Macross Frontier

Macross Frontier (マクロスF (フロンティア), Makurosu Furontia) is a Japanese animated science fiction space drama that aired in Japan on MBS from April 3, 2008 to September 25, 2008. It is the third Japanese anime television series set in the Macross universe.

Macross Frontier is the story of a human space colony fleet trying to find a habitable planet near the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The story focuses on three young adults (a famed pop singer, a private military pilot, and a rising pop singer) and the events that occur around them as the fleet faces a crisis of alien origin.^[1]

Plot

The series features the 25th New Macross-class Colonial Fleet, dubbed the Macross Frontier, en route to the galactic center. This heavily populated interstellar fleet (consisting of numerous civilian vessels and their military escorts) contains a makeup of both human occupants and their Zentradi allies. As such, many of the Macross Frontier's companion vessels appear to merge more metallic Human designs with organic Zentradi aesthetics. Macross Frontier's plot explores a combination of action/political intrigue/space drama more than previous Macross series have done in the past.

As the series begins, during a mission to an unexplored asteroid belt a reconnaissance New U.N. Spacy (N.U.N.S.) VF-171 is destroyed by extremely powerful and fast insectoid biomechanical alien mecha known as the "Vajra" which immediately begin their attack on the rest of the fleet. Unable to stop the new enemy threat, the N.U.N.S. Colonial Defense Forces authorizes the deployment of a private military provider organization called S.M.S. (Strategic Military Services) which utilizes the new VF-25 Messiah variable fighter to combat the alien menace.

Media

Anime

The series was broadcast in Japan on MBS from April 3, 2008 to September 25, 2008 and animated by Satelight. A pre-broadcast airing, called Macross Frontier Deculture Edition or Macross Special Edition (マクロスSP版, Makurosu SP Ban), showcasing a preview version of the first episode was aired on December 23, 2007. The series also received its satellite television premiere in Japan on Animax on April 7, 2008.^[2]

Manga

Three separate manga adaptations have been running in Shōnen Ace and Comp Ace, since February 2008, April 2008, and July 2008, respectively.

Soundtrack

Others

Radio Macross

Radio Macross is a radio program, based on Macross Frontier, which was first broadcast on Bunka Hōsō and MBS Radio on January 3, 2008. It has featured Megumi Nakajima and Kenta Miyake, voice actors for the characters Ranka Lee and Bobby Margot, as hosts.^[3]

Macross Fufonfia

Macross Fufonfia is a series of flash-based 90-second promotional shorts developed by Satelight and sponsored by Mainichi Broadcasting System where characters from Macross Frontier are portrayed as office ladies and employees at the "Frontier Software Company". While not exactly standard anime, more a sort of paper cut-out animation, these ONA shorts are a fun spoof of the original series intended to promote the show. The series was aired in 2007 and featured 20 episodes.

Macross Frontier the Movie: The False Songstress

A theatrical version of the Macross Frontier anime television series was announced in Japan during the broadcast of the 25th and final episode Your Sound ("Anata no Oto") on September 25, 2008. According to interviews with Shōji Kawamori the movie was to be an adaptation of the story from the T.V. series. Japanese anime magazine Animedia had originally announced that the film was to be released during the summer of 2009.^[4][5] Other reports later placed the premiere in the fall of 2009.^[6] That report was confirmed by an itasha (vehicle decorated with character art) mini-van outside the "Macross: The Super Dimension Space Launching Ceremony" event that took place on February 22, 2009 in Japan. However, at that point, the creator Shoji Kawamori and the cast members Yuuichi Nakamura (Alto Saotome), Aya Endo (Sheryl Nome), and Megumi Nakajima (Ranka Lee) noted on the actual event, that the new date and the title were still subjected to changes.^[7]

The theatrical film adaptation of the Macross Frontier opened in Japan on November 21, 2009 under the name Macross Frontier the Movie: The False Songstress (劇場版 マクロスF 虚空歌姫 〜イツワリノウタヒメ〜, Gekijōban Makurosu Furontia Itsuwari no Utahime). The Kadokawa Cineplex and Shochiku Multiplex theaters' websites revealed the title and date, and the second issue of Kadokawa Shoten's Macross Ace magazine eventually published the details on June 26, 2009. The teaser trailer for the film premiered in Japanese theaters on June 27, 2009 (the same day ticket pre-sales began in Japan).^[8] The first movie retells the events of the anime from episodes 1 to 13, with significant alterations to the story and timeline of the television series.^[9]

A Blu-ray Disc release of the movie, titled Macross Frontier The Movie: The False Songstress Hybrid Pack, was released on October 7, 2010. The Blu-ray release contains the Blu-ray jacket, the hybrid disc, a 48-page artwork booklet, a theatrical release archive, and a card featuring frames from the movie. The pack also included a code that allowed the owner to be entered into a contest to attend the Macross F Christmas Live event that year. A PS3 game titled "Macross Trial Frontier" is included in the Hybrid Pack, playable on the PlayStation 3. A standard DVD was also released in the same day.

Macross Frontier the Movie: The Wings of Goodbye

The official website of the Macross Frontier anime series has confirmed that there will be two theatrical Macross Frontier films. While the first film will re-edit the story of the television series with new footage, the second film, titled Macross Frontier the Movie: The Wings of Goodbye (劇場版 マクロスF 恋離飛翼 〜サヨナラノツバサ〜, Gekijōban Makurosu Furontia Sayonara no Tsubasa), which will be based also on the Macross Frontier TV series, will act as a sequel to the 2009 film, including a new story and new music.^[10] In the Macross Frontier Girasama Festival, the movie's release date is confirmed to be on February 26, 2011.^[11] The film is a rearrangement of aspects of the original TV series, having little to do with the original story.

Blu-ray and DVD editions of the movie were released by Bandai Namco Games on October 20, 2011. The Blu-ray version is still a Hybrid Pack, the same as the first movie released in Blu-ray.^[12] A PS3 game titled "Macross Last Frontier" is included in the Hybrid Pack, and it can be played when the disc is in the PlayStation 3.^[13][14]

Macross F Galaxy Tour Final in Budokan

In November 2008, a live concert of Macross Frontier's music was performed by May'n, Megumi Nakajima, and Yoko Kanno. A video recording of the concert was released in November 2009, and is available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

All That VF - Macross 25th Anniversary Air Show (Frontier Edition)

Coinciding with both the 25th Anniversary of Macross and the Blu-ray releases of volume one of both Macross Zero and Macross Frontier, the official website of Macross Frontier posted two newly animated short films featuring Air Show style demonstrations for both series. People who purchased the first pressings of either Macross Zero or Macross Frontier received a unique code to enter into the website and therefore be able to watch the short film of the respective anime.^[15][16]

International Release

Do to a current legal dispute over the distribution rights of the Macross franchise, involving Studio Nue and Big West against Harmony Gold, much of the Macross merchandise post 1999, including Macross Frontier, have not received an international release.^[17]

See: Legal Complications with International Distribution

Reception

As a tribute to the popularity of the series, Japanese champion cosplay kickboxer Yuichiro Nagashima ("Jienotsu") crossplayed as the character Ranka Lee during one of his tournaments and also in a promotional event for the show.^[18]

The first DVD volume that has been released in Japan by Bandai Visual sustained a third position in the sales chart for 2 consecutive weeks, prior to its release. Namely, from 21 July 2008 to 6 August 2008.^[19] It is revealed that about 45,000 Blu-ray Discs and 55,000 DVDs are shipped by Bandai Visual for the first volume of the series. This marks the highest Blu-ray Disc pressing among all Bandai Visual releases. Macross Frontier is also reported to be the first anime television series to ship simultaneously on both disc formats in Japan.^[20]

Music wise, the first opening single, "Triangular" performed by Maaya Sakamoto made the Oricon's weekly top 10 chart for all Japanese singles. "Triangular" debuted at #3 and sustained for 3 consecutive weeks before falling to #6. Similarly, the first ending single "Diamond Crevasse" performed by May'n also debuted at #3.^[21] The Original Soundtrack for the series titled, "Macross Frontier O.S.T.1 Nyan FRO" made it to #3 on Oricon's next weekly chart of all albums sold in Japan. The album sold over 72,000 copies becoming the first anime album in 11 Years to rank in Japan's Top 3. The only anime album which managed to rivalled the sales of this is The End of Evangelion soundtrack, which was first released on 26 September 1997.^[22] The second opening single "Lion", which also features the second ending theme "Northern Cross" has sold about 56,000 copies in its first week and thus reached #3 on Oricon's weekly chart for all CD singles. All four of the Macross Frontier singles that have been released have debuted at #5 or higher. This brings the total sales of the Macross Frontier CD singles to 500,000, marking the start of a "new anime song boom" in Japan.^[23]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Macross Frontier.

• Official website
• Official Website @ MBS
• Macross Frontier Official PV @ Bandai Channel (1Mbit/s)
• Macross Frontier entry at the Macross Compendium
• Macross Frontier (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Macross Frontier on IMDb
• Macross Mecha Manual A website profiling the fictional vehicles of the Macross series