Macross Frontier Anime Review

Macross Frontier
Makurosu Furontia
Bandai Visual
Complete Collection - 5 discs
600 mins. - 25 episodes
MSRP - n/a (no official US release available)
¥33,600 (2013) Blu-Ray
¥3,990 (2008-2009) Vol. 1-9/ea.
¥7,350 (2008-2009) Vol. 1-9/ea. Blu-Ray
ISBN - n/a
Japanese Audio - English Subtitles (only on HK bootleg version, not official Japanese version)
Director - Shoji Kawamori/Yasuhito Kikuchi
Studio - Satelight

Synopsis: The human race was almost wiped out in Space War I when a massive alien spacecraft crash-landed on Earth in 1999 and then a hostile alien race attempted to reclaim it ten years later.  The alien race was the Zentraedi, giant humanoids bred only for war by a mysterious ancient race called the Protoculture.  The alien craft was studied and rebuilt by a consortium of the world's governments called U.N. Spacy and commissioned as the SDF-1 - Super-Dimensional Fortress.  Incredible technology allowed the creation of variable fighter planes called Valkyries.  The brave crew managed to defeat the race of giants by exposing them to the rich culture of humanity - music, love, and laughter.  They were victorious, but not before the Earth was razed by the giants' leaders.

Macross Frontier colony ship with Battle Frontier space fortress in front.
A small fleet of auxiliary ships serve as main line of defense.

The world was rebuilt and a strategic plan was launched to colonize the stars in an effort to safeguard humanity from extinction.  Massive colony ships containing an entire city were built and each was guided by a space fortress into the far reaches of the universe to find habitable planets.  Most of the Zentraedi were assimilated into human culture, but some pockets of resistance still existed.  These colony ships were a combination of both races and encountered new dangers in uncharted star territories.  Valkyrie and AI (artificial intelligence) technologies flourished.

The latest Valkyrie type is the VF-25 Messiah (shown with upgrade armor and
 reactive missiles) which has only been deployed in limited numbers to special
 groups within the fleets. Standard NUNS variable fighter is the VF-171 Nightmare

It's 47 years after the first encounter with the Zentraedi the colony fleet called Macross Frontier is travelling through space.  There is a New U.N. Spacy government (NUNS) which controls and coordinates between the colony fleets and planets.  They are visited by Sheryl Nome, a famous idol singer known as the "Galactic Fairy", who comes from the Macross Galaxy fleet.  Alto Saotome is the heir to a prestigious kabuki family, but has chosen to become a pilot instead in an effort to escape his rigid upbringing.  He is part of a group of aerialists who perform as part of Sheryl's concert on the Frontier.  During the concert a group of hostile alien lifeforms attack the fleet.  Alto saves the life of teenager Ranka Lee who is an aspiring singer.

Sheryl Nome's first concert on the Frontier with Alto flying aerial
acrobatics and Ranka watching in the crowd

The lifeforms are an incredibly deadly organism called the Vajra.  They continue to trouble the Frontier while Alto becomes friends with both Ranka and Sheryl.  Alto pilots a new VF-25 Messiah Valkyrie during a Vajra attack and later is accepted into a private military force known as the SMS (Strategic Military Force).  Both of his aerialist partners were secretly part of this group as well.  They are Mikhail Blanc, pilot of a VF-25G sniper type Valkyrie, and Luca Angelloni, pilot of a RVF-25 reconnaissance type Valkyrie with three Ghost drones.  The three pilots go to flight school together as well as serve with the SMS.

A swarm of Vajra spot the Frontier fleet.  They are deemed the first
Super Dimension Life Form due to their ability to fold space

Leader of the SMS squadron is ace pilot Ozma Lee who also happens to be Ranka's older brother.  He is very protective of her and gives Alto a very hard time for being her friend.  During the fierce battles with the Vajra it becomes clear the creatures are a potentially devastating threat to the entire fleet.  The Macross Galaxy later is assailed by a swarm of Vajra and Sheryl is stranded on the Frontier.  She and Alto become close friends despite her galactic fame.  She gives Ranka singing advice and she later joins a Miss Macross contest.  It soon becomes clear Ranka has real singing talent and her career begins.

