Isamu Dyson is a hotshot pilot who has been transferred to a test pilot program, where he is set up against former friend Guld Goa Bowman (a human/Zentradi hybrid) for the right to pilot the U.N.’s latest fighter jet. Their rivalry is intensified by the appearance of mutual friend Myung Fang Lone, who formerly had aspirations of a singing career and is now the manager of Sharon Apple, an AI virtual idol. Isamu and Guld fight about their past while a conspiracy involving Sharon Apple and its AI slowly reveals itself.
Macross Plus is the most accessible entry in the Macross canon, both in terms of content and availability to American fans -- both the OVA and movie versions are available on Right Stuf, and the latter version of the series is shown every now and again on SyFy’s AniMonday block. And the story downplays some of the stranger recurring elements of the Macross franchise, focusing more extensively on the love triangle (among three relatively complex, cynical adult characters) and the dogfighting, while keeping the musical involvement to a more superficial level.
The story is mostly a straightforward tale of petty rivalry, lost dreams and clinging on to that little bit of hope. Each of the main characters has his or her issues, although none of them flings out the angst at insanely overdramatic levels (but Myung gets close at times). And actually, though Isamu is definitely flawed (he’s a selfish, stubborn and arrogant), he’s probably the most likable protagonist in any Macross series, because he makes no bones about who he is and lives his life going after what he wants. He can be a prick, but he’s a likable prick.
The OVA’s production values have a legendary reputation that is totally deserved. Despite being nearly 16 years old, Macross Plus is a lavish production that even today can only be matched by high-budget movie projects. Macross is rarely about the jetfighter battles; Macross Plus is a notable exception. Several fights in the OVA are amazingly detailed, full of intense action and had my heart racing the whole time. They’re absolutely incredible to watch, more so as the years roll on because this was way before the digital revolution, so it’s almost all cel-based animation here.
(However, that’s not to say there is nothing digital in Macross Plus -- it’s actually one of the first (if not the first) anime to successfully integrate CG animation without making it look like a kindergartner got a hold of a computer and wizzed all over it.)
I will say, however, that my favorite sequences of animation are not the fights, wonderful as they are; no, they are when Isamu eagerly jumps into his jet and flies around like a maniac, nothing tethering him to the ground other than his ability to fly higher into the sky. Macross Plus is one of the absolute best series I’ve seen at exhibiting the sheer thrill and joy of flight. I’m scared shitless of heights, but weirdly enough I love being in airplanes, and Macross Plus captures everything that is so wonderful about flight.
If the look and feel of the OVA is not enough to tip you off, know that some high-caliber talent worked on this series. Co-directing with Macross creator Shoji Kawamori is Cowboy Bebop/Samurai Champloo director Shinichiro Watanabe, who got his big break working on Macross Plus. Although the series is not quite as cool or free-flowing as those two shows, Macross Plus can be seen as a predecessor of sorts to Bebop. Hell, the character designs are pretty damn similar, even though MASAYUKI designed the characters for Macross Plus and Toshihiro Kawamoto for Cowboy Bebop.
And music fans will be delighted to note that Macross Plus is the first series that Yoko Kanno composed for herself. (She apparently did a few tracks for the Please Save My Earth OVA, but Macross Plus is all Kanno.) The results are about as great as one would expect: Her songs fit the tone of the series perfectly but never overpower the show to the point where they needlessly draw your attention. A definite classic of anime music for Kanno on her first try.
Macross Plus is probably the best area of entry into the Macross franchise for those who are a bit unsure about some of the crazier elements (like, you know, stopping wars with the Power of Song). It has a down to Earth story (ironically enough :p), fantastic production values, solid characters and is just all-around awesome. SDF Macross is still my favorite entry in the canon, but Plus is a solid No. 2, along with the Do You Remember Love? flick. Go watch this!
(And a fun bit of trivia before I go: The English dub starts none other than Bryan Cranston of Malcolm in the Middle/Breaking Bad fame as Isamu. I listened to the Japanese, myself, but what I heard of Cranston as Isamu is pretty damn good.)
If you like this, then watch ... : If you’ve somehow gone without watching Cowboy Bebop, then, uh, what are you waiting for? Eureka Seven is another mecha series that emphasizes the sheer fun of flight.
