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[The Sum of Zero]

Disney+ to Stream Nearly All Macross Anime Worldwide in 2024

Titles include: Macross Plus, Macross 7, Macross F, Macross Delta, more

www.animenewsnetwork.com

Note that the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross and the movie Do You Remember Love? will be exclusive to Japan (fuck Harmony Gold).

Also, like most anime that are on Disney+, it will probably end up on Hulu in the US, but that hasn't been confirmed yet.

The titles that will be available worldwide:

• The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Flash Back 2012 (the music video derived from the television and film versions of the original Macross anime)
• The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lovers, Again (6 episodes)
• Macross Plus (4 episodes total)
• Macross Plus Movie Edition
• Macross 7 (49 television episodes, plus three OVA episodes)
• Macross 7 the Movie: The Galaxy's Calling Me!
• Macross Dynamite 7 (4 episodes)
• Macross Zero (5 episodes)
• Macross Frontier (25 episodes)
• Macross Frontier: The False Songstress
• Macross Frontier: The Wings of Farewell
• Gekijō Tanpen Macross Frontier Toki no Meikyū
• Macross FB7: Ore no Uta o Kike!
• Macross Delta (26 episodes)
• Macross Delta the Movie: Passionate Walkūre
• Macross Delta the Movie: Absolute Live!!!!!!

Also for those unaware, the music from the series has been available on streaming services worldwide since 2022

 

[newtypepilot]

fuck harmony gold

 

[Hudo]

Wow. One show worth stepping into the swamp of shit that is Disney+ for.

 

[The Sum of Zero]

Monkey paw wish, someone finally buys out Harmony Gold and dissolves their asses to free the rights of the OG Macross and finally kill Robotech.

Double edged sword, it's Disney.

Honestly, worth it if it would ever happen. Harmony Gold has been an insufferable pain in the ass for too many years.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

fuck harmony gold

I checked the Wikipedia site - it seems like Tatsunoko is regularly extending the licensing agreement with Harmony Gold, so less fuck Harmony Gold and more fuck Tatsunoko (and probably they thinking fuck Baka gaijin, not in Japan so we don’t care lol).

 

[Sakura]

Macross 7 is the best one btw.

 

[The Sum of Zero]

Macross 7 is the best one btw.

Holy Lonely Light is the best Macross song and I'll die on that hill.

 

[newtypepilot]

I checked the Wikipedia site - it seems like Tatsunoko is regularly extending the licensing agreement with Harmony Gold, so less fuck Harmony Gold and more fuck Tatsunoko (and probably they thinking fuck Baka gaijin, not in Japan so we don’t care lol).

Big West, Studio Nue, Harmony Gold Agree to Global Distribution of Macross, Robotech

Big West also agrees not to oppose live-action Robotech film

www.animenewsnetwork.com

in 2021, big west and harmony gold reached an agreement where Big West can distribute all the Macross sequels worldwide while not opposing the Robotech live action film, as well as recognizing licensing deal between HG and Tatsunoko (was to expired in 2021 but got renewed), which was the rights to use the 41 character and mecha designs from Macross in Robotech (excluding Japan). Macross was coproduced by Tatusnoko, Studio vue/Big West. All this licensing mess started because Tatsunoko made a deal with HG, even though he didnt have the rights to those 41 designs (he only had the international distribution rights to the anime series).


All that being said, HG is far from innocent. They abused the Macross license as if they had rights to the whole franchise, going on a lawsit spree against FASA, HBS, PGI, and even Hasbro. All their claims were dismissed with prejudice thankfully.

 

[Spyxos]

I'm not familiar with this series, what's worth watching? And is it comparable to Gundam Seed?

 

[The Sum of Zero]

I'm not familiar with this series, what's worth watching? And is it comparable to Gundam Seed?

Every Macross series has three main pillars: Transforming mecha, idol music, and love triangles.

Oh, and the ships can transform too.



(above clip is from Frontier)

 

[Spyxos]

Every Macross series has three main pillars: Transforming mecha, idol music, and love triangles.

Oh, and the ships can transform too.



(above clip is from Frontier)

And which ones are must-see?

 

[Shadowplay1979]

Macross is one of those things from my childhood that inevitably led me to live where i live and do what i do.

