The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lovers, Again
Encyclopedia
, also known as The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lovers, Again or Super Dimensional Fortress Macross II, is the first animated sequel to The Super Dimension Fortress Macross
to feature a new cast of characters. The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lovers Again was produced by Big West
.
still exists, as does the U.N. Spacy Minmay Attack stratagem, which has been successfully employed to thwart the Zentradi
threat ever since. However, a new humanoid
alien race called the Marduk (Mardook in the original Japanese version), arrives in the Solar System
with enslaved Zentradi and Meltlandi warriors who are seemingly unaffected by the Minmay Attack. The Marduk employ their own female singers, called Emulators, who incite their giant warriors with songs.
The story focuses on reporter Hibiki Kanzaki, who is caught in the middle of the action when he captures an Emulator, Ishtar, while covering a battle between the U.N. Spacy and the Marduk. Hibiki proceeds to teach her about Earth's culture, which she then shares with the rest of the Marduk. However, the Marduk leader, Emperor Ingues, considers Earth's culture anathema. With the help of ace fighter pilot Silvie Gena, Hibiki and Ishtar attempt to end the war.
(character designer), Sukehiro Tomita (scripter) and Yasunori Honda (sound director). Shoji Kawamori
, the creator of the original Macross series, did not participate in this project because, at the time, he had no interest in writing sequels. Since co-creator Studio Nue
was also absent from this project, studios AIC and ONIRO handled the production.
Macross II was framed as six episodes because, at the time, it was felt that short OVA series were the current trend in anime. Initially conceived as taking place 300 years in the future, that number was pared down to 80 years during production. Macross II also takes place in the same universe as the PC Engine Super CD-ROM² games Macross 2036 and Macross: Eternal Love Song. The staff was not allowed to use any of the original Macross characters in this project. Furthermore, the staff decided to avoid the "idol" singer concept that was propounded in the original series. Their rationale was that Japan was experiencing an "idol boom" during the 1980s and Macross mirrored that. Haruhiko Mikimoto explained that he and director Kenichi Yatagai differed on what they envisioned Macross II to be; compromises had to be made on both sides. The mechanical designs for Macross II were created by Junichi Akutsu, Jun Okuda and Kouichi Ohata (who previously worked on Gunbuster
).
sequel to the Macross: Do You Remember Love? theatrical movie, Macross II has since been relegated by Studio Nue
as taking place in a "Parallel World" and is no longer considered part of the original series canon.
and was released in North America by the following companies.
cassettes each containing two episodes. L.A. Hero released the series in 1993 as a movie in a limited amount of theaters across the U.S.A. as a 120-minute film on 35 mm film.
Manga Entertainment consolidated the six episodes in 1995 into a single VHS cassette called Macross II: The Movie. This compilation removed the opening and ending credits for episodes 2 through 5, as well as the episode previews. It was released as two VHS cassette variations: the first contained the English dub
and the second contained the original Japanese dialogue with English subtitles.
In 2000, Macross II: The Movie was released on DVD
by Manga Entertainment. This DVD included both the English dub and the original Japanese dialogue with English subtitles. Bonus materials included a music video (actually a creditless closing theme), four character profiles and an image and mechanical designs gallery.
Macross II: The Movie was released as a downloadable video rental on the Xbox Live Marketplace
for the Xbox 360
by Starz. This release only included the English dub and it was in standard definition. Manga Entertainment released Macross II in 2008 as a downloadable video purchase on the iTunes Store
in its original six-episode format with each episode available individually. The episodes only include the English dub and they are in standard definition.
On May 2, 2011 the full movie in English dub was uploaded by Manga Entertainment to their Youtube channel.
, who subsequently became famous for his works on Neon Genesis Evangelion
. J-pop
singer Mika Kaneko composed and performed the series opening and ending theme songs while Hiroko Kasahara performed Ishtar's songs and Yukiyo Satō did Wendy Ryder's songs. Some of these songs were reused as background music in the 1995 series Macross 7
.
