Favorite macross series?

[yugioh54]

recommendations on which macross series for a newbie? Now that most of it is available in the US, I watched some of frontier, The original series is available and I'm tempted to purchase it

[Seto Kaiba]

recommendations on which macross series for a newbie? Now that most of it is available in the US, I watched some of frontier, The original series is available and I'm tempted to purchase it

Assuming you're OK with older shows, the "best experience" recommendation in terms of appreciating Macross as a whole is to watch the shows in production order. Even though production order doesn't equal chronological order, the lore surrounding the setting and the ancient Protoculture who left the galaxy in such a mess is built up incrementally in production order.

If you're just jumping in, then Macross Frontier is probably your best bet... it's the most celebrated of the shows and many fans agree that it had the most balanced presentation of any series. Macross Delta may also work for that, if you're OK with a lighter and more upbeat experience that focuses more on music.

Each main series is written as a story that can stand on its own, and will explain any prerequisite knowledge to you in brief blurbs before episodes to ensure the viewer knows what's going on.

[elena199x]

I recommend Macross Frontier (2008). Since you’ve already watched some of Macross Frontier, it makes sense to continue with it if you enjoyed it. Macross Frontier is often praised for its modern animation,Retro Bowl College engaging story, and memorable music. It’s a great starting point for understanding the Macross universe because it references and builds upon elements from earlier series.

[Dark Duel]

Frontier was my first and will always hold a special place in my heart as such. I definitely recommend checking out both versions - the series and the movies. I say "both versions" because the movies are sort of an AU-ish retelling of the same basic story, and both the movies and the full series have their good and bad points and are worth checking out. Overall I prefer the series, but I like the movies' ending a little more. I'd say watch the series first, then the movies.

Apart from that, despite its age the original is a must-see.

For the rest...avoid Delta. It's terrible. Plus is basically the Macross franchise's 0083, though the love triangle is ten times less annoying. Definitely worth checking out. Zero was a bit less enjoyable for me, but I still think it's worth a look.
7 can be a bit of a slog to push through near the middle, but it's enjoyable enough.

[pirx]

DYRL, Plus and Frontier.
Original TV series
Zero left me with "nothing explained, plot threads abandoned halfway" feeling despite being very promising at beginning
Macross 7 and Delta is on lowest tier with 7 ranking slightly higher than Delta.

[Seto Kaiba]

So... a few piece of friendly advice.

Absolutely DO NOT start with a movie or OVA.

Macross's movies are non-serial compressed adaptations of their respective TV shows instead of the more traditional compilation movie format used by other franchises. They still expect the audience to already be familiar with the story and characters from the TV series, but they also mix the story up a lot and introduce alternate takes on the events and factions and so on. Starting with a movie is a great way to get confused. Especially the first one, Macross: Do You Remember Love?, which skips quite a few important bits at the start that it assumes the audience already knows from the series. (The most recent movie, Absolute Live!!!!!! is a serial story, so it fully expects you to be aware of both the previous series and previous movie.)

The OVAs are a mixture of sequels and side stories, both of which expect you to be familiar with other titles. Flash Back 2012 and Macross II: Lovers Again are both sequels that follow on from the movie Macross: Do You Remember Love?, which you don't want as a starting point for reasons listed above. Macross Dynamite 7, similarly, is a sequel that expects you to already be familiar with the characters from its parent TV series. Macross Plus is often celebrated as a great work, but it's almost the worst possible starting point because its events are almost totally irrelevant to the setting and its tone and themes are so unlike Macross's usual fare that it will give you completely the wrong expectations about what the rest of the franchise is like. Macross Zero was basically one part tech demo, one part abtrusive ancient aliens story that only really makes sense after you've seen Macross 7 and Macross Frontier.

Starting from any one of the four TV shows is your best bet, Frontier being the most celebrated of the four followed by 7, then the original, then Delta.

[branman88]

Zero left me with "nothing explained, plot threads abandoned halfway" feeling despite being very promising at beginning

Zero was so disappointing, I was hoping it would be more about the war between the UN and AUN.

