Kamjin 639

I don't think so. This question is kinda like asking: "Will any series ever be comparable to Macross?"--because while there may be series or games that would be "comparable," that term can easily be abused. I honestly don't think that anything beyond a series going purposely "to be like Macross" will ever fit that mould, and in turn, no game would do the same. For mecha fans, I reccomend the Armored Core series; for flight fans, Ace Combat series is the way to go. Neither are straight simulators, primarily because of the amount of ammunition that a single ship can carry (especially in Ace Combat's case), thus allowing it to take-on veritable armies of foes, and also amounts of armour that allow the unit to take several hits before actually being destroyed. But like I said, SEGA's Macross game is incomparable. I haven't played Another Century's Episode 2, but I played the first, and while the story and mecha were awesome, the same sense of danger/urgency was never there.

Well, I mean, there's nothing wrong with watching animé on television. Hell, the availability of it is growing every day. But the problem arises when animé fanboys decide that they're no longer satisfied with what's on television in their area but still remain obstinate toward paying the prices of the DVDs, and turn to bootlegs, fansubs, or other illegal copies.--That's the real problem, here, because if one just admits to himself the "whys" and "hows" of the animé distribution industry in his area, then there becomes less of a justification for cheating-out the same companies which actually make the animé possible.

I disagree. If one believes Basara's singing voice actor is good enough at pronouncing English to validate using Roman-derived letters instead of Katakana, then he's certainly proficient enough at pronouncing Japanese to validate using Japanese characters, hm?

It's true, and like Last Exile, I feel like I could put anything put-out by GONZO on the "good" list, but in general, a lot of post-2000 Japanese animation and especially post-2002 Japanese animation just doesn't cut it (at least for me) compared to the older stuff. (I generally tend to think that Gundam SEED started this trend of weakening strong-written characters for the sake of attracting a greater diversity of fans to watch certain shows.) Daaaaamn. That's all I can say.

Well, like I said, it is best for role-playing gaming. Legiosses and Thunderbolts and Metal Sirens in a trans-atmopsheric dogfight just kinda calls for a "HOLY @#$%!!!" no matter how one looks at it. But yeah, like I said, in order to make it work, one has to get pretty wild with the imagination... ローマ字ã¯é¦¬é¹¿ãªèªžã ã‚ã•ãƒ»ãƒ»ãƒ»

Quoted for truth. I can't count how many times I've watched and re-watched Bubblegum Crisis, the Area 88 OVA, Megazone 23, the Ghost In The Shell and AKIRA movies...and that's not even to mention the Macross series. It really has made me think twice before even bothering to watch post-2000 era Japanese animation...

I'm really glad that this thread hasn't turned-into an "eat 'im alive!" thread quite yet. I considered the following "hybrid timeline" a few years ago for people who want to include anything and everything. Of course, it involves a whole bunch of jury-rigging and the like, but hey, if someone wants to enjoy Robotech and Macross at the same time...whatever floats your boat. The "Unified Timeline" pretty-much grew out of necessity for role-playing game campaigns, where I was running a Macross II group and a Robotech group on separate days, and decided to have a mega-game-day where everyone played together. Of course, I'm prepared to get slapped for no intelligent reason now that I've posted this...

I had a problem when I bought "Der Mond" by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto a few years ago, and received it only to see that all the text was in Chinese (which I can't read) instead of Japanese (which I can). It was a major bummer even though the art work was terrific, but (for future reference), does anyone know how many of these books have been officially released in China? I ask because I care...and, from experience, I know that a lot of the sellers on eBay who do their best to turn profits off of dumb fanboys, themselves do not know how to identify the difference between written Chinese and written Japanese. If you're ever in the market for these books (and, if someone here confirms that there have been Chinese-language releases), make sure to get the seller to send you a picture of one of the text pages for your own identification. If, on the other hand, it's still sealed, try the back cover--that's often a good give-away point, too. Sorry. Maybe I shared a bit too much, there.

Because when Macross does it, it never seems to go as far as other series, thus leaving an unsatisfied taste in the mouths of both fans looking for Macross action and fans looking for fan-service scenes. Seriously, I'm still wondering what the point of Sally Ford, MihoMiho, and the biker chick, Rex, were in Macross 7, and Aries Turner in Macross Zero. When guy characters do macho guy stuff like launching missile pods, I'm happy; when I have to watch girls just so I can see them acting like girls, I question why I should be watching instead of just going to the mall to see the exact same thing outside of overpriced clothing boutiques. At least with Lucy Macmillan, the appearance was welcome, and did more than simply having a character who was written similarly to a male character, but had breasts pasted-on to make the series more attractive to men while making a deft attempt to not offend women too much. I'm just sayin': Go all the way or don't go at all.

The sad thing is, with the current path that the Japanese animation industry is taking, I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen.

