Robotech (1985) User Reviews (35)

80s gold that's got a special place in the hearts of anime fans!

[Johnny-the-Film-Sentinel-2187 · 9/10 · 6 May 2018]

Robotech is one of those shows that guessed where the human race would try and be in the 2000s: colonizing the stars and setting up shop on Mars and so-forth. It's a fun space-opera that deserves to be seen by any true sci-fi fan or anime junkie like myself. You could consider this, and its predecessor Super Dimension Fortress Macross, to be the equivalent of Star Trek in the anime world. I reckon both Trek and Macross are great space operas through and through. Robotech is just as much fun as them.

I love my retro-TV stuff; and Robotech is another one of those goodies!

Best Anime of a generation

[hectorsrodriguez · 10/10 · 21 November 2006]

I'm biased admittedly---but this was THE series that introduced America to Anime (along with Captin Harlock). I think its one of the greatest series of ALL time regardless of genre.

As a child I would get up at 5ish just to catch this show on the ole satellite dish----there was nothing like it in the world.

The show combined cool animation (for the times) with an engaging storyline. Adult themes were fairly easy for all ages to grasp---such as love,loss,betrayal,victory,defeats---and most important, hope for a better future even in the face of devastation. It has a "Star Trek" feel in that the hope is for humanity to come together.

An alien technology is introduced to the Earth, when the SDF-1 crashes in the Pacific. It helps to end decades of intra-planetary war in the process as humanity focuses on trying to figure this thing out. From there a series of events ensues including the devastation of the earth, the rebuilding of society, the search for the Robotech Masters and of course the successful invasion of Earth. All these combined to make an outstanding series that is being revived for a new generation of anime fans. Oh how long we've waited!

When Proto-Culture Ruled The Earth...

[DarthBill · 8/10 · 1 November 2015]

Once upon a time Harmony-Gold purchased three separate Japanese anime sci-fi series, Macross, Southern Cross and Genesis Climber Mospeda, and all three were too short to be aired individually to fill out the 65+ episode list that was required to fill out a syndication contract back in the 1980s. Since the three shows had very similar looking tech the late Carl Macek and his colleagues decided to re-dub and re-write the three unrelated shows into one on-going story where each show would represent three different generations of humanity's struggle to defend itself from alien invaders in pursuit of the elusive energy source known as Proto-Culture in a three season span.

The first chapter, "The Macross Saga", mixes the visuals of Star Wars with the political intrigues of Star Trek as it chronicles the exploits of the crew of the SDF-1, and their war with the Zentradie, the first in a wave of aliens who have come to Earth for Proto-Culture. Among the human dramas that play out against this space operatic war is Rick Hunter, a hot blooded young pilot, being caught in a love triangle between the flighty pop star Lynn Minmei and his (not that much) older superior officer Lisa Hayes.

The second chapter, "The Masters", focuses on Earth about 20 years after the events of "Macross Saga", with Dana Sterling, the bubbly half-human/half-Zentradie daughter of Max Sterling & Miriya Parina, leading the 15th Squadron as they try to defend Earth from the Robotech Masters, the forerunners to the Zentradie, who seek to secure the Proto-Culture for themselves before the arrival of their ancient enemies the Invid. Various characters look for love in all the wrong places, with Bowie Grant falling hard for the alien Musica.

The third & final chapter, "The New Generation", focuses on the heroic Scott Bernard as he leads a ragtag group of misfits against the aforementioned Invid to reclaim Earth once and for all. Scott struggles to overcome the grief of losing his fiancé Marlene Rush while also contending with his feelings for the amnesiac Ariel; smart ass survivalist Rand butts heads with the rough and tumble Rook while little Annie dreams of finding Mr. Right. The big guy Lunk is doing all he can not to fall apart under pressure while the wholesome cross-dressing singer Lancer finds himself falling for the Invid Princess Sera.

Each series/season has its strengths and weaknesses, and while this "cut & paste" approach may look a little crude to a modern audience (especially on repeat viewings) it works surprisingly well even after all these years. "Macross Saga" and "New Generation" feature better paced, more epic plots and more engaging characters than "The Masters", while "Masters" arguably has the best animation of the three series. It's not even that the cast of "Masters" are unlikable so much as they just don't get as much character development as the casts of the first and third halves and they are also hindered by having a slower less interesting plot, which sadly led to Masters being treated as "the middle child" of the series - not helped by the awkward time skip from Macross either. They're choice of character to be Dana Sterling was also... questionable given another more likely candidate.

Beyond that, Rick Hunter may be the main character of Macross Saga but he is arguably the least likable character there & possibly the least likable of the three leads from each series. Despite getting all the hero's journey tropes (the call, the mentor, etc.) Rick's immaturity makes him painfully unsympathetic at certain junctures, especially in regards to his poor behavior towards his intended love interest Lisa as Macross Saga nears the end; you'll probably spend most of MS being more interested in characters like Roy Fokker and Max Sterling (who's own romance with Miriya is sadly underused) than Rick, and you'll probably be left scratching your head wondering why Lisa would settle for Rick other than he's the main character.

The voice acting can be hammy at times & the dialogue often overwritten, but that lends a certain charm to it. Despite the detriments listed above there is still a lot to love in the series, from the late Ulpio Minucci's music to the grim & ugly depictions of war, suffering & the struggle to hold on to one's humanity in the face of tragedy, all of which elevates it above my personal criticisms as well as other series of that time period.

The catalyst for the Anime explosion in the West

[phoenix_809 · 21 July 2001]

I first saw Robotech as an 11-year old at 6 in the morning back in early 1986, when it aired for the first time. Having grown up on anime in the form of Marine Boy, Battle of the Planets, Star Blazers, and Astroboy, I was totally blown away by this incredible series.

It was not until nearly a decade later I learned of Robotech's Japanese origins, that it was a melding of three totally unrelated Japanese anime series. That just increased my awe of this series. To take three totally unrelated series and make it into a coherent story spanning almost half a century is absolutely incredible (the only link was that Super Dimension Cavalry: Southern Cross and Genesis Climber MOSPEADA, which constituted the "Robotech Masters" and "New Generation" portions of Robotech, were trying to cash in on the phenomenal success of Super Dimensional Fortress Macross, which obtained a cult following on prime-time Japanese television).

What made the show so popular then, and still makes it amazingly popular more than 15 years on, is a combination of storyline, mecha, and characters that people connected to. Sure, there were transforming robots, lots of battles and action, but these things did not cause detriment to the storyline. Characters died, grieved, fell in love, bickered, protested, the list goes on. And these aspects made the story, and were never overshadowed by the slick Veritech fighters and alien mecha, but were instead complimented by them.

It took bold steps in the somewhat conservative realm of American cartoon timeslots - major characters died, Earth was annihilated, and characters fought the odds and won. Fans talk of how they cried when Roy Fokker died, how they cheered the RDF on as the SDF-1 and the Zentraedi aligned with them took on 4 million ships and beat them, how they cursed when Rick Hunter was pining over the annoying Lynn Minmei when Lisa Hayes was right under his nose the whole time. Fans related to the characters, the story, their trials and tribulations.

Add to this a brilliant background music soundtrack and mood-setting songs (the Lynn Minmei rendition of "We Will Win" as SDF-1 and her air group took the enemy armada head on could only be be described as inspiring) and you have a series which will stand the test of time.

Macross purists can bag it all they want, but they must realise anime would not have gained as big a foot in the door of the US market if it weren't for Robotech - anime would still be imported from Japan and viewed in college dorms and club meetings instead of seeing the likes of Neon Genesis Evangelion on the shelves of the local video library or DVD store.

Robotech's popularity has not dwindled over the past 15 years, but has instead flourished, bringing new fans who may not have even been born the time the series first aired. This can be evidenced at the series' official site, with the Robotech Renaissance being born in recent times with new DVDs, collectors' items, computer games for the latest platforms, and even talk of the possibility of a new series to entice the next generation of Robotech fans.

Best story line

[Jack-dempsey-198CM · 9/10 · 19 December 2020]

The story about Robotech would make an awesome movie but if anything gets changed it will destroy it. I would love to help out on the director role but this is just a dream. I watched this series over and over again when I was a kid and it stuck in my heart ever since. I give it a 9 out of 10 because some of the Drama drags on too long. Skip through the boring parts then get back into the action and you will love it.

classic Saturday morning cartoon

[SnoopyStyle · 9/10 · 1 January 2017]

In 1999, an empty alien space fortress crashes onto Macross island in the South Pacific. World leaders stop their global war to concentrate on rebuilding the fortress and exploiting the new Robotechnology. Ten years later, the fortress has been rebuilt using a mix of human and alien tech. Then the Zentraedis arrive to capture the lost ship of the Robotech Masters. Captain Gloval executes a hyperspace fold which takes most of Macross Island with it into space near Pluto. This original 85-episode series is split into three war periods. After the Zentraedis, the Robotech Masters arrive to produce protoculture. Finally, the Invid conquers the Earth.

