.

Rolf Emerson (Makoto Terada
Mugihito
, better known by his stage name of is a Japanese voice and stage actor from Musashino, Tokyo. He is employed by Media Force. Mugihito was formerly credited under his birth name and also...

): Father of Bowie Emerson, and part-time guardian of Jeanne. He is the primary critic of General Leon, but stops short of disobeying orders. His tactical maneuvers during battles in the war with the Zor are seen as innovative and ingenious.

, and [Robotech Master Elders] (Hirotaka Suzuoki
Hirotaka Suzuoki
was a Japanese voice actor and actor from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture who graduated from Tokyo Keizai University.His best known roles include Mobile Suit Gundam , Captain Tsubasa , Saint Seiya , Dragon Ball Z , The Transformers , Ranma ½ , Rurouni Kenshin , Pokémon...

): The leaders of the Zor.

, , [Musica, Allegra, Octavia] (Noriko Hidaka
Noriko Hidaka
, real name , maiden name is a seiyū, or voice actor. Hidaka is most known for the roles of Mikage Matsunaga , Minami Asakura , Akane Tendo , Satsuki Kusakabe , Near , Seta Sōjirō , Jean , Kikyo , and Noriko Takaya .Hidaka...

): The triplet sirens whose music inspire the Zor people. Musica begins doubting her people's ways, and after meeting Bowie, defects to Glorie and escapes the mothership. She and Bowie quickly fall in love, and then flee into the woods to escape capture by Lana.

Background

The world of Glorie was founded by the human race in an effort to find new worlds for humanity because the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

 had become uninhabitable as a result of a catastrophic nuclear holocaust. Relay stations have been established at Mars and Jupiter, and as a result the planet "Liberté" located in the Proxima solar system
Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Centaurus...

 was colonized. The next planet, Glorie, was discovered in the Epsilon Eridani system
Epsilon Eridani
Epsilon Eridani is a star in the southern constellation Eridanus, along a declination 9.46° south of the celestial equator. This allows the star to be viewed from most of the Earth's surface. At a distance of 10.5 light years , it has an apparent magnitude of 3.73...

. Similar to planetary scale and atmospheric conditions to Earth, Glorie still had an unexpectedly harsh natural environment. The planet has an elliptical orbit around the sun with a cycle of 73 years. Sixty percent of the planet surface area is land and in the winter, fifty percent of that land is covered with glaciers. Originally the planetary temperatures in winter averaged between -5 to -30 degrees Celsius. Thanks to extensive military terraforming, Glorie was successfully turned into a suitable planet for terrestrial life.

The government of Glorie is independent from that of Liberté but is an ally to that planet. In the year 2120 (When our story takes place) Glorie is now a self sufficient planet in terms of food and resources.

Southern Cross Army

The military organization (referred to as the Southern Cross Army) is under the jurisdiction of its prime minister. The units are divided among the land/sea forces and the aerospace force. There are also military police and security forces which are independent, but directly affiliated with Supreme General Headquarters. Headquarters are located on every major city.

In the Southern Cross, each unit has a specialized vehicle for combat campaigns. Among them are:

ATAC-01-SCA Spartas: One-manned transformable hover vehicle used exclusively by the Alpha Tactics Armored Corps. The Spartas has the ability to transform into 3 modes: Hover (Sniping Clapper), GERWALK (Walking Cannon), and Robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...

 (Battle Sniper). Models differ depending on the rank of the individual.

TASC-02-SCF Logan: Transformable aerial assault mecha used exclusively by the Tactics Armored Space Corps. The mecha has two modes: Fighter (Flying Cat) mode for high speed flying combat and GERWALK (Flying Walker) mode suited for near ground assaults. The fighter has the ability to cover great distances.

TASC-02-SCF Auroran: The Auroran was a late development during the war that was constructed to replace the Logan. It has the capability to transform into three different modes: Fighter (Crusader), Heavy Combat Helicopter (Cross Fighter), and Robot (Cosmo Sniper). The new Robot mode was specifically designed to deal with the Zor Bioroid threat.

Sylphide: The Sylphide is a fighter used by the Tactics Air Force. This fighter can also be distinguished by a center tail as well as vertical surfaces mounted in the middle of each wing. The weaponry of the Sylphide include two guns in the fuselage and four missile hardpoints (two on the outside of either lower engine nacelle).

Garm: The Southern Cross Glorie Military Police uses this mecha fielded exclusively for it. The unit is capable of identifying personnel and recording evidence in investigations. Its systems has access to the military legal code to assist in determining if the law has been broken.

Salamander:The Strategic Corps uses the Salamander robot as their main combat robot for high mobility heavy weapons support. The arms have reinforced armor to assist in parrying attacks. There is a thruster in the rear to assist the mecha in leaping.

