Favorite Macross Series?

[mrhillz]

I have a feeling that this has been more or less posted already, so please lock and send me to the right direction if it has.

So, what's everyone's favorite Macross series? Mine would have to be Plus. It was the one of the first OVA anime series that I really got into. I remember getting the first volume dubbed on VHS waay back in the day, and actually got each subsequent volume when they came out. You know the big cliffhanger at the end of Episode 3? Just imagine how myself, and probably others felt when the credits started to roll. I purposely wouldn't let a friend borrow the series, until I relented. He said his mom actually came down to the basement to check on him when she heard him screaming after seeing the cliffhanger ending.

So, what's everyone else's favorite series, and do they have any funny stories as to why?

[e_jacob77]

HI all,

IN before lockdown.....

Plus got me hooked, but connected more with Frontier..

[Xx-SKULL-ONE-xX]

Has to be DYRL and to a lesser extent, SDF macross. I saw Clash of the Bionoids as a child and loved it so much that I bought the first release of Macross Saga Robotech on DVD just to try and find it, hoping it might be in their somewhere. You see as an adult I never remembered what that awesome cartoon was, all I knew was that the Robotech guys seemed almost exactly the same, but something was a little off...

When I finally bought a hong kong bootleg after finding out what Clash of the Bionoids really was (my dad remembered the name of the cartoon we used to watch because we rented it ALL the time) it was like heaven...Roy dying the proper way, Minmay being caught while falling through the city, Skulls on all the Valkyries..so badass when you are little.

To this day, even with all they awesome mechs that Macross has produced, VF-1S Strike is my favorite.

If no other Macross was ever made (heaven forbid) I would still be happy with SDF macross and DYRL, watching them regularily.

On a side note, a similar thing happened to me with Warriors of the Wind (what some of you may refer to as Nausicaa) except I remembered the name and we always had a copy of Warriors of the Wind. Me and my brother skipped university classes the day Nausicaa was released properly by Disney...ah good times.

Edited November 9, 2010 by Xx-SKULL-ONE-xX

[Jeff J]

If no other Macross was ever made (heaven forbid) I would still be happy with SDF macross and DYRL, watching them regularily.

Agreed, though I wouldn't necessarily watch it repeatedly.

From a strictly storytelling point of view, the original series is king. It loses in a lot of technical categories: certainly its animation is outdated and many instances even bad for its time, the mecha designs were really basic, and I thought the sound effects could've used a lot of improvements. The music probably isn't as memorable, either, and obviously music plays a huge role in Macross in general. But the original put Macross on the map, and due to its success it probably gave the creators more latitude to go in different directions for future projects, leading to a lot of acrimony among fans. The characters were, throughout the most part, the most relatable, and they go through a fairly wide spectrum of realistic emotions. Finally, the pacing of the story is actually only second best to Frontier IMO, because the original goes through a handful of big jumps in time (4 months between episodes 6 and 7, 2 years between 27 and 28, etc.), but there's rarely a dull episode, the wide timeline does give the series more of an epic feel, and the way the characters progress seemed to fit the amount of time that elapsed in their universe.

Edited November 9, 2010 by Jeff J

[Vepariga]

SDF TV > DRYL? > Plus > MF > MZero > M7 > MII

SDF cant beat it,minmay,hikaru,MISA...effin Global,the characters became more then just characters,they became real in our minds and televisions,we actually cared for them. no other series ever has given me the experience as SDF Macross.

thats my take anyway

[Robelwell202]

For me, it's Mac+ and MacF.

Around '87 or '98, a friend of mine said 'Hey, check thos out.', and popped a VHS of Plus into the VCR. Just over two hours later, I was hooked.

Now, ast-forward to a few years ago. I'd started getting curious about Robotech, so I got active on the forums. I found a bunnch of people talking about Mac7, MacF, and some other stuff. This came to a complete surprise, since I thought that the only Macross stuff out there was SDF:Mac, Mac+, and Mac2:LA. (Thank you, Harmony Gold)

WEll, with the assistance of Seto Kaiba and a few others, I'd found out that there was much more than that. I saw what I could of 7, but Frontier was what really hooked me.

[sketchley]

These days, my all time favourite is "Macross VF-X2". Sure, it's not an anime series per se, but parts of it are animated.

Runner up would be "Macross: The First".

[shiroth]

My order would be:

DYRL? > Macross Plus > SDF Macross > Macross 7 > Macross Frontier > Macross Zero > Macross II

Funny really, because i was thinking about this recently and couldn't come up with an answer. Turned out pretty easy when it came to writing it down.

Macross the First is special, so that goes into it's own category.

Edited November 9, 2010 by shiroth

[Cpt_Gloval]

I would have to say DYRL is my all time favorite Macross iteration.

The glory shot of the SDF-1 in the begining coming out from the shadow of Saturn's rings still gives me goose bumps.

The characters seem more real and visceral then they were in SDF Macross.

The emotions portrayed very much more real.

[Xx-SKULL-ONE-xX]

I would have to say DYRL is my all time favorite Macross iteration.

