[Categories: OAVs, Movies and Full Series]
Macross: Do You Remember Love?
It pains me to admit that I still haven’t seen the original SDF Macross series - put it down to a combination of waiting on an announcement from ADV for a R2 release and lament@backlog. Robotech doesn’t really count as an experience of the series itself either since certain names had been changed, some concepts altered and others shoehorned into the script to make the transition to the two subsequent arcs smoother. As a result my experience of the Macross universe is limited to that indirect encounter, the Plus movie and OAV (masterpiece), Zero (pretty-shiny but lacking in plot and characterisation) and Frontier (a good start but we’ll have to wait until Spring to see how it pans out). Mindful that the original Macross is ‘teh oldz’, I sat down to watch Do You Remember Love? with the anticipation of seeing a somewhat cheesy old-school but classic anime movie. I wasn’t disappointed.
A magical moment between Ichijyo and Minmay
DYRL? does look dated though. The artwork is rough and the music is quintessentially 80s, the outlines and character designs have a shaky hand-drawn appearance and the screenplay has that innocent clumsiness that is found in a lot of older features. Considering its age however, the animation is actually very impressive. While the art lacks polish the choreography of the mecha battles is remarkably fluid and exhilerating for its time; an early scene featuring Lynn Minmay in concert exhibits some brilliant stage effects including a holographic light show that no doubt inspired the footage of Sharon Apple’s live act a decade down the line. You can scoff at the retro Jpop, but looking at how popular music often ages with the passing years I don’t think Minmay’s songs have done too badly at all. Besides, Mari Ijima has real musical talent, which invariably helps. There are of course some strident classical-style pieces in the more dramatic moments but orchestral film scores are orchestral film scores after all, be it the 70s, 80s, 90s or 00s - just look at how John Williams’ most well-known movie themes can enthrall to this day.
The original series, as far as I can tell, dealt with a wide range of issues including the futility of war and racial prejudice that added some more substance to the space opera staples of loves triangles and the loss of loved ones in battle. Here the characterisation is wisely retained at the expense of the politics, so we’re thrown into the story at the point where the Macross is already in space and the war is in full swing - the focus is on the romantic element and how it affects the course of the conflict. The end result is a powerful story told in the space of one feature film; an important factor no doubt in this movie’s production values being somewhat higher than the TV version. There is, perhaps inevitably, some shuffling done to the sequence of events but in all honesty the screenplay unfolds well enough. Besides, a scene-for-scene carbon copy of the original story would be a bit pointless anyway.
You have to admit, valkyries still pwn…with not a frame of CGI in sight. They don’t make ‘em like that any more
Hikaru Ichijyo is a great protagonist since he shows that exciting loose cannon side but is at the same time a heroic individual who isn’t boorish or arrogant in the same way that jet pilots are often portrayed in film and TV. His indecision between Minmay and Hayase is understandable really, taking his age and the uncertainty that surrounds him; on the other hand neither of the two ladies in his life can be blamed for receiving mixed signals. Roy Foker on the other hand IS arrogant and boorish, but he’s so badass that his inherent gar-ness makes him awesome by default. With Kamina’s demise in Gurren Lagann still fresh in my mind, I was half-expecting him to scream “believe in the me who believes in you!” when he blasts away some Zentraedi bad guys for the last time and allows Hikaru to escape.
Make no mistake, there are some pretty clichéd moments that have been re-used by Macross franchise and others since DYRL?’s release, but remember that this and the TV series are the point where much of it began - it’s something that can be best described as retro charm. With all of the film’s other strengths aside fans of old-school anime, and Macross aficionados in particular, will be in their absolute element here.
Roy Foker tells it like it is: huerrgh!
It comes as no surprise really that I found Minmay to be every bit as irritating as her reputation among fans suggests. There’s a scene towards the end where Ichijyo physically slaps her to the ground when she’s having a selfish emo diva moment - I can count this as the one occasion when a violent act against a female character in anime is somewhere near justified. I’m not using the old age of the story as an excuse here: she thoroughly deserves a sharp wake-up call in regards to the sacrifices made and her own responsibilities (and yes, I think Shinji deserved a similar bitch-slap in EoE, in case you think I’m some sort of ignorant misogynist).
It was a pleasant surprise to see that the Ichijyo/Minmay/Hayase triangle was handled so convincingly actually, with plenty of ‘will they-won’t they’ moments and no easy answer right up until the end. With Minmay’s irksome nature notwithstanding, I think it was a decent resolution given the experiences the various characters shared; while it may not be the exact outcome some viewers were expecting (I can’t of course say how the original series ended at the time of writing) it’s not exactly spawned from out-of-the-blue developments either. Suffice to say, those of you unconvinced at an old movie’s ability to deliver on the characterisation front may become converts after this one.
ZOMG! Zentraedi!
Summary
If you’re after a retelling of the Macross story within the confines of one feature film Do You Remember Love? pretty much fits the bill. The animation isn’t as bad as I’d feared and the inevitable omissions are by and large well-chosen, allowing extra emphasis on the character relationships and their significance in the bigger picture. This after all is what any epic drama is all about: the true cost of warfare lacks emotional clout unless the plight of individuals is effectively conveyed. I’m sure purists may balk at some of the changes but as a companion piece to the franchise it’s also a winner - I’m now even more inclined to see the original, this time as Shoji Kawamori intended.
Posted on January 14th, 2008 @ 11:51 pm
This sounds like a good way to brush up on some Macross knowledge before Frontier starts for real. (Did I just hear the collective gasp of horror of a thousand fanboys?)
Have you considered that Shinji embodies adolescent depression so completely that a slap wouldn’t suffice? Only something like - well - the end of the world would work.
If you replaced the normal slap with a Brightslap, though, then you might see results.
Posted on January 15th, 2008 @ 10:35 am
My experience of “Macross: Do You Remember Love?” is basically exactly the same as yours, right down to only having seen Macross Plus and Zero before hand. Likewise, I can see this is an objectively pretty good movie, but until I’ve actually seen the TV series, I suspect it’ll always feel like I’m reading a love letter addressed to someone else. I got the feeling I was supposed to care more about these characters (e.g. Roy Focker) than I actually did, and that seemed to emotionally distance me from actively engaging in the drama. No doubt, one day I’ll revisit this having seen the TV series and absolutely love it.
Posted on January 15th, 2008 @ 9:17 pm
@IKnight: I think it’s a good summary of the original story - you get a nice overview of the main characters and the relationships. As for the Brightslap, does it win over the Kaiji Knee in Gut?
@Bateszi: I think the movie was intended to be a retelling of a story viewers were already familiar with, similar perhaps to the RahXephon movie. Existing fans ought to enjoy it but newcomers to the franchise might miss out on the significance of certain points. I really, really, need to see the original!
Posted on January 16th, 2008 @ 7:57 pm
Do You Remember Love is a wonderful retelling of the original story of Macross, but there are some pretty big changes here and there that I really enjoyed in comparison to the original. I think these changes are what really justify the existence of this movie, and bump it up on a higher level than just being a straight-forward retelling and nothing else.
And yes, you DO need to see the original. I will assure you that it’s nothing short of excellent. I’ve always said that “anime is Macross” because it has everything that I’ve always loved about anime all wrapped up in one nice package. And it does this in a way that DOESN’T pander to the audience. It just is what it is. And it is great.
Posted on January 16th, 2008 @ 10:53 pm
@KT: it’s good to see you’re still around! Man, you’ve got to get back into blogging again…as for Macross, I think you’ve just provided the final push for me to check it out.