The U.S. release of the soundtrack is as follows:
Volume 2 was only released in Japan (along with Volume 1) by JVC's parent company, Victor Company of Japan
, as The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II Original Soundtrack Vol. 2 in 1992. This compact disc contained the background music and vocal songs from, approximately, the second half of the series.
limited series
called Super Dimensional Fortress Macross II that was circulated, monthly, from September 1992 through June 1993. This limited series was originally published as a manga
in Shōnen Sunday Comics Special by Shogakukan, Inc.
in Japan. While a traditional manga will typically deviate from its anime counterpart, the Macross II manga was a direct adaption of the Macross II anime. The manga series was scripted by Sukehiro Tomita and illustrated by Tsuguo Okazaki. The English version was translated by James D. Hudnall and Matt Thorn
.
In 1994, Viz Comics reissued the ten individual issues in a single trade paperback
volume. Unlike the previous Viz series, which was released in the same size as Silver Age
comic books, this compilation was published in the same size as conventional manga and was spiral-bound. Viz also released an original manga sequel titled Macross II: The Micron Conspiracy, written by Hudnall with artwork by Schulhoff Tam.
s were released by U.S. Renditions, L.A. Hero and Viz Comics. The first two posters featured the cover art from "Marduk Disorder" and "Sing Along." These two posters each measured 25 x 39 inches (990.6 mm). The third poster released was the 27 x 41 ⅛ inches official theatrical poster for the Macross II 35 mm film release, featuring the cover art from "Station Break." The fourth poster, released by Viz Comics, featured Ishtar and measured 28 ⅝ x 40 ½ inches.
released a role-playing game
called Macross II: The Role-Playing Game. This release was followed up that same year by Macross II: Sourcebook One: The U.N. Spacy, which was an extension of the first game. In 1994, Palladium joined forces with Canadian role-playing game company Dream Pod 9
to produce a three-part Deck Plans supplement series, which features technical schematics of U.N. Spacy and Marduk warships and new rules for ship-to-ship combat. While some of the mechanical information presented is translated directly from the Japanese source material, Dream Pod 9 acknowledged that some of it is also "pure conjecture." Many details are customized to fit the mechanics of Palladium's Mega-Damage system.
released a 1/100 scale model kit of the VF-2SS Valkyrie II. The model was capable of transforming into Fighter, Gerwalk and Battroid modes, but required the swapping of hip joints for each mode. The kit also included additional sprues for assembling the Super Armed Pack.
Several companies have made garage kits of the VF-2JA Icarus, as well as additional parts to convert the Bandai Valkyrie II into an atmospheric mode fighter without the Super Armed Pack.
released an arcade game adaptation of Macross II in 1992. The game was a side-scrolling shooter, where the player controlled a VF-2SS Valkyrie II and battled Marduk units on the screen. Transformation was attained only by acquiring lettered icons (B for Battroid, G for Gerwalk, F for Fighter). Players were armed with lasers and a limited amount of smart bombs.
Characters, mecha and story elements from this OVA are featured in the Sony
PlayStation Portable
videogame Macross Ultimate Frontier, the sequel to Macross Ace Frontier
(2008). Ultimate Frontier was released in Japan
on October 2009.
described the plot as "unoriginal" and noted that it seemed as if too much material was squeezed into Macross II.
Other Sites:
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross
is an anime television series. According to story creator Shoji Kawamori, it depicts "a love triangle against the backdrop of great battles" during the first Human-alien war....
to feature a new cast of characters. The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lovers Again was produced by Big West
Big West Advertising
Big West Advertising Co., Ltd. is a Japanese advertising agency. They are known as one of the sponsors of the Macross franchise in Japan....
.
Plot
The story takes place in the year 2092, eighty years after the events depicted in the movie Macross: Do You Remember Love? The SDF-1 MacrossSDF-1 Macross
The SDF-1 Macross is a fictional interstellar transforming spacecraft from The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, an anime science fiction series that aired in Japan in 1982–1983, and its American adaptation Robotech...
still exists, as does the U.N. Spacy Minmay Attack stratagem, which has been successfully employed to thwart the Zentradi
Zentradi
The are a fictional, militastic race of alien, humanoid giants and often the main antagonist in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross anime series and its Robotech adaptation....
threat ever since. However, a new humanoid
Humanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
alien race called the Marduk (Mardook in the original Japanese version), arrives in the Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
with enslaved Zentradi and Meltlandi warriors who are seemingly unaffected by the Minmay Attack. The Marduk employ their own female singers, called Emulators, who incite their giant warriors with songs.
