Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles.

Ariel warns Scott Bernard about a new threat to humanity.

Original Release Date: Aug. 25, 2006. Running Time: 88 minutes. Screenplay by: Ford Riley, Frank Agrama. Story by: Thomas J. Bateman, Steve Yun, Tommy Yune. Directed by: Tommy Yune, Dong-wook Lee. Produced by: Jason Netter.


THE PLOT:

It is the final day of the Invid occupation of Earth. Even as Scott Bernard and his resistance group join the final assault against Reflex Point, the forces of the Robotech Expeditionary Force engage the enemy in orbit. Failure is not an option: If they cannot drive the Invid from the Earth, they have orders to use the new Neutron-S missiles, which will devastate the planet.

As the battle rages, Capt. Vince Grant takes his ship to locate the missing SDF-3 and Admiral Rick Hunter. He finds Rick, his ship badly damaged by a singularity that was formed from the test firing of the Neutron S missiles. This weapon, prepared in cooperation with a friendly alien species, is actually a trap meant to destroy them.

The sudden arrival of this new enemy prevents Vince from rescuing the SDF-3, but he is able to fold out to warn the fleet. He arrives to discover that the war is over: The Invid Regess abandoned Earth even as it appeared her forces were winning. She also destroyed the Neutron-S missiles as she left, rendering Vince's warning seemingly irrelevant.

But this is more a pause in the action than a victory. The Invid took most of the Earth's protoculture. Without the SDF-3, humanity will run out of the power source in a little over a year. Meanwhile, the new enemy closes in, single-minded in its goal to wipe out every trace of protoculture and any species who uses it!

Young pilot Marcus Rush angrily confronts Scott.

CHARACTERS:

Much like The Sentinels, this movie mixes veterans of all the previous Robotech "generations." Rick, seen only on a viewscreen, has safely aged out of even remotely resembling Super Dimension Fortress Macross's Hikaru; Louis, Dana Sterling's tech guy from "The Masters," is now Vince's science officer and tech guy, while Skull Squadron leader Maia Sterling is Dana's younger sister; Vince and android Janice, both of whom were introduced in The Sentinels; and Scott, Ariel, and the Invid Regess from "The New Generation."

I think this film does a better job than The Sentinels in integrating the returning characters with the new characters. There's a direct connection between Scott and young pilot Marcus Rush, who was his late fiancée's brother. Marcus fills roughly the same role as The Sentinels' Jack Baker, but he's a little less bland. I quite liked Marcus's interactions with Scott; Marcus, angry about the death of his sister, brags about the Invid he's killed, and his attitude resembles Scott near the start of "The New Generation," before his feelings for Ariel made him more conflicted.

None of the characters has much depth - but then, The Shadow Chronicles never tries to be character-centric. This is an action film, and the cast is there to serve the plot and set pieces. They work well enough on that basis, though; and unlike in The Sentinels or Robotech: The Movie, all the characters actually seem to be part of the same story.

Maia Sterling, leader of Skull Squadron, and Marcus's crush.

PROBLEMS: ART STYLE AND CONTINUITY:

The opening credits create an immediate bad impression. After a few bars of Ulpio Minucci's original theme, it quickly devolves into generic "space music" that sounds as if it was taken from an off-brand Stargate knockoff, while we move past CGI planets that look drawn from a PS1 game.

There's a clash of art styles throughout the film. Character animation is a bit basic, with at least one point at which voice-over dialogue covers offscreen actions, but I was able to adjust to it quickly enough. The space scenes, however, use obvious CGI that results in an overly-polished "video game cutscene" look, and the two styles do not mesh well visually.

An even bigger problem is some poor continuity with the original series. The Shadow Chronicles overlaps significantly with the events of Symphony of Light, Robotech's series finale. In concept, this could work well. I might have enjoyed seeing the old events presented from a different viewpoint and with additional context.

However, this movie chooses to contradict Symphony of Light. Scott's team no longer negotiates with the Regess; Ariel talks to her alone. Also, Scott fully trusts Ariel, with absolutely no tension existing between them; yes, "New Generation" toned down the overt hostility of Mospeada's Stig, but the tension still existed. Here, it isn't present at all, even though showing that in Scott's early scenes would have made the parallels between Scott and Marcus stronger (or indeed extant, for those viewing the movie without having seen the series).

There's no actual reason for these contradictions. The end of "The New Generation" shows Scott jettisoning the message from his late fiancée, symbolically letting the past and his anger go, which would fit his warmer attitude toward Ariel here, and the Ariel of "The New Generation" would still warn Scott about the imminent threat. The conflicts appear to exist solely for the sake of making changes, and it doesn't help that those changes are uniformly worse and less interesting than the original scenes.

Even more bizarre is that the obvious audience would be old fans. And science fiction and anime fans are known for forgiving continuity issues in much the way that liquid magma is known for its cooling properties...

Louis assists a wounded Vince Grant.

OTHER MUSINGS:

...And despite all these issues, along with a hefty helping of Robotech's trademark clunky dialogue, I still enjoyed The Shadow Chronicles.

It's nowhere near as good as the series. Still, of the attempts to continue the Robotech story, I would rate this one as the best. Admittedly, "best animated Robotech continuation" is a dubious title, given that the competition consists of Robotech: The Movie (a mess) and The Sentinels (enjoyable, but kind of bland). Still, for what it's worth, it gets my vote.

The Shadow Chronicles is an action movie. The first half is dominated by battle scenes, while the final twenty minutes amounts to one big set piece, with Vince and his crew using what they know about the new enemy to find a way to effectively resist. In between is a roughly 20 minute stretch with some character scenes and expositional material, but even this interval is very much structured to funnel the characters back into the plot as efficiently as possible.

As a rule, I prefer character material to "blowing stuff up real good." In this case, though, I think the action focus is a good choice. The characters have just enough spark to hold my interest for a short action story, but they would need some serious additional development to keep me interested for a weekly series of any length.

The writing has some of the same problems as The Sentinels, with relatively flat characters and dialogue that rarely rises above the level of "functional." That movie suffered from it, as the scenes surrounding the launch of the SDF-3 were... well, mostly boring. The Shadow Chronicles avoids that problem by keeping its plot moving and keeping the 'splosions coming.

It's Robotech as if made by Michael Bay: weak characters, weaker attempts at broad comedy, and villains who appear motivated by Being Evil (TM). But the set pieces keep coming, and even with the artificiality of the space-set action scenes, it's enough to keep me reasonably engaged even if my brain can't help but kick against it a bit.

The Children of the Shadow plot to destroy humanity. Because they're evil.

OVERALL:

I enjoyed The Shadow Chronicles... probably more than I should have, given its many issues. Most of the problems I had with The Sentinels apply here, with extra bad continuity and character animation that clashes with that of the space battles. Still, judged as an action film, it works reasonably well. The new enemy is suitably formidable, which creates a bit of tension, and all of the characters do enough to justify their screentime.

Unfortunately, like The Sentinels before it, it ends at just about the point that the story seems to be kicking into gear. The creative team intended to follow this with a sequel, which has been teased to fans on various occasions. That sequel has persistently not materialized, in part to avoid stepping on the toes of the live action movie that was in development (which also never materialized, and that was probably just as well).

Now Robotech keeps sputtering out attempts at continuations every decade or so, and The Shadow Chronicles doesn't even represent the final release under its banner - so nothing's impossible. Still, I would be extremely surprised if any animated continuation of this story ever actually got released.

I was entertained enough that I might have given this a "7." But the lack of a proper ending, combined with the annoying conflicts with pre-existing continuity, knock that down to...


Overall Rating: 6/10.

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Robotech: The Sentinels.

The wedding of Rick Hunter and Lisa Hayes, who have
received a copyright-safe makeover between seasons.

Also Released as: Robotech II - The Sentinels.

Original Release Date: September, 1988. Running Time: 75 minutes (original version)/69 minutes (remastered). Written and Directed by: Carl Macek. Produced by: Ahmed Agrama, Hiroshi Ōnogi.


THE PLOT:

It has been nine years since the destruction of the SDF-1 at the hands of rebel Zentraedi Khyron. Now the SDF-3, under the command of Rick Hunter, prepares to embark on the mission devised by the late Admiral Gloval: to lead the Robotech Expeditionary Force to Tirol, the home planet of the Robotech Masters.

Though this is viewed as a diplomatic mission, it includes a strong military force - one which General Anatole Leonard fears leaves the defense of Earth badly compromised (thus representing the one time in the entire saga that Anatole Leonard is ultimately proved right about something). Rick is also troubled, plagued by doubts and worries about the upcoming journey even as he prepares for his long-delayed wedding to Lisa Hayes.

Meanwhile, Tirol is already being invaded by an alien force. The Invid Regent has come in search of the Flower of Life, which was stolen by the Robotech Masters. The Masters have abandoned their home planet, leaving only helpless civilians behind. Tirolian scientist Cabell and his assistant/bodyguard, Rem, begin probing the Invid for weaknesses - but it's clear to Cabell that it's already too late to save the populace from the devastating attack!

Bree'tai warmly greets Lisa and Miriya.

CHARACTERS:

My single biggest gripe with The Sentinels is that I find the characters completely uninteresting. The returning regulars can just about skate by on "TV reunion movie" goodwill; most of them are only onscreen long enough for the brief pleasure of saying, "Oh, there's Miriya! And that's a young Dana and Bowie! And Anatole Leonard's actually right about something, but he's still a pompous idiot!"

The characters created specifically for The Sentinels don't have that advantage, and they are all established in tropey broadstrokes. Hotshot pilot Jack Baker has plenty of talent but a tendency to ignore orders - oh, and his establishing scene is lifted, some lines almost verbatim, from Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. Test pilot Karen Penn's scientist father is upset that she isn't following in his footstep. Jack and Karen meet exactly once, for a period that could be tallied in seconds, but they are already coded as a future couple. And why not? Their personalities are matching shades of beige.

Cabell and Rem come across a bit better, mainly because they're defined through action rather than having characters stand around reciting their character briefs. They still don't amount to much more than "wise old scientist" and "young fighter," but I'll admit to finding their scenes more interesting than those on the SFD-3.

In fairness, this "movie" only represents what would have been the first three episodes of a full season arc. Had the series been completed, any or all of them might easily have gained depth - particularly if some stronger scripts were waiting in the wings.

Nice kitty... Cabell has a close encounter with an Invid Hellcat.

BACKGROUND:

The Sentinels movie cobbles together the three fully animated episodes of what would have been Robotech's second season. Unlike the previous season, this was an original story boasting original animation, something that was affordable thanks to an association with toy company Matchbox and a dollar/yen exchange rate that made employing Japanese animators extremely affordable.

Then everything went wrong.

A brief article on Cancelled SciFi details some of the issues. Toy sales were middling, leading Matchbox to pull out. At roughly the same time, the dollar/yen exchange rate shifted from 220 yen per dollar to 160 yen, greatly raising the price of the animation.

The loss of its toy company partner and the increase in the animation cost were simply too much for Harmony Gold to afford. With only three episodes in the can, the company pulled the plug, with the episodes edited into a movie for a 1988 VHS release.


VERSIONS:

The 1988 version of The Sentinels featured flashbacks using footage from Super Dimension Fortress Macross. Harmony Gold no longer had rights by the time it made its way to disc, so the flashbacks were excised. Though there are a couple of points where it's clear that a dialogue exchange was meant to go into a flashback, this mostly isn't a loss. I do miss one moment, however, an effective visual beat during the wedding when Rick sees images of their fallen comrades.

The only other notable difference is a very slight extension to the ending, with a title card added to act as a lead-in to the then-upcoming Shadow Chronicles.

T. R. Edwards resents Rick Hunter, a thread
that would likely have become interesting.

OTHER MUSINGS:

Despite being incomplete, Robotech: The Sentinels works reasonably well on a story level. Characters are introduced and various plot threads are planted.

Though Rick's mission doesn't intersect with the Invid Regent's invasion of Tirol yet, it's evident that a confrontation will soon occur. One of Rick's officers, T. R. Edwards, is established as resenting him, and it's obvious that he will cause trouble down the line (from his character name and status as "untrustworthy officer," I'm guessing he was originally intended to be B. D. Andrews from the movie, before Cannon imposed a new ending). On Tirol, Cabell and Rem study the Invid for weaknesses, which I'm sure would have led to new developments as well.

In this way, the movie repeats something I noticed about the series: the priority is on plot, not characterization. Earlier in this review, I wrote that any of the bland and tropey characters here might have become interesting later. This is true... but it's also true that by the end of Space Fold - Episode Three of Macross - I was invested in Hikaru/Rick, Misa/Lisa, Roy, Global/Gloval, and Minmay/Minmei. The same simply isn't true of the characters here. I had to look up most of the new characters simply to remember their names!

Character art is noticeably different than in Macross. Rick and Max have grown about a foot taller and even wider than that in the shoulders, Bree'tai wears a full face helmet that makes him look less like an alien than a Viking, and every character's hair has changed. Given that the Southern Cross characters look the same, with even child Dana and Bowie drawn to resemble their Southern Cross versions, it's evident that this was done to dodge copyright issues. Too bad that the new character models are so much less expressive than the originals.

Animation is uneven, and there's a visible split by location. The scenes on the SDF-3 feel choppy and static, with only an action piece involving a failed test flight and some bits of the wedding showing any sense of style. The scenes on Tirol are altogether more dynamic. Even allowing that the Tirol scenes are more action-heavy, I came away with the distinct impression that the animators were more interested in the Tirol plot than the SDF-3 scenes.

Rick and Lisa prepare to leave Earth.

OVERALL:

Given the criticisms above, I should stress that I enjoyed The Sentinels. It's a far more watchable Robotech continuation than the theatrical movie, and there are elements that could have made for an interesting story. Beyond that, it's fun to see all three "generations" interacting in the same film.

That said, when it ends, I'm not particularly fussed that the story is incomplete. Had Macross ended with Space Fold, I would have been genuinely upset. As much as I would have liked The Sentinels to have finished its run... I'm just not left feeling that anything special was lost.

It's an OK film to watch. But my feelings are largely summed up by those two letters: "OK."


Overall Rating: 5/10.

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Codename: Robotech.

Zentraedi warships close in on the SDF-1 as the film opens.

Original Air Date: Mar. 1, 1985. Running Time: 74 minutes. Written by: Carl Macek. Directed by: Robert V. Barron.


THE PLOT:

As the converted alien battle fortress SDF-1 rests in the ocean, having returned to Earth after two years away, Capt. Gloval prepares a report on the events that led to this moment. He recounts how the alien ship crash landed on Earth. The discovery of the existence of aliens possessing vastly superior technology led to a focused worldwide effort to reconstruct the battle fortress for human use.

The Zentraedi reached Earth just as the SDF-1 finally became operational. Thanks to the Veritech fighters created from the alien "Robotech," the humans were able to hold the aliens off long enough for the battle fortress to take off. However, a desperate space fold resulted in not only the ship, but also the entirety of Macross City, being transported into deep space.

Gloval recounts how the ship began its return voyage. It would be a long journey - with the Zentraedi chasing them every step of the way!

Rick, Ben, and Lisa are taken prisoner by the Zentraedi!

CHARACTERS:

Codename: Robotech is a heavily abridged version of the first thirteen episodes of the series. As such, the characters are reduced to their most obvious traits. Capt. Gloval and Lt. Commander Lisa Hayes come across most strongly, not least because Gloval is the one preparing the report and a number of scenes are ones showing them on duty on the bridge of the SDF-1. Even with them, we see Lisa as a stern military commander, but we don't see her emotional side at all.

Rick, who is the hero of the series, almost comes across as a supporting character. Since most of the plot-establishing scenes in the early episodes were focused on either the bridge crew or the Zentraedi, many of his scenes are heavily condensed or removed entirely. He comes to the fore in the second half, and we get glimpses of his infatuation with Minmei and his early sniping with Lisa, but there's little indication of him being a character of any depth.

In short, the film fulfills its function of introducing the major characters, but they are only shown in the broadest of strokes.

The heroes engage in a fistfight with
the giant Zentraedi commander, Breetai.

INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Codename: Robotech makes a couple of misjudgments with regard to music, the biggest of these being the repetition of the same couple of tracks. I hope you like the main theme and the show's primary "battle score," because you are going to hear them a lot.

As I've noted in my episodic reviews, I don't think the Robotech theme works very well as incidental music. It's a superb '80s television theme, setting a tone that suits both this adaptation of Super Dimension Fortress Macross and the American audience that was Robotech's target. However, it's extremely bombastic, drawing attention to itself rather than supporting dramatic scenes. Magnify that issue exponentially here, where the theme is recycled seemingly once per Act, to a point that's somewhere between annoying and comical.


BACKGROUND:

Codename: Robotech was broadcast on March 1, 1985, the Friday before the first episode, Boobytrap, aired. The goal was to introduce the ongoing story and its complex mythology to an American after-school audience that would be made of kids not used to following complex ongoing narratives. The hope was to create a picture of the larger story to prepare them for watching it in single installments.

