Robotech Remastered, Extended Edition #01 -- Review
Studio Summary
Contains the first 12 episodes completely remastered on two discs!!
1999: A massive alien battlecruiser crash-lands on Earth in the midst of a bloody global war. With the possibility of a more perilous threat looming, the human race puts aside their differences and collectively undertakes the arduous task of rebuilding the spacecraft, redubbed the SDF-1, to defend the Earth should its extraterrestrial masters come to reclaim it.
Eventually, the alien Zentraedi invade Earth to collect the SDF-1 and the technology it contains, forcing the inexperienced crew, including hotshot pilot Rick Hunter and his war hero mentor Roy Fokker, to launch the battlecruiser into war - a war that will cross generations, stretch across the farthest reaches of the universe and turn ordinary soldiers into extraordinary heroes.
Grades
Video: A-
Audio: A-
Dub/script: B-
Story: A
Overall: A-
Age Rating: 13+
Purchase Robotech Remastered from Amazon
Reviewed by Johaan
Studio Backstory:
From Robotech.com
"In 1984, Harmony Gold acquired the rights to distribute Macrossoutside of Japan from reknowned anime studio Tatsunoko Productions. English-language home videos and comics began to hit the market, but hit a snag when prospective broadcasters insisted that the 36-episode series is too short to go on the air. Industry syndication guidelines at the time called for a minimum of 65 episodes. Carl Macek's familiarity with anime is put to use as he is recruited by Harmony Gold to create Robotech. Southern Cross and Mospeada, two other similarly-themed anime series from Tatsunoko, are adapted into the 85-episode Robotech series."
And so it began, Macek skillfully combined 3 separate TV shows to make one series. The Macross Saga was undoubtedly the most popular part of the show, and it is the part that received the least amount of editing. There are some today who rally against Macekssin of editing and changing the original stories, and others who hail this as a mark of genius to bring this form of storytelling to the US. For the most part, I fall on the side of the latter. Regardless of what side of the argument you fall, one thing is certain: Robotech was an event that helped forever solidify Anime on American TV.
Personal Backstory:
In order to fully appreciate my review of this release, I'll need to reveal some of my fanboy back-history. Don't worry, I promise to keep it short.
I, like many anime fans, was introduced to Anime in a roundabout way over a period of many years. As a toddler and preschooler, it was Speed Racer and Astroboy. In grade school, it was Battle for the Planets, Voltron and Thundercats. In high school, it was Akira. All-in-all, with the exception of Akira, I did not know these cartoons were Anime or Japanimation, they were just cartoons. Boy how times have changed.
But, as you can see, Robotech is not on my early influence list. I actually missed it the first time around when it aired on television. The timeslot was about 6 a.m. in my hometown, and as your average middle/high-school student, there was no way in hell I was going to wake up that early. Not for some cartoon at least.
Flashback, 1992 -- I'm in college. A good friend of mine (and dedicated Anime fan) decided he was going to upgrade his old VHS collection of Robotech, The Macross Saga released by Family Home Entertainment (FHE) to the newer less-edited Streamline "Perfect Collection" release. Since he did not want his copies to go to waste, he asked me if I wanted to buy them. I did, and the rest is hobby history.
Even in the condensed FHE version - which was missing about 5 hours worth of footage from the broadcast version - the depth of story, character, and the detail in the artwork impressed me. This was no ordinary cartoon! Robotech, the Macross Sagawas my gateway Anime - it was the title that got me hooked and is a good chunk of why I am doing this today.
Present day, 2005. It has been nearly a decade since I last watched my old FHE Robotech release (and yes, I still have them). I purchased the first pressing of Robotech on DVD as a set back in 2003, and never got around to viewing it. Why did I wait? Probably because I had newer titles I wanted to see or I was afraid I would not like it anymore after all these years. But when this remaster came out, I knew I'd have to take a look.
So, was it worth the wait and the triple-dip to get Robotech Remastered, Extended Edition #01?
Absolutely.
