Macross Plus

Macross Plus is a 4-episode OVA series, produced by Studio Nue. Triangle Staff and Bandai Visual. It was released in 1994, with an exceptional standard of production for its time, then oft considered the pinnacle of anime. Going back and watching the anime 12 years after it was produced, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. I knew very little about it, only that it had a good reputation. I soon discovered that I would not be underwhelmed by the OVA, which presented a lavish production, strong (although not flawless) characterisation, and a unique plot. I feel now that my expectations were too low, and althoughit could have been better, the show was certainly a remarkable achievement upon its release, and remains even now a stunning anime, with real emotional impact, and provoking science-fiction themes. While it has a number of flaws that stop it from being as great as other anime I have seen, it has not been outdated in its themes or in its animation, and is an irrefutably entertaining watch. The animation is just fantastic; I can truly understand what older fans are referring to when they reminisce on the hand-drawn animation of days passed. Although some (minimal) CG was used in Macross Plus, it was traditionally produced before the age of digicel. As such, this means the show lacks the crisp and vibrant look of some of the better more modern anime, but in contradistinction, there is a higher level of detail than what we could nowadays expect from all but the finest in anime. This is especially true of mechanical objects, such as the mecha and jets, which are rendered in beautiful detail with every frame, allowing for some of the most spectacular mecha and aerial fight sequences I have ever seen. The level of detail is high, and the fluidity is astounding at times, to the point where there seems to be more happening on screen than you can possibly appreciate. The aesthetics of the anime shine in other ways as well, such as the colourful and vivid displays of Sharon’s concerts, which prove that there is more to the animation than technical excellence. Of course, this was all made possible by the bloated production values this OVA was blessed with, and they are certainly one of the reasons that this OVA is really elevated above the crowd. There is one more element to the production that deserves appraisal, and that is the music, composed by the masterful Yoko Kanno, which compliments the visuals so beautifully at times that it transforms the events unfolding into a profound experience. Given that a part of the story revolves thematically around a singer, much of the emotion the OVA evokes is triggered through song, particularly the beautiful vocals. Few composers/singers can accomplish this so powerfully as Yoko Kanno/Gabriela Robin, and while the score overall is not one of her best, when it really counts, the music is there to move the viewer. Most notably, the track Information High launches the viewer into the fourth episode with a climatic and energetic feel, while the exotic, alien-esque singing of ‘Torch Song’ makes one of the final emotional climaxes unforgettable. Music is always very important to me, and without Kanno’s excellent score, and the vocal talent involved, Macross Plus would not have been nearly as memorable. The story is an aspect of the show that is not so great. While the core ideas that the plot is built upon are highly original, and the show does explore some excellent science-fiction themes (such as the nature of artificial intelligence verses the real human consciousness), the problem is in its execution, and in the array of smaller details that surround the plot. I felt that the pacing of the show was flawed, as it did not seem to progress in the optimal storytelling pattern of building up to a climax, but until the final episode just sort of meanders. Fortunately, the very strong ending episode, which pulls in all the loose plot threads for a fantastic conclusion, does make up for the lacklustre plot progression of the majority of the series and, being an OVA (rather than a TV series) the effects of such flaws in the pacing are not so unfavourable. The other problem with the story would include the plot threads relating to the personal involvement of the main characters, and the way their relationship in the past is used as a plot device in the present. While the dialogue on the show was well-written, the way Myung, Guld and Isamu’s history is gradually brought to light seemed sloppily done, remaining obscured for too long, so that their dramatic conflicts were often baffling rather than profound. And when we finally found out about what had torn them apart, it was laughed off and did not provide any extra emotional ‘kick’ to the resolution. It was almost as though the twist that Gurd was the one at fault all along was added as some kind of afterthought or as a last resort to wrap up the conflict between him and Isaumu. I have several nitpicks when it comes to some of the show’s logic, most prominently is the question of HOW the Sharon hologram was able to projected from all angles in all places? It might sound pedantic but I thought that was a rather major flaw for a show that supposes itself science fiction. I mean, sure, technology is much more advanced, but I don’t see how they could possibly create such a hologram (unless it is powered by tiny robots in the air, but they would have to be able to move as fast as a jet plane in that case (as her image was projected from inside the moving jet in several instances). Or was the audience supposed to assume that at that point Sharon had become some kind of hallucination caused by her tampering with their brainwaves through her singing? I was lost. The characters were somewhat of a mixed success, in that the fundamental characterisation is really very strong, but before long it becomes apparent that they lack a certain depth and believability that comes with well-developed characters. Isamu is easily the most interesting of the three; he is hot-headed and reckless, and he makes no excuses for himself. He exhibits character traits not often found in anime, and that makes him instantly stand-out. At times his thoughtless actions were very annoying, but he has enough redeeming qualities to be enjoyed as the ‘hero’ of the story. He is a character you both love to hate and hate to love. Gurd, on the other hand, is very plain, following the age-old stoic and ‘mature’ archetype. While his presence is definitely felt, his indifferent nature makes it hard to sympathise with him, and for most of the series his sole purpose was to get in the way of Isamu. Both of these pilots were annoying at times, because of their aggressive nature towards each other, which did not feel at all justified in the end. While it was perhaps part of their characters to be physically competitive, their immature melees made it hard to appreciate them as protagonists. Myung’s character was nothing exceptional, but she was sufficient for the role. It was almost refreshing to see a female character in anime not being written with ‘moe’ as the crux of her character, but that’s what you tend to get going back in the anime time machine a few years. Having said that, she is also lacking in appeal in almost every sense of the word; she is portrayed as being almost completely vulnerable and indecisive when it comes to Gurd and Isamu, and even to her own life. She does not display any strong traits of elegance, sexiness, or cuteness, but is a rather unlikeable character who serves purely as the object of affection of the two male characters, and to allow for the themes of artificial intelligence superseding real humans. As such, most of her character points revolve around how her work with ‘Sharon’ has affected her, and whether or not she loves Gurd or Isamu. I was impressed by this OVA series, for its amazing production values, unforgettable music, and highly original storyline. It took a whole new angle in approaching a traditional sci-fi subject matter, and made it emotional gripping and oddly poetic. Despite its flaws in characterisation and pacing, the anime was simply awe-inspiring at times, and is overall highly enjoyable. I recommend this to all anime fans, as it has been recommended to me, but in addition, let me say that it is not exclusively for mecha or science-fiction fans, it has a story that I think everyone can appreciate.

