Tochiro

I was watching this on the train this morning. If I recall correctly, he also said it would be a totally different colour. In the Kawamori interview, the fact that Ranka and Altos first meeting will be totally changed was revealed. Apparently they will meet at a concert...but a different concert....? Hmmm....

Ooh good call! Damnit now Im gonna have Get Free stuck in my head all day at work ^^; I wonder what the chances are of getting it at either the Macross Crossover Live or the Firebomber Reunion Live in November. Personally I'd kill to hear Hear & Soul done live for ONCE, but theres pretty much zero chance of that happening. Oh well, kinda off topic anyway. As for the bonus UMD - nowhere near as good as the 20th anniversary DVD that was was released, but pretty good and fun to watch during my lunchbreak nonetheless :-)

The new Fire Bomber album comes out on the 14th of this month so I'd presume its on that. And yeah, that song is the cats balls. Havent been this pumped on a Firebomber song since...er...1997 maybe ^^;

Tried the game for 5 mins at TGS today (didnt see the point in playing longer since I know I'm going to buy it anyway). The poly count on the valks is definately higher and the arenas seem just a bit bigger. The new song assists (ie, when Sherryl takes up 75% of the screen) are disconcerting at first but cool once you get used to it. Can't wait until it comes out....its only a week away now, after all :-)

Good point, good point. Paying to go over would probably be a bit of overkill I must admit. The thought of actually getting to meet Fukuyama though ... if it were possible... oh well, can always dream I suppose.

Wow, that looks like a pretty awesome event! Just out of curiosity, do the guests do signings and meet n greets like a US con? Or is it strictly a stage appearance only like at Japanese events? If there was a signing Id serious consider popping over to Singapore if I could find a cheap hotel. If its like Japanese events though - well I have tickets to Macross Crossover Live, Gundam Soul G, and Firebomber Re-union to keep me happy ;-)

I collected both. Gundam ended up being 150 issues and didnt cover 00 (not that thats any loss imo ) and Eva was 30 issues and ended just before 1.0 was released. With the Macross Chronicles still being published as the new Frontier movies come out, I cant see why they wouldnt cover them. I mean, they covered the Mac F concerts mere weeks after they were held, so I would be surprised if the movies didnt get a few pages somewhere. Im curious as to how long the series will be though. Personally I'm thinking 50 issues. Anyone else heard anything?

Its still available from Amazon Japan just in case anyone is looking http://www.amazon.co.jp/ヴァ...5833&sr=1-1 Got mine in the post this morning. Sure the CG isnt the best but its an awesome book overall if only because its trying to be a real life textbook about a fictional plane.

"The Best" series is the equivalent of a platinum hits label outside of Japan. Happens to a lot of games 6-12 months after they come out here.

Oh comeon, start small and THEN work your way up. Besides, if thats the sort of pissing contest you want to make this then I guarantee Ive got you beat But lets keep this to strictly Macross stuff, ok? In which case Id say waiting an entire year (and going to the local anime shop 'The Cartoon Gallery' every week for that year) for the final ep of Macross Plus counts. (damn licensing court battles...grumble). Hmm.... paying almost 5000yen for a big Mylene poster? Importing 6000yen Macross 7 VHS tapes? Buying all of Frontier on Blu Ray? Getting Mac Zero on blu for free? Nothing too impressive there.... comeon guys, put your geek qualifications on the table!

Well, my previous post seems to have gone somewhat off topic, albeit into some pretty interesting debate, so rather than derail it I thought I'd pose this question in a new thread. So what I'm interested in hearing is: What is the furthest length you've gone to to get something Macross-related? I've seen some pretty impressive toy collections and autographed stuff from the fans here, so whether you gave up your first born child for that super rare crystal valkyrie or flew halfway around the world to attend a signing - how far have you gone to get some Macross lovin'?