Grade Notes
Video:
Harmony Gold used the Animeigo remasters of Super Dimensional Fortress Macross to produce this set. The results are stunning. The original DVD release for this title looks very muddy compared to the remaster. The grain in the 20-year old show is still evident in some places, but Animeigo did a great job it cleaning it up. In fact, there are areas where it looks almost too clean and too bright, if that can be considered a complaint. All-in-all it almost matches any current release as far as the transfer is concerned.
Audio:
From what I understand, Harmony Gold found an unedited set of masters in their archives and used those to create this set... they had previously thought all masters had been lost in a flood years ago. Its a good thing they found them. They did an excellent job with the 5.1 remaster with the old source material. The sub booms nicely, directionality is good, and the sound comes across clean with no hissing. No complaints at all.
Dub/script:
More than any other aspect, I feel the script is where Robotech Remastered, Extended Edition #01 really shows its age. The language is stilted and corny in some areas, "Golly Roy, I thought I'd never see it again," and in other areas lines were obviously inserted to cover lip-flap. It really feels like the work of a bygone era in Anime, which it is ... but there are some real groaners in there I'd love to see go away.
Additionally, in what could be one of the biggest sins by contemporary standards,all of the songs in the show were translated into English ... if translated is indeed the right word (not having heard the original Im not sure if they are true translations or just made up songs). Nowadays they would leave in the original J-pop songs ... something I have grown to enjoy very much over the years.When I saw this the first time around, it did not bother me, now it does. Again, tastes change with time.
Granted, it is not entirely fair to judge this release against current thinking since it truly was a progressive title at release. The acting is not bad, and given my history with the title, I have a hard time being too critical on the VAs. But again, this is the one place I feel it shows its age 20 years later.
In the end, I'm torn. Part of me would love to see a dub remake similar to what they did with the Akiradub on the last release. But another part of me feels that it would just be another Lucas-like tinkering that would ruin Robotech as we know it.
Story Review:
It is the christening day of the rebuilt Super Dimensional Fortress-1 (SDF-1), the great alien battlefortress that crashed on Macross Island a decade before. Rick Hunter, an award-winning amateur stunt pilot comes to the event at the invitation of his longtime friend and war hero Roy Fokker ... only to find himself caught up in the midst an intergalactic war.
The Zentraedi, an ancient race of giant humanoid warriors, descend on the Earth to take back the ship they have been hunting for so long ... desperately wantingthe secrets it contains. They attack the SDF-1 and the residents of Macross City hoping to capture the ship intact.
Forced to lead an inexperienced crew on an untested ship, Captain Gloval decides to execute a hyperspace fold to try and evade his attackers. However, he executes the maneuver too close to the planetand accidentally takes the entire island and city below with him... leaving the residents of Macross city stranded with the SDF-1 someplace on the far side of the planet Pluto. To make matters worse, the fold system disappears during the maneuver so they cannot get back to Earth!
The survivors are brought aboard the SDF-1 where they try to rebuild their city and their lives within the massive battle fortress and prepare for the long ride home - all while under constant attack from Zentraedi forces.
I have to admit, I had some misgivings about watching this again after all these years. I was afraid that the idea that "you can never go home again" would ring true with this title...and I think that is why I never got around to watching the original Robotech Macross DVD release despite having purchased it.
My fears were unfounded.
Sure, I forgot what an utter dumbass Rick Hunter was in the first few episodes, or how annoying Lynn Minmay could be, or how stuck-up and tight Lisa Hayes was in the beginning of the show...but I also forgot how much the characters grow and change throughout the series when faced with adversity, and how endearing they all become to the viewer ... except for Minmay perhaps.
Even early on in the first 12 episodes, we see Rick mature from a cocky amateur stunt pilot to a seasoned fighter and officer who is concerned about the lives of his men. By the end of disc 2, the seeds are sown for strife, a bitter love triangle is ready to emerge, and the story is prepped find out if love, and the healing power of music can truly conquer all.... but much of that is a story for another review.
The extra footage is wonderful, and I think it makes for a much clearer and more intriguing story. Thankfully, the 80's mantra of "no guts, no butts" for cartoons is no more, and yes for what it is worth, that means the infamous Minmay shower scene is back in the film.
I am happy to say that so far, Robotech Remastered, Extended Edition #01 is all I remembered and then some. This treatment will surely preserve the story for generations to come.
Recommended.
