Macross Plus

Infobox animanga/Header
name = Macross Plus


caption = DVD cover of the original "Macross Plus: Movie Edition"
ja_name = マクロスプラス
ja_name_trans = Makurosu Purasu
genre = Drama, Mecha, Military Sci FiInfobox animanga/OVA
title =
director = Shoji Kawamori
Shinichiro Watanabe (co-director)
writer = Keiko Nobumoto
studio = Studio Nue
Triangle Staff
Bandai Visual
licensor =
licensor_other = flagicon|Sweden Emina
episodes = 4
released = August 25, 1994
runtime = Infobox animanga/Movie
title =
director = Shoji Kawamori
Shinichiro Watanabe (co-director)
music = Yoko Kanno
studio = Studio Nue
Triangle Staff
Bandai Visual
Shochiku Film
released = August 27 1995
runtime = 115 minutes

Nihongo|"Macross Plus"|マクロスプラス|Makurosu Purasu is a four-episode anime OVA and theatrical movie in the "Macross" series. It was the first sequel to the original "Macross" television series that took place in the official timeline (Macross II was quickly retconned by series creator Shouji Kawamori). "Plus" was a groundbreaking combination of traditional cel and computer-generated animation at the time of its release, paving the way for the incorporation of more computer-generated imagery in Japanese Animation.

ynopsis

Three decades after the great war between the humans and the Zentradi, the U.N. government is developing new technologies to use in their transforming fighter aircraft. Military test pilots and former childhood friends, loose cannon Isamu Alva Dyson and the Zentradi mixed race Guld Goa Bowman, are selected to each pilot a new aircraft (Shinsei Industries' YF-19 & General Galaxy's YF-21) for Project Super Nova, to choose the newest successor to the VF-11 Thunderbolt variable fighter which is currently still in use by the military forces. Their own personal grudges end up disrupting the tests, and begin to wreak havoc on the program.

Their rivalry heats up when a mutual friend, Myung Fang Lone, shows up. Myung was a childhood friend of both pilots, but the three of them had a falling out, and quickly grew apart. This is alluded to throughout the story, and evidence of the strained relationship between Myung and either of the two men is apparent, while their distaste for one another is obvious. Now when they meet again, Myung is the producer of Sharon Apple, the hottest entertainer in the galaxy, who just happens to be an AI hologram.

During a testing session, Guld and Isamu finally face off against each other- and an all out fight begins as each tries to best the other. Despite being in the middle of a testing area, they quickly proceed to tear the surrounding area to shreds in their fight to gain superiority over the other. Having turned off their communications equipment, both pilots fight using the test aircraft in a series of stunning dog-fight maneuvers before going into battroid form and finishing the fight on the ground. In the process, an "accidental" gun pod discharge injures Isamu and he is taken to the hospital, where he awakens to Myung standing watch over him. After returning to duty, a military tribunal questions Guld about their fight in the test area, but ultimately- the decision is left up to the Admiral in charge of the project. Chief Miller, the station commander of New Edwards Test Flight Facility reluctantly tells both pilots that their mission and the project has been scrubbed by the U.N. Spacey High Command- due to the completion of a newer, and previously unknown aircraft, the Ghost X-9 (ゴースト X-9)- an advanced stealth UCAV prototype, which was secretly being produced while two other prototypes (YF-19 and YF-21) were simultaneously being tested for Project Super Nova. With the Ghost X-9 completed, testing on the YF-19 and YF-21 was halted indefinitely, since the higher-ups believe that the new unmanned fighter is superior in every way.

Meanwhile, the AI Sharon Apple has developed a malevolent consciousness, and, during her concert quickly takes over both Ghost X-9 and Macross and hypnotizes her audience and Macross staff.

When Myung's life is in danger, Isamu and Guld have to set aside their differences and overcome the events from their childhood that drove them apart, and which caused them to hate each other. While Isamu goes after Sharon, who has taken over the SDF-1 Macross, Guld fights the X-9 and ultimately destroys it by removing the gravitational safety limiters on his aircraft, and matching the X-9's velocity/maneuverability until he achieves a target lock and shoots the X-9 down. However, removing the limiters allows Guld to achieve velocities with gravity exceeding human (even Zentradi-Human) limitations, which ultimately leads to his death from the pressure -- even as he crashes the YF-21 into the X-9, destroying it.

While fighting the Macross, Isamu is hypnotized by Sharon's voice, and is left to crash to his death. At the last second, Myung's voice reaches him and brings him out back to consciousness. Dodging the Macross' fire, Isamu is able to destroy the central computer, effectively deleting Sharon's data.

The OVA ends as the sun rises over the Macross, with Myung waving to Isamu, who has survived the destruction of the Macross' computer.

Versions

Macross Plus OVA

The OVA version (マクロスプラス) consists of four episodes, each approximately 37-40 minutes in length. The Japanese voice cast is as follows:

*Isamu Alva Dyson - (Takumi Yamazaki)
*Guld Goa Bowman - (Unshou Ishizuka)
*Myung Fang Lone - (Rica Fukami)
*Lucy McMillan - (Megumi Hayashibara)
*Sharon Apple - (Mako Hyōdō)
*Marge Gueldoa - (Show Hayami)
*Millard Johnson - (Kenji Utsumi)
*Yang Neumann - (Tomohiro Nishimura)
*Kate Masseau - (Urara Takano)

Macross Plus: International Version

An English dub version (known in Japan as the "International Version") was produced for the international market, it featured alternative music including an English version of the main theme "Voices" and a North American cast. This overseas version was also released in Japan with Japanese subtitles.