Many thanks for the (mostly) civilized debate guys. Much appreciated. The longer this thread continues, the more I see two axis of influences emerging that shape how people respond to this issue (please note that the below are supposed to denominate extreme ends of each axis): 1)(i)those with no interest in or actual experience with Japan | | | (ii)those who live or have lived in Japan (or work in related industries), know the local market and/or have a vested interest in the industry. 2)(i)Young fans who prefer digital over physical media and may or may not pay for it | | | (ii)older fans who grew up with physical media and are used to paying for it Ok, Im sure thats simplifying things waaaay too much, but those are two main factors I see at work here. Personally, I can't comprehend the jump in logic from 'its too expensive' to 'i will download it for free.' Like Vifam said, either you can afford to it and pay for it or you cant, in which case you 'deal with it.' Downloading with no intention of purchasing the product regardless of quality is not a method of dealing with it, its theft. If everyone bought just those shows they liked enough to watch 2 or 3 times, then I wouldnt have a problem with downloading as a way to sample a series. The problem is that most people don't. Bri, you can hide behind technicalities all you like, but even revenue that isn't included in a productions budget and cost estimates is revenue lost if someone gets said product without having paid for it. Again, to quote Vifam, the money has to come from somewhere. Having said that, it's obvious from the responses on this thread that most people here pay for some things, whether it be the Blu-ray versions or concerts or fancy shmancy valkyrie toys. My gripe is really with the masses of 'fans' on the internet who don't put any money back into the industry at all. There have been some very good points brought up today though. I do agree with a lot of what Ishtar said, which isnt surprising since we grew up together despite currently living an ocean apart. There has to be a cost for quality. Streaming at low res for free or youtubing is one thing, but going so far as to rip DVDs and Blurays is another. Granted the 'cost' of quality is higher in Japan. But thats the price its set at so thats the price you pay if you want it imo. If not, settle for youtube. Let me reverse the situation: Most popular western tv shows can take years to come out in Japan, IF they show at all (and usually gain much more popularity after being released on rental). But do you see Japanese ripping US DVDs and fansubbing them? No. In my case, I did what Ishtar did: downloaded each weeks episode, watched it, deleted it and then ordered the DVDs. Now how many anime fans can you honestly say do the same? As I noted in my original post, macross is a more tricky proposition because its not available with English therefore changing the cost to value ratio for most people (although I will note that when Ishtar and I were in highschool and didnt have fansubs, we got off our asses and learned Japanese! Kids these days, grumblegrumble...wheres my cane?). But there are ways to be a fan and put some money back into the franchise without buying DVDs you obviously can't understand – merchandise, soundtracks, artwork books, valkyrie toys, tshirts, concerts, etc. These are things you can import regardless of the market you are in. And Bri, yes, the Japanese attachment to physical media isnt going to change anytime soon. While the boondocks may not have the greatest connections, much of the country has one of the fastest fibreoptic internet infrastructures on the face of the planet. I love my unlimited hikari internet :-) And surprisingly, this hasnt changed purchasing patterns all that much. The physical media and the idea of supporting something you like still has very strong cultural roots here. I remember when 'supporting anime' as a medium in the 90's in the west resulted in similar sentiments. I wonder why the 'fans' lost that. Not to be ageist but its definately the older fans I know back home (mid-late 20's and up) who still seem to feel this way. I think people who are in favour of purely digital media need to realise that just because the technology is there to make something instantaneous doesnt mean that it legally can be. Many anime companies refuse to even start shopping their licenses until after a show is halfway done airing so they can better gauge the value of said license. And the license needs to be negotiated for every region, whatever te distribution method. Then theres the language barriers involved. Do you thing theres a single native English speaker at most anime companies in Japan? Think again. All these hurdles need to be overcome. Granted some companies overcome them better and faster than others, but to be so impatient as to resort to stealing ans then never actually buying the product? Well it just creates a Catch 22 situation, doesnt it? Because with sales of anime in the west dropping theres little motivation for Japanese companies to overcome these hurdles any better than they previously were. Instead they turn inwards and begin to focus on the local market – something that you can already see happening. Oh and Renato – AWESOME pick of the Fukuyama DVDs. VERY nice. And much better than the downloaded alternative imo ;-)

Ok, to rephrase - its the PAL issue PLUS the limited local market PLUS region coding PLUS the need to go through a ratings board that often has bizarre demands PLUS the shifty distributors markup? The one PAL version does not necessarily get used in all regions. I work in the videogame industry and this is fact.

