MACROSS-ING MY FINGERS
When Macross came out in the 80’s, I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. It was a space opera juiced up with mecha madness. There were planes that turned into robots, giant aliens, monumental battles and the occasional pop idols. But even this winning combination couldn’t stop me from eventually disliking mecha for very, very long time.
I don’t know what it was, but something about the Maross craze just made me lose interest and actively seek out other anime genres. It took nearly a decade and a half before I’d see another Macross anime—thankfully, it was the limited OVA series, Macross Zero. And it was this five-episode 20th anniversary prequel which restored my faith in mecha-based storylines.
So, fast forward to January 22, 2011. It’s just a few days before the premiere of Macross Frontier: Sayonara No Tsubasa, in Japan. This new movie is directed by Macross veteran, Shōji Kawamori.
From the trailer, it looks like the filmakers made sure all the standard elements were in the mix. That could actually be a bad thing. If they expect Macross’s audience to grow, the plot has to take off from a different angle.
JJ Abrams did just that when he envisioned the genisis of Star Trek. Abrams kept all the standard Star Trek elements but he gave the story-telling a new spin. It's true that loyal fans of the aging franchise had mixed feeling about it. Some loved it. Some hated it. But one thing’s for sure, Abrams laid down a stronger and wider foundation for the newer generation of Star Trek fans to tread on.
Let’s hope Shōji Kawamori's newest Macross film delivers something that will not only keep his old fans happy, but something that will entice a larger and younger fan base.
I’m crossing my fingers.
--Mori
