Super Dimension Southern Calvary Cross

[danth]

As much as I want to like Southern Cross, I can't say I like the mecha designs all too much. For sure the Hovertank is the least worst. But that Ajax is just ugly.

[Gubaba]

D'oh! Almost forgot, apparently there was also a Matchbox Hovercycle.

Also not my photo.

Y'know...the difference between Japanese and American packaging is stunning...it's been more than twenty years since I saw the Japanese hoverbike model, but I'm sure the box had a nicely painted picture and said something like "SCMXHB 111-54-9C BIKE-HOVERAN" or something absurdly technical like that...whereas the American one just says, "DANA'S HOVERCYCLE"...clear and simple for stupid, lazy little children.

Edited May 20, 2008 by Gubaba

[Alpha OTS]

Y'know...the difference between Japanese and American packaging is stunning...it's been more than twenty years since I saw the Japanese hoverbike model, but I'm sure the box had a nicely painted picture and said something like "SCMXHB 111-54-9C BIKE-HOVERAN" or something absurdly technical like that...whereas the American one just says, "DANA'S HOVERCYCLE"...clear and simple for stupid, lazy little children.

You know, a quick glance at that and it looks like a Barbie riding vacuum cleaner.

[Ginrai]

Remember that Hovercycle is from the Women of Robotech subline aimed at girls. Of course it is not full of technical information. It was about how Lisa, Dana, and Minmei were pretty pretty princesses and you can do their hair and make them hang out with their fabulous boyfriends and drive around in fabulous vehicles like the Hovercycle or Fanjet!

[Roger]

There used to be a picture of the bootleg that Ginrai mentioned at Rob Morgenstern's Southern Cross Universe, but the site seems to be gone. Maybe someone less lazy than me can find it at archive.org.

[Ginrai]

I have a copy saved to my HD if nothing else. Now, remembering to find it when I get home will be the real challenge since I mostly just go home to sleep.

[Roger]

(Incidentally, the languid attitude being displayed here is one of the aftereffects of discussing Southern Cross. ;p)

[Gubaba]

(Incidentally, the languid attitude being displayed here is one of the aftereffects of discussing Southern Cross. ;p)

QFT

How many die hard Southern Cross fans are there in the world...? I bet even the show's creators aren't all that fond of it...

[Ginrai]

Well, I think Southern Cross is an interesting failure. Some novel ideas, but everything didn't really gel and it was yanked just when it was starting to get somewhere. Probably a little too much time spent on characters and not enough on action, too.

[VF5SS]

And Japan hates women. Especially when they're lead characters.

[Alpha OTS]

And Japan hates women. Especially when they're lead characters.

Despite that......she still wasn't really all that likeable.

[Gubaba]

And Japan hates women. Especially when they're lead characters.

Yeah...Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed, Gall Force, Iczer-1, and Gunm (or however you spell it) were all abysmal failures, weren't they?

EDIT: Not to mention, outside the world of anime, The Ring. Jeez, THERE'S a movie that sank without a trace...

Edited May 21, 2008 by Gubaba

[Vermillion21]

Well, I think Southern Cross is an interesting failure. Some novel ideas, but everything didn't really gel and it was yanked just when it was starting to get somewhere. Probably a little too much time spent on characters and not enough on action, too.

I agree. While not a huge fan, and the mecha designs were uninspired, I thought the series had potential. One thing I did like was the team comeraderie (sp?) within the ATAC squad. Plus the personal battle armours were cool.

Edited May 21, 2008 by Vermillion21

[jenius]

How many die hard Southern Cross fans are there in the world...? I bet even the show's creators aren't all that fond of it...

Inflammatory aspects aside, I think there's an interesting question there to ask. I know the creators of Mospeada occasionally sound a bit tepid about the series and seem to express some disatisfaction with the sponsor involvement. I wonder if the Southern Cross creators also feel like they had put something decent together only to have the sponsors mold it into a failure.

[Ginrai]

There's interviews with the creators of Southern Cross in the DVD booklet and you can tell they were excited and trying something new and this was going to a big showcase for Tatsunoko's in-house team.

I do like Southern Cross quite a bit. It's a lot more interesting when not Robotech-ized. I think if it hadn't been rushed to completion it could have really ended on a high note.

Oh, and here's that bootleg toy. I am still mad I did not win this auction on ebay.

[fifbeat]

=) That's the one!

(so yeah, I guess the fellow was right about it being the bootleg).

Damn, I remember it looking a lot better than that. =)

[rei]

It's interesting to see these SC items like this knockoff Ginrai shows. I dig the model but this knockoff piece is utterly yeesh. Who's the manufacturer and did they come out with more stuff?

[Ginrai]

I'm sure the manufacturer is just some fly by night Hong Kong company or something.

[JsARCLIGHT]

I'm pulling this thread out of the flames as it was pretty good until the 5th Annual Macrossworld Butthurt Festival and Charity Tractor Pull wrecked it.

