Macross vs. Robotech: Part 1 - "10 Differences in the First 10 Minutes"
This is the first entry in Animation Unlimited's Macross vs. Robotech series of posts.
Perhaps I'm just an ubergeek, but ever since I watched Robotech for the first time, I've wondered what the real differences were between the Macross Saga in Robotech and the original Macross: Super Dimensional Fortress. Sure, you can find some information on how the Macross story was changed so that it would fit into the greater Robotech Saga (I won't rehash how they made Robotech here, you can read about it in the Robotech FAQ), but I've never been satisfied with the descriptions I Googled or Yahoo!ed.
Now, after over a dozen years, I finally get my chance. As I said in an earlier post, I bought the subtitled version of Macross in its original form. It's the remaster that was released by AnimEigo a few years ago, and they used to be more expensive than I care to think about. The DVDs arrived from Rightstuf yesterday.
I'll be watching the Robotech DVDs first as I am more familiar with that format, then I'll view the Macross DVDs for comparison. As we get deeper and deeper I'll give spoiler warnings, but for now I'm not giving much away. I only got to watch the first two episodes of Macross SDF last night, and there are differences - and in some ways they are a bit more heavy-duty than I expected. It actually feels like a completely different show. Within the first 10 minutes of the first episode, I wrote down 10 changes I thought noteworthy. I guess I should not be surprised, purists have often said Macross is better, but I am by no means a purist - I'll say just say different for now.
So, without further ado, here is:
Macross vs. Robotech: Part 1 - "10 Differences in the First 10 Minutes"
The bonus change stretches it a little past ten minutes, but you get the idea. Although at its core, Robotech The Macross Saga is very similar to the original, there are some fundamental changes in tone that make Macross: Super Dimensional Fortress very different. Heck, Gloval calls the Macross a "terrible ship" when the anti-gravity fails... I wonder what he is going to say when all hell breaks loose! It's going to be interesting to see how this pans out, and I'll be sure to let you know what I think of it all.
Perhaps I'm just an ubergeek, but ever since I watched Robotech for the first time, I've wondered what the real differences were between the Macross Saga in Robotech and the original Macross: Super Dimensional Fortress. Sure, you can find some information on how the Macross story was changed so that it would fit into the greater Robotech Saga (I won't rehash how they made Robotech here, you can read about it in the Robotech FAQ), but I've never been satisfied with the descriptions I Googled or Yahoo!ed.Now, after over a dozen years, I finally get my chance. As I said in an earlier post, I bought the subtitled version of Macross in its original form. It's the remaster that was released by AnimEigo a few years ago, and they used to be more expensive than I care to think about. The DVDs arrived from Rightstuf yesterday.
I'll be watching the Robotech DVDs first as I am more familiar with that format, then I'll view the Macross DVDs for comparison. As we get deeper and deeper I'll give spoiler warnings, but for now I'm not giving much away. I only got to watch the first two episodes of Macross SDF last night, and there are differences - and in some ways they are a bit more heavy-duty than I expected. It actually feels like a completely different show. Within the first 10 minutes of the first episode, I wrote down 10 changes I thought noteworthy. I guess I should not be surprised, purists have often said Macross is better, but I am by no means a purist - I'll say just say different for now.
So, without further ado, here is:
Macross vs. Robotech: Part 1 - "10 Differences in the First 10 Minutes"
- There is no background music when the battlefortress falls to Earth. It's funny, with as many times as I have seen the Robotech version, I got very used to it being there ... it was even playing in my head when I watched this version. Without the music, the scenes are more understated ... and it's more powerful when the cities are destroyed by the ship's shockwave. In general, there is much less background music throughout the show. It will take some getting used to.
- There is not a running narration, only a short one at the beginning of the episode ... and the narrator is female instead of male. I think I'll like this better.
- In Macross, wars broke out because the UN was trying to unify the planet against an extraterrestrial threat and many countries wanted to stay independent. This was known as "The Unification Wars." In Robotech, the coming of the battle fortress put an end to war on the planet. It's completely opposite.
- The opening theme song is a dramatic male solo, nothing like the Robotech opening. I might like the Robotech one better.
- The Mayor laments the loss of the Macross and what it is going to mean for the town. It's minor, but in the Robotech version everyone is excited about the launch. This shows a more capitalistic view of Macross city.
- On the way to the battlefortress, the Senator asks Captain Gloval (not Global as in Robotech) if he has a hangover! Wait, I thought this was rated 13+ and Robotech was rated 15+? I think the ratings are reversed. This is the first of many instances of much more "Adult" humor in the Macross version. A similar conversation about drinking happens among the bridge crew aboard the Macross.
- This is not a surprise, but as alluded to above, the names are all different. I won't go into it here as it has been talked about extensively elsewhere, but all the names in Robotech were sufficiently Americanized when they made the show. It will take some getting used to.
- Hikaru calls Roy, Sempai (an honorific meaning elder or mentor), instead of Big Brother. This makes perfect sense given their relationship.
... and 10. Ok, this one counts as two changes since it involves two characters. Hikaru Ichijyo (Rick Hunter) and Roy Fokker's characters are a little different in this version. For one thing, Hikaru sounds and seems more adult than his Robotech counterpart. For his part, Roy is not as warm and fuzzy as in Robotech, he sounds like a battle-hardened vet here, and Hikaru is very critical of his actions in the war. Second, within seconds of Hikaru arriving in the skies at the dedication ceremony, Roy is calling him a moron and he is calling Roy a bastard. Funny, I don't recall that from Robotech. Thirdly, both these guys are dogs, they check out Minmay's ass several times within the first two episodes. This change was included at least in part in Robotech Remastered, but it is more evident here. It's too early to tell, but I'll bet the characters will be a bit more three-dimensional here - and they were not exactly flat characters in Robotech.
Bonus change: When the Zentradi arrive, they are hunting a lost ship of the Supervision Army, not Zor's battlefortress. The reason they want this ship so badly is they want it's technology, some long lost reactive weapons. Of course, in Robotech they are after Protoculture, an energy force that supposedly was on the ship.
The bonus change stretches it a little past ten minutes, but you get the idea. Although at its core, Robotech The Macross Saga is very similar to the original, there are some fundamental changes in tone that make Macross: Super Dimensional Fortress very different. Heck, Gloval calls the Macross a "terrible ship" when the anti-gravity fails... I wonder what he is going to say when all hell breaks loose! It's going to be interesting to see how this pans out, and I'll be sure to let you know what I think of it all.
nurseboy wrote: