Bonus! Zillion Review

by Nathan Stout (of AccordingToWhim.com)

What the heck is Zillion doing here on the Robotech 2012 Blog?! While I am reading the Robotech novels (before watching the show or reading the comics) I got a little lonesome for some Anime. This last week I began cleaning out some old VHS tapes I had in the entertainment center and lo and behold what should I find but my Zillion tapes! I thought this would make a nice quick break and give me some much needed classic animation while I am busy reading during the week.

Zillion is here because it was one of the early Anime titles I picked up after getting into Anime (which was started by my Robotech fandom in the late 80's). Zillion was another Cark Macek adapted show but this time around it was much closer to the actual story and not a mash-up like Robotech was. Macek had his success with Robotech in 1985 and was looking for something new to bring to the US for the older fan. In Japan there were 31 episodes so I am guessing sales in the US were lackluster so there were only the 5 episodes and special released here. You can even see a bit of Zillion in Michael Jackson's Scream video.

Being the much eager Anime fan I got this set plus the movie 'Burning Night' and utterly failed to get past the 2nd episode. That was 20+ years ago... It's time to put things to rights and watch the whole damn thing.

My enthusiasm is much higher now that I am into 'older' Anime series. I do like the flashy new stuff but the totally hand drawn classic anime holds a special place in my heart. This should be fun.

Episode 1 "They Call Me J.J."

What caught me by surprise when I first watched this episode was the much more adult stuff in it. There is some mild cussing and a lot of people dying... alot. There are even babies getting jacked in this show! It was nice that Macek didn't try to edit this to death.

Since this was an OAV (Original Animation Video) it looks better than the regular TV stuff since it was shorter and they had more money to produce nicer animation. You will also notice animation looks very Macross Saga too. That's because Studio Tatsunoko did this.

The enemy in this series (the walking battle suits) look a whole lot like the Invid's Organics... a WHOLE lot. Infact I am willing to bet they are designed off of them.

You will recognize a lot of Robotech voice actors in this. Back in the day there was a smaller circle of voice actors to choose from so most anime back then shared a lot of the same people.

The White Knights are told early on that there is only a limited amount of Zillion energy but they shoot with wild abandon.

Episode 2 "Hang Fire"

The Noza (the almost faceless enemy) are pretty cool looking but you don't ANY personality out of them (since they have a mask-like face).

The schematic of the Zillion guns show a 'black box' that scientist can't figure out. On the display screen it lists the black box as 'unfathomable'... lol.

What the heck is that floating thing that hangs around Amy?

Apparently if you want to be a White Knight you will need to learn how to drive a motorcycle with a side-car thingy.

This was such a waste of an episode! What the heck happened here? There was this massive Noza invasion of a power plant and in the end the White Knights only had to deal with like eight of them! Suddenly that's all, the episode is over! There was no real story development here at all, just some pretty animation.

Episode 3 "Split Second Chance"

Some of the laser sounds from the first of this episode sound pretty cool.

As soon as the massive reinforcements showed up, flying in tight formation, I saw the result coming a mile away!

Was it really necessary for JJ to backflip to get out of his pilot's seat?

Champ is the only thing that keeps JJ alive. He is the voice of reason and often saves JJ's ass.

There's an eclipse on Maris every freakin' fifteen minutes!

The Noza's leader's eye blink (kinda) when he is giving orders to his cannon troops. This must mean it's not a mask but his actual face.

So JJ and Champ just jump out of the sub on the motorcycle, take their time aiming, shoot, and Apple catches them again on the top of the sub... man, those are some heroes!

Episode 4 "Target, The White Knights"

JJ is butt-naked at the first of this episode!

That Noza ugly-ass survellience bird is here again. This is the most unpleasant looking creature in the galaxy.

While JJ's hormones are getting him into trouble that flying ball thing is finally put to use.

Well, now that the plot has been setup and there was plenty of pre-action stuff, the rest of the episode should just fly by without much more plot or character development. lol.

Champ makes a big deal about not using their guns so the Noza won't know they are there but then immediately uses it.

Apparently Apple is a perv too.

Waterskiing Noza!

Episode 5 "Judgement Call"

This is the last of the US adapted episodes (besides the 'Burning Night' special).

That cat thing that the scientist has sounds so pathetic... poor thing.

Champ is the one always getting shot and hurt.

That cat thing is hiding in Apple's bosum... yuuuum.

Well, that's all for the regular released US episodes. If you are interested in wanting more YouTube is the place to go. I think I'm gonna pass. I can see why the US released didn't do so well. The episodes are too self insulated, no real running story arcs or anything. They were $15 for each episode back in the day so I can see people giving up pretty quickly on this set.

OAV: Burning Night

This is the 45 minute OAV I assume was released after the series completed.

To start with the White Knights have apparently become a band since the last time I saw them (with Amy on Keytar).

Champ looks like he belongs in Duran Duran.

Apple has become useless. She used to be such a ass kickin' fem fetale. Now she is just a helpless girl.

The action in this show takes place in some place called the 'zone'. It looks like an old run down crap-hole and some big time family runs it. I don't know if they are a port from the show or a new creation from the OAV.

The team is working at that bar they started the show in (even their boss is reduced to being a bartender). After they defeated the Noza (which apparently left Maris one big junk hole) the White Knights were just abandoned to obscurity.

The Zillion weapon systems were used up during the Noza wars so the teams are reduced to normal weapons to go in a save Apple.

When JJ tries to stop the wedding it plays out like that scene from Wayne's World 2 where Wayne is banging on the glass wall above the ceremony.

Apparently the old woman controls dead Noza like zombies. They jump around like the living dead in Chinese ghost movies.

In closing, Burning Night is pretty but pointless (as was much of the regular episodes). The money was there but the story lacked. There doesn't seem to be much point in it.

Overall Zillion (in all it's forms) suffered from lack of story. There needed to be story arcs and an overall story line that actually meant something. This is the big difference between Zillion and Robotech is the story. There is a main storyline and several arcs where there doesn't seem to be anything like that in Zillion... pitty. It's not too much of a mystery why the series only 5 episodes here in the US. Along with a less than exciting storyline and Carl Macek ripping young kids out of $15 per episode Zillion flopped fairly quickly.

The Toys:

There were some Zillion toys released in Japan back in the 90's. Apparently they were very  rare since the only set I saw (from which I got these pictures) was from a very expensive Ebay auction. They look pretty cool. There was also a game gun for the Genesis system.

 

Robotech (Comico Comics) #7-12

by Nathan Stout (of AccordingToWhim.com)

Robotech #7 (1985 Comico)

Once again this is a great front/back cover. There is a cool shot of the MACII outside Sera Base's window.

Ugh, there's that Carl Rieber again. Why would you bother joining the military if you were so opposed to war? Just asking...

On page 11 the alien recon ship somehow knows the name of the base (Sera). There is also one of those rare 'under' shots of the SDF-1. I like it. Oh yeah, finally on that page the Zentraedi screen is in English.

On page 12 there is a full page advertisement for the dorkiest sweatshirt ever. Anyway this is the first clue that Cark Macek had bigger plans for Robotech. The title Robotech Oddesy referred to the '5th' part of Robotech which was to take place after The New Generation and The Sentinels. Basically the further adventures of the SDF-3 which would end in the REF going back in time and basically becoming the Robotech Masters, thus creating an infinite loop. Clever idea but it never came through... cause The Sentinels SUCKED! Oh, sorry... lol.

When Khyron shoots down his own troop (that tried to attack early) another one of the troops reported that he was dead. In the series he is still alive (just moaning).

On the final page of the comic Rick asks Lisa a question and she responds. It's a much less poignant moment than in the show since there (the show) they don't speak to each other, it's just the announcer.

Robotech #8 (1985 Comico)

The opening box calls the Mars base Sara, not Sera... not sure what it is supposed to be.

Reggie Byers does the art in this issue and you can tell he has a hard time with the character's looks.

On page 12 is a sign up form for the Official Robotech Fan Club. I wasn't a member back then but somewhere in the early 2000's I got the membership kit off Ebay. It was all water damaged but I still enjoyed it.

On page 14 the overhead announcement (presumably from Lisa) calls Veritechs 'varitechs'. She calls them that later too.

On page 16 Gloval orders all 'battloid' teams out. He meant destroid teams. Oh well, he's busy and under a lot of pressure. Claudia then tells Gloval that the defender team has been destroyed. Oh the name confusion!

Rick's Veritech is a strange color.

Robotech #9 (1986 Comico)

On the inside cover they advertise the upcoming movie and 65 new episodes of The Sentinels.

On page 5 Rico calls it operation 'Miss Macross', not 'Blue Wind'.

On page 16 we see Minmei fall because of her broken heel. We don't even get to see this in the show. As I read through this issue I am really seeing an almost scene for scene and word for word adaptation here, good work.

On page 24 there is something DEFINITELY not in the show. The host is singing the cheesiest song ever to Minmei.

