Macross Echo - A Story and Concept Thread

[TG Remix]

When I got completely into the franchise back in 2021, I always thought of what kind of story I'd want to tell in the universe I grew to love, and with the announcement of a new series and waiting for more details on it, I thought it'd make for a good time to work on the fanfiction I've been developing since then.

This story takes place in 2056, mainly on Planet Yotun on the Ymir Star System, one colonized by humanized Zentradi. It follows the young and old pilots from the 6th Marine Batallion, a unit belonging to the NUNS Reserve service, one the main one being Cadi, half-human and Zentran who finds himself juggling his life as a construction worker and a Variable Attacker pilot. Even with the colony no longer on the constant watch from the central NUN government, they like any other colony have their conflicts, the most recent one being the increasing amount of pirate raids in the Star System. The local forces are sent to stop them, but before they realize what they got themselves into, this all leads to a conspiracy plot, that'd have to force Jotun to fight for their autonomy once again.

 

Appreciating and loving the detail that went to Eden, Ragna, and Windemere before it, I always wanted to expand on the different kinds of colony worlds that existed all over the galaxy. But like any other Macross story, it'll still have its flying action, love triangles, and all of that good stuff. Before I can share some of the characters involved, here's some concepts I've been working on as well for the story:

The sketch I made of the Neo Glaug bis' Battroid form as it had no proper depiction in Macross: The Ride. 

 

A (not really final) idea of how Jotun's cities will look; was greatly inspired by the bio-organic look of the cities from the Dominion Tank Police series.

[TG Remix]

Gonna try to do some character sheets and sketches; starting with the main character himself:

Caudi Wright 

Age: 24 (Born 2032)

Lineage: Zentradi-Human

Height: 5'7

A miclone pilot of the Ymir NUNS 6th Marine Batallion, he stands out as one of the several non-giant platoon members. Although as a reserve pilot, he has a job elsewhere regarding the industrial workings of Jotun; mostly in the Factory Island. Even though nowhere near being skilled as an ace pilot, he's a passionate soul about everything he puts his mind; to from working to fighting, and about his cultural origins as a Jotun Zentradi, even when it gets him in trouble. Pilots the VA-110 Neo Glaug bis.

Edited January 2 by TG Remix

[Bolt]

Looks good. Looking forward to seeing more. 

[TG Remix]

Tiera 047

Age: 24 (Born 2032)

Lineage: Zentradi

Height: 6'1 (Approximately in giant size as well)

One of many cloned Meltradi from the Flem'Lolekka Squadron, a group that had separated from the Chlore Fleet and decided to settle in the Jotun colony. Contrary to those still ecstatic about culture, she's a cold and distant type who seems to think that Zentran is best at fighting, which is her reason for being a member of the 6th Marine Batallion. Ironically, this makes her an oddball to not only the social world of Jotun but even to her colleagues in the same platoon. Pilots the Queadluun-Rhea/40.

[TG Remix]

And here's the third member of the "love triangle" of sorts:

Vera Iijima

Age: 22 (Born 2034)

Lineage: Human

Height: 5'2

A girl who keeps most of her past a secret, even to her closest fans. Even though she was born on Earth, she moved to Jotun to live away from her birthplace. On the ship she was on, she met Caudi and helped him when pirates from the Ares Clan raided the ship, locking the friendship between the two. Afterward, she settled down to live a secluded life as a Macross Nald's worker, yet she finds herself more connected through the incidents in the Ymir Star System than she wished she'd been.

Edited January 12 by TG Remix

[Saruta2]

Just saw this now. Love the designs! Also a fun throwback to the first Macross love triangle.

"Iijima" might be a bit too "on the nose", especially since she is the likely singer in the story- I guess she discovers her Fold singing abilities at some point?

Then again, we did get a Makina Nakajima, so maybe this kind of reference is an established Macross practice... except that she is the granddaughter of Raizou Nakajima, a character in Macross Zero, made before Megumi Nakajima was cast. So I'd say this is a coincidence with an extremely common last name. 

Is there any development in the story since January?

Edited October 28 by Saruta2

[TG Remix]

20 hours ago, Saruta2 said:

"Iijima" might be a bit too "on the nose", especially since she is the likely singer in the story- I guess she discovers her Fold singing abilities at some point?

Then again, we did get a Makina Nakajima, so maybe this kind of reference is an established Macross practice... except that she is the granddaughter of Raizou Nakajima, a character in Macross Zero, made before Megumi Nakajima was cast. So I'd say this is a coincidence with an extremely common last name. 

The surname being so on the nose is absolutely on purpose lol. I promise you there's a point to it other than just fun fan-service. As for what she does story wise...She'll definitely be a singer, maybe not in the way that's expected in a Macross story.

 

20 hours ago, Saruta2 said:

Is there any development in the story since January?

A good amount! So much so that Cadi changed pretty much as a main character and details on Tiera (mostly visuals) have been changed a lot. Not sure if I can update just yet, but I will say that I do have two chapters done in the drafting stage; 70% of the story is planned out in advance as well. I apologize for not updating this as frequently as I should, but this is something I really want to finish and share to the best of my abilities.

Edited October 29 by TG Remix

[Vika22]

On 1/1/2024 at 7:47 PM, TG Remix said:

When I got completely into the franchise back in 2021, I always thought of what kind of story I'd want to tell in the universe I grew to love, and with the announcement of a new series and waiting for more details on it, I thought it'd make for a good time to work on the fanfiction I've been developing since then.

This story takes place in 2056, mainly on Planet Yotun on the Ymir Star System, one colonized by humanized Zentradi. It follows the young and old pilots from the 6th Marine Batallion, a unit belonging to the NUNS Reserve service, one the main one being Cadi, half-human and Zentran who finds himself juggling his life as a construction worker and a Variable Attacker pilot. Even with the colony no longer on the constant watch from the central NUN government, they like any other colony have their conflicts, the most recent one being the increasing amount of pirate raids in the Star System. The local forces are sent to stop them, but before they realize what they got themselves into, this all leads to a conspiracy plot, that'd have to force Jotun to fight for their autonomy once again.

 

Appreciating and loving the detail that went to Eden, Ragna, and Windemere before it, I always wanted to expand on the different kinds of colony worlds that existed all over the galaxy. But like any other Macross story, it'll still have its flying action, love triangles, and all of that good stuff. Before I can share some of the characters involved, here's some concepts I've been working on as well for the story:

The sketch I made of the Neo Glaug bis' Battroid form as it had no proper depiction in Macross: The Ride. 

The Macross series has such a rich, layered universe that it’s easy to get inspired to write a unique story within it. When I was crafting a concept for a similar project, I found that organizing ideas and keeping themes cohesive was crucial. If anyone’s looking to develop a research-driven storyline or wants to structure their narrative effectively, this resource which provides research proposal writing help might help get concepts down in a clear, structured way. Tailoring narrative ideas like a research outline could work wonders, especially for a complex universe like Macross. Just a thought for anyone diving into deeper storytelling!

A (not really final) idea of how Jotun's cities will look; was greatly inspired by the bio-organic look of the cities from the Dominion Tank Police series.

Very interesting.

Edited November 11 by Vika22