Alto and Ranka become good friends. He is constantly folding paper airplanes

Something is not right within the NUNS government when it is revealed the Vajra have come into contact with the colony fleets before attacking the Frontier.  What is their strange link to Ranka and Sheryl's past?  Ozma's former lover, Catherine Glass, is the daughter of the Frontier's President and Ozma tries to get clues to the mystery surrounding the Vajra from her.  She is sent to keep tabs on the SMS which possess a small version of a Macross class space fortress called the Macross Quarter.  Vajra attacks become heavier and the Frontier's fleet is in real danger.

Ranka enters the Miss Macross contest and competes against
some majorly hot girls!  Does she even have a chance?

The true threat is slowly revealed as Alto must choose between supporting Sheryl or Ranka.  The SMS goes into action, but will the corruption plaguing the NUNS government stop them?  Will Ozma Lee's love of pineapple-cake spell his doom?  It's an epic continuation to the grand Macross story, but will humanity prevail?

Sheryl gets Alto to take her on a 'date' to see the sights of the Frontier

Pros: Complex story with several exciting plot twists, excellent variable (transforming) mecha designs (VF-25 Messiah, VF-171 Cannon Fodder, and Koenig Monster), Shoji Kawamori directs, incredible musical score and original songs (May'n!), pays homage to every Macross release that has come before, validates Macross Zero due to the addition of Mao Nome references and Bird-Human movie, excellent music by legendary Yoko Kanno!

The Frontier's colony dome closes to protect the city during a Vajra
attack.  A powerful pinpoint barrier system deflects any direct hits.

Cons: No official U.S. release (EVER, due to the Macross copyright dispute between Harmony Gold and Big West), CG rendering of mecha is pretty stiff, HK version subtitles are not great (some missed timing in later episodes), no English subtitles in the official Japanese release, Alto is a former Kabuki actor who was prized for his female portrayals (his hairstyle is very feminine) - ha!

One of the Vajra beams breaches the Frontier's protective dome

Mike Tells It Straight: This latest Macross series is absolutely incredible!  The sheer amount of production values present are staggering and I was quite impressed.  Shoji Kawamori and Studio Nue really pulled out all the stops to create this epic series.  It was released during the 25th anniversary of the original Macross series and firmly established a continuing legacy.  One of my first introductions to Japanese animation was the highly edited cartoon series Robotech from the 1980s.  It was spliced together from three separate anime series and Super Dimension Fortress Macross was the first season (Super Dimension Calvarly Southern Cross was the second and Genesis Climber Mospeada was the third).  I truly loved Robotech when it aired and later discovered the original series (shout out to Sean and Graham's MacrossWorld).  Due to a copyright conflict the original Macross owners Big West have with Robotech producers Harmony Gold it has been almost impossible to release Macross-related merchandise domestically.

Ranka and Alto discover a destroyed space fortress

Super Dimension Fortress Macross was developed into a movie called Macross: Do You Remember Love? (DYRL) which was a retelling (with better animation) of the original series.  It was wildly popular in Japan and had a cult following in the West thanks to Robotech.  DYRL had an epilogue released as an OVA (original video animation) called Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Flash Back 2012, a sequel OVA (released domestically as a movie) called Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lover's Again which was a resounding failure (lacked story involvement from Kawamori and Studio Nue - relegated to 'parallel' world status), a highly successful OVA (later spliced into a theatrical feature) called Macross Plus (this time Kawamori/Studio Nue were involved and the show was able to be released domestically), a 49-episode series called Macross 7, a movie and OVA series of Macross 7, a prequel OVA to the original series called Macross Zero, and then this series Macross Frontier.

Klan Klang is a macronized Meltran who leads the Pixie Squadron for the SMS.
  She and Mikhail are childhood friends, but they have never dated because
she turns into a child when micronized.  Bummer!

