NEW MACROSS TV SERIES ANNOUNCED!

[JB0]

The Macross's automatic systems fired the first shot. I'll grant you that it seems a bit suspect that they never found this program in the computer after an entire decade but I suppose it could happen.

Given they were working with foreign code for a foreign computer system, with no documentation or source(much less COMMENTED AND ORGANIZED source)... it's not hard to imagine they overlooked something.

I'd wager much of the technology found in the ASS-1 was still a bundle of mysteries and excitement and "hey, is it going to kill us all if I flip this switch? LET'S FIND OUT!" moments.

Now, if they DID have a full understanding of the ship's systems, it would be a pretty good idea to rip the original computer out and replace it with something wrought by human hands. But it's not really a good idea to do that when you aren't even sure what the drivers for your hardware LOOK LIKE, much less how to write your own. I think it's safe to say that drivers for the grand cannon are PROBABLY not compatible with the Macross's bow gun.

Personally, with something that hot, I wouldn't even START stripping it down until I had it fully reverse-engineered. All other things being equal, I wouldn't want to fly it at all if I could help it.

But of course, they felt a pressing need to get SOMETHING into space to make it look to the aliens like we weren't a bunch of backwater yokels puttering around on CHEMICALLY-FUELED ROCKETS to leave our planet and THROWING CHUNKS OF LEAD at each other in a fight.

No, I'm pretty sure Sharon was doing what Sharon wanted. I don't think her sole objective being to kill one guy above anything else was the point of installing the bio-neural chip.

Yup. And when said guy's goal appears to be "I'mma make me a robot girlfriend, program her with brain scans from some random lady I conned into running concerts from behind the scenes like the Wizard of Oz, and then see what that bot does when I plug her into the central servers of the entire terrestrial defense network, you know, for the lulz", the outcome's going to be somewhat unpredictable, to put it mildly.

...

Seriously, who approved wiring Sharon Apple directly into the Macross?

[antibiotictab]

I have just read Kawamori-san's interview.

The next one is "still at the planning stage, but they start going to work ", he said.

http://mantan-web.jp/2014/07/17/20140717dog00m200031000c.html

[VF-15 Banshee]

I have just read Kawamori-san's interview.

The next one is "still at the planning stage, but they start going to work ", he said.

http://mantan-web.jp/2014/07/17/20140717dog00m200031000c.html

Nice.

[Gerli]

Two years?

Two years

We still have the Robotech Academy tough...

Edited July 17, 2014 by Gerli

[Benson13]

Two years?

Two years

We still have the Robotech Academy tough...

You're fired.

[big F]

Two years?

Two years

We still have the Robotech Academy tough...

Please shut the door behind you!!

LOL

[azrael]

Doesn't say anything about 2 years. Most of the article is talking about the 20th anniversary of Plus and 7 (thanks for the reminder of my age, jerks) and that they'll be re-airing in August thru September.

[Gerli]

You're fired.

Please shut the door behind you!!

LOL

[Tochiro]

Two years?

Two years

We still have the Robotech Academy tough...

As has been pointed out, the article says NOTHING even remotely approximating 'two years'.

All it says is that it is in the planning stages　- which isnt exactly news to be honest.

Remember, the original announcement didnt even say they had started pre-planning. Just that a new tv series had been greenlit.

But we know its coming. It's been greenlit, so it's 100% happening. It's not like Macross would ever sink low enough to rely on a Kickstarter.

[Mommar]

Doesn't say anything about 2 years. Most of the article is talking about the 20th anniversary of Plus and 7 (thanks for the reminder of my age, jerks) and that they'll be re-airing in August thru September.

Totally makes sense why Arcadia would be releasing the Fire Valk in September now, doesn't it?

[Gerli]

Sorry, that thing about the two years was very unfortunate...

I'm know that feeling... really

[Sandman]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was close to two years.

[abbadon]

As has been pointed out, the article says NOTHING even remotely approximating 'two years'.

All it says is that it is in the planning stages　- which isnt exactly news to be honest.

Remember, the original announcement didnt even say they had started pre-planning. Just that a new tv series had been greenlit.

But we know its coming. It's been greenlit, so it's 100% happening. It's not like Macross would ever sink low enough to rely on a Kickstarter.

This!

[s001]

A little mean but totally true.

[xrentonx]

Good grief! I was hoping for some news but instead catch up on overly wordy and rambling fan fiction (which I skipped)

I can't wait until most of the speculation is over and we get to ogle pictures of new Valks again. I'm a simple man

[Mommar]

Good grief! I was hoping for some news but instead catch up on overly wordy and rambling fan fiction (which I skipped)

I can't wait until most of the speculation is over and we get to ogle pictures of new Valks again. I'm a simple man

Given Bandai's YF-30 push I'm not expecting anything "new." I suppose there could be some other new Valks but I am expecting the YF-30 to feature, I can't imagine Bandai committing to a valk that was only in a video game.

[MacrossCN]

ファン必聴「マクロス」シリーズ新作の進行状況などを語る河森正治監督インタビューを配信中！
http://st.wowow.co.jp/detail/4506
http://st.wowow.co.jp/detail/4507

[Tochiro]

MacrossCN, would it be too much effort to explain what you are posting so others can understand? Not just cutting and pasting a bunch of Japanese? Even Antibiotic tab is thoughtful enough to try his best to provide some sort of English explanation when he posts links.I mean seriously, you do this all the time. At the very least, include a note asking what it means. Otherwise it just comes across as confusing, condescending, and flat out rude.

So, for anyone who is wondering, the new series is touched upon briefly at the end of the second video (third last topic discussed).

As has been reported previously, Kawamori reiterates that the show is in the planning stages still. Its very much still having its basic concepts worked on. He has had a breakthrough with how he wants to incorporate music this time but the idea is still being refined. He has also been told that the love triangle element has to be included.

Still very early days, but it's coming along :-)

Edited July 23, 2014 by Tochiro

[Vifam7]

Most of us probably can't watch those videos anyways as it's location blocked.

[terry the lone wolf]

Love triangles..Pop stars..The Macross cliches are becoming very stale..Satelight needs to toss everything used in Macross and start fresh and that means it's time for a different voice and direction. I don't buy you have to have pop idols and love rivalries to make a Macross story. Macross R (The Race) should be animated..

[Nekko Basara]

There are plenty of stories out there without pop music, love triangles, and idols. Some even have transforming mecha. But the "cliches" are what make Macross Macross.

When I see folks talk about wanting a Macross show without one or more parts of the formula, to me it sounds like, "You know, I want a new Batman reboot, but does he have to dress up? And could it be, like, four guys for hire instead of one guy on a vendetta?" That sounds like a great show, but you may want to check out The A-Team.

[Tochiro]

Love triangles..Pop stars..The Macross cliches are becoming very stale..Satelight needs to toss everything used in Macross and start fresh and that means it's time for a different voice and direction. I don't buy you have to have pop idols and love rivalries to make a Macross story. Macross R (The Race) should be animated..

I tend to stay away from speculation at such an early stage of production and regardless I'm sure I'm not saying anything you don't already know, but please allow me to elaborate a little.

Kawamori mentioned in both the video and at a talkshow last year (Macross The Museum) about how difficult it was becoming to work music into Macross. The minute music is inserted into the mix everyone knows what will happen. This is why he tried mixing things up with Frontier - the music actually attracted the enemy, lead to death and carnage, was weaponised by the military, and (in the tv series) DYRL was used by Ranka against humanity.

But the challenge with the new series is what can be done after having done that? The fact that he has come up with a working concept that he likes is kind of a big deal.

Now, to give things context, while I too would like to see a darker take on Macross (like some of the darker elements in the Wings of Farewell, for example), such a thing would really only be doable in an OVA. TV needs to appeal to a wider audience as well as Frontiers fans - which are primarily female. Hence the love triangle is a must.

Similarly, with Frontier's music being so popular that it started an anime music boom and was hitting mainstream top 10 music rankings, I'd be very surprised if there wasn't considerable pressure to work in the music element in a bankable manner.

Kawamori has talked about the limitations of working within the confines of the 3-pillars of Macross in the past although in the above video he somewhat contradicts himself as it sounds like he was considering axing the love triangle element. Given the market realties though, that will have to wait for the next OVA. All those Alto iPhone cases and Sheryl-branded perfume/jewelry won't sell themselves, after all ^^;

But if nothing else Kawamori's work on Macross consistently surprises. I'm looking forward to what he comes up with this time.

As long as it isn't Nobunaga the Macross…^^;

Edited July 23, 2014 by Tochiro

[Nekko Basara]

That's some really good insight, Tochiro. I'm embarrassed that my response was so close-minded and unhelpful by comparison, but I won't go editing it away.

The Macross fandom is in an unusual place, I think (as are the creators), because the elements of what make Macross have been much more explicitly defined than the bounds of most fiction are. Clearly, this cuts both ways in how the series grows - it provides direction, but it also confines.

[YF-29 Durandal]

A show that takes place right after SDFM would be great for selling all these VF-4's with different color schemes.

And maybe they could introduce a new smaller and cheaper to produce valk for the colonies or something like that and it could be designated VF-6 or VF-7.

[Mr March]

It's not a big deal to argue about change in the next Macross series. But the subject of Macross innovation has been discussed many times in this thread and I just want to keep clarfiying what that means. Every Macross fan is at their own personal "velocity" when it comes to consuming pop culture like Macross because we're all individuals. Those of us that can't understand why some Macross fans seems to suggest the next Macross sequel be a "supposed" radical franchise-altering departure must understand there are as many other Macross fans that can't understand how some can watch essentially the same "supposed" lowest common denominator formula over and over again. No one's advocating a slippery slope that turns Macross into moe and I don't believe most are advocating they want the EXACT same Macross again and again. But if the new Macross has nothing new to offer, then we're just Robotech fans (sorry, I had to)

I hate to sound like a broken record, but I keep bringing up Macross Plus in these discussions because it was the first and IMO best departure from the traditional Macross story. It's the poster child for the promise of what Macross can be. Macross Plus did feature many of the Macross "cliches" that fans either love or hate (love triangle, pop music, transforming jets). However, Macross Plus also had none of the standard Macross tropes at all. Macross Plus was not space opera, it had no grand epic scope, there was no interstellar war, no alien menace, etc. It was a small, personal side story during peace time in the Macross universe and it worked brilliantly.

Personally, I don't want another Macross Plus. But what I would like to see is the next Macross production breaking the mold, in a different way than Macross Plus did it. I want to see the Macross franchise be the kind of innovative mold-breaking franchise it has proven that it can be. That's what I'm hoping for in the next Macross series when I say I want to see something different.

[VF5SS]

While I appreciate your enthusiasm, I feel like your fixation on Macross Plus is unintentionally belittling the innovation had in many of the other entries in the franchise. Macross 7 is easily an even more mold breaking show than Plus with its great music, fun characters, and a very unique premise that played well with the personal drama. Even Zero and Frontier continued to innovate with a new visual style and a greater emphasis on the show's female characters. The latter of the two became really popular because of that.

As fans we need to understand there is more to Macross than just a single entry, doing so may leave us all with too much tunnel vision and just a little...

[arrow]

speaking of mac 7 and plus, great if they release 2 different macross shows at almost the same time.

[Oihan]

I know this is a 'little' late...but better late than never....

A beginning is often just that: a beginning. Macross isn't like Gundam where trying to recapture the lightning in a bottle of the original required extreme fidelity like Gundam the Origin or outright rehashing like Gundam SEED. The fact that Macross hasn't done that in an animated production and has found much more (financial) success doing what it's been doing for decades now and at this point in time is popular because of stuff like Frontier makes me think they are not going to return to an SDF Macross style show. They will pay respect to SDF Macross just as every new series in the franchise has done, but Kawamori is clearly not tied down to the original in a strict sense.

This is the real problem with any sequel, not just Macross. Once the first Macross was released, the world is forever and unavoidably in a post-Macross existence. It can't be taken back. As such, no audience will find a sequel as enjoyable or fresh as they did before the original was released. So each sequel will be plauged by ever diminishing returns. As creators the writers try to find ways to make sequels different than the original specifically because more of the same is a downward spiral where familiarity breeds contempt. In the case of Macross, you also have one guy creating the franchise and there is his interest/motivation to take into account, which is obviously a big deal for Kawamori (as it should be for any writer interested in maintaining creativity). So I really like the idea of Macross playing broadly with the formula, even when it fails. Personally, I'd rather suffer an interesting failure than endure mediocrity.

I would argue that that isn't always the case with sequels. Though I suppose those sequels may be considered exceptions more than anything else.... I would also argue that making sequels different enough from the original can also breed such contempt. Take Macross 7 and Macross Zero for example. While I am well aware of Macross 7's popularity, I know there are many on this board who do not like the direction those two shows took. Personally, I don't particularly care for Macross 7, but I do enjoy Macross Zero. The way Zero was scripted feels more in line with the original whereas the former is somewhere out in left field. Macross 7 is about as broad as I would want the formula played with.

While it's great that these new TV shows have brought in more fans, I believe there comes a point where you start to alienate fans the further you move away from what made the original so great - hence my roots remark. Take music for another example. There are several bands that I used to really enjoy listening to, but over time their music deviated just enough (from what I liked about them) that I stopped listening to them a long time ago. Now Im not suggesting that I want to hear the exact same rifts, melodies, and beats in every song composed slightly different...just that it would have been nice if these bands had stuck to their roots. Some of these bands I simply can no longer relate to.

As far as roots and Macross are concerned, I mean more than just the three pillars here. As long as this new television series plays out more like a space opera with hard/military science fiction and less like a music video I will be happy.

Edit: Edited for grammar...mainly spacing between some words.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Oihan

[VF5SS]

Alienating old fans doesn't matter as much when new fans have taken their place ten times over.

It's like still hoping Steve Perry is going to get back together with Journey even after Arnel Pineda replaced him.

[Oihan]

As someone who has never seen the original series and finds it abit too old to hold my attention (same problem as many new Gundam viewers) that would be great. Kinda like the whole Gundam Origin deal (Macross Origin although technically Gundam Origin covers more than the original series)

If by old you mean the animation is dated, then yes I would completely agree with that. If you tried watching the show before it came out on Blu-ray then I highly recommend you try to give it another go. The series looks absolutely amazing in HD and the story alone is worth watching.

I would settle for a more mature Macross like Macross Plus or Macross Zero.

No Moe, a darker feel and a main protagonist like Shin, Isamu or even Leon from Mac30.

If THAT is what you want then it is an OVA series you would be looking for. TV series are aimed at the younger demographic every time.

I wouldn't go that far as to claim that. Take Shingeki no Kyojin for example, I can't imagine that show being aimed at the younger demographic considering the grahpic content and what the people of that world deal with. I would probably even lump Sidonia no Kishi in too considering the tone of the show. Unless I'm just that far out of touch with the younger generation and the things they watch...

I think it's possible and very doable for Macross to take on a darker tone.

[Oihan]

Alienating old fans doesn't matter as much when new fans have taken their place ten times over.

It's like still hoping Steve Perry is going to get back together with Journey even after Arnel Pineda replaced him.

Yeah but when the original band members are no longer apart of the group it makes going to see them in concert a little less special, wouldn't you agree? They wouldn't sound quite the same as you remembered when they were all together (either in concert or on new albums). For example...while I'm not a huge fan of Limp Bizkit by any means, but when Wes Borland left the group and Mike Smith joined them they sounded like a different band. While I wasn't a huge fan to begin with, I stopped listening all together with Borland's depature.

I don't claim or pretend to speak for everyone, but I find it hard to believe I would be alone in this matter with regards to no longer being able to relate, feeling alienated and the likes.

I suppose you're right though in that the old fans don't matter as much when they have ten times as many new ones to replace them with.... That said, I still would like to think that we matter very much to Kawamori and co....

Edit: Edited to try and convey my thoughts better.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Oihan

[Nekko Basara]

We may want to be clear what we call "old" and "new" Macross shows..

If we divide the time between SDFM and today, the only series that fall after the midpoint are Zero and Frontier... and Zero is still more than a decade old. Even back when Frontier started (2008), it was farther in time from the M7 series (94-95) than M7 was from the original series (82-83).

Bottom line: Frontier and arguably Zero are "new" shows. Every other series is the realm of old farts ;-)

[Oihan]

I thik a prequel would allow us to view something outside of the perspective of humans.

I like the idea of a prequel taking place before the events on Earth happened. Aside from or including the Protodeviln, Supervision Army, and Vajra, it would be nice to see all of the threats the Protoculture might have been facing back then and to see the Zentradi come into being.

We may want to be clear what we call "old" and "new" Macross shows..

If we divide the time between SDFM and today, the only series that fall after the midpoint are Zero and Frontier... and Zero is still more than a decade old. Even back when Frontier started (2008), it was farther in time from the M7 series (94-95) than M7 was from the original series (82-83).

Bottom line: Frontier and arguably Zero are "new" shows. Every other series is the realm of old farts ;-)

Well, I'm considering anything past SDFM and DYRL? as "new." I don't think I would be too far off in saying Macross 7 brought in a ton of new fans.... Edited July 24, 2014 by Oihan

[Nekko Basara]

Ok, I appreciate you clarifying. You're saying that back when M7 was "new," it may have alienated fans by getting too far from the formula of SDFM and DYRL. Makes sense.

But let's have some perspective. We're talking about the early days of the Clinton administration here. A good portion of the current fanbase may not have even been born. Does it matter now who left the fanbase back then?

Macross has grown up a lot over the years, and it had gone in many different directions. All of that is part of its history now. Nobody is required to like all of it, but at some point wishing to go back to the beginning becomes... odd.

Let me explain by giving my own musical example that's fairly contemporaneous to Macross (and to me). Depeche Mode has been making music for almost 35 years. Although their lineup hasn't changed very much, they've gone through many shifts in style, sound, and themes across thirteen albums. It is rare to find a fan who loves every single thing they've done - I certainly don't. But if I met a fan who said he really wished they'd go back to when Vince Clark was in the band, and make another album like "Speak and Spell" (their first) and not like the "new" stuff, well... I wouldn't know what to say to that. I mean, it's a valid opinion, but is that realistic? And what has that person gotten out of their other work? Are they a fan of the band, or maybe of just that album?

[YF-29 Durandal]

People likes old bands but they don't tend to like the old bands new albums.

Just my two cents.