(Super Dimensional Fortress) Macross: volume 1

Reviewed By: Carla Land

ADV Films DVD

Review based on episodes 1-6 (2 disk set)

Rating TVPG

What it’s (basically) all about: In 1999 an alien spacecraft crashed to Earth. After ten years the craft has been restored, and a unified world government is ready to launch it…just as some aliens arrive to claim it. What follows is the story of Hikaru- and how he went from being a kid who flew planes in an air show to a soldier fighting to save the planet, all while trying to win Minmay’s heart and figure out where he really belongs in this world.

Nitty Gritty: Before we delve into the special features and story of Macross, it’s pertinent to mention that this isn’t just a re-issue of Robotech, which was actually three separate Japanese TV shows (including Macross) rewritten and strung together for American television audiences. This is actually a more faithful translation of the original Japanese series, and it has not been edited down for the Saturday morning cartoon set. Those of you who have seen Robotech will notice a lot of differences between that and Macross.

Now, down to business. There are six episodes in this set. The first four are on disk 1, and five and six are on disk 2. Both disks have special features.

Disk 1 special features- “Becoming Minmay: An interview with Mari Ijima” is a short interview with the actress who plays Lynn Minmay, one of the main characters. She also played Minmay in the original Japanese series, which debuted over 20 years ago (though you won't believe me when you see her, as she hasn't aged at all.)

There are also commentaries on episodes three and four, neither of which is that interesting, though the word “sh*t” does appear in the discussion on episode three.

The original dub (from even before Robotech) of episode one is also on this disk, and it gives some really good background information on the creation of Robotech.

There are also a ton of ADV previews on this disk, which include Misaki (massive fan service in this preview), E’s Otherwise, Godanner (really massive fan service in this preview), Gatchaman, Gilgamesh, and Hakugei: Legend of the Moby Dick (a sci-fi retelling of the novel we are all forced to read in high school English classes.)

Disk 2 special features- liner notes that tell about the series; clean opening; a restoration comparison (which is a really impressive split screen done over the opening theme); an interview with Javier Lopez, the translator (he spends a lot of time explaining that the Japanese word for “sh*t” doesn’t always mean “sh*t” and is dependant on how you say it. And he isn’t beeped out when he explains this.); and previews for volume 2.

The show- The two main things to watch out for are 1) the battle sequences, and 2) the language. This is a show about war, after all. Planes get shot down, people die (though not usually graphically and not often on screen), and the aliens are just giant humans from outer space, which makes things even harder for Hikaru who isn’t too thrilled with the fighting in the first place.

The language isn’t too bad, but sh*t is used when tensions are high (usually only during battle) and other words like a$$, damn, and b*tching make their own special appearances.

In episode four Minmay takes a shower and the camera pans up. You see her backside for about three seconds, and the outline of the side of her breast for about two seconds. The character Roy Fokker has a habit of looking at the ladies a little too long, but since he’s in the air most of the time, it doesn’t come in to play much.

One thing that needs to be remembered is that these are all adults in a tense, military situation. Characters die, have relationships that go sour, and deal with adult situations (like surviving on a space ship with no food or hope for rescue.) There is also the constant threat of death and destruction hanging over their heads, which leads to some deep discussions between characters that might go over the head of younger kids.

Survey says:  Because of the language and the realistic war scenario, this belongs in teen collections or above.  The brief nudity, as far as I’m concerned, doesn’t warrant putting it in adult collections, and with exception of the word sh*t, the language isn’t bad enough that it wouldn’t be on regular TV anyway.

Personal Ad: ADV cleaned up the animation and did a more faithful translation of this than the Robotech my husband wants me to watch. It’s still not my thing though, even though many anime fans will tell you that Robotech changed their lives and is the whole reason they go into anime in the first place. It deserves a place on the shelf, but it hasn’t swayed me to liking mecha (or Minmay, for that matter. Sorry, Mari.)