Macross Plus Anime Review

Quick Review

• Reviewer: Marc
• Review Date: 2006-07-24 (updated 2012-10-21)
• 4.5 stars out of 5 (?)

Macross Plus takes all the fundamentals of the Macross heritage--strong characterization, interesting (if not wildly original) plot, pop singing, and plenty of transforming robot action--and elevates them to something entirely new. Wrapped in world-class visuals, seasoned with spectacular action, grounded in a rich and emotionally nuanced plot, and backed by one of the most memorable scores of all time, it is Macross Plus is everything you could ask for in anime. The only possible complaint I have is that the end is a little "out there" in comparison to the otherwise down-to-earth story and setting, but that's a minor gripe indeed.

Despite its long lineage and relatively archetypal story, Macross Plus feels fresh, interesting, and is just plain good anime. Truly one of the modern anime classics, it is a must see for almost anyone: For Macross fans, for transforming robot fans, for admirers of beautiful art and animation, and for basically anyone who even claims to like anime.

Read the full-length review...

Full Review

• Reviewer: Marc
• Review Date: 2006-07-24 (updated 2012-10-21)
• 4.5 stars out of 5 (?)

Note: This review applies to both the OAV and Movie versions of Macross Plus, but focuses on the OAVs. For a brief review of how the movie compares, see the separate review.

Macross Plus is certainly an apt name--the fundamentals of Macross taken a step higher. Everything from the Macross heritage is here: Strong characterization, interesting (if not wildly original) plot, pop singing, and plenty of transforming robot action. But each is elevated to something new and wrapped in absolutely spectacular visuals. Despite its long lineage and relatively archetypal story, Macross Plus feels fresh, interesting, and is just plain good anime.

Of all the Macross incarnations through the years, Plus is probably the best known, and with good reason. As with most previous Macross outings, the setting and background of the world may be a bit confusing for those who aren't familiar with the series, but the plot is self-contained enough that even newcomers won't feel left out.

Although superficially Macross Plus is Top Gun in space, as with the rest of the Macross series it's closer to a soap opera than an excuse for dogfights. This balance of action and characterization appears in some shoujo-style stories, and is a defining feature of the Macross series, but Macross Plus is very nearly the pinnacle of the concept. The emotional substance is one of the things that keeps Macross fans coming back, and Plus offers a perfect example of why: Shifting the focus from the action to the characters while still having dogfights that put Top Gun to shame makes Macross Plus as emotionally involving as it is visually riveting.

The characters and their relationships have plenty of depth, and interesting, troubled personalities. The story has a classic, archetypal theme that may seem a little tired to some, but the richness of the characters and their dimensionality adds so much to the mix that even the relatively simple plot is involving. Actually, my one and only complaint is that, for a story that is so archetypal and characters that feel so real, the plot takes a remarkably weird turn toward the end--mind-controlling megalomaniac robots seem a little out of place. The finale in particular has as much in common with AKIRA as any of the earlier entries in the franchise. The movie version, it's worth noting, makes some significant adjustments to improve this.

The visuals of Macross Plus are something else altogether--simply put, a stunning piece of work. Said to be one of the most expensive OAVs ever created, it looks the part in every way. Just imagine a Robotech episode animated on a Disney budget--theater-grade animation in a four-episode package. The character designs are sharply featured, three dimensional, and attractive. They're also something of a departure from the rounded, soft-looking Mikimoto designs that have long graced the Macross series, though that's not at all a liability. The art is smooth, detailed, and downright gorgeous--a word I don't throw around lightly. The action, both mechanical and character, is beautiful and beautifully animated, with a few truly spectacular mecha battles and dogfights. Again, those are not superlatives I use wantonly.

Music has been a central theme of the Macross series since the beginning, and as one might expect in a series involving a robotic singer and her manager, Macross Plus is no exception. Like the visuals, however, the quality is on an entirely different level: Master composer Yoko Kanno is at the wheel, and her genre-spanning (and genre-creating) skills are evident in everything from the thematically varied background music to the stunning Sharon Apple songs.

Sharon's music has a pop feel, but is sung in a variety of languages and artificially modified voices (in at least one case by Kanno's singer alter-ego Gabriella Robin). The musical backing is distinctly international (or non-national), and occasionally makes creative use of pop-culture sampling. The end result is mesmerizing. The songs are powerful, lyrical, mysterious, and just alien enough that you could believe a computer dreamed them up. Then there is the series' haunting theme song, Voices, sung a cappella by Akino Arai and so beautiful that it has deservedly claimed a spot among the most famous anime songs of all time. In addition to being just plain great music, these songs play an important role in the story (though, notably, a much less overblown one than past Macross series).

Offering a wonderful contrast, the non-vocal background score is performed by a full orchestra, and is composed and executed with a very classical feel--upbeat and grandly adventurous. There are also a handful of unique pieces woven in, from a lonely acoustic guitar solo suited to a dusty Western, to a playful tune performed almost entirely by a group of whistlers accompanied by drums.

I have little to say about the acting other than that, as with everything else, it is of the highest quality. The Japanese acting is marvelous--a large part of the reason the nuanced character drama works so well. The acting in the English dub is is quite good as well.

Summing up, the animation is second to none, the art is beautiful, the action is world-class, the music is amazing, and, most surprisingly, the story still manages to be character driven, with detailed characters and quality acting (even in the dub). Macross Plus is a must-see for almost anyone: For Macross fans, for transforming robot fans, for admirers of beautiful art and animation, and for basically anyone who even claims to like anime.

Macross Plus is truly a modern anime classic.

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If you're a Robotech fan, you should love it if for nothing more than the visual spectacle. If you're a Macross fan, you're almost certain to love it. Gunbuster, though quite different in plot, is in a similar spirit and style. Finally, though the setting and story is entirely different, The Place Promised in Our Early Days shares some of the emotional character and sense of lost childhood innocence.