Well it's that time of year again where we celebrate all things MECHA in a month long festival of Anime, Video Games and Movies. Like i have posted a few times before here is the list once more.
Robotech all three seasons.
Robotech The Shadow Chronicles.
Star Fleet (...Xbomber...)
Gurren Lagann .
RahXephon The Movie.
GunBuster The Movie.
Die Buster The Movie.
I am quite happy with the animes that i have chosen this year. It has a good range of drama, Action, Melodrama and comedy. Saying that Mecha Month 2015 might be a themed month. But more on that at the end of the month.
So with out dragging this out let be begin with the first week of Mecha Month.
But before i do that i need to give a little history on Robotech. How do i sum up the first part... This is a little harder than you may think. As Robotch is a combination of four animes that have NOTHING to do with each other. So i will give a very brief run down. Carl Macek at Harmony Gold re-scripted and reedited these shows in to one massive story.
Japanese originals
Super Dimension Fortress Macross. 1982
Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross. 1984
Genesis Climber Mospeada. 1983
Megazone 23. 1985-1989
Now these four shows became Robotech.
Robotech: The Macross Saga.
Robotech: The Masters.
Robotech: The New Generation.
Robotech: The Movie.
I have not mentioned the Robotech: The Sentinels as i don't have it but that will be corrected soon hopefully. Harmony Gold still own the rights to Robotech but more inportantly own the rights to the original Japanese shows. So in the west we will never get the other Macross Shows like....
Macross: Do You Remember Love
Macross Seven
Macross Plus
Macross Zero
Macross Frontier
Ok how i will admit that i hate that Harmony Gold are so over pertecive of what they have and the fact that they have done nothing with the Macross franchise apart from slapping a court order on to anyone trying to release anything to do with Macross in the west. But you can not and i must stress CAN NOT deny that Anime in the west has a lot to be grateful to thanks to what they did back in 1985.
This is a good video on the history of the VF-1 toy. The main mecha in Macross and Jet Fire/Sky Fire toy from the 1984 Transformers.
History of the Takatoku VF-1 Valkyrie Toy - CollectionDX
Ok so with that little history lesson out of the way with... i mean it LITTLE. Just google Macross and robotech it very complicated... But back to the point Lets begin...
Mecha Month 2014
Day 1-6 Saturday-Thursday 1-6/11.)
I am not going to do a day by day brake down, this is because i started the month off with the 1985 classic Robotech. A show that covers 3 different series over three seasons. Day 1-6 were made up of the first part. Robotech: The Macross Saga. 36 episodes over 6 dvds. This is the old ADV complete box-set from 2001 and is the original TV edit. Not the newer Robotech: Remastered from 2003
What can be said about The Macross Saga that hasn't be said before... well nothing... It is nearly a 30 year old cartoon. But i will try to hit the basics. Robotech/Macross is a Real Robot Show. It is a story of Love, Hate, and War. But at it's core it is a human drama. The story of Rick Hunter and the love triangle with him Lisa Hayes and Lynn Minmay/Minmie (... How do you spell her name i have seen it spelt a few different ways...) against the backdrop of interstellar war with the giant alien Zentraedi in The First Robotech War.
And if your a anime fan over a certain age then this cartoon had a big impact.
I love the action and enjoy the the interaction between the many characters and i think the mecha design is some of the best. the VF-1 Valkyrie is one of my favorite Mechs of all time. Also the Macross saga is considered to be the better of the three parts. It has been years since i have sat back and watched this show and i am glade i did it brought back a lot of happy memories of my youth. Good times... good times.
Day 7-9 Friday-Sunday 7-9/11.)
Over these three days i watched dvds 1-3 of Robotech: The Masters. This is a hard show to some up. a lot of the Robotechness of this part of the show can feel a little forced at times. It follows the exploits of the 15th Armoured Division which is lead by Dana Sterling during The Second Robotech War.Where earth has spent 15 years rebuilding after the event of the First Robotech War. The gantlet earth defenders of the Robotech Defense Force must combat the Robotch Masters and their army of Bioroids. Dana Sterling is the daughter of Max and Mira Sterling who were two characters from the Macross Saga. even though the some of the things in the show feel forced Carl Macek did do an amazing job of connecting this and the first part together that you do feel like your watching one show. This and the final part Robotech: The New Generation are a lot shorter than the first so by the end of next week i will have all 14 dvds done.
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