I think it's better viewed after the series. The first set of episodes are quite well-scripted overall and make a much better introduction to the narrative than this movie does. Still, on its own terms, Codename: Robotech is a decent abridgement of the "Macross Saga's" first Act.

Once it gets past a badly misjudged opening, at least...

Khyron disobeys orders while sneering.
So at least the film captures all of his nuances...

A MISJUDGED OPENING:

The goal may have been to clarify the series, but the 10-minute, context-free opening action sequence seems ready-made to confuse the heck out of series newcomers. Who are these people? Why are they so confident that the attacking aliens won't destroy the ship? What's this "pinpoint barrier" that they keep screaming about? Since nothing has been introduced, none of this means anything - It's just activity.

Not helping is some truly awful editing continuity. The sequence was pieced together from bits of multiple action scenes, and it shows. The SDF-1 transforms into robot mode to fight the Zentraedi. Then it's a ship again for a couple shots. Then it's a robot. Then it's a ship again. Macross offered plenty of action scenes with the ship in both modes, so it should have been possible to put this together with more consistency.

Once that sequence is done and the SDF-1 lands on Earth, things settle down, and then the film actually becomes enjoyable.

Rick battles the Zentraedi as the Miss Macross contest airs.

OTHER MUSINGS:

At its core, Codename: Robotech is basically a feature-length version of the clipshow, Gloval's Report, with the captain detailing the ship's long journey for his superiors. I wasn't a fan of that episode. Within the context of the ongoing series, I was basically watching a rerun of episodes I had just viewed, with the minimal new material adding almost nothing.

As a standalone film, the frame works much better. Thanks to having a couple of years' separation from my viewing of Macross, the action has sufficiently faded in my mind that I can enjoy re-watching the story in this form. Also, the feature-length running time provides breathing room for the flashback narrative. A number of small character interactions that Gloval's Report lacked time to include have been put back into Codename: Robotech, giving viewers a chance to form some level of attachment to the main characters.

Wisely, the editors have focused on just a few incidents from the first 13 episodes. Included are: the opening three-parter; the modular transformation and Lisa's Daedalus Attack, which are edited to be part of a single fight rather than two separate ones; the Miss Macross contest and Rick Hunter's encounter with the three Zentraedi spies; and the three-parter in which Rick, Lisa, and Ben are captured, with Max going to their rescue.

The biggest chunk of running time goes to the initial episodes. The heroes' capture and escape forms the movie's climax, and thus also gets a fair amount of screentime. Other incidents are represented by a couple of scenes each, and between Gloval's narration and (mostly) good editing choices, each bit that's included develops the characters or introduces a piece of information about the overall conflict. Given the restrictions of the running time, it's reasonably well done.

Inevitably, there are a few seams. There are minor continuity issues, such as Gloval reassuring Lisa that the ship's engines will work because they were build on Earth - a reassurance that feels odd, since a previous scene in which the SDF-1's original alien-built engines pulled free of the ship was removed. Khyron and Azonia receive a fair amount of focus in the in media res opener; Khyron is then barely featured in the rest of the movie, and Azonia is never seen again. Most glaringly, the scene in which Rick, Lisa, and Ben are brought before Lord Dolza has been cut for time, with Gloval narrating what happened and the regulars commenting on it.

Most of this could have been reduced or eliminated had the film simply opened with the ship on Earth and Gloval preparing his report. That would have allowed another ten minutes to include at least some of these scenes, notably the one with Dolza.

Capt. Gloval takes in the sunrise for the first time in two years.

OVERALL:

It's a shame about that misjudged opening, because Codename: Robotech is otherwise a decent presentation of Robotech's first 13 episodes. There's enough retained to introduce, or at least tease, many of the series' major themes and character dynamics, from the way Earth's popular culture confuses the Zentraedi to the character interactions among Rick, Lisa, and Minmei.

It's limited by being an abridgement - but it's pretty good for what it is, and it's much better than I expected it to be.


Overall Rating: 6/10.

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3-25. Symphony of Light.

The Inbit decide the future of Earth - if it gets to have one!

Original Air Date - Genesis Climber Mospeada: Mar. 25, 1984. Writer: Sukehiro Tomita. Director: Tatsuya Kasahara.

Original Air Date - Robotech: June 28, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MOSPEADA:

The Third Earth Liberation Force has arrived - just in time to destroy the fragile chance at peace with the Inbit. While Stig battles Batra and Yellow continues to try to reason with the Inbit leader, the aliens commit their forces to battle, determined to wipe out the attacking humans just as they did with the two previous fleets.

But this attempt to reclaim Earth is different from the previous two. The fleet has been equipped with electrically charged particle missiles, to be used as a last resort if the fight goes badly. These missiles will ensure the destruction of the Inbit - but at the cost of Earth itself!


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

Though Admiral Rick Hunter is missing, his fleet has arrived - just in time to destroy the fragile chance at peace with the Invid. While Scott battles Prince Corg and Lancer tries to reason with the Invid Regess, the aliens commit their forces to battle, determined to wipe out the human attackers.

But this attempt to reclaim Earth is different from the previous one. The fleet has been equipped with neutron missiles, to be used as a last resort if the fight goes badly. These missiles will ensure the destruction of the enemy - but at the cost of Earth itself!

Aisha tends to an injured Stig.

CHARACTERS:

The last two relationships that were left unresolved by Dark Finale get their moments here. Yellow assists Sorji, and their interactions indicate at least the potential for a future relationship. Stig has too much anger against the Inbit, though. Even when Aisha tends to his injuries after his first, unsuccessful fight with Batra, Stig rebuffs her: "I can only hate the Inbit."

The episode does a good job of balancing the ensemble, with each set of characters getting some follow-up in a well-scripted epilogue. Jim/Lunk is more or less just "present," but all the others receive at least one moment - and given that Jim's character arc was pretty well resolved in the previous episode, I can't fault this one for focusing elsewhere.