Bri - A minor quibble but I find it interesting that you go straight from buying new at a premium price to downloading illegally. What happened to the many options in between? Online sellers, 2nd hand sellers, auctions, possible reduced re-releases? In my opinion going straight from one extreme to the other also shows a thought pattern I personally don't understand. And marginal or not, a loss in revenue is a loss in revenue. But then again it may just be me. Its funny, the views of non-Japanese anime fans seem to have become increasingly alien to me over the years. Probably because Japan is one of the major physical media markets. People buy, then if they lose interest they sell. Hence the huge chain of Book Off stores across the nation. Going from buying new at a premium to downloading isnt an attitude I come accross very often.

Well I get home from work and wow this thread has grown. Thanks very much for the thoughtful (not to mention civil) input everyone. Now, before I reply to a few points, I realised that I didn't really answer my own question which hardly seems fair. Actually I'd say my views sit somewhere between those of Penguin and Renato. For me its a simple equasion of the cost versus the value of the product to me personally. Is the Long Long Live DVD worth a couple of hundred dollars to me? No, because it only has one or two songs that I want. But if I choose not to buy it then thats it, I've made my decision. I'm not going to download it because, like Penguin, I also work for a company that deals with IP and I value the rights of the IP holders. On the other hand, 7000yen for a double disc set full of Macross 7 songs done live – THAT is a different matter. Totally worth it in my opinion. Similarly, I picked up teh Macross F blurays because preordering from Amazon saved me 2000yen per disc. That coupled with the fact that it will never come out in the west AND the fact that I'm a huge Yoko Kanno fan? Done deal. I can't agree with the arguement that downloading a show is just like watching it on tv – it isnt. The majority of anime either airs only on cable or else plays on cable first before hitting the free-to-air-stations. And cable is far from free – Japanese viewers either pay or else wait until it airs later on or is streamed online legally (ie, like Bandai has being doing since Gundam Seed – this is a Japan only service to avoid international licensing, distribution and rating issues). It seems to me that with the abundance and speed of information online, fans have formed into these little cliques that don't see the reality of the industry (or Japan in general) beyond their own little group. Japan is not some fantasy land where everyone watches anime and its totally free people pay. Whats more, companies base their prices on a model that generally assumes no international sales. They need to recoup all their producion and marketing costs AND make a profit in Japan alone. Hence the high prices. I know a lot of Japanese who are envious of how cheap US prices are. And yet people outside Japan often blatantly ignore this. What is this sense of entitlement to entertainment that some 'fans' have these days? I know this is off topic but maybe its just a Gen X vs Gen Y thing. I was having a similar discussion with a younger friend last night and was interested to hear that while when I was in high school people swapped VHS tapes, when he was in school people just ripped each others DVD collections or downloaded. But more than that, it was his response when I pointed out the effect this has had on the industry that amazed me. He claimed it was 100% the anime companies fault for not adapting to the internet (read: pirates) and that while the industry in the US would probably die out sooner or later, the 'fans' would always download it online. How can someone who doesnt support the industry even claim to be a 'fan'? Sorry for the tangent, but I've been in Japan since 2000, so these sorts of differences in attitudes fascinate me. Bri – I understand what you are trying to say about supporting faceless corporations being naive, but in the case of anime in general, and the example of Fukuyama in particular, I'm afraid you are just wrong. Sure, Bandai, et al, are huge corporations. Are they faceless? Not in Japan. They hold events for fans and also just for fanclub members, conduct polls at nearly every event to gauge what fans want more of, sponser major and local sporting events, hold model making workshops for other company's employees, etc – in other words they arent a big faceles corporation to me. Big, sure, but a part of the average fans life here. So you can't experience this from wherever you are, fine. But how is that their problem? It certainly isnt justification for downloading stuff illegally. And in the case of a small anime artist like Fukuyama? The DVDs are often printed by his promotion company who handle orders one by one. But lets look at a different example. I recently picked up a Megumi Nakajima DVD at her recent concert. It was about 4800yen from memory. Included was an invitation to meet her (briefly) after the concert, which I did. Then I was given a survey to fill in about which of her concerts Id been to and also leave a message for her. The DVD was then released at Animate for the general public to buy. Based on these – both sales and messages – the next concert venue (if any) is decided. Its one connected loop and the fans pay a premium not just for the product but also to be part of this loop. Just because you are outside of the way this system works doesnt give anyone the right to pirate imo. Granted, fansubs give fans a chance to weed the crap shows from the good which they can then purchase... in theory at least. The problem is that very few seem to continue on to the purchasing part. Taksraven – Your example is pretty much irrelevant. Software prices in Australia are influenced by two major factors – the smaller market size and the need to convert the games into PAL. Granted the publishers then add a markup ontop of this and I think that the prices do need to come down. Can't see how it relates to the price of anime in Australia at all though which is, at times, cheaper than in the US even. My Japanese colleagues always get a kick out of the fact that I stock up on anime when I visit Australia and then bring it back to Japan. Sketchley – basically I agree. If you can't afford it then you don't buy it. It would definately be interesting to see what effect the extra dollars would have on the industry if everyone who claimed they would buy a series after watching it actually did. I'd bet that all those extra dollars would result in Big West/Bandai buying out Harmony Gold and actually following up the original Macross with a direct sequel. Sigh... at least I can dream, right? Renato – Its pretty freaky how similar our experiences buying stuff in the past seems to have been. I don't regret all the CDs I imported back when I lived in Australia either. Heck, just looking at the covers brings back some awesome memories. Then again, I am a self confessed physicall media whore. I need something to show that I've bought a product and heck the Mikimoto artwork on most stuff related to the original Macross certainly doesnt make the covers look any worse! ;-) Master Dex – Thanks for chiming in and being a good sport about all this. Honestly, I think it was just a combination of the way your original post was worded AND the conversation I had with a friend (see above) that set me off. Personally, going through university when Fire Bomber were at their 'peak' (so to speak) meant that I felt a close personal connection to the band and Fukuyama so I feel pretty strongly about supporting them and also Macross in general. It is SO niche here in Japan – most Japanese don't remember it and events like concerts are really a kind of fan service in a way. Now as for my views on people who download the blurau versions of anime/Macross...grrr... don't even get me started!