This is one of the best Saturday morning cartoon back in the 80's. Sometimes, it does get a little soap opera cheesy. I'm looking at you Min Mei. There are some lost in translation moments. Rick Hunter is the Luke Skywalker type. This was addictive sci-fi fare and beyond anything produced before. It's also completely rewatchable. The three era work individually and as a series. I like the different techs and the surprising additional elements. The final guerrilla war era adds yet another story telling element to the series.

The year was 1999

[asuliveres · 10/10 · 12 September 2018]

It was actually 1986, I would RUN home from school to watch this on television. This is my all time favorite animated series. I have watched the first three seasons...or generations several times over. Here began my love for technology and space. If you haven't seen it, watch it.

The best of the best

[Dr_Aml · 10/10 · 20 March 2021]

You cannot find anything better than his anime, the Macross saga, with all it's songs, music, story line, and characters. The depressed thing is the serie is so good so probably cannot be able to be remaked

What do you get when you combine three completely separate anime? The stuff of legend. That's Robotech~

[SilentDues · 10/10 · 27 October 2009]

I could say several different things about Robotech which have been said by many reviewers before me, mostly positive. But ya' know, even taking into account the controversial "anime butchering" aspect of this series, I've come to define the scope of this adaptation with one sometimes-overused word... EPIC! Here we have a story arc which quite literally covers a time span of 45 years, three generations of brave soldiers worth their salt in three wars, all fought over the same source of energy which makes up the technology namesake of this show; the core of Robotechnology, Protoculture, a fuel-type foodstuff that is (along with Earth) the central focus of this series.

Many props to Carl Macek and the many other writers of Robotech for managing to find a way to adapt a concept already in the original Macross series into something which could believably continue into two more anime series. And to think, in preparation for rewriting, Macek watched all 85 eps originally with no audio or subtitles. He was able to tie together main characters from the first two sagas in profound and yet subtle ways, such as the fact that the battle fortress which crashes on Earth in the first Macross episode comes from the character Zor, whose clone we don't see until the Masters story.

Then of course there's other not-so-subtle stuff like the ominous references to what was to come in the third & final saga of the series, the Invid, whom get mentioned as early as some latter episodes in the Macross Saga. From my point of view, it's genuinely smart how certain things like excerpts of footage of the Masters in a couple/few Macross Saga eps and even the creation of "Dana's Story" further help with connecting everything together, especially given how rushed a production Harmony Gold had. On that note, some of the acting can be truly excellent, even compared to this day and age of anime voice acting, my favorite being Greg Snegoff's Scott Bernard (though Iona Morris captured me more than any other emotionally during Roy Fokker's untimely demise).

In an odd twist, my favorite saga would have to be The Masters; though as for a favorite episode, it's a tie between The Macross Saga's "To The Stars" and The New Generation's "Symphony Of Light". My favorite character overall, definitely Scott Bernard, though I will argue to the end of time that Rick Hunter is the overall main character of Robotech; he was the main dude in The Macross Saga & The Sentinels feature, became something of a prominent offscreen character in New Generation, and even returned for a couple cameo spots in Shadow Chronicles. In that same respect, I'll also argue that the core family of the series was no doubt the Sterlings, given how important characters Max & Miriya were, as well as their daughter Dana taking up the mantle in The Masters (and even her younger sister Maia in Shadow Chronicles).

Thank you, Harmony Gold. thank you, Carl Macek. And thank you, Tommy Yune and all the other young fellas whom are currently working on getting the Shadow Rising continuation in gear. I have me the Protoculture and Two-Disc Collections of both the Robotech series and Shadow Chronicles, I'm ready for more! Bring it on~

My first Anime!

[pike145 · 10/10 · 16 October 2007]

When i was about 11 years old, This anime would play a 5:00pm daily Monday-Friday! It was the first anime I had ever seen and wow was I astonished (Lol I couldn't even say or spell that Word back then)Robotech was all time favourite for me especially the war and transforming robots! I always enjoyed the thrills that came with it like the fact the humans flew an aircraft with the capability to transform into a humanoid mech. I liked this anime because it was one of the good ones one I won't forget it inspired me to draw and write stories of my own I also recently purchased a box set. Each day I watch it reminds me of the good old days! Robtech rules no matter what anyone says this was one of the best Animes a legend and an amazing anime!!

