Bigwest Announces 4 Macross Anime Series On Home Video
It took some time, but the Macross franchise is poised to pay off for its overseas fans. About 18 months after the companies Bigwest, Studio Nue and Harmony Gold USA reached an agreement to allow the worldwide release of Macross properties, officially licensed and localized versions of four Macross the anime series will be on sale soon. The announcements were made via Bigwest's panel at Anime Expo 2022.
The announcement covers four Macross animated series: 1992 Macross II: Lovers Again1994 Macros More2008 Border Macrosand 2016 Delta macros. Collectively, these series have been exhausted in English (Macross Plus, Macross II) or simply never officially released from Japan (Macross Delta, Macross Frontier). Now that Bigwest controls the licensing of the franchise, it has chosen new localization and distribution partners. Anime Limited will be released Macros More on Blu-ray in North America and Europe, while AnimEigo will release Macro II on Blu-ray in the same territories. Nozomi Entertainment will handle the Blu-ray releases of the Border Macros and Delta Macros animated series.
Macross II: Lovers Again is a six-episode OVA set 80 years after the events of the original Macross series. The anime was originally produced by Bigwest independently in 1992 after Studio Nue chose not to create a sequel to the first. Macross series. After Studio Nue changed its mind and produced Macros Morethe events of Macro II were made "non-canonical", although the franchise tends to treat continuity more as a suggestion than a rule. The story centers on a journalist, Hibiki, who saves Ishtar, a singer from an alien race called Marduk. The Marduk are at war with humanity, but are seemingly immune to the "Minmay Attack" song-based strategy that has been so successful against the Zentradi.
Macros More is a four-episode OVA set 30 years after the original series. It takes place on the planet Eden and involves the testing of a new generation of variable fighters for the UN Spacy army. Two test pilots, the super human Isamu Dyson and the cold, calculating half Zentradi Guld Goa Bowman face off in a rivalry to win the contract. They also compete for the affection of their mutual friend, Myung Fang Lone.
Border Macros takes place aboard the Frontier, an ultra-long-range colonization fleet. There, a young intern named Alto Saotome and his friend Ranka Lee cross paths with the "Galactic Fairy", superstar singer Sheryl Nome. Sheryl's gig is attacked by a new alien race called the Vajra, and emotions run high as the trio form a complicated relationship. The Border Macros The series was remade as a film duo in 2009 and 2011.
Delta Macros takes place in a remote region of the galaxy, where Var Syndrome, a disease that causes severe havoc, threatens the population. The key to stopping the spread of Var Syndrome is the Sound Tactics Unit March, which moves to suppress symptoms with idol-style performances.
Macross anime series are available on various platforms. The announced series have no set release window, but are expected in 2022 or 2023. The 1982 original Macross Fortress Superdimension the series is on some streaming platforms, such as Amazon Prime Video and Vudu.