A message came up in a thread recently which really rubbed me the wrong way and I felt the need to sound off to see what everyone’s views are. The post in question came from Master Dex. Now Dex, I don’t know you, and I’m not intending for this to be an attack on you in any way shape or form, so please don’t take it as such. Basically, the post was asking for a link to a torrent of a Fukuyama concert DVD (Tribute to Basara and Mylene). The reason given for looking was that the approx. $70 RRP for the DVD was too expensive. A fair enough justification for some I suppose, but not for me personally. This started me wondering – where do most of us draw the line between supporting a product (Macross) or related artist (Fukuyama) and going for a ripped or pirated version? Naturally, this is a harder question to answer when it comes to most things Macross, since most of it has not and will never be released locally for anyone outside of Japan. Compounded with this is the fact that even if people import there are no English subtitles, etc, for those that require them. For me personally, the answer is originals of everything. I have all of Frontier on blyray, Zero on bluray, legit DVDs of May’n, Iijima, Nakajima, Fukuyama, etc. Macross is a series that has always been niche even here in Japan and as such I want to support it. But I can see how the language barrier is an issue for some. Cost-wise however, I personally can’t see how a $70 price tag can be called too much. This is the standard Japanese price. It’s not like it has been artificially inflated by some dodgy import shop. And I won’t even go into the whole ‘entertainment is a privilege, not a right’ argument. Some context – while working my way through university I had to pay 5800-7800yen per VHS for Macross 7, with about 3 eps per tape. I couldn’t afford much else but damn it was worth it at the time. Locally released product? Well in Australia a single episode of Macross Plus set fans back AU$45. And if you liked anime music you were in double trouble – the only legal way of acquiring anime CDs was through import shops who jacked up the prices. Like the music from Wings of Honneamise? Good, because the OST used to set you back AU$120-$150. Compared to these prices, $70 for a rare concert DVD of a performer I want to support and want to do more music…well it seems fairly reasonable. Plus you can order the darn thing online! Heck, you can get anything online these days! I’m going to refrain from doing the whole ‘back in my day we had to swim to Japan just to watch a trailer’ old man schtick, but the hassle of getting the original OP/ED Macross 7 singles back when they were first released via a network of penfriends (no internet shopping in those days kids!) was monumental (but worth it once they arrived!). Naturally things go out of print and can be just impossible to find (ie,Fukuyama’s Long Long Live DVD often goes for several hundred dollars on auction) in which case theres not much choice for fans in any country. But increasingly I seem to find people using standard Japanese prices as an excuse for downloading something they could easily get from Amazon Japan – and Amazon often knocks 10-20% off the price that most Japanese fans pay! So has the glut of cheap DVDs in the US just altered our perceptions of what we are willing to pay? Or has the concept of supporting a series or artist just disappeared? What are you willing to pay? How much is too much? (Once again, Master Dex, this is not an attack against you personally! I literally couldn’t sleep last night because I was thinking about this and am very interested to know where others draw the line, especially on a site as full as long-term fans as this!)