The story focuses on reporter Hibiki Kanzaki, who is caught in the middle of the action when he captures an Emulator, Ishtar, while covering a battle between the U.N. Spacy and the Marduk. Hibiki proceeds to teach her about Earth's culture, which she then shares with the rest of the Marduk. However, the Marduk leader, Emperor Ingues, considers Earth's culture anathema. With the help of ace fighter pilot Silvie Gena, Hibiki and Ishtar attempt to end the war.
Characters
- The protagonist, Hibiki works as an entertainment reporter for the television network SNN (Scramble News Network). He wants to be more, however, and jumps at the chance to cover the first encounters with the Marduk invaders. While covering one of the battles, he discovers Ishtar, an Emulator used to excite the aggressive tendencies of the Marduk through her singing. Originally seeing the scoop of a lifetime, Hibiki harbors Ishtar on Earth and shows her Earth's culture but is eventually moved by Ishtar's belief in bringing peace to her people by spreading Earth's love songs. At the same time Hibiki also finds himself having to deal with the U.N. Spacy, who is overzealous in not allowing any possibility of public panics despite having the frontline pushed all the way back to Earth itself.
- An Emulator within the Marduk race. Her singing enhances the aggressive tendencies of the Zentradi warriors in the Marduk armies and allows the Marduk to controlMind controlMind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
the Zentradi. When Hibiki brings her to Earth, she is shocked by the variety of cultures and traditions of the humans. Because of her experiences, she changes her Emulator song to be one which encourages the Marduk to be peaceful. She believes the SDF-1 MacrossSDF-1 MacrossThe SDF-1 Macross is a fictional interstellar transforming spacecraft from The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, an anime science fiction series that aired in Japan in 1982–1983, and its American adaptation Robotech...
is the legendary ship of the Alus, an entity prophesied in the Marduk culture to bring peace to Marduk.
- Sylvie is an ace Valkyrie II variable fighterVariable fighterA Variable Fighter is a series of fictional transforming aerospace fighter mecha primarily designed by Studio Nue's Shoji Kawamori for the animated series The Super Dimension Fortress Macross and later related projects...
pilot and commander of the Faerie Squadron who, despite being merely 17 years old, is ranked the second finest pilot only after Nexx Gilbert. She has a Meltrandi grandmother, from whom she inherited her prowess at fighting, and becomes very angry at the Marduk when she discovers their use of brainwashing in the Zentradi soldiers that are under their command. She and Hibiki got off with a bad start due to the latter's pursuit of a scoop on her secret meeting with Supreme Commander Exxegran (where she punched Hibiki in the nose). Her feelings begin to change, however, after crossing paths with him on several occasions during the war against Marduk.
- One of Sylvie's colleagues and the champion Valkyrie pilot in the Solar System. He appears to be a bit narcissisticNarcissismNarcissism is a term with a wide range of meanings, depending on whether it is used to describe a central concept of psychoanalytic theory, a mental illness, a social or cultural problem, or simply a personality trait...
, probably as a result of variable fighter pilots in Earth society being bestowed treatment similar to that received by pop idols, and is the epitome of stereotypical "manliness". Although he doesn't seem to go very far with Sylvie beyond a few dates, he is genuinely in love with her. He pilots a combat-worthy prototype of the VA-1SS Metal Siren variable fighter during the U.N. Spacy's fleet engagement against Marduk near the Moon and is given command of one of the two Macross Cannons committed to resist the final Marduk assault on Earth.
- An idol singerJapanese idolIn Japanese culture, are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g...
who is used in the U.N. Spacy propaganda releases. She is known for singing and during the annual U.N. Spacy Moon Festival.
- A cameraman and a war correspondent in the SNN, he believes in presenting both sides of a story even if he has to sneak into an enemy stronghold in the heat of a battle just to get it. He thinks Hibiki doesn't understand what journalism is really all about but nevertheless sees potential in him. He dies during Hibiki's first assignment with him after being caught in an explosion in a Marduk battleship where they found an unconscious Ishtar, and his death has a significant impact on how Hibiki looks at the world of journalism.
- One of Hibiki's friends and transsexual owner of a beauty salon. His friendship with Hibiki is good enough such that he is the one Hibiki turns to when the latter decides to harbor Ishtar after rescuing her on an assignment.
- One of the very high-ranking commanders of the U.N. Spacy. He has a noble spirit and is equally aware of how complacent the U.N. Spacy command has become. He appears quite personable as Sylvie and her Faerie teammates looks up to him as a father figure.
