Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles

[Halo Profile]

Okay, the DVD has been out for a week now, and I'm amazed no one here has commented on it yet. Has anyone seen it? Is it any good? Is it at least better than that crap-tastic comic book prequel?

[Azazel Profile YIM]

As clichéd as this may sound, given the large number of people that don't like what Harmony Gold did to Macross back on the 80-90s, I wouldn't buy it.
I must admit that I did buy Palladium's Robotech sourcebook what seems to be eons ago, but that was my sole contribution to HG's mischief.

So no, I haven't seen it.

- A.

[camk4evr Profile YIM]

I'm still waiting for my copy to come in.

[Panaka Profile]

From what I've seen, it's moving away from the original Macross rip off and becoming a series that can stand on its own.

But that's just my opinion.

Next time I'm in the store I usually buy DVD's, I'm going to see about ordering it.

[Skadi Profile]

I have it watched it and actually really really liked it. Tommy Yun and his brother did a great job on it and it is moving quite far away from what it was originally created from/as. Though I must say that it does pick up directly from the bastard child we know as Robotech: The New Generation and it pays tribute to the horrid comic series. However, it is NOT anything like the orignal stuff and adds quite a twist to thing. I like where it's headed and I hope they make more.

I highly recommend it! Though you must wipe the area of bad taste in your brain that remembers anything from the old Macek days.

[Halo Profile]

Well, I'm one of those rare people who appreciate what Macek did, but you guys can all flame me for that some other time.

Skadi -- I'm interested to know if you happened to read the "Prelude to Shadow Chronicles" comic series, and, if so, how the movie stacks up to that series.

[Sabre Profile]

I haven't seen it yet but I want to. As many of you know I am a big Robotech fan, not so much a Macross fan. If I had my way, I'd be running a Robotech game here right now!!

(I'd still like to, if there was sufficient player interest, I'd be doing it now)

[Skadi Profile]

Halo- I did not have the chance to read that. I did catch some of the stuff that came out some time ago.... it was after the inital stuff with Robotech 2 and Eternity and all that. It was somewhere around five years ago. There was something called Wings of Gillbralter or some such.

[Panaka Profile]

(I'd still like to, if there was sufficient player interest, I'd be doing it now)

I'd be interested in a REF/INVID game.

I agree with Skadi.

Very mild spoilers coming up:
The've got an almost new cast of characters. Rick Hunter shows up on a comm window two times, Scot Bernard and Marlene/Ariel are the only ones from the New Generation to show up. I think the Chief Engineer is the "geek" guy that Dana Sterling had in her squad during Southern Cross. Ariel actually starts to come into her own where her powers are concerned. Refreshing seeing her like that instead of the quiet little mouse she was for most of the original series. Everybody else is new (maybe from the comics, never read those so I wouldn't recognise anybody).

New very sneaky enemy with new exotic looking mecha and fighters. Their capital ships are a bit dull, but it isn't to bad. They do have energy shielding for the ships.

The REF Mecha are the only thing they kept the same. Mostly Alpha's and Alpha's docked to Beta's. Skull squadron (under command of Maia Sterling) does get a "Super Shadow" fighter. But I take that as going from a VF-1 to a VF-1X. A bit faster, a few more weapons and a little bit more armor.

They rewrote the ending of the battle for Reflex point a bit nothing to much. Introduction of the new enemy, No Sera or the other invid, no other third gen character but Scot and Ariel and no fighting in the hive. Scot leaves for the fleet. Ariel gets one last vision from mommy dearest, warning her about something, and she joins Scot at the moon base to warn him and the REF.

All in all a good 90 minutes of fun. I hope they make more. If they do it's going to a realy entertaining series.

And best of all: No Minmay

[COBRA Profile]

And best of all: No Minmay

Mayby I should take a look at it afterall. Yes, I have quite avoided it in lack of interest. But Robotech without Minmay? Now it can't get any better

[Thorn Profile]

Wait, wait, wait... Carl Macek did a hack job on Macross, SDC:SC, and Genesis Climber MOSPEADA, right?

Sort of like Tolkien did with the Nibelungenlied, or like the author of the Nibelungenlied in turn did with the Volsungasaga? Or like the authors of the Old Testament did with the Epic of Gilgamesh? Or like ANY NUMBER of successful movies have done with the works of Shakespeare, or Shakespeare in turn did with ANY NUMBER of prior sources? Or like the wide variety of Jane Austen rip-off movies have done?

Sorry, it just grates on my nerves to hear Carl Macek criticized solely for creating a "Macross rip-off." Since I don't hear the same cacophony every time Macross II is mentioned, it smacks very heavily of the "Japanese version is better" syndrome. There are plenty of grounds for criticizing HG's legal handling of Macross in the '80s and '90s, but let's face it, Robotech was the starting exposure point for anime for many of us (though not all - mine was Voltron, for which my parents will be eternally grateful </sarcasm>), especially in the United States. Carl Macek did a surprisingly good job of creating a pastiche of three completely separate stories, of which one wasn't even set on Earth to start with (see Southern Cross; there are occasionally too many celestial bodies). Did he create annoying characters in the process? Don't know if he created them; Minmei in Macross grates on my nerves, though I'll easily concede that the English version's singing is... well, it's par for the course for a mid-'80s dub. It's not even the worst example of the genre (IMO, that honor goes to a horrible butchering of Nausicaa called "Warriors of the Wind").

