Super Dimension Fortress Macross

Lore & Background

Two years after the war, dissident Zentradi attack the new Macross City. Hikaru ultimately chooses to join a colonization mission with Misa Hayase, remaining friends with Minmay. The series title derives from a compromise between the original name 'Battle City Megaload/Megaroad' and the sponsor's preferred 'Macbeth', retaining connotations of massive size and the journey across space.

Reader's Guide

Super Dimension Fortress Macross established the Macross franchise and the Super Dimension trilogy, pioneering the combination of mecha combat, love triangles, and pop music. It created one of the first anime idols, Lynn Minmay, whose voice actress Mari Iijima became an instant celebrity and launched a musical career. The series' success convinced sponsor Big West to extend its run from 24 to 36 episodes. Most of its animation, with edited content and revised dialogue, was adapted in the United States as the first saga of Robotech. The show's production overcame early difficulties, including the bankruptcy of initial sponsor Wiz, before Big West and Tatsunoko Production brought it to air. Its themes of cultural contamination and coexistence between humans and aliens remain influential in science fiction anime.

Did You Know?

• The series title was a compromise between the original 'Battle City Megaload/Megaroad' and the sponsor's preferred 'Macbeth'.
• The show was originally proposed in 1980 and greatly inspired by Mobile Suit Gundam.
• The Zentradi are a race of humanoid giants who mistake the Macross for a former battleship of their enemies, the Supervision Army.
• The wedding of Maximilian Jenius and Milia Fallyna was broadcast to the Zentradi as a message of coexistence.