- Feff is a commander of the Marduk forces and reports to Lord Emperor Ingues. Despite his ferocity and cruelty in combat, he does not entirely believe in the Ingues's extreme enforcement of cultural purity and eventually turns on Ingues once he understands what Ishtar is trying to do. He later confesses that he harbors feelings for Ishtar.
- Supreme ruler of the Marduk Empire. He is cruel, despotic, and insanelyInsanityInsanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
-preoccupied with eliminating any culture distinct from that of Marduk, having no problem ordering the destruction of even his own forces over the slightest presence of an alien culture.
- Commander of the U.N. Spacy's 12th Fleet, he commands the fleet flagship Gloria and leads a valiant but ultimately futile defense against the Marduk invasion near the Moon. The Gloria is destroyed when the sheer number of Marduk warships overwhelms the defenders.
- A member of Sylvie Gena's Faerie Squadron. She is interested in Nexx Gilbert and is always looking for a way to get closer to him. During the final battle of the war against Marduk, she is assigned the position of a bridge officer aboard the Macross Cannon captained by Nexx.
- A member of Sylvie Gena's Faerie Squadron. During the final battle of the war against Marduk, she is assigned the position of a bridge officer aboard the Macross Cannon captained by Nexx.
- A member of Sylvie Gena's Faerie Squadron. During the final battle of the war against Marduk, she is assigned the position of a bridge officer aboard the Macross Cannon captained by Nexx.
Production
Macross II began production in 1991 and debuted simultaneously in the United States and Japan, during the second quarter of 1992, in order to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the original The Super Dimension Fortress Macross television series. Out of the original Macross staff, only three of them returned for Macross II: Haruhiko MikimotoHaruhiko Mikimoto
is a Japanese anime character designer, illustrator and manga artist. Mostly active during the 1980s, during that decade he rose to promience and is considered one of the top character designers of his time....
(character designer), Sukehiro Tomita (scripter) and Yasunori Honda (sound director). Shoji Kawamori
Shoji Kawamori
is a Japanese anime creator, screenwriter and mechanical designer, having created or co-created such notable series as The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, The Vision of Escaflowne, Earth Maiden Arjuna, Genesis of Aquarion, Macross 7, and Macross Frontier. He is currently executive director at the...
, the creator of the original Macross series, did not participate in this project because, at the time, he had no interest in writing sequels. Since co-creator Studio Nue
Studio Nue
Studio Nue is a Japanese design studio formed in 1972 by Naoyuki Kato, Kenichi Matsuzaki, Kazutaka Miyatake, and Haruka Takachiho...
was also absent from this project, studios AIC and ONIRO handled the production.
Macross II was framed as six episodes because, at the time, it was felt that short OVA series were the current trend in anime. Initially conceived as taking place 300 years in the future, that number was pared down to 80 years during production. Macross II also takes place in the same universe as the PC Engine Super CD-ROM² games Macross 2036 and Macross: Eternal Love Song. The staff was not allowed to use any of the original Macross characters in this project. Furthermore, the staff decided to avoid the "idol" singer concept that was propounded in the original series. Their rationale was that Japan was experiencing an "idol boom" during the 1980s and Macross mirrored that. Haruhiko Mikimoto explained that he and director Kenichi Yatagai differed on what they envisioned Macross II to be; compromises had to be made on both sides. The mechanical designs for Macross II were created by Junichi Akutsu, Jun Okuda and Kouichi Ohata (who previously worked on Gunbuster
Gunbuster
Gunbuster, known in Japan as is a six episode anime OVA series created by Gainax in 1988. It was the directorial debut of Hideaki Anno, best known as the director of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The title is a combination of the titles of classic tennis anime Aim for the Ace!, whose plot inspired...
).
Parallel World
Originally promoted as a canonCanon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
sequel to the Macross: Do You Remember Love? theatrical movie, Macross II has since been relegated by Studio Nue
Studio Nue
Studio Nue is a Japanese design studio formed in 1972 by Naoyuki Kato, Kenichi Matsuzaki, Kazutaka Miyatake, and Haruka Takachiho...
as taking place in a "Parallel World" and is no longer considered part of the original series canon.
Media
Macross II is a six-episode Japanese OVAOriginal video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
and was released in North America by the following companies.
Video releases
U.S. Renditions released Macross II in 1992 and 1993, dubbed into English, on three VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
cassettes each containing two episodes. L.A. Hero released the series in 1993 as a movie in a limited amount of theaters across the U.S.A. as a 120-minute film on 35 mm film.
Manga Entertainment consolidated the six episodes in 1995 into a single VHS cassette called Macross II: The Movie. This compilation removed the opening and ending credits for episodes 2 through 5, as well as the episode previews. It was released as two VHS cassette variations: the first contained the English dub
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
and the second contained the original Japanese dialogue with English subtitles.
In 2000, Macross II: The Movie was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by Manga Entertainment. This DVD included both the English dub and the original Japanese dialogue with English subtitles. Bonus materials included a music video (actually a creditless closing theme), four character profiles and an image and mechanical designs gallery.
Macross II: The Movie was released as a downloadable video rental on the Xbox Live Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
by Starz. This release only included the English dub and it was in standard definition. Manga Entertainment released Macross II in 2008 as a downloadable video purchase on the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
in its original six-episode format with each episode available individually. The episodes only include the English dub and they are in standard definition.
On May 2, 2011 the full movie in English dub was uploaded by Manga Entertainment to their Youtube channel.
Episodes
| EP# | Title | Original release date | English release date |
|---|---|---|---|
Soundtracks
The music score was composed by Shiro SagisuShiro Sagisu
is a well-known Japanese music producer and composer. With a career spanning over 25 years , he is best known for his work as a record producer for acts including Misia, Satoshi Tomiie, and Ken Hirai...
, who subsequently became famous for his works on Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion
, commonly referred to as Evangelion, is a commercially and critically successful Japanese anime series that began airing in October 1995. The series was highly influential, and launched the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. It garnered several major animation awards...
. J-pop
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
singer Mika Kaneko composed and performed the series opening and ending theme songs while Hiroko Kasahara performed Ishtar's songs and Yukiyo Satō did Wendy Ryder's songs. Some of these songs were reused as background music in the 1995 series Macross 7
Macross 7
is an anime television series. It is a sequel to the show The Super Dimension Fortress Macross that takes place many years after the events of the first series following a cast of mostly new characters. The show ran from October 16, 1994 to September 24, 1995 at 11:00 AM, and 49 episodes were aired...
.
The U.S. release of the soundtrack is as follows:
- JVCJVC, usually referred to as JVC, is a Japanese international consumer and professional electronics corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded in 1927...
(1993) Macross II Original Soundtrack Volume 1 is released in North America on CD. This compact disc contained the background music and vocal songs from, approximately, the first half of the series. - AnimeTraxAnimeTraxAnimeTrax is a joint venture between ADV Films and The Right Stuf International to distribute anime soundtracks in the United States. In 2003 ADV Films formed their own music division to serve the same purpose in the form of ADV Music...
(2001) Volume 1 is re-released as the Macross II Original Soundtrack on CD. This version retains the cover art from its Japanese counterpart and does not include the linear notes found in the JVC release.
Volume 2 was only released in Japan (along with Volume 1) by JVC's parent company, Victor Company of Japan
Victor Entertainment
is a subsidiary of Japan Victor Company that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It was formerly known as...
, as The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II Original Soundtrack Vol. 2 in 1992. This compact disc contained the background music and vocal songs from, approximately, the second half of the series.
Manga
Viz Comics published a ten-issue monthly comic bookComic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
called Super Dimensional Fortress Macross II that was circulated, monthly, from September 1992 through June 1993. This limited series was originally published as a manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
in Shōnen Sunday Comics Special by Shogakukan, Inc.
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
in Japan. While a traditional manga will typically deviate from its anime counterpart, the Macross II manga was a direct adaption of the Macross II anime. The manga series was scripted by Sukehiro Tomita and illustrated by Tsuguo Okazaki. The English version was translated by James D. Hudnall and Matt Thorn
Matt Thorn
Matt Thorn is a cultural anthropologist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Manga Production at Kyoto Seika University's Faculty of Manga in Japan. He is most well known in North America for his work dealing with shōjo manga. He has appeared at multiple anime conventions, including...
.
In 1994, Viz Comics reissued the ten individual issues in a single trade paperback
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
volume. Unlike the previous Viz series, which was released in the same size as Silver Age
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
comic books, this compilation was published in the same size as conventional manga and was spiral-bound. Viz also released an original manga sequel titled Macross II: The Micron Conspiracy, written by Hudnall with artwork by Schulhoff Tam.
