Macross World
Much like in Tokyo, both the 1:1 VF-25 Valkyrie and Macross art exhibition will be held in Nagoya.
The VF-25 goes on display from tomorrow (June 1st) and artist extraordinaire Hidetaka Tenjin is again overseeing the iconic valkyrie’s construction and detailing.
With Megaupload being gone, and given the generally positive reaction Episode 3 has received (thanks for the feedback guys!), I am re-encoding Episodes 1 & 2 of the podcast and posting them here in Macross World.
This is the first episode we attempted to record – the weekend after Wings of Farewell hit cinemas in Japan. This was long before any sort of English translations were available so we discuss general opinions about the film at the time, as well as report on the various events that were happening in Japan to commemorate both its opening and the final end of the Macross Frontier rollercoaster that had been going strong for the past 3 years.
Please keep in mind that there were several technical issues and the acoustics were far from great (this is something we have improved in subsequent episodes).
For anyone who missed it the first time around, I hope you have as much fun listen to it as we had recording it.
Download here (right-click, save as)
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Tacked onto the end of a promotional reel for the upcoming Macross TV and DYRL Bluray Disc box sets at MACROSS: THE DESIGN at Shibuya Parco this week was a few announcements regarding upcoming projects for M7 Dynamite’s 15th anniversary. The odd thing is that these aren’t all directly related to M7 Dynamite and details are minimal at this point in time.
The official Macross 30th Anniversary website has posted new news regarding some of the upcoming anniversary events.
MACROSS: THE DESIGN@PARCO – the first 100 ppl to spend over 3000yen on April 26th will receive a ticket to receive an autograph from Haruhiko Mikimoto at a signing event on April 29. Lucky ticket holders will receive a specially prepared print that will be signed by Mikimoto. Special Frontier themed foods (i.e., Galaxy Ramen) will also be available at the event.
MACROSS 1:1 Valkyrie – Rankas Birthday! In addition to the Valk, Megumi Nakajima will appear in Ikebukuro at the 1:1 Valk exhibition on April 29 at 12:00 and 16:00 as part of a celebration of the birthday of Macross Frontier’s Ranka Lee. Apart from the Valk, the display will also feature life-sized figures of Minmay, Ranka and Sheryl, a display of the series characters, history and mechanics, an interview with Shoji Kawamori, a cosplay corner and a Nyan Cafe with Macross-themed foods and beverages.
Fans who go to both events as well as 3 other participating stores can take part in a stamp rally which will earn them a special commemorative clear file.
MACROSS: THE MUSICULTURE – ticket prices have been set at 6800yen. The show will run from October 3-8. Tickets will be offered to fan club members from May 18 with public sales starting on August 4.
COSPA 30th ANNIVERSARY MERCHANDISE – Cospa has just announced a range of Macross tshirts and assorted merchandise that will be released for the franchises 30th Anniversary. Details can be found here.
Famitsu.com has broken the first news on the upcoming Bluray release of Do You Remember Love.
The film will come in two flavours: the standard Hybrid Pack edition for 7140 yen and the Hybrid Pack 30th Anniversary Box for 13800 yen.
Both versions include a packed in game ‘My Boyfrend’s a Pilot 2012’ on the movie bluray disc itself.
The Hybrid Pack will include the following extras:
-90 min special features disc:
Flashback 2012
The beginnings of Macross: Kwawmori meets Miyatake
Documentary – Do You Remember Love: Flashback 2012
Animation from past videogames based on Do You Remember Love
Do You Remember the Taste? (collection of old tv commercials)
Image Board Gallery
Trailer collection
Colour booklet
Mini-size replication of the original theatrical booklet
Mini poster collection
Design sketch collection
Outer box illustration by Tenjin Hidetaka
Anime magazine archive
Film strip
(via Famitsu.com)
Various sources this morning are reporting that Noboru Ishiguro, director of the original Superdimensional Fortress Macross, passed away last night.
He was aged 73. Apart from Macross, Ishiguro will also be remembered for his work on Space Battleship Yamato, Orguss, Megazone 23 and the Legend of Galactic Heroes. Still active in the industry, he also directed Tytania (with character designs by Macross artist Mikimoto Haruhiko), and was recently involved with the yet-to-be-released series Angel ScandyS.
An anime great has left us, one who’s eye for detail and understanding of human relationships touched millions worldwide and influenced an entire generation of animators. Here’s hoping his work will inspire for generations to come as well.
An interview with Ishiguro by the Anime World Order crew can be found here.
An older, pre-Macross interview can be found here.