More than The sum of its parts

[xamtaro · 7/10 · 22 December 2010]

It would be pointless to rehash the convoluted history of the Robotech franchise. How it began as 3 separate series edited into one and the ongoing love/hate relationship it shares with anime fans worldwide. One can read that up on wikipedia. This review is based on the version of Robotech featured on the "Protoculture edition" DVD set. It is the remastered version with all cut scenes of violence re-inserted.

Split into three separate season, the creative team headed by the late Carl Macek did a tremendous job of crafting a coherent over-arching tale that links the separate source series together. If one did not already know that they were 3 separate series, one would be hard pressed to actually tell from the way the show was edited. Common themes of interracial conflict, tolerance, friendship, the virtue of peaceful co-existence and the futility of warfare run across the three sagas. That coupled with a memorable musical score and some very creative splicing serve to bind the three into one (which by the way is also a common theme running throughout the show)Contrary to popular belief, Robotech is not simply a cut-and-paste edit of Macross, Southern Cross and Mospeda (the 3 original source shows from japan). The various changes are more than enough to set Robotech apart as its own franchise to the point where the only thing it has in common with its source is the animation.

That being said, it is not without its flaws and the first season, "The Macross Saga" adapted from "Superdimensional fortress Macross" usually receives the most flak. Most of what made this season so popular was what made the original Japanese version so popular even today. The realistic character interplay, the drama, the tragic portrayal of warfare, the moral messages about unity, all of it.Comparing "Robotech: the Macross Saga" to the original "Macross" anime series, it is easy to see why anime fans were upset with Robotech. The changes made could be seen as having lessened the impact of the original appeal; The script was only slightly better than your typical Saturday morning cartoon and the acting was very disappointing. Thankfully it got better by the later part of the season, most likely a result of the voice actors settling into their roles. However, that part of the season was marred by a painfully slow pace that felt unnecessarily stretched.

Admittedly, some of the concepts like using pop songs to defeat an alien armada do seem very cheesy by today's standards and the romance does come across as a little forced and contrived (particularly the inter species romance between Max and Miriya which lands them getting married after only 1 "date".). Season 1 benefits from some great character designs and artwork but falls short in the animation department as most scenes look cheaply animated and unnaturally stiff even for a 1980s production.

The apocalyptic conclusion of season 1 leads into Season two twenty odd years later where earth is still in the process of rebuilding. The heroes of the first robotech war have taken to the stars on a classified expeditionary mission and their children such as Dana, the daughter of Max and Miriya, are left to defend earth from a new threat, The Robotech Masters, the brains behind the zentradi armada. If anything, this second season is a vast improvement over its original series "Superdimensional Southern Cross". The acting is better, the script is more witty, and the character development seems more natural. Its status as the least popular season of Robotech is more a result of the original source's shortfalls. Also, its animation and art is the weakest among the seasons.

The third season "Robotech: The New Generation" is currently seeing a resurgence in popularity thanks to its modern day direct sequel "The Shadow Chronicles". New Generation is a thinly veiled allusion to the ancient Christian crusades to retake the holy land. Earth has been left defenseless following the previous two wars, allowing the Invid, the ancient enemies of the robotech masters, to conquer it. The now space-faring humans sent Wave after wave of unsuccessful attempts to retake their home planet. During one such wave, Scott Bernard gets stranded on earth and joins up with a team of misfits to journey to the main Invid hive, all the while fighting a guerrilla war to save mankind. By now, the acting in robotech has reached its peak. The dialog is so natural and the chemistry so real that one can forget that these are animated characters speaking. This last season benefits from having a balanced focus on both character drama and action unlike the second half of Macross saga. It also balances decent artwork with good 80s standard animation.

Even with comparing Robotech to its original source materials, there were changes for the better. Southern Cross and Mospeda's respective disappearance from the minds of anime fans is testament to Robotech: The Masters and Robotech: New Generation's superiority over the little known original Japanese anime. It is by far the best and most coherent "edited" anime (compared to stuff like Battle of the Planets and voltron) and manages to live on even today. Arguably as popular as the Macross franchise, robotech has spawned numerous spinoffs in comics, games and novels. With a live action movie in the works as of writing this review, Robotech has surely come a long way despite the naysayers.

