You became a Macross fan because of ...

[UN_MARINE]

i was introduced to both versions of the show at more or less the same time.

one station aired SDF:M, another aired RT.

for some genius reason, those stations would air the shows in the most absurd time slots, ie: during school, after school, but just before the school bus could get you home, & primetime! so i only got to watch the show in brief intervals from either station.

being in grade school, there didn't seem to be any difference.

the defining moment was just before high school when another station held a sort of super robot movie marathon, & i got to see DYRL in its "clash of the bionoids" form, along with other greats like Ideon, Getter, & Mazinger

a few years after that, they re-aired RT at a more convenient time, & that's how i got to follow the story. unfortunately.

then 'Plus came along, which lead to "Macross history homework" & I've had a sore spot for RT & HG from that point on.

even then, i had a very hard time believing that the SDF-1 would turn into a radioactive pile of rubble (according RT's southern cross tie-in).

[Sulendil Ang]

For myself, I got introduced to Macross from RT, but like Mr March, it's Macross Plus that makes me an Macross fan.

And for the resentments towards HG and its (crap) RT, I have one thing to say: GIVE ME MY UN SPACY KITE FLAG BACK!

BTW, is HG also the reason why UN Spacy turns into NUNS in MF?

[Mr March]

BTW, is HG also the reason why UN Spacy turns into NUNS in MF?

That's just speculation at this point. We have no way of knowing for sure and neither BG nor Kawamori have said anything about it.

[Vifam7]

DYRL.

In fact I became an anime fan because of DYRL. When I saw this anime (on VHS tape - recorded from a Japanese TV broadcast) for the first time, it blew me away. I must have watched that tape 3 times that night. The animation quality, the unbelievable amount of detail, the music, the choreography, the character designs, the cool as heck mecha, the story.. just everything was so superbly done I still hold it as the benchmark to which I compare all other anime.

Edited March 29, 2008 by Vifam7

[Isamu test pilot]

For me Macross II

yep, I was watching Robotech, but I did not like when the story reach the Southern Cross, so one day in a store I see the first 2 OVAS of Macross II in VHS, I bought it and then I looked for the true Macross, finally 2 months after that I found the VHS of DRYL and I fall in love with Macross

one year after that I get the MFB2012 in LD and I fall in love again

[Repiv_Onex]

Add a poll for Macross Toy/Valk

When I saw the Yamato 1/60 VF-1 in 2002, I felt kinda familiar with this toy, then I recalled its name, Macross... that was when I became a Macross Fan and started buying Macross Toys w/o watching ANY of the series. And it's weird as I don't collect any other stuff then I start to collect something I don't know anything about it.

I was very very little when SDF Macross shown in Singapore, what I only remember was it was an anime with Cool transforming fighter jets back then. Suprisingly I don't recall ANY of the storyline but only the Valk. Till now, I have not watch the original tv series, macross II, macross 7 and Robotech. btw DYRL is indeed the best movie ever!

Edited March 29, 2008 by Repiv_Onex

[warpaint22]

I'm with the rest that had their intro into Macross through Robotech, I remember getting up at 6:30 in the morning to watch robotech before school and I remember only being about 8 years old and going to school it was the topic of choice on the bus. I still to this day remember some girls sobbing over the death of Roy the morning that epesoid showed and to this day I don't think any anime had the same impact that it did. Then as time went on I found a video of DYRL for sale at a video shop and had to buy it, from that day on it's been Macross all the way. Long live Macross.

[Nexx Stalker]

Robotech all the way. To be honest, I first fell in love with a takatoku VF1S I saw back in 1983 in a toy shop (at the time, in Italy there was a real phenomenon of imported toys directly from Japan even if the series were not broadcasted here). It was too expensive for me, so I settled for a cheaper version (a small plastic-only one, I don't have the image here). So for me it was the images of the Valkyries and of their misterious pilot (later to be known as Hikaru) that started it. When Robotech came out in 1985, I went crazy.

