Love Triangles Over Done In Macross?

[Zinjo]

So why not have the stories of 3 separate couples? There's a new take on the old "love triangle"!

We have had mecha porn in Plus, we got J-pop porn in Mac 7, we got the enviromental story in D7, why not do a story with a horror theme or some other genre? What's stopping them from doing a truly gritty war story for a change, without all the warm fluffy elements of SDFM or Mac 7, a survival story... There are many genre's they haven't explored in the vast Macross universe yet.

Since the Macross universe has established itself as a character driven franchise, the list of available story types is quite large, IMO. It simply takes being more creative with what they have.

[kensei]

So why not have the stories of 3 separate couples? There's a new take on the old "love triangle"!

And what would that be about? Wife swapping?

[DeathHammer]

Please Delete Thanks

Edited February 9, 2010 by DeathHammer

[Mr March]

I'm not really tired of the love triangle sub-plot in the Macross productions that I love. I find it entertaining and a welcome addition to a genre so often ruled by ridiculous relationships between characters that would never occur. The SDF Macross love triangle was very entertaining to watch and extremely rewarding. The Macross Plus triangle fit the fatalistic turn you just knew was coming and perfectly fit the characters. I suppose the love triangle may feel overused since it also appears in many of the Macross productions I don't like, but I think that's really incidental. Macross Zero, Macross 7 and Macross II were failures on so many other levels, the love triangle is really low on any list of potential complaints IMO.

I agree with DeathHammer and his analysis of the real fault of the weaker Macross productions. Each successive Macross film/series/OVA has moved farther and farther from the real robot genre and it's only hurt the franchise. The never ending obsession with spiritism, mysticism, and other phenomena grows more ridiculous with every outing, in an attempt to out do the spiritual profundity of the last Macross story. If there is any hope that the Macross franchise will regain success, they've got to go back to the basics and return to the genre that the franchise redefined in the first place. There's still a market for the real robot genre, some might say now more than ever. With shows like NGE and similar successors ruling the market, there's a real need to create a production that once again merges elements of real-tech legitimacy with science fiction and base character actions on aspects of the humanities rather than the supernatural.

[Nied]

I agree with you.

Love and music?

transforming combat jets?

How over done are those things in Macross we need something new.

Absolutely. The next Macross series shouldn't have any of that stuff, it's over played. As is this whole "animation" thing. The next Macross series should be a live action show about a plucky band of orphans who solve mysteries in 1920s Chicago.

[justvinnie]

Absolutely. The next Macross series shouldn't have any of that stuff, it's over played. As is this whole "animation" thing. The next Macross series should be a live action show about a plucky band of orphans who solve mysteries in 1920s Chicago.

Sounds awesome!

[Zinjo]

Absolutely. The next Macross series shouldn't have any of that stuff, it's over played. As is this whole "animation" thing. The next Macross series should be a live action show about a plucky band of orphans who solve mysteries in 1920s Chicago.

Damn it!

That was MY idea!!!

*Sigh*

[SpacyAce2012]

I'm not really tired of the love triangle sub-plot in the Macross productions that I love. I find it entertaining and a welcome addition to a genre so often ruled by ridiculous relationships between characters that would never occur. The SDF Macross love triangle was very entertaining to watch and extremely rewarding. The Macross Plus triangle fit the fatalistic turn you just knew was coming and perfectly fit the characters. I suppose the love triangle may feel overused since it also appears in many of the Macross productions I don't like, but I think that's really incidental. Macross Zero, Macross 7 and Macross II were failures on so many other levels, the love triangle is really low on any list of potential complaints IMO.

I agree with DeathHammer and his analysis of the real fault of the weaker Macross productions. Each successive Macross film/series/OVA has moved farther and farther from the real robot genre and it's only hurt the franchise. The never ending obsession with spiritism, mysticism, and other phenomena grows more ridiculous with every outing, in an attempt to out do the spiritual profundity of the last Macross story. If there is any hope that the Macross franchise will regain success, they've got to go back to the basics and return to the genre that the franchise redefined in the first place. There's still a market for the real robot genre, some might say now more than ever. With shows like NGE and similar successors ruling the market, there's a real need to create a production that once again merges elements of real-tech legitimacy with science fiction and base character actions on aspects of the humanities rather than the supernatural.

