Robotech - The Macross Saga - Legacy Collection 1

Amazon.com

This early anime series that helped introduce the genre to the United States in the mid-1980s is a curious hybrid. Harmony Gold bought the rights to the 36-episode Super Dimension Fortress: Macross, in which an alien invasion was held at bay by the voice of a girl pop star, but executives felt that American viewers wouldn't accept that plot. Producer-story editor Carl Macek intercut sequences from Macross with two similar-looking sci-fi series from Tatsunoko Studios, Genesis Climber Mospeada and Super Dimensional Cavalry Southern Cross, creating a sprawling 85-episode space opera with a completely new story line. A gigantic spaceship crashes into the Earth in 1999; after 10 years of analysis and repairs, the Earth forces relaunch the gargantuan flying fortress--just as the 50-foot alien Zentraedi attack hoping to capture it--precipitating an interstellar war. In addition to two discs (12 episodes) of the Macross adventure, this first collection includes the first video release of Codename: Robotech. Made to promote interest in the series before its debut, Codename consists of the first 13 episodes recut as a feature. Captain Gloval's reminiscences about the characters' adventures ties together the rather choppy film. The supplemental disc also offers a commentary by Macek, describing the origins of the Robotech project and the making of the Codename feature; a portfolio of character model sheets; and selected scenes in English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. A must-have for Robotech fans. Unrated; "contains mild animated violence." Suitable for ages 8 and up: violence is restricted to spaceship and robot battles. --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews:

Robotech Legacy Edition... Part 1.......2007-08-03

This is what I grew up with(!): Robotech & Transformers were *extremely* popular in the mid-80s. Really, anything featuring transforming robots at the time became a hot commodity, but these 2 properties were easily the best & most popular circa 1986.

Macross Legacy Set 1 includes: 2 discs with 6 episodes each (12 of 36 episodes), plus 1 extra disc called "E1- Elements of Robotechnology". Attractively packaged, the E1 disc contains Codename Robotech- a brief movie consisting of animation from the series, as well as audio commentary, animation model sheets, and international clips in English, French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. These extras are okay, but they're not quite great. And this is just 1 of 3 Macross Legacy sets. This was the best 80s collection before the Protoculture Collection came out.

There are 3 main Robotech sets currently available:

1. Robotech - The Macross Saga - Complete Collection. 6 discs- 36 episodes- no extras. It's the cheapest in price & quality; it's exactly what aired in the 80s. Picture quality here is somewhat poor but bearable. The sound isn't 5.1 like the remastered versions. 80s-style episode intros feature scenes from all 3 Robotech storylines. I *only* recommend buying this set if you're on an exceedingly tight budget or you're buying this for kids. There's no nudity (unlike the remastered versions).

2. Robotech Legacy Editions. Expensive considering it's exactly the same as above, with the additions being somewhat OK extras and upgraded, attractive packaging. Currently the ultimate 80s collection- meaning all the 80s imperfections are included: grainy picture with visual artifacts & aging. While I prefer these Legacy editions to the set mentioned above, most people will probably feel the "extras" aren't worth the extra price. I only recommend this to die-hard fans & collectors. There's also no nudity (unlike the remastered versions).

3. Robotech - Protoculture Collection. This is the set I currently recommend. Digitally remastered extended editions; english & spanish 5.1; 14 discs with 85 episodes plus 7 discs of extra features. All 3 storylines are included (Macross, Masters, New Generation). And the usual Amazon discount makes this a very attractive purchase. All discs are contained in slim-style CD holders; it's 1 space-saving boxset. While the remastering of picture & sound isn't perfect, I have both remastered & unremastered versions and I far prefer the visual upgrade. Episode intros have been reworked: no more splicing together of the 3 storylines like in the 80s. Each intro is focused on the series it came from now. The only potential drawbacks here are the somewhat expensive price, somewhat imperfect remastering, and the addition of extended scenes featuring brief nudity (female undressing & shower scenes). I'm actually okay with these scenes, but some parents may not want this collection for their kids.

