thetao

I want to buy the complete Macross series on DVD in the next few months...perhaps a few years too late? From what I've read, there are two versions. The first is the bare bones, subtitled-only AnimEigo version from 2003, but perhaps with a better picture and better (mono) sound. The ADV version has a new, English Dolby 5.1 soundtrack and a number of extras, but I've seen some criticisms of the picture quality and Japanese soundtrack.

I prefer watching Anime in Japanese with subtitles, so aside from ADV's various extras, that's probably a vote for AnimEigo. But what may be the deciding factor is that the last disk of ADV's release (Volume 7: Hell's Fury) appears to be completely unavailable, and I don't see a 7-volume boxed set for sale either! Am I just not looking hard enough? Was there some kind of manufacturing or supply problem, or other story behind of its lack of availability?

Looking for any buying insights you have. Thanks!

fujishig

Hmm... just a few weeks ago I decided to fill out my empty volume 1 + box that I bought ages ago, getting volumes 2 through 6 at Right Stuf. At the time, I didn't even realize there was a volume 7 because nobody had it. Now it's like I just wasted 50 bucks for something that I may never complete...

At this point, I'd just wait until someone eventually re-releases it (not even sure if ADV/Sentai has the license).

chrisc31

ADV's vol. 7 is going to be hard to find. I did find AnimEigo version box set #2 & #3. Set one looks hard to find from somone you can trust.

Set 2 - http://www.animecornerstore.com/macser.html

Set 3 - http://www.animecastle.com/pc-91989-...dvd-set-3.aspx

Vol's 2 & 3 can be found here http://www.amazon.com/shops/newbury_comics I trust this place.

Vol. 1 from Amazon market place http://www.amazon.com/Macross-Vol-Ar...8860578&sr=1-7

OutRun2

I would forget all about macross, and try to hunt down Robotech instead. It came before Macross and is the original series and is a much better show. The English Voice Acting is also far far FAR superior to the Japanese dub.

milo bloom

Um, no. Robotech was created from Macross, Southern Cross and Genesis Climber Mospeada. You have that completely backwards.

I found this box several years back at a used DVD store and picked it up on a whim.
http://www.dvdaf.com/search.html?has...us&pm=one&pg=6

My wife is a big Robotech fan and I thought this would be interesting to have as a supplement. We also have the original versions of Souther Cross and Genesis CM.

That's the only thing I can offer, is to keep checking used stores.

fujishig

This has got to be trolling, right? I know it seems obvious, but sometimes you just don't know...

I do like how the Japanese took the brilliant Macron 1 and added enough additional animation to make two distinct shows.

thetao

Thanks for all the feedback! RightStuf sponsors this forum, so maybe I will ask them if there's a story behind ADV's volume 7? Mostly to satisfy my curiosity.

@chrisc31
Thanks for the links. I wasn't familiar with animecornerstore.com, and this seems like a super price for AnimEigo's Volume 2. As for Newbury Comics, I was in Fairhaven, MA on business back in August and apparently less than 10 miles from a Newbury Comics store. Was very frustrating that I couldn't find time to visit.

chrisc31

When WTK says "RACS" that is "Robert's Anime Corner Store" - animecornerstore.com

ShellBeacher

Coincidentally, I've been thinking/discovering this series/franchise myself lately for the first time, but I would like to approach things in the order/manner they were originally produced, and/or original versions, but it's very confusing attempting to decipher Macross/Robotech's history, at least in terms of what's available in the U.S.

Can anyone list a quick timeline for the multiple series, including the re-edited movies, etc., and also clarify to me whether Robotech is in fact just re-edited versions of Macross episodes, or whether there are parts if it that are completely different/new? (and whether it is worth seeing or not, as I'm interested in the most authentic Japanese audio/video versions)??

Thanks.

flansered

Here's an attempt.

The first third of Robotech is reedited episodes of Macross. The second part (Robotech Masters) is reedited episodes of Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross with dialogue changed to tie it into the storyline of Robotech, and the last third (new Generation) is reedited episodes of Genesis Climber MOSPEADA with similar changes to tie it into the Robotech story.

Macross: Do You Remember Love? is a retelling of the events from the original Macross series, but it is new animation.

Macross 2 is a 6 part OVA series. It was reedited into a movie. It isn't considered cannon by the creators of Macross and is now considered part of a "parallel world". I don't know about anyone else here, but I never really liked it and couldn't make it through it.

Macross Plus is a 4 part OVA series that was also reedited into a movie. It is considered cannon and it's pretty great IMO. I only watched the movie once, but I think that the 4 part series is better than the film.

Robotech 2: The Sentinels was an attempt by Harmony Gold to make a sequel to the original series. Only 3 episodes were made, and edited into a movie.

I don't know about any of the Japanese series after this (Macross Seven, Frontier, Zero). Maybe someone else can go into detail about this.

MarineCorps

Macross Zero

Macross/DYRL (DYRL story starts up about halfway into the orignal series)

Macross Plus

Macross 7

Macross Frontier/Movies

That the series order. Robotech does not play into the Macross line at all. It's just the same animation with a different dub that changes the story.

milo bloom

There's also Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles which was an original animation made a few years ago as a sequel to the Robotech series.

Say, anyone remember that chart that shows all the Night of the Living Dead sequels/offshoots/remakes? Would it be worth our time to make a Macross/Robotech one?


And Robotech is worth a viewing of it's own. My wife and I actually watched Robotech first many years ago, but more recently we watched the original Macross saga on it's own and we both agreed that the rewrites for Robotech give the story a little more "oomph".

fujishig

There are a whole bunch of rights issues with the franchise too (Harmony Gold related), which is why we haven't seen any other Macross series after Plus, and also whey DYRL hasn't been released on DVD.

If you don't mind old-school animation, I would say start with the original Macross. While Macross was the series that Robotech altered the least, it's still different enough that if you want the original, go for the ADV release or the Animeigo release, if you can find them (as stated earlier in the thread, the Animeigo release is the earlier one, but has what some consider some picture problems, but the ADV one added a dub, dolby 5.1, and a different translation). Apparently both are difficult to find complete at this point, for whatever reason. If you can't, Robotech is decent enough.

If DYRL was out in R1, I would recommend that wholeheartedly... it's a condensed, alternate retelling of the entire Macross series into one movie with better animation, and does a great job. It was also released as "Clash of the Bionoids" long ago on VHS.

flansered

For what it's worth, I saw that Macross is available to watch on Hulu. It's probably dubbed, but if you don't mind that, it's there.