Super Dimension Fortress Macross

Super Dimension Fortress Macross

Mecha anime had always been legendary in their respective runs, be it in the past decades or the new generation. Mobile Suit Gundam and Evangelion franchises set the standard for Mecha anime far and wide, and their influence on anime of this genre is evident even today. Many series followed Mobile Suit Gundam’s lead back in the day, and Super Dimensional Fortress Macross was one such iconic series.

The English title for the series is Macross, and its alternatively known as Choujikuu Yousai Macross, Cho Jiku Yosai Macross, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, SDF Macross, and Robotech (U.S.). The TV series spanned 36 episodes.

It started airing on October 3rd, 1982, and ran until June 26th, 1983, premiering as a Fall 1982 anime. Producers Artland, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Studio Nue, and Anime Friend, working in conjunction with Studio Tatsunoko Production, brought the series to life with Licensors ADV aid Films and AnimEigo. This original series falls under Action, Mecha, Military, Music, Romance, Sci-Fi, and Space. It is rated PG 13 for Teens and older audiences.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross is adapted from the Light Novel titled Macross: My Fair Minmay ~ Dreaming Prelude and the manga Choujikuu Yousai Macross: The First. Its prequel is the anime Macross Zero, and a sequel in the form of an OVA Macross Plus has been released. An alternate movie version of the series, titled Macross: “Do You Remember Love?” was released in 1894. An OVA titled “Macross FlashBack 2012” features a summary of the series. Two special episodes titled Macross XX and Mini-Chara Macross (a Chibi special) are available for the series’s avid fans.

The story follows humanity as they realize that they are not alone in the universe following the crash of a mysterious spaceship on Earth. Fearing the immense threats posed by Aliens, people across the world decide to push aside their nationalism, conflicting interests, religions, cultural differences, and races to unite under the one single banner of the United Nations.

This newly fostered United Nations Government (UNG) took the initiative to repurpose the alien spaceship for their use, christening it the SDF-1 Macross, the series’s titular ship. On the fateful day of the Macross’s maiden voyage, a fleet of Alien Spaceships under the flag of a race of Aliens known as the “Zentradi” descended upon earth.

The dormant systems aboard the SDF-1 Macross make the rash decision of shooting down the incoming squadron, acting on its own accord. This, unfortunately, sparks an intergalactic war between the two races.

In a desperate attempt to escape, the Macross tries to launch itself into the Moon’s orbit. Still, the spaceship, along with the city, gets teleported into the far reaches of space. Tangled up in the middle of this huge mess is the central trio of characters; a free-spirited aerobatic pilot named Hikaru Ichijou, an aspiring singer named Minmay Lynn, and UN Spacy Officers' Academy graduate Misa Hayase.

Together with the remaining crew of the Macross, they embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey filled with grief and drama, an experience that pits them face-first with the grim horrors and cruelties of the war they experience along the way.

The Story of Macross is mainly split into two main arcs: episodes 1 to 27 and the second from episodes 28 to 36. While the first arc more or less covers the main storyline. The second arc is not very necessary to the main plotline itself, but it gives the viewers closure and a cleaner conclusion. It ties up some loose ends left behind as well as solidly establishes individual character relationships.

Overall, the story has some intense depth to it, flows pretty smoothly, and proceeds in a well-planned, balanced manner. The series is unique in its own right, and viewers are less likely to find it to be a rip-off or copy, with little to no similarities with other popular titles of the genres featured. Each episode is unique and essential, fulfilling a particular purpose in the storyline. Towards the end, the overall series feels well thought out. While Romance is one of the featured genres, it has a clear start and an end, with very little fluff in between.

The opening theme is "マクロス (Macross)" by Makoto Fujiwara, and the ending is "ランナー (Runner)" by the same artist from episode 1 to 35. The same ending theme by Mari Iijima is played in the final episode 36. As for the other music and soundtracks in the anime, bear in mind that this is a pretty old series. Regardless, the sounds accompanying the fighters into battle and the Vulcan gun’s classic rumble are interwoven into the scene so well.

The voice-overs are all great as well. The main highlights of this series are the Mecha, romance, and singing. Lynn Minmay does not fail in delivering her occasional vocal concert as an aspiring singer. Her iconic song “My Boyfriend is a Pilot” takes a special place amongst all her songs and would probably get stuck in viewers’ heads for a while. These songs are a vital part of the series and are very enjoyable.

As for the series’s artwork, this is a very old anime, and it is very well seen in the art. One should not expect the art and animation to be as great as newer shows of the same genre. A few scenes were reused as well, like one of the Zentraedi ships being destroyed, which is quite noticeable. But looking at the bigger picture, the art aged well.

The character designs are pretty good, and the scenery is very admirable. As for the Mechas, both protagonists (VTs) and the antagonists look pretty cool. There is also a greater sense of realism in them because they look like what real-world earth’s Mechas could potentially look like in the future. Unlike many other Mecha anime, these Mechas don't look that unrealistic and over-the-top.

The characters are a highlight of this series and are pretty great overall. The love triangle in the series is one of its most essential aspects, and it flows well with the rest of the events in the story. Like with certain Shojo anime, viewers might find themselves thinking along the lines of “Just decide already!” in sheer frustration over the characters’ actions.

These character interactions and interrelationships are pivotal to the story and contribute significantly to the series’s emotional aspects. Besides the main characters, other notable characters include Roy Focker (Command of the VF-1 Skull Squadron aboard the CVS-101 Prometheus), Maximilian Jenius (UN Spacy member), and Bruno J. Global (Commander of the Macross).

The Macross series is like a more free-style romantic version of Mobile Suit Gundam. In contrast, it has a more enthusiastic cast and a happy-go-lucky vibe surrounding it. The characters and the viewers get to cool down and let off some steam regularly in the Interior City within the Macross, giving it an overall positive aura. This is a great series, highly recommended for Mecha fans, sturdily built around its characters with great characterization and a good beginning and a clean ending to the series.

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Super Dimensional Fortress Macrass ADV Rnglish Dub