That's how I knew Robotech had "kidnapped" Macross from the beginning when I watched Robotech for teh first time (but I was hooked nonetheless. I still love RT very deeply, especially the Italian dub). I started collecting "treasures" at comics convetions about the american patchwork and the the original shows (artbooks, models, toy, etc).

When my friends (I love them) got me the Gold Book as a present, I drooled over the images. In the 90's DYRL came out dubbed in Italian (it was not Clash of the Bionoids, mind you, but the real thing). I drooled again, but I still prefer the TV series (much much more than the movie version, to be honest).

Then came Mac II. i loved the Valkyries and, to a certain extent, the story. a pity the last episodes have crappy animation.

Seing Mac + renewed my love for Macross.

Macross 7 at first made me cry "oh God, why?" and then put me in Macrossfrenzy all over again.

Macross 0 was ok.

In 2004 Macross (finally!) was dubbed in Italian (first country ever to have a dubbed version) with an excellent cast of actors. I was finally able, 20 years later, to enjoy the real thing. Masterpiece.

I have many expectations on MF, even If I don't like the singing stars and the over the edge machism of some characters (Kawamori San is not very good at avoiding stereotypes, I'm afraid, but I forgive him ).

Edited March 30, 2008 by Nexx Stalker

[Oihan]

...Robotech. I owe my love of Macross (and anime) to Robotech. I saw Robotech as a child...rediscovered it in my early teens...and that's when I learned of anime and Macross. I soon saw Macross II and fell even more in love with the series. Macross is one of the very few things in life that I truly love and enjoy.

Edited March 31, 2008 by Oihan

[M'Kyuun]

I saw Robotech for the first time back iin the late 90's and thought it was pretty good(the Macross section, it sucked after that), but what really got me was seeing early pics of the then unreleased 1/72 YF-19 and some other pics of the Plus Valks in a Japanese hobby magazine in a comic book store. I bought the Macross Plus OVA on VHS and I was an instant convert.

[Starcat22]

Robotech was my first introduction to Macross. Love it or hate that is what we had. The story has since lost its appeal to me but I still love the valkyries.

I have seen Macros Pluss and I think its a good movie with a lousy ending.

I've seen Macross Zero and I absolutely loved it unitl the last episode. To me that was what valkyries were meant to be!

I'm crazy enough to think Macross Zero works best if you ignore everything that came afterward. There were at three more episodes worth of story there.

[Auto Pilot Off]

i became a macross fan because of the DYRL movie thats the only macross anime that i watched and i dun really understand the plot of the story its just that the fighter plane that transforms into robot that is really cool... and my neighbor has a vf-1 valk n i dont have any... i envy him..

i had watched robotech on tv a bit here n there but i only remember the mospeada cyclones n legios alpha but none about the VF-1's in that cartoon.... weird...

[Bill C.]

Robotech got me curious, so technically it's what started it all, but the love didn't really kick in until the first time I saw DYRL. Of course, that was one of the first pieces of anime I ever saw, so I suppose it's more pivotal in that sense than strictly Macross...

[evilmonkeycloset]

maybe i one of the few here but i started to watch macross form RT and i still like to watch them today for me i will never forgot what is was like to stay up past my bed time to watch the show (i got to do this for my whole family loved RT at the time .)

[Kelsain]

My first experience with Macross was the models, really. We found some at Stanton Hobby in Chicago, about the time I was 6 or 7 - just old enough to crudely build them and paint a VF-1S Testors gloss black with flames on it. Yeech! I later found an English Macross comic and made my Dad read it to me (editing out the damns and hells, of course). I could have read it myself, but he did the voices!

Not long after that, though, we saw the commercials for the upcoming broadcast of Robotech and were awed that these cool planes were actually in a cartoon. We caught the initial broadcast and the whole family was hooked. I was really too young to know about the series cobbling, but the show never did seem to flow, and I really lost interest after Macross. We had the Robotech Art book, which spilled the beans about the series' origins, but I never bothered with tracking it down. Clash of the Bionoids just confused the issue.