And yes, I've had a Robotech game that I've wanted to run forever too, Sabre. I don't think you intended to do a campaign-interest gauge, but I think it's there.

[Skadi Profile]

Thorn- Yes Macek did do quite the hack job to Nausicaa.. which I have only seen bits and peices of "Warriors of the Wind", but have seen all of and love Valley of the Wind. He also did a very very horridly poor dubbing of Nadia Seceret of Blue Water (one of Ginax's... creators of Evangelion... first and best series). No one really remembers these though because the American release was not as prominent. I do agree Robotech did a lot for many many fans. I agree, with the restrictions of 1980s TV he did the best he could. I also agree that not all Japanese things are better... some are faaar worse and should never be brought over for the waste of money it would be. HOWEVER, in this case, I personally enjoyed Macross more. And I enjoyed Macross 2 as well. Yes yes stone me if you will but I did enjoy it. The changes to the Macross portion of the episodes were not as drastic I do have to say, but what gets me is the major series long change... the whole flower powered fighters... just can't seem to get over that.

Anyways thats my thoughts on that. Plus yes the American Minmei was more annoying especially cause Ms. West (I forget her real name) does enjoy to get smashed drunk quite easily. I met her at a convention before.


Panaka- You are correct the Scientist on the ship was Louie from Southern Cross. The Captain was also Bowie Grant, Claudia's younger brother. How he got al buffed and big, I dunno. Maybe he ate his cheerios. There was also mention of Wolf Squadron which was from Robotech 2. As well as the Archangel which was the ship that Wolf Leader tried to steal in Robotech 2 during a mutiny attempt.

I also find it funny that the Invid Hive is Michigan as I used to live there.

[Sabre Profile]

I'm not sure that was Bowie Grant, I think that was Vince Grant, Bowie's father. If you recall, both the Sterlings and the Grants left their children (Bowie and Dana) behind when the Expeditionary Force folded for Tirol in an attempt to meet the Robotech Masters on their own turf and avert a war.

Anyway, I'm personally very interested in returning to my RP/Anime roots with a return to Robotech gaming. I'm also personally leaning toward an Invid Invasion campaign.

~NA

[Phantomj Profile ICQYIM]

Classic Veritechs I'm in.

[Thorn Profile]

Yeah, kind of torn about which character idea to pitch. Either way, I'm going to be playing a grumpy old man if I have my way. It's a role for which I, being a mid-20s college student, am uniquely suited.

[Sabre Profile]

Ok, not that I'm trying to recruit you or anything Thorn, usually when I'm begging it's much more obvious, with lots of tears and gnashing of teeth - I'm really quite a sight
But in an Invid Campaign, you could play that grumpy older character as either an aging RDF'er past his retirement year who survived the attack of the Robotech Masters and the initial Invid Invasion and Assualt, or a survivor from the Army of the Southern Cross both would be a bit older.

REF players will all be young and all will be born offworld.

[Cid Highwind CO VI Profile ICQYIM]

Yes that is Vince grant, not Bowie

Yes it is good, makes me want to see more

I myself was a Robotech fan long before I was a macross fan

I reccommend the movie as i also support a Robotech game (I honestly think Drake would have been perfect in either a VHT or an old School VF-1 Not that i am wanting to use drake (That's just an analogy), but that would be the mecha types I would want to use)

[Thorn Profile]

Well, in that case... I'm rebuilding Dragosani.

[Kai Profile WebsiteICQ]

Thorn, you are a bastard. My condolances on your future headaches Sabre ;P

[Sabre Profile]

OK, I rented Shadow Chronicles last night and I have to say it is brilliant. Truly Robotech, cleaned up CGI and animation but also a story arc that fits seamlessly with the original storyline. I'm impressed.
Well, not just impressed I enthralled and I must buy this if only to ensure I do my small part to usher in a Robotech return.

According to the DVD's special features, we can expect more feature length films and a new series.

[Halo Profile]

Saw it last night, and enjoyed it. It wasn't the best thing ever, but true to it's Robotech roots and IMO did a remarkable job staying with continuity. Not *perfect* but given how cumbersome that continuity already was, the time since it was on the air, and numerous legal complications with licensing, they did an admirable job.

I'm a little confused why the "Super Shadow Fighter" is named such when it's key feature is it has no shadow device, and apparently prolonged exposure to protoculture causes extreme breast growth. Even in androids. That's damned impressive!

[Sabre Profile]

Ha, I'm glad you mentioned the breasts Halo, my first impression was "Yay to the future, all the women, even the androds have nice racks".

Inconsistencies. Space statation Liberty and moonbase Aluce I thought were destroyed. Perhaps I was wrong.

~Nicholas

[Halo Profile]

Hmmm.... it's been a looooong time since I read the books, so I'm probably wrong, but I thought the Invid made a point of ignoring Aluce and going straight for Earth. There was no Flower there, so why bother.

Then again, I could be confusing Robotech and Mosapaeda. Like I said, it's been a long time. LOL

[Thorn Profile]

Aluce at least survived - it's referenced in "Return of the Masters," and as a primarily Southern Cross installation, it wasn't nearly as Protoculture-dependent. Liberty... well, if anything at all survived the Zentradi in orbit, it's not because they were sitting still.

[Sabre Profile]

Actually, I think you're both correct. Thanks guys.

OK everyone, you can start sending me your character concepts. I've got a few but I'd like to get this game rolling soon.