Super Dimension Fortress Macross, or Macross for short, is an utterly engrossing space opera and an undeniable anime classic. A war epic with a pacifist heart, it conveys messages not typically seen in the genre. The story is deep and fleshed out, as are the characters. I can’t wait to write about this perfect slice of 80’s animation.
The story is not exactly broad in its scope, but it tells the tale of the warship Macross incredibly well. After a foreign space ship crash lands on Earth, humanity rebuilds it into a functioning space fortress for military use, and they name it the Macross. On its maiden voyage, an alien race called the Zentradi arrives on Earth to destroy the Macross. The Macross then, programmed to automatically fire upon Zentradi ships, attacks the aliens and sends Earth into war. A problem with the transportation system (called ‘folding’) sends them to the far reaches of our solar system, and the majority of the show is spent detailing their journey back to Earth. It is an absolute epic war story, undoubtedly one of the most well told I have ever seen.
The characters are honestly the main focus of this war tale. Do not come in to this show expecting a shonen-esque action mecha. There is plenty of action, but it is shown more as a sideshow to the characters and their relationships. The main cast can be boiled down to its three main characters (although the other characters are also mostly fantastic too, I’ll focus on these three). Hikaru Ichijou, the protagonist, is a stunt pilot who becomes a rookie for the military early in the story. Lynn Minmay, one of the main heroines, is a young girl who becomes an idol on the Macross and a symbol of hope in the war. Lastly, Misa Hayase, the second main heroine, is one of the main crew on the Macross’s bridge and also vital to the outcome of the war with the Zentradi. The relationships, both professional and romantic, between these three characters is legitimately riveting to watch, and may conclude differently than you would expect. These three characters made this show a joy to watch, and I found myself watching episode after episode, wanting to know more about these characters and their story.
The story can be split in to two separate arcs, episodes 1-27 and then 28-36. This is the only complaint I have, and it’s very minor. I feel like this entire story could have been told without making such a distinct connection between these two arcs. By having events take place at slightly different times, the story could have been weaved in to a single, epic arc of 36 episodes. Again, this is a totally minor complaint, because the story is still told incredibly well. Another complaint that I personally do not have, but perhaps others might, is the quality of the animation. I watch it and I still enjoy it completely, even if it is slightly flawed. In the time that it came out, it was really well animated. Although I may have been born after this era, I will never judge something by its age. 80’s anime has a certain charm to it that is hard to put my finger on, but just the way the characters are designed and the stories are told have always been incredibly fascinating to me. To reiterate: some may find some sections of the anime lacking in quality animation, but this doesn’t bother me in the slightest and I have no problems with it.
In conclusion, if you are a fan of sci-fi, space opera, or war stories in any magnitude, I implore you to watch Macross. It’s become one of my absolute favorite series, and I can wholeheartedly recommend it to any anime fan. If you are a newer fan of anime and watch mostly current series, I think Macross is a fantastic place to get into some more classic anime. Also, Macross holds the special milestone of my 200th completed anime (at least, of the ones that I have logged on MyAnimeList. There are more, but ones that I have forgotten and generally not bothered with keeping track of). No anime was more deserving of this special moment for me, and it has secured its place in my heart forever. Macross is, without a doubt, an animated classic and one of the finest space operas ever made.
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