Robotech and why this series was so good.

[tlyman99 · 10/10 · 19 December 2012]

To understand the impact of Robotech, one needs to understand the landscape of not just afternoon TV programming at the time, but TV programming in general in the early to mid 1980s.

Up until this time two general rules held true. First, "cartoon" series were generally 30 minute complete shows. Their plot began, developed, and ended in 30 minutes. You could watch any episode, in any order, and not feel like you didn't know what was going on. Second, people didn't die. Tune into any of the shows from the era, Knight Rider, A-Team, Airwolf, Magnum PI, The Dukes of Hazard... They all showed that you could jump and wreck cars, blow up buildings, lay down thousands of rounds of ammunition, and nobody...not even the extras...died or were injured.

So when Robotech came onto the scene and we saw that Zentradi gunned down by Fokker with a gaping, smoking hole in his back (this would later be edited out in re-runs), it was new...shocking...but real. Robotech, as a show, actually dealt with real topics more so than did many "live action" shows of it's era.

As a work, the animation was jerky even by contemporary standards and rough by animie standards today. Yes, many of the plot points were cheesy and immature. Yes, you will find yourself choosing between the original Japanese works or the Americanized Robotech conglomeration. But regardless, keep in mind that this was a very revolutionary idea for TV programming in general...never mind the fact that it was being billed, marketed, and distributed as a "kids cartoon".

Now for me, I have watched both the U.S. and Japanese versions of the shows. Yes, the Japanese version is not afraid to show the violence. However, I believe the story telling is better in Robotech because it spans the three generations. Personal opinion though.

If you like Animie and are interested in TV culture, Robotech definitely needs to be on your watch list. Comparing it to contemporary animie though is unfair. It was good in it's day...for many reasons...and can still be enjoyed today for what it is.

A product of it's era...

[sakurakitsune · 6/10 · 25 June 2015]

Robotech... a franchise that helped introduce Macross to the states, but at the same time helped bar Macross from the states as well.

Robotech was the creation of Carl Macek and Harmony Gold at a time when Anime was slowly starting to see an early boom in a very heavily edited form. You had Speed Racer, Voltron, Star Blazers, Transformers, Battle of the Planets, you had a large variety coming out. Harmony Gold wanted in on this bit of the pie as well. So they got a hold of a Japanese Anime called "Super Dimensional Fortress Macross", But seeing as it was 36 episodes and could not meet the minimum standard episode limit of that day and age, they bought up 2 other unrelated anime series. "Super Dimnsional Calvalry Southern Cross" and "Genesis Climber Mospeada" and attempted to try and interweave these three unrelated series into the multi-generational war with a technology known as Robotech.

And here in lies it's fault... Even though Macek got the stories all to line up and work together, He left out certain details or changed certain details in scenes that while they may not be caught as a child they can surely be caught as an adult and left wondering "what the hell is going on?, Why did they do that?, What?!?!, Wait a minute... How many people died?, Where is Rick Hunter?, etc, etc." You'll be left sadly with more questions than answers by the time your done watching all 86 episodes along with The Sentinels, Robotech the Untold Story, Shadow Chronicles, and Love Live Alive.

Minmei in this version only ever sings 2 songs and both are sung by Reba West (And if you've ever heard her sing, it's like nails on a chalk board) and both songs are "I'll be a star" and "We Will Win" which are terribly lackluster and repetitive in the way they are done. It's obvious they were not written by a song writer (And probably written by Macek himself). Ironically "We Will Win" Got an album of it's own from Harmony Gold and there are 10 different versions of the song on that album.

There are some more technical faults with both the legacy and remasters. I will focus on remasters first. There remastered audio (existing in all previous re-releases of the remastered versions) in order to access the original Mono track if you've got a 5.1 surround system. You need to set your surround sound system to Mono in order to get all the original 1985 sound effects of the series. The Remastering is also heavily over saturated across all 3 series. So some details are heavily lost. They may be minor, but it would be like someone saying "The Mona Lisa needs more saturation" and suddenly she's a brighter yellow than before and much the background detail is lost. It's an extreme example, but it gets the point across that the remaster is over done. Not to mention that it puts back in the gore scenes and the nudity scenes which are great for the older fan base that grew up with Robotech in 1985. It's not great however for a still budding younger fan base. Robotech was made for Kids with an adult style Saturday morning cartoon story. It's more recently that Harmony gold went and took a more adult style story telling trying to move away from the kid side of things and just try to sell there product with a bit of blood and sex and the nostalgia factor.