Advantage: None.


NARRATION:

Because Robotech is desperate to try to stitch everything together in its finale, the opening narration takes pains to squeeze in Rick Hunter's name. After that, the rest of the narration largely covers transitions, save for an ending bit that's unnecessary but is also unobjectionable.

Advantage: None.

The Inbit leader directs the battle. Robotech's Invid
Regess refuses to leave because of protoculture.

CUTS AND ALTERATION:

Gen. Reinhart Believes in a "Scorched Earth Policy": In both versions, the commander of the human forces is prepared to launch a devastating attack, one that will destroy the Inbit but take the Earth along with them. In Mospeada, he's clearly reluctant to employ this, reassuring his First Officer that it will be a last resort. Robotech's Gen. Reinhart is more willing to pull this trigger, all but boasting his belief that death would be preferable to being ruled by the Invid - something that I suspect most of the people we've seen in the show's various towns would argue against.

The Regess Declares that the Invid Will Never Leave: Yellow spends much of the episode trying to persuade the Inbit leader that, whatever the result, this battle is too destructive to continue. Robotech's Invid Regess is more defiant than her Mospeada counterpart, and not without reason: In Robotech's context, Earth is the last remaining source of protoculture, which the Invid rely on.

"Action Movie" Quips as Scott Fights Corg: When Stig battles Batra, he doesn't quip, reserving all of his focus for finding a way to defeat this formidable enemy. In Robotech, both Scott and Prince Corg exchange barbs throughout the fight, with Scott tossing off an '80s action movie style one-liner when he wins.

Rand Points Out that Humans Have an Instinct for War: After Stig rejects Aisha, Ray and Houquet confront him. Houquet says that she suspects his late fiancée would probably be happy that he found love again, and Ray insists that both sides are to blame for the fighting. This is similar in both versions, but Robotech's Rand takes it further, pointing out humanity's instinct for war. "There were wars before we even heard of the Invid, or the Robotech Masters, or the Zentraedi. You might have lost your girl fighting other humans!" It's a bit heavy-handed in both versions, but I think I slightly prefer the Robotech scene.

The Influence of the Masters: In Mospeada, the Inbit leader decides to stop fighting and leave Earth because no matter who wins, "the hatred will create a new hatred. The fighting will be passed from children to grandchildren." Robotech changes this realization to continuity points, with the Regess complaining that the influence of the Robotech Masters remains too strong on Earth... which doesn't seem to actually have anything to do with the current conflict, but I guess the writers really wanted to throw in a reference to the series' second arc.

The Regess Uses Protoculture: In both versions, the Inbit leave Earth by transforming into a noncorporeal form, sending a message to the humans and humanoid Inbit as they go. Mospeada doesn't explain how this is done, while Robotech makes clear that the Regess is using all of the Invids' remaining protoculture to do this.

Scott Is Leaving to Find Admiral Hunter: Stig is returning to Mars because, as he observes, Earth truly isn't his home. Scott has a more specific reason for leaving, wanting to find the missing Admiral Hunter.

Aisha Reveals that Other Inbit Are on Earth: In an internal monologue, Aisha reveals to the audience that other humanoid Inbit are staying on Earth to live among the humans. Robotech removes this revelation, leaving its viewers with the impression that Marlene and Sera are the only humanoid Invid remaining.

Scott Vows to Return to Earth: Stig flies off in silence, backed by Yellow's performance of Lonely Soldier Boy. He thinks of each of his companions in turn, with Aisha being the last one he thinks of before the final shot, implying that he might return for her. In Robotech, Scott vows to return once his mission is done, making that indication more explicit.

Advantage: None. A few changes are slight improvements; a few are slightly for the worse; and they largely balance out.


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Mospeada makes excellent use of its score, notably when it chooses lower-key music over the later battle scenes as a counterpart. Robotech goes "full bombast" during its fight scenes. The tracks are well applied, and it does work, but it's a lot less interesting. I also prefer Mospeada's final music choice, a version of series theme song Lonely Soldier Boy, over Robotech's ending song.

Advantage: Mospeada.

The show's heroes witness the end of the war.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE - ROBOTECH:

I've taken a couple swipes at Robotech's attempts to namedrop bits of the previous arcs to attempt to tie everything together. Even so, I think those efforts lead to me preferring the Robotech finale to the Mospeada one. As with the mentions of the Invid throughout the "Masters" arc, it adds an extra layer, from the Invid's resentment of the Robotech Masters to Scott's decision to go off in search of Admiral Hunter (which I assume would have eventually tied into Season Two's story had production not fallen apart). It just helps to make the scope feel larger.


OTHER MUSINGS:

Symphony of Light is a solid episode, and it's a much better finale than Southern Cross's rushed and jumbled Genesis. If I feel slightly disappointed, it's only in comparison to the previous installment, which was so good that it actually surprised me when it ended so soon. This episode is fine, addressing all the plot points that it needs to address and giving all the characters something to do, but it doesn't land quite as strongly as I'd like.

I love some of the ideas, particularly that the Inbit arrived on Earth and found it "filthy," and that they restored the land that the humans had ruined (this is less the humans' fault in Robotech, given that the planet had suffered two devastating wars in rather short order). I also think it's appropriate to the series that the conflict is ultimately resolved through persuasion. The actual battle is poised to wreak destruction for both sides, and it's Yellow's appeal for reason that results in a better solution.

I like all of this on paper, but I can't help but feel that the rhythms of the story seem off. The first half, which focuses mainly on Stig's battle with Batra, works well... but between it and the epilogue, too little time is given to Yellow talking to the Inbit leader, which makes her choice seem a little too easily reached. I think it might have been better to have trimmed the Batra fight so that Stig only faces him once, which would have freed a few extra minutes for Yellow and the Inbit to properly debate.

