Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsFor those who loved this series as a kid...
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 31, 2010
This series is, perhaps, one of the greatest pieces of nostalgia in my entire life. To think of this series is to think of myself as an 11 year old boy, running home to catch the latest episode on TV. Many have written about the various packages available, translations, etc. This review will focus on the story and the animation.
To sum up:
Pros
- Great larger story arc
- A good story about the coming of age (physically and emotionally) of heroes (three of them)
- When the animation was good, it was great
- Really cool ships
- Characters you really do care about
Cons
- Animation used over and over and over...
- Stilted dialogue
- Some very annoying characters (Minmei, I'm looking in your direction)
- Horrible music/singing
- A thinned out story arc that doesn't seem to have an ending
- A bad tie-in with other series
- When the animation was bad, it was wretched
- Love/romance shown in the worst way possible
At the time, this series was groundbreaking and certainly better than anything else on TV. While the larger arc was not unheard of (see: Starblazers), it hadn't ever been done so ambitiously. Tying it in with two other series (Southern Cross and Mospeada) was a very bad idea, and weakened the Macross arc here in America, but the Macross story still stood on its own for the most part.
My viewing of the series ended 10 minutes ago and to sum up the ending: what a downer. The realization, after watching about 15 episodes, is that this is a soap opera. Plain and simple. The backdrop of war is perfect for such a thing, with death heightening emotions and such. I was surprised when the great battle with the Zentraudi was so early in the show. The following episodes about rebuilding earth, dissatisfied Zentraudi, and Rick's ambivalent emotions toward Lisa are just depressing. And it keeps going. There is an attempt to keep it somewhat action-packed with Khyron's revenge, but the final third of the series was pretty hard to get through. The constant sad music of the main theme played by an oboe starts to sound like a dirge. A very, very long dirge. Add to that the animation getting worse and worse and you begin to think the creators had only 26 episodes in mind, but they had to find some way to stretch it out to 36 episodes...with very little money. Heartbreak on a ruined earth with the rotting shell of the SDF-1. Fun!
I remember being able to spot those moments when animation was re-used, recycled and then re-used again (TWO "remember when" episodes! TWO!!!) but there was even more of it than I remembered.
I still have the original Macross VHS somewhere when it was "Ricky Yamata" and the story had a little more push to it. I'm sure, though, a lot is lost in the translation and with trying to tie it in to "The Robotech Masters"...something I still don't really understand.
Minmei, while sort of cute in the beginning, never really "grows up". And having her soon to be drunken, abusive, self-righteous cousin Kyle around just turns her into a sad co-dependent figure. I'll be sure, when I show it to my 12 year old nephew, to tell him never date a girl like Minmei. Lisa Hayes, the one Rick should REALLY want isn't much better, though. Honestly, what self-respecting woman waits ALL DAY for a guy to show up for a date? It does end happily...sort of...but there's no real finality to it in the American version because Rick and Lisa...take to the stars...? Huh?
And the songs. I think Harmony Gold only paid for about four songs to be written. And they didn't pay much. But they're going to make sure you hear them over and over and over...
But in terms of positives, this is still a great series (though not as great as I remembered). It's worth seeing and there are moments that are truly thrilling. The good supporting characters (Max, Ben, Roy Fokker, Miriya, Captain Gloval, and the deck crew) add a lot and move the story when they need to.
There is also an element which I still feel didn't talk down to us, the American audience, that dealt with the horrors of war. Rick, as he gets promoted, loses some of his crew and he "sees" them along with "big brother" Roy and has a hard time dealing with their loss. This may not be post-traumatic stress, but at least it's somewhat realistic.
So for those of you who are like me, who loved it and associate it with your childhood, my recommendation is this: rent it. If you absolutely love it still, then buy it. It's not really worth owning the whole series (especially the last ten episodes) and it hasn't really stood the test of time. At the same time, that little kid in you will be very glad to see his old friends.
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