In the future, the world's most popular popstar is an AI. But little does the public know that she's incomplete and relies on the emotions of a human woman to perform. But what happens when these emotions cause the AI to act on its own? Sadly, this is the B plot, so you'll have to sit through scene after scene of some pilots being dicks to get your answer. Seriously, this series really doesn't hold up. The characters are completely unlikable, and none of it makes much sense. Isamu might be one of my least favorite anime protagonists ever.He shows up, treats everyone terribly, keeps ignoring what he's supposed to do in a job he supposedly wants, but the anime frames everything as if you're supposed to be sympathetic to him. The rival is only slightly less of a dick, and he also does terrible things with little to no consequence. Most of the series is basically a dick waving contest between the two of them. They're largely fighting over a woman from their past who they've become reintroduced to. She's sad, and she can sing, but no longer does. That's her entire character. The weird thing is that this is has great direction and some of Yoko Kanno's best music. So you'll get what's visually a great dogfight between the protagonist and his rival, but they're arguing about nonsense from high school the whole time (like they literally argue over who bought the other one lunch more), and show no attempt to avoid killing civilians. In fact the entire reason the protagonist went there is to blow up some government drones because the government cut funding to his project. Which pretty much makes him a terrorist, but the anime never acknowledges this. If that scene had actual stakes or something, it would probably be one of my favorites, but as it is, it's just weird. Luckily, there are a few times where the series shuts up and just lets itself tell a story through music and visuals, and those moments make it feel like it's a completely different anime. The highlight is the much lauded concert scene from the second episode. It really is one of the best pieces of animation from the 90s. It's just sad that little else in Macross Plus comes close. I don't hate Macross Plus. On an audiovisual level it's fantastic, and it's quite watchable. It's just dragged down by a terrible script by a usually good writer. I'd recommend watching some highlights on Youtube over watching the series as a whole, but if you're a fan of mid 1990s style animation, you still might want to give this a go.

