Every Macross Anime, Ranked By MyAnimeList
Table of Contents
The classic mecha anime Macross has won loyal fans thanks to romance, fantastic animation, and music, but not every entry is as beloved as the next.
The classic anime franchise Macross is a hugely important entry in the history of mecha anime, as well as science fiction anime more broadly. It’s known for its swelling, operatic presentation of love stories set across the backdrop of war. Heroic pilots fly daring missions to protect the ones that they love, there’s much angst over the fickle nature of the heart, and there’s always an awesome soundtrack. And of course, cool robots.
Unfortunately, perhaps because of the headache that stems from trying to license Macross media for distribution outside of Japan, the franchise has never reached the heights of popularity that its contemporaries have enjoyed in North America and elsewhere. That’s not because it’s not good — Macross is a classic for a reason. But what entries are the fan favorites, and which are more controversial?
7 Macross 7 (7.13)
Macross 7 is the most controversial entry in the franchise, and it isn’t difficult to see why. This a show about a mecha-equipped rock band battling space vampires with the power of rock ‘n roll, presented without a hint of irony whatsoever. Fans of the original anime who were conditioned to expect sweeping romance and war drama were instead greeted by a guy shredding out a guitar solo as he piloted his robot through outer space. For some, that pushed suspension of disbelief a little too far.
For others, though, that’s the coolest thing anyone has ever come up with. 7 is steeped in hair-metal aesthetics and features a rousing rock soundtrack, evoking a kind of campy earnestness that’s charmingly straightforward. Macross 7 has maintained a dedicated cult following since then, because at the end of the day, who doesn’t want to see space vampires get defeated by the power of rock?
6 Macross Delta (7.27)
Delta gets a bit of a bad rap. Critics at the time felt that it leaned too far into its bright aesthetic, poppy music, and overemphasis on idol shenanigans. The original Macross was one of anime’s best space operas, which lead critics to accuse Delta of eschewing its roots in favor of a glittery spectacle. Others were frustrated at what they considered to be the foundations of a good show that was muddled by a convoluted plot and off-putting pacing.
Indeed, while 7 has its defenders who laud its campy hair-metal aesthetic, a cult classic reputation has thus far failed to develop around Delta in a similar manner. It seems like audiences just didn’t get the essential Macross feeling from Delta, which is unfortunate because it featured a really catchy soundtrack and cool character designs.
5 Macross Zero (7.53)
Set a year before the original Macross, Macross Zero is an OVA series that shows audiences the tail end of the unification wars, the in-universe conflict that saw the governments of Earth united under a UN banner. The protagonist, Shin, is shot down in a dogfight over an isolated island. After crash landing, Shin meets the islanders and begins to uncover the secrets buried there.
Zero is worth a watch, but it doesn’t do quite enough to elevate itself above other entries in the franchise. The action sequences don’t ever reach the levels of Plus, and there isn’t enough space in the screenplay to truly flesh out the obligatory love triangle. It’s a very interesting work for those interested in the lore of the franchise, though, and the surrealist turn the show takes towards the end is certain to interest, and maybe confuse, viewers.
4 Macross Plus (7.72)
Macross Plus is a short collaboration between Macross creator Shouji Kawamori and Shinichiro Watanabe, in what is one of the Cowboy Bebop director’s most underrated works. Lovingly characterized by fans as “Top Gun but Macross”, Macross Plus follows two ace test pilots as they compete in a dangerous bid for an advanced fighter development contract. This being a Macross anime, there are, of course, personal grudges and a long-lost love involved as well.
One of the biggest selling points is the presentation. Macross Plus features stellar production values and animation, which allows it to have some of the most exhilarating aerial action sequences in the franchise, as well as some of the coolest mecha battles in all of anime. Watching variable fighters dance across the sky pursued by a flurry of missiles is always a thrill. This also wouldn’t be a proper Watanabe project without yet another outrageously good soundtrack from Yoko Kanno. Moreover, Macross Plus is very short, so it’s definitely worth checking out.
3 Macross Frontier (7.90)
Undoubtedly the franchise’s most successful outing on this side of the turn of the century, Frontier is a successful franchise revival by nearly all counts. A poppy aesthetic and allusions to high-school anime tropes alienated some viewers at the time, but what they failed to realize is that Macross has always been a love story first, and a gritty war drama second. The franchise’s conflicts are the backdrops to operatic romance, love, and loss, which continues to be the core of the Macross experience, as well as its biggest selling point. Ironically, it’s that controversial modernization that makes Frontier one of the best mecha anime for fans who don’t typically enjoy mecha.
In this sense, Frontier is nothing but a success. Its characters are believable and well-realized, and they develop in meaningful and unsuspected ways even as the anime alludes heavily to the story beats of 1982’s Macross. It’s Macross for the modern era, and a spiritual successor in the purest sense of the term. It also helps that it features the work of the legendary composer Yoko Kanno on its soundtrack, which is appropriate for a franchise that values music as much as this one does.
2 Macross (7.92)
1982’s Macross is an important contemporary to Mobile Suit Gundam, as well as one of anime’s greatest space operas in its own right. Human testing on a mysterious alien vessel (dubbed the SDF Macross) inadvertently sparks an interstellar war with the mysterious Zentradi, and when the ship’s teleporter malfunctions, the crew of the Macross find themselves flung out into the far reaches of outer space.
Macross set itself apart from other mecha anime of the time by being loftier and more operatic with its story. Where Gundam elected to double down on the gritty human elements of warfare, Macross uses its conflict as a backdrop for a grand romance, noble sacrifices, and tragic defeat. The love lives of the cast are just as complicated as the space battles are, leaving ample room for melodrama and heroics. Ultimately, the show’s emotional resonance made it a historic entry in the subgenre, and it’s still one of the best mecha anime for beginners.
1 Macross: Do You Remember Love? (7.96)
Do You Remember Love? is a cinematic re-telling of the original Macross anime from 1982, featuring massively upgraded visuals and a rousing soundtrack. Many theatrical reinterpretations of TV anime fall short for a number of reasons, chief among them being that it’s difficult to compress as many as 50 episodes into a handful of movies, and because they typically reuse animation that fans of the TV anime have already seen. Do You Remember Love? sidesteps both of these issues by making some fairly radical alterations to the original story, and by being composed almost entirely of brand-new animation.
That animation is fantastic, as well. Do You Remember Love? still features some of the franchise’s most thrilling action sequences, and the film is beautiful to look at overall. The climactic space battle at the end of the film is still the standard by which the rest of the franchise is judged, and it continues to stand out as one of the best in the industry despite having been produced more than thirty years ago.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/every-macross-anime-ranked-myanimelist-rating-score/