Ace Combat 5 is for PS2, so it shouldn't be that hard to get ahold-of. Even if nobody owns it (unlikely), the game was re-released as a "Greatest Hits" PS2 game, meaning it'll cost $20 or less at any store that carries it. But as for player familiarity: I can't imagine that anyone here wouldn't have played at least one of the Ace Combat games, especially given that there's a giant thread for Ace Combat 6's pending release on these forums. I agree, of course. It's just that Battlecry's in-game physics get old after a while. (Shoot, transform, fire missiles, fly in circles to dodge, repeat.) What can I say?--I sing along to my Macross Song Collection CD in the car. 「冷ãŸã„ã‚ãªãŸã€ã¯ï¼³ï¼¨ï¼¡ï¼®ï¼§ï¼¨ï¼¡ï¼©ï¼¤ï¼¡ï¼®ï¼¤ï¼¹ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ã€ *cough* Excuse me...

I realise how old this thread is...but I'm both bumping (for newer members) the discussion that already exists and replying at the same time. Its interesting, in retrospect, to see that this series came-out at all, given Harmony Gold's past restrictions (rumoured or otherwise) upon Macross releases. It could be explained that it was released in an era where Harmony Gold themselves were not producing any Robotech-related stuff (and instead having Eternity Comics and/or Antarctic Press, plus Palladium Books do the work) and so they let it fly, if the explanation is needed. But nevertheless, I'm not aware of any other instances of "non-Japanese Macross series" in the same ways that Astro Boy (鉄腕アトム), Captain Harlock, and Queen Emeraldas (for instances) were given this treatment. To those of you who know more about the history of Macross: Is this the only Macross-focused (i.e. not-Battletech, not-Robotech) Macross-related series made outside of Japan?

I'm not saying that it would 'replace' Battlecry's sheer transforming-mecha value in any way, but I would like to nominate competitive Ace Combat 5 for the list of games. One other thing: Uh...would it be a good idea to get a whole bunch of guys jumpin', hootin', and hollerin' right after they ate? I, for one, would appreciate more of a chance to digest my lunch (that way, I could scream harder).

Bah. Well, I don't know why I'm taking this discussion so seriously, anyway. It's not like a thing I say matters when Big West is at the boardroom table...

If Gundam can make 08th MS Team, then Macross can make 101st Destroid Platoon. I mean, seriously, just get a good script, (it doesn't even have to be originally made for Macross), whap the Destroids with powers that make this one particular group special (like booster-flight-vernier packs), and send 'em out into the middle of Space War I and let 'em have it out. I personally love the idea of Destroid teams as an underappreciated resource. Again, if a freakin' Gundam [bleh] series can make me appreciate the value of GMs, then a quality Macross series can make all the doubters appreciate Destroids. EDIT: Oh, and... http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?...st&id=40944 = "HAIL TO GALACTOR!"

Why not indeed. I know it's easy for we who know and love the ins-and-outs of the Macross universe, but well-photographed dogfighting action and a well-written story, for my money, are more important to Macross than a battroid could ever be. Sure, it would be difficult to make the whole "Battroid mode is needed to combat a thirty-foot-tall Zentraedi" connection, but that could be conceded simply by the reasoning that most Hollywood-made adaptions of the past could not fathom: It's better to have a good movie than a 100% faithful adaptation. Whatever's the case, I'm just worried that the CG would be terrible and/or the directors/producers would place so much value upon finally having a live-action Valkyrie that they'd ignore the potential that Macross has in other departments--which is to say, what has always made the series stand apart from other "mainly mecha with characters added-in" stories. Perhaps if the battroid/GERWALK was kept to a bare minimum, like two or three scenes?

Has anyone ever considered the option of making a "Macross 7 Edited Version" using a limited amount of footage and story from the series? Bear with me here. I'd try it myself but I neither own Macross 7 nor have sufficient video editing skills/programmes to attempt this, but were I to hear that someone here on Macross World had worked on the project, I'd be in line to see it: - Like the Mobile Suit Gundam movies, taking the full run of episodes and using only the best footage and the plot-lines that are most valuable to the overall story. - Cut-out a lot of the garbage, thus making it less tenuous for the viewer to get a good 'feel' for the universe portrayed in the series. - Maybe splice-in different versions of the songs (via MP3) to make the BGM more exciting. - End result: Four-to-six hours of Macross 7 bliss. - Icing on the Cake: More people understand how to appreciate Macross 7's good points. Any takers?

Even though Japanese cinema is fairly well-known for the low production values, couldn't the Japanese Air Self Defense Force be tapped to help with a Macross movie?--It seems like they have nothing better to do, most of the time, than help companies make video games and produce their own JWings fanboy magazine. But seriously: I don't think that a Macross movie, using ONLY JASDF fighters, would be a truly bad thing. Sure, the GERWALK and Battroid modes would have to be eliminated, but that doesn't necessarily affect how a well-written story would proceed, and more importantly, would get rid of any chances to totally ruin the VF-series with horrible CG-animation blends. I'm kinda thinking "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within," here--not in the terms of CG, but in that it's a relative to the existing series while not interfering in any way. Keep the Protoculture and the Meltrandi ace pilots, but I'd rather have a good live action movie that doesn't overextend its abilities than a horrific mess that tries too hard.