The ending is quite good. The Inbit withdrawal is beautifully animated, and the character-focused epilogue makes sure that every thread gets just enough follow-up. The final shot is particularly well-judged, showing Stig at least starting to move past some of his major personal issues.

It's a good final installment on its own terms - but after Dark Finale, I was hoping for a great episode, and it falls short of that mark.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Genesis Climber Mospeada/The New Generation Overview

Previous Episode: Dark Finale
Next: Codename - Robotech

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3-24. Dark Finale.

Stig's team reaches the center of Reflex Point.

Original Air Date - Genesis Climber Mospeada: Mar. 18, 1984. Writer: Sukehiro Tomita. Director: Mari Kobayashi.

Original Air Date - Robotech: June 27, 1985.
Story Editor: Steve Kramer. Supervising Director: Robert V. Barron.


PLOT - MOSPEADA:

Stig and the others have finally made it to Reflex Point, where they have joined forces with other survivors of the Second Liberation Force. The humans and Inbit soon enter into a pitched battle... but the fighting is disrupted when Aisha projects herself to her friends, guiding them through the Inbit defenses.

Aisha hopes to find a peaceful solution, and when Sorji offers her support, there appears to be at least a chance of discussion. Batra, the warlike male humanoid Inbit, rejects any talk of peace, setting out to annihilate all the humans on the battlefield. Even as Stig takes off to stop him, an even bigger threat appears:

The Third Earth Liberation Force, arriving with such military might that its commander is confident of victory - even if that means the destruction of the Earth...


PLOT - ROBOTECH:

Scott and the others have finally made it to Reflex Point, where they have joined forces with ground forces sent by Admiral Rick Hunter. The humans and Invid soon enter into a pitched battle... but the fighting is disrupted when Marlene projects herself to her friends, guiding them through the enemy defenses to the center of the Hive.

Marlene hopes to find a peaceful solution, which the Invid Regess utterly rejects. When Princess Sera offers her support for Marlene, there at least appears to be a chance of discussion. Then Prince Corg, the warlike male humanoid Invid, denounces the idea of peace and sets out to annihilate all the humans on the battlefield.

Even as Scott takes off to stop him, an even bigger threat appears: Admiral Hunter's fleet, with orders to drive out the aliens - or, failing that, to destroy the Earth!

Houquet, Mint, and Ray react to being left behind.

CHARACTERS:

When Stig orders the three civilians to stay behind, each responds according to their character: Ray is angry, Mint is upset at "breaking up," and Houquet understands... which doesn't stop her from joining Ray when he decides that he's going anyway. Since this is the first half of the two-part finale, various character threads are tidied up. Jim, who once considered himself a coward (he really wasn't), joins the fray and expresses defiance even in the presence of the Inbit leader, while Houquet and Ray finally recognize their feelings for each other.

There are also good moments for the Inbit characters. Aisha has fully regained her memories, and she returns to Reflex Point determined to try to get the two sides to talk to each other. Batra ignores her, declaring, "Battles are what build the future!" After some wavering, Sorji sides with Aisha, rescuing Yellow from the battlefield so that he can join the others.

All of this is largely consistent between the two versions, making this a rare episode that's equally good at action and characterization in both Mospeada and Robotech.

Advantage: None.


NARRATION:

Robotech adds only a small amount of narration, establishing Admiral Hunter's fleet at the beginning and covering a couple of transitions later in the episode. For the most part, the action is allowed to play out without interruption.

Advantage: None.

Stig and his friends confront the Inbit leader.
Robotech's Regess is more directly villainous.

CUTS AND ALTERATION:

Admiral Hunter Is Missing: Because Robotech has made such a big point about the Earth forces being under the command of Admiral Hunter, and because there was neither time nor budget for original animation, the writing staff had to come up with a reason for him not to make an appearance. Thus, the SDF-3 fails to materialize at the rendezvous point.

Civilian Reactions to Being Left Behind: In Mospeada, Ray is resentful when Stig orders him, Houquet, and Mint to stay behind during the attack, while Houquet understands his reasons. In Robotech, this is all but reversed: Rook is snide in responding to the order, while Ray shrugs that he's just as happy not to get killed.

Mint Hopes to Find a Good Man Among the Inbit: Mint's tiresome, season-long running (limping?) gag about wanting a husband gets a punchline, as she jumps into Jim's jeep and announces that she's given up on human men and will hopefully find a good man among the Inbit. I've mostly hated this aspect of the character, but this made me laugh thanks to a good voice performance and funny reactions from Jim. Robotech replaces this with some bland dialogue about how Annie refuses to allow Lunk and the others to abandon her.

The "Cloud Effect" Around Marlene (Further) Obscures Nudity: When Aisha appears to the group in Mospeada, they can clearly recognize that it's her despite the shimmering effect surrounding her. However, even though the effect masks any details, you can tell that Aisha is nude in this form. Robotech increases the effect so that Marlene is only recognizable in a few facial close-ups, with the group seeing her mostly as a shimmering cloud.

The Regess Is More Overtly Villainous: The Inbit leader is a threatening figure, but she acts less out of malice than out of a belief that the humans are both less important and more corrupt than her own people. Robotech changes her lines into a villain monologue, with her sneering at the group and labeling "Ariel" (Marlene) as a traitor for having allowed them inside.

Admiral Hunter Ordered the Destruction of Earth: In Mospeada, the commander of the Earth forces is excited that they have the military power to win this battle, and he dismisses the potential destruction of Earth as a "worst case," collateral damage that he's clearly willing to live with. This is already chilling, but Robotech decides to push it further, telling us that Admiral Hunter has ordered the destruction of Earth if they can't dislodge the Invid... which doesn't seem very in-character for the person we followed across Robotech's first 36 episodes.

Advantage: Mospeada. Though only by a hair.


