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SOUTHERN CROSS (1984)

by ThePete 12:00 pm 2008-12-05

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Definitely, though as with a lot of older anime, the cultures do clash a bit with American sensibilities. Still, the series is generally enjoyable if you can get past the truly crappy prog-rock rip-off music on the soundtrack. :(

Technically any good? This series is a sort of sequel to the original Macross series. However, there are no characters that cross over and there’s really no reference to Macross at all. The only connection is the inclusion of two words in the full title of the series “Super Dimensional Cavalry Southern Cross.” Those first two words are the same “SD” in the “SDF” of Macross. The only other similarity beyond those two words is the production company that made it–as a result, the animation is about as bad as it was for Macross so don’t expect anything too amazing. The acting is just fine, as it often is in anime. The story, while it does feel a bit laborious at times, is generally pretty solid and enjoyable. It’s got a great message at the end that I’m starting to recognize in other Macross-related anime.

Sadly, the music leaves a lot to be desired, but I think it’s worth sticking with it anyway. There’s also a bit of unnecessary nudity, but it’s not too gratuitous. The mecha designs are probably the worst I’ve seen, but the characters are fairly well developed, so if you’re like me, with story trumping all else, it’s still watchable. The ending feels a little rushed, but that makes sense given the series was canceled early. Still, it manages to eek out a much more coherent, poignant and even resonant ending than a lot of better known anime. The ending also suggests a more than passing comparison to the Israel/Palestine conflict. (The premise of the series surrounds a group of humans that have colonized a planet formerly inhabited by aliens who left it behind–now they want it back and these humans are in their way.)

How did it leave me feeling? Pretty satisfied. It’s not the greatest anime in the world, but it’s definitely fun. If you’re on a quest to watch EVERYTHING even vaguely connected to the original Macross this is not punishment the way Macross Plus is.

Final Rating? NFI - NetFlix It–if you can. Not sure how available this series is on DVD anymore. I managed to find a copy, but I got lucky, I think.

NOTE TO ROBOTECH FANS: There’s a reason you probably think the Southern Cross portion of the Robotech saga is the worst of the three story lines–it’s because the original story was very edited to explain how “Dana Sterling” could be Max and Myria’s daughter, blah-blah-blah. In the original un-Robotech-ized version the series makes much more sense. Lt. Jeanne is a brash, young flygirl (like flyboy) who runs her group of soldiers by the seat of her pants.

by ThePete 12:00 pm 2008-12-05 Anime, PocketReviews.Net, Reviews | Tags , , , , , , | $ |

MACROSS II (1992)

by ThePete 1:22 pm 2008-11-21

Every Friday I review the latest anime that I’ve watched recently. This week, it’s Macross II


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Positive Experience/Entertaining? Sure, but only in a way that most un-crappy Japanese animation is. Lots of explosions, sexy anime women and transforming robots.

Technically any good? First off, this isn’t a movie. It’s a video series they cut together to make a “movie.” I’m feel lucky they left the Japanese language track on it since I seem to recall too many “movie” versions of anime series being in English only. Speaking of which, the acting is just fine. The animation is more like Macross: Do You Remember Love than the original Macross series, which is a good thing. However, the story is the pits. It’s still got the love triangle that Macross fans love, but the music is kind of peripheral and the alien stuff just feels trite and cliche after watching everything else in the Macross Saga. The action was fun, but if you don’t care whether characters live or die there’s not much excitement in things going boom.

How did it leave me feeling? Disappointed. I just can’t recommend this one. I suppose if you’re a Macross purist you should check it out, if only to know how not good it was. This was the first attempt at a real sequel to the original series and thankfully, later attempts were much more successful at being entertaining.

Final Rating? DNS - Do Not See. Just check out Macross Frontier. Let’s just pretend that’s the final chapter in the saga. ^_^

by ThePete 1:22 pm 2008-11-21 Anime, PocketReviews.Net, Reviews | Tags , , , , , | $ |

MACROSS FRONTIER (2008)

by ThePete 1:36 pm 2008-11-14

It’s Friday once again and here’s another anime Pocket Review for ya!


Buy the soundtrack

Positive Experience/Entertaining? This series was a tremendous amount of fun and at times was even moving.

Technically any good? This series represents the best of everything the Macross saga has to offer–the best music, the best animation, the best acting (not that previous acting was bad) and probably even the best writing. This is a series that is one-part sequel, one-part remake, one-part homage to everything that has led up to it. Viewers new to the franchise will probably have no trouble enjoying this series without having any previous knowledge–the story stands very much on its own, though more than a few references will be missed without having seen what has come before.