Or a good ol' fashioned "switch-to-GERWALK"/"stop"/"open gunpod fire"?

I hate to reference another animé series for the use of Macross, but the colour scheme is so unusual, I thought visual comparison would be better... Wing Zero Custom Hikaru Special Something about the way the blues, greys, and silvers clash on each other would make a Valkyrie look super fierce, particularly were the fores of the wings glinted with silver while having a main blue colour.

That answers the mysterious question as to why Exedol didn't just leave Battle 7 and squish 'em when they came into the city... MAX: Advisor Exedol! I order you to-- EXEDOL: *slips head down* MAX: Dammit! *looks down hole* Come back up here or I'll release the footage of you singing ç§ã®å½¼ã¯ãƒ‘ã‚¤ãƒ­ãƒƒãƒˆï¼ EXEDOL: Noooo...

Wow. It's been quite a while! It's good to be back... Although what you're saying is completely true, a good number of people who could be considered "premier" character designers in Japan seem to get away with a whole lot for the simple reason that they are respected for their skills and therefore, the directors lay-off as long as the character designs look up to standard. Akira Toriyama certainly doesn't seem to be pressed to make characters look a certain way, for instance; Peter Cheung gets away with whatever he wants; and one of my favourites, Shukou Murase, never seems to push the limits at all, no matter the story. I'm actually surprised that no one brought-up the video game QuoVadis, for which Mikimoto also got the go-ahead. For my guess, I'd place my bets on that Mikimoto himself just isn't a very pushy kind of guy, who doesn't like to rock the boat and, ideally, just likes to draw characters so much that it doesn't matter much to him what the producers want. Other character designers might be more egotistical about their work.

I agree and disagree. While I would certainly love to see the next series "Hikaru and Misa: The Megaroad Chronicles," the fact is that it would never work. (Maybe a manga...hmm...are you listening, Mikimoto?) A new Macross needs to be detached from the original. Why?--Because its been broken for a VERY long time. If, for instance, Gundam had gone for fifteen years without a Universal Century series, by the time that they made a new one, not too many people would have paid attention, barring the olden hardcore fans. Lets face it: We're hardcore fans. That's why we're here. We would probably love a sequel directly to the original story. But it wouldn't work; there wouldn't be enough fandom for it. This is why Macross needs a new direction--because its no longer plausible to look back and make a successful series. My suggestion for a director aside from Kawamori was not malicious, but let's face it: He might be too old-school for the new fans. Kawamori IS Macross as far as I'm concerned, but in the end, that might be his downfall. I would certainly not mind if Kawamori "pulled a Hajime Yatate" and co-directed/wrote the next Macross story. Don't throw an excellent man aside; simply make room...there's a new flight to be taken, and Macross needs a new co-pilot to succeed in today's world of animation.

[sorry! You beat me to the post!] VALKYRIES: The Metal Siren Valkyrie, VF-2, and CV (Civilian Valkyrie) totally have their bases in Macross II, and as far as I know, have never appeared in any other shows. MECHA: All of the Zentraedi mecha shown in Macross II is pretty much specific to the show, as the Zentraedi therein possess mecha specially made for them by the Marduk. As is such, all of the Marduk mecha are exclusive to the show. The language translator used by Ishtar is specific to Macross II, and I believe that a lot of stuff in Hibiki Kanzaki's room (like the television and toaster) are also mecha that don't appear in any other Macross story. FROATING HEAD: The head is a reference to Shoji Kawamori, and thus, has absolutely nothing to do with Macross II. Pity.

...and I think that Kawamori would completely agree with you! Pretty much, Macross has been travelling the path of the lone wolf for the past twenty years. Flashback 2012 was the swan-song of the original Macross series, and since then, those in charge have pretty much said that Macross is going to travel in a lot of different directions. So, while it may have been possible to see a sequel to the original series long ago, I think that, (without sounding condescending) the damage is done, and so, the show must go on. With that in mind, I really don't know how much longer Shoji Kawamori should stick around. Shoot me; I don't bleed. X) Indeed, Kawamori tells a good story, but we've gotta think that there's only so much a single man can do, and unfortunately, it always seems that, when people are looking for new Macross ideas, Kawamori's the only one to talk to. I cite Macross 7 Trash as an instance of a solid story built upon Macross, but not told my Kawamori. Now, make no mistake, I have all respect for Mr. Kawamori, but the fact is that, through his Macross stories, you can almost guess that he was a fighter-plane otaku before he began his directing career...And that's just fine, but if we want something that takes Macross in a bold new direction, I just don't see it coming from him.