[Seto Kaiba]

Zero left me with "nothing explained, plot threads abandoned halfway" feeling despite being very promising at beginning

Zero was so disappointing, I was hoping it would be more about the war between the UN and AUN.

You'd probably have found a series or OVA set during the Unification Wars even less interesting or exciting than Zero.

Put simply, there wasn't a war between the Earth Unification Government and Anti-Unification Alliance. The Unification Wars (plural) was a period in Macross's timeline where a bunch of little regional, ethnic, and sectarian conflicts sprang up in the wake of the push for global unity. They were completely conventional "wars" (more like skirmishes and police actions) that were no different from anything you might see by turning on the news today. The Anti-Unification Alliance wasn't exactly a rival to the Earth Unification Government either. It wasn't a governing body or a real military, the Alliance was a loose confederation of various terrorist groups, nationalist partisans, anti-government militias, and out-of-work mercenaries who had banded together to oppose the Earth Unification Government for their own individual reasons. When they weren't carrying out terrorist attacks, they were hardcore jobbing against the UN Forces. It was basically them vs. the world literally and it went exactly as badly as you'd think even after they finally got their hands on a small number of OTM-based weapons.

(The few other engagements depicted in print media were all basically Zapp Brannigan-tier suicide missions.)

Spoiler

Apart from testing the definition of insanity by repeatedly attacking South Ataria Island, one of the most heavily defended places in the world at the time, their few high profile actions are all basically crimes. Hijacking a space destroyer to sink an unarmed convoy of personnel coming back from Mars Base, bombing St. Petersburg off the map with a reaction warhead, and bombing the hell out of Mayan.

[Mafty]

there wasn't a war between the Earth Unification Government and Anti-Unification Alliance. The Unification Wars (plural) was a period in Macross's timeline where a bunch of little regional, ethnic, and sectarian conflicts sprang up in the wake of the push for global unity.

That seems a lot like some of the smaller wars from Gundam (like the Cosmo Babylonia war from UC 123.

"Seto Kaiba said' Macross Plus is often celebrated as a great work, but it's almost the worst possible starting point because its events are almost totally irrelevant to the setting and its tone and themes are so unlike Macross's usual fare that it will give you completely the wrong expectations about what the rest of the franchise is like.

Didn't Macross Plus start of as a completely separate project that ended up being rewritten as part of the franchise?

Back to the main point, I agree Macross Frontier is the best series after the original. It's worldbuilding, action and characters are top notch , plus its animation overall is very high quality, particularly once you get to the movies.

[Seto Kaiba]

That seems a lot like some of the smaller wars from Gundam (like the Cosmo Babylonia war from UC 123.

Not really, those were still fought with Mobile Suits and all the other trapping of their future tech settings...

The Unification Wars in Macross are almost entirely devoid of the trappings of the sci-fi and mecha genres. OTM-based weapons like Destroids and Valkyries didn't enter practical testing until right before the end of the Unification Wars, and by in large weren't actually used in live combat until after the de facto end of the Unification Wars in 2007. By some accounts, Macross Zero is the first actual use of Valkyries in combat, and that Alliance submarine carrier Auerstedt was carrying about half of the Alliance's entire fleet of SV-51s (12 of the 20-something aircraft in use).

A series set in the Unification Wars wouldn't be able to do one of Macross's three pillars: Variable Fighters...

Didn't Macross Plus start of as a completely separate project that ended up being rewritten as part of the franchise?

It did. It started in '85 as a non-Macross series concept called Advanced Valkyrie that was cancelled when the toy partner developing the concept backed out. The designs were further developed into the Air Cavalry Chronicles concept that was the origin of the plot for the fantasy series The Vision of Escaflowne.

Back to the main point, I agree Macross Frontier is the best series after the original. It's worldbuilding, action and characters are top notch , plus its animation overall is very high quality, particularly once you get to the movies.

It is considered the best Macross title overall by Japanese fans as well, according to polls conducted by NHK in 2019.

[Mafty]

Now that Disney+ finally has the Macross series, I checked out Absolute Live!