Robotech #10 (1986 Comico)

In this comic the front/back covers are gone. Too bad.

On page 3 (and in the show) the narrator mentions that because of constant battle much of the technology aboard the ship is no longer working. This little factoid seems random and made only to take up time on the show since there is no other reference to problems of this nature anywhere else in the series.

While reading this comic I am getting an sense of real order from the layout artist. I forgot that in a previous issue they said that Mike Leeke was going to be drawing the comic (he is the guy who drew the covers). The art is sharp and well done. The previous issues were fine but Leeke has taken it up a notch.

Diana Shultz (the Editor) has a different and amusing title in each issue. This issue she is listed at Gamemaster.

On page 10 the narrator (I'll just call it that to keep any confusion out) says that Breetai is loyal "The Supereme Dolza". It almost seems like it is a title instead of his name.

On the same page the asteroid the Zentraedi destroy is called an asteroid here as opposed to a planet (like in the show).

There is a frog in the fountain with Rick after the radar tower is hit.

The bridge structure of the SDF-1 seems to be on a pedestal or something. It is sitting higher here than I have ever seen it before. I don't think it's like that in the show. It always appears to be resting right on the deck.

Starting on page 17 is a REAL BUMMER of an article by the editor about child abuse with some real graphic information. Were they sure this was a good fit for a kid's comic book?!

On the 2nd pane of page 18 we can see where Disney stole Lightning McQueen's catchphrase from Cars. Also, Lisa calls the chunk of asteroid 'planetary fragment'. I was too quick to thank the comic makers for fixing that faux pas. Then all the sudden the chuck of rock becomes a Zentraedi cruiser and then suddenly it becomes a chunk of rock again (like in the show).

Robotech #11 (1986 Comico)

If memory serves Lisa did not volunteer for this mission as it says on the first page.

On page 8 is some nekkid images of Lisa! Woo woo!



On page 12 there is an ad for the F.H.E. Robotech VHS tapes. A deal at only 9.95 per tape (per episode)! Do you realize that would cost you almost $400 for JUST the Macross part of Robotech?! If F.H.E. released it all you would have been paying $850 for it all! Wow.
When I got into Robotech F.H.E. had already moved on to selling the condensed version of the Macross Saga on 6 VHS tapes. These were crudely edited together episodes with a lot of stuff cut for time. I never owned the single episode VHS versions you see here.

Dolza is supposed to be even bigger than Breetai but when Dolza holds Lisa, she is pretty big in his hand (about the size of a Barbie doll). When Breetai holds Rick after capturing him in his escaping ejection seat, Breetai can close his hand around Rick and the ejection seat...

On page 26 and in the show Dolza goes into a speech that confuses me. I thought the Zentraedi were the unthinking clones of the Masters but his speech leads us to believe that the Master don't even exist and all this stuff with getting their hands on the SDF-1 is his idea and not a simple direct order of the Masters...

The petition on page 29 is interesting... I wonder how that turned out.

Robotech #12 (1986 Comico)

On page 3 Exedore suggests they send spies into the SDF-1 but if you remember he is most adamant about not have any contact with the Micronians.

On the bottom of page 12 it looks like Rick and Lisa are nekkid and Rick is wearing a bra... lol.

The show cut out the Zentraedi getting blasted by the Rick (using a Zentraedi rifle) but the comic shows it... right in the faceplate!

As I stated in the video review I am confused as to why there are men and male battlepods on the female Zentraedi ship. I thought they were very segregated.

On page 24 there is a copyright at the bottom of the page stating that Minmei's lyrics belong to Harmony Gold... sheesh.

On page 27 (the letters page) the Editor in Chief rips Robotech fandom a new one! There was a 1986 'Galaxy of Stars' Robotech promo mini-convention in New York and apparently the fans there were very rude and it was more of frenzied free for all than an well ordered promotional event. One of the promoters was a local New York radio station that was broadcasting from there, giving out stuff and asking trivia. Although it sounded like a hot-mess it also sounded like a great time for Robotech (wish I was a little older back then... and living in the area).

Page 29 is cool. I love advertisements for comic books stores, conventions, etc.. ahhh old school.

Robotech Episodes 1-6

by Nathan Stout (of AccordingToWhim.com)

Here we go! We have finally go to the actual episodes in my 2012 chronological Robotech Experience! Click here if you know nothing of this. The story of Zor's betrayal and the early escapades of Roy Fokker and the rest of the Macross Island crew has passed and we have approached 2009 and the launch day of the SDF-1.

