Customer Reviews

Robotech - The New Generation - Legacy Collection 6

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The Robotech Legacy Collection 6: The New Generation, a three disc collection, contains episodes 61 through 73 (the first half of the ULTRA-INTENSE third story arc, The New Generation) of the legendary anime series Robotech from the mid 1980s. Also included is the sixth installment of the Elements of Robotechnology special features DVD which includes a TV pilot, animation galleries and more video clips.

Robotech was the most popular of the Americanized Japanese anime series to hit American TV in the 1970s and 1980s. Known for its cutting edge animation, high-tech battle scenes, futuristic weapons (planes, tanks, motorcyles that transform into robots), cool alien invaders, and realistic and compelling storylines, Robotech swept an entire generation and put Japanese Anime forever on the map of American pop culture.

THE STORY:

Several years after the events of the Robotech Masters saga, the earth is conquered by a deadly alien race called the Invid. Out of the ashes rises a resistance movement of Robotech freedom fighters committed to reclaiming earth and vanquishing the Invid conquerors...

This collection marks the beginning of the New Generation story arc and chronicles Scott Bernard's freedom fighters' deadly journey across the world in search of the Invid's Reflex Point as they battle not only the merciless Invid, but also the perils of a lawless Earth full of cutthroat humans looking to survive at ANY cost....

THE CONTENTS

Here's the rundown of the episodes and content on each disc:

Disc 1: Next Wave

Episode 61 - Invid Invasion: The lone survivor of a REF contingent sent to reclaim Earth from the Invid invaders, Scott Bernard sets out on his lone quest to destroy Reflex Point and the Invid. Along the way he meets another young fighter named Rand.

Episode 62 - Lost City: Scott and Rand travel to a strange town that does not seem to want them around. Plus, they meet two new allies, a young girl named Annie and a mysterious Red Cyclone warrioress.

Episode 63 - Lonely Soldier Boy: Scott, Rand and Annie come across a lawless town overrun by bullies and set out to bring back a little justice. In the process they make new allies with Rook - the Red Cyclone Warrioress, Lancer - the singer, and Lunk - a former solider.

Episode 64 - Survival: Constantly hunted and hounded by Invid patrols seeking to exterminate them, can the gang evade the Invid while maintaining their dwindling supply of Protoculture that powers their weapons?

Episode 65 - Curtain Call: The Great Protoculture Heist!!! The gang, using a Yellow Dancer concert as a cover, pulls off a daring Protoculture Heist from an Invid fortress.

Episode 66 - Hard Times: A look into Rook Bartley's past as the gang makes their way through her hometown.

Episode 67 - Paper Hero: A look into Lunk's past as the gang takes a side mission to help Lunk fulfill the last request of a dead friend. All is not as it seems though in this mysterious villa...

Disc 2: Counter Strike

Episode 68 - Eulogy: The gang arrives in a strange town full of VERY happy-go-lucky soldiers. Here Scott meets up with one of his idols, Colonel Jonathan Wolfe, a hero of the Robotech Wars. Like elsewhere though, not all is as it seems here...

Episode 69 - The Genesis Pit: Scott, Rand and Annie stumble into an underground cavern full of prehistoric creatures, revealing the Invid's diabolical plans for genetic evolution!!!

Episode 70 - Enter Marlene: While searching through the ruins of an REF base, the gang finds and salvages more weapons and gain a new member, the mysterious amnesiac girl whom they dub "Marlene."

Episode 71 - The Secret Route: A look into Lancer's past as the gang meets up with a woman from his past while battling a crooked politician in a town they pass through on their trek to Reflex Point.

Episode 72 - The Fortress: To get to Reflex Point the gang must first get past a near invulnerable Invid mountain fortress. Can they do it?

Episode 73 - Sandstorms: After falling into a pit of the Invid's Flower of Life, Rand slips into a hallucinatory dream world where he learns more about the Invid's diabolical intentions.

Disc 3: Elements of Robotechnology 6

This collection contains one of the better installments in the "Elements of Robotechnology" series. Here's a rundown:

1. Genesis Climber Mospeada English translation pilot: Attempts were made by Harmony Gold to launch each of the three series that made Robotech (Macross, Southern Cross and Mospeada) separately in the U.S. before the producers stitched all three together into Robotech. This is the pilot for Mospeada. Interesting to see how it played out originally, not bad

2. Toy line Presentation Video: Half hour demonstration/presentation video introducing the boy's toy line (characters and mecha) and a 12 minute demonstration/presentation of the girl's toy line (characters, costumes, etc).

3. Character and Mecha Gallery for the New Generation

4. Promotional Video for the Toyline: 10 minute promotional video introducing the Robotech toyline.

5. Comic Book Cover Gallery: 25 comic book covers for the 25 comic book adaptations of the New Generation's 25 episodes.

6. International Clips: Two scenes of Robotech in French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. Clip 1: Scott's first meeting with Rand, Clip 2: Lunk and Lancer joining up with the gang.

THE VERDICT:

Many feel that the New Generation story arc is the best out of all three of the Robotech story arcs, including the Macross Saga, and with good reason. The ultra-cool mecha and the ULTRA-INTENSE action as the freedom fighters literally run and fight for their lives against the Invid and make their way through a treacherous world is just awesome!!

If you've never seen Robotech, simply put YOU MUST. The action and the drama are compelling, clearly showing why Robotech became a pop culture icon. It is the series that forever put Japanese anime on the map in the US. If you did grow up with Robotech, give these a watch again. They're great for a trip down memory lane. You can't lose!!!

Highest Recommendation

I found myself among those who love the first generetion episodes of Robotech (based on the original Japanese cartoon Macross). However, my second choice in liking is this last generation (based on another Japanese cartoon: Mospeada) , the type of mecha they use here is more accordingly to the first generation and quite original in many cases, I sure love to ride a cyclone!!!

In this boxed set edition, the Invid had taken control of Earth, and is up to Scott Bernard and other freedom fighters to reclaim the planet and get rid of the Invid once and for all. This is a must for any Robotech fan, but if you are not that familiar with the Robotech saga I strongly suggest that you take a look first at the previous 5.

Finally, we are at the last phase of the Robotech series which is based on the Japanese anime Mospeada. Robotech holds an interesting place in anime history. Many people love it because it was the first mature anime that they were ever exposed to. Others dislike it because it continues in the tradition of American producers changing much of the original anime to suit American tastes (before everyone found out that American tastes were enormously suited to anime without any changes!). Obviously, I fall into the "love it" category. Even though I'm usually an anime purist, the sheer scope and inventiveness of this adaption is staggering and definitely worth checking out even if you are not a fan from way back. It is also fascinating the way this series has influenced many subsequent anime. Check it out and I'm sure you'll be surprised at how many current anime reference this series (particularly the Macross section).

The idea of turning three series into one epic multigenerational story of conflict was a brilliant one and even though there are a few sloppy bits where the series join (paticularly in the middle "Southern Cross") the joining of series really lends an epic heft to its themes about war, identity and what it is to be human. These themes are repeated throughout all three parts and the whole builds up to a powerful conclusion.

This third section deals with a third invasion of earth which is led by the parasitic (they feed off of protoculture) and mysterious Invid. These creatures are without known form and need the protoculture to evolve into a higher life form eventually capable of dominating the universe. Most of the earth, devastated by the previous conflicts, is more than willing to allow the alien occupation without a fight. However, a small band led by Scott Bernard is dedicated to finding the center of Invid activity and wiping it out. There is much mystery and exploration of an alien species and lots of action. The Cyclones (which are motorcycles that transform into fighting robots) are lots of fun and interesting to watch. The Invids are a fascinating multi-faceted enemy whose menace is well developed. The relationships of the characters, as in the other two sections of Robotech, are entertaining and moving. I remember one of my favorite scenes when I watched the series originally was when the group happens upon an abandoned shopping complex and tastes Vienna sausages for the first time. It was funny and touching at the same time and clued me in that I was watching something special.

The look of the series is somewhat dated. Even though at the time the animation seemed revolutionary for an afternoon cartoon (and the subject matter still does--when was the last time you saw people sipping wine together on afternoon cartoons???). The animation is largely hand-drawn with some computer enhancement and there are some impressive effects and transformations throughout. Unfortunately, the transfer doesn't look like it comes from a first generation source. The resulting look is somewhat "soft" and lacks the crispness and clarity of many newer anime series and blunts the impact of some very fine animation. Of course, this isn't feature film level animation but it is very good for a massive series. There are occasional flaws in the picture (nicks and scratches) but these are very occasional and don't interfere with the enjoyment of the show. There are no subtitles and no multiple languages available except occasionally on the supplement disks. I must add that the music throughout the Robotech saga is wonderful. None of it is from the original Japanese anime and several composers contributed. Ulpio Minucci supervised the whole and created different motifs for the many themes and characters (including writing songs for the characters who are singers!!) this really helped meld it all into one convincing saga.

I can hardly wait for the next set of disks which will conclude both the Invid section and the series as a whole!!!

This box set contains the following discs. Robotech: The Next Wave, Robotech: Counter Strike and Robotech Extra Disc 6. Since the first two discs can be bought seperately, my review will be on Robotech Extra Disc 6.

The main attraction on this disc is the never-before-seen Mospeda pilot. Completely unedited, original closing and original TV spots. However, the pilot looks like it was shot on 8mm film. Most obviously because of the countdown for the TV spots and soundless closing. Pretty good pilot though.

Moving on, we have a couple of promotional films. There are two different promotional films. There is one appealing to boys and one appealing to girls with reasons on why both genders will enjoy Robotech. The other special video is a special toy presentation featuring two people showing all the different toys and actually displaying how they work. Rather lengthy and fun to watch. And, yes, these people do have knowledge of Robotech. In fact, they actually spend a lot of time explaining Robotech.

Finally, we have your standard extras that you've come to expect. This ofcourse means animation sheets, comic book covers and international clips centering around The New Generation of Robotech.

After your done watching the pilot, watch the other two discs and see what they cut. One thing that was oddly cut is that Mint's name is Annie. However, they call her Mint as a nickname. Very strange, but not by much since she keeps whining about her love for pepermints.

Overall, theses extras are better than those of the extras in the Masters box sets, so I can easily recommend buying this box set.

I absolutely LOVED Robotech when I was a kid. Of the three series', New Generation/Invid Invasion was my favorite. The bonus material is a bit lacking, though it does include the first couple episodes of The Sentinels (which sadly, never made it any farther than those few episodes).

Was very happy to see Robotech come to DVD. Since the release of this set there have been several other releases and one of the new sets contains all episodes of all three generations, tons of extras in a compact case. Save some shelf space and a ton of cash and get the complete series.

The first disc of this set contains the episodes: "The Invid Invasion," "The Lost City," "Lonely Soldier Boy," "Survival," "Curtain Call," "Hard Times," and "Paper Hero." The second disc contains the episodes: "Eulogy," "The Genesis Pit," "Enter Marlene," "The Secret Route," "The Fortress," and "Sandstorm."

The third DVD in the set is labeled as "Extra New Generation 1 - Elements of Robotechnology VI." This DVD contains all the special features included in this box set. The first extra is the original unaired English pilot for Mospeada. The background music from the original Mospeada series was used, and the dialogue in this episode is very different from the dialogue that appeared in the corresponding episode that was done for Robotech. Here, the Invid had their original name from Mospeada (Inbit). Scott Bernard was Stick in this pilot, his girlfriend Marlene was named Marlen, and Rand was named Randy in this pilot. Just like with the original English pilot for Macross, the tone of this pilot would not have helped Mospeada achieve the success that Robotech ultimately had in the United States.

Next is a "Prototype Toy Presentation." This was a video produced for the buyers at retail outlets that sell toys, trying to sell them on the 1986 Robotech toy line put out by Matchbox. Overall, it's rather boring; however, the most amusing section was when the guy demonstrating the toys had issues with a couple of the prototype toys not transforming the way they were supposed to. It should be pointed out, though, that this presentation was not produced with the intent of it ever being seen by the masses. When looked at in that light, it's easier to deal with how boring it is.

The next feature is an "Animation Gallery." This is thirty-four screens of model sheets of characters, mecha, and weapons from the third section of Robotech. The "Promotional Videos" are two videos produced to sell the boys' line and the girls' line for Matchbox's Robotech toys. Again, these were not produced for mass consumption, so they can be a bit boring. However, they're not as long or as boring as the "Prototype Toy Presentation."

"New Generation Comics" is twenty-five screens of the comic book covers for the comic books Comico released for the "New Generation" section of Robotech. The final extra is labeled as "International Clips." The first clip is when Scott and Rand meet for the first time. The second clip is when Lunk decides to join Scott and his group to save his friend. Both of the clips are available in English, French, Spanish, Portugese, and Italian. I'm disappointed that the original Japanese versions of these clips weren't included.

Overall, this is a decent DVD box set. Even though I wish ADV Films had gone to more effort to remaster the video for this release, I would still recommend this box set. However, this set is now out of print. Even though ADV Films has released other Robotech box sets, I prefer these original DVD sets. If you are a fan of Robotech and happen to stumble upon a used copy of this DVD set, I would recommend picking it up.

This latest Robotech Legacy box set, which includes the first half of the `New Generation' series, has the best presentation I've seen so far in the way of picture & sound quality. Although not absolutely top-notch, it blows the preceding `Southern Cross' releases, a virtual plethora of mediocre-to-muddy visual resolution, away in the arena of video sharpness and clarity. And the sound-well, it was never top-notch to start with, but it is an improvement over what I used to hear when I watched the show on VHS. Hopefully they'll maintain or surpass this level of quality in the next Legacy box set.

The bonus disc, however, isn't among the best that have been released thus far, although it does have a couple of things in it that I found interesting. Like just about all of the previous box-set-exclusive discs, this one includes several character & mecha design sketches, and various scenes from the show dubbed in several different European languages. Also thrown in is the English dub rendition of `Genesis Climber Mospeada's first episode, which was obviously mastered directly from video tape, and a fairly old one at that, which is evidenced by the tracking and occasional scan line. The voice-over work here was also rather poor, although the guy doing `Stick' Bernard would be called on to do the `Robotech' version of the same character. Fortunately, his voice-acting skills improved significantly in the interim!

Also included are a few toy promotion videos put out by Matchbox to help push the Robotech toy line. The main presentation is 40 minutes long, and covers just about every little Robotech plaything that was ever made or proposed back then: various die-cast mecha, super-deformed transforming veritechs, a big transformable SDF-1 (I always wanted one of those!), action figures, the SDF-1 playset, Barbie-esque fashion dolls of Rick Hunter & Minmei and more are shown here either in prototype form or in concept sketches. Another eight-minute promo makes its move to drive things home for the potential retailer, and includes a couple of toy commercials. One interesting thing about this particular piece was its reflection of optimism for the future of `Robotech'. In one part, the narrator states that the show will eventually span 130 episodes (85 plus the never-produced 65 `Sentinels' eppies), and that a movie was in the works (which saw only a limited release in the Dallas area and has rarely been seen since outside of the bootleg video scene). But aside from this presentation's review of things that just weren't to be, this and the prototype demo video gives the fan a small glimpse into the merchandising aspect of the show.

`Late

I have been a Robotech fan since the 80's when I grew up watching the shows on tv. I am estatic that I get to finally see the third generation of robotech. I own every single book, and have been waiting to see beyond the second generation for quite a long time. It is a must watch for any and all Robotech fans.

This DVD set represents the culmination of the Robotech saga. The Invid have invaded earth and it is up to Scott Bernard and friends to stop them from causing all-out destruction.

A great series, but what dissapointed me, is the ending, where he goes out to find Rick Hunter. Pitty they never continued the Robotech Saga, it would of been interesting indeed.