Macross Plus (1994) (V)

Directors:

Shôji Kawamori
Shinichirô Watanabe (co-director)

Writers:

Shôji Kawamori (story)
Keiko Nobumoto (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 February 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Two old friends/rivals find themselves rival test pilots in competing projects while a mutual old flame returns to them with her own secrets.

Plot Keywords:

Aviation | Anime | Sequel | Artificial Intelligence

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Bryan Cranston	...	Isamu Alva Dyson (voice: English version) (as Lee Stone)
Takumi Yamazaki	...	Isamu Alva Dyson
Richard Epcar	...	Guld Goa Bowman (voice: English version) (as Richard George)
Unshô Ishizuka	...	Guld Goa Bowman
Rica Fukami	...	Myung Fang Lone
Anne Sherman	...	Myung Fang Lone
Melora Harte	...	Sharon Apple (voice: English version)
Mako Hyôdô	...	Sharon Apple
Beau Billingslea	...	Col. Millard Johnson (voice: English version) (as John Billingslea)
Kenji Utsumi	...	Col. Millard Johnson
Dan Woren	...	Yang Neuman (voice: English version) (as Jackson Daniels)
Bambi Darro	...	Lucy MacMillan (voice: English version)
Megumi Hayashibara	...	Lucy MacMillan
Steve Blum	...	Marj Gueldoa (voice: English version) (as Steven Blum)
Shô Hayami	...	Marj Gueldoa
Banjô Ginga	...	Raymond Marley
Bob Papenbrook	...	Raymond Marley (voice: English version)
Richard Barnes	...	General Gomez (voice: English version)
Kôichi Kitamura	...	General Gomez
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leonardo Ardujo	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Phil I. Arndt	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Richard Cansino	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
A.C. Doyle	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Dorothy Elias-Fahn	...	Ghost Ship officer / Airport annnouncer / SDF-1 Bridge officer / Additional voices (voice: English version) (as Dorothy Melendrez)
Tom Fahn	...	Additional voices (voice: English version) (as Tom Charles)
Michelle Flynn	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Michael Forest	...	Additional voices (voice: English version) (as Alfred Thor)
Gloria Gines	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Dougary Grant	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Arnie Hanks	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Ralph Holderness	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Susan Jordan	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Wendee Lee	...	Reporter / hotel clerk (voice: English version)
Edward Mannix	...	Additional voices (voice: English version) (as Ed Mannix)
Marlon Mann	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Mona Marshall	...	Additional voices (voice: English version) (as Liza Rhesus)
Joe Montane	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Tomohiro Nishimura	...	Yang Newman
Debra Rogers	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Joe Romersa	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Masaharu Satô	...	Bikens
Joshua Seth	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Peter Spellos	...	Council member (voice: English version) (as G. Gordon Baer)
Skip Stellrecht	...	Additional voices (voice: English version) (as Hank Wilspank)
Barry Stigler	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Paul St. Peter	...	Council member (voice: English version) (as George C. Cole)
Sam Strong	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Urara Takano	...	Kate Masseau
Paris Themmen	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Jimmy Theodore	...	Additional voices (voice: English version) (as Rudy Luzion)
Kirk Thornton	...	Additional voices (voice: English version) (as Spanky Roberts)
Michael Wang	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)
Mimi Woods	...	Additional voices (voice: English version)

Directed by
Shôji Kawamori
Shinichirô Watanabe		(co-director)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Shôji Kawamori		story
Keiko Nobumoto		screenplay

Produced by
Isamu Asami	....	executive producer
Ryô Iguchi	....	producer
Ken Iyadomi	....	executive producer
Hirotake Kanda	....	producer
Yutaka Maseba	....	executive producer
Takashi Mogi	....	executive producer
Shinji Nakashima	....	assistant producer
Kaya Ônishi	....	producer (as Kaya Ohnishi)
Yoshimasa Ônishi	....	executive producer (as Yoshimasa Ohnishi)
Hirohiko Sueyoshi	....	executive producer
Minoru Takanashi	....	producer
Yoshio Tsuda	....	producer (as Yosio Tsuda)
Taro Yoshida	....	producer

Original Music by
Yôko Kanno

Cinematography by
Takashi Azuhata
Akihiko Takahashi		(episode 1)

