Macross Plus

The year is 2040 and the galaxy is flourishing with several colonies and advanced technology. AI is near perfection and the current top idol is the near-completed Virturoid Idol Sharon Apple. All that is missing are her actual feelings, which instead are supplied by Myung Fang Lone. Sharon's debut concert is on planet Eden, where at the same time, fighter pilots Isamu Dyson and Guld Bowman battle over air superiority for the "Supernova Project." Isamu, Guld and Myung were once childhood friends, but after an accident seven years ago, they went their own separate ways. With Myung back in the picture, the old disputes are once again awakened. And when an unstable and illegal AI technique is installed in Sharon, the situation is worsened.

(Source: ANN)

Dyson, Isamu Alva Main

Yamazaki, Takumi Japanese

Fang Long, Myung Main

Fukami, Rica Japanese

Bowman, Guld Goa Main

Ishizuka, Unshou Japanese

Apple, Sharon ing

Hyoudou, Mako Japanese

Gueldoa, Marj ing

Hayami, Show Japanese

Masseau, Morgan ing

Yara, Yuusaku Japanese

Marley, Reymond ing

Ginga, Banjou Japanese

Johnson, Millard ing

Utsumi, Kenji Japanese

McMillan, Lucy ing

Hayashibara, Megumi Japanese

Gomez ing

Kitamura, Kouichi Japanese

Takanashi, Minoru Producer

Watanabe, Shinichirou Director, Storyboard

Kawamori, Shouji Director, Storyboard, Mechanical Design, Creator

Mima, Masafumi Sound Director

Reviews

Jun 1, 2007

Stormy_77

Recommended

It's unbelievable that there isn't a review extolling the virtues of this OVA so here's one. The Macross Plus series is directed by Shoji Kawamori and Shinichiro Watanabe (who later did Cowboy Bebop & Samurai Champloo), so Macross Plus is an early masterpiece and leading indicator/predictor that this Genius Anime Team will go on to make more masterpieces in the future.

It's been over ten years since I first watched Macross Plus (in 1994!) and I still nearly everything about it, probably because I've re-watched it many, many times.

*{{cue the time machine}}*
** note this was the dark ages before the internet got ... big and bittorrent became common, this was the age where Laser Discs were what anime was seen on as DVDs weren't ... there yet, yes I know, the Dark Ages **

Way back in 1994 I lived in Australia and them taking TWO whole years to licence OVA 3 and 4 (2 YEAR CLIFFHANGER) just about killed me and my Otaku buddies at the University Anime Club. The Club President even said at his re-election speech that he would not step down till AFTER he'd seen the end of Macross Plus, even if it meant him flunking out to stay at University one more year. Now that's dedication! Luckily they licensed it that year so we all watched it and then headed to the pubs to drink beer and discuss how GOOD it was.

The Story

Is a classic love triangle between the three protagonists who used to be childhood friends until a certain incident saw them go their separate ways. The first is Isamu, the reckless, rebellious, gung-ho fighter pilot who relies more on instinct than intellect. The second is Dyson, the responsible, mature, fighter pilot who flies his plane/mecha via a mental interface. The girl they are fighting over is Myung, who just happens to be the real voice behind the virtual superstar Idol, Sharon Apple. Myung returns for work as Sharon Apple is due to perform, and true to form the "men" just have to be manly men, fighting not only over her, but also over which fighter program - the manual vs. mental Fighter Jet will be ascendant, with the other program being "killed" ($$ taken away).

Character

Already there is great promise in the story but the way the 3 main characters act and react is .... perfect. You understand why every character does what he/she/it should do. The ing cast is neither over nor under-utilized. I loved all 3 of them, strengths and weaknesses included.

Animation

This was very well done for the time. The fight scenes were smooth and the action choreography was tight. Effects on the virtual idol Sharon Apple were awesome as well.

Sound

To me, this is what turned this series from a great anime to a Masterpiece. The background music is perfect for every scene, and for the concert scenes the techno music is amazing. No one could be unmoved by "Voices", Myung's theme song, it sounds equally great when she sings it or when it's instrumental. The music is also central to the plot and characters in more than one way, it ties everything together by evoking the right actions and reactions so much so that the sound in this series is like another character.

The Macross plus soundtrack consists of many music genres which capture the mood of the series perfectly. After ~ In The Dark is still my favorite of them all. This is still my #1 anime OST album ever, although Escaflowne, Bebop and Eureka 7 are close behind.

Overall

Back then I thought Macross Plus was great, and after rewatching it, I still think it stacks up really well against the newer anime. A good story, characters you identify with, awesome soundtrack and well paced animation will never go out of style. Today I enjoy this as much as I did then. Please watch this if you haven't already!

P.S. IMO the OVA is still better than the movie.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Sep 1, 2015

Fel_Temp

Mixed Feelings

In the future, the world's most popular popstar is an AI. But little does the public know that she's incomplete and relies on the emotions of a human woman to perform. But what happens when these emotions cause the AI to act on its own? Sadly, this is the B plot, so you'll have to sit through scene after scene of some pilots being dicks to get your answer.

Seriously, this series really doesn't hold up. The characters are completely unlikable, and none of it makes much sense. Isamu might be one of my least favorite anime protagonists ever. ... He shows up, treats everyone terribly, keeps ignoring what he's supposed to do in a job he supposedly wants, but the anime frames everything as if you're supposed to be sympathetic to him. The rival is only slightly less of a dick, and he also does terrible things with little to no consequence. Most of the series is basically a dick waving contest between the two of them. They're largely fighting over a woman from their past who they've become reintroduced to. She's sad, and she can sing, but no longer does. That's her entire character.

The weird thing is that this is has great direction and some of Yoko Kanno's best music. So you'll get what's visually a great dogfight between the protagonist and his rival, but they're arguing about nonsense from high school the whole time (like they literally argue over who bought the other one lunch more), and show no attempt to avoid killing civilians. In fact the entire reason the protagonist went there is to blow up some government drones because the government cut funding to his project. Which pretty much makes him a terrorist, but the anime never acknowledges this. If that scene had actual stakes or something, it would probably be one of my favorites, but as it is, it's just weird. Luckily, there are a few times where the series shuts up and just lets itself tell a story through music and visuals, and those moments make it feel like it's a completely different anime. The highlight is the much lauded concert scene from the second episode. It really is one of the best pieces of animation from the 90s. It's just sad that little else in Macross Plus comes close.

I don't hate Macross Plus. On an audiovisual level it's fantastic, and it's quite watchable. It's just dragged down by a terrible script by a usually good writer. I'd recommend watching some highlights on Youtube over watching the series as a whole, but if you're a fan of mid 1990s style animation, you still might want to give this a go.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Aug 30, 2024

Tooootla

Not Recommended

"Macross Plus" is the type of series where you get excited about what's going to happen next, at least in the beginning... But then, suddenly, you realize the story you were expecting is over, and from then on, all you will get to watch is a nonsense romance drama until the end. The same thing happened in Season 1. ( Macross) Original

"Macross Plus" (a 4-episode series) starts with an amazing soundtrack. The main character (isamu ) seems like a free spirit who is also a pilot and loves his work. There are two other characters,one female ( myung) and another guy (guld) who ... doesn't matter much, even though she is a complete bitch. I was expecting to see an amazing mini mecha series.



The entire story -- ( also for A movie after this)
The real mess starts from episode 2 and continues to the end. The two guys who hate each other and fight over a girl include one character, Guld, who doesn’t matter at all. He’s a pilot and a rapist who doesn’t even know what he’s doing. Throughout the show, this guy is obsessed with saying, 'I love her, I love her,' while blaming Isamu for everything. In the end, he realizes it was all his mistake and dies. Lol.

Isamu - the only worthy character, this is what he was looking in the beginning but his potential got wasted over nothing . The guy who loves to fly his Meha plane , the free spirit guy suddenly disappears and now a part of over dramatic romance nonsense.

And here we have Myung, the main female mc the bitch is sleeping with other guy but ended with mc later, and this nonsense is romance.. Are you kidding me? How are we supposed to root for this so-called romance when she can't even keep her legs closed long enough to figure out what she wants?
And this wh@re puked the entire show , she is like I like guld but I love isamu even more , in the entire show all she did " I can't sing because of my past , blame the mc ... that's all.


The AI content is beautiful, with some intriguing ideas about technology and its consequences. The concerts scenes were just so beautiful , mecha scenes were good though.However, because of the overwhelming love drama, it all gets overshadowed. Instead of focusing on the potential of the AI plot, the series wasted on a love xhit romance.

Reviewer’s Rating: 2

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