I could say several different things about Robotech which have been said by many reviewers before me, mostly positive. But ya' know, even taking into account the controversial "anime butchering" aspect of this series, I've come to define the scope of this adaptation with one sometimes-overused word... EPIC! Here we have a story arc which quite literally covers a time span of 45 years, three generations of brave soldiers worth their salt in three wars, all fought over the same source of energy which makes up the technology namesake of this show; the core of Robotechnology, Protoculture, a fuel-type foodstuff that is (along with Earth) the central focus of this series.
Many props to Carl Macek and the many other writers of Robotech for managing to find a way to adapt a concept already in the original Macross series into something which could believably continue into two more anime series. And to think, in preparation for rewriting, Macek watched all 85 eps originally with no audio or subtitles. He was able to tie together main characters from the first two sagas in profound and yet subtle ways, such as the fact that the battle fortress which crashes on Earth in the first Macross episode comes from the character Zor, whose clone we don't see until the Masters story.
Then of course there's other not-so-subtle stuff like the ominous references to what was to come in the third & final saga of the series, the Invid, whom get mentioned as early as some latter episodes in the Macross Saga. From my point of view, it's genuinely smart how certain things like excerpts of footage of the Masters in a couple/few Macross Saga eps and even the creation of "Dana's Story" further help with connecting everything together, especially given how rushed a production Harmony Gold had. On that note, some of the acting can be truly excellent, even compared to this day and age of anime voice acting, my favorite being Greg Snegoff's Scott Bernard (though Iona Morris captured me more than any other emotionally during Roy Fokker's untimely demise).
In an odd twist, my favorite saga would have to be The Masters; though as for a favorite episode, it's a tie between The Macross Saga's "To The Stars" and The New Generation's "Symphony Of Light". My favorite character overall, definitely Scott Bernard, though I will argue to the end of time that Rick Hunter is the overall main character of Robotech; he was the main dude in The Macross Saga & The Sentinels feature, became something of a prominent offscreen character in New Generation, and even returned for a couple cameo spots in Shadow Chronicles. In that same respect, I'll also argue that the core family of the series was no doubt the Sterlings, given how important characters Max & Miriya were, as well as their daughter Dana taking up the mantle in The Masters (and even her younger sister Maia in Shadow Chronicles).
Thank you, Harmony Gold. thank you, Carl Macek. And thank you, Tommy Yune and all the other young fellas whom are currently working on getting the Shadow Rising continuation in gear. I have me the Protoculture and Two-Disc Collections of both the Robotech series and Shadow Chronicles, I'm ready for more! Bring it on~
Many props to Carl Macek and the many other writers of Robotech for managing to find a way to adapt a concept already in the original Macross series into something which could believably continue into two more anime series. And to think, in preparation for rewriting, Macek watched all 85 eps originally with no audio or subtitles. He was able to tie together main characters from the first two sagas in profound and yet subtle ways, such as the fact that the battle fortress which crashes on Earth in the first Macross episode comes from the character Zor, whose clone we don't see until the Masters story.
Then of course there's other not-so-subtle stuff like the ominous references to what was to come in the third & final saga of the series, the Invid, whom get mentioned as early as some latter episodes in the Macross Saga. From my point of view, it's genuinely smart how certain things like excerpts of footage of the Masters in a couple/few Macross Saga eps and even the creation of "Dana's Story" further help with connecting everything together, especially given how rushed a production Harmony Gold had. On that note, some of the acting can be truly excellent, even compared to this day and age of anime voice acting, my favorite being Greg Snegoff's Scott Bernard (though Iona Morris captured me more than any other emotionally during Roy Fokker's untimely demise).
In an odd twist, my favorite saga would have to be The Masters; though as for a favorite episode, it's a tie between The Macross Saga's "To The Stars" and The New Generation's "Symphony Of Light". My favorite character overall, definitely Scott Bernard, though I will argue to the end of time that Rick Hunter is the overall main character of Robotech; he was the main dude in The Macross Saga & The Sentinels feature, became something of a prominent offscreen character in New Generation, and even returned for a couple cameo spots in Shadow Chronicles. In that same respect, I'll also argue that the core family of the series was no doubt the Sterlings, given how important characters Max & Miriya were, as well as their daughter Dana taking up the mantle in The Masters (and even her younger sister Maia in Shadow Chronicles).
Thank you, Harmony Gold. thank you, Carl Macek. And thank you, Tommy Yune and all the other young fellas whom are currently working on getting the Shadow Rising continuation in gear. I have me the Protoculture and Two-Disc Collections of both the Robotech series and Shadow Chronicles, I'm ready for more! Bring it on~