Macross is one of the most popular mecha anime series next to Mobile Suit Gundam, but with far less 'parallel world' and spinoff series in its production history.  Macross Frontier represents a major leap forward in storyline and evolution of production values, but managed to pay homage and includes almost every single preceding Macross story.  The love triangle between Alto, Sheryl, and Ranka hearkened back to the classic one with Hikaru, Minmay, and Misa from the original SDFM and DYRL.  Ranka works in a Chinese restaurant and competes in a Miss Macross contest just like Lynn Minmay in SDFM.  Ozma Lee is highly reminiscent of Roy Focker right down to enjoying pineapple deserts - will he suffer the same fate?  A movie called Bird-Human is produced on the Frontier and based on the events of Macross Zero.  Artificial intelligence plays a big role as it did in Macross Plus.  VF-17 Nightmares are the cannon fodder planes of the Frontier and first debuted in Macross 7.

The Macross Quarter goes to battle the oncoming Vajra swarm

Music is always a primary component to any Macross series and Frontier has incredible music.  Yoko Kanno is a preeminent anime soundtrack composer and was responsible for the epic Macross Plus soundtrack.  She returns to Macross and delivers another set of breathtaking songs.  Rising star singer May'n was the vocal talent for Sheryl Nome and her career has taken off after Frontier.  The voice of Ranka Lee was Megumi Nakajima who was discovered for Macross Frontier and has started a promising career.

Alto pilots his VF-25 against a mysterious VF-27 during a Vajra battle

Macross Frontier was a crossover media sensation and truly unforgettable chapter in the Macross franchise.  The characters were endearing and story contained all of the rich history built over the years.  Great music, awesome new mecha designs (VF-25, VF-27), complex plot, and spawned two compilation movies (slightly altered from the series and deemed 'alternate timeline') - The False Songstress and The Wings of Goodbye.  I'm a huge Macross fan and this series was an absolute treat.  Don't get me wrong, a few things didn't resonate with me - the mecha were all CG rendered (just like in Macross Zero and Aquarion) and felt it, some of the characters were lame, a few scenes of the Macross Quarter reminded me of old super-robot shows, and the ending could have been more definitive.  None of these nit-picks matter because seeing this amazing Macross series and being held at the edge of my seat was so much fun.

Sheryl falls mysteriously ill and Grace, her singing manager, gives her
an unknown medicine to make her better.  What is the shocking
secret behind her ailment?

It breaks my heart to say this series will probably never see a domestic release due to the Robotech/Harmony Gold copyright issues.  With the advent of Blu-Ray and new region assignments putting Japan and the US in Region A I really wish Japanese companies would add English subtitles or dub to their releases.  I would literally kill to have an official (not HK bootleg) Macross Frontier Blu-Ray set with English subs!  As of this post the new BD box set is not going to have subs or a dub (the only Japanese BD Macross release I know of with subs or dub is Macross Plus BD).  I had to resort to getting this series as an HK bootleg in order to watch it, but find it any way you can and check it out!  Highest possible recommendation!

Sheryl and Ranka sing together for the survival of the Frontier!

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Aquarion Anime Review

Aquarion
Genesis of Aquarion also Sousei no Aquarion
Funimation
Complete Collection - 4 discs
650 mins. - 26 episodes
$29.98 (2010) S.A.V.E.
$69.98 (2009)
$59.98 (2008) Parts 1-2/ea.
ISBN 704400045790
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Shoji Kawamori
Studio - Satelight

Synopsis: 11 years ago a great catastrophe befell mankind as the Shadow Angels awakened from their 12,000-year slumber.  Before their sleep they ruled the planet from the city of Atlandia (the basis of the mythical lost city of Atlantis) and harvested humans for their life force, or prana.  Humans, called 'the wingless ones' by the Shadow Angels, were merely a source of sustenance and treated as livestock.  One of the Shadow Angels, called Apollonius, fell in love with a human woman, the warrior Celiane, and turned on his kind to free the humans from their oppressors.

