Macross Plus is a 4 episode OVA and is considered a sequel to the TV series Macross. Now the original Macross is probably one of my favorite mecha/space opera’s out there and is considered by many a classic of its genre. Does Macross live up to the success of SDF Macross? The answer to that is both yes and no and I will explain why.
Before I continue with this review I will say I believe it will be to the benefit of your enjoyment that you have already watched Super Dimensional Fortress Macross, it is not particularly necessary that you watch it as I have
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heard people watch Macross Plus yet nothing else and thoroughly enjoyed it, however Macross plus does not explore the rich lore of the franchises universe like the TV series does so you will miss the significance of certain things like Gulds background, Macross city, the Macross itself, and so on. That being said I will write this review with the TV series in mind, I will not spoil much at all though.
Even though Macross Plus is considered a sequel to the older TV series it is more of a condensed side story. A majority of the OVA takes place on a rural planet called Eden where two teams in the military are participating in the Supernova Project where each team builds a fighter (which are called Valkyries in this world) and the better will be distributed to the military. At the same time a virtual AI Sharon Apple is the biggest Idol superstar. Sharon Apple is the biggest plot piece in this as she is what drives the plot through most of the important parts of the OVA.
There are 3 major character you need to know for this series, the 2 test pilots which are Isamu and Guld, and Sharon’s producer Myuung. What interconnects two test pilots and an idol producer is that they all know each other and were childhood friends however it does make the plot seem kind of weak as Isamu and Guld would have nothing to do with Sharon if it weren’t for their past relationship with Myuung, however other aspects of this OVA easily make up for it.
I often hear people complain that the 3 main characters are unlikable and drag the show down however I don’t believe this to be true. Now being unlikable is up to personal preference however people often forget that all 3 of these characters are adults who knew each other for years, the characters also have a dark past with each other so things aren’t all happy go lucky. The characters themselves are not perfect they say mean shit to each other and fight, however it’s within these flaws they have that make them seem human rather than just molded archetypes. Now as many of you may know Macross is somewhat famous for its love triangles and I must say even if the triangle from the TV series between Hikaru, Minmay, and Misa is among my favorite of love triangles in anime the triangle between Myuung, Isamu, and Guld is quite interesting as their past history with each other reinforces their feelings for each other.
Now for the characters themselves Isamu is who we see first and is probably the closest thing to an MC in this, he is a hot headed and reckless pilot who was transferred to Eden as a test pilot simply because his old post didn’t want to deal with him. Although Isamu is extremely reckless he is a very high skilled pilot and he is more than willing to show it off. Isamu comes off as cruel and inconsiderate at times especially towards Myuung however deep down you will see he does care about both Myuung and Guld. Guld is also a very high skilled pilot but is almost the opposite of Isamu in that he is very disciplined and well mannered, he is also much more open about his feelings towards Myuung than Isamu is. Guld is however hot tempered and when he gets set off he sometimes will not realize what he is doing in his moment of rage. Finally we have Myuung the one in the middle of the triangle, Myuung thinks she has her life made but the furthest could be from the truth. She claims to have given up singing as she no longer needs it as Sharon’s producer but deep down she longs for a singing career. While Isamu and Guld come off as very stubborn and firm in their views and feelings Myuung is the most insecure out of the 3 in both her romantic feelings towards the other 2 characters and with her career as Sharons producer.
For art and animation I must say it was quite the spectacle to see, considering other anime that were coming out in the time period Macross Plus’s animation quality is among the best I’ve seen from the 90’s, there is great fluidity and I never really noticed a drop in frames not even during some of the more intense battles scenes with the Valkyries. The art style and character designs are very 90ish which makes sense of course but it’s very fitting to the darker tone of this show.
The original Macross had mostly 80’s pop which consisted of cheesy but at the same time wonderful and happier toned songs and the songs that Minmay sings are among the most memorable in anime as well. Macross Plus’s music is memorable too but for the opposite reasons. Sharon’s concerts were completely different from Lynn Minmay’s concerts as her music is much darker, there is this oppressive and hypnotic feeling to it and add the strange creepy visuals of her concert and it’s something you can’t forget. The one and only song we hear from Myuung is the opposite but not in the sense as “happy” like Minmay’s were but Myuung’s song is very calming, it’s sad but it’s very calming and peaceful as well and makes for a nice contrast to the oppressiveness of Sharon’s music.
A majority of this OVA is Isamu and Guld having the biggest dick waving contest in both the competition as pilots and in getting Myuung, so much so that they nearly kill each other a couple times. However this is where my first problem with this OVA comes in and that is the pacing, it is noticeably slow in the beginning but it is somewhat made up for towards the ending in episode 4. Another complaint I have is the main villain, we really don’t learn much of anything of him and his motives aren’t very convincing. This may be a product of the style of the director which I am fond of anime that don’t just spoon feed their viewers however there are some things that I think the viewer can know in order to benefit their enjoyment.
In conclusion I give Macross Plus an 8/10, I think Macross Plus is a very good OVA and certainly worthy of being within the Macross franchise particularly as a side story within a bigger universe. If you are a fan of SDF Macross there is something for you to enjoy here and Even if this contradicts my beginning statement in the second paragraph if you know nothing of Macross I do believe there is still enjoyment and value to be found here if you do not want to watch SDF Macross for some insane reason.
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Jun 20, 2015
Macross Plus
(Anime)
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Macross Plus is a 4 episode OVA and is considered a sequel to the TV series Macross. Now the original Macross is probably one of my favorite mecha/space opera’s out there and is considered by many a classic of its genre. Does Macross live up to the success of SDF Macross? The answer to that is both yes and no and I will explain why.
Before I continue with this review I will say I believe it will be to the benefit of your enjoyment that you have already watched Super Dimensional Fortress Macross, it is not particularly necessary that you watch it as I have ... |