*Isamu Alva Dyson - (Bryan Cranston)
*Guld Goa Bowman - (Richard Epcar)
*Myung Fang Lone - (Anne Sherman)
*Lucy McMillan - (Bambi Darro)
*Sharon Apple - (Melora Harte)
*Marge Gueldoa - (Steven Blum)
*Millard Johnson - (Beau Billingslea - credited as John Billingslea)
*Yang Neumann - (Dan Woren)

Macross Plus: Movie Edition

The theatrical version (マクロスプラス MOVIE EDITION) consists of most of the footage from the original OVA's, along with approximately 20 minutes of new and alternative footage. Some differences between the OVA and Movie Editions include:

*The opening of the movie shows Isamu already testing the YF-19 (an extended version of his first test flight of the YF-19 from Episode 2) and meeting Guld for the first time in the hanger afterwards, as apposed to just arriving at Planet Eden and meeting Guld at the meeting between the two design teams.
* In that same scene, Isamu invites Lucy Macmillan on their first date. This is an alternate version to which he crashed a flight simulator in Episode 1 of the OVA.
*A new scene is of Isamu and Lucy at a dock, where he does his pre-flight movements from the Episode 2. It also leads up to a new scene to after Lucy and Isamu had slept together.
*This new scene is also an alternate version of a scene when Sharon Apple makes a phone call to both Isamu and Guld warning them about a fire at the concert hall. In this version Isamu had just woken up and Lucy (clearly naked) is in bed with him.
*Isamu gets injured during the first test flight of the YF-21. This is the same test flight that is featured in Episode 1 (in which Isamu is flying a VF-11 with rocket booster packs), right up to when Guld forces Isamu's VF-11 into the ground causing him to lose control and crash, with the major injuries he sustained forcing him to be sent to hospital. (In the OVA Version, Isamu escaped injury with barely a scratch) This scene replaces the original grudge match at the climax of Episode 2 when both pilots were using their test craft in melee combat, which ended when Guld, pinned to the ground by a rampaging Isamu, uses Isamu's Gunpod (Guld had intentionally replaced Isamu's blank ammo with live ammo in an earlier scene in the OVA) and shoots Isamu's craft at close range, which gave him the severe injuries he was being treated for in hospital.
*After Guld goes after Isamu (who had stolen the YF-19 to take on the new X-9 Ghost Fighter) a new scene features Col. Millard and Lucy staring at the night sky. Millard talks about his hopes for Isamu.
*At the Sharon Apple concert at Macross City, a new scene and song is inserted to replace what was the ending of Episode 3 ("After In The Dark," the ending theme for the first 3 episodes of the OVA). The new song is "Wanna Be An Angel," and includes new animation of Sharon Apple flying through the whole city. This then leads back into the song "Information High."
*The conclusion of the dogfight between Guld and the X-9 Ghost is extended, with with Guld's body being crushed under the extreme G-Forces and a final image of his head exploding in his helmet before finally crashing into the Ghost fighter. Guld is then seen drifting into orbit.
*Sharon Apple sending Isamu into his dream-like state is extended with more footage of him flying towards the SDF-1. When Myung sings and wakes up Isamu, Sharon attempts to take Isamu back, only to have Isamu smash his head on the forward console to stop Sharon from appearing.
*After the SDF-1 lands back in the lake, Sharon has a final lament before dying. Afterwards Isamu and Myung are seen standing on top of the Macross watching the sunrise. Isamu then tells Myung that her singing helped him to win, ending the film with Myung singing "Voices".

The scriptwriter Keiko Nobumoto originally wrote "Macross Plus" as a feature-length work before the script evolved into a four-volume video series. The movie edition returns the story to the initially-planned feature length.

A subtitle-only version of the movie was released on DVD in the U.S. through Manga Entertainment. The subtitles are actually fixed on the footage itself and not programmed to be turned off.

Macross Plus: Game Edition

A video game adaptation of the original OVA (マクロスプラス -Game Edition-) was released in Japan only. This PlayStation 2000 release by Shueisha features some members of the original cast and staff, and includes parts of the original soundtrack, and includes some cutscenes in the form of excerpts from the Movie Edition of "Macross Plus".

This 3D home software is totally different from the vertical-scrolling Arcade shooter released in Japan by Banpresto back in 1997 as "Macross Plus" (マクロスプラス) which is loosely based on the franchise.

Production

Notable staff include:
*Shoji Kawamori as director and mechanical designer.
*Shinichiro Watanabe as co-director.
*Yoko Kanno as musical composer.
*Koji Morimoto as designer of the concert scene.

Trivia Note

"Macross Plus" is one of the few "Macross" products that has been made avaliable in the United States in its original form. Only the re-release of the Macross TV Show and have been sold in America without any problems related to the legal battles between Big West, Tatsunoko Productions and Harmony Gold interfering with other "Macross" related titles release.

When Myung is visiting with childhood friend Kate, Kate sings "My Boyfriend's A Pilot" at karaoke. A song from original Macross's Lynn Minmay. Episode 2

External links

* [http://www.macross.co.jp/ "Macross" Official Web Site (Japanese)]
* [http://www.anime.net/macross/ "Macross" Compendium]
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Fan Sites:
* [http://macrossplus.areaseven.net/ "Macross Plus" Area Seven]
* [http://www.macrossworld.com/ "Macross" World]
* [http://www.macrossnexus.com/ "Macross" Nexus]
* [http://www.new-un-spacy.com/m3.html Macross Mecha Manual] A website profiling the fictional vehicles of the Macross series
* [http://www.mahq.net/ MAHQ]