Then I was wandering through the video store in 96 and spotted Macross Plus. I couldn't believe that there was a direct sequel to Macross and I scooped up all 3 (friggin 8 month wait for ep 4!). It was enough for me for a while, but I eventually picked up a bootleg of SDFM, and finally watched M7 a couple years ago. Just last month, I finally watched the M+ Movie (I was bitter about the removal of the VF11 seq.) and agreed that the plot was much stronger.

I'm hooked again, stoked about MF, and the wife now just rolls her eyes & says "That's great, hon" and just asks me to keep most of the geeky paraphanalia to my office.

Edited April 4, 2008 by Kelsain

[ce25254]

I first ran into Macross in my local comic shop, where I found the Comico adaption of SDF Macross. I didn't have cable TV, so no access to the Robotech TV show. This comic book ignited my interest in Japanese language and animation. Does this count as Macross or Robotech? Well it's on the MW book list so I say SDF:M.

At some point I got my hands on the DYRL movie program through that comic shop, and also the Macross Graffiti book.

I don't remember if I found the model kits before or after the comic was transformed into Robotech. I had a catalog of models (Gundam, Dougram, Dunbine, Macross, Yamato, etc.) that were being imported to the USA, and another one of books (that one might've been Books Nippan). I pored over these catalogs for hours, making plans...

[darkrealmbahamut]

A mix of Robotech and SDF Macross but I can only vote for one.

[Ozma]

I watched the original SDF Macross dubbed into Cantonese when I was living in HK in the early 80's. I also caught DYRL when it was showing in the cinema. Unfortunately, a move overseas meant I missed out on Macross until the advent of the Internet which allowed me to catch up with the old shows.

[Hiriyu]

It was actually a tough poll choice for me. I ended up voting DYRL.

Although the R-word show in its original run was my first exposure to the actual animation, beforehand, it was my exposure to imported models and toys, prior to ever seeing any Macross animation on TV, which drew me in. Even after seeing the show in its (*ahem*) abridged US format, I knew that there was something more to it, as evidenced by the unique variants and artwork used in the production of the various models and toys, which I would pore over at my local model and toy shops. These gave the franchise a kind of mystique to me, and from there, I was hooked.

From about '86 or so until about 2002, it fell completely off my radar. Then, one day, I happened across a Macross listing on Ebay, totally at random. Looking at all of the various products on offer, I was amazed at the breadth of stuff that had gone on in my absence. That eventually led me to some fansites, in search of more information, and ultimately I landed here.

[Dervish]

I saw Robotech in 1985. I was sad when they got rid of it. Once I saw the original Macross, and DYRL, I was like "wow, this is so much better!"

Despite the Robotech hate, and how I prefer Macross over Robotech by far, I am glad Robotech introduced me to an outstanding anime series. Not so glad that we're dealing with licensing issues here in the states

[dreamweaver13]

SDF Macross. they showed it here in the philippines in the 80's, dubbed in english. i think i was around 8 yrs old, and i was HOOKED. but they stopped airing before the end, so i was stuck in limbo. hey, as a kid, what COULD i do? so i did the only think a heartbroken kid could do... i tried to forget.

fast forward to 15 years later, philippine TV aired robotech. and i was dazed and confused, thinking, hey i know these characters, i know that mecha, i know this story, but WTF is this "robotech" thing? the title of this show is Macross!! and the memories came rushing back in. so, even though it was robotech, i watched it religiously, hoping to finally know what happened in the end. BUT, true to form, they stopped airing right before the space war (envoy)!! arg.

but this time, at 23 years of age i could do something about it. found the original series. bought it, watched it. HOOKED to the 100th power. and i was not satisfied with just watching the series. so eventually found macross II (didn't like it that much, though), macross plus (alright!!), DYRL Macross (awesome baby!), macross flashback 2012 (finally!!)macross 7. and so on and so forth... and now, it continues with macross zero and frontier. more to come, i hope.

so that being said.... i HATE robotech. i HATE Carl Macek for what he did (and is still doing) to macross. But at the same time, i will be eternally grateful to Robotech and Macek; if not for them i would not have had the chance to rekindle my love affair with the Macross universe. cheers.

Edited April 8, 2008 by dreamweaver13

[Holocause]

Hey a fellow pinoy.

I too first fell in love with Macross as it was aired in the Philippines dubbed in english (I think by local actors) on RPN-9 in the mid 80's. The hard part of watching Macross at the time was that the broadcaster of the show would just show the episodes at random order and not in succession. The thinking back then was these cartoons (GI Joe/ Tranformers/ He-Man) were 1-shot 30 minute episodes you could watch in any order as opposed to Japanese Anime where one episode linked to another in succession. That being said my initial Macross experience was a jumble of episodes with nary a faint an idea how they were in order. My love for the series was further re-inforced when my dad bought me a SuperVF-1S from a trip to Japan. Those things cost an arm and a leg back then (now they sell for an entire body), and had metal parts and stuff that could choke a 5 year old. Being a kid, I played with that thing along with my transformers until I broke it, the ussual kid stuff like coloring that thing with a magic marker, breaking off the antenae, ripping the arms off. A couple of years later they even gifted me an Elint Seeker of the same scale. Broke that thing too eventually... sigh if I only knew then what I know now.

One year we went to the USA for vacation and my cousin was telling me to wake-early in the morning to watch this fantastic robot show called Robotech... When he showed it to me I was wondering what he was all a fuss about as it was Macross I've seen a year earlier. Never the less he too was hooked and on my first exposure to Toys R Us I snagged me a Robotech Jolly Green Giant. Was looking for valkyries but none were in sight... there were a bunch of destroids though and a SkyFire transformer but nothing Macross or what I knew of it. That's when I started getting confused.

Things further got confusing when I went back to the Philippines and my buddies were playing Pen n Paper Battletech. I was reading their book and was astounded by images of Macross Mecha renamed to Battletech mechs. I was astounded when I saw a Hornet and told them "wtf?!?! that's a frigging valkyrie... Roy's valkyrie!!!" They looked at me with astoundment not knowing who Roy was and what was this Macross I was talking about. This made me really confused as to what really was what...

The years would pass and the advent of the internet as well as hanging out with the local comic/manga/anime shop owner clarified some things for me and I began to connect the dots... Just in time for the initial release of Macross Plus in the late 90's and everything made sense.

Never the less, no matter what variation came out or which one I was exposed to... it was the Valkyrie's that got me attracted to Macross. I didn't care which story was right, all I wanted to see were those neat jets fight off the badguys.

[Lonewolf]

Robotech introduced me to the concept and really made me a Macross fan afterwards.

[Shaorin]

got hooked on macross through robotech fifteen years ago. still think the VF-01 is the most elegant mecha of all time...

[isamu]

I started watching Robotech when I was 12 when it aired on TV here in the US. I am a huge fan of the show and it wasn't until ten years later when I attended the 10th anniverseray Robotech convention that I discovered that the show was built from three different anime that originated in Japan. I was shocked to say the least, and so I wanted to know more about Macross, and thus bought Clash of the Bionoids, and then Macross Plus, both of which were only available on VHS

Suffice to say, after watching Mac+, I became a huge fan of Macross, and developed a real appreciation for Kawamori, Ishiguro, Mikimoto, and the entire franchise.

I still have a soft spot for RT though. Like someone said above, it is still enjoyable because of the huge nostalgic emotions it gives me while watching it. Plus I think Ulpio's background music is some of best I've heard in ANY anime soundtrack.

