Robotech: A Retrospective
Okay, anime fans, the following will most likely tick you off. Robotech, the ground-breaking Harmony Gold series from the 1980s, is not a true dub. Yes, the animation is originally Japanese, as is the concept of transforming combat vehicles. But the intricate three-part storyline that drew in scores of anime fans, is an American adaptation. Now, before you storm off this site, cursing my name and wishing me ill, let me elaborate.
I begin with a short history lesson…
In 1983, Farouk “Frank” Agrama founded Harmony Gold to distribute anime series and movies in the United States. One of the company’s first acquisitions was Tatsunoko Productions’ Super Dimensional Fortress Macross. Harmony Gold intended to release a straight dub of the series directly to video but later decided on syndication.
However, there were too few episodes to meet the 65-episode minimum required for daily syndication. To fill in the gap, Harmony Gold decided to combine the series with two other Tatsunoko titles: Super Dimensional Cavalry Southern Cross and Genesis Climber Mospeada. But, other than having similar animation styles and featuring transforming combat vehicles, the three series had nothing in common.
Agrama hired three men – Robert Barron, Steve Kramer and Carl Macek – to adapt the divergent source material into a new series. The result was Robotech, an epic chronicling three generations of humanity struggling against alien invaders. The Japanese originals became the basis for the new series’ three chapters: Super Dimensional Fortress Macross became the “Macross Saga”, Super Dimensional Cavalry Southern Cross the “Robotech Masters Saga” and Genesis Climber Mospeada to the “New Generation”. Only episode #37 – “Dana’s Story” – was an original creation, designed to bridge the gap between the first two chapters.
Now, back to the show…
Robotech premiered at a time when parents groups and other moral guardians were loudly campaigning against violence on American television, particularly in animation. As I mentioned in an earlier article (Here) anime series brought to American television at the time endured severe editing to remove violence, death and sexual references. Robotech (and the earlier Starblazers) broke away from this trend with its gritty, realistic portrayal of war. But, far from glamorizing warfare, the series humanized it. Heroes were honorable defenders who preferred peace but were not willing to sacrifice freedom to obtain it. In many cases, they found themselves at odds with fellow humans who were more vicious than the aliens. Villains, too, frequently escaped their traditional confines as one-dimensional blood-thirsty warmongers, often displaying amazing depth and honor.
Similarly, the series bravely handled death where most ignored the subject. In episode #18, Roy Fokker – ace pilot and friend of the chapter’s main protagonist – died. But, not in the line of duty or in glorious battle. Instead he bled to death, quietly slipping away while relaxing in his fiancé’s apartment. And the aftermath of his passing was not limited to that single episode. He was mourned for the remainder of the chapter, his loved ones often invoking his memory in moments of remorse or as a mantra of strength. This was very different than anything seen before in American animation, characters never died in domestic shows and deaths in anime were usually edited out or explained away. Robotech did not shy away from the subject, becoming one of the first shows to expose young viewers to a common anime axiom: anyone can die. By the end of the first chapter, beloved characters such as Captain Gloval, Claudia Grant and Ben Dixon all died.
Beyond its realistic portrayal of war, the series also featured flawed, multi-dimensional characters. Take Lynn Minmei, for instance. Starting out as a typical fickle teenager, Minmei was transformed into a celebrity and a symbol of human resistance to the Zentraedi invasion. As the chapter progressed, she realized that with celebrity status she had lost control of her own life. She tried finding solace by rekindling her romance with Rick Hunter, but he had moved on to a woman more responsive to his affections.
During the Robotech Masters saga, Bowie – scion of the respected Grant family – struggled to reconcile his pacifistic nature with the war waging around him. His troubles compounded when he develops a deep connection with the alien clone Musicä. During the chapter’s climactic battle, Bowie and Musicä were instrumental in saving hundreds of her people, who were abandoned by the Masters. Expanded material is largely silent on whether Bowie found peace, however.
Lunk, from the New Generation saga, spends most of the chapter running from his past. Viewers learn that prior to the opening episode, he was a soldier named called Jim Austen. During the initial Invid assault on Earth, Jim loses his nerve and abandons his post, leaving a fellow soldier to die. So ashamed of his desertion, he assumes the name “Lunk” to hide his past. Lunk is able to overcome his shame when he rescues a friend captured by biker punks. In fact, Lunk proves crucial to Scott Bernard and the rest of his band of freedom fighters by maintaining their mecha as they traverse the long distance to Reflex Point, the main Invid hive.
Since premiering in the United States, Robotech has been broadcast all over the world and remains highly regarded by anime connoisseurs. Many believe the series began the steady but continual rise in global consumption of anime, spawning the second and third generation of fans (through timely video releases). In 2004, the Cartoon Channel of Chinese Education Television awarded Robotech “Best Robot-themed Anime of All Time”, beating out the ubiquitous Gundam incarnations and not airing in China until the mid-1990s.
Since its finale, the Robotech franchise exploded into novels, magazines, comics, toys, games and the Internet. Protoculture Addicts, a fanzine founded in 1987, is now North America’s oldest anime and manga publication. The series’ popularity spurred interest in the original material and related sequels, which have garnered their own fan base. And though Robotech II: The Sentinels never came together as a separate series, the story spawned five novels by Jack McKinney (pen name used by the writing team of James Luceno and the late-Brian Daley) and influenced the critically acclaimed film Robotech: Shadow Chronicles. And more projects are in the works.
Fans are not the only ones benefiting from Robotech‘s longevity. Many actors who lent their voices to the English dub have had continued success in their careers. Tony Oliver, Wendee Lee, Barbara Goodson, Richard Epcar and Cam Clarke are just a sample of the actors who count Robotech as the first of many voice acting gigs. A detailed review of the English dub cast list for Naruto, Bleach and Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo reveal several Robotech alum. Some – like Lee, Oliver and Epcar – are also in demand as voice directors, helming dubs of Eureka 7, Bleach and numerous games.
Robotech is not the first nor the last anime series adapted for western audiences. But it does shine as an example of how well an adaptation can be received, even when drastically different than the original material. Out of necessity, Harmony Gold combined three dissimilar anime series into something new, filled with gripping realism and compelling but flawed characters. Braving the sentiment of vocal moral guardians, the series showed viewers war and death without glorification. And for nearly a quarter-century, fans have kept the franchise alive by absorbing books, magazines, videos, and most recently, movies. The future of Robotech is unknown, but fans can rest assure it will be interesting!
PS: This article is written by StoicLion but my WordPress refuses to change the author so until i find a solution…well u get the message.
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