Robotech: The Macross Saga - Legacy Collection 2 (1985)
Film:
DVD:

Directed by Noboru Ishiguro
Starring Tony Oliver, Melanie MacQueen, Rebecca Forstadt, Dan Woren, Greg Finley

Features:

• Episodes 13-24 of the series
  
• "Robotech: Galaxy of Stars", footage from a Robotech convention back in 1986
  
• Toy commercials
  
• Character bios
  
• Demonstration of two scenes dubbed in different languages
  
• Animation model sheets
  
• Cover gallery for the comic book
  
• "Point of View" interview with producer Carl Macek
  

Anamorphic: N/A, appears in its original 1.33:1 format.

My Advice: Own It.

The continuation of the saga begun in the first Legacy Collection boxed set. In this outing, our heroes finally get back to Earth after a long grueling journey and many skirmishes with their alien foes, the Zentraedi. During the process, the Zentraedi have been watching humanity closely--and discover that maybe there's more to life than war. This new development might pave the way for some kind of peaceful resolution to the intergalactic armed combat. This boxed set contains the story from their return to Earth up to the showdown between the Zentraedi chief asskicker, Miriya, and her nemesis from Earth, Max.

Just as the first set, and probably with all the sets to follow as we cover them, there is enough of a nostalgia factor involved with the series that such annoying bits as insane pieces of dialogue and the overabundance of the character Minmei's singing are simply overwhelmed. It is during this span of episodes that a major character dies--and stays dead. A first for me, anyway, when it comes to an animated series. There are motivations and romantic developments, not to mention bureaucracy, that are much more complicated that your general cartoon--and thus the impression that it left on my easily dented young psyche when it was first being broadcast.

The episodes comprise the first two discs of the set, and the third is made up of more keen extras like on Set #1. The most amusing bit on here are the toy commercials from Matchbox. Now bear in mind: they're toy commercials. From 1986. Thus, they are so incredibly bad they're laughable. After going through them, that terrible "Robotech...to the rescue!" jinglet will swallow your very soul. But...it gets worse. In a series of commercials I don't ever remember seeing back in the day, there's the "Women of Robotech" line of toys. Oh my sweet Ganesha, these are amazing. First of all, Rick Hunter is featured on the arm of both Lisa and Minmei in their respective commercials. Second, the whole balance between they're Adventuresome Women of Action and yet still they have a Feminine Side (illustrated by a handy change of clothes) is hilariously forced. Lastly, the tagline for the girls to say at the end is "Isn't she neat?" Um. I didn't even mention Rick Hunter and his Jiffy Pop hairdo. Just downright terrifying.

As in the previous set, we get animation model sheets--this time of umpteen different flavors of mecha. We also get two "international clips" this time, to demonstrate how the series sounds worldwide. We also get the "Galaxy of Stars" from 1986--footage that I've seen described as some kind of marketing blitz kickoff, but it looks more like a fan convention. You also get a gallery of comic book covers from the late, departed, doomed Comico company.

Lastly, there's an interview from '86 with producer Macek, that appears to be from some community cable access show called "Point of View." As hokey and amusing as it is, it's really interesting from a historical...well, point of view... that Macek himself talks about the series as though it was an original piece of work--not the cobbled together Frankenstein's monster of three already existing anime series from Japan. I feel better--I thought that my ignorance at the time was why I didn't know about this, but apparently it's ignorance that wasn't helped by the people behind the Americanized version of the show.

Just like the previous set, any fan of the series should buy it. Period. The archival value of the extras build upon what is already a great set just for collecting the episodes in a DVD format. Those unfamiliar with the series should begin at the beginning, and work their way forward.