It's an enjoyable if somewhat derivative movie. The characters are generally likeable and actually get a bit more development

Spoiler

The ending doesn't magically fix Freyja's shortened lifespan. But she is able to join in with everyone and pass away peacefully in Hayate's arms, also they are able to have a daughter formed from the Siren system(sort of, it's a bit complex).

Plus some parts of the plot seem a bit similar to the Macross video games ( Particularly how the film explores the expanded universe rebel groups and corporations) which is a neat plot thread to see expanded upon, because it's a rather interesting plot thread to explore and its unlikely the older video games will see an international release.

Really the strong point of the movie is the characters, and I actually found it worked better at this than the series did. That being said I'd still suggest if your going to watch the Delta movies, to watch the series first.

[pirx]

Now that Disney+ finally has the Macross series, I checked out Absolute Live!

Probably in US only? I do not see anything Macross related in my Disney+
And Crunchyroll only has Robotech

[Seto Kaiba]

Now that Disney+ finally has the Macross series, I checked out Absolute Live!

Probably in US only? I do not see anything Macross related in my Disney+
And Crunchyroll only has Robotech

Nope... it's all outside the US so far. Disney+/Hulu+ has the license and it's been rolling out region-by-region. Canada was the most recent region to get it, just the other day. It's still not available in the US, which is causing quite a bit of frustration in the fandom who can't find any rhyme or reason behind the weird way this rollout has been done.

It's an enjoyable if somewhat derivative movie. The characters are generally likeable and actually get a bit more development [...]

Really the strong point of the movie is the characters, and I actually found it worked better at this than the series did. That being said I'd still suggest if your going to watch the Delta movies, to watch the series first.

Definitely do not attempt to watch Macross Delta: Absolute Live!!!!!! until you've seen the series and the first movie Passionate Walkure. It's borderline nonsensical otherwise... and a lot of fans still argue that it has a borderline idiot plot that also requires you to have seen the original series, Flash Back 2012, and Macross 7 to really understand WTH is going on. It should basically only ever be the last title you watch because it's so dependent on callbacks.

Spoiler

Not gonna lie... praise for Absolute Live!!!!!! is pretty thin on the ground.

It also has the dubious distinction of being the only Macross title to be criticized by its own official publications.

The movie got harshly criticized by new and longtime fans alike for how much of a disservice it did to the Macross Delta characters. Many fans felt that the movie really didn't need to go to the lengths it did to remind the audience that Xaos and the Aerial Knights are amateur hour outfits from the space boonies who can't hold a candle to properly trained and funded forces from the rest of the galaxy. The movie's handling of Mirage drew a good deal of criticism too, since she was on the receiving end of two separate The Reason You Suck speeches from her own grandfather before she got a half-assed payoff as "possible leader material".

It didn't help that Heimdall's motivation doesn't actually make sense in context, and the whole Lady M thing is completely nonsensical on its own as nothing about it actually works continuity-wise...

The movie's big reveal had no payoff for new fans and for old fans was almost insulting... the mystery of Megaroad-01's disappearance has an incredibly lame explanation of "they hit a hyperspace pothole and broke down". They would've been better off leaving that one alone. It's been long enough that no answer was going to be satisfying, but the answer they chose was the weakest one imaginable.

Plus some parts of the plot seem a bit similar to the Macross video games ( Particularly how the film explores the expanded universe rebel groups and corporations) which is a neat plot thread to see expanded upon, because it's a rather interesting plot thread to explore and its unlikely the older video games will see an international release.

Macross doesn't have an Expanded Universe. It never has. There are multiple games that are actually part of the official setting, like Macross M3, Macross Digital Mission VF-X, Macross VF-X2, and Macross 30... but the franchise's broad strokes continuity is in play there as well between games, their novelizations, and so on.

Macross II's parallel world timeline was the first to do it, with Macross 2036 and Macross: Eternal Love Song being officially part of its timeline.

[Mafty]

Spoiler

Seto Kaiba Wrote'Many fans felt that the movie really didn't need to go to the lengths it did to remind the audience that Xaos and the Aerial Knights are amateur hour outfits from the space boonies who can't hold a candle to properly trained and funded forces from the rest of the galaxy. The movie's handling of Mirage drew a good deal of criticism too, since she was on the receiving end of two separate The Reason You Suck speeches from her own grandfather before she got a half-assed payoff as "possible leader material".

I agree

Spoiler

that Max seemed a bit too hard on Mirage , thankfully he came around by the end. Other issues aside the Delta cast are fairly likeable, so seeing them repeatedly criticized is a bit much.

Seto Kaiba wrote 'Macross doesn't have an Expanded Universe. It never has. There are multiple games that are actually part of the official setting, like Macross M3, Macross Digital Mission VF-X, Macross VF-X2, and Macross 30... but the franchise's broad strokes continuity is in play there as well between games, their novelizations, and so on.

Sorry I didn't realize, I got so used to Gundams constant Canon wars, it is neat to see all of Macross together as one timeline, as it has a lot of interesting ideas and honestly it gets too confusing have multiple works all in different canons on the same timeline.

Spoiler

As for Heimdall, I'm glad they tried to develop Cromwell a bit, however it was too lightly done to really work at making him dimensional, so he came across as rather forgettable. The fact this is another recent mecha movie with a random antagonist from nowhere taking over doesn't help (at least the early Gundam and Macross series and movies had time skips to allow the more logical political changes.

[Seto Kaiba]

Sorry I didn't realize, I got so used to Gundams constant Canon wars, it is neat to see all of Macross together as one timeline, as it has a lot of interesting ideas and honestly it gets too confusing have multiple works all in different canons on the same timeline.

No worries.

One of the most important things to remember about Macross when watching or re-watching is that it runs purely on Broad Strokes continuity, with each new title picking and choosing among the different versions of previous works for whichever versions of events/characters/mecha that best suit its story. All of the different versions of a given Macross story are, in theory, equally valid and equally likely to be contributing to new stories developed later. They only pin down specifics of past events when it's absolutely necessary to do so.

Spoiler

There's a really good example of this in play in Macross Delta's TV series, when Berger Stone gives his big presentation about the history of the use of music as a weapon, and we see mix-and-match versions of events like the launch of the SDF-1 Macross based on the TV series version of events but using the movie's revised design for the ship or the ending of Macross Frontier based on the TV version of events but with the movie costumes and movie-exclusive YF-29. There are lots of examples in the previous titles too, like the 33rd Marines using a mix of both TV and movie Zentradi gear on Gallia IV, or the in-series movie in Macross 7 having a movie Vrlitwhai but a TV Quamzin.

Spoiler

As for Heimdall, I'm glad they tried to develop Cromwell a bit, however it was too lightly done to really work at making him dimensional, so he came across as rather forgettable. The fact this is another recent mecha movie with a random antagonist from nowhere taking over doesn't help (at least the early Gundam and Macross series and movies had time skips to allow the more logical political changes.

Spoiler

The anti-government organization Heimdall's motives don't really make sense or fit with anything previously established in the setting. This also kind of loops into how Lady M's mythos doesn't actually work with the chronology. Lady M can't simultaneously have only become active in the very recent past, founded Xaos in the years immediately after the First Space War, and have been interfering in the New UN Gov't for so long that the Heimdall organization coalesced around trying to remove her influence.

They're against all kinds of restrictions that Lady M supposedly forced on the New UN Government, but quite a few of those restrictions clearly didn't exist in previous works and others were far from arbitrary and put into place for sound reasons before Lady M supposedly became active.

Really, the whole Lady M plot was nonsensical from the start. What kind of corporation has no idea who its CEO even is? It's made even sillier by the knowledge that the movie's big twist reveal was a last-minute arse pull because they hadn't bothered to figure out who Lady M was even supposed to be before this movie.

Consequently, because Lady M is a walking plot hole, Heimdall and its leader Ian Cromwell have a very vague motivation that boils down to nothing more than "get Lady M".

[Mafty]

Spoiler

Theories I read suggest Lady M could be Minmay, Misa, or everyone on the Megaroad, some of these theories also suggest everyone on the Megaroad either evolved into a new species and/or became a hive mind> the vagueness of what actually happened is a bit frustrating, though it was nice to get a Cameo from Hikaru and Misa(?) on the Megaroads Bridge

Spoiler

[Seto Kaiba]

Spoiler

Theories I read suggest Lady M could be Minmay, Misa, or everyone on the Megaroad, some of these theories also suggest everyone on the Megaroad either evolved into a new species and/or became a hive mind> the vagueness of what actually happened is a bit frustrating, though it was nice to get a Cameo from Hikaru and Misa(?) on the Megaroads Bridge

Spoiler

There were a lot of theories about who exactly "Lady M" was once the Macross Delta TV series first started talking about her. Once her alleged history came up in Berger Stone's lecture, the theorizing really went nuts. It all turned out to have been a bit of a waste when the show's Blu-rays came out and the liner notes revealed the staff never settled on an identity for "Lady M".

Fans, of course, went nuts and started assuming it was basically any previous female character who had an "M" in their name. No existing character actually fit the description Berger Stone provided, but many fans theorized it was Lynn Minmay or Misa Ichijo. Minor character Jamis Merin from the original series was also put forward as one possibility, since she was old enough (and wealthy enough) to fit the bill. Some fans assumed Berger got the timeline wrong and hypothesized that Milia Jenius or Mylene Jenius might be "Lady M".

Since no existing character actually fit the bill, I was pretty convinced that if we ever met "Lady M" she was either going to be an inherited moniker or one of those "Remember the new guy?" characters like Richard Bilra who was a new character whose backstory established they'd been around back during the First Space War. My own theory based on that was that Lady M would turn out to be the original Mikumo Guynemer who contributed their DNA as the base the Star Singer genetic fragments were grafted into to make the Mikumo Guynemer clone in Walkure.

The movie's reveal that "Lady M" is supposedly someone on the Megaroad-01 is a pretty wild leap and honestly makes zero sense. That ship's been out of communication with the rest of the galaxy and assumed destroyed since 2016. How could someone on it have been running Xaos from afar for half a century without alerting anyone to the ship's survival and situation? Why would that anonymous person on Megaroad-01 have so much pull in the New UN Government and New UN Forces that they can effectively control the government from afar when nobody even knows who they are? If they have truly been out of communication until c.2060, then it's impossible for them to have done the things Heimdall accuses Lady M of doing.

The whole thing was a massive plot hole, and instead of paving over it they just dug it deeper in the hopes of using the Megaroad-01 to get older fans into the theaters to see the movie. Esp. by throwing in the silhouettes of Misa and Minmay aboard the ship. (Hikaru presumably having been left out out of respect for his voice actor's passing.)

Fortunately, we can say with some certainty that they won't come back to this topic as it was poorly received AND they agreed to not use characters from the original series in future works as part of the new global distribution agreement.

[Mafty]

Spoiler

It's a shame the Lady M thing was so underdeveloped. I agree in Hindsight it doesn't exactly make sense how or why the Megaroad would be pulling the strings instead of just returning. That being said, why didn't they return at the end?

[Seto Kaiba]

Spoiler

It's a shame the Lady M thing was so underdeveloped. I agree in Hindsight it doesn't exactly make sense how or why the Megaroad would be pulling the strings instead of just returning. That being said, why didn't they return at the end?

Spoiler

Cromwell's Battle Astraea only used the Siren Delta System to open a zero-time space fold into the particular dimensional fault that the Megaroad-01 was stranded in. Xaos and Heimdall were too busy to trying to either destroy the ship or prevent it from being destroyed to pull it out of higher dimensional space through that open space fold. The fold was being maintained by Battle Astraea's Siren Delta System, so when that went offline and the Battle Astraea blew up, the fold effect dissipated leaving Megaroad-01 still stuck in higher dimensional space.

The shorter, terminology-free explanation being that they opened a portal to where the ship was but never pulled it through before the portal closed.

[pirx]

Macross Central FB page has "Coming soon on Disney+" on their banner, so .. we all just have to wait i guess.

EDIT: They reshared some poster saying that 30th of August Macross 7 and Plus is coming to Disney+ US.
It does not sounds legit, because ... to introduce Macross to wider audience i would go for Frontier. 7 is a very specific title and it relies on the person being familiar with original series and Plus.