Most casual and hardcore anime fans that I’ve met that aren’t really Macross fans tend to like this oav. Personally for me as a Macross fan, and keep in mind I’m not speaking for all Macross fans when I say this, is that even though this is fan friendly to non fans of the franchise, I feel it offers very little of what Macross is truly about. For the most part, it exclusively takes place on a planet similar to earth and the aliens are not really emphasized enough, so it’s value of being a space opera, especially taking place 30 years after theoriginal doesn’t really feel all that present. Also gone is that it isn’t really taking place during a war, but whatever action is present will mostly be between Isamu and Guld, but I’ll get into that a little later. But what’s still present in the tradition of Macross are of course the love triangles. But since the love triangle this time is between 3 former friends there’s a whole lot more directly involved in this one, while the love triangle between Hikaru, Minmei, and Misa in comparison to this feels more superficial which is the only thing I can say in which this installment is superior to the original. In this case, Myung is of course very hesitant who she loves, and seems to be more open to Guld, but still shows concern and care for Isamu. Guld is very more open about his feelings for Myung, while Isamu shows he does care, but seems to be more of a big brother figure to her and doesn’t seem to exhibit any romantic interest directly as much as Guld does. The pacing overall is very balanced, though I think in the end with some of the twists needs more explanation rather than the convenience of speeding up to the ending. There’s really no explanation of some of the motivations of the guy who runs Sharon or anything and things get a little too convoluted at the end, and didn’t really feel necessary. But if you concentrated on the foundation of the love triangle, and the Top Gun competition in this oav, then this should be ok for you. The character designs are simple, but still very stylistic with the costume designs and the resolution. All human races are well represented whether black, white, Hispanic or Asian, but I felt the series needed more Zentradis to expose newbies to the wonderful world culture of Macross. The pilot suit is more reminiscent to the style used in the old movie, Do You Remember Love with the shoulder pads, the color scheme, and the helmets. It still works pretty well and doesn’t at all look dated despite a 10-year age difference between the two. The design of the Valkyrie’s are more or less the same and still contain the same engineering features. The action is well coordinated, explosive, fun, and easy to follow. At some capacity, it’s what you could ask for in mech anime. Both Isamu and Guld are equally excellent pilots in their own way with their respective mechs which keeps the battles going. But despite their good skills, they got nothing on Max or Roy. Compared to them, Isamu and Guld are simply breakfast. But anyway just like in some AMVs out there, you’ll certainly have the Top Gun soundtrack playing in your mind when watching the high flying battles. What also stands out in this anime being made in the mid-1990s is the use of cgi in certain scenes, especially in light speed mode. Granted they do look a little primitive and a little trippy, but I think it adds some novelty to this oav. It is appropriately used and it’s not really much to complain about rather than the superficial qualities of it. And to conclude this part of the review, I’ll talk about the design of Sharon Apple. I’ll admit she’s quite original and quite exotic. It’s like somebody was playing too much Idolmaster and all of a sudden, he beat the game and makes big money off his idol. Her concept really takes advantage of how Macross always had a stand out soundtrack, which I will now transition to. The music done by the great Yoko Kanno isn’t as uppity or as energetic as the original Macross, but it’s quieter and softer music is more invoking and more appropriate to the darker and emotional atmosphere this installment will have throughout. A certain song will also sound a lot like the opening theme of the first Ghost in the Shell movie and really suits the cerebral mood in which it stands out. The voice acting is also appropriate to the characters and captures their personalities very well. Yamazaki Takumi, who I only remember as the voice of Ferrio from Rayearth plays Isamu. He can make him sound arrogant and passionate when appropriate. And also casted is Unshou Ishizuka, the voice of Jet from Cowboy Bebop comes across pretty well as Guld. He makes him sound more mature and serious, but knows how to express his anger when appropriate. And one last name I like to highlight is Fukami Rica, the voice of Sailor Venus as Myung. She really makes you feel for her character and can make you react to her both positively and negatively in relation to her situation and I thought the voice acting really highlighted on that. Like I said before, this is probably the most friendly to non Macross fans because it’s a short OAV and covers a descent amount. Even though I do give this anime a high score which I’ll give soon, but compared to other Macross installments, I don’t think this is the best Macross has to offer. It sort of falls apart at the end and I can’t elaborate why because they would be spoilers. But it’s other qualities are still an eye catcher.

After excellent Macross II: Lovers again, Macross Plus feels very weird. Somethin' doesn't feel right at all. Yeah, there's lots of mecha-madness, romance, high-speed action, and even the jolly old fortress is bein' mentioned couple of times, and you can actually see it! There's everything that you should expect from anime called "Macross", and the good thing about Macross is that the every part are very different. But why does it feel so weird? The main thing is that it looks very different. After big-eyed, manga-inspired characters from Macross II, you'll get characters, that look pretty realistic. This is not offense, though, because i found MacrossPlus' artwork being AMAZING! I've never seen anything like that. The second thing is that the story is pretty dark, and very serious. Of corse, there's mayny hilarious moments. The dialogue is very well written, and some jokes will make you laugh. Unfortunately, the story is kinda generic story about love, friendship, and a past that you can't forget. It's a shame, because the story is the weakest link of Macross Plus. And for the characters, they're sympathetic with their strengths and weaknesses. You'll see a hot-headed ace-pilot, a bitter zentraedi and an ex-singer, who can't decide, which one to love. So, Macross fans should feel comfortable around this very different Macross-title, but those, who are new to macross, i'd recommend to watch the original series or Macross II first. To me, Plus is very different compared to them. Still, what does it matter, when you'll be treated with superb anime like this, and when you get used to Plus, the weirdness is all gone. It's just too awesome.

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