Super Dimensional Fortress Macross: Box Set 01 - Review
Studio Summary - Set 01 Contains DVDs 1-3
In 1999, a giant alien spacecraft crash lands on South Ataria island. Humanity proceeds to attempt to rebuild this marvel, but political conflicts centered around the Macross result in a global war. After 10 years, the Unification Wars are finally over, the new Earth United Nations Government is in power, and work on the Macross is complete.
On the day of the launching ceremony, its main cannon fires on its own, destroying an alien spacecraft. This fateful day marks the beginning of the war between the humans on the Macross and the Zentradi, a race of humanoid aliens of giant proportions.
Grades
Video: A-
Audio: B-
Subtitle/script/VAs: A
Story: A
Overall: A-
Grade Notes
It is very difficult to review this title as a stand-alone show without comparing it to Robotech. This is the first time I have watched Macross in its original form and I have to say, I have been pleased with what I found.
Video:
Animeigo did a stellar job it cleaning up the original source material. There are some places where the grain is still really evident, and there are a few artifacts from the process, but it looks very good all-in-all. It almost matches any current release as far as the transfer itself is concerned. The animation and style looks dated when compared to today's standards, but for a show that is over 20 years old, it holds up pretty well.
Audio:
Not much to hear here, move along. I wish the audio had received the same type of treatment as the video, but it remains a mono mix. Sound is clear and understandable, but nothing exciting. At least all of the levels are correct and nothing runs too hot.
Subtitle/script/VAs:
The subtitle for this really shines and I love the performance given by the Japanese VA's. The emotional content is high and I get a sense that this intensity will keep up throughout the series. Looking forward to more. The music is a refreshing change.
Review
The story is, for the most part, very much the same as it's Robotech bastardization. However, the method of storytelling and the idiosyncrasies of the characters are quite different at times.
But I digress.
When you boil it down, Macross is a wonderful show about fate, love, and the ability of the human spirit to thrive in the face of adversity. Music also plays a special role in this title, though the significance is only hinted at in the first few episodes.
Hikaru Ichijo, the show's lead, is not your typical teenager. (How many anime leads are?) Despite his young age, Hikaru is an amateur flying competition champion and expert pilot. However, his carefree days of flying in his father's stuntshow come to an abrupt halt the day he arrives at the christening of the Super Dimensional Fortress Macross. The Macross is a gigantic space battleship of unknown origin which fell to earth years earlier. Humanity took 10 years rebuilding the colossal beast, and the launching ceremony was expected to be one of the greatest celebrations ever.
Arriving at the ceremony at the invitation of the cocky ace pilot and friend, Roy Fokker, Hikaru wonders aloud why his friend never returned home after the Unification Wars ended. Although Roy does not give him a satisfactory answer, Hikaru won't have time to wonder long. Within moments of the christening, the Macross fires off it's main gun on its own, destroying an alien scout ship in orbit. The Zentradi have come hunting the long lost battleship
Fate, it seems, has thrust Hikaru into the midst of a galactic war.
Launching off into battle due to a case of mistaken identity, Hikaru gets a taste of what it is like to be a real fighter pilot ... and that taste almost gets him killed. After taking heavy damage from an enemy pod, Hikaru crash lands his ship in the city below ... only to find that the plane is not what it seems. During the uncontrolled descent, Hikaru is instructed by Misa Hayase, the Macross' flight officer, to transform the aircraft in order to avoid hitting the bridge. To his surprise, Hikaru finds himself piloting a giant mech and not an airplane. He will later use this robot to save the life of Lynn Minmay, a young girl who also finds herself mixed up in the battle.
Love, it seems, will not come easy. Minmay will pull at Hikaru's heartstrings for years to come ...
During the ensuing battle, Captain Global decides the only way to save the ship and its crew is to perform a hyperspace fold. However, he mistakenly does this too close to the surface of the Earth. The fold ends up transporting the Macross and South Ataria island to the far side of the planet Pluto. The residents of South Ataria island, safe in their underground shelters, are brought aboard the Macross as refugees and prepare for the long trip back to Earth. They rebuild their city inside the colossial ship, and try to live their lives the best they can out in the far reaches of space.
The human spirit, it seems, can thrive in the face of adversity... and the Macross will serve as the Ark that will carry them through the stars.
Macross is a heavily thematic show ... but it is so without being overtly heavy-handed - I just use the hammer to drive my points home. There is a ton of action, plenty of romance, music, and a good bit of comedy mixed in. In the first 3 DVDs, we see Hikaru transform from a cocky smart-mouth kid to a disciplined junior officer and commander. We also see the web of characters weave around him, as Roy, Misa and Minmay each leave their mark on the young man.
As we leave the show, the Macross is stuck in deep space surrounded by an enemy fleet with unimaginable power. We are left wondering how - and if - they will ever make it home.