Whichever version you choose, I highly recommend this excellent series to anyone & everyone interested!

SO MANY TO CHOOSE FROM..........2004-06-10

With a stroke of success in the 80's, the Robotech: Macross series still has a place for many fans today and shares a strong cult following. Being a fan of the series as a kid, I decided to buy the whole Robotech: Macross series, but I came across the overwelming amount of editions to the series. I didn't know which to buy, so I watched them all. Here are the differences between to different boxsets (all offered through Amazon):

Robotech: the Complete Macross Series
One Boxset: 6 disc

Sells for around $60-$65
Nothing special, picture quality is not great, but bearable. Comes in one compact boxset with all the disc in it. Would not reccomend getting this edition unless you just want a copy of the series and want to spend the least possible amount of money.

Robotech: The Legacy Collection: Macross Saga (Collections 1-3)
Three Boxsets: with 3 disc in each
Sells for around $40 each boxset, entire set around $120-$130
Same picture quality as the above set, but with addtional features. Comes with the most extras out of any current sets, but even then, they are so-so. I would actually recommend getting the above edition as I was not impressed with the extras, some were interesting, but it definately didn't justify the price. Your paying almost twice the price.

Robotech Remastered: The Macross Saga (Volumes 1-3)
Three Boxsets: Two disc each boxset
Sells for around $25 each boxset, entire set around $75-$80
Remastered picture quality superior to both sets above, sound quality much improved. This is the set that I would recommend. The price is affordable and well worth the extra money compared to the first set. Also includes a few bonus footage.

Macross: Super Dimensional Fortress (Sets 1-3)
Three Boxsets: Three discs each boxset
Sells for around $60-$70 each boxset, entire series around $180-200
Macross is the original Japanese series of the Robotech: Macross Saga. The storyline is slightly different with different music and sounds. When it was brought to the US, Harmony Gold added the Macross material with two other Japanese series to make Robotech. Macross is more "mature" and includes several scenes taken out of Robotech. Picture quality is even more crisp than the Remastered Series. I would reccomend only to die-hard Robotech fans. It's pretty expensive and lacks really any real extra features.

I loved it.......2003-08-31

What can I say I love robotech and I love the boxset format with a seperate extras dvd. this is one sexy box set. This is what BOTP should have done.

A true Macross fan? Don't bother. A robotech fan? Sure........2003-03-13

Originally I had high hopes for this set, after all they used the name Macross on the title. However after popping the DVD in I was severely disappointed. Not only is the childish dubbing still present, it is also the cut, convulated American version. You see "Robotech" is a whole bunch of Macross sagas tied together for America messing up alot of the story line.
If you are interested in the original and pure version you are better off buying the AnimEigo versions, they don't have any special features but it is the true vision of Macross.

The beginning of a legend.......2003-03-01

Robotech is a series I missed back in the '80s (as it aired against some of my existing favorite shows on Saturday mornings), but watching this disc, I can easily understand what the "fuss" has been about. While definitely a product of the '80s (note the titles and a few obvious moments of obvious visual and dialogue editing for US audiences), the series has definite depth, and a cohesive storyline that was previously impossible for American cartoons (thanks to problems with airing orders and general meddling from the Big Three TV networks). The narration is concise and, when needed, quite extensive, which helps ease the neophyte viewer into the show while in no way harming the style of the series.

One negative point is that the video isn't restored. Of course, given the nature of this series (a heavily edited and re-edited showing of three very different television shows), I'm not surprised. However, the video is at the same level as the original broadcasts (which unfortunately speaks ill of how TV shows were broadcast in the days before cable was in most of our homes), and everything is included (even commercial bumpers, recaps, and previews). The special features disc is equally loaded, with a special premeire movie (and commentary by Carl Macek, who is for all intents the "creator" of Robotech) and a series of character model sheets.

While certainly dated, with its sometimes primitive animation and now-unimaginable dubbing policies, Robotech is an essential series for all cartoon fans, and (naturally) this set is the best place to start.

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