Macross Plus might seem familiar to anime fans who grew up in the ’90s. That’s because the 1982 anime series’ plot became the first saga of Robotech via some creative editing, and story and dialogue changes. However, this anime is very much indeed its own franchise, with its own story and setting that Robotech only briefly touched upon. Cut and pasted to make that first saga, really.
Which is all a shame, because Macross Plus is the direct sequel to that original 1982 anime. This sequel first premiered as a 4-episode OVA series back in 1994, before then getting an anime film adaptation in 1995. In fact, it’s the first of many sequels. Thus, it makes this particular sequel be the forebear of all the sequels that came after it. Even the official synopsis from Crunchyroll describes it thus:
In the year 2040, on the distant planet Eden, former childhood friends Isamu Dyson and Guld Goa Bowman find themselves pitted against each other as test pilots of rival teams in a competition to decide the next generation of variable mecha fighters. The two must also deal with their own unresolved history with mutual love interest, Myung Fang Lone, who has returned as the manager of Sharon Apple, the AI pop star (virturoid) and the galaxy’s biggest singing sensation.
When Sharon’s advanced artificial intelligence gains consciousness, Isamu, Myung, and Guld must face their turbulent past and come together as Sharon Apple becomes self-aware and takes control of the Macross battlefortress itself!
Alas, it never got any significant home video release here in NA region. The now-defunct Manga Entertainment released it on VHS, DVD, and laserdisc back in 1999 and 2000, but that was it. Thus, it relegated this anime to the dark corners of the anime world. Left to be forgotten by future generations.
That is, until now.
Macross Plus Ultimate Edition: Details
Anime Limited in partnership with Crunchyroll is proud to announce the impending home video release of Macross Plus Ultimate Edition. This will be an exclusive release bringing both the 1994 4-part anime series and the 1995 anime film to international shores for the first time to Blu-ray. Featuring Shoji Kawamori (Super Dimension Fortress Macross; Escaflowne) and Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop; Samurai Champloo) as co-directors, alongside Yoko Kanno (Cowboy Bebop; Escaflowne) as the composer, both OVA and anime film are must-haves for all Macross fans.
The OVA and anime film aren’t the only things in the Macross Plus Ultimate Edition though. First off, the entire collection is in a large rigid slipcase featuring some iconic visuals on the front and back. The bonuses inside though include “an immense and comprehensive hardback book chronicling the history, production, and creative efforts behind Macross Plus – from interviews with its creators to character designs, background, and key animation artwork, this is the world of Macross Plus as never seen before” alongside “a series of nine art cards celebrating all of the title’s key visuals, plus an A3 “concert promotion” poster serving as an homage to virtual pop idol Sharon Apple”.
When and Where to Purchase
Macross Plus Ultimate Edition will be available for preorder on Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 9 AM PST. If you live in NA region, then you can preorder on that date exclusively through the Crunchyroll Store. If you live across the pond in the UK though, then you need to go to AllTheAnime.com on that date.