In what is hopefully only the first of many ways in which it celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Macross, Namco Bandai will release downloadable skins of the VF-1J and VF-1S for Ace Combat Assault Horizon on both PS3 and XBOX 360.
Unfortunately these will only be released in Japan and even the ‘region free’ PS3 region locks DLC (often it can be downloaded and paid for but won’t actually work.)
Full details can be found at ADRIASANG.
It’s funny how these things work – back in the day I remember thinking that Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere was quite possibly the best Macross game ever (with the caveat that its planes could actually transform). What do you guys think?
Just announced minutes ago via the Macross F fanclub newsletter (er…email)… the events that are to be held for Macross 30th Anniversary are:
(1) ‘Miss Macross 30’ contest.
(2) A Macross musical
(3) Macross 30th Anniversary Exhibition – MACROSS: THE DESIGN (to be held from April 26th at Shibuya Parco)
(4) 30th Anniversary Macross Exhibition ~ Valkyrie de sasotte! (to be held from April 28). – UPDATE – This will be held in Ikebukuro and will apparently feature a 1:1 scale VF-25 Valkyrie in Gerwalk mode.
Further details have just gone up in Japanese at the Macross 30 website.
Anyone going? Sound off in the forums!
Haruhiko Mikimoto held his annual art exhibition at the Art Jeuness gallery space in Akihabara from Feb. 23rd ~ 27th . As in previous years the main purpose of the exhibition was to drum up some sales for Mikimoto’s (primarily) original art, although the man himself dropped by on Saturday 25th for a small talk session and autographs.
With prices averaging 300,000~600,000 yen and upwards, there was no way that yours truly could afford one of the gorgeous pieces that adorned the walls, however I did hang around for the talk session and the chance to ask the big man a question or two.
(for anyone wondering, those fortunate enough to receive an autograph at these events can only have the signing board provided by the venue autographed. Taking personal merchandise to have signed is not permitted).
At the end of the session, Mikimoto directly addressed the pink elephant in the room – namely, possible plans for Macross’ 30th Anniversary. While he was fairly tight lipped on the subject, he did offer the following tidbits:
-There is currently a proposal for a Macross Exhibition of some kind. This would possibly be held in two locations in Japan for a limited time (ie, similar to the Gundam Museum which was a temporary exhibition held for 2 days in 2009). Discussions are still at a fairly early stage, however he had been asked to provide some of his Macross artwork and was currently in talks as to whether original prints or digital reproductions would be needed.
-Mikimoto will be releasing a new artwork book this year. He is aiming for Spring (hopefully by the end of May) but the release date hasn’t been locked in yet. While the book will be manly his original characters/works, this did lead to the subject of…
-A potential art book of his Macross related works. This is something that he is currently discussing with related parties however talks are at a very early stage. It’s something he is interested in doing but he doubts it would be ready for release this year given how busy he is with his original artwork book and schedule doing Macross The First.
Regarding Macross The First, he mentioned that his publishers had asked that he focus on Macross The First as much as possible this year, meaning that, while he had recently been considering restarting Gundam Ecole du Ciel, this has taken a backseat to his Macross work for the time being. He did, however, say that he wanted to continue Ecole in the near future.
Also regarding Macross The First, while answering another question he noted that he didn’t know whether the story of the Manga would continue past episode 27, Love Drifts Away (愛が流れる). Actually, at this stage he couldn’t even say whether the manga will make it that far.
While getting his autograph, I managed to ask his opinion of a remake of the original Macross. Now, keep in mind that this wasn’t as simple as asking him whether he wanted a remake to be done or not because I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have answered. As it was he protested that he was merely a character designer and couldn’t comment on any goings ons behind the scenes or whether or not new anime was actually in the works. HTat being the case, I had to hedge the question in a different manner – With the current trend of remaking classic mecha anime (Yamato 2199, Gundam The Origin). in his personal opinion, keeping his work on Macross The First in mind, IF the original Macross were to be remade, what would he personally like to see changed or fleshed out?
Mikimoto’s answer was as surprising as it was simple and, in retrospect, should have been expected – he wanted to expand on the love triangle. This was because he felt the Misa-Hikaru-Minmay relationship had ceased to be a love triangle a good two thirds of the way through the story despite the fact that Hikaru didn’t actively choose one woman over the other outright until the final episode. He had more or less drifted towards Misa because Minmay wasn’t around as much. Therefore he would like to see Minmay kept in the picture somehow to keep the love triangle going and then reach a conclusive, convincing end.
Unfortunately I forgot to ask him about the official spelling of Riber’s name – oh well, maybe next time.
