UK Anime Network, UK Anime News, Reviews and Articles
Classics of Anime - Macross Plus

Classics of Anime - Macross Plus

Written by A. H. on 07 Aug 2009



Ask most anime fans of a certain age what shows or movies drew them into that sphere of interest, and alongside the usual culprits of Akira, Ninja Scroll, Ghost in the Shell and the like there's one other name that might crop up on a fairly regular basis as a seminal series that introduced people to the joys of Japanese animation - Macross Plus.  Is that enough to seal it a place in our classic anime Hall of Fame?  You bet your life it is.

While it might not enjoy quite the high profile that the Gundam name has been afforded down the years, the Macross franchise has nonetheless trod its own path and sealed its place as one of the premiere franchises for story-driven mecha anime in the twenty-five or so years it's been in existence.  However, despite the longevity of the Macross name Macross Plus is, in official canonical parlance, only the second "proper" Macross series, serving as the first proper follow-up to The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (or, more precisely, the alternate telling of that story in movie form, The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?).  "But what of Macross II?" I hear you cry - Well, that 10th anniversary TV series was quickly shifted out of the continuity of the main series into a parallel universe.

So, the stage was set for Shoji Kawamori (the creator of every Macross series from this point onwards, and director of The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love?) to co-direct this four episode OVA (Original Video Animation) alongside Shinichiro Watanabe, a name later to become renowned as the director of both Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo.  Kawamori was also responsible for the mecha designs sported by the series; again, this is a position that he's held for every other Macross outing since, while he can also boast mecha design credits for the likes of Eureka Seven and Ghost in the Shell.  He's even designed one variant of Sony's robotic dog, the AIBO, and a number of Transformers toys during his career as an aside.

With Kawamori at the helm, it's hardly surprising that Macross Plus holds dear to it many of the themes that have come to represent the core of the Macross franchise throughout - The importance of music, the appearance of a massively popular "idol" in that field, a pilot as the main protagonist of the series, and a love triangle that runs alongside and intertwines with the very nature of the story itself.

This story is set around thirty years after the events of the original Macross series, with the war against the Zentradi depicted by that show well and truly over.  However, the ending of those hostilities has done nothing to dampen the UN's desire to develop new combat technologies, and we join Macross Plus to witness the testing of two new transforming fighter jets which are competing to succeed the VF-11 fighter in active service in the 2040 timeframe depicted by the series.

It isn't just these two fighter designs which are competing however; the pilots of those two fighters are also locked in a contest of their own.  The two pilots in question are Isamu Dyson, your stereotypical brash young pilot, and Guld Goa Bowman, a half-human half-Zentradi.  The two clearly have a history, and this element of the story unfolds throughout the series, delving into this tale of childhood friendship gone awry and turned into bitter rivalry thanks to a mutual love interest.

The object of these affections is one Myung Fang Long, and of course it goes without saying that she soon makes herself a central part of proceedings with her arrival on Eden (where the two pilots are stationed) as the producer of Sharon Apple, an Artificial Intelligence and pop idol  sensation across the galaxy.  Her return only serves to intensify the rivalry between Isamu and Guld, with near fatal consequences.

What follows is a brilliantly realised mix of action and drama, as the two pilots fight amongst themselves before their differences are thrown into relief against a far more important threat, not just to the livelihood of this pair but also their shared love, and the safety of Eden as a whole.


A. H.

Author: A. H.


A. hasn't written a profile yet. That's ruddy mysterious...

OTHER STORIES:
Interview with Kentaro Kumagai (Laios from Delicious in Dungeon)

posted by Ross Liversidge on 01 Mar 2024

Interview with Sayaka Sembongi (Marcille from Delicious in Dungeon)

posted by Ross Liversidge on 22 Feb 2024

Interview with Delicious in Dungeon Director Yoshihiro Miyajima

posted by Ross Liversidge on 14 Feb 2024

My Neighbour Totoro - The RSC Stage Adaptation

posted by Richard Durrance on 28 Nov 2023

R11R x Parco Emotions 2023 Exhibition

posted by Ross Liversidge on 16 Nov 2023

One Peace Books Interview

posted by Ross Liversidge on 07 Nov 2023

Yokohama Gundam Factory

posted by Ross Liversidge on 02 Nov 2023


VIEW ALL