Synopsis:
Ace pilot Isamu Dyson and his former best friend Guld Bowman are unwillingly reunited in a government project bid. Two companies are testing state-of-the-art transforming fighters for use against alien attacks. The project would be granted to whoever proves his craft's worth in a battery of tests and simulations. Isamu and Guld are the test pilots for the opposing sides. But there seems to be more to the project than what they are being told. The tension heightens upon the arrival of Myung, a mutual ex-girlfriend. Myung is now the producer of Sharon Apple, the biggest virtual pop idol in the universe. But is that all that Myung's been doing?

Review:
Macross Plus is set 40 years after the original Macross series. It features a brand new cast of characters and a totally different storyline.

Macross Plus' plot is multi-faceted -- several things go on at once. Isamu and Guld have their own issues, so do Isamu and Myung, Guld and Myung... and then there's the fighter project and a series of Sharon Apple concerts which serve as backdrops and catalysts for the story. Everything is nicely connected, and the pacing is just right.

Character development is solid. In the four episodes that comprise Macross Plus, Isamu, Guld, and Myung are depicted very clearly and with much depth. Even the elusive Sharon Apple develops into a breakthrough character by the end of the series. She is an antagonist but not really a villain; a perfect example of artificial intelligence gone astray.

The art and animation are excellent. Macross Plus seamlessly melds computer and cel animation for a truly futuristic feel. All the scenes are so good that I had trouble picking out which screenshots to capture. Macross Plus' music is pretty exotic and catchy as well... somewhat like techno, disco, trance, and j-pop combined. It's all very modern and totally unlike the songs Lynn Minmay used to sing. The English dubbing is generally fine, except for the fact that Myung has a terrible voice... especially when she raises it.

Minor quibbles aside, Macross Plus is a fine series.

Miscellanies:
This is a stand-alone series, so it doesn't matter even if you've never viewed any previous Macross titles.

Screenshots:

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