INCIDENTAL MUSIC:

Robotech uses its incidentals well, but the "otherworldly" track gets played a bit too much and becomes repetitive. Mospeada makes excellent (and restrained!) use of its music. It also delivers a highly effective, Act break-spanning rendition of Love Pebbles against the battle that, unlike the attempt to use it in White Night Serenade, actually fits the context and enriches the scenes (Robotech just uses standard "battle music" over the same action).

Advantage: Mospeada.

The human fleet reaches Earth. This is not a good thing.

OVERALL ADVANTAGE - MOSPEADA:

...But not by much. Robotech's changes are mostly minor, primarily existing for the sake of standards and practices or to fit that series' larger context. It's an excellent episode either way. However, one dumb change (Rick Hunter, Destroyer of Worlds!) and Mospeada's use of music helps the original version to ever-so-slightly outshine the Americanized one.


OTHER MUSINGS:

One of Mospeada's consistent strengths has been its action. Of the three series that made up Robotech, Mospeada has offered the most consistently well-animated and coherent battles. That remains true here, with the action scenes being visually exciting and well-edited.

There are memorable visuals throughout this episode. Flowers blow through the battlefield after the humans penetrate the Inbit force field. The spectral Aisha guides her friends on separate paths through the Inbit defenses. Jim drives his jeep into the vaguely surreal passage that separates the inside of the base from the battlefield, replicating Mospeada's mid-episode bumper in the moment. One scene after another provides something that makes a basic sensory impact. In combination with excellent characterization and generally strong production credits, it helps the episode go by quickly. So quickly that I was genuinely startled when the end credits started to roll.

The confrontation inside Reflex Point dominates the second half, and it's an excellent scene. Aisha initiates the conversation/confrontation as she appeals for peace while talking about the similarities between the humans and Inbit, but each character gets a moment to either support or lash out at her. The human and Inbit characters parallel each other. Her desire for peace is echoed by both Sorji and Yellow. Stig's anger is directly reflected by Batra's. Batra's delight in battle is equaled by the commander of the human fleet, who all but declares Earth's destruction as acceptable collateral damage. In both good ways and bad, we see that Aisha is right in her claim that the two sides are far more alike than not.

The episode ends on an excellent cliffhanger, one that subverts general expectation. Even one episode ago, Stig would have looked on the arrival of the human fleet as a boon, the proverbial cavalry arriving to save the day. Here, the cavalry arrives - but that's not something to celebrate...


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: Black Hair's Partita/Reflex Point
Next Episode: Symphony of Light

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Some Thoughts on Robotech: The Macross Saga.

Hikaru/Rick Hunter prepares for battle.

SOME THOUGHTS ON ROBOTECH - THE MACROSS SAGA:

There are those who see Robotech as an abomination - a "Frankenstein show" that disrespects its source material. Some Robotech detractors try to ignore its importance to bringing anime to the west with (much of) its original complexity intact. Others acknowledge this, but don't think it makes up for the results. I won't even get into the legal issues that Harmony Gold and Robotech created for its parent franchise outside Japan, except to say that these issues probably haven't helped the American series' reputation in the eyes of anime fans.

All of that said, I come not to bury Robotech but to praise it. At least, for the most part...


COMPLEX MATERIAL, MORE OR LESS INTACT:

I was there for mid-'80s US television. I remember what television was at the time. In previous "Japanimation" titles, material seen as too adult or inappropriate for young viewers was either altered or removed, and that easily could have been done here.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross was a series whose content challenged the confines of mid-1980s American after school cartoons. It included: a complex ongoing story; an interracial romance; major character deaths; a running theme about the power of popular culture to affect change; and the realization that a victory in war does not mean things won't get messy in peacetime. All of this remains reasonably intact in Robotech.

Inevitably, there is some watering down. Standards and practices for the US were different than for Japan, so a lot of sexual innuendo was trimmed back along with a few "peekaboo" nudity shots. Some of the detail supporting the themes is sanded away, such as observations about the Zentradi's lack of maintenance of their own vessels.

Still, in an era in which interracial romance would be the topic of a "very special episode" of a prime-time show, Roy and Claudia's relationship only loses a bit of a carnal edge while remaining otherwise strongly present - and with the interracial element never once commented on by the characters. Major character deaths remain (no one goes "to space hospital" and sort of stays there), and the major themes are entirely recognizable.

I was impressed at the time, and I remain impressed at how much it stands out from most of its '80s counterparts.

Rick preens about his skill in the first episode... only
to spend the next three shows repeatedly screwing up.

CHARACTERS WHO ARE NOT PERFECT, AND A HERO WHO IS NOT "THE BEST:"

Robotech tends to put plot above characterization, the exact reverse of Super Dimension Fortress Macross. Even so, and even in its Americanized form, the heroes are three-dimensional people who sometimes behave in ways that are petty, stupid, or selfish. This was not standard for even most "grown-up shows" of the time.

There's an important thing to note about Rick Hunter, our hero. He is introduced as a hot-shot pilot, intruding on an air show with renegade stunts. We're coded to expect him to be the perfect ace. But when he gets behind the controls of the completely unfamiliar Veritech... He has no idea what he's doing, he is in over his head, and he quickly crashes. Then he spends the next two episodes repeatedly crashing. Only after he joins the military and actually learns how to fly the complicated military vehicle is he able to do so effectively.

Even then, Rick's true gift ends up being as a leader. Max, one of his subordinates, is explicitly shown to be a better pilot. Roy, his mentor, is probably also more skilled. In an era in which the hero was pretty much always "the best," Rick... is not. He thinks fast. He has a strong survival instinct. Once he's in a leadership position, he gives good orders. But in the cockpit, there are pilots who are superior, something you didn't often see in television or movies of the era.