Copyright 2005
Animation Unlimited
Contains the first 12 episodes completely remastered on two discs!!
1999: A massive alien battlecruiser crash-lands on Earth in the midst of a bloody global war. With the possibility of a more perilous threat looming, the human race puts aside their differences and collectively undertakes the arduous task of rebuilding the spacecraft, redubbed the SDF-1, to defend the Earth should its extraterrestrial masters come to reclaim it. Eventually, the alien Zentraedi invade Earth to collect the SDF-1 and the technology it contains, forcing the inexperienced crew, including hotshot pilot Rick Hunter and his war hero mentor Roy Fokker, to launch the battlecruiser into war - a war that will cross generations, stretch across the farthest reaches of the universe and turn ordinary soldiers into extraordinary heroes.
Grades
Video: A-
Audio: A-
Dub/script: B-
Story: A
Overall: A-
Age Rating: 13+
Purchase Robotech Remastered from Amazon
Reviewed by Johaan
Studio Backstory:
From Robotech.com
"In 1984, Harmony Gold acquired the rights to distribute Macrossoutside of Japan from reknowned anime studio Tatsunoko Productions. English-language home videos and comics began to hit the market, but hit a snag when prospective broadcasters insisted that the 36-episode series is too short to go on the air. Industry syndication guidelines at the time called for a minimum of 65 episodes. Carl Macek's familiarity with anime is put to use as he is recruited by Harmony Gold to create Robotech. Southern Cross and Mospeada, two other similarly-themed anime series from Tatsunoko, are adapted into the 85-episode Robotech series."
And so it began, Macek skillfully combined 3 separate TV shows to make one series. The Macross Saga was undoubtedly the most popular part of the show, and it is the part that received the least amount of editing. There are some today who rally against Macekssin of editing and changing the original stories, and others who hail this as a mark of genius to bring this form of storytelling to the US. For the most part, I fall on the side of the latter. Regardless of what side of the argument you fall, one thing is certain: Robotech was an event that helped forever solidify Anime on American TV.
Personal Backstory:
In order to fully appreciate my review of this release, I'll need to reveal some of my fanboy back-history. Don't worry, I promise to keep it short.
I, like many anime fans, was introduced to Anime in a roundabout way over a period of many years. As a toddler and preschooler, it was Speed Racer and Astroboy. In grade school, it was Battle for the Planets, Voltron and Thundercats. In high school, it was Akira. All-in-all, with the exception of Akira, I did not know these cartoons were Anime or Japanimation, they were just cartoons. Boy how times have changed.
But, as you can see, Robotech is not on my early influence list. I actually missed it the first time around when it aired on television. The timeslot was about 6 a.m. in my hometown, and as your average middle/high-school student, there was no way in hell I was going to wake up that early. Not for some cartoon at least.
Flashback, 1992 -- I'm in college. A good friend of mine (and dedicated Anime fan) decided he was going to upgrade his old VHS collection of Robotech, The Macross Saga released by Family Home Entertainment (FHE) to the newer less-edited Streamline "Perfect Collection" release. Since he did not want his copies to go to waste, he asked me if I wanted to buy them. I did, and the rest is hobby history.
Even in the condensed FHE version - which was missing about 5 hours worth of footage from the broadcast version - the depth of story, character, and the detail in the artwork impressed me. This was no ordinary cartoon! Robotech, the Macross Sagawas my gateway Anime - it was the title that got me hooked and is a good chunk of why I am doing this today.
Present day, 2005. It has been nearly a decade since I last watched my old FHE Robotech release (and yes, I still have them). I purchased the first pressing of Robotech on DVD as a set back in 2003, and never got around to viewing it. Why did I wait? Probably because I had newer titles I wanted to see or I was afraid I would not like it anymore after all these years. But when this remaster came out, I knew I'd have to take a look.
So, was it worth the wait and the triple-dip to get Robotech Remastered, Extended Edition #01?
Absolutely.
