Macross II

Original Title: 超時空要塞マクロスII LOVERS AGAIN
Romanized: Choujikuu Yousai Makurosu II: Lovers Again
Literal: Super Dimensional Star Fortress

Plot Synopsis

After the great Zentraedi war, Earth has enjoyed decades of peace and prosperity. But now, investigative reporter Hibiki Kanzaki is out covering a huge scoop: "The Minmay Defense," a formerly foolproof tactic that uses Earth's music to confuse invading Zentraedi, might one day fail.

As if on cue, a Zentraedi fleet soon appears on the outskirts of the solar system and attacks, but this time they aren't alone. Commanding them are the Marduk, a micronian race who have learned to use songs of their own to stimulate and control the Zentraedi. Hibiki sets off to cover the battle, and while he barely escapes with his life he brings home a mysterious woman named Ishtar.

A great battle is about to begin. On one side there are the Marduk, determined to destroy Earth and it's culture at any cost. On the other is UN Spacy, Earth's defense force, preparing for a desperate fight with the massive invading fleet while trying to conceal all this from Earth populous. Caught in the middle are Hibiki, determined to let the people know how precarious their situation is, Ishtar, who believes she can bring peace to her race by introducing them to Earth's culture, and ace Valkyrie pilot Silvie Gena, wrestling with her conscience, her sense of duty, and the possibility that this enemy woman's dream of peace might be Earth's only chance of survival.

Quick Review

Rating: 3 / 5
Reviewer: Marc
Review Date: 2006-06-26

Macross II has a lot going for it: Fine art and character designs, impressive mecha action, vast space battles, interesting story and characters, solid acting in the dub, and quality music in a variety of styles. It also has some major flaws: Shaky writing, lackluster character animation, and terribly edited English dialogue. On balance, it falls short of its potential but is still an enjoyable chunk of the Macross saga or just stand-alone space opera.

Definitely worth at least a look for Macross fans, but doesn't require any experience with the series, so lovers of space opera might give it a try, too.

US DVD Review

The "Movie" DVD combines the set of OAVs into a single disc. It features digitally remastered video, Japanese and English stereo soundtracks plus an English subtitle track, and by way of extras an image gallery, mechanical designs, crew information, trailers, and a music video.

Content Guide

Some rough language, a few pretty intense moments, and a fair amount of large-scale violence make for a 13-up.

Violence: 3 - Not extremely violent, but it is a war story.

Nudity: 1 - Some lean outfits.

Sex/Mature Themes: 1 - Light romance here and there.

Language: 2 - Some strong language.

Notes and Trivia

Takes place 80 years after the previous installment in the Macross Saga, Macross '84: Do You Remember Love. Note, however, that it was a production licensed by the owners of the Macross series and its production didn't involve much of the "official" Macross creative staff. As such, some Macross aficionados consider it a sort of "parallel universe" story outside the rest of the Macross series.

Although Manga sells it as "Macross II: The Movie," this is basically just the six-part OAV series stuck together without credits. The "movie" label isn't exactly incorrect, however, since Manga did release this version in a limited theatrical run starting 2000-11-28. Since it was originally an OAV, it's of course not widescreen.

The soundtrack CD is available in the US from Animetrax.

Availability

Available in the US from Manga Video on a single "Movie" hybrid DVD. Was previously available from Manga on a single subtitled or dubbed VHS volume, both out of print. Going farther back, the series was available on three subtitled VHS volumes from the now-defunct US Renditions.

As of this writing RightStuf stocks both the DVD and the soundtrack CD.

Looking to buy? Try these stores: RightStuf (search) | AnimeNation | Akemi's a(nime)Store