The legacy version however is perfect if you wanna introduce your kid to the Robotech franchise, for it cuts out the gore and the nudity, it is how the show appeared in 1985. but it has the major flaw of being taken from the old master tapes (What they used in broadcasting years back and sometimes still use today), I kid you not. When DVD first hit shelves, Harmony gold didn't wanna go through the time of actually remastering Robotech for a proper DVD release, so they took the old master tapes they had, handed them over to ADV, who transferred them to DVD and released it out to fans. This became known as the Legacy edition (something that is impossible to find new, so you have to find it second hand.) So the legacy versions will have a bit of a blur to them and the picture quality has faded drastically. It still has the original 1985 mono track which is good. And the original Text effects from that era too.

Would I personally recommend anyone new to Robotech watch it or buy it? I honestly couldn't recommend anyone watch it, unless your already a Robotech fan who enjoys the nostalgia, or you have an archaeological curiousness about it.

If you have an almost archaeological curiousness in ancient English dubbing of the 80's, and wondering how Robotech got popular, I say watch it. It's what I did and it's what later got me introduced to all the original series that Robotech is based on.(which I highly highly recommend to watch over Robotech.)

Lastly due to the whole inconsistency of not providing a child friendly remaster edition of Robotech (Like the legacy version, and cutting out the gore and nude scenes). I couldn't recommend it to parents that want to get this for there children.

Steering away from nostalgia, I now can't bear watching it

[algenicus002 · 1/10 · 11 October 2006]

OK, so Mr. Agrama's company (which is involved in some dubious business with former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi) produced a horrendous mish-mash by a Mr. Carl Macek.

What is this horrendous mish-mash I'm talking about? Well, Macek took three entirely unrelated Japanese sci-fi animated series (namely, Macross, Southern Cross and Mospeada), added TONS of dialogue - believing firmly that the American audience is too dumb to understand the narrative and artistic virtue of silence - , edited the whole lot heavily for violent content, added some metaphysical mumbo jumbo, dubbed it using some of the worst voice actors this side of acting Hell (Reba West's singing was - and still is - unbearable and a total outrage, especially compared to Mrs. Mari Iijima)... And the result was an 85-episode series with hundreds of continuity problems and plot holes.

Of course, the mecha were cool to look at (especially those in the "Macross Saga") and the plot parts that remained unscathed were good. But whatever was good about Robotech was not the result of Macek's work or the "voice talents" he recruited. It was because of the toils and efforts of the (uncredited - why? would I be too bold to accuse HG of plagiarism here?) Japanese creators. Those of us who eventually got wind of the real deal and compared the originals to Robotech now wish we had never been exposed to Robotech. The originals are so much better, naturally, and make a lot more sense.

Robotech, however, DID something worthwhile: it prompted legendary anime creator Leiji Matsumoto to start a campaign for the protection of Japanese anime creators' intellectual property from such unauthorized and uncalled-for reworkings that talentless people like Carl Macek produce.

My favorite TV show of all time.

[StudentDriver · 26 September 1999]

I'm usually a purist with my anime, but I make no apologies for saying this- Robotech is my favorite TV show of all time, and my favorite anime.

I won't get into the whole discussion of whether the translation butchered the original Japanese creators' intentions or not; I stand in awe with what Carl Macek was able to do with 3 distinctly unrelated series, and feel that the whole Robotech mythos is more engaging and fun than the original series.

This is the only show that I have felt such an emotional attachment to, for so long. There is no rational explanation; my wife gave up trying to figure it out a long time ago...

Robotech spans 3 generations of people battling to save earth. It was one of the first American cartoon series to have a continuing storyline, to have character deaths (and births!). It showed racism, interracial relationships, the futility but necessity of war... all in 1/2 hour weekday installments right before school. Plus, it had the coolest mecha around.

I've heard rumors of a new Robotech 3000 series under development by the animators responsible for Beast Wars and the Voltron 3D show. I'm apprehensive but hopeful; I doubt any show can ever really hope to match (and mesh with) the standards set by the original series- identifying with characters may be a wee bit hard with CGI models. But, I hope that it renews interest about Robotech with the public. Perhaps then the snafus that have kept causing Robotech to disappear from store shelves will be overcome. (Anyone for a full DVD set?)

Addictive Animated Scifi

[cbritzman · 10/10 · 5 July 2014]

I was in my thirties when Robotech first hit US television. I worked for a military electronics co. at the time, and there was ONE other guy there that stayed current with it enough for he and I to compare notes. It was more than enough (I was not alone). The scene I remember as being the first one I just happened upon while switching around channels is the one that got me hooked : an Earth pilot was inside his Robotech F15 in robot mode, and was hiding in a giant closet in a Zentraedi spaceship. A Zen was looking for him, and when he opened the door, the pilot lifted up one of his ship's robot legs and blew the Zen backwards with the blast from the engine in the foot, then ran off down a hallway, with the Zen in hot pursuit. Doesn't sound like much, but it stuck out in my brain as a pretty cool scene. Robotech machines display a lot of professional industrial design packed with details that are fascinating and cool. I'll take Robotech over Mobile Suit Gundam any day !

One of my favorite childhood memories

[Cube_TX · 24 June 2002]

I remember running home to watch this show after school. I played little league baseball and missed it the first time around but was able to catch the repeats. I can't describe how much this show stuck with me. It was the first time I could remember seeing shows end on down notes the way this one did on all 3 parts. The Robotech Masters was my least favorite of the generations but I eventually came to enjoy that one too. The Invid Invasion was just great, especially with all of the love stories they added to keep it from being the typical sci-fi shoot 'em up that some other similar shows were. I recently started buying the episodes on DVD. I can't believe I'm still watching. The date on this site says 1985 but I know it was on TV before that because I saw it when I was in 6th grade, which was in 1983-84.

The Anime Saga of the 80s

[Fury9033 · 1 January 2005]

Well, what can be said? First step for a lot of kids when this originally aired into a more mature anime world.

This was the first, that took itself seriously and was not censored by the relentless attacking parent groups out there who try dumb down anything that may seen as violent or potentially harmful to children.

Well, they missed this one for long time and damn well happy they did. It was story about human race being finally forged into one people instead of divided nations. War without happy ending in may sense. A Drama that shows all faces of humanity facing inhuman forces from beyond. Which in may ways, did not know what they were doing as well.

It puts a very big spin on anti-war, despite the conflict, glamorization of giant robots which i am a fan of. However its a hardcore story that with original writers of Japan and the American adapters trying make it work on American Television...before the television Der-regulations started to take away the independent television stations. This show was the thing to watch.

Thou now it is a very affordable DVD, its may seem to a lot of purist that its is a rip off of another anime and its seems to be hacked up. This maybe bit crude...However, for those who had NOTHING but few scant shows (Starblazers, Force Five (For those who've heard of it!), Galaxy Rangers and even Transzor Z) I say to you, this was godsend and should be given a second look. This was NOT a goofy, far fetch show that has bubblegum style (unbelievable, trying hard not explain itself or take seriously) This was serious hardcore television show that was a true Story-book on TV, precursor to shows that came after it like EXO-Squad or more common Sci-fiction show....Babylon 5. This was Anime-Mech show that put generation on notice that there more to animation then goofy silly stuff. Starblazers started this in American (Maybe Gundam but i've never seen it when i was growing up), Robotech took America by the balls and kept its attention for least a decade!

The most compelling anime TV series ever, at least to me

[BlackwingSeraph · 6 September 2000]

I was probably being born at the time when this show was first being aired, so I can't really relate to how it was recieved in '85, but from watching the other cheesy war and action cartoons, this was, by far, the most realistic because of its uncensored views on the hardships of war (Come on, nobody even got hurt in GI Joe!). Losing friends, coming to know your enemy, and the like.

From today's standards, the animation may be bad, and the singing a little more than awful (MINMEI HAS TWO SONGS! AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!), but the storyline was just as compelling to me and my friends as it was to my brother and his friends almost fifteen years ago.

I recommend this series to anyone who loves classic anime, or a good storyline, or hell, just the mecha (big robots that blow stuff up) are cool enough to draw anyone in. So, if you can, find this anime (it's NOT a cartoon, and I will fight to the death anyone who says it is!)and watch every last episode. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Robotech is still one of the best anime/mecha series yet to date.

[Raged_Maniac · 3 February 2005]

I remember seeing this show on channel 25 after coming home from school. Now 20 some odd years later I still watch them. The series was very well done by one Carl Macek an the combining of 3 separate series was nothing short of brilliance. As a young person just starting to think girls where no longer yukky an icky, the show had a lot of feelings that I myself was starting to feel as well. The relationships between the main characters an how the situations either brought them closer or apart actually kept my interest just to see what was gonna happen next. I could never guess who was going to have the final relationship till the last episode. The giant transforming robots were also a big thing that kept my attention. About the same time Transformers were on TV an loved them big robots too. The three series that were combined were. Super Dimensional Fortress Macross, Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber Mospeda. All were unrelated until Mr Macek did his magic. This was one anime I do not think I will ever forget. This is a must see anime for anyone who would like a well done English dubbing an a series with a very interesting story like....oh yea! an lotta giant robots too!

one of the few greats

[anton_cronje · 9 December 2004]

I have sat and watched the first robotech (macross) edition many times. I used to rush home after school just to watch it when it first aired in South Africa. I was amazed at the animation and the (in my opinion) depth of the characters, i also enjoyed the way the characters grew and evolved as the series progressed. I have recently managed to watch all the 2nd series episodes (robotech masters) and have started watching the third series. I was just as enthralled to sit and watch the characters evolve and their lives play out in the series.

I have bought the DVDS of robotech and intend to introduce my kids (if i have any) to the magic that is robotech. If you love animated films/manga then i would recommend that you watch the robotech series.

Brilliant

[takmaz · 24 April 2001]

All I can say that I was amazed by the story after I've watched the 36 episodes one by another. I was a child when I first met ROBOTECH. It was on tv every sunday and I remember I couldn't wait the episodes and every sunday morning I was happy to watch ROCOTECH.

After ( I tink 11 years ) I've found 36 episodes of Robotech. Yesterday I've spent 12 and a half hours, I'm now exhausted because at 7:00 AM I've managed the finish all episodes with a smile on my face.

The story is so briiliant that it shows whatever we live in the real world as male's and females. I can hardly believe that such emotional scenes can be made in an animation series.

Real Fantasy world

[angel_bluesky2100 · 31 July 2003]

I would love to say I highly recommend this series....but due to the 80s animation, it would prolly turn off new viewers. The original robotech fans can still view this series and admire the great story lines and wonderful characters. Although the animation is really bad compared to what we have today, the characters still come through with amazing clarity despite the fact that we don't even see their lips move properly when they talk. As much as its a science fiction/fantasy story, the issues addressed are still real. Robotech is divided into 3 different series as one person already pointed out and it circles around wars with alien races. There is violence and death, there is even the seemingly glorification of war. But ultimately the moral of the story is "war produces nothing, it only leads to death and destruction" (quote by the character of Lynn Kyle...quote may be off a lil'). And the series proves that message mostly in the last of the 3 series when there is a compromise and a truce with the alien race of invids. By then much had been lost but the lesson has been learned by both sides.

The love stories are told wonderfully; the dilemnas of romance and how ppl sometimes fall out of love and outgrow each other. I can still watch this cartoon series (i hate calling it a cartoon!) with interest and i'm in my mid 20s. I was lucky enough to be outside of North America when this series aired so I got to view all 3 different series. And yes the sentinel movie was a bit of a disappointment. It was nice to see the characters grow but it seemed the artists behind the work just made everyone look older by making them taller and changing their hair completely. Yes I'm being picky here and the musical score was not as good as the original series did.

This is the most amazing set of stories told in any animated series I've seen in my childhood (and i saw plenty!). The characters are so real and well developed that you really identify with them. Even the villains are portrayed as well developed characters with human frailties and flaws, as opposed to being an evil alien race. All characters learn and grow and can change their perspectives on things.

I loved robotech when it first came out and it still makes me nostalgic when i see it or hear about it, not just because it reminds me of my childhood but because it represents a wonderful fantasy world with fantastic characters embarking on wonderful adventures...something that strikes everyone with an active imagination as extremely viewable.

The greatest anime of all time

[keyblade1000 · 6 August 2003]

Robotech is one of my favorite anime of all time. I love the old 80's style of animation. Early Japanese animation is great, some old anime is even better than the new stuff. Robotech is a very detailed series in Japan it's called Macross. One day I would like to see the japanese version. I have all of them on DVD except volume 8 which is part of the Robotech Masters series(season 2). The charaters are so unique and different and the love story is so much better than those other cliches used in today's anime, video games and movies. If you love watching the series you should also try Robotech Battlecry, even though you are using a character that doesn't even exist in the series it's a good game for any Robotech fan. If you are new to anime, Robotech is the perfect anime to start with. Robotech was one of my first.