Glad its finally gonna be shown in the states....too bad its through that twatshop that is disney

 

[Shadowplay1979]

Yes I like macross

 

[Werewolf Jones]

I just want to see the original. God damn. I've seen Plus, Zero and Frontier.

 

[Husky]

I had a dream that Disney+ released a remake of Code Geass. Or a nightmare? A knightmare. Because it wasn't as good.

 

[The Sum of Zero]

And which ones are must-see?

Plus and Frontier, definitely.

I'd also recommend the original and the Do You Remember Love movie, but you'll have to go sail the high seas for those.

 

[Wheeljack539]

Plus and Frontier, definitely.

I'd also recommend the original and the Do You Remember Love movie, but you'll have to go sail the high seas for those.

I'd argue only Plus. I ended up dropping Frontier after

Spoiler

the nose bleeding fanboying/Zentraedi shit. I tolerated Macross 7 due to it having Max and Milia but I was already losing interest in Frontier but that pissed me off that I closed it then and there. Only later did I check up and found my hunch was correct that the series' dead man walking was the ace in blue.

I also hate that the franchise basically d/evolved from space opera with mecha to super idol magical girls with mecha.

All that being said, HG is far from innocent. They abused the Macross license as if they had rights to the whole franchise, going on a lawsit spree against FASA, HBS, PGI, and even Hasbro. All their claims were dismissed with prejudice thankfully.

It was a contract stipulation that they had to defend their license or risk losing it. That's why they went so hard starting in 2000.

 

[qbxwhi]

And which ones are must-see?

only macross plus, really . if you like it, then macross zero also.

 

[newtypepilot]

It was a contract stipulation that they had to defend their license or risk losing it. That's why they went so hard starting in 2000.

Not at all.

HG were claiming they had rights to the entire Macross franchise, which is completely baseless because Tatsunoko only licensed the rights of the original Macross series and DYRL to HG. Tatsunoko was not involved in any of the Macross sequels and does not own the whole IP. HG was just bullying other companies through litigation to bog them down and hope for a settlement. That's what FASA did when they got sued in the 90s. HG thought it can do the same again when it sued PGI and HBS, but they refused to back down as the affected mechs were already redesigned to be different enough and HG's lawyers were also dumb enough to make claims on IPs they have no rights to (Dougram, which was never released in the west).

HG was basically being copyright trolls.

 

[Wheeljack539]

Not at all.

HG were claiming they had rights to the entire Macross franchise, which is completely baseless because Tatsunoko only licensed the rights of the original Macross series and DYRL to HG. Tatsunoko was not involved in any of the Macross sequels and does not own the whole IP. HG was just bullying other companies through litigation to bog them down and hope for a settlement. That's what FASA did when they got sued in the 90s. HG thought it can do the same again when it sued PGI and HBS, but they refused to back down as the affected mechs were already redesigned to be different enough and HG's lawyers were also dumb enough to make claims on IPs they have no rights to (Dougram, which was never released in the west).

HG was basically being copyright trolls.

No, that was the case. I was heavily involved with the fandom at that time and the original three heads running Robotech in the early 2000s also involved themselves with the fandom at that time. Asking questions to them when they showed up at a fan gathering and even going to and being on site a few times in HG itself. One of the big things was the contract stipulations that were there when there was the renewal at the time and they did not want a repeat of the 90s during the "no one minding the store" era. I don't disagree that it wasn't heavy handed but the call was that they didn't have issue with more Macross but it had to go through them first.

It was that thinking that sunk the manga Macross Trash from TokyoPop who did go through Harmony Gold and got the okay and was then pulled. I was there when it was announced in '03 along with what was to be a release of the Takatoku Valkryries with new heads (it had even been on Robotech.com itself). Same thing happened years later as ADV wanted to bring over and dub Macross Zero though this time when they went to Studio Nue they were told to go to HG and when they did and got the ok SN decided to pull back on it at the last moment.

It was a bunch of frustration through that era and I for better or worse had a front seat for it.

Honestly I'm just glad Sony got both HG and Studio Nue to play ball which was Miracle #1.

Miracle #2 is getting DYRL which has so many problems in who owns what in Japan (and amazingly enough HG is not even involved in that one).

