Happy New Year, Macross fans! I’m kicking off the new year by going back to the source of my passion for Macross: the TV series! I first watched it in its modified Robotech First Generation form, and am now curious what changed from the original TV series. So I found the Japanese TV series, and started watching it.
Episode 1 is “Booby Trap”. We first see a huge spaceship crash land into an island on earth. It’s the SDF-1!
SDF-1 crash lands on Earth
The presence of alien technology causes most countries to unite, but sparks some fighting. Eventually, mankind restores the SDF-1, and it’s the year 2009, when the SDF-1 is about to take off on its maiden voyage. We’re entertained by the opening sequence.
It's not Robotech. It's Macross, the original!
We see an action sequence with a fighter jet transforming into a gerwalk, then into a battloid, and destroying some two-legged pods!
We then get introduced to all the main characters in the show, as they celebrate the completion of the SDF-1’s restoration.
First, we see Macross City's mayor
And then Captain Global (Gloval in Robotech)
Misa Hayes (Lisa in Robotech) enters the bridge of the SDF-1
Claudia Grant stands right next to Misa on the bridge
Claudia and Misa talk about how Roy Focker is a war hero who can win in battle while hung over
Hikaru Ichijo flies in, and got an invitation from Roy to join the SDF-1's festivities
We see Roy Focker, who presents veritechs to the public
Here's the public, laughing at the banter between Roy and Hikaru. Who's the woman with the dark blue hair and red dress? No one else has that hair color!
Hikaru sees that Roy is still a womanizer. Roy is staring at the woman with the dark blue hair.
Here's a key scene that was omitted in Robotech. Roy is staring at the woman's behind. There's one thing wrong with this scene: Roy's eye level is higher. This view is from someone who's about as tall as the kid.
Now, we get to see the aliens!
Britai and Exadore in the alien commandship! Britai refers to Exadore as the Chief Archivist. We see that the aliens are humanoids! What we don't know yet is that they're much taller than humans.
Another bit left out of Robotech: humans used "reaction weaponry" (nuclear missiles) to eliminate some of the Zentradi battleships
The episode ends with Hikaru in an orange VF-1J, looking up at the dogfighting happening in the sky
This episode refers to the SDF-1 as a booby trap, because Captain Global realizes why the SDF-1 suddenly wakes up an open fires on the alien spaceships: he explains that similar tactics were used by the Germans in World War II in which innocent-looking items had bombs in them.
Episode 2 is “Countdown”!
Hi you seem to know a lot about these sort of things. I know its supposed to come with decals which are missing and although the box/instruction manuel doesn’t show a pilot i’m not sure if one should be there or not.
Thanks,
KT
http://web.me.com/kevinctracy/Macross/Photos.html
Gah this is the website.
That’s a first generation VF-1S, released by Yamato in 2001. You can tell that it’s a first generation by the fighter itself and by the box: the box has a see-through top and the lettering is 2-D, not 3-D. Here’s the product info page on HobbyLink Japan: http://www.hlj.com/product/YMTMC-06
Here’s a good blog post about the history of Yamato’s Macross toys: http://www.mech9.com/blog/2009/11/history-of-yamato-toys-macross-line-2000-2002/ There’s a link to Yamato’s Web site that describes the various toy releases and what accessories come with it. By putting http://www.yamato-toys.com/dev/cont_023/list2001.html into translate.google.com, you’ll see that the toy does not come with a pilot figure.
Another good site is macrossworld.com. Here’s a forum topic that shows all the Macross toy releases: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=29393
Compare how the first generation VF-1S looks with the second generation: http://www.hlj.com/product/YMT00079 The second-generation toy looks a whole lot better.
Excellent post as usual. Robotech has had a lasting effect on my life so much so that, even at this stage in my life ( I’m closer to 40 than I am to 30) I still am intrsted in it. I buy Macross toys, read the Robotech novels, and use Rick/Roy’s VF-1S as the wallpaper on my phone and PC. I even tried to convince my wife to name our daughter Miriya. She didn’t go for it.
I haven’t see the original Macross but I do have the Robotech Remastered DVDs with all the original content back in them. I recommend them to any fan.
Robtech was my second exposure to Japaneses animation, the first being Star Blazers. Still love that too. Hope the live action Space Battleship Yamato movie makes it’s way to the US when it’s released on DVD. I also still have hopes for a live action Robotech movie to be made. I know it won’t be exactly what I hope it to be but it would still be awesome to see it on the big screen.
That would be so cool if your daughter were named Miriya! Same here: Robotech had such an impact that I still like it very much today. I’m so glad Yamato has been releasing some very good toys: the ones in the 1980’s were a little chunky.