Film Editing by
Hideichi Kakematsu
Shuichi Kakesu

Art Direction by
Katsufumi Haryu

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Osamu Mikasa	....	second assistant director (episode 3)
Yûji Moriyama	....	assistant director (episode 3)
Minoru Ôhara	....	second assistant director (episodes 1-4)

Art Department
Shinji Higuchi	....	storyboards
Shôji Kawamori	....	storyboards
Kazutaka Miyatake	....	original production designer
Yoshinori Sayama	....	artboards
Kiyomi Tanaka	....	artboards
Shinichirô Watanabe	....	storyboards

Sound Department
Les Claypool III	....	final mix
Masafumi Mima	....	sound director
Joe Romersa	....	digital tracking

Visual Effects by
Mitsunori Katâma	....	computer graphics director

Animation Department
Atsushi Aono	....	animation director (segment 2)
Nei-Yo Ebisu	....	animation director
Masami Goto	....	mechanical animation director
Jeong-Gyun Jeong	....	animation and finishing scheduling (as Jeung-Gyun Jeung)
Shôji Kawamori	....	mechanical designer
Yoshihiro Kitano	....	animator (segments 1-2 and 4)
Masayuki	....	original character designer
Kôji Morimoto	....	animation director: Sharon Apple Concert scenes

Other crew
Ichirô Itano	....	action choreographer
Kazutaka Miyatake	....	original mechanical designer

Production Companies

• Bandai Visual Company
• Big West
• Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS)
• Shogakukan

Distributors

• Living Colour Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2001) (Australia) (DVD)
• Manga Entertainment (1995) (UK) (video)
• Manga Video (1995) (USA) (all media)
• Teletoon

Other Companies

• Crescente Studio  music mixed at
• Crescente Studio  music recorded at
• Czech Philharmonic Orchestra  orchestra (uncredited)
• Dr. Movie  animation and finishing
• Imagica  film developing
• Israel Philharmonic Orchestra  orchestra
• Magic Capsule  sound production
• Maki Productions  titles
• Rudolfinum Dvorak's Hall, Prague  music recorded at (uncredited)
• Triangle Staff  animation production
• Victor Aoyama Studio  music recorded at
• Victor Entertainment  music production

Runtime:

115 min (movie version) | 35 min (4 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:14+ (TV rating) | Canada:PG (TV re-rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) (VHS/DVD rating) | Australia:PG | Canada:14A | France:U | UK:12

Company:

Bandai Visual Company

Trivia:

The song Kate sings at the holographic karaoke bar is "Watashi no kare wa PAIROTTO" (My Boyfriend is a Pilot), which was one of Lynn Minmay's signature songs from the original TV series Chohjikuu Yosai Macross.

Quotes:

Col. Millard Johnson: You can't carry challenge and recklessness within in the same pocket. Do you know who said that, Lieutenant?
Isamu Alva Dyson: Hmmm... no, sir.
Col. Millard Johnson: I did. That's the lesson I learned.
Isamu Alva Dyson: And?
Col. Millard Johnson: Do you know what else you're carrying in your pocket, Isamu Dyson?
Isamu Alva Dyson: Uh, no... sir.
Col. Millard Johnson: Stupidity!

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Macross 7" (1994)

Soundtrack:

Information High

Best Anime I've ever seen

Macross Plus is a sequel to the original movie Macross. It is not a sequel to Macross II. I found the original Macross to be unwatchable, partly for its cloying storyline and partly for its grating sexism. Macross Plus is so far removed from these tacky origins as to be a completely new and stand-alone movie.

There are two versions available for this anime-- the series and the movie. The series ends up approximately an hour and a half longer than the movie, but the editors did a wonderful job cutting, so the movie doesn't feel incomplete. In fact, they moved scenes around to create the complete story and even added a few scenes to change the focus.

The story and characters are more solid than many another film, and the animation is breathtaking-- in fact, my friends now use the term "Macross Sky" to denote any particularly vivid and beautiful sky. Moreover, the music is beyond amazing and ranges from symphonic/classical to atonal chant.

Computer animation is used in this film, and is completely distinct from the hand-drawn animation, but it is used entirely with computer-related scenes (a computer-generated concert and an interface with a plane) and the effect is wholly unified.

Try your best to see a version in Japanese with subtitles as the English music has less power than the original. DVDs are particularly good as you can see the varied versions and compare for yourself.

This is the movie I point to to say to American animators, "It is possible to do a fully adult, beautifully animated movie. Animation is not just for kids. Learn." Someday, maybe, they will.