The glory shot of the SDF-1 in the begining coming out from the shadow of Saturn's rings still gives me goose bumps.

The characters seem more real and visceral then they were in SDF Macross.

The emotions portrayed very much more real.

Yup.

The part in the song Do You Remember Love? when it goes "I'm not alone anymore" or "Mou hitoribocchijanai" still gives me chills, every single time.

Then I like how the ship frosts over and turns lifeless after Gorg dies.

Edited November 9, 2010 by Xx-SKULL-ONE-xX

[David Hingtgen]

Plus and Frontier. Honestly might think Frontier is my fave. Will have to wait for the 2nd movie to be sure.

[nexxstrait]

SDF Macross TV

Runner up Macross 7 TV & Macross Plus (movie and OAV)

[Seanzilla]

Frontier. It ranks 2nd behind LOST as my all time favorite show.

Honestly, it opened my eyes to a much larger world. Until Frontier, Anime in general was something I watched as a kid, and either just for kids or was for this odd group of people who cosplayed. Until Frontier, all I really listened to was movie soundtracks. A friend of mine discovered that as a kid I grew up watching Robotech (like many of you) and he was like, “you have to check this out.” Then he sent me Frontier and Zero. Shot through Zero, it was ok, then started Frontier. I was blown away by everything. The he offered to send me the soundtracks as well, and at first I told him, just the musical score, I could care less about J-Pop. However he sent it all anyways. Now about a year and half later, I not ashamed to admit that I own damn near everything May’n has put out. So now I annoy my wife with either some movie score or j-pop songs when she rides in my car.

Since Frontier I expanded on as much Macross as I could (except 7) and on to many other anime like Cowboy Bebop. Still nothing has come close in my opinion to what Frontier did. From the characters to the story to the music to the animation, there wasn’t anything I didn’t love about the show.

[Gubaba]

SDF TV > DRYL? > Plus > MF > MZero > M7 > MII

SDF cant beat it,minmay,hikaru,MISA...effin Global,the characters became more then just characters,they became real in our minds and televisions,we actually cared for them. no other series ever has given me the experience as SDF Macross.

thats my take anyway

I think that's more due to how old we were when we watched the original series, as opposed to how good it was. Not that I'm saying it was anything other than amazing, of course (I wouldn't be here if it weren't).

And yeah...for me, there's no time like yer first time, right? So SDFM is by far my favorite. For some reason, though, I can't really separate the '80s Macross releases in my head...it all seems like one big sundae...SDFM TV is the ice cream, DYRL is the hot fudge sauce, and FB2012 is the cherry on top. I'm also feeling that way (so far) about Frontier and its movie edition.

And yeah, I'm the first to admit that I'm massively uncritical when it comes to Macross...I've found something to enjoy about nearly every Macross production. But it was Plus the drew me back into Macross after the horrendous disappointment of Macross II. And it was Frontier that inspired me to start becoming more active in the Macross fandom, so those would probably have to be ranked pretty high for me.

[VF5SS]

I like DYRL and Macross 7 the best.

[CrusherJ]

SDFM is my favorite, then DYRL (though like Gubaba, I tend to put them and FB2012 together cause they all deal directly with the same characters). Next I would say Plus followed by Frontier, then M7. After this would be Mac II. Yeah, it was basically a rehash of DYRL, but I liked the characters, the valk designs, and the combat scenes. I still remember my jaw dropping when it looked like the Macross had been completely destroyed in episode 6! It also has a very interesting universe that I wouldn't mind seeing more of.

Only Macross series I don't really like is Mac Zero. If I watch it, it's for the combat scenes and nothing more.

[nexxstrait]

Only Macross series I don't really like is Mac Zero. If I watch it, it's for the combat scenes and nothing more.

Don't forget Roy!

[Seto Kaiba]

Hmm... to be honest, the Macross show I consider my favorite and the one I consider the best overall aren't one and the same. I guess that makes me weird, but whatever... lol

This's probably no surprise to anyone, but my favorite Macross title is Macross II: Lovers Again. It was the series that first got me into real Macross, and I think that its mechanical designs are some of the best in Macross... with the noteworthy exception of the Metal Siren. I didn't mind at all that it stayed very close to DYRL in its story and themes, since I absolutely love DYRL too... and the more I dug into its back story, the more I liked its somewhat more Gundam-like continuity. (no doubt partly influenced by the presence of Char's Counterattack and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam staffers on the project)

But if, as some have done, I were to rank the Macross shows I've seen in terms of which was the strongest show overall, it would look like this: (excl. FB2012 since it's more epilogue than anything else)

SDF:M > DYRL? > Macross Frontier > Macross II & Macross Plus > Macross Zero > Macross 7

(Admittedly, I feel one part of this bears some explaining... while I feel that Macross Plus was, in most regards, an exceptional show, the story felt kind of scattered and only superficially like Macross. Were it not for that, I would probably have put Macross Plus above Macross II for overall quality instead of on the same level)

[Jeff J]

This's probably no surprise to anyone, but my favorite Macross title is Macross II: Lovers Again. It was the series that first got me into real Macross, and I think that its mechanical designs are some of the best in Macross... with the noteworthy exception of the Metal Siren. I didn't mind at all that it stayed very close to DYRL in its story and themes, since I absolutely love DYRL too... and the more I dug into its back story, the more I liked its somewhat more Gundam-like continuity. (no doubt partly influenced by the presence of Char's Counterattack and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam staffers on the project)

Since I haven't posted here that much, it's a bit of a surprise to me, and I actually think it's kind of cool. Macross II is a movie/series that, I guess you could say, my heart wants to like, but my brain tells me not to.