[Dervish]

SDF Macross. they showed it here in the philippines in the 80's, dubbed in english. i think i was around 8 yrs old, and i was HOOKED. but they stopped airing before the end, so i was stuck in limbo. hey, as a kid, what COULD i do? so i did the only think a heartbroken kid could do... i tried to forget.

Is it true that Lynn Kaifun's name in the Philippines dub was "Teddy Typhoon"?

[dreamweaver13]

Is it true that Lynn Kaifun's name in the Philippines dub was "Teddy Typhoon"?

haha, for the life of me, i cannot remember. i sure hope not. hehe. holocause, how about some help with this one?

[Birdman]

My first exposure came via Robotech in the late 80's - the only competing shows available at the time were Bugs Bunny, Astroboy, and such gems as "Rocket Robinhood" or "The New Adventures of Hercules" (shudders... ). Growing up in northern New Brunswick wasn't all that great from a tv watching perspective. Years later, I found a Macross II DVD which was, well..., okay. So at first I didn't see the big deal between RT and Macross. I quickly changed my mind after seeing Mac Plus and DYRL though. I think the problem is that RT really hasn't aged too well, I mean watching the first 5-10 minutes of RT:TSC versus Mac Zero says it all doesn't it?

Seriously, Halloween special? WTF?!

[Holocause]

haha, for the life of me, i cannot remember. i sure hope not. hehe. holocause, how about some help with this one?

I can't remember either. I was a kid back then and my attention span was limited to Roy, Max, Minmei, Misa and Ichigo and the Valk's

What I can tell you is that Macross was aired on Sat afternoons just after Lot-lot and friends. Sorry only Filipino's will get this comment

Edited April 12, 2008 by Holocause

[uminoken]

I decided to take a chance and buy a vhs copy of Macross Plus, got MASSIVELY hooked, then Cartoon Network started showing RT reruns, watched only Macross saga, never cared for the rest, went hunting on the net, found MacrosWorld and saw the light

[ShizumaRobo]

Hello. I'm new to these forums and I thought this was a good place for an introduction. Like everyone else, I got into Macross through Robotech. I remember watching it when it was on Cartoon Network's Toonami and I really though it was great stuff. I also remember this (now non-existent) TV station that used to show all kinds of classic anime such as Locke the Superman, Dallos and Macross: Clash of the Bionoids (a.k.a. Do you Remember Love) Safe to say, the show and movie really sucked me in. I eventually discovered the Japanese version, and Macross became one of my all time favorite anime. It really has something for everyone. A great story, interesting universe, very memorable characters. Lots of cool mecha, mass destruction, breathtaking, intense action and tons of stuff blowing up for the boys. and lots of great drama and romance for the girls. It will always be one of my all time favorite anime titles. (Along with Giant Robo, which as you can guess is part of my screenname)

My next Macross was Macross Plus (the movie version) and was absolutely amazed. Macross II was decent enough IMO, even though it isn't canon. I wasn't too fond of Macross 7 though. The original Do You Remember Love was very awesome. Macross Zero was entertaning, even though its ending really threw me for a loop.

Now I'm following Macross Frontier, and its looking to be the Macross sequel I've been waiting for for a long time. The first episode (Deculture version) was absolutely breathtaking. And I have a good feeling this will be the series to put Macross back on top.

Anyway, I've been visiting these forums for awhile as a guest and am glad to finally join.

[alindasue]

I first saw Robotech during it's first run on TV back when I was in college in the early '80s. I liked it, but it didn't impress me like Star Blazers had. Later in the early '90s, I saw some Macross, which did impress me, but it wasn't really until about '95 when a friend of mine handed me a couple fansub tapes of Macross 7 that I really became a fan. I was hooked from the first couple episodes!

Now, over a decade and several hundred dollars later (import CDs are not cheap!), it's still one of my favorite anime.

peace

[ComicKaze]

It only makes sense that a lot of us were introduced by Robotech. There is no shame in that.