Apollonius (red hair) falls in love with the human Celiane

The angel Toma loved Apollonius and was deeply betrayed by his rebellion.  He vows revenge and leads the Shadow Angels in a final harvest of humankind.  They attack cities using a harmonic song to entrance humans and collect them in massive harvest beasts to be deposited in the Shadow Angels' Tree of Life.  Their ultimate goal is to restart their species by feeding enough prana to the Tree.  Any resistance is crushed by cherubim soldiers, giant mecha with powerful weapons and abilities.

The angel Toma vows revenge for being rejected by Apollonius

Conventional weapons are meaningless against the Shadow Angels and their incredible tools.  Only the Division of Earth Vitalization Advancement (DEAVA) has any success putting up a fight.  Their commander, Gen Fudou, discovered an ancient technology created by Apollonius and Celiane which allows humans to pilot three incredible flying machines, called Vectors.  The machines combine to form the giant fighting robot Aquarion which amplifies the souls of it's pilots.

Reika pilots Vector Luna and coordinates with Sirius and Glen

Each of the Vectors are distinct and form a different version of Aquarion when a different one is at the head:

1. Vector Luna forms Aquarion Luna - green, quick and agile, forms bow and arrow for long-range attacks, favorite Vector of Silvia de Alisia
2. Vector Mars forms Aquarion Mars - blue, very fast, forms a sword, has long legs to perform kicks, favorite Vector of Sirius de Alisia and Pierre Vieira
3. Vector Sol forms Solar Aquarion - red, the true form of Aquarion, a perfect balance of the three Vectors, can manifest "Solar Wings" on its back, mostly used for fighting attacks, 

Solar Aquarion battles a cherubim soldier

Only special individuals called Elements are able to pilot the Vectors.  The pilots' souls make up the final component to form Aquarion and the three must be in harmonic unison for a successful "merge".  The merge infuses the Elements and Vectors with immense power to fuel Aquarion.  Each Element feels the power boost as a euphoric (almost orgasmic) release.

The base for Aquarion complete with ancient ruins and a barrier field

The Elements are all teenagers from around the world who are trained to become pilots in the secret DEAVA base:

• Apollo is a street urchin discovered by DEAVA Elements Silvia and Pierre during a harvest by the Shadow Angels.  Apollo lived with a ragtag bunch of orphans who acted like a family before being entranced and abducted by a harvest beast.  He vows revenge and exhibits uncanny piloting abilities without any training to pilot Vector Sol.  He can even trigger the merge to Solar Aquarion.  It's thought Apollo is the reincarnated Apollonius.  His sense of smell is heightened and he seems almost feral at times.  
• Silvia de Alisia is the capricious daughter of a noble family and looks up to her brother Sirius.  She has the power of psychokinesis and is a skilled Vector pilot.  It's thought she is the reincarnation of Celiane and therefore will be in love with the reincarnation of Apollonius, but despises Apollo's low upbringing and crude manners.  
• Sirius de Alisia is the elder brother of Silvia and last heir of the noble Alisia family.  He is the epitome of refinement and culture.  An expert swordsman and the most skilled Vector pilot, Sirius appreciates elegance and immensely dislikes Apollo's constant sniffing.  Sirius is thought to be the reincarnation of Apollonius until Apollo shows up.  Sirius remains detached from the other Elements and eats all of his meals alone.  
• Pierre Vieira is a young soccer player from San Jose, Chile.  His entire soccer team was harvested and he hates the Shadow Angels.  He's one of the top Vector pilots, an insatiable ladies' man, and specializes in powerful kick attacks.  Despite being hot-blooded he displays surprising maturity when giving his friends advice.
• Reika Ko has incredibly bad luck and strong psychic abilities.  Despite her penchant for misfortune she is a top Vector pilot and one of the few people Sirius considers a friend.  
• Glen Anderson is friends with both Reika and Sirius.  He's a top Vector pilot as well, but suffers a grave injury during the mission when Apollo is discovered.    
• Jun Lee is a science nerd and otaku.  He is an unparalleled inventor and has the ability to sense how things work around him.  Although not very skilled at physical combat maneuvers he has a strong will and never gives up.  He is one of the rookie Elements new to the DEAVA team
• Tsugumi Rosenmeier is timid and another rookie Element along with Jun.  She loves old mechanics and Jun instantly finds an interest in her.  She passionately idolizes Reika and has a secret power which haunts her.  She is short with a surprisingly large and well-hidden bust.  
• Kurt and Chloe Klick are fraternal twins with a telepathic link.  They are ideal background support members, but also good Vector pilots.  Chloe is a target for Pierre's advances (she's a girl and breathing after all)
• Rena Rune is a mysterious, wheelchair-bound, and blind girl who apparently can read the auras of people.  She exhibits strange powers and a proclivity for drinking blood.  Combined with her pale complexion it is hinted she may be vampiric in nature.