Incidentally, I just saw the subtitled version of Macross II this past weekend. I only saw the US Renditions/Manga dub. All I have to say is that every line in the original audio track could be, "I like chicken fingers," and it'd be much more tolerable to watch than the American release.

[MIsaHayase]

For me definately SDF Macross followed by DYRL then Macross Plus. Haven't had a chance to watch Zero, Frontier, 7 or Dynamite 7 yet - might get a chance to do that over the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays.

[Gubaba]

For me definately SDF Macross followed by DYRL then Macross Plus. Haven't had a chance to watch Zero, Frontier, 7 or Dynamite 7 yet - might get a chance to do that over the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays.

Cripes...how long do you have off? I think it'd take at least a week or more to barrel through everything.

[UN Spacy]

My listings?

1. Macross: Do You Remember Love - Movie

2. Macross Plus - OAV

3. Super Dimension Fortress Macross - TV

4. Macross Frontier: The False Songstress - Movie

5. Macross Frontier - TV

6. Macross 7 - TV

7. Macross Plus - Movie Edition

8. Macross Dynamite 7 - OAV

9. Macross II: Lovers Again - OAV

10. Macross Zero - OAV

11. Macross 7: The Galaxy Is Calling Me - Movie

[frothymug]

For me definately SDF Macross followed by DYRL then Macross Plus. Haven't had a chance to watch Zero, Frontier, 7 or Dynamite 7 yet - might get a chance to do that over the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays.

In a way, I almost envy you that you haven't seen them yet. I'm just gonna say that you're gonna love getting to watch those stories unfold for the first time. I hope you haven't seen too many spoilers so far on the forums, here.

[valkyriechild]

Eventhough DYRL is the most memorable, my most favorite is probably macross zero, because how different it is compared to other macross series.

Not the plot or character, but how do you say it, the atmosphere? more gloomy, and i like it, closer to real war situation i think.

How they explain the protoculture in mystical way, and also the leap in term of animation by using full CG for the first time if i'm not mistaken.

But still, macross is also about love song, so it's either DYRL, plus, or zero.

[shiroth]

For me definately SDF Macross followed by DYRL then Macross Plus. Haven't had a chance to watch Zero, Frontier, 7 or Dynamite 7 yet - might get a chance to do that over the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays.

Make sure you watch Macross Zero before Macross Frontier. Trust me on that one.

But yeah hopefully you won't have been spoiled too much on these shows you haven't seen while browsing the forum.

Edited November 10, 2010 by shiroth

[cayden]

Definately DYRL? and Macross II. The first incarnations of Macross I came across when they were shown late at night on TV in Germany in the nid 1990s.

[CrusherJ]

Don't forget Roy!

Yeah, and Roy too! Can't believe I forgot about him!

[myk]

Plus and Zero. Smoking some good s**t on that last one...

[Nicaragua]

My favourites are plus and zero. They retain the spirit of the original while having a much darker and mature vibe.

Also they do the tricky job of being a direct sequel/prequel without crapping all over the original series - they all just slot together nicely.

[ruskiiVFaussie]

SDF/DYRL? equally.

[Protoculture]

DYRL -> Flashback 2012 -> Macross II -> Macross 7 -> Macross Plus -> SDF Macross -> Macross 0

The reason why SDFM slipped is simply because ... well, the animation errors and dated animation sequence. Apart from that, the story is just fine as it is.

[peter]

Wouldn't it just be easier to create a poll and pin it so this topic doesn't come up every few months?

SDF Macross then DYRL for me.....that's it.

[ff95gj]

Fan: SDF, MF

Like: DYRL/MF:FS

OK: M0, M+

Don't care much: MII

Annoyed: M7

I didn't have much affection for J-pop too, but I like the ones in SDF and MF.

DYRL(the song) wakes up the protocultural memory inside of me.

[Keith]

Current order

-7

-Frontier (TV + Movie)

-TV

-DYRL / FB 2012

-Zero

-Plus

-II

[Kanedas Bike]

Listing only what I've seen;

1) Macross Frontier: TV

2) Macross Plus: OVA

3) Macross Plus: Movie

4) Macross Frontier: Movie (Pt 1)

5) DYRL

6) Macross Zero

I've never seen SDF Macross...it's on my to watch list though. No current interest in watching anything Macross 7 related and I don't really consider Macross II an official part of the Macross mythology.

-b.