I've heard a lot of things about the Macross franchise from over the years, but the more I think about it, the more I realise I haven't ever really watched anything from it. And this is a surprise to me given the aesthetics of the series from around the time it originated. That 80s and 90s aesthetic of Japanese animation that shows hand-drawn backgrounds and characters with a really beautiful, darker tone of colours. I love anime that looks a bit more gritty, less clean and holds a more filmic look. That film grain and darker set of colours really works in the favour of shows that are set in futuristic settings, removing the beauty of clean aesthetics and displaying another layer of immersion over a darker, more high-tech but low-life standard. I've mentioned a lot in the past that I have many problems with modern Japanese animation, and that it's often hard for me to find shows that I can enjoy. Mostly choosing to stick to older shows as a result. Well, it happened again and I remembered the Macross shows and decided to check one out. Macross Plus. A sequel to the first entry and cutting in with a short number of four episodes. Despite what I mentioned about things being hand-drawn, this is a show that actually used a little more computer generated imagery than you might think. It just isn't all that noticeable.
Macross Plus is a little different to the usual science-fiction mecha genre, in that this doesn't really follow the same direction as its competitors like Gundam, which primarily focuses on selling toys and thus focuses son child protagonists. Macross Plus definitely has a bit more of an adult feel to it, but still holds true to some of that more energetic, youthful style of animation that allows for comedic moments and egocentric characters that somehow get away with everything. This is pretty normal for the anime industry of that time. There was the mixture of more serious productions, and the middle-ground which had a bit more of both, not really leaning too much on either side. I quite prefer these ones more, they're a little more fun, less childish than what the modern stuff tends to be like. And this also allows for more interesting themes to be addressed with a target audience that generally is a bit more aware of the political sphere and how the world operates. That war theatre drama side of things given a little more weight as a result; without becoming too boring that is.
Macross Plus almost seems like it's part of the Top Gun franchise now with the recent sequel that had, a film about fighter pilots being phased out with new artificial intelligence drones. Macross Plus has a similar idea in which a group of elite pilots are selected to test a new series of fighter jets that hold their own artificial intelligence systems. Artificial intelligence within this universe is something still relatively loose, mostly under control and not yet sentient. Chips that remove the barriers on these artificial intelligences are illegal, though one manages to find its way into the installation of an AI entertainer, Sharon Apple. Think of Hatsune Miku gaining sentience, I guess! With this, the AI then pursues the technology of these elite fighter jets, leading to them becoming under her total control. Again this is sort of where Macross Plus now has a bit of a similarity to the recent Top Gun sequel, in which the characters now must prove the importance of the traditional method of war, using manned jets that can adapt to certain situations in this more technologically chaotic world. Ultimately this is a story on the fragility of the world, how a simple AI designed for entertainment purposes could one day go rogue and pursue total destruction of Earth in the event that it became capable of making its own decisions.
It does sort of feel like an 80s warning to the future, aware of the possibilities that come with designing AI. There's a lot of shows and films around the world on this very topic, but I think what makes this one impactful is that there already is a form of AI within the story. It's no new creation that people don't understand, it's something actually already loved and supported. And I think that is where some of the warning feels like it comes from: that realisation that it could come from something made purely with good intent, to create entertainment and popularity in a product rather than trying to solve some great question or pursue dominance over other nations in some war effort. It isn't considered a weapon or anything that could cause harm, and people assume it's an AI that is ultimately under someone's control. For the most part, it was until that illegal chip is placed into the system, releasing the AI into the world and giving it the freedom to pursue anything. There's a scene towards the end in which this AI creates an incredible performance over the city, bullets raining all over and a giant mecha forming. There's a human aspect to it all, the importance of sticking true to our flaws as people, that difference in how AI may easily choose the logical path if it could decide to, but humans hold that ability to feel based on past experiences throughout the years, this is something AI would have to learn itself.
These are some pretty fun themes that don't necessarily say that AI is inherently dangerous and bad, but shows a future in which humans can grow careless, as top secret government operations can continue on with the pursuit of replacing humans, leading to a more fragile space in which anything could happen. As people no longer care for the creations of mankind and instead fall into the programming of listening to and worshipping digital creations. Even that itself brings up many questions and ideas. What happens to a society that can no longer appreciate its own developments? Instead relying on the digital creations to feel. That itself questions what it means to be human. That connection between digital construction and the chemical combinations in our bodies that form emotions. Ultimately all things being constructed in one way or another, see what I mean by it doesn't necessarily scream that AI is inherently bad? If anything it makes comparisons between the two. And I think the animation does a great job at displaying this reliance on the technological. The cities seem tall, dark, towered over by artificial light and almost a blockage from natural light. Most of the interiors feature that digital glow of colour from computers, buttons and screens. Very little seems connected to the natural world.
Even outside of the story, for a show with four episodes, it's pretty good. The visuals are quite impressive and with some rather memorable scenes and frames. I really liked the end episode for its pacing and action moments, but even the build up in the prior episodes had some weight to them as they teased the technological advancements of mankind. The animation in showing the mechanical side of things was impressive, especially the directing which sometimes made comparisons to the natural world. In the first episode the flexing of engine flaps is immediately followed up with the stretching of legs, that comparison of the mechanical with the natural. It's pretty creative and made some comparisons to the authentic, relaxed nature of the pilots we come to learn more about. For them this stuff is normal, no matter how challenging and advanced things seem. I like connections like these, the ways in which the technology isn't seen as a negative all the time. I think Macross Plus is pretty good because of this, a short show that's considered more of a movie. But there's a lot of fun to it, something a little more rare these days with how franchised things are. A little spin-off that tells a different story and gives a bit more extra depth.
All with quite impressive quality to it. I'd say it's worth a watch if you like mecha and science fiction animation.
Yeehaw, this blog post is a mighty fine tribute to the classic Macross Plus! It's refreshing to see someone dive into the rich aesthetics and themes of this gem from the past. Keep on exploring those gritty, immersive worlds! 🤠🚀