As I have said in the past I didn't enjoy the Remastered Robotech that was released a few years back. I found the audio very distracting. I am watching the first DVD set that was released back in early 2000/2001.

These 'reviews' are not reviews in the traditional sense but more reaction / commentary on stuff I think is interesting enough to comment on.

After each episode I will also include some tidbits from Protoculture Addicts (in the form of images right out of that great old fanzine!

One final note before we begin. You will notice the animation quality varies throughout the series. There was the 'A' team of animators and... the other guys. I don't know exactly what the arrangement was but you will notice that the pivotal episodes were done in a much higher quality than most of the rest of the series (the Macross part). Extensive use of shadowing will give away which 'team' you are watching. The first few episodes were the primary team (as well as the original ending episode when Earth gets attacked by the Zentraedi and they also did the last episode of the Macross saga). Keep an eye out and you will see it.

Episode #1 Boobytrap

The SDF-1 looks rather different than most Tirolian ships. While it is descending to Earth it looks much like it does after it is rebuilt (very angular). After the crash there is a slow pass across the hull and it has a definite green tint and looks Zentraedi.

I aways found it funny the way the narrator first calls Robotech 'Rubutech'

Mayor Lunan stands with the crowds when Gloval and Russo pass. The RDF sure treated him like crap! He should be right there in the middle of the ceremonies.

Right before Roy takes the stage there is a close, low shot of the stage and underneath the SDF-1. You remember that it sits on some massive support structures. If you pause the show you can see under there. It's a shot you never see much of or think about. There is quite a bit going on down there. As someone who played the Roleplaying game I was always looking for cool locations like that to set part of my adventures in.

As Roy is saying that Robotechnology makes such precision possible there is a scan of the crowd and someone who looks ALOT like the Zentraedi spy Rico is in the background.

I always thought the part where Rick buzzes Roy on the stage was awesome. Afterwards when Rick and talking to Roy you get to just how short Rick is.

This is one of the first edits from the original Macross. Roy is clearing leering at Minmei's legs as she walks away from the cola machine with Jason. In the US version that shot of her legs walking away is cut. That's why Rick says Roy is still a ladies man.

When the Zentraedi Flagship comes through the jump it looks like they used a shot made for the SDF-1's entry, it looks pointy at the front, not rounded.

Who in their right mind would take a civilian for a test flight? Roy would have been court marshaled!

When Claudia tries to shut off the main controls it looks like a stove nob.

You will notice that the unsure, bumbling Roy Fokker from the comics is gone and in his place is the far more adult, confident combat professional.

The bit where Roy is talking to Rick and casually flips the missile cover and looses 2 missile to destroy a Butrouo fighter is so cool.

When Rick's ship transforms and crashes into all those buildings there is a shot of the foot rockets firing to stop the forward motion. Right when the shot begins you can see someone standing on the left of the screen. He gets blasted off the screen when the foots comes tearing through the building. You will have to use your pause/slomo button to see it. Poor guy.

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
# of 'Uh?!' said by the characters during this episodes: 10
Bloopers:

Episode #2 Countdown

Lisa just tells Gloval he will just have to do without Roy's team... the cheek!

We get some more of the super annoying Jason. Shut that kid up!

When the helicopters get blowup you can see one of the pilots puts his arms out as he is annihilated. I aways thought was was so 'adult' for a cartoon to show a death like that.

Couldn't that truck drive use another street and go around Rick's battloid?

On Kim's screens there are various images including the Earth, some readouts, and an image of a field with a tree.

The shots of the street level urban combat between battloids and battlepods is cool. The shots of the battlepods walking is particularly cool. It has an 'alien invasion' feel to it.

I won't mention the physics of the Rick opening his cock pit in mid flight to save Minmei because Ill leave it for my review of the book.

Of course if you know about Macross and such you will know there is some more editing here when the Zentraedi comes for Rick's guardian and Roy blows a hole in his back. In the original version it's a slightly longer shot and you see the hole get blown in his chest.

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
# of 'Uh?!' said by the characters during this episodes: 7
Bloopers:

Episode #3 Spacefold

The announcer covers a lot of ground in the opening of this episode.

During more of the ground battle scenes several battlepods blow up from laser bolts... that hit the ground all around them. Those are some powerful blasts!

I noticed that it appears this is the 'B-Team' of animators. You will notice how different and a little more crude the animation looks. The mecha looks more rounded and less angular. The character's looks seem to change. They have a particularly hard time

You will notice some voice actors doing different voices. One Veritech pilot has the voice of Ben Dixon.

I have always wondered why Veritech pilots don't seems to wear sealtbelts...