The different forms and components of Aquarion - from top left and
clockwise Aquarion Mars, Solar Aquarion, Aquarion Luna, Vector
Luna, Vector Sol, and Vector Mars 

DEAVA and the Elements are challenged by the angel Toma with each successive battle posing a newly designed threat.  Commander Fudou acts as sage and mentor to the team giving them special training lessons to prepare for each new test.  Events are building to a crescendo which will determine the fate of the entire human race.  Can the stubborn Elements unify and energize Aquarion to save the day?

Apollo is thought to be the reincarnated Apollonius

Pros: Yoko Kanno does the soundtrack (Macross Plus, Cowboy Bebop), some good theme songs (particularly 2nd opening theme "Go Tight" and ending theme "Omna Magni"), Shoji Kawamori directs (Super-Dimensional Fortress Macross, Macross Plus), great visuals - mecha designs for the combining elements of Aquarion, character designs, backgrounds, Apollo reminded me of a young Wolverine from the X-Men (especially the constant sniffing), couple good plot twists at the end, doesn't take itself too seriously

Silvia experiences a particularly good 'merge'

Cons: Shadow Angels are bland villains, Cherubim Soldier mecha designs are boring, too many training episodes, story drags on for 3/4 of the series until the final few episodes, felt like a mash-up of a bunch of different shows (Evangelion, Rahxephon, Getter Robo), a lot of goofy episodes

Silvia, Apollo, and Sirius get fired up fighting the Shadow Angels

Mike Tells It Straight: Aquarion felt like a mash-up compilation of many different mecha shows.  It contains every stereotypical character and plot element of the giant robot genre.  Giant mecha piloted by angsty, young adults must save the human race from an evil alien force.  The rascally underdog hero Apollo, ice princess Silvia who is too good for everyone, pompous noble Sirius, and cryptic sage Fudou were all pretty standard.

Toma plots another attack with fellow angel Otoha

The combiner robot aspect with the Vectors creating different Aquarions was pretty cool.  All of the computer graphic elements of the mecha battles were top notch.  Kawamori is a master of mecha (having been involved with both Macross Plus and Escaflowne) and the Aquarion robot is impressively complicated.

Solar Aquarion gets ready to throw down!

The visuals and music were great, but I felt like this show fell a bit flat.  The heroes and villains weren't really bad ass enough at any point.  It had too many goofy training episodes.  I think they were meant to help us get attached to the characters, but felt formulaic and monster-of-the-week.  The theological angle with the angels has been done before in both Evangelion and Rahxephon.  Aquarion didn't bring anything new here except maybe Kawamori's environmental comment at the end with the Tree of Life.

Silvia, Apollo, and Sirius merge

Speaking of the ending, it felt rushed and I didn't really mind seeing a few characters bite the dust.  Guess it was a bit of redemption for some.  I get it Kawamori, you're making a homage to all the great vintage combiner mecha shows of the past, but not taking it too seriously because they were all a bit ridiculous after all.  Nice touch with the orgasmic merging and gimmick moves.  I can give Aquarion a fair recommendation for being a slick-looking mecha show with nice music.

Solar Aquarion powers up

The story was kind of a let-down with delusions of grandeur and mediocre pacing.  I expected more from it and usually really enjoy this type of show (giant robots smashing things and all).  A quasi-sequel was released called Aquarion Evol which stars a whole new cast of characters and some reincarnated versions of old ones.  It focuses more on comedy and fan-service, but answers some questions left by the first series.

Solar Aquarion manifests 'Solar Wings'

TO BUY and Recommendations:
   

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory Anime Review

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory
Bandai Entertainment
Complete Collection - 4 discs
325 mins. - 13 episodes
$49.98 (2009)
$49.98 (2005)
$14.98 (2004) Vol. 1 to 4 ea.
$29.98 (2002) Vol. 1 to 4 ea.
ISBN 669198804670
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Mitsuko Kase/Takashi Imanishi
Studio - Sunrise

Synopsis: It has been several years since the spacenoid (people born/living in space on massive artificial colonies) uprising by the Principality of Zeon was defeated by the Earth Federation.  Zeon initiated the One Year War (OYW) in Universal Century 0079 by dropping a space colony on Sydney, Australia causing massive devastation and casualties.  During the OYW a special mobile suit was developed called the Gundam which gave the Federation an edge against their Zeon opponents. 

Anavel Gato smirks as he boards Unit 2 on the Albion

On the remote Torrington base in Australia two prototype Gundam mobile suits arrive for land-based testing.  They are transported on the assault carrier Albion and accompanied by head engineer Nina Purpleton from Anaheim Electronics.  The base is home to a group of test pilots led by Lt. South Burning, a veteran of the OYW and nearing the age of retirement from field combat.  Kou Uraki and Chuck Keith are two young test pilots at the base who become fascinated by the Gundam prototypes upon their arrival.

Unit 2 powers up with Gato at the controls

Gundam "Unit 1" (GP01) and "Unit 2" (GP02) are advanced mobile suits with decidedly different purposes.  Unit 1 is an upgrade to the original Gundam developed in the OYW while Unit 2 is a heavily armored suit built to withstand a nuclear blast at close range.  Unit 2 is also equipped to carry a nuclear powered weapon which violates the Antarctic Treaty banning the use of nuclear weapons in warfare due to the scope of their destructive power.

Unit 1 and Unit 2 clash in the fog as Gato makes his getaway

After the OYW the remnants of the Zeon forces retreated to an asteroid colony called Axis, but a select few went underground and hid from the Federation.  Among these are Vice-Admiral Aigulle Delaz, who commands the Delaz fleet and was present at the final battle at Solomon (the former Zeon stronghold).  Under his command is Lt. Commander Anavel Gato, also known as the "Nightmare of Solomon" for his fearsome piloting skills during the Battle of Solomon.  In addition Commander Cima Garahau, who commands the Cima fleet, joins forces with Delaz at the protests of Gato.  He believes she lacks any true conviction to the principles of Zeon and doesn't trust her.

Delaz announces the resurrection of Zeon with Gato by
his side and the stolen Unit 2 behind them

Delaz puts into motion a daring mission to resurrect Zeon and deal a crushing blow to the Federation - it's called Operation Stardust!  He dispatches Gato to steal Unit 2 and a nuclear warhead to power it's nuclear arsenal.  During the "Gundamjack" Kou ends up piloting Unit 1 against Gato - the "Nightmare of Solomon" vs. a rookie pilot.  The Albion launches into space to follow Gato and Unit 2 in order to recover it before the nuke can be used.  Despite being a rookie, Kou becomes the pilot of Unit 1 and develops a relationship with the Nina.

Unit 1 ready for combat duty in the hold of the Albion

Kou is put to the test as he witnesses the horrors of war and death firsthand.  Does Nina care more about recovering Unit 2 or Kou?  What is the true face of Operation Stardust and why does the Federation pull support from the Albion?  Will Gato crush Unit 1 and Kou?  Was Gato right about Cima?  What about Unit 3?  It's a devastating thrill ride as the ghost of Zeon rears it's head to strike once more at the Federation!

The last working mobile suits at a secret underground Zeon
base stage a daring assault to help Gato escape

Pros: Great mecha designs by legendary designers Shoji Kawamori (Super Dimensional Fortress Macross) and Hajime Katoki (many, many Gundam series: V Gundam, G Gundam, and Gundam Wing Endless Waltz), slick and highly detailed animation, excellent mobile suit battles (both on land and in space), no Newtypes (typically spacenoids who have developed mild psychic abilities allowing them to pilot mobile suits with more skill than non-Newtypes and some clairvoyance) with convenient abilities to make them invincible in battle, the bad guys are pretty cool

Unit 1 fitted for space combat performs maneuvers with
the GM's stationed on the Albion

Cons: Character interactions are immature - Kou is a whiny kid apt to throw temper tantrums (in a big toy Gundam) and veteran mobile suit pilot Monsha was the worst with his constant over-the-top lecherous behavior, the relationship between Nina and Kou was confusing and frustrating

Monsha gets shot down by Nina in another failed attempt to get a date

Mike Tells It Straight: Gundam is a major anime franchise and has a complicated timeline starting with the original series Mobile Suit Gundam (MSG) in the fictional Universal Century 0079 (actual year of release was 1979).  The sequel to MSG was Zeta Gundam (ZG) which took place in U.C. 0087-88 (released in 1985) and Stardust Memory (released 1990) fills in some of the backstory between the two series.  In ZG the Federation had become a group called the Titans and we get to find out why this happened as the Zeon launch one final, brutal assault.  

The Albion rushes to save a space colony from disaster

0083 had some really great character moments and held to the roots of MSG's message - the cost of war is brutal and terrifying.  We get to see the ragtag Zeon forces who held out for three years after the end of the OYW with only their burning ideals to keep them going.  In contrast the Federation forces are shown as uncaring bureaucrats with no true ideals except hollow shows of power.  It's obvious the writers wanted us to see the Federation in this light and to root for the Zeon as underdogs.

Gato pilots the powerful mobile armor the Neue Ziel

Delaz and Gato hold to their ideals of liberating spacenoids from Federation oppression with Kou contrasted as the naive rookie without any true ideals of his own.  The bad guys were the real highlight of this show along with the mecha.  The animated battles were great and mobile suit/armor designs by Kawamori are incredible (they're still considered classics today).  They still hold up today and are a treat for any mecha fan.  Unfortunately the character designs and personalities were lacking as they don't really make sense all the time.

Unit 3 outfitted with the Dendrobium bursts into action

I swear Gato's hair changed from white to blonde and back again. Having two directors shook the consistency as the viewer can tell subtle differences between the first seven and last six episodes (split between the two directors).  Interactions between the crew and pilots on the Albion were ridiculously immature (rivalry between Monsha and Kou as a prime example).  No Newtype action to be seen (original MSG director Yoshiyuki Tomino pushed the theme of Newtypes in almost all Gundam series he was involved in) and thank goodness.  I always felt it was a convenient way to explain why Amuro Ray never lost in the original series.

Space combat - what is the Federation building in the background?

Overall Stardust Memory stands as a decent mecha show with awesome battles and some memorable war scenes.  It's very dramatic and a solid entry to the Gundam universe.  The characters and their interactions are the low point to the show as they can be quite annoying at times.  I thought the message was conveyed fairly well and enjoyed the roller coaster ride through to the end despite the weak characterizations.  The GP03 with Dendrobium armor and Neue Ziel mobile armor were worth it alone.