Personal Armour

Every soldier of the Southern Cross Army is issued a personal combat suit known as an "arming doublet". The purpose of the suit not only acts as protective armor but also improves combat performance. Each suit is equipped to serve different functions and can be altered depending on the mission requirements and needs of each division and rank. All suits are personally tailored for the physique of the individual, resulting in high mobility. Some variants of the arming doublet also have the ability to serve as self-sealed spacesuits.

Zor

The are a race who serve as the antagonists for the Southern Cross army. The Zor were the former inhabitants of the planet Glorie but had to evacuate due to an apocalyptic war. Their advances in biotechnology surpass that of humanity, and the weapons they employ called "Bioroids" serve as a formidable enemy to the units of the Southern Cross. They operate in groups of three. Each member is responsible for one of three functions: information, decision and action. As whole they present a powerful threat but if one member is lost to the group then they lose their stability and become unable to function. Characteristically, the Zor are human in appearance, tall and slender with violet eyes, silvery hair and pale skin.

The Zor have a symbiotic relationship with a flower native to Glorie referred to as the Protozor which like them exist in trinities.

Bioroids

Since the Zor are not a race suited for combat, they employ biohumans to act as soldiers on their behalf. Biohumans are abducted personnel from the armies of the Southern Cross and Liberté forces who are brainwashed and forced to pilot the Bio-engineered mecha created by Zor supreme commanders. The most impressive feature of Bioroid technology is the ability to convey the thoughts of the operator directly to the mecha. This increases the response promptness making the Bioroids movements infinitely more agile that those of the Southern Cross Mechas. In short the Bioroids are actually "alive" with the pilots acting as their "brains".

The tactical advantage of the alien forces serves the Zor in two ways. One- the use of the Bioroid serves as a superior fighter over the Southern Cross mecha. Two- the use of biohumans serve as a psychological deterrent as the human soldiers find they are fighting their fellow comrades at arms.

During the time of the conflict many variations of the Bioroid were implemented by the Zor in order to adapt to the ever-changing battle conditions experienced on the field.

Episode list

Japanese
Air Date
Southern Cross
Episode
Robotech Masters
Robotech (TV series)
Robotech is an 85-episode adaptation of three different anime television series made between 1982-1984 in Japan, the adaptation was aired in 1985. Within the combined and edited story, Robotechnology refers to the scientific advances discovered in an alien starship that crashed on a South Pacific...


Episode
37. Dana's Story
1984.04.15 1. 38. False Start
1984.04.22 2. 39. Southern Cross
1984.04.29 3. 40. Volunteers
1984.05.06 4. 41. Half Moon
1984.05.13 5. 42. Danger Zone
1984.05.20 6. 43. Prelude to Battle
1984.05.27 7. 44. The Trap
1984.06.10 8. 45. Metal Fire
1984.06.17 9. 46. Star Dust
1984.06.24 10. 47. Outsiders
1984.07.01 11. 48. Déjà Vu
1984.07.08 12. 49. A New Recruit
1984.07.15 13. 50. Triumvirate
1984.07.22 14. 51. Clone Chamber
1984.07.29 15. 52. Love Song
1984.08.05 16. 53. The Hunters
1984.08.19 17. 54. Mind Games
1984.08.26 18. 55. Dana in Wonderland
1984.09.02 19. 56. Crisis Point
1984.09.09 20. 57. Daydreamer
1984.09.16 21. 58. The Final Nightmare
1984.09.23 22. 59. The Invid Connection
1984.09.30 23. 60. Catastrophe

Opening theme

Vocals: Yoko Katori

Production

  • In order to depict The Robotech Masters as occurring on Earth, Harmony Gold editors had to remove a second moon from the sky as was shown in the original Southern Cross. As this was years before digital editing, a complex machine was reportedly involved in the process.
  • Some of the animation from The Southern Cross also appeared in two shows produced by Harmony Gold
    Harmony Gold USA
    Harmony Gold is a television production and distribution company established in 1983. It is best known as the “creator” and main distributor of the anime series Robotech. It also partially dubbed the Dragon Ball series in the late 1980s....

    .
  • Original Character Designer: Kogawa Tomonori
    Kogawa Tomonori
    is a Japanese animator and character designer, often noted for his work in the 1980s with noted anime studio Sunrise.-Works:* Space Runaway Ideon - Character Designer, Animation Director* Combat Mecha Xabungle - Character Designer...

  • Anime Character Designer: Miyo Sonoda
  • Sub-Character Designer: Hiroyuki Kitazume
    Hiroyuki Kitazume
    is a Japanese animator, manga artist, and illustrator. He is often noted for his work with anime studio Sunrise.-TV anime:*Aura Battler Dunbine - Animation Director...

  • Chief Director: Yasuo Hasegawa
  • Mecha Designers: Ammonite (Hiroshi Ogawa, Hirotoshi Okura & Takashi Ono)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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