The drive through the SDF-1 to the Mockingbird shows you just how big the inside of the SDF-1 is. It's not so unreasonable to think they moved the city in there.

In this episode the Zentraedi basically destroy the Armor Space Platforms. Have you ever noticed that in the series the SDF-1 gets the Dadelus and Promethus as 'arms' but in the movies and later series they have one of the Armor Platforms instead of the Promethus?

When the Zentraedi is firing between the SDF-1 and Armor Space Platforms there are several red and gray ships that look alot like aircraft carriers in the background.

All I have to say is... "Yes Sir, Cap-taaaan"

I hope Rick knew that the SDF-1 was back in the atmosphere before he pulled that lever to open the bay doors (when he left the SDF-1 in his plane).

When the fold starts happening there is a shot of the ocean and one of the aircraft carries and one of those red and gray ships... IN THE SKY. What the heck is it? I thought only the SDF-1 had anti gravity.

There are a couple of battlepods still in Macross city when the fold starts... I thought they all left earlier?

Now if this were real how do you think Henry Gloval felt when he saw Macross Island out in deep space? He basically doomed a lot of people to their deaths. Claudia warned him about jumping so close to the ground.

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
# of 'Uh?!' said by the characters during this episodes: 18
Bloopers:

Episode #4 Countdown

Lisa thinks it's strange that she can't contact anyone on the Prometheus or Dadelus... hummm ocean going vessels in deep space...

We seem to have switched back to the "A" team of animators.

When Rick and Minmei bust open the water pipe it's a good thing it wasn't a sewer line! Also this is where the infamous topless Minmei scene is located (in the Japanese movie version anyway).

Rick seems to have grown up very quickly. He seemed so young in the first 3 episodes but suddenly he seems much older. I guess war does that to you :)

Lisa opens some 'SDF-1' brand sugar.

"Tuna fish!"

Teens now a days would have jumped in the sack in the first 24 hours, there would have been no talk of marriage, lol.

When the crowd starts looking down in the hole when Rick and Minmei are found Rico's voice can be heard. I swear he was on Macross Island from day one! (not really people).

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
# of 'Uh?!' said by the characters during this episodes: 14
Bloopers:

Episode #5 Transformation

Why is Minmei always humming the wedding march?

There is a crane carrying a MAC II Monster through the city but it is wayyyy too small in size. It would have been like four times bigger.

The Mayor's wife fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down!

I'm gonna have to stop referring to voice actors voicing other characters, it just happens too often!

For some reason the animators made Lang's eyes dark for no apparent reason. Carl Macek gave those eyes a back story (Lang 'interfaced' with the Protoculture rich SDF-1 and was zapped by it). I think Lang is a pretty awesome character.

The videos the Zentraedi watch when they identify Earthlings as Micronians... the scenes are fairly graphic for a cartoon, people getting blasted, people getting thrown off skyscrapers... little Johnny is gonna have nightmares.

When Rick is talking to Minmei in her room a building moves by the window. It's being hauled by crane down the street complete with a bed inside. Robotechnology sure is spectacular.

There appears to have been a fairly long time period between the SDF-1s fold and the time the Zentraedi catch up with them. I'm sure that would be a good gap for some comic stories and RPG adventures. Alot of stuff must have happened (non-war stuff) during this time.

The shots of the SDF-1 during it's transformations are top notch. They knew they needed to make it look good for it's first time.

Macross city looks like total crap afterward.

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
# of 'Uh?!' said by the characters during this episodes: 19
Bloopers:

Episode #6 Blitzkrieg

The clothing store scene was cut out of the FHE 'condensed' version of the show so I didn't see it for years. The bridge bunnies digging through the pantie bin is hilarious.

The first meeting of Rick and Lisa is really great. Top notch stuff!

The night meeting between Rick and Minmei is great too. This scene defines the characters and situation so very well.

Unfortunately the battle in the rings of Saturn isn't all that great compared to the two previous scenes (the Lisa/Rick and Rick/Minmei scene). The only real redeeming part of the battle is the mobile shield barrier stuff. The three women rolling the balls around trying to keep up with the incoming fire is so funny.

I'm not bashing this particular space battle or anything it's just that I never was a big fan of the battles. They just seemed to slow down the storyline for me.

Breetai seems to have no issue with sending his commanders to their deaths just to test the SDF-1's ability.

The announcer does a lot of exposition at the end of this episode. He says that Rick feels that things were changing inside of him... yeah, it's called puberty! lol.

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
# of 'Uh?!' said by the characters during this episodes: 10
Bloopers: