Tochiro

Totally agree with you Sharkey!

And since all the other old-timers here are waxing nostalgic, I'll take the liberty of doing the same.

Used to wake up early on Saturdays to catch Robotech on TV when I was in elementary school.

Junior-high brought with it the realisation that Robotech was 3 series tacked together. Many weekends were spent in comic shops looking for old issues of animerica and similar publications.

The beginning of senior high saw my first visit to Japan. Was blown away to find myself watching the recently released Macross 2 on VHS (a host family had recorded the broadcast). Tried to dig up any of the original music for either series I could find.

Senior high-school involved waiting for Manga Entertainments sporadic VHS releases of Macross Plus. Became a fan of anything done by Yoko Kanno. Rumours began to abound of this strange new internet thingy and the mass of information and fansites it contained (actually, tiny compared to todays standards, but for the time it was a treasure cave!).

In university I started watching Macross 7 via an eclectic mix of VHS imports/Japanese rentals from the local Japan center and dodgy VCDs from Hong Kong. Listened to Fire Bomber in the car with friends on the way to University each day. Heart and Soul eventually became our fave.

The release of Macross Zero coincided with me just settling into my first job in Japan. It was amazing to actually see real commercials on late-nite tv - to be a part of the media blitz as it happened as opposed to weeks or months later via magazine articles and internet boards.

But Macrross Zero pales in comparison to the all-out hype machine that Frontier has brought with it. Local magazines run features on it; a bar in Akihabara redecorates as a Macross Bar for a couple of weeks; the soundtrack breaks into the Oricon charts top 10! People are talking about Macross. Not just the fans, regular people. Despite having been in Japan for years now, Frontier feels like something new and fresh - and experiencing it as it happens feels like being a part of history.

I can only imagine that this is similar to the way fans of the original back in the early 80's - several years before a certain pajama-wearing Australian kid awoke, bleary-eyed, on a Saturday morning - and had his world changed forever.

Macross - changing lives for 25 years :-) Happy Anniversary! It is indeed a good time to be a fan!

Thanks. Can I assume that extra binders will be produced throughout the release of issues in the coming months? I don't want to get into a situation where binders will be sold out before the last 10 issues are released.

Thats a tricky question. Of course more ARE made and distributed throughout the series - for example, theres a lot more folders at my local store now than there were when issue 1 came out - but they also become rarer towards the end of the series (finding a third folder for the Eva series was a total PitA!)

So, Id say wait until issue 11 or so just to make sure they DONT change the art on the folders, and then order 2 or 3 extra ones. Even if you get one too many, Im sure you could find many uses for a spare of such a damn cool folder!

Oh... forgot to add this:

on the cover, in the ad for the binder, it says what I believe is "10 issues fit into one binder".

Someone mentioned that they are planning for a print run of 50... so 5 binders. This isn't going to just be expensive for you overseas members!

I dont really think 560yen once a fortnight over 100 weeks is all that much. Only seems that way when you add it all together ;-)

Skip lunch or a beer once every 2 weeks and there you go!

Since the Eva series got to 30 issues with only 1 series to work with, I dont see why Macross couldnt go to 75 quite easily (100 might be stretching things a bit).

Sharky: They probably wont release different folders with different art. They usually include a set of stickers for the spine of the current folder every 10th issue - numbering and what sections are meant to be in it. The section labels are often included multiple times over the course of a series because they need to be changed as the folders fill up.

Meh, the 'special' cover art is for the DVD only.

And who on earth would still bother with DVDs in this hi-def age? :-p

I do Blu baby, and you should too ;-)

Woah now, I think the original poster has gotten a little confused about what he was originally trying to say.

I agree with everyone else here that Mecha, Music and Love Triangles are what make any Macross title go round. They arent rehashes, they are the cornerstones of the series.

The way I read the original post however is that the original poster seems to be frustrated by the lack of over-reaching continuity.

I far prefer Macross to Robotech, although I grew up with Robotech, but I can see where the frustration is coming from.

By butchering several series, Robotech had the luxury of making this huge saga where the tales of the original characters were continued far beyond the original source material.

Macross, on the other hand, has never been like that. Each new iteration has been more or less self-contained but refers to a backdrop that is seldom expanded on. Its true that throughout 7 and now Frontier, the writers have put in this vague plot device of a colonization fleet. But why is this necessary? How long does it need to continue? Does the viewer ever SEE any new worlds or people being left on them? No, not really (although in Frontier there is a partly surveyed planet involved in the story, until.....).

I can see how, being a fan of Macross over Robotech, but having grown up with the later, one could be rather....disgruntled by the lack of tangible continuity and purpose when it comes to story.

Frontier is SUCH a good reboot for the franchise though. Its doing really well here so I hope a second season, OVA or theatrical release gets made at some point!

Cover for issue 3.

Nice spot mate! Where did you find that pic?

At least we get two weeks between each issue. Gundam Fact Files were quite a drain on the pocket since they came out every week for almost 3 years ^^;

A little uninformed and biased? Everyone knows that the tourist cities are Kyoto and Tokyo. Also, when I first came to Japan, back in 1999, I was going to a university in Kanto.

Also, I wasn't talking about getting what you give. I was talking about expectations.

Apples and oranges, my Tokyoite friend. Nevertheless, come down to Kansai and have some real food.

@Zinjo: these aren't magazine inserts. Also, everything BUT the cover has holes for the binder.

@Wes: No idea how many years. It may go on for a long time. So far, the best estimate would be to pool all of the Macross mecha and characters, and divide by the following rate from the first two issues:

Issue one mecha: the VF-1J (no attachments) and the Sound Booster for the VF-19 Kai. Characters : Linn Minmei and Mushu (whutever. Cross-dressing barber from Macross II.)

Issue two mecha: SDF-1 Macross, VF-1J (?! maybe the armoured version?), SNN Valkyrie. Characters: Mirena Furea Jiinasu, Soldier(s) of the Anti-UN Alliance.

Actually no, not at all. I quite enjoyed my first visit to Osaka, back in 1993. And having lived all over the country, including Hokkaido, I must say that Tokyo is the only place to be if you are into anime and/or gaming. Or if, like me, you are involved in the industry to some extent.

Your comment about being disappointed struck me as typical of a lot of the frustration and burnout Ive seen from foreigners in Japan (I used to be a counsellor) and personally, Im sick of all the negativity. Why SHOULDNT people have expectations? Being disappointed is part of the risk and without risk theres no real reward.

I have no beef with you personally and realise that you were only referring to a magazine release, but your comments struck me as typical of the types of attitudes that irk me when it comes to non-Japanese living in this country.

Besides which, it was unclear for the longest time whether or not the Macros Chronicles would even get off the ground. There were rumours last year, infighting with publishing giant Deagnosti, long periods where there were no updates to the "coming soon" homepage. Just by being released, especially when the original Macross had a very limited cultural impact here (especially when compared to the other two series that warranted their own magazines - Gundam and Eva) was a major win for fans. Just by being published, this magazine has more than exceeded most of our expectations imo.

wow nice! yeah please let me/us know if it works, and if you have a regioned 2 or whatever DVD see if that works as well k?

So are you able to understand Japanese or hoping someone will invent subtitles to be forged on somehow?

Cheers gunny!

What country are you in mate? If you are in the US, then its the same region as Japan so no need for a modded system/player.

Hong Kong is also the same region (for all those kick ass action flix ;-)

I doubt that anyone will crack and sub Blu-ray anytime soon since it would be a pretty expensice experiment.

Personally tho, I have my Zero box ordered and cant wait. Having just watched the BR of Frontier, its amazing what a visual difference the format makes.

If you are watching on a HDTV I definately would recommend getting it.

Nice little book. I picked mine up with the binder yesterday. Lots of info and the overall look is great. I recommend this to all Macross fans.

The only drawback is the front cover does not have the holes for the binder and it is not easy to take apart.....And the cover is quite nice to.....

Rob

Thats always the problem with these kinds of magazines. But believe me, 50 or 100 issues on you"ll be glad you have those binders!

<shrugs> Just saying the best advice given to gaikokujin about Japan. Expect nothing, and be surprised. Expect something, and be disappointed.

Oh comeon man, turn that frown upside down. Japan is like anywhere else - you get out of it what you put in!

That way its all proportional - and after 7 years, Im still not disappointed!

Then again, maybe its just because you are down in Osaka, ie tourist central :-p

BTW - if the guys from last night are reading this - was good seeing you. Its a shame there were no more Macross shot glasses left, but sipping Alto cocktails while listening to Sakamoto Maaya was definately a good way to spend a Friday night :-)

More importantly than talking tax (and btw, I worked in the Japanese Govt for 3 years. Wrong or not, I HAVE heard the tax referred to as a GST in english before just to make it shorter. Technically wrong yes, but I speak from first hand experience), back to the topic at hand - who got the magazine?

Impressions? Anyone?

And am I the only one looking forward to the blu-ray?? (not to mention the Macross Zero set next month!)

Yup, its a grand time to be a fan.

Try: http://www.nta.go.jp/foreign_language/repo...2/01.htm#a-4_06

Yeah thats fair enuff. No excuse I suppose. When I talk about taxes its usually in Japanese. In english - well, its a set percent thats charged when i buy something and is often shown or not on the price tag according to the shop - ie, exactly the same as the GST back home (NOT Canada, thank you very much). So I think of it as a GST.

But technically you are correct.

And anal '-p

GST? This isn't Canada. That 5% is the consumption tax. As it's required to be included in the sticker price on all things sold, it shouldn't be added during the purchasing process. At most, all the register should be doing is telling the purchaser how much tax was paid.

Just semantics really isnt it? Goods & Services Tax is more or less the same as a Consumption Tax - Ive seen the two terms used pretty interchangeably in government literature.

I paid 1780 for the binder (total 2370.) Is your store cutting off the 1 yen as a discount or something?

(PS tax is included in all Japanese prices since like 2 years ago (everyone I know thinks the government wants to raise the consumption tax a few points and want to hide it by doing it this way...) The prices given (590 and 1780) include tax. W/o tax, it's 562 and 1695; as per the cover and the label on the box that the binder comes in.)

Well that was what was on my receipt. Your math is correct so who knows how they figured it out.

For all the governments propaganda, the GST is added at different points in the sale depending on the store. Its a real mess. Shouldnt have any influence on the final price but meh, I aint complaining.

The binder is nice, btw. Actual series listings on the back. Eva and Gundam folders were relatively boring but the Macross one is actually informative! hahaha.

Well, for anyone who is interested, The publication is on quite thick, good quality paper. Even as someone who often collects these things, Im impressed.

There were plenty of binders at my local bookstore - it might be an idea to invest in 2 now since they can sometimes become hard to find later on.

Cost-wise, the magazine was 590yen and the binder was 1779yen. Add tx and thats a total of 2369yen for issue 1.

Content - nothing too surprising, but nicely made. The fold-out gallery sheets in particular are a nice touch. Also, the technology sheets look like they have newly commissioned illustrations, much as the Eva and Gundam versions did.

The back cover is a big reminder of the 1st Frontier Blu-ray release. Hoping to get that in the mail tonight ;-)

Am pretty impressed overall. Hope they can keep this quality up throughout the whole series. Have been waiting for this since they gave out flyers for it back at the last Wonder Fest (remind me to post the video of the Macross karaoke challenge I took at that event;-) and I must say it was worth the wait.

Definately a good time to be a Macross fan.

OK. To save you the trouble: I already have the mag, it's NOT included. I bought both, it cost over 2,000 yen altogether.

EDIT -- Oh, and by the way: Hurry. Might just be my area, but the binders are understocked. I got mine this morning and there were only like four left. Plenty of actual magazines though.

Really? Wow thats... thats just odd. I suppose the publisher realises that Macross is a more niche market that, say, Gundam - which not only had a free binder but only cost 500-600yen for an extra TWO!

Many thanks for the news though.

And as for running out ... hahaha, that only happens when you are in a tiny area like Kyoto mate! hahaha. The Tokyo-Kyoto rivalry lives on!

Well I dont know how amazon does things since they dont usually allow magazines to be purchased individually, but for every single magazine of this variety that I have ever seen in 7 years in Japan, ALL have come with the binder included with the first issue.

Then, extra binders are usually made available seperately later on at additional cost. This has been the case for Evangelion Chronicles, Gundam fact files, karmen rider, Gatchaman, etc.

Going by my experience then, Id say the binder that people are ordering is actually the additional/spare one.

Either way, I will be able to let you know before I leave the office tonight.

Id say thats a mistake. If this is anything like the Gundam or Evangelion versions, then the binder SHOULD come with issue one.

Am dropping by my local bookstore at lunchtime, so Ill let you know.