An excellent post, Mr. March.

I, personally, had no problem with exploring mysticism or spiritism in M7/M0. However, I agree that enough is enough. It's time to move on and tackle other themes in Macross.

Which is also the point behind my opinion regarding love triangles. Rehashing and reusing the same themes with every new addition to Macross. Which, judging from some of the posts on this thread, is what some hard-core fans want. To be more specific, "retreads" of the SDF Macross plotline or constant reuse of major plot/story elements from that particular series.

That tends to lead to stagnation. And it can cause fans to lose interest just as easily as the use of hokey concepts/story elements.

One of the strong points of Macross Plus (to name an example) for me was the fact that a new backdrop was used. Instead of a major war in space against impossible odds, we have test pilots involved in an intense competition for a government fighter contract. You have politics, behind the scenes dealings, murder, intrigue, and cover-ups. Toss in three very dysfunctional main characters, with major emotional baggage, and you have a recipe for excitement. While some of the old themes were there (love triangle, female musician involved in said triangle, etc), the overall story was different enough to draw me in and keep my interest. If it had been a slightly re-written SDF Macross/DYRL/MII, I would have watched it once and said "ho-hum. It was okay, but typical of the series so far". And the tape would have sat on my shelf, collecting dust. This is the reason behind my enjoyment of that particular series. It has nothing to do with this concept of "mecha porn" that some keep bringing up.

I can fully get behind the idea of getting back on the "real robot" track in regards to Macross. But as Macross Plus has demonstrated, new ideas can be safely tried within the scope of the genre. You don't necessarily need to revisit the "space opera" concept or constantly use the same romantic themes over and over again (to name a couple of examples).

Just because something was in the original series doesn't mean it is etched in stone. But when talking with friends, who are Macross fans, about this subject; I get the impression they see me as a species of heretic.

[Zinjo]

Well those who consider you a heretic may also be ones who believe SK is the infallible second coming who is the god of Macross...

I think he's good and a visionary, but not the only one capable of wrtiting a good Macross story...

Then again, there are also forces at work behind the scenes who will want to recapture the magic of SDFM, but don't understand that new magic may take the form of a different genre story withing the Macross universe.

The "Alien" franchise showed how a couple of genre's were plugged into that universe and found success. The Macross universe is vast enough to support several genres and still find success.

Edited December 6, 2006 by Zinjo

[Mr March]

An excellent post, Mr. March.

Very insightful. I would tend to agree on your main points. Macross Plus was a welcome change of venue, a reimagining in many ways of the Macross universe while still dealing with the universal themes that make the franchise what it is. Rather than another grand space opera, the OVA was a personal story and a much narrower variable fighter competition. Yet as you mentioned, all the elements of the Macross from the love triangle and burdened characters, to the mecha and music where all there as parts serving the whole.

I don't think that returning to the roots of the real robot genre necessitates revisiting old themes and stories. In some small ways, Macross Plus was actually more a real robot show than the original SDF Macross, leaving (for the most part) aside massive space wars, aliens and ideological evolutions. But again, themes are something that translate well, regardless of setting and character. An interesting story done Macross style is worth doing.

Personally, I like Kawamori as a creator. Macross and Escaflowne were fantastic shows IMO, well written and relatable to me even as a much older fan outside the target audience. But he's not necessarily the best Macross director. The Macross franchise could do with a much more grounded and stylistic vision, similar to what Wantanabe achieved with his influence in Macross Plus.

Nothing is wrong with taking Macross in different directions. Creativity is bred from the unexpected and untested. I think it's good to speculate on possible hopeful incarnations of Macross and you won't be called a heretic by me for thoughtful analysis of one of my beloved anime franchises

[Mr March]

Well those who consider you a heretic may also be ones who believe SK is the infallible second coming who is the god of Macross...

And yet these same Macross fans are often found belittling devout Gundam fans for the same behaviour, fans who swallow every new Gundam show they're fed. Personally, I have no problem critiquing whatever, whenever, on a case by case basis. I can't pretend to like every lousy sequel with a fricking brand name attached just because the original was good. But I suppose even The Phantom Menace, Voyager and Alien 3 has their staunch defenders