should macross get a remake also

[VF5SS]

The problem with adding some more professionalism is you'd basically have to fix up every Macross series. Especially Plus since that's full of people being super petty around expensive equipment :3

[343sqn]

In my eyes, the pilots in Plus look more like privateers than real officers. I think I'll rank the notable officers of the Macross universe according to their professionalism (subjectively, based on my own experience from my work):

1. Bruno J. Global
   
2. Max Jenius (never gave anyone a reason to chew him out, and he's also THE ace in Macross)
   
3. Ozma Lee
   
4. Roy Focker (save for the fiasco concerning the VF-1D with the callsign VT-102 of SDF Macross and his going out to fly while drunk in DYRL, he's always acted like a true squadron leader)
   
5. Hikaru Ichijyo (after he matured, he became a "keep civilians and troops safe" officer; and in battle he was also quite effective)
   
6. Claudia LaSalle
   
7. Misa Hayase (lets her personal grudges, memories, sorrows etc get way too much in the way of doing what she has to do)
   
8. Milia Fallyna-Jenius (while still in the Zentradi forces, she seemed to be more of an assassin, relishing in the kill, rather than an officer; at first, there was little to tell her apart from Quamzin Kravshera)
   
9. Quamzin Kravshera (the guy is a complete loose cannon and a total nutjob)
   
10. The Bridge Bunnies
    
11. Hayao Kakizaki (the guy was completely useless as a pilot - and no real pilot would ever underestimate a damage to his plane so obvious that his commander could plainly see it even before doing a BDC)
    
12. Guld Goa Bowman & Isamu Alva Dyson
    

[Bri]

Hmm, suppose Satelight would plan a remake of SDF Macross for TV, what would be possible under the current conditions? Every Macross show has to a certain degree been influenced by sponsors, format and type audience.Currently I think there would be three options:

1) Shonen evening or saturday morning show: 4 cour season (+/- 49 ep). Focus on coming of age story of male protagonist (immature Hikaru). Focus on plot and action over character development, animation quality: low to medium budget, lot of attention for the mecha (toy sales). Strict limits on mature themes and romance. Something between Gundam Age and Gundam Seed

2) Late night anime: 2 cour (+/- 26 ep): Focus on character interaction and love triangle over plot, high school boy and girl as main characters, (Hikaru and Minmay as classmates, Misa teacher?). Animation quality medium to high, significant role for mecha as part of merchandising. Expect otaku cliche character types and fanservice. See Macross Frontier.

3) Anime for specialized animation block or channel: 1 or 2 cour (+/- 13 or 26 ep): Psychological drama, probably a seikai-kei. Troubled male or female lead (Hikaru or Misa?). Animation quality medium, mecha only there to serve plot. Lot's of dialogue scenes to save budget. Something like Guilty Crown or Eden of the East mixed with the tone of Macross Zero.

Every option has some pro and cons and would highlight or even expand a part of the original but it won't be the same.

Edited March 26, 2012 by Bri

[Gubaba]

If a remake is to be done for the original Macross series, it'll need the following things:

1. A "hang the cost" attitude towards animation
   
2. A re-recording of the songs with current arrangements
   
3. Adaptation of everyday "commodity" technology to the standards we knew in 2009-2010
   
4. A few real air force technicians, pilots and command & control officers to provide input on procedures and what real combat radio chatter consists of - also, why was Hikaru so surprised when he was appointed two wingmen? Didn't he receive training as a formation leader beforehand?
   
5. Also, make some of the military personnel act with greater (and more convincing) professionalism; I know I'd chew Misa's head off for her Mars Base suicidal tendencies, as well as for her idea to go and fly in the Cat's Eye...
   

Well, if you want to make Macross more realistic, why not focus on the REALLY unrealistic aspects of it, and get rid of the fighter planes that turn into robots and gigantic aliens?

[VF5SS]

Well there's a degree of drama that can stem from realistic military procedure that has been pushed to the limit of how much soldiers will follow it. Kinda like The Hurt Locker, although some argue that movie would have been better if the main character wasn't such a loose cannon and the creepy mustache guy wasn't feeding off bloodlust but I digress...

Macross is from the bread and butter space opera school of military protocol. They may stand up and salute while wearing goofy uniforms but it's all just flavor for the story :3

[azrael]

I always get a cocaine-like kick when someone says "Let's make unrealistic entertainment more...real".

[s001]

Ok this thread is not interesting or fun anymore.

[Reïvaj]

I think some of you guys forget SDF:M wasn’t a documentary nor aimed at adults

[343sqn]

Well, if you want to make Macross more realistic, why not focus on the REALLY unrealistic aspects of it, and get rid of the fighter planes that turn into robots and gigantic aliens?

Because (a) the mecha happen to be at the very heart of its plot, (b) since we have basically no idea what aliens might really look like, even the hypothesis of gigantic aliens could sound plausible. Furthermore, it's the details that make a story all the more realistic. For instance, if you go and read any of Ian Fleming's James Bond books, the author ensures the reader's suspension of disbelief by giving extremely detailed (and realistic) descriptions of mundane stuff the reader is familiar with, such as a game of poker or a pack of cigarettes.

I always get a cocaine-like kick when someone says "Let's make unrealistic entertainment more...real".

Not really - it's about making unrealistic entertainment more convincing by paying closer attention to those details we are familiar with.

[VF5SS]

Because (a) the mecha happen to be at the very heart of its plot,

i thought that was singing and the pretty girls with pretty dresses and get involved with equally attractive young men

at least that's why I think the show tops a lot of "favorite anime polls" for female fans in Japan

Not really - it's about making unrealistic entertainment more convincing by paying closer attention to those details we are familiar with.

i don't think that many people really know military protocol on either side of the pond

[Zinjo]

I am totally blameless.

I read that on your blog, it must be true because it was on the internet...

[azrael]

Oh jeez... Here we go again with "let's make make-believe more real".

Because ...(b) since we have basically no idea what aliens might really look like, even the hypothesis of gigantic aliens could sound plausible.

But the story is telling...showing us what they look like. If didn't know what they looked like, what's the point of having robots transforming into planes then?

Furthermore, it's the details that make a story all the more realistic. For instance, if you go and read any of Ian Fleming's James Bond books, the author ensures the reader's suspension of disbelief by giving extremely detailed (and realistic) descriptions of mundane stuff the reader is familiar with, such as a game of poker or a pack of cigarettes.

So even showing us on screen isn't realistic enough? We have to close our eyes, imagine it, even as it's being shown on screen? M'kay.

Not really - it's about making unrealistic entertainment more convincing by paying closer attention to those details we are familiar with.

And what details are we familiar with? And isn't putting realism into unrealistic entertainment, taking the fun out of unrealistic entertainment? Why have an imaginary world if I can't imagine things existing in it that don't exist in the real world. If I wanted to make my imaginary world more realistic, I'd probably end up living in the real world 'cuz I would be slapped with lawsuits, unimaginable paperwork, etc., just to get the grant money to fund this 1.2 km long space vessel.

[Zinjo]

i thought that was singing and the pretty girls with pretty dresses and get involved with equally attractive young men

at least that's why I think the show tops a lot of "favorite anime polls" for female fans in Japan

i don't think that many people really know military protocol on either side of the pond

True enough and keep in mind that in Japan the military is a civil service "job" not a contracted term of service like most countries. In Japan you can be fired from the military, so there is a unique perspective to how they see the service.

Essentially a need exists to respect realistic convention to enhance believablity, but no production should feel obligated to observe the minutia of the material at the expense of drama.

As for the series re-make, I would prefer OVA productions over a fill blown series as they tend to be much more daring and provocative compared to the more sanitized TV show. Unfortunately finding sponsors and investors for such a large undertaking would be challenging to say the least!

[Pterobat]

I'd say Zentradi are outside the realm of possibility if we're going for realism, since there's a little something called the Square-Cube Law. I know that attempts were made to explain how Zentradi got around this (rearranging body structure when at full size, and such), but come on, it's just not in the cards for "realism" to still include something like them.

Anyway, Macross does not need to be more realistic in terms of military protocol, because the events of the series depend to a large degree on defying protocol, or it never coming up. Following military protocol and strict pragmatism got us people like Mr. Hayase, not the characters we were meant to root for and who changed their world. From the main characters letting their emotions get the better of them, to allowing the Zentradi alliance, the main plot of SDFM is filled with stuff that's the opposite of hard-nosed, gritty realism.

The overall "character" of SDFM, is mostly one of idealism. Yes, there are moments of greater complexity and even cynicism, but these don't define the whole of the series, merely stop the idealistic aspects from becoming too sugary.

And part of SDFM is just being plain absurd and silly. So many of the central concepts sound ridiculous when you really think about them, but that's part of the charm, isn't it? That the series takes those silly ideas and makes them work, while still leaving a slight tinge of the absurd. This balance of idealism, realism, and goofiness is something few series can do well, and I'd hate to see even a different version of SDFM lose that.

[Keith]

I think some of you guys forget SDF:M wasn’t a documentary nor aimed at adults

!!

Edited March 27, 2012 by Keith

[pfunk]

I agree with the make it more real thinking, it helps people relate and understand when you interject physics along with current times thinking.. which translates into sales

[Gubaba]

I agree with the make it more real thinking, it helps people relate and understand when you interject physics along with current times thinking.. which translates into sales

But if you just appeal to the "I want it 'gritty' and 'realistic,' with real military protocol and professionalism," you'll only reach the ex-military people...but high school girls are where the money's at these days.

Hence Alto, Sheryl, and Ranka.

[Pterobat]

But if you just appeal to the "I want it 'gritty' and 'realistic,' with real military protocol and professionalism," you'll only reach the ex-military people...but high school girls are where the money's at these days.

Hence Alto, Sheryl, and Ranka.

Not to mention that, while there IS science fiction out there that tries to adhere to the known laws of science, much of it doesn't, and the audience doesn't give a damn. The key to selling a science fiction series is an entertaining story and appealing characters, not scientific accuracy. The public at large aren't scientists and don't have that passion that would make accurate science a selling point.

[pfunk]

Well, to reiterate. like physics for example when Guld gets crushed in M+,,, or like when you die in the matrix, you die for real,,,,,, cept for the blood and broken bones parts, id prefer it all mental. I think the Macross series does a pretty good example of using those laws. And did you call Alto a high school girl

To make a point,,, it kinda cheesed me off when Hikaru jumps into space with just a helmet

Edited March 27, 2012 by pfunk

[Gubaba]

Well, to reiterate. like physics for example when Guld gets crushed in M+,,, or like when you die in the matrix, you die for real,,,,,, cept for the blood and broken bones parts, id prefer it all mental. I think the Macross series does a pretty good example of using those laws. And did you call Alto a high school girl

No, I'm just saying that high school girls dig Alto. And Sheryl. And Ranka.

To make a point,,, it kinda cheesed me off when Hikaru jumps into space with just a helmet

To you and ONLY you. To people who didn't pay attention in physics class in high school, that scene is the EPITOME of AWESOME.

[VF5SS]

That's actually fairly realistic. It is possible to survive very brief exposure to vacuum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncontrolled_decompression#Exposure_to_a_vacuum_causes_the_body_to_explode

Exposure to vacuum does not cause the body to explode. Hikaru may not have followed the exact idea, but him doing it is no worse than Quess in Char's Counterattack making a brief space jump.

[pfunk]

That's actually fairly realistic. It is possible to survive very brief exposure to vacuum.

http://en.wikipedia....body_to_explode

Exposure to vacuum does not cause the body to explode. Hikaru may not have followed the exact idea, but him doing it is no worse than Quess in Char's Counterattack making a brief space jump.

I like that scene better now,,, to Gubaba it has more "awesomeness" I wouldn't go far as your definition

No, I'm just saying that high school girls dig Alto. And Sheryl. And Ranka.

To you and ONLY you. To people who didn't pay attention in physics class in high school, that scene is the EPITOME of AWESOME.

I knew what you were talking about hence the " "

if you haven't guessed I'm an engineer type,, I knew those things in grade school when Robotech was released,,,,,,,,,,,,, that's not weird is it?

[Gubaba]

if you haven't guessed I'm an engineer type,, I knew those things in grade school when Robotech was released,,,,,,,,,,,,, that's not weird is it?

Can you tell that I was a lit major? As long as the story is compelling, the science makes no difference to me.

Hence why I can still enjoy E.E. "Doc" Smith's "inertialess drive."

[VF5SS]

I think there's plenty of realism in the franchise already. It's well balanced with the fantastic events and beings within the story.

Adding dry military talk isn't really conducive to making it better. And c'mon guys, Shin was laying down way more proper Tally Ho's along with Edgar's BINGO than either Hikaru or Gamlin ever did :3

[pfunk]

Can you tell that I was a lit major? As long as the story is compelling, the science makes no difference to me.

Hence why I can still enjoy E.E. "Doc" Smith's "inertialess drive."

lol, there are things out there that still have theories and are not proven so I try not to debunk everything I see, just true known things. Theories sometimes bother me as they can limit thinking,, in other words I'm not ALL engineer,, my focus is still in design.

things that I like about the original series is the engine technology and especially how M0 dealt with that....

[Gubaba]

I think there's plenty of realism in the franchise already. It's well balanced with the fantastic events and beings within the story.

Adding dry military talk isn't really conducive to making it better. And c'mon guys, Shin was laying down way more proper Tally Ho's along with Edgar's BINGO than either Hikaru or Gamlin ever did :3

True, but...FLOATING ROCKS are apparently a deal-breaker.

[pfunk]

I think there's plenty of realism in the franchise already. It's well balanced with the fantastic events and beings within the story.

Adding dry military talk isn't really conducive to making it better. And c'mon guys, Shin was laying down way more proper Tally Ho's along with Edgar's BINGO than either Hikaru or Gamlin ever did :3

rodger rodger

[VF5SS]

True, but...FLOATING ROCKS are apparently a deal-breaker.

Reminds me of this Gundam-san comic where Bright is all like "Amazing! The Gundam can fight in the air!"

and then Ryu asks "What about White Base being able to fly"

XD

[Gubaba]

Reminds me of this Gundam-san comic where Bright is all like "Amazing! The Gundam can fight in the air!"

and then Ryu asks "What about White Base being able to fly"

XD

That's...that's a damn good point.

[VF5SS]

I don't remember much of the Gundam TV series so I'm not sure if it was the movies that really attempted to justify the whole Minovsky craft thing for the large floating carriers. I'm pretty sure the Gau (giant purple plaaaaaaaaane) is just meant to fly like a regular fixed wing airplane. Same with the Garada class planes from Zeta.

Whether or not they could do so unaided is a matter of boring nitpicks nobody really cares about.

[Gubaba]

I don't remember much of the Gundam TV series so I'm not sure if it was the movies that really attempted to justify the whole Minovsky craft thing for the large floating carriers. I'm pretty sure the Gau (giant purple plaaaaaaaaane) is just meant to fly like a regular fixed wing airplane. Same with the Garada class planes from Zeta.

Whether or not they could do so unaided is a matter of boring nitpicks nobody really cares about.

Boring nitpicks...like, for example, detailing why the VF-2SS is so much better than the VF-1S...?

Anyway, yeah, back on topic: to put it bluntly, I think everyone has certain "problems" with Macross "as-is," and would love to "fix" some sections. But the sections you want to fix might be the very parts that someone else adores, so I think it's best to leave it alone.

(Unless, of course, we're talking about the knife fight. EVERYBODY hates that.)

[VF5SS]

Boring nitpicks...like, for example, detailing why the VF-2SS is so much better than the VF-1S...?

well that's just blatant lies because we all know which is better when you get to the heart of the Valkyrie :3

[Gubaba]

well that's just blatant lies because we all know which is better when you get to the heart of the Valkyrie :3

...or we could just quote Tenjin...

[VF5SS]

Yeah he's the right hand of god Kawamori

[TehPW]

ok, lets agree on the case FOR producing a remake... first we need at agree to a medium: Anime? Live Action? obviously animated since it will cost less since a big market would be unavailable to really reap the profits from Live Action (anywhere where HG would prohibit it), what other choice is there?