Meanwhile, old fans of the Macross universe will see a lot of great callbacks to the original Macross and Macross 7, as well. However, the score is composed by musical genius Yoko Kanno, which means that even covers of the very dated and cheesy music from both previous Macross series sound incredible (yes, even Kanno-san’s cover of “Watashi No Kare Wa Piloto” pretty much rocks). The story holds up pretty nicely, though the wrap-up is a bit too neat for my personal tastes. Of course, the acting is as solid as ever thanks to the Japanese taking their cartoons seriously. :) I should probably stop bagging on western dubs since I haven’t watched one in ages. Then again, I did try to watch a few minutes of Christian Bale as Howl in Howl’s Moving Castle and I couldn’t help but cringe.

How did it leave me feeling? Definitely happy. The series ends with an amazing homage to the Macross universe as a whole and really made me feel bad to see it all finished. The good news is that there has been a Macross Frontier movie announced, though I haven’t heard if it’s going to be a remake of the series or a sequel to it, or both (the Japanese have done all three at times). My hope is for the sequel–I fell in love with these characters. There are also two more Macross titles to review, so be back here next Friday for my review of Macross II followed by Macross Zero which, while made earlier, reside at either end of the Macross timeline.

Final Rating? GSN - Go See Now - this is a classic anime crowd-pleaser, but also works well to please the purist. After finishing this up, I had a hard time going back to older anime, both for quality and story. It felt like going from caviar to tuna fish in a can. Still, I love seafood, so it’s cool. ^_^

Sadly, Macross Frontier has yet to see an American release. However, you can pick up Kanno’s score from Amazon.com if you have $50 laying around. T_T

by ThePete 1:36 pm 2008-11-14 Anime, PocketReviews.Net, Reviews, TheCultureJam | Tags , , , , | $ |

MACROSS 7 (1994)

by ThePete 4:42 pm 2008-10-31

It’s Friday and come politics or high water, I’ve got another anime series to review!

Macross 7 Gameboy Color box art
Sadly, Macross 7 is not available in the US.

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Definitely positive, but you have stick with it. A lot of anime series suffer from the “WTF is this?” Syndrome but you can beat it and come to enjoy the crap out of it if you can just get past the cheese.

Technically any good? Well, it’s horribly cheesy, as I’ve mentioned, but the story ultimately got me caring quite a bit for the characters. This series takes place 35 years after the original Macross and features a few characters from that series. It is almost a complete tonal departure from the “space opera” feel of the original show, however. That said, some traditional Macross themes do show up and to great effect: transforming robot planes, music and a love triangle. The music this time out is some seriously dated 80s-style rock that, by the end of the series completely grew on me. I now rock out to “Holy Lonely Night” on my iPhone when ever I’m bored on the subway. The triangle works well, but sadly, the robot planes are secondary (or tertiary, I suppose).

The voice acting, as always, is spot-on. The Japanese take their cartoons very seriously. The story and scripts are generally solid and structurally strong, but the subject matter does take some effort to get used to. Still, it’s this fanboy’s opinion that it’s worth that effort.

How did it leave me feeling? Pretty damn satisfied. Most anime series end with a relapse of “WTF is this?” Syndrome with endings that are either so baffling or so disappointing as to leave the viewer feeling the series ended one episode earlier. I don’t think Macross 7 does this. While there are a couple of weird things that happen, the end is solidly satisfying. Of course, I may have been biased as I watched since I knew there were two more Macross 7-related projects I had yet to watch. I haven’t decided if I will review them as they ultimately weren’t very satisfying.

Final Rating? SIYCF - See If You Can Find - This series has not been licensed for broadcast or release on DVD in the US or in any English speaking country. However, you can get the soundtracks on Amazon.com and copies of the series are floating around. However, if you can find it, does that mean you should definitely watch it? Obviously, this anime isn’t for everyone. I think if you enjoy fun, 80s rock, cheesy plots and/or are a Macross completist, you should definitely check this out. If you think the original Macross is sacrosanct and feel that its serious space opera tone should not be sullied by lighter, more fantastical plots, don’t bother.

Learn more about Maross 7 (complete with spoilers) and learn why this series won’t ever see the light of day in the US, check out the show’s entry on Wikipedia here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macross_7

by ThePete 4:42 pm 2008-10-31 Anime, PocketReviews.Net, Rare Finds, Reviews | Tags , , , , , , | $ |

MACROSS PLUS (1994)

by ThePete 12:00 pm 2008-10-24

Click here to buy

Positive Experience/Entertaining? I’m a fan of the Macross universe, in general, but this felt pretty damn useless to me.

Technically any good? The story on it’s own would have been fine, but it just doesn’t mesh with the rest of the Macross Saga. The involvement of the the pre-existing ships and history (but none of the characters we actually know) feels shoe-horned in and doesn’t make this Japanese animated mini-series any better. In fact, I think it hinders its ability to stand on its own–not that it does stand on its own very well. While the story is “fine” it’s not terribly good. It’s watchable, but ultimately not remarkable. It’s filled with several anime cliches–the young, brash, disrespectful, yet handsome rogue, the easy-to-bed goofy sidekick woman and the big, dumb, brute who ultimately redeems himself. The creepy girl is also represented. Meanwhile the Macross-specific themes are all there–a love triangle, fighter pilots and music–but ultimately the miniseries lacks anything that might resonate with fans of the Macross saga. The only good thing here is Yoko Kanno’s music. She is a brilliant composer and her stuff here is wonderful. Kanno is probably best known for her music for Cowboy Bebop, in case you’re curious.

How did it leave me feeling? Disappointed. The original Macross series and the movie-version/remake embodied the space opera at its best. Sadly, this just feels like a sequel capitalizing on an existing brand name.

Final Rating? DNS - Do Not See unless you’re a hardcore Macross fan or, like me, a completist who wants to see EVERYthing in the Macross universe.

by ThePete 12:00 pm 2008-10-24 Anime, PocketReviews.Net, Reviews | Tags , , | $ |

MACROSS: DO YOU REMEMBER LOVE (1984)

by ThePete 1:34 pm 2008-10-17

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Definitely, though it was hard to reconcile this with the series it’s based on. In someways I prefer the series-version of the story and in other ways the movie. Sheesh…

Technically any good? It’s definitely tighter than the series–it covers a lot of the most important ground from the series in just a couple hours. The series needed 26 episodes and meanders at times. However, predictably enough, there are nice subtleties that got lost in this movie–the story does feel stronger in general, though. As a purist, I say watch them both. But on a technical level, I think that Macross: Do You Remember Love is better made and it’s a standalone movie. The animation is also superior–I don’t believe anything was recycled from the series and while the animation isn’t quite Disney-class (even for 1984, when this movie hit theaters in Japan), it sure as hell beats animation on a TV budget! All the original voice actors reprise their roles, so you know the voice acting is great.

How did it leave me feeling? Definitely satisfied. The story goes further into the origins of Protoculture than the series does, so things are more clear in the end. However, I wonder why they didn’t just make a sequel movie to the series and cover that extra ground, rather than retelling everything. The climax also makes more sense than the series.

Final Rating? SIYL - See If You Like. Macross is iconic in Japan. It’s like Snow White or The Lion King only it involves aliens, a love triangle and epic space battles. If you’re interested in Japanese culture or sweeping space operas (or both) then you shouldn’t miss this movie. Of course, if you’re an anime fan it’s worth checking this out.

Sadly, Amazon.com doesn’t carry it, so I don’t know how easy it is to find it on DVD. I’d suggest checking your local mom n’ pop video store and see if they have any old VHSes of this laying around. Maybe you might get lucky and find an old DVD of it.

PS. This is NOT Robotech. Robotech is an Americanized series using the same animation and story elements of the original Macross series this movie was based on. There is an English-dubbed version of this movie floating around but it sucks. There is not Robotech-ized version of this movie, however.

by ThePete 1:34 pm 2008-10-17 Anime, PocketReviews.Net, Rare Finds, Reviews | Tags , , , , , , , | $ |

MACROSS (1982)

by ThePete 4:47 pm 2008-10-10

Positive Experience/Entertaining? Definitely. While the music is dated, the over all “space opera” feel of the series is timeless. Great, classic (if not a little cheesy), storytelling.

Technically any good? The animation is at a standard level for animated TV series of the early 1980s. It’s not perfect and compared to what we’re used to today (even in the US) the animation’s pretty unimpressive (don’t get me wrong–it tells the story perfectly well). The voice acting is phenomenal and, really, a helluva lot better than the American (Canadian?) dub we Americans are more familiar with (under the title: Robotech). The story is solid–it weaves triumph and tragedy, comedy and romance pretty nicely throughout the twenty-six episode series. The music is dated, as I mentioned, but there’s a fun cheese-factor to it that makes it enjoyable. Try not to roll your eyes too much while reading the subtitles for the song “Watashi no Kare wa Piloto”.

How did it leave me feeling? Mostly satisfied. I think the production ran out of time before they could fill in all the answers to the questions this series was asking. Things felt rushed and even unexplained. Thankfully, some of this is dealt with in the movie version of the series which condensed, altered and manged to elaborate on the original story so well that it is often equally loved by fans in Japan. I’ll review it next week. That said, the way the series leaves you somewhat hanging is proof of how good the rest of it is at making you care.

Final Rating? SIYL - See If You Like. This is THE animated series for anyone who enjoys a space opera with an artistic soul. There’s a reason this series spawned two movies, two sequel series, and several more miniseries. If you’re into anime, this is a must see as one of the biggest iconic series in Japanese animation. If you’re some jock who hates girly stuff (romance) then you should probably stay away. ;P

by ThePete 4:47 pm 2008-10-10 Anime, On Home Video, PocketReviews.Net, Reviews | Tags , , , , | $ |

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