Again, this is all as it was in Super Dimension Fortress Macross - but I'm impressed, and given the era also a litte surprised, that the dialogue wasn't adjusted to downplay Rick's early incompetence.

Rick and Minmei are trapped in a sealed-off section
of the ship. Unlike in Macross, they never stop talking.

FLAWS:

I'm not going to pretend there aren't issues. Robotech has a consistent issue with dialogue. The first episode sees Claudia whining to Lisa that she is "not (her) mother." The young women making up the SDF-1's bridge crew seem to be constantly wailing. A fight scene between Rick, Ben, and Zentraedi commander Bree'tai is practically narrated, with the humans telling each other what is happening on screen through the entire sequence. Dialogue generally feels dumbed-down and juvenile - not always, but often enough to be a consistent issue.

Robotech also seems terrified of silence, with many moments that were held to good effect in Macross now slathered over with voice over or off-screen dialogue. This is particularly visible in the fourth episode, The Long Night, which sees Rick and Minmei trapped in a sealed off section of the SDF-1. In Macross's counterpart episode, Lynn Minmay, there are stretches in which they explore without dialogue. In Robotech, they natter non-stop. Some of the dialogue is actually pretty decent... but they just won't shut up, not even for an instant. It's an issue throughout the series, but it's particularly evident there.

Changes to the original (sometimes pointless ones) result in inconsistencies. This starts right away, with the narration on the first episode establishing a different backstory for Robotech than for Macross. When the alien ship crashed on Earth, Macross tells us that the governments of the world immediately went to war for control over it. In addition to finding that fairly likely, it also makes sense of why relatively young characters (Roy, Claudia, Misa) were all affected by previous conflicts.

In Robotech, the crash landing caused the world to stop warring with itself to prepare for a potential outside threat. Fine, that works too... except that, since ten years pass between the crash and the events of the series, it makes a hash of these characters in their early to mid-twenties being veterans. Lisa's fiancée left Earth to avoid a war that ended ten years ago. So... Lisa was engaged at 14? And if Roy shot down 100 planes in peacetime, he wouldn't be a hero - He'd be a serial killer with a very peculiar MO.

Pop star Minmei reunites with Rick. In Robotech,
she's become a spoiled brat in the interim.

THE SABOTAGE OF LYNN MINMEI:

Even in Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Lynn Minmay is self-absorbed to a degree that I found annoying. Still, self-absorption was her only real sin, and that's hardly uncommon among teen girls even when they aren't abruptly elevated to "pop idol" status.

Macross's Minmay grows as she goes through her own series arc. By the series' end, she realizes that she and Hikaru have grown independently in different directions, and she decides to go off to find new, more authentic songs to sing. She's not exactly my favorite character, but she unmistakably matures.

Robotech's Minmei actually regresses. She showed more common sense than Rick during The Long Night, voicing hesitance about eating all their rations, only to transform in the second half of the series into a spoiled brat. Nor is this an accident of translation - It's done on purpose. Moments of thoughtfulness from Macross are removed, and a scene in which she deals with her fans is rewritten to be scornful.

Any question that this is a deliberate choice evaporates with the episode Private Time. In the Japanese original, Kaifun has drummed up a concert without her knowledge, specifically to keep her from spending time with Hikaru. In Robotech, this is changed so that it's an interview that she was already aware of, making her into... well, a brat throwing a temper tantrum.

Misa, Hikaru, and company receive promotions. The ADV dub
keeps the Robotech ranks rather than sticking to the original.

MACROSS'S ADV DUB:

I chose to watch Super Dimension Fortress Macross using the subtitled Japanese version. It should be noted that an Engish dub was released by ADV. I'm going to admit to having some issues with the dub. It retains certain changes made for Robotech, notably the shuffling of the characters' ranks after their promotions. Yes, the Robotech ranks make more sense (the characters effectively are promoted two full grades fairly early in Macross)... but if the point is to make a faithful dub, then surely it goes against that point to "fix the mistakes."

I also have problems with some of the voice acting. Vic Mignona, whatever his other issues, is a generally decent voice actor - but his Hikaru sounds like a cartoon chipmunk. Having Mari Iijima reprise Minmay sounded like a good idea on paper, and it helps to make the transitions between dialogue and songs more seamless... but her voice aged in the two decades between the original series and the dub, and she simply doesn't convince as a teenager.

Oh, and what can you say to a dub that persistenty mispronounces the show's own title? Seriousy, refer to the opening song for each episode and you can hear that it's "Mac-ross," as in "Mac-intosh," not "Muh-cross," as in "Mud-lurker."

It should be noted that my opinion is just that - an opinion - and the dub has its fans. For me, this is one anime where I'll happily stick with the sub.

The heroes prepare to fight for the survival of their homeworld.

TWO GOOD SERIES - THOUGH ONE IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER:

I don't think there's any real question that Super Dimension Fortress Macross is a better show than Robotech's Macross Saga. Though it has its own faults (the epilogue arc feels vaguely half-finished in both versions), it is internally consistent, and its characters and themes have more dimension than the Americanized version does. Macross's "protoculture" feeds the theme about the power of popular culture, while Robotech reinvents "protoculture" as a simple plot device.

Still, this point must be emphasized: Macross being better doesn't make Robotech bad!

On this rewatch, even as I mentally noted the American show's flaws, I was legitimately impressed by its ambition. For its era, timeslot, and target audience, Robotech is considerably above-average, and I think it remains well worth watching in its own right. I was also surprised to find that it's far more faithful to the Japanese original than I'd been led to believe. Things are watered down and simplified, and some emphasis has been shifted to make it more plot-focused and less character-focused; but there's no point at which I felt that a given Robotech episode was unrecognizable from the original.

If you're going to watch just one version, make it Macross. But Robotech's Macross Saga has its own virtues, and I'm personally glad to have spent time watching both variations.


Next: The Masters

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