Grade Notes
Video:
Harmony Gold used the Animeigo remasters of Super Dimensional Fortress Macross to produce this set. The results are stunning. The original DVD release for this title looks very muddy compared to the remaster. The grain in the 20-year old show is still evident in some places, but Animeigo did a great job it cleaning it up. In fact, there are areas where it looks almost too clean and too bright, if that can be considered a complaint. All-in-all it almost matches any current release as far as the transfer is concerned.Audio:
From what I understand, Harmony Gold found an unedited set of masters in their archives and used those to create this set... they had previously thought all masters had been lost in a flood years ago. Its a good thing they found them. They did an excellent job with the 5.1 remaster with the old source material. The sub booms nicely, directionality is good, and the sound comes across clean with no hissing. No complaints at all.
Dub/script:
More than any other aspect, I feel the script is where Robotech Remastered, Extended Edition #01 really shows its age. The language is stilted and corny in some areas, "Golly Roy, I thought I'd never see it again," and in other areas lines were obviously inserted to cover lip-flap. It really feels like the work of a bygone era in Anime, which it is ... but there are some real groaners in there I'd love to see go away.
Additionally, in what could be one of the biggest sins by contemporary standards,all of the songs in the show were translated into English ... if translated is indeed the right word (not having heard the original Im not sure if they are true translations or just made up songs). Nowadays they would leave in the original J-pop songs ... something I have grown to enjoy very much over the years.When I saw this the first time around, it did not bother me, now it does. Again, tastes change with time.
Granted, it is not entirely fair to judge this release against current thinking since it truly was a progressive title at release. The acting is not bad, and given my history with the title, I have a hard time being too critical on the VAs. But again, this is the one place I feel it shows its age 20 years later.
In the end, I'm torn. Part of me would love to see a dub remake similar to what they did with the Akiradub on the last release. But another part of me feels that it would just be another Lucas-like tinkering that would ruin Robotech as we know it.
Story Review:
It is the christening day of the rebuilt Super Dimensional Fortress-1 (SDF-1), the great alien battlefortress that crashed on Macross Island a decade before. Rick Hunter, an award-winning amateur stunt pilot comes to the event at the invitation of his longtime friend and war hero Roy Fokker ... only to find himself caught up in the midst an intergalactic war.
The Zentraedi, an ancient race of giant humanoid warriors, descend on the Earth to take back the ship they have been hunting for so long ... desperately wantingthe secrets it contains. They attack the SDF-1 and the residents of Macross City hoping to capture the ship intact.
Forced to lead an inexperienced crew on an untested ship, Captain Gloval decides to execute a hyperspace fold to try and evade his attackers. However, he executes the maneuver too close to the planetand accidentally takes the entire island and city below with him... leaving the residents of Macross city stranded with the SDF-1 someplace on the far side of the planet Pluto. To make matters worse, the fold system disappears during the maneuver so they cannot get back to Earth!
The survivors are brought aboard the SDF-1 where they try to rebuild their city and their lives within the massive battle fortress and prepare for the long ride home - all while under constant attack from Zentraedi forces.
I have to admit, I had some misgivings about watching this again after all these years. I was afraid that the idea that "you can never go home again" would ring true with this title...and I think that is why I never got around to watching the original Robotech Macross DVD release despite having purchased it.
My fears were unfounded.
Sure, I forgot what an utter dumbass Rick Hunter was in the first few episodes, or how annoying Lynn Minmay could be, or how stuck-up and tight Lisa Hayes was in the beginning of the show...but I also forgot how much the characters grow and change throughout the series when faced with adversity, and how endearing they all become to the viewer ... except for Minmay perhaps.
Even early on in the first 12 episodes, we see Rick mature from a cocky amateur stunt pilot to a seasoned fighter and officer who is concerned about the lives of his men. By the end of disc 2, the seeds are sown for strife, a bitter love triangle is ready to emerge, and the story is prepped find out if love, and the healing power of music can truly conquer all.... but much of that is a story for another review.
The extra footage is wonderful, and I think it makes for a much clearer and more intriguing story. Thankfully, the 80's mantra of "no guts, no butts" for cartoons is no more, and yes for what it is worth, that means the infamous Minmay shower scene is back in the film.
I am happy to say that so far, Robotech Remastered, Extended Edition #01 is all I remembered and then some. This treatment will surely preserve the story for generations to come.
Recommended.
Copyright 2005
Animation Unlimited
nurseboy wrote: