When it comes to mecha anime of the 1980s and 1990s, Macross is a series that cannot be missed. It spans multiple titles and tells many stories from the varied perspectives of its vast array of characters. Even among the many tales spun and brought to life in numerous anime, “Macross: Do You Remember Love?” is a movie that stands out.
The Movie “Macross: Do You Remember Love?” goes by multiple other names; “Clash of the Bionoids,” “Gekijouban Choujikuu Yousai Macross: Ai,” “Oboete Imasu ka,” “Macross in Clash Of The Bionoids,” “Super Dimensional Fortress Macross The Movie: Do You Remember Love?” and “Choujikuu Yousai Macross: Ai Oboete Imasuka.”
This movie is an alternative version of the main Macross TV anime series, consisting of 36 episodes in total, which aired back in Fall 1982. This is the Prequel to the “Macross II: Lovers Again” OVA series consisting of 6 episodes in total, which aired in May 1992. A Summary OVA Special episode for “Macross: Do You Remember Love?” aired on 21st June 1987, titled “Macross FlashBack 2012”.
“Macross: Do You Remember Love?” is a single movie that aired on 7th July 1984. It was produced by Mainichi Broadcasting System, Studio Nue, and Big West and brought to life by two Studios, Artland and Tatsunoko Production. It is an original movie featuring Action, Mecha, Military, Music, Romance, Sci-Fi, and Space. It is rated PG-13 for Teens 13 years of age or older. The team behind the movie consists of Kawamori Shouji (Director and Mechanical Design), Akiyama Katsuhito (Director), Ishiguro Noboru (Director), and Itano Ichirou (Storyboard, Animation Director, Key Animation and In-Between Animation).
The iconic spacecraft of Macross had warped light-years away from its home planet Earth, and it carries within it a whole city of civilians and soldiers eager to get back home. These people are continuously faced with battles to fight off the threats posed by the Zentradi and Meltrandi, who are giant alien races against whom humanity is seemingly forever waging war.
Amid these heated battles, the Macross transforms into a giant mecha operated by the fighter pilot on board the ship, named Hikaru Ichijou. He is thrust into multiple hardships on this fateful journey, leading him to grow closer and closer to the city's idol star named Minmay Lynn. As their relationship progressively develops, it starts to face certain obstructions. It begins to be viewed as an unfavorable relationship by others, mainly due to Minmay's higher social status and growing popularity.
The war is relentless and continues to rage on, while the state of Earth itself remains unknown to the main characters. Regardless, Hikaru and his brave fellow soldiers of the Macross keep fighting against their mysterious enemies day after day. Throughout all the bloodshed and hardship, the budding couple Hikaru and Minmay do their very best to keep holding onto their feelings for each other. All the while, Minmay continues to pour her whole heart into her music, which may just turn out to be the key to finding peace.
The story of “Macross: Do You Remember Love?” doesn't begin where the series does. There is no established beginning. Yet the events leading up to its start had happened, unseen to viewers. Hikaru is already a Valkyrie pilot, and Minmay is already a star, though yet to develop a relationship. By sheer coincidence and pulls on the strings of fate, their bonding encounter inside the engines of the Macross occurs. When the two are granted freedom, they become the unfortunate targets of tabloids.
It doesn’t take long for people to start gossiping over what might have transpired while the two were stuck. The female Zentradi, Meltlandi, are recognized as an altogether different faction of the war. The theme of the fated love triangle is still there, but Hikaru’s coming of age story is not that emphasized. Because the story is told over the span of a single movie, elements like Max’s and Milia’s relationship are only slightly nodded to and not officially established or developed.
The main characters from the series are all present and still share the same fates but under different circumstances and situations. Familiarity with the original series is not required to understand this movie either. The characterization is pretty faithful, but it gives viewers a different ending, with its distinctive approach to the origins of the Zentradi. The overall effect is a movie that is semi-original in its own right.
The Art and animation of the series are pretty good. There are added new footage in the movie, updated designs, and enhanced animation quality, making it overall theatrical. Despite its age, the animation is quite impressive. The film is in high resolution, while the series was more grainy when it came to the quality. The movie is overall brighter with the resolution, but even then succeeds in keeping its darker tones. The Zentradi characters, in particular, have a much more updated appearance.
They look more alien-like and not as humanoid as in the TV series. They are now portrayed with darker colors and are also re-designed altogether. Minmay’s concerts are another highlight, as they are great to watch and possess excellent elaboration. The Mecha designs are the same as the series, but the execution of the action is more perfected, being more exciting and evenly spread out. The city inside the SDF-1 is excellently detailed, and all the battle scenes here are a sight to behold.
The Sounds and Music of the Movie are also well done. Much of the music from the TV series is still present within it. The title screen greets viewers with an instrumental version of the Opening Theme Song from the TV series. The music was great in its own right and didn’t need much changing, as it is a nice balance of nostalgia and originality.
But some additions to the main theme, Do You Remember Love, would've been welcome. This iconic song is almost immortal in its wake. Shao Bai Lo is also sung in the series and is an incredible love song. Calling it hypnotic with beautiful lyrics is no understatement. The Opening theme is "Prologue" by Kentarou Haneda, and the Ending theme is “ Tenshi no Enogu (An Angel's Paints)" by Mari Iijima.
As for the Voice Acting, the Japanese voice cast retains more or less the same voice actors from the series, which is a plus point. Another notable addition is that they gave the Zentradi their own language, which is subtitled to Japanese and then to English, which is a very neat addition that makes much more sense too. It is just more realistic, logical, and practical in the grand scheme of things. They are also given the echo sound effect, and this is well-modulated too.
The TV series was a huge success, and this is true even to date. The Macross series steps above many other Mecha anime of the era by making subtle changes between the series and the movies, making either feel more refreshing. Certain characters who were centered in the series are not given that much attention to in the movie, the best example being Max. He has his nice-guy guy personality and looks very much like a nerd, but his piloting skills are shown to be superior to Hikaru’s.
However, when it comes to experience, Roy takes the cake, which outperforms skills and natural talent altogether. This part isn’t the same as the series and is just more of a retelling, but it is distinctive in terms of its art and animation styles and music. The plot itself is not so strong in “Macross: Do You Remember Love?” but it surely boasts some very engaging and entertaining aspects. The characters are established already from the onset, and what awaits viewers is mainly the relationship development. This is one of the most central factors of the movie. Besides that, viewers are guaranteed good action and adventure!