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Macross Plus Anime Review

Macross Plus

Manga Entertainment
Complete Collection - 2 discs
180 mins. - 4 episodes
$39.98 (2005)
$29.95 (1999) Pts 1+2
$29.95 (1999) Pts 3+4
ISBN 013138200693
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Shoji Kawamori/Shinichiro Watanabe
Studio - Triangle Staff

Synopsis: It's the year 2040 and humanity has spread across the galaxy in the three decades since their first interstellar war with the Zentraedi.  On the planet Eden the U.N. Spacy is developing a new generation of valkyrie fighters to replace the VF-11 Thunderbolt. 

Kinda says it all, huh?

In deep space the reckless, but incredibly talented pilot Isamu Dyson is reassigned to planet Eden as the new test pilot for the YF-19 advanced variable fighter.  He's originally from Eden and his return is a homecoming after many years.  The rival test plane competing to usurp the VF-11 is the YF-21 piloted by Guld Bowman, Isamu's former childhood friend.  The two suffered a falling out prior to their leaving Eden to join the U.N. Spacy and harbor bitter resentments. 

Myung gets between the two former friends Guld and Isamu

Adding fuel to the fire is the simultaneous return of Myung Lone, the current producer of Sharon Apple, the galaxy's most popular music sensation and first A.I. (artificial intelligence, i.e. computer) star.  Myung is the former friend of both pilots and the cause of their falling out.  Tensions run high as the two men battle on the test field and for Myung's affections. 

The YF-21 and YF-19 battle it out on the test ground

Sharon's concert on Eden becomes a catalyst for dire events concerning the three reunited friends.  Myung sacrificed her singing career to become the voice behind Sharon until her (or its) A.I. can be perfected.  A dangerous bio-component is added to Sharon's hardware causing her to become unstable and a final concert/showdown on Earth ushers in the final resolution to the friends' conflict.  Now Macross City and the dormant Macross are ground zero for a defining battle between former friends and lovers.

Sharon Apple revives the Macross

Pros: Incredible new Valkyrie designs (at the time) for the VF-11B/YF-19/YF-21; soundtrack by Yoko Kanno is probably the best I've heard in an anime (runners up are Cowboy Bebop, Wolf's Rain and Ghost in the Shell - all composed by Kanno as well), fascinating love triangle between Isamu/Myung/Guld (well, guess it's a quadrangle if you include Sharon), great use of CG for a 15-year-old+ anime
Cons: Characters designs by MASAYUKI didn't blow me away - the faces were too angular (especially Guld with his weird 'cheek chops'), it's too short!

Isamu enters Earth's atmosphere

Mike Tells It Straight: Shoji Kawamori and Studio Nue revive the Macross franchise in 1994 after the critical failure of Macross II in 1992 (which lacked both Kawamori and Studio Nue).  Often called the 'Top Gun' of anime this show is a spectacular showcase of imaginative variable airplane mecha, incredible soundtrack, and intense emotional characterization.  Easily one of my favorite anime of all time and a true classic.  I'm very biased due to growing up with Robotech (the American bastardization of Super Dimension Fortress Macross) as a major influence.

Guld and Isamu get up close and personal

Some people may complain about the love triangle detracting from the action and slowing down the pace, but sorry folks, the story is really about these three people's lives and the resolution of their childhood dreams.  Myung gave up her dreams to become the voice and talent behind Sharon Apple, Guld suppresses the violent nature of his Zentraedi heritage, and Isamu stays pretty much the same - a self-destructive, thrill-seeker with no consideration to the consequences.

Guld and the YF-21 battle the Ghost X-9

It's a beautiful thrill ride of mecha action while Isamu and Guld battle for supremacy on the test battlefield, but countered with emotionally charged music from Myung and Sharon Apple.  Garnered enough interest in Macross to produce a television series/OVA/movie Macross 7 (now that's a review for another day) and eventually the current Macross Frontier efforts.  Absolutely worth checking out if you like mecha, airplanes, or music. 

The Movie Edition has a few differences and I'll hopefully get a review of it up soon (check the 'browse by franchise' section for Macross).

TO BUY and Recommendations: