Robotech Academy - You want a new Robotech series...?

[technoblue]

I can tell you that, while I enjoyed the story for what it was when I was a kid, my primary motivating factor in liking the series was the aesthetic. I did enjoy all of it, but I let's face, I'm hanging out at MacrossWorld because I like Kawamori's designs. Loved the VF-1, love the YF-30 now. And I think, given how much favoritism is shown to the Macross Saga in the Robotech fandom you'll find they cannot separate that aesthetic from the story either. I know it's hard for me to. Hell, how many Robotech fans have tried to argue they should fold in Plus, Zero and Frontier into Robotech? That really tells you something, they're into Kawamori design as well. Something that Robotech cannot hope to achieve. Nobody else is like him, certainly nobody HG could ever hope to hire would be.

I think this is what Seto was getting at before. The introduction to Macross by way of Robotech was an influence that ended with the conclusion of SDFM for many of us. I also didn't go looking for more Robotech stories after Rick and Lisa took off into the sunset. I went looking for more Macross stories, more Macross merchandise and more Macross art. I was surprised to learn years later that Robotech was something completely different and included two series that were unrelated to SDFM..

That confused me for the longest time. Yeah, I was more of a mild-mannered anime fan in the beginning.

[Mr March]

I find the lack of mecha designs as the biggest symptom this was hugely halfassed. Only ten days left and they only show a single plane mode???

Like you say, it would not be easy to please fans but the mecha designs were an important foundation stone for this project. This was their opportunity to chuck out a whole bunch of hybrids of planes and mospeada traits or completely new ideas. That would have gotten fans involved. The Kickstarter system would have allowed them to experiment with different design aesthetics to see what people felt made sense by voting on a bunch of them. HG could have turned a weakness into a strength.

Instead they are too freaking scared to even show one single robot. Pretty much they set themselves up for fail by dilating showing the mecha designs. No way can that stand up to the expectations created.

I couldn't agree more. Macross sold itself on transforming mecha back in 1982 and by extention that is what Robotech must do. But Harmony Gold isn't giving fans any transforming mecha to buy into. So what's the point? I hadn't looked at the kickstarter as an opportunity to conceptualize transforming mecha, but I think you're right that this is a missed opportunity.

I can tell you that, while I enjoyed the story for what it was when I was a kid, my primary motivating factor in liking the series was the aesthetic. I did enjoy all of it, but I let's face, I'm hanging out at MacrossWorld because I like Kawamori's designs. Loved the VF-1, love the YF-30 now. And I think, given how much favoritism is shown to the Macross Saga in the Robotech fandom you'll find they cannot separate that aesthetic from the story either. I know it's hard for me to. Hell, how many Robotech fans have tried to argue they should fold in Plus, Zero and Frontier into Robotech? That really tells you something, they're into Kawamori design as well. Something that Robotech cannot hope to achieve. Nobody else is like him, certainly nobody HG could ever hope to hire would be.

I think most of us thought as you do when we were all children. But then Macross turned out to be so much more compelling than just transforming mecha, that just made the transforming mecha all that more interesting to me. The compelling style, drama and story of Macross are also what I came back to as an adult, while so many other interests in my youth didn't hold up to a mature critical eye.

Digressing back to the mecha, lack of transforming mecha for a transforming mecha franchise has been the problem all along for Robotech, but it's a dilemma Harmony Gold won't face or even try to overcome. You need someone like Kawamori to design transforming fighter mecha. Or at the very least people like Kazumi Fujita or Shinji Aramaki that can build upon the concept of transforming fighter mecha to create at least creative variations of the original idea. It wouldn't be easy and I suppose that explains why no one at Harmony Gold has even attempted to do so for 25+ years.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

My FB name has nothing to with MW or macross or anything.

I'm saying crap on FB as a annoyed Robotech fan. Not a Macross elitest

Douche like I an on here

lol i guess you got that double identity thing going. Well, at we know this kickstarter is over when they are pulling out the ban hammer over nothing

back to the KS,

you know, i really feel bad for those who just wanted a decent Robotech story and supported this kickstarter out of innocent hope. Because Harmony Gold's robotech staff is embarrassing not only themselves but those who are supporting them.

Even those who are blindly defending HG, i feel so sorry for them that they take it so personally when someone points out HG staff's failings. I pity on those who feel they are being ruined by "macross purists" when the kickstarter fund is just under 189,000 as of today... It's really sad... (and funny btw). though i enjoy watching incompetence and poking fun at it, i do feel bad, because i know some just really want to experience their childhood again with Robotech. the sad reality is "real truth" crashes that bubble with reality.

I understand Robotech fans, at this point, i might be tempted to want to be innocent (ignorant) so i can just enjoy my childhood memories without any interference. The F'd up thing is the current HG staff, play up on those innocent memories knowing full well they are goddamn sneaks just trying to gain support without a clear plan, designs and empty promises. The killer is when HG staff tries to spin any truth of accountability that comes their way with more promises of big announcements.

This is where the ridiculing comes in... to those that defend this b.s. i just have to laugh at you and be sarcastic. but i do feel bad... bc i would like a nice story and pretend it's the Reagan administration as well.

The only part of the Kickstarter that i felt was pure was Tony Oliver's interview. He was awesome. Watching that brought back the memories without feeling HG's propaganda. Though Tony talked about promoting Carl's dream being fulfilled, i wasn't offended at all, knowing he wasn't behind the b.s., but just wanted to contribute to Carl as a guest.

anyways, I can't wait for the next big announcement guys! i'm so excited.

[Duke Togo]

Wtf is a "Macross purist" anyway? I'm sure we coined the phrase here (and I probably embraced it), but it doesn't make a heck of a whole lot of sense. You're either an Macross fan or you aren't. Robotech used its animation, but it's Robotech, not Macross. They are their own separate entities. I love Macross, and I like MOSPEADA; I really have no interest in Robotech. One isn't spun off of the other, and they do not share continuity. It's a different fandom.

I'm not a purist of anything. Hell, I'm not even 100% Italian. Everytime I see one of these clowns throwing around the term "Macross purist" as if it's a curse word, I just roll my eyes.

[niomosy]

I think this is what Seto was getting at before. The introduction to Macross by way of Robotech was an influence that ended with the conclusion of SDFM for many of us. I also didn't go looking for more Robotech stories after Rick and Lisa took off into the sunset. I went looking for more Macross stories, more Macross merchandise and more Macross art. I was surprised to learn years later that Robotech was something completely different and included two series that were unrelated to SDFM..

That confused me for the longest time. Yeah, I was more of a mild-mannered anime fan in the beginning.

When I first watched Robotech, I was upset with the transition from Macross into Southern Cross. I couldn't initially get into Southern Cross as I really wanted more of Rick and Lisa since they'd planned on visiting Tirol and I wanted to see that. My mom, who was also watching with us, convinced me to start watching again during the New Generation. I was hooked back in.

Lately, I've been going through the Robotech series with my girls. They liked Macross but were particularly interested in Southern Cross, particularly due to the increase in prominent females in the action. New Generation, though, has them hooked. Never have I had them go through 6 straight episodes and still ask for more until this point.

For me, Robotech was really never a transition into the Macross world as Macross became a secondary importance to me. I was much more a fan of New Generation and enjoyed the mecha more; both the REF mecha and the Invid mecha. I still want to go back and see the continuation of Rick and Lisa because it's something of the Robotech story line I've wanted to see done since the 80s but it's less because I'm a Macross fan, more because I'm a Robotech fan.

[coronadlux]

I see HG like a spoiled kid. Kisses your butt to get something it wants (cash for ks), when you don't give them anything, throws a tantrum (brings out the ban hammer)

[Seto Kaiba]

Wtf is a "Macross purist" anyway? I'm sure we coined the phrase here (and I probably embraced it),[...]

Actually, I'm pretty sure they coined it... it's something they came up with as a condemnation of Macross fans, a way to dismiss an argument that's critical of Robotech, because those often came from people who wanted to see more of Macross in its unadapted form. Wanting to see the originals in their unaltered state apparently makes you a purist, and since it's the Macross fans who are most vocal about that, the Robotech fans basically turned "Macross purist" into a dismissal of anyone who speaks critically of how things are done in Robotech.

If they didn't have that persecution complex Harmony Gold has worked so hard to foster, they'd realize Harmony Gold was the one screwing them.

I think this is what Seto was getting at before. The introduction to Macross by way of Robotech was an influence that ended with the conclusion of SDFM for many of us. I also didn't go looking for more Robotech stories after Rick and Lisa took off into the sunset. I went looking for more Macross stories, more Macross merchandise and more Macross art. I was surprised to learn years later that Robotech was something completely different and included two series that were unrelated to SDFM..

Pretty much, yes... if you look at the broadcast ratings for Robotech in almost any of its airings, you'll find that there's usually a marked drop in ratings starting at episode 37 as people tune in and go "Who the $%@* are these people? Where are Rick and Lisa and...". Historically, this drop has actually been SO severe that it's managed to get Robotech canceled in several markets, and even prompted a few overseas television stations to drop the Masters Saga entirely. That drop is also what killed the show when it made its great return to American television in the formative days of Toonami... they hit episode 37 and then the bottom fell out of the ratings.

The one recurring theme in every attempt to continue Robotech and almost every Robotech fan-wish for a continuation is that they want to recapture the "magic" of the Macross Saga. They want to see Rick Hunter, Lisa Hayes, and Lynn Minmei again... those other people are all purely collateral damage.*

* So much so, in fact, that Harmony Gold has actually canonized the dismissive fan position that the Southern Cross Army was a bunch of incompetent idiots led by a rabid xenophobic micromanaging a-hole. The New Generation cast only got off easy because they're Admiral Hunter's subordinates.

[Agent ONE]

Wtf is a "Macross purist" anyway? I'm sure we coined the phrase here (and I probably embraced it), but it doesn't make a heck of a whole lot of sense. You're either an Macross fan or you aren't. Robotech used its animation, but it's Robotech, not Macross. They are their own separate entities. I love Macross, and I like MOSPEADA; I really have no interest in Robotech. One isn't spun off of the other, and they do not share continuity. It's a different fandom.

I'm not a purist of anything. Hell, I'm not even 100% Italian. Everytime I see one of these clowns throwing around the term "Macross purist" as if it's a curse word, I just roll my eyes.

Heh, I always thought the term was in reference to people who only acknowledge SDFM and DYRL+Flashback as the true works of Macross, and see everything else as varying degrees of garbage, be it RT, or M7....

This describes me BTW.

[Mommar]

I think most of us thought as you do when we were all children. But then Macross turned out to be so much more compelling than just transforming mecha, that just made the transforming mecha all that more interesting to me. The compelling style, drama and story of Macross are also what I came back to as an adult, while so many other interests in my youth didn't hold up to a mature critical eye.

To be honest, it's mostly just the designs for me. I like the concept of the story but I feel like, for me personally, whether it's Macross or Robotech it's a missed opportunity for more. The one thing that purely stood out in my mind was the VF-1 and the SDF-1 and have stuck with me... well, that's not true. The Hover Tanks and all of the Mospeada designs were really awesome as well, just not as awesome as what Kawamori came up with.

I couldn't agree more. Macross sold itself on transforming mecha back in 1982 and by extention that is what Robotech must do. But Harmony Gold isn't giving fans any transforming mecha to buy into. So what's the point? I hadn't looked at the kickstarter as an opportunity to conceptualize transforming mecha, but I think you're right that this is a missed opportunity.

...

Digressing back to the mecha, lack of transforming mecha for a transforming mecha franchise has been the problem all along for Robotech, but it's a dilemma Harmony Gold won't face or even try to overcome. You need someone like Kawamori to design transforming fighter mecha. Or at the very least people like Kazumi Fujita or Shinji Aramaki that can build upon the concept of transforming fighter mecha to create at least creative variations of the original idea. It wouldn't be easy and I suppose that explains why no one at Harmony Gold has even attempted to do so for 25+ years.

You're right, that's what EVERYBODY remembers. But they can't design or add to that. HUGE problem. Funny thing is if they were smart they'd have tried to put that V-4 design they've added to the RPG Tactics Kickstarter to use in this "new" animation (say what you will about the design, it's the best new thing they've ever come up with. $20 says it was actually a Palladium/Ninja Division invention.) Then at least they would have been leveraging both "new" transforming Mecha with new merchandise all at the same time and it wouldn't have looked like as much of a half-assed mess.

Edited July 29, 2014 by Mommar

[Seto Kaiba]

You're right, that's what EVERYBODY remembers. But they can't design or add to that. HUGE problem. Funny thing is if they were smart they'd have tried to put that V-4 design they've added to the RPG Tactics Kickstarter to use in this "new" animation (say what you will about the design, it's the best new thing they've ever come up with. $20 says it was actually a Palladium/Ninja Division invention.)

Er... I hope you weren't too attached to that $20, Mommar, because that design's actually from the original Macross series.

All they did was come up with a (very) awkward transformation for Macross's VF-X-4... which is why they can't use that design in animation. They can't use Macross designs or derivatives thereof.

Edited July 29, 2014 by Seto Kaiba

[Chronocidal]

For whatever reason, I never got to see any of Robotech on TV until (apparently) long after Toonami even aired it. They did some sort of "Giant Robot Week" special, where they picked random mecha shows to throw at the audience.

All I remember is that they showed the first episode, ending with Hikaru in the VF-1D and crashing into Minmay's house.. and then the next two episodes were the last two episodes of Mospeada. I don't know if I had learned about the entire Macross/Robotech situation by that point, but my utter confusion at the change of setting and style might have been what led me to MW in the first place.

Wasn't long from there before I connected the dots, realized the stumpy red transformer I'd bought years before was actually a Millia Joke Machine, and started trolling ebay to buy my first Yamato VF-1.

But I can't say I even had a passing interest in the Mospeada portion. The sudden shift to those last two episodes after seeing "Booby Trap," and being left in suspense when the VF-1D transforms and the episode ends, was just incredibly jarring. Maybe I should thank Toonami for killing my interest in Robotech before it ever started.

Edited July 29, 2014 by Chronocidal

[Mommar]

Er... I hope you weren't too attached to that $20, Mommar, because that design's actually from the original Macross series.

All they did was come up with a (very) awkward transformation for Macross's VF-X-4... which is why they can't use that design in animation. They can't use Macross designs or derivatives thereof.

Really, the Battroid and Gerwalk modes were from the original Macross? Because that's what I'm getting at.

It's not that awkward. No more so then the VF-1-like VF-4 transformation from that Macross Video Game. I didn't think about the "derivative" in animation part of the equation, however.

I'm keeping my $20.

[Duke Togo]

Ok, so, I did a little research. The first use of "purist" that I coud find in relation to Robotech and the three anime shows it was built off of is from a usenet post on November 5, 1985 by Sean Rouse. Yes, you read that right, 1985. Harrmony Gold was getting a decent amount of flack for their "adaptations" of anime in the 80s, and the term purist was used on several occasions in regards to this. Though I never heard it first hand, it appears to have been a term in common usage among anime fans at the time in relation to the numerous butchered anime productions being shown in the West. The first time "Macross purist" was specifically used on the usenet was on October 23, 1992, by one "Predecrement David."

Now, the infamous "lying Macross purist," and the now-common use of "Macross purist" as an insult, stems from an incident that followed the 2002 Anime Expo. The story goes as thus (as described by "skullone"):

Actually, it started with the RT and Macross panels at Anime Expo 2002, where Tommy Yune, aka "Imaji Narigai", the one who made the version of Milia with a thyroid gland problem and the rest of the RT panelists were given a hard time by some observant Macross fans who pointed out some painful truths about the MPCrap and HG's tactics, making HG's representatives look like utter morons.

The next few days (before the transcripts and recordings became available), BoK started spewing, both here and on RT.com, his customary bullcrap about how the "Lying Macross Purists" and the "rabid fanboys" trying to start trouble, but the all-knowing Steve Yun and Tommy Yune shut them right up (his stuff was later disproved by the transcripts). As usual, he started his flame baiting and all.

Before this incident "Macross purist" wasn't considered an insult or used to dismiss Macross fans. And now you know.

Edited July 29, 2014 by Duke Togo

[Seto Kaiba]

Really, the Battroid and Gerwalk modes were from the original Macross? Because that's what I'm getting at.

It's not that awkward. No more so then the VF-1-like VF-4 transformation from that Macross Video Game. I didn't think about the "derivative" in animation part of the equation, however.

I'm keeping my $20.

The fighter mode is, and that's why they can't use it... the exact origins of the transformation they designed for it have not been disclosed, but are probably Ninja Division's doing, since Tommy tried and failed to come up with one back in '02. I don't think it would be accurate to call it "new", since it's just a very rough and clumsy transformation of an existing design.

That kind of airframe shape seems to be something Tommy's really struggled with... the abandoned VF-13 Gamma fighter was similar in shape, and Tommy had a real hard time figuring out how to make it transform. So much so that I suspect that was the as-of-yet unstated reason that it was abandoned in favor of slapping Super Packs on a Legioss.

Before this incident "Macross purist" wasn't considered an insult or used to dismiss Macross fans. And now you know.

Fascinating... if only I could figure out why my brain appended "And knowing is half the battle!", followed by the old GI Joe theme to this...

[Mr March]

Wtf is a "Macross purist" anyway?

*snip*

Everytime I see one of these clowns throwing around the term "Macross purist" as if it's a curse word, I just roll my eyes.

I've always understood "Macross purist" as a perjorative insult against Macross fans specifically designed so Robotech fans can dismiss the fundamental flaw that is Robotech itself; that being that Robotech is re-edited footage of another animated production named SDF Macross.

The phrase "Macross purist" is deeply hypocritical because those Robotech fans that criticize the Macross fans who refuse the edit of SDF Macross are the same Robotech fans that would not stand for such editing done to ANY other franchise that they love, like say...George Lucas and his original Star Wars films to drive the point right at the jugular.

Perhaps some Macross fans appropriated the "Macross purist" phrase in defiant pride against Robotech fans (much like racial or sexual insults are co-opted to fight against oppressors), but what I've stated above is how I've always understood the phrase.

You're right, that's what EVERYBODY remembers. But they can't design or add to that. HUGE problem. Funny thing is if they were smart they'd have tried to put that V-4 design they've added to the RPG Tactics Kickstarter to use in this "new" animation (say what you will about the design, it's the best new thing they've ever come up with. $20 says it was actually a Palladium/Ninja Division invention.) Then at least they would have been leveraging both "new" transforming Mecha with new merchandise all at the same time and it wouldn't have looked like as much of a half-assed mess.

I've never seen any Robotech expansions on the VF-4 (VF-X-4 perhaps?) but ever since the legal ruling it's been my understanding that Harmony Gold couldn't use any of the Macross mechanical designs or derivatives in future Robotech productions. So I don't think that would work. Regardless, I agree that Harmony Gold needed something that featured a transformable fighter jet as a hero mecha to sell to the public. I would think that something like Robotech would need that as a fundamental requirement.

Edited July 29, 2014 by Mr March

[Seto Kaiba]

The phrase "Macross purist" is deeply hypocritical because those Robotech fans that criticize the Macross fans who refuse the edit of SDF Macross are the same Robotech fans that would not stand for such editing done to ANY other franchise that they love, like say...George Lucas and his original Star Wars films to drive the point right at the jugular.

The hypocrisy goes deeper than you know... because the Robotech fans themselves used to sub-divide their fandom into various camps depending on what version of Robotech they liked. You had the "purists" who thought the animated series was tops, other groups included the "McKinneyists" who thought the novels were the best, the "Spanglerists" who were proponents of one of their various groups of comics, and so on. The funny ironic twist is that it's Robotech's "purist" fans who were largely responsible for a lot of the shrinkage in the fanbase. They drove a lot of the fans of the other versions of the story away by behaving in a fashion not dissimilar from McKeever's antics here.

Mind you, those same Robotech purists also took exception to the release of Robotech Remastered, with the footage which had been deleted from the originals to meet broadcast standards reinserted. They also pitched such a bitch-fit over the changes to the "classic" generic sound effects in the remaster, to such an extent that some of these nutters are actually celebrating that the next Robotech DVD release is going to bring back the grainy, cut-up original video and two-channel stereo sound.

Madmen... the lot of them.

I've never seen any Robotech expansions on the VF-4 (VF-X-4 perhaps?) but ever since the legal ruling it's been my understanding that Harmony Gold couldn't use any of the Macross mechanical designs or derivatives in future Robotech productions. So I don't think that would work. Regardless, I agree that Harmony Gold needed something that featured a transformable fighter jet as a hero mecha to sell to the public. I would think that something like Robotech would need that as a fundamental requirement.

It's the same plane, but Robotech calls it the "YF-4" instead... I'll dig out the picture of the transformation dreamed up for RRT.

[coronadlux]

Could we have a kickstarter to entice Frank @HG to replace his creative team. Then maybe they can get somewhere with the franchise

[Hoptimus]

Well at this point the writing has to be on the wall for this. My dream is that HG fires their current creative staff and starts over. A pipe dream but a guy can dream. At least get rid of your PR department....

[Apollo Leader]

Ok, so, I did a little research. The first use of "purist" that I coud find in relation to Robotech and the three anime shows it was built off of is from a usenet post on November 5, 1985 by Sean Rouse. Yes, you read that right, 1985. Harrmony Gold was getting a decent amount of flack for their "adaptations" of anime in the 80s, and the term purist was used on several occasions in regards to this. Though I never heard it first hand, it appears to have been a term in common usage among anime fans at the time in relation to the numerous butchered anime productions being shown in the West. The first time "Macross purist" was specifically used on the usenet was on October 23, 1992, by one "Predecrement David."

Now, the infamous "lying Macross purist," and the now-common use of "Macross purist" as an insult, stems from an incident that followed the 2002 Anime Expo. The story goes as thus (as described by "skullone"):

Before this incident "Macross purist" wasn't considered an insult or used to dismiss Macross fans. And now you know.

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!search/macross$20purist

Looks like its use back even in the 1990's had at times a negative condemnation.

[Mommar]

Mind you, those same Robotech purists also took exception to the release of Robotech Remastered, with the footage which had been deleted from the originals to meet broadcast standards reinserted. They also pitched such a bitch-fit over the changes to the "classic" generic sound effects in the remaster, to such an extent that some of these nutters are actually celebrating that the next Robotech DVD release is going to bring back the grainy, cut-up original video and two-channel stereo sound.

What was Robotech Remastered? Never heard of it.

[Seto Kaiba]

Well at this point the writing has to be on the wall for this. My dream is that HG fires their current creative staff and starts over. A pipe dream but a guy can dream. At least get rid of your PR department....

It's happened once before... so it could theoretically happen again. It's all down to whether or not Frank thinks that the Robotech Academy Kickstarter is as big a failure for Harmony Gold and for Robotech as the Robotech 3000 series concept was.

Of course, there is the unpleasant reality of starting over. They'll reboot the continuity again, and with the franchise's reputation even deeper in the toilet than it was in 2000 they aren't exactly going to attract people who are qualified to do the job that needs doing. Anyone they got to replace Tommy and company would probably be even less qualified than the already under-qualified trio of Yune, Yun, and McKeever... though I'll admit I can't conceive of a PR guy WORSE than McKeever, unless they find a guy who's got Tourette's syndrome and a crippling fear of public speaking.*

* I'm privately convinced that McKeever is the result of a scientific experiment to materialize a flesh-and-blood version of Wally from the Dilbert comic strip. He exemplifies every negative trait you could imagine in an employee.

What was Robotech Remastered? Never heard of it.

Exactly what it says on the tin... it was a remastered edition of Robotech with cleaned-up video, audio remixed to 5.1 surround and with new sound effects, and "never-before-seen" footage that was really just the footage that'd been cut from Macross, Southern Cross, and MOSPEADA due to 1980s broadcast standards.

The Robotech purists hated it... because it dared to mess with "Carl's vision". Quite a few of them said that it wasn't even really Robotech anymore because of the changes. Everybody's least favorite podcaster dougbendo even accused Tommy and all the Robotech fans who bought it of being pedophiles because of the content of the "deleted scenes".

[Karaoke Ninja]

Must be nice to be a japanese Macross fan. Don't have to deal with all this Robotech nonsense.

[Duke Togo]

Must be nice to be a japanese Macross fan. Don't have to deal with all this Robotech nonsense.

Unless you want something dubbed you don't have to. You can order any product you want, and the anime and manga releases see regular translations. HG is irrelevant.

[isamu]

Any more info on the dvds? Will they contain the original mono audio track, and the cleaned up video from the previous release?

[Tober]

Could we have a kickstarter to entice Frank @HG to replace his creative team. Then maybe they can get somewhere with the franchise

Hopefully, that's what we already have.

[jenius]

Any more info on the dvds? Will they contain the original mono audio track, and the cleaned up video from the previous release?

Check rt.com, they put up news items for all their DVD releases.

[505thAirborne]

What was Robotech Remastered? Never heard of it.

Something you should never watch, the new & improved sounds effects are horrible and makes watching it annoying as all hell!

If your going to watch RT hopefully you still have the ADV sets.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

Something you should never watch, the new & improved sounds effects are horrible and makes watching it annoying as all hell!

If your going to watch RT hopefully you still have the ADV sets.

yep

[Hoptimus]

Any more info on the dvds? Will they contain the original mono audio track, and the cleaned up video from the previous release?

No that would require work. The new set is 18 episodes of Robotech from the 2001 ADV DVD broadcast version and 18 episodes from SDF Macross(Animeigo version I am betting with SUBs only) for Vol 1. Vol 2 will be Episodes 19-36 the same way.

At this point I would doubt they do Robotech Masters/Southern Cross or Robotech New Generation/Mospeada.

[Duke Togo]

Macross is where the money is.

[EXO]

What's people's thoughts on how HG should move from here (if the KS eventually doesn't get funded)? I don't think that another KS would work because, what would they do? Ask for less money? That would raise suspicion on where the rest of the money was going to go in the first place, or it would look like they were just trying to score the almost 200k pledged and then deliver on what would be a guaranteed less than crappy production that no one would surely buy. Would they try to produce it on their own? Again... how? If they couldn't do that from the beginning. Are they stuck forever in comic book form and is that enough for them or for their fans?

[Agent ONE]

Must be nice to be a japanese Macross fan. Don't have to deal with all this Robotech nonsense.

Thats not entirely true. More effort would be put forth to develop Macross if to could be sold into the US. We are the biggest consumers of anime outside of Japan, and we are a much bigger country. If the HG/RT contract had never existed, the chances are high that we would have more/better Macross media and products.

[Duke Togo]

EXO, expect them to pick whatever option makes them look the shittiest. It's the blind leading the blind over there.

[Agent ONE]

What's people's thoughts on how HG should move from here (if the KS eventually doesn't get funded)? I don't think that another KS would work because, what would they do? Ask for less money? That would raise suspicion on where the rest of the money was going to go in the first place, or it would look like they were just trying to score the almost 200k pledged and then deliver on what would be a guaranteed less than crappy production that no one would surely buy. Would they try to produce it on their own? Again... how? If they couldn't do that from the beginning. Are they stuck forever in comic book form and is that enough for them or for their fans?

They should go back to flipping low rent commercial real-estate. Also, they could sell Macross toys, models, and DVDs. They own the liscence and the media is already developed. This is a no brainer. RT is dead.

[CrazyDude]

Biggest anime market outside Japan is France followed by Italy, Germany, Middle East, South East Asia.

The USA stopped being the biggest a long time ago.