Are you guys interested in Macross bling in general or just the original series? This is old news, but theres plenty of Mac F stuff out there. For example: http://lalabitmarket.channel.or.jp/NASApp/...455/0000000/-1/ http://p-bandai.jp/fashion-net/character/m...tem-1000002723/ http://p-bandai.jp/item/item-1000002375/ http://akiba.kakaku.com/hobby/0810/17/200000.php I got one of the Sherryl tshirts for 900yen at a new years sale back at the beginning of the year :-) I do need to get that Fokker parker someday though. Along with that blue Laughing Man one :-)

Amazon Japan has one new and the other available via the marketplace.

Firstly, I second what Hissatsu said. And secondly - to put it politely, screw this guy. I mean, seriously. I've owned this box set since it came out and am watching it on a professionally tuned 41" Aquos and it blows me away everytime I watch it. The colours are stunning and the details jump right out at you. Sure, I might not be heavily into the technical side of the authoring of the disc, but I'm pretty darn picky about the quality of what I watch, especially at Japanese blu-ray prices. This set didnt disappoint and makes me wonder if this guy was too busy measuring bitrates and pumping out graphs to actually sit back and enjoy the show itself.

Speaking of which... http://page9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k114281768 Holy crap!!!

Well, since my review of the May'n concert last night seems to have had the honour of being the last topic in the old thread, Im reposting it just in case anyone is interested. I neglected to mention that the crowd was approx 2900 people. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Well, just got back from May'ns 2009 summer tour 'Love & Joy.' Just like last month, I seemed to be the only Gaijin represetin' – for shame all you forum lurkers! I know a fair few of you are in Tokyo and its summer holidays for most of you (although not for me. I had to take a half day off). For shame! :-p Oh well, just think of me as your Hibiki Kanzaki in Tokyo when it comes to Macross-related events ;-) It was a pretty good concert, although I would put last months Megumi Nakajima concert above it. Basically it was an awesome concert if you were a May'n fan and an ok concert if all you were there for was the Macross stuff. Unlike Nakajima, who, it seems, is being groomed into the modern face of all things Macross, May'n is striking out more and trying for her own solo career. While none of her non-anime songs are as good as her Macross/Kanno ones imo, some are still quite good. But with each concert tour she seems to be decreasing the amount of Macross songs she does. Having said this, she did a few really good versions tonight. On the non-Macross side, she did two versions of May'n Space, a good version of Why? and an accoustic corner where she did Blue, Grand Piano and Glorious Heart to only an accoustic guitar. These versions of the songs were really nice and brought her vocals to the foreground where they really shone. She also did not one, but THREE original/new songs tonight (none anime related). Two were from her upcoming album – X.Y.Z (yes, that is a song title) and Get Ready!. Both were kinda poppy and fun. The third one she wrote to commemorate her last teenage summer, since she will be turning 20 this October – way to make me feel old May'n! Called My Teens, My Tears, it was ok if a little forgettable. While overall she spoke with the crowd a little less than Nakajima, she did talk at length about her love of Tai-yaki and how hard it is to get them during summer – especially this week because its technically summer vaccation and a lot of stores are closed or actually selling Tai-yaki cold instead of warm. There's even pics of Tai-yaki boardering some of the pages in the concert booklet. She does seem to love the stuff (dont mind it, but am not a huge fan of red pean paste personally^^ On the Macross side, she did pretty much every song I expected – What about my star , Welcome to my fanclub's night, Dont be late (awesome audience participaton) and a stunningly powerful version of Northern Cross. The best song of the night though, by far, was Diamond Crevasse. She saved it for the final song (actually the only song during the second encore). It started off with two verses to just a piano with a lead in guitar before pumping up to a more regular poppy version before dropping back down again, this time just her. But for the final verse she put the mic down and did it completely solo. The crowd went dead silent – you could hear a pin drop – and her voice reached all the way to the back of the hall. Pretty amazing! I'd definately put this version on par with the Tanabata Sonic version with Yoko Kanno in July. It was that good and a brilliant way to end the concert imo since the overall ration of macross to non-macross songs was probably 30-70. I'm can't wait to see what sort of duets and remixes we'll get ath the Macross Crossover Live in October. Oh, and I've said it before, but if you want to experiance May'n live, doing lots of Macross songs as well, BUY the May'n Act DVD. Its a great mix of songs and good sales will hopefully result in more live recordings being released! Couldnt take any pics inside the hall (they were extra strict – maybe word about the Tanabata Sonic bootleg has gotten around?) but Ive included some from before the concert. ------------------------------------------------------------------ BTW: if anyone is interested in going to the Fire Bomber Reunion in November, PM me!

