Review of Robotech: New Generation 2

Introduction

It`s taken 7 volumes, 14 discs and 85 episodes, and we finally reach the conclusion of the epic Robotech saga. Robotech was created by Carl Macek, who after seeing how Gatchaman had been butchered to produce Battle Of The Planets, decided to bring an anime to the US with a degree of respect to the original property. The trouble was with the US syndication rules, which demanded a series length of at least 65 episodes, far more than his first choice, Super Dimension Fortress Macross. So he took two further series, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross and Genesis Climber Mospeadia, and through creative editing, dubbing and pushing square pegs in round holes, was born the multi-generational epic Robotech. With a new English soundtrack to match the new story, Robotech served as introduction to the world of anime for many a fan. There have been several releases of Robotech, especially in the US, but this Remastered version sees the image cleared up, the soundtrack given a DD 5.1 work over, and more interestingly, the restoration of those elements originally considered unsuitable for audience consumption. Of course, this being my introduction to Robotech, I can`t really compare and contrast.

This seventh volume contains the second half of the Robotech: The New Generation saga, the final 13 episodes in the ultimate arc of the Robotech epic, re-edited and spliced together from Genesis Climber Mospeadia, presented here on two discs.

It`s been over twenty years since Rick Hunter left Earth looking for the Robotech Masters, and the planet has become unrecognisable. Immediately following the defeat of the Robotech Masters on Earth by Dana Sterling and the forces of the Southern Cross, the blooming Protoculture attracted the attention of the Invid, and they invaded en masse. Earth was quickly subdued, its population enslaved and the Protoculture harvested. Rick Hunter, now an Admiral returned to find this state of affairs, and he ordered a task force to take back the planet. The attack was a disaster. The only survivor Scott Bernard crash-landed on Earth, but decided to fight back against the Invid. He quickly found allies to aid him in his fight, and organised a rebellion against the invaders. Joining the brave Robotech warrior are, a brash young country boy turned resistance fighter named Rand, a diminutive girl named Annie who`s always on the lookout for a husband, a biker chick named Rook Bartley, a washed up engineer named Lunk, and a cross dressing rock star named Lancer. Together this motley band of warriors with their scavenged Robotech weaponry takes the fight to the alien Invid.

Their mission is to find and destroy the Invid Reflex point, and they continue forth in these final episodes, armed with their Veritech fighters. However, Admiral Hunter is planning another assault on the Invid from space, and he`s determined to remove the infestation no matter what the cost. This ultimate solution would mean disaster for the surviving humans on Earth, and for Scott, time is running out. At the same time, the Invid are on the verge of taking the next step in their evolution, and the first few members of their species to take human form now face the freedom fighters.

Video

Just as last time, this volume of Robotech is presented with a simple 4:3 regular aspect ratio. Once again, the work done to bring out the best in the image has been remarkably successful. The picture is bright and vibrant, with a minimum of print damage marring the image. The image quality does vary though, grain is prevalent at times, and the animation is determinedly old style, though certainly well accomplished. In general, the character designs and animation is much better than the Robotech Masters, and almost on a par with the Macross saga.

The transfer quality takes a knock for this volume though. Tape artefacts are still practically absent. However there are a few compression artefacts over frenetic and complex animation, and more disturbing is the problem with aliasing. It is present to some degree on both discs, but while it is easy to disregard on disc 2, the jagged lines on disc 1 are positively distracting. Any line that isn`t horizontal or vertical comes across as jagged or broken, and when you consider the number of edges in a hand drawn animation, the scale of the problem becomes clear. Also the Manga Entertainment logo glitches on both discs.

Audio

Just a single English track, but it has been given a DD 5.1 Surround polish. The dialogue is mostly clear and front focussed (although it occasionally gets a little muffled when there is a lot going on.) The surrounds are put to hefty use for the action sequences, with explosions, swooping fighter planes and bullets galore making themselves felt around the soundstage.

We`re coming to the end of the series, and I find that I am quite tired of the show`s theme and incidental music. However, this generation of Robotech does allow for some new pop tunes, courtesy of the cross dressing rock star, and they are actually the best tunes yet in Robotech, although for one, solitary episode, Minmay`s repertoire is unleashed once more. Again the English dub is acceptable, although some of the dialogue is more than a little corny. One final time, subtitles are absent.

Features

We get those interminable animated menus once more, and this time all the episode numbers are incorrect. No extras though.

Conclusion

I can hardly believe that it`s all over. 85 episodes, three series grafted together over 7 volumes and around 35 hours of viewing in all. It hasn`t all been roses either, with The Robotech Masters easily the weakest of the three arcs, and almost turning me off from the whole Robotech experience. Fortunately The Robotech New Generation went some way towards restoring my faith in the saga. Having said that, this final volume, the second half of The New Generation is little different from the first. Once again it has its eclectic group of characters venturing forth in search of the Invid Reflex point, but most of the episodes act as stand alone stories with little added to an overall arc. There is a little more continuity than before though, with the rescue of Marlene from the Invid fortress at the end of the previous volume developed here as she joins the band of heroes. Meanwhile, the Invid are evolving and assuming human form, which adds a little to the arc, as Scott and the others begin to wonder if traitors are aiding the Invid.

Still, it is really only the final few episodes that wind the story up, and they do so in a hurried manner almost as an afterthought. I get the feeling that certain character arcs were insufficiently developed, and some storylines dropped. It`s still a satisfactory conclusion to the show, if unspectacular. It`s entertaining enough, if scarcely a patch on the Macross saga. Much of what I said for the previous volume is just as valid here.

The way that the three series have been edited together, the way that continuity has been established and maintained through them is certainly impressive. There is very much a feel of an overall story, but once in a while an aspect jars the suspension of disbelief. Earth was razed to the ground, its population annihilated in Macross, and the survivors of the SDF-1 and the Zentraedi settled the planet and began to rebuild. In The Masters, there was no sign of the Zentraedi, while the planet was lush and verdant. In The New Generation, while the Invid has subdued humanity, the major cities are still standing, at odds with Macross. These are only occasional nitpicks though, and the common thread of Protoculture does a fine job in tying the three together.

Where the overall saga falls down is in its repetitive nature. To create an overall cohesiveness, it must have been necessary to pick three relatively similar series in terms of visual style and narrative. The problem with this is that the three series basically tell the same story over again, covering the same themes and topics. We get alien invasions in all three, humanity subdued, and a plucky group of heroes doing what is needed to save humanity no matter what. In each series there is the culture clash between alien and human, and in each series one of the aliens in human form learns what it actually means to be human, and how their own society is inferior in respect of emotions. Said alien will fall in love with a human, and from that love a bridge will be built which will resolve the war where no amount of firepower can. If you watch just one arc, you`ve basically seen all three.

I guess it comes down to which is the best one. Naturally if you are a die-hard Robotech fan, then you`ll be interested in the whole set. But if you are a newcomer to the series, tantalised by what inspired a generation of anime fans, then it may be better to sample Robotech in small doses. Once you get past the simplistic characterisations, relationships and dialogue of yesteryear, then it becomes apparent that The Macross Saga stills holds strong today. It has the (relative) depth of character and strong storyline that can still hold the attention of someone more used to current anime. The Robotech Masters is one to avoid, while The New Generation is simple but entertaining. If Macross left you wanting more, then The New Generation is worth a rent. It very much has a Saturday morning feel to it (despite the occasional nudity, and cross dressing rock star), but fits the bill if you are looking for old school animated entertainment.