 

[Blade2.0]

What macross were the ones that made Robotech?

 

[NecrosaroIII]

What macross were the ones that made Robotech?

Just the original series. The other two shows they spliced in were unrelated to Macross.

Do you remember love? I remember love. Hopefully one day we all can in high definition on a streaming service.

 

[Paltheos]

And which ones are must-see?

I'm pretty far removed from them at this point (10+ years since I watched) so I'm not super confident in my recs, but I can tell you what not to watch. Macross 7 is structured like a serial cartoon, and it becomes quickly obvious that it is not worth watching for the 50 episode run. Macross II I barely remember even watching - I think it's a mediocre nothingburger in the same vein as Gundam F91.

I liked the Do You Remember Love movie: A crunched movie version of the original TV series - high seas only still - but I do think maybe the original TV series (also high seas only) might be better because of how crunched it was. No opinion though because I still haven't watched Macross the TV series.

I like Macross Frontier, the TV series and the movies. Frontier is a soft redo of the original Macross and does some things well and other things not so well. It's a genre romance-action piece but has the boon of looking and sounding really good. Any time I'm ever trying to get anyone into Macross, I recommend watching a particular concert scene from the second Macross Frontier movie - Both the song and the visual spectacle are off the charts, and that caliber of showmanship and synergy between song and the visuals on-screen (whether it be a concert or an action scene) showcases the franchise at its best. Macross Frontier has some problems with its greater story and the cast is a mixed bag (mainly, Alto is a total bitch), but Frontier is what Macross is all about really. Also, Yoko Kanno soundtrack.

Mixed feeling on Macross Zero. I really, really liked the first half, which seemed smart and deliberately paced and plotted, and I think the second half devolves into mindless garbage, which is really a shame.

I don't think my opinion on Macross Plus can be relied on. I suspect it's a show aimed at an older audience - the cast is older than par and the themes, as I recall, are about not cutting it, personally and professionally, and how you deal with that - and maybe it just didn't connect with me at the time. I do know the show looks good, but I can't comment much more on it meaningfully.

 

[Dice]

I love this franchise but that won't convince me to get Disney+

 

[AJUMP23]

Macross is cool. Shame it has to be on Disney.

 

[MayauMiao]

I feel fortunate to have watched SDF Macross and Mospeada first in its original form before the mangled Robotech version.

 

[Trilobit]

I thought it said Lacrosse and was like "huh, that's a franchise?"

 

[ShirAhava]

And which ones are must-see?

Macross 7 and Delta

Frontier and Zero suck

 

[ShirAhava]

This is excellent news! I'll admit its flawed but I might be the biggest Macross II fan on earth
I still have my VHS Copy I recently unsealed and have been watching constantly

Best Music! Best Characters (unlike frontier where I hated everyone)

 

[Thaedolus]

Just the original series. The other two shows they spliced in were unrelated to Macross.

Do you remember love? I remember love. Hopefully one day we all can in high definition on a streaming service.

We can’t promote piracy but in this case of licensing hell, I’m gonna go ahead and say yeah…the animation in this movie is just too good. 80’s anime films were just next level

 

[NecrosaroIII]

We can’t promote piracy but in this case of licensing hell, I’m gonna go ahead and say yeah…the animation in this movie is just too good. 80’s anime films were just next level

Yup, that Bubble Era is too glorious. I actually prefer the story of the TV series to DYRL. But man is the animation glorious.

 

[AJUMP23]

The good of this is maybe some Disney people will stumble across the wonder that is Macross and enjoy it.

 

[Trogdor1123]

Will it come to Canada or no?

 

[Thaedolus]

Yup, that Bubble Era is too glorious. I actually prefer the story of the TV series to DYRL. But man is the animation glorious.

I can go back and forth on the plot tbh. It was a bit jarring to see how it changed from the show to the movie at first, and the first version I saw was the notoriously god awful dub, rented from Hollywood Video, but I liked the idea of coming back to earth and seeing it’s already destroyed. It makes more sense really.

Man someone find that Toonami intro let’s go!

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Yes I like macross

Since I was a child I always wanted this vehicle, I like Mechas that transform.