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HG and Robotech Debates, ep. 8


azrael

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I did, man. I ordered it, and I ate every last drop.

Umm...I didn't go THAT far.

My favorite, though, was the "Keitai-kun" ice cream. There were two women working that booth, and when you ordered one, the first woman would should, "DAKISHIMETE~" and then the second one would shout, "GINGA NO, HATEMADE!!!"

Actually, wait...

Come to think of it, that was embarrassing, too...

They were in the extras on the Blu-Ray, too.

I, of course, didn't go to any of those, though, because I am far too manly for that girly stuff. Giant space plane-robots should have big-chested android babes, not 11-year old schoolkids. You'll never find Admiral Hunter with fold quartz. You'll see. Any year now, you'll see Uncle's vision was right. Once the economy recovers and the boat leaves the dock... You'll see. Lying purists. :p

The success seems to be the same as the American comic books industry.

Insular and self-serving, shrinking every day, and for fans only.

Even if anime itself is having similar issues, I'd rather be on the side with a thousand Sheryl Nome cosplayers.

But consider the predicament Yamato Toys is in.... :unsure:

By the way, I'm for keeping this thread. It helps keep the chaos from permeating the rest of the site and god knows you have to be at least a little up-to-date on what the Robotechies are doing, just in case...

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well you have to do another tell-all show then

Not really, I think it's quite obvious that we are seeing the effects of exactly the phenomenon you are describing: the insular shrinking market. I doubt there are new fans buying Yamato toys... except for maybe that dude that Tochiro mentioned on Facebook who just plonked down a small fortune for a VF-17.

Now, Toynami on the other hand, obviously couldn't take the heat. That is why if you remember quite a while back when Toynami unveiled their plans to release VT-1s and stuff in 1/100, I was amazed that they felt they could do this, when even Bandai could not with their own 1/100 hi-metals. Now we know they can't.

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Well the collector's market is what it is. It's hard to gauge if someone is a new or an old fan, at least among the crowd I see. Yeah you need some disposable income to get in, but it's no different from other stupid stuff. Yamato has the burden of doing almost everything from an older series so I agree there's some inherent "fans only" restriction.

Plus toys as a market has been shrinking for a while, but even if it goes full for collectors it will still exist. Video games are fun but there's nothing that can replace the feel of ratcheted joints.

yet

To go a bit further, I think Toynami's failure with the license has a lot to do with Robotech's inability to do anything new. Their latest animation production still used variations of 20+ year old designs. For better or worse, at least every Macross throws a few new things in to keep it fresh.

To be honest, I don't think the Legioss is a design that can carry a franchise by itself. It was always second banana to the Ride Armor and just a weaker copy of the Valkyrie.

Edited by VF5SS
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To be honest, I don't think the Legioss is a design that can carry a franchise by itself. It was always second banana to the Ride Armor and just a weaker copy of the Valkyrie.

To be blunt, the Legioss wasn't a design that could carry a franchise period.

It was never meant to have to carry the series it appeared in, but got "promoted from extra" when the sponsors decided they had to get in on that transforming fighter jets thing that Macross was making huge amoungs of cash on. It was second banana to the ride armors because that's the way it was supposed to be. (I mean, which one's in the bloody series title? It ain't Genesis Climber LEGIOSS after all...)

Harmony Gold's thrown all their efforts into trying to make it "the new VF-1" because that's the closest they can get to the actual VF-1 for new works.

Edited by Seto Kaiba
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I mean of course there aren't sides per se.

But Harmony Gold is just being hangers on because someone sold them on this hitting it off super big someday. It's a tumor from the 80's and gets them nothing bigger than the same fans from almost 30 years ago.

All it did for me is get me to organize a way to fix my toys because I can't get free replacement parts like I did for my Garland from Megazone 23 (something that used to be a part of Robotech).

So I'm gonna hang out with the girls. Blonds have more fun after all.

At the worst hypothesis, they make an animation of Robotech, as the Toon Makers did of Sailor Moon. With the real actors like Power Rangers ou Tatooed Teenage from Bervely Hills XD
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Yeah I just said that.

Yes, but you didn't draw it out into a long-winded prose attack, see.