Purchase Macross, Super Dimensional Fortress from Rightstuf today!
In 1999, a giant alien spacecraft crash lands on South Ataria island. Humanity proceeds to attempt to rebuild this marvel, but political conflicts centered around the Macross result in a global war. After 10 years, the Unification Wars are finally over, the new Earth United Nations Government is in power, and work on the Macross is complete.On the day of the launching ceremony, its main cannon fires on its own, destroying an alien spacecraft. This fateful day marks the beginning of the war between the humans on the Macross and the Zentradi, a race of humanoid aliens of giant proportions.
Grades
Video: A-
Audio: B-
Subtitle/script/VAs: A
Story: A
Overall: A-
Grade Notes
It is very difficult to review this title as a stand-alone show without comparing it to Robotech. This is the first time I have watched Macross in its original form and I have to say, I have been pleased with what I found.
Video:
Animeigo did a stellar job it cleaning up the original source material. There are some places where the grain is still really evident, and there are a few artifacts from the process, but it looks very good all-in-all. It almost matches any current release as far as the transfer itself is concerned. The animation and style looks dated when compared to today's standards, but for a show that is over 20 years old, it holds up pretty well.Audio:
Not much to hear here, move along. I wish the audio had received the same type of treatment as the video, but it remains a mono mix. Sound is clear and understandable, but nothing exciting. At least all of the levels are correct and nothing runs too hot.
Subtitle/script/VAs:
The subtitle for this really shines and I love the performance given by the Japanese VA's. The emotional content is high and I get a sense that this intensity will keep up throughout the series. Looking forward to more. The music is a refreshing change.
Review
The story is, for the most part, very much the same as it's Robotech bastardization. However, the method of storytelling and the idiosyncrasies of the characters are quite different at times.
But I digress.
When you boil it down, Macross is a wonderful show about fate, love, and the ability of the human spirit to thrive in the face of adversity. Music also plays a special role in this title, though the significance is only hinted at in the first few episodes.
Hikaru Ichijo, the show's lead, is not your typical teenager. (How many anime leads are?) Despite his young age, Hikaru is an amateur flying competition champion and expert pilot. However, his carefree days of flying in his father's stuntshow come to an abrupt halt the day he arrives at the christening of the Super Dimensional Fortress Macross. The Macross is a gigantic space battleship of unknown origin which fell to earth years earlier. Humanity took 10 years rebuilding the colossal beast, and the launching ceremony was expected to be one of the greatest celebrations ever.
Arriving at the ceremony at the invitation of the cocky ace pilot and friend, Roy Fokker, Hikaru wonders aloud why his friend never returned home after the Unification Wars ended. Although Roy does not give him a satisfactory answer, Hikaru won't have time to wonder long. Within moments of the christening, the Macross fires off it's main gun on its own, destroying an alien scout ship in orbit. The Zentradi have come hunting the long lost battleship
Fate, it seems, has thrust Hikaru into the midst of a galactic war.
Launching off into battle due to a case of mistaken identity, Hikaru gets a taste of what it is like to be a real fighter pilot ... and that taste almost gets him killed. After taking heavy damage from an enemy pod, Hikaru crash lands his ship in the city below ... only to find that the plane is not what it seems. During the uncontrolled descent, Hikaru is instructed by Misa Hayase, the Macross' flight officer, to transform the aircraft in order to avoid hitting the bridge. To his surprise, Hikaru finds himself piloting a giant mech and not an airplane. He will later use this robot to save the life of Lynn Minmay, a young girl who also finds herself mixed up in the battle.
Love, it seems, will not come easy. Minmay will pull at Hikaru's heartstrings for years to come ...
During the ensuing battle, Captain Global decides the only way to save the ship and its crew is to perform a hyperspace fold. However, he mistakenly does this too close to the surface of the Earth. The fold ends up transporting the Macross and South Ataria island to the far side of the planet Pluto. The residents of South Ataria island, safe in their underground shelters, are brought aboard the Macross as refugees and prepare for the long trip back to Earth. They rebuild their city inside the colossial ship, and try to live their lives the best they can out in the far reaches of space.
The human spirit, it seems, can thrive in the face of adversity... and the Macross will serve as the Ark that will carry them through the stars.
Macross is a heavily thematic show ... but it is so without being overtly heavy-handed - I just use the hammer to drive my points home. There is a ton of action, plenty of romance, music, and a good bit of comedy mixed in. In the first 3 DVDs, we see Hikaru transform from a cocky smart-mouth kid to a disciplined junior officer and commander. We also see the web of characters weave around him, as Roy, Misa and Minmay each leave their mark on the young man.
As we leave the show, the Macross is stuck in deep space surrounded by an enemy fleet with unimaginable power. We are left wondering how - and if - they will ever make it home.
Purchase Macross, Super Dimensional Fortress from Rightstuf today!