Please continue the thread but consider this a gentle warning, the next combative or inflammatory post gets someone a time out.

[baronv]

Wow a bootleg SC item, what price did it sell for? Is it a copy of the model kits?

[Vermillion21]

Thought I'd add some pics of the Southern Cross personal combat armour suits.

Very cool.

*EDIT: D'oh, just realized I added the AJAC mecha too!!

Edited May 22, 2008 by Vermillion21

[Gubaba]

First off, I'm sorry for any hurt feelings or blood-pressure risings I may have caused.

I meant no harm. Really.

I'll tread more gingerly now.

Inflammatory aspects aside, I think there's an interesting question there to ask. I know the creators of Mospeada occasionally sound a bit tepid about the series and seem to express some disatisfaction with the sponsor involvement. I wonder if the Southern Cross creators also feel like they had put something decent together only to have the sponsors mold it into a failure.

Well...I always thought it was odd that most of the merchadizing was focussed on the armor...I remember getting a booklet with one of the old kits that showed every branch of the Sourthern Cross army, with three suits of armor (separated by rank) for each branch*. Sure, the armor was neat-looking, but who watches a robot show and says, "Damn! Those uniforms are awesome! I want a toy of THAT!"?

Was the merchandizing effort simply an experiment that failed? Or was a Spartas toy too difficult to engineer? Either way, I think the blame lies with Arii rather than Tatsunoko.

EDIT: *I just looked up. Yep, those were indeed some of the pics from the old booklet. I wonder if anyone has a scan of the whole thing...Mine might still be lying around in a box in my Dad's garage...

Edited May 22, 2008 by Gubaba

[lord_breetai]

EDIT: *I just looked up. Yep, those were indeed some of the pics from the old booklet. I wonder if anyone has a scan of the whole thing...Mine might still be lying around in a box in my Dad's garage...

Something like this?

I didn't scan it obviously missing some pages and some duplicate pages but still.

Edited May 22, 2008 by lord_breetai

[Roger]

The initial Southern Cross designs just focussed on the armor, there were no transforming robots. It was just a samurai epic set in space with futuristic armor. Later on it seems that the sponsors like Imai encouraged the addition of robots, and the "Super Dimensional" moniker was tacked on due to Macross' success.

The thing that never made sense about Southern Cross to me: why did they have such a huge mechanized army? Who were they expecting to fight? No wars between colonies were ever mentioned, nor did they mention any aliens that they might be at war with. And when the aliens arrived, their robots just happened to be the same size as the humans' robots. How convenient.

[Gubaba]

Something like this?

I didn't scan it obviously missing some pages and some duplicate pages but still.

That's IT! Thanks!

I remember thinking when I was a kid that the Cold Squad armor looked pretty cool...

[1st Border Red Devil]

Its from this book:

[Ginrai]

Wow a bootleg SC item, what price did it sell for? Is it a copy of the model kits?

Yeah, it's copied from the model kit. I don't remember the sale price exactly as this was years ago, but I want to say it was around 50 bucks.

[Ginrai]

The initial Southern Cross designs just focussed on the armor, there were no transforming robots. It was just a samurai epic set in space with futuristic armor. Later on it seems that the sponsors like Imai encouraged the addition of robots, and the "Super Dimensional" moniker was tacked on due to Macross' success.

It was armor and ROBOT HORSES. ROBOT HORSES!

[lord_breetai]

It was armor and ROBOT HORSES. ROBOT HORSES!

Damn! I love Robot horses (the Pegasus Mecha from Robotech II the Sentinels, Saber Rider's steed and so on)

[jenius]

A robot horse? Did the robot horses transform? Do we have prototype drawings of robot horses? Were there different types of robot horses to go with different types of robot armors? What did the bad guys have to attack these samurai on their robot horses?

[Roger]

I like to think that they were suits of armor for real horses.

[lord_breetai]

I like to think that they were suits of armor for real horses.

LAME! Robot horses are epic win; robot horses with full behaviourl program!

[jenius]

I like to think that they were suits of armor for real horses.

Aw c'mon, that steals the fun of it. Logistically that raises an interesting question... how would you get horses to some outpost planet (and in some feasible manner)? Were they indigenous horse-like creatures? If they were real horses with armor then I imagine they'd wear armor similar to their rider's. Ooh, did the marine ride a seahorse??

[lord_breetai]

Aw c'mon, that steals the fun of it. Logistically that raises an interesting question... how would you get horses to some outpost planet (and in some feasible manner)? Were they indigenous horse-like creatures? If they were real horses with armor then I imagine they'd wear armor similar to their rider's. Ooh, did the marine ride a seahorse??

Simple... get the Serenity to fly them in, they've transported horses before.

But seriously, am I the only one who actually thinks robot horses are cool, and oh so very 80s?

[jenius]

I will second your "oh so very 80s" line... but I always hated the notion of robot horses. Everyone knows the motorcycle is the modern day horse!