Although it's kind of funny to look at Mospeada as a hypothetical "What if Macross had gone wrong?"

Remember when we spoke about Takatoku and how the heads were initially going to push the "Macross" as the main mecha, not the Valkyrie (it was, after all, the title)? It seems that sort of backfired with Mospeada's Legioss.

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Yes, but you didn't draw it out into a long-winded prose attack, see.

Although it's kind of funny to look at Mospeada as a hypothetical "What if Macross had gone wrong?"

Remember when we spoke about Takatoku and how the heads were initially going to push the "Macross" as the main mecha, not the Valkyrie (it was, after all, the title)? It seems that sort of backfired with Mospeada's Legioss.

Well I'm a lover, not a fighter. Unlike Mike.

I recall from some interview or liner notes DAPDX Jeremy had gotten translated did say Takatoku was the original sponsor. I'm sure they're glad they skipped out in favor of Dorvack. Although they may have been the ones who pushed for the inclusion of a transforming fighter jet.

I've found a lot of early 80's robot shows had issues with what machines they wished to emphasize in the story and how this affected the merchandise. A lot of people liken Mospeada to some old RPG like Dragon Quest (DORAKUE!), and it's rather funny if you think as the Legioss and Tread and basically being a mythical beast Stick summons each episode to deliver the knockoff Itano Circus.

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They just have similar parts placement in fighter mode. If I recall, Kawamori mentions in the interview section of Macross Design Works that the VF-5000 was originally something from Advanced Valkyrie (non Macross precursor to Plus I believe) before he repurposed it as a Macross design. Kawamori says it is based on the MiG-29 if you believe that.

Aramaki's Legioss seemed to be more based on more general sci-fi fighter jet designs. If you check the Imai Files (it's an online PDF of pre-production artwork), the Legioss started pretty crazy until it was refined to the final look.

Honestly they're only generally similar. If you wanted to call Kawamori a plagiarist like some people Gubaba knows, you'd have an easier time saying Kawamori copied the Legioss with the YF-21 since there's more similarities there in terms of mechanics :3

Edited by VF5SS
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the VF-5000 from Macross 7

Technically it appears in Macross Dynamite 7 -_-

Honestly they're only generally similar. If you wanted to call Kawamori a plagiarist like some people Gubaba knows, you'd have an easier time saying Kawamori copied the Legioss with the YF-21 since there's more similarities there in terms of mechanics :3

I always thought the Legioss and the VF-17 were similar, at least in terms of transformation.

Edited by Renato
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Technically it appears in Macross Dynamite 7

And Macross Plus Game Edition maaaaaaaaaaaaan

and that its own version of VF-X2

I always thought the Legioss and the VF-17 were similar, at least in terms of transformation.

I was thinking more of the chest intakes and having visible fins on the forearms but yeah the VF-17 is similar. Hey they're both from General Galaxy. Making shady products since 2032.

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According to an update from robotechx, looks like Shadow Rising is finally going into production after LLA is completed this year. Of course, still no actual release date on LLA but I'm wondering if the LAM has also been greenlit since SR was being held back pending the LAM release.

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Uh huh, sure it is. Although it's been what, 4-5 years? That's enough time for a non-compete embargo to end if indeed WB made HG sign one.

I guess that means they no longer have an excuse to keep Shadow Rising's production hanging anymore. Also, wasn't it announced in one of their convention tours way back, that the animation for SR was already completed? If we take it as true, then SR may get released as early as 2014. Just in time for Robotech's 30th Anniversary in 2015.

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I guess that means they no longer have an excuse to keep Shadow Rising's production hanging anymore. Also, wasn't it announced in one of their convention tours way back, that the animation for SR was already completed? If we take it as true, then SR may get released as early as 2014. Just in time for Robotech's 30th Anniversary in 2015.

I think you're talking about the whole "hiatus" debacle Kevin started. He thought he stated some of the animation was completed as they were still working on the story at the time. Since then, it's changed to the general line of SR being in "active development" and that it hasn't been greenlit for production which makes one think no animation has been completed. Thus, no one, including HG seems to know the status of SR. I'd doubt we see SR in 2014 anyway. More likely, since Tommy is stating that LLA will be completed this year, LLA will be released in 2014 and if we're lucky, we'll get a preview clip for SR in 2015 with a release in 2016 or 2017 - though they'll probably go the limited theatrical release route again to say it did gangbusters in theaters. Also, they still have to get distributors which takes them forever - almost as long as the actual project's production.

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What's everyone's best memory of rt?

Hm... for me, that'd be the first time I saw the VF-1 transform while watching a borrowed copy of the Macross Saga. It was my first exposure to mecha anime, and kind of a "heck yes!" moment.

Worse memory (shadow chronicles doesn't count).

A tie between the first time Minmei opened her mouth and Rebecca Forstadt's horrible canary screech came out with "Stage Fright", and the start of Ep37 "Dana's Story", when I realized that the remaining 49 episodes were going to have nothing to do with the characters and mecha I'd enjoyed so much in the first 36. (I remember being outraged at Dana dragging Max and Miriya/Milia's name through the mud by being a complete twit.)

According to an update from robotechx, looks like Shadow Rising is finally going into production after LLA is completed this year. Of course, still no actual release date on LLA but I'm wondering if the LAM has also been greenlit since SR was being held back pending the LAM release.

Is this an actual update, or is this just more of MEMO and Maverick's wild guesses posted as fact?

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What does it matter? Neither is actually more accurate then the other.

You might as well ask which is more fun...being burned alive, or drowned?

If SR is actually being worked on now, that could mean that WB isn't going to do a Robotech movie. That'd be a good, welcomed kick in the groin to the Robotech franchise. I never wanted to see a live action movie to begin with. They never come close to feeling like the anime.

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I heard that the Robotech panel at Katsucon on friday had a whopping two dozen people show up. I was actually planning on going, but wound up getting to the convention after it had already ended. I wanted to actually hear the non-news in person just so that I could have a good laugh!

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The live action movie was a stupid idea and was something I never wanted either. It damn near killed any momentum SC got for robotech.

I'd actually be happier if I didn't have to see a Shadow Rising come out as well. SC sucked badly, and aside from apeasing the diehard fans, it didn't gain fans, nor put it in any forefront. It's also a big waste of time, as they're not going to finish off the story of what happened to Rick Hunter, and the current staff hasn't proven that they can write themselves out of any creative box to save their lives. The longer they continue to use designs that aren't theirs, the less interested I am with the franchise (at this point, I'm at zero interest). It's just time to pack it up and put it away.
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The live action movie was a stupid idea and was something I never wanted either. It damn near killed any momentum SC got for robotech.

No one want a Robotech live movie, but since Bayformers and his truck a lot o'money. everyone wants to make a movie with a Robot Giant...

Why don't make a movie of Megas XLR?

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I'd actually be happier if I didn't have to see a Shadow Rising come out as well. SC sucked badly, and aside from apeasing the diehard fans, it didn't gain fans, nor put it in any forefront. It's also a big waste of time, as they're not going to finish off the story of what happened to Rick Hunter, and the current staff hasn't proven that they can write themselves out of any creative box to save their lives. The longer they continue to use designs that aren't theirs, the less interested I am with the franchise (at this point, I'm at zero interest). It's just time to pack it up and put it away.

Your words would carry more weight if you didn't already make your feelings clear for a while now on robotech. You don't like robotech, I'm cool with that. Its not my place to tell you what you should and shouldn't like. SC was never about gaining new fans, it was about rekindling interest in the fans that grew up watching the show and setting up a springboard with a new enemy and characters that would allow new fans to pick it up with the sequel. They really fumbled the football with this live action/LLA/waiting 5+ years fiasco.

My personal feelings on SC are that I liked it. It wasn't perfect or some world beating classic, but it was still a nice entertaining little romp. The only things I didn't like were eliminating most of the NG characters except Scott when a simple cameo of them standing in the background would had been enough, making the Regis more understanding and sympathetic when she was a complete b**** in the series, and obviously the what happened to Rick thing.

Speaking of Rick his look doesn't bother me as much as it does other people. Basically because aging is a tricky thing in anime, I've seen several different characters that in various prequels/sequels that take place at various points in their lives and not look that much alike.

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