Excuse the Geek-Out

“In the year 1999 high above Macross Island in the South Pacific a phenomenal event occurred in the skies which altered the course of human history.”

Meanwhile, in the mid-eighties here in reality, an American company bought the rights to three Japanese animated series and performed a “What’s Up Tiger Lily?” style rework that finally established the popularity of Anime in the west. For many children and teens, Robotech was a breath of fresh air in the animation desert that was the eighties. While still conceived as a mere commercial for the toys and products, the story-arch over the 85 episode series was highly developed and included sophisticated plots concerning war, intercultural relations, and complicated love stories. Let’s face it... it was a space/soap opera.

Over the first third of the series, the first generation of the story, a compelling interplay is shown between the humans and the Zentraedi who have invaded the solar system. Music, representing human culture, becomes a powerful “weapon” against the aliens who find themselves drawn to humanity and want to leave their war-bred ways behind.

Of course, it was the eighties… so the actual dialogue is sometimes painfully cheesy. It could use a bit of an update to bring the various elements up on par with the story lines. It just so happens, that might happen. It appears as though Toby Maguire is set to produce a live action movie based on Robotech, with Lawrence Kasdan (Empire Strikes Back, among others) penning the script. Writers Gough and Millar of Smallville have also been connected to the rumors. That raises a lot of potential that the religious elements of the original series might be expanded for the film.