Posters
Four official Macross II posterPoster
A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. Posters may be...
s were released by U.S. Renditions, L.A. Hero and Viz Comics. The first two posters featured the cover art from "Marduk Disorder" and "Sing Along." These two posters each measured 25 x 39 inches (990.6 mm). The third poster released was the 27 x 41 ⅛ inches official theatrical poster for the Macross II 35 mm film release, featuring the cover art from "Station Break." The fourth poster, released by Viz Comics, featured Ishtar and measured 28 ⅝ x 40 ½ inches.
Role-playing game
In 1993, Palladium BooksPalladium Books
Palladium Books is a publisher of role-playing games perhaps best known for its popular, expansive Rifts series . Palladium was founded April 1981 in Detroit, Michigan by current president and lead game designer Kevin Siembieda, and is presently based in Westland, Michigan...
released a role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
called Macross II: The Role-Playing Game. This release was followed up that same year by Macross II: Sourcebook One: The U.N. Spacy, which was an extension of the first game. In 1994, Palladium joined forces with Canadian role-playing game company Dream Pod 9
Dream Pod 9
Dream Pod 9 is a Montreal-based Canadian game publisher. In addition to games, they have been known to work on special projects, creating worlds and stories to order for a variety of clients.-History:...
to produce a three-part Deck Plans supplement series, which features technical schematics of U.N. Spacy and Marduk warships and new rules for ship-to-ship combat. While some of the mechanical information presented is translated directly from the Japanese source material, Dream Pod 9 acknowledged that some of it is also "pure conjecture." Many details are customized to fit the mechanics of Palladium's Mega-Damage system.
American Manga series
In November 1994, Viz Comics published Macross II: The Micron Conspiracy as a five-issue comic book limited series. Marketed as a "100% made-in-America sequel" to Macross II, the story is set one year after the Marduk war and follows Hibiki Kanzaki and Sylvie Gena as they attempt to uncover the explanation behind a series of mysterious attacks against the Zentradi on Earth. This series was written by James D. Hudnall with illustrations provided by Schulhoff Tam.Model kits
BandaiBandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
released a 1/100 scale model kit of the VF-2SS Valkyrie II. The model was capable of transforming into Fighter, Gerwalk and Battroid modes, but required the swapping of hip joints for each mode. The kit also included additional sprues for assembling the Super Armed Pack.
Several companies have made garage kits of the VF-2JA Icarus, as well as additional parts to convert the Bandai Valkyrie II into an atmospheric mode fighter without the Super Armed Pack.
Video Games
BanprestoBanpresto
is a Japanese toy company, best known in America for game development, headquartered in the Shinagawa Seaside West Building in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It was founded April 1977 as Hoei Sangyo, Co. Ltd. The company was renamed Coreland in 1982, and during the 1980s it worked mainly as a subcontractor for...
released an arcade game adaptation of Macross II in 1992. The game was a side-scrolling shooter, where the player controlled a VF-2SS Valkyrie II and battled Marduk units on the screen. Transformation was attained only by acquiring lettered icons (B for Battroid, G for Gerwalk, F for Fighter). Players were armed with lasers and a limited amount of smart bombs.
Characters, mecha and story elements from this OVA are featured in the Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
videogame Macross Ultimate Frontier, the sequel to Macross Ace Frontier
Macross Ace Frontier
is a shooting game developed by Artdink for the PlayStation Portable. The game is based on Studio Nue's popular Macross series, one of which is known in the West as the first generation of Robotech...
(2008). Ultimate Frontier was released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on October 2009.
Reception
In 1992, Macross II was described as "the most eagerly anticipated anime sequel ever." Volumes 1 and 2 of Macross II went on to become the #1 selling anime videos in the United States in September 1992 and January 1993 respectively. Despite its bestseller status, Macross II failed to develop an affinity with many fans of the original Macross series. Criticisms from Mecha Anime HQ concerned Macross II's decision to feature a journalist as the series protagonist instead of a military pilot, and that the storyline adhered too closely to its predecessor. Anime News NetworkAnime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
described the plot as "unoriginal" and noted that it seemed as if too much material was squeezed into Macross II.
External links
Official Sites:Other Sites:
- Mecha Anime HQ - Episode synopses and reviews
- Macross Mecha Manual A website profiling the fictional vehicles of Macross II and the Macross series in general