Fire Bomber reunion concert... that reeks of awesome! Anyone up for going? If so, PM me. Well, just got back from May'ns 2009 summer tour 'Love & Joy.' Just like last month, I seemed to be the only Gaijin represetin' – for shame all you forum lurkers! I know a fair few of you are in Tokyo and its summer holidays for most of you (although not for me. I had to take a half day off). For shame! :-p Oh well, just think of me as your Hibiki Kanzaki in Tokyo when it comes to Macross-related events ;-) It was a pretty good concert, although I would put last months Megumi Nakajima concert above it. Basically it was an awesome concert if you were a May'n fan and an ok concert if all you were there for was the Macross stuff. Unlike Nakajima, who, it seems, is being groomed into the modern face of all things Macross, May'n is striking out more and trying for her own solo career. While none of her non-anime songs are as good as her Macross/Kanno ones imo, some are still quite good. But with each concert tour she seems to be decreasing the amount of Macross songs she does. Having said this, she did a few really good versions tonight. On the non-Macross side, she did two versions of May'n Space, a good version of Why? and an accoustic corner where she did Blue, Grand Piano and Glorious Heart to only an accoustic guitar. These versions of the songs were really nice and brought her vocals to the foreground where they really shone. She also did not one, but THREE original/new songs tonight (none anime related). Two were from her upcoming album – X.Y.Z (yes, that is a song title) and Get Ready!. Both were kinda poppy and fun. The third one she wrote to commemorate her last teenage summer, since she will be turning 20 this October – way to make me feel old May'n! Called My Teens, My Tears, it was ok if a little forgettable. While overall she spoke with the crowd a little less than Nakajima, she did talk at length about her love of Tai-yaki and how hard it is to get them during summer – especially this week because its technically summer vaccation and a lot of stores are closed or actually selling Tai-yaki cold instead of warm. There's even pics of Tai-yaki boardering some of the pages in the concert booklet. She does seem to love the stuff (dont mind it, but am not a huge fan of red pean paste personally^^ On the Macross side, she did pretty much every song I expected – What about my star , Welcome to my fanclub's night, Dont be late (awesome audience participaton) and a stunningly powerful version of Northern Cross. The best song of the night though, by far, was Diamond Crevasse. She saved it for the final song (actually the only song during the second encore). It started off with two verses to just a piano with a lead in guitar before pumping up to a more regular poppy version before dropping back down again, this time just her. But for the final verse she put the mic down and did it completely solo. The crowd went dead silent – you could hear a pin drop – and her voice reached all the way to the back of the hall. Pretty amazing! I'd definately put this version on par with the Tanabata Sonic version with Yoko Kanno in July. It was that good and a brilliant way to end the concert imo since the overall ration of macross to non-macross songs was probably 30-70. I'm can't wait to see what sort of duets and remixes we'll get ath the Macross Crossover Live in October. Oh, and I've said it before, but if you want to experiance May'n live, doing lots of Macross songs as well, BUY the May'n Act DVD. Its a great mix of songs and good sales will hopefully result in more live recordings being released! Couldnt take any pics inside the hall (they were extra strict – maybe word about the Tanabata Sonic bootleg has gotten around?) but Ive included some from before the concert.

Snapped this on my way home today. Preorders for the new single and Firebomber album have already begun!

On a semi-related not, I'm off to see May'n at Zepp Tokyo tonight. :-) Will try to post some impressions afterwards

See the link i posted above