I’m new to this. I’ve never seen Robotech so I have no idea how far Robotech reaches.

Also I’ve been reading on some random forums about Minmay, is the hate she receives mostly from Robotech fans or Equal?

Also Minmay did nothing wrong

I don’t have any numbers to back this up, but I’d say Robotech and Macross are about equally popular in the US.  By that, I mean both are a relatively small fandom compared to other anime because of how long its been since anything new was released (in the US).  Most people who are familiar with one will almost invariably be familiar with the other.  Also, in my experience, most people love both Robotech and Macross equally.  Almost every single fan I’ve met face to face loves both.  However, online, there are some very vocal Macross fans who dislike Robotech for various reasons and they aren’t shy about telling you about it.

As for Minmay, she was just an obnoxious element of the love triangle whose fickle nature caused a lot of frustration for fans.  Lots of people will tell you that they dislike her, but if you press them on it, they will admit that she added a lot to the dramatic tension of the story and was an important part of the show.  If you haven’t seen Robotech, you should check it out.  It’s on Netflix.  And it encompasses a lot more than just Macross, so its not simply a re-telling of the Macross story.

Nice PMMM reference.  I like it.

My experience here tells me that most Robotech fans are also fans of Macross.  I’ve never seen the original Japanese versions of any section of Robotech, myself, so I keep out of those debates when they do spring up.  There are rabid fans on both sides of the question, though. 

And Minmei.  People tend to forget she was a spoiled teeny-bopper and not the grown woman they expect her to act like.

BTW, Michaeljones, I removed the link from your post.  Please don’t include commercial links in future posts.  Its a violation of the Terms of Use.

I don’t think it’s even a question, Robotech is more popular. We fans can point to how many people we know love Macross but come on, Robotech aired across the country in the 80’s. There are more people who kind of vaguely remember Robotech than legit Macross fans in America. Anyone who believes otherwise is just kidding themselves. The “casual” Robotech fans, people who might stream the series on Netflix once or might still have a Robotech toy in a box somewhere, outnumber Macross fans by a HUGE margin.

Now if you’re talking about legit hardcore diehard fans, the gap lessens but I’d still say Robotech comes out on top. There’s been much easier access to Robotech over the years than Macross. Even if Macross was freely available, you’d still have more Robotech fans.

I’ll grant that more people are aware of Robotech based on the fact that it was a popular ‘80s TV show, but as for true fans, I think they are a lot more equal in number than you think.  Based on the relative sizes of Protoculture Con and Macross World Con (aka Super Dimension Convention) they may have an edge.  However, when HG hosts panels at large conventions, they often draw a crowd of several hundred.  So, if we define fans as people who would show up for a Robotech or Macross themed event, then I’d say the numbers are pretty close.  Actually, I suspect that most fans are fans of both.

As for access, yes, today its easier to access Robotech than Macross, but during the ‘90s it was a lot more even.  Macross was being distributed and marketed just as much as, if not more than, Robotech back then but only Macross had new animated content to offer.  So, during the ‘90s the Macross fandom was probably growing while Robotech’s was not.

“True fans” is a term I usually like to avoid, if only because it’s so hard to nail down. What makes someone a true fan? They attend cons? They buy every piece of merchandise? It’s so hard to tell. If we’re talking about the most hardcore of hardcore fans, I’d still say Robotech edges out. You’d be surprised how many hardcore fans are out there that don’t attend cons. (And honestly, Protoculture Con is not very well marketed.) Hell, some people really love these shows and never post about them online.

It really comes down to how you define “true fans” but the original thread title was “Is Robotech still more popular than Macross in America” so that to me implies on the whole. And on the whole, more people are aware of Robotech and at least generally like it (and have probably never watched a Macross sequel and might only vaguely know they exist.) The things fans tend to forget is that there’s a LOT of casual fans out there. People who watched the show when they were kids, might buy a figure or two as an adult, and maybe show the series on Netflix to their kids. Those outnumber the “hardcore” Robotech and Macross fans combined by a MILE.

Was it really that even in the 90’s? New Macross content wasn’t exactly making it’s way over here that easily. Even if the home video market wasn’t what it was back in the mid 2000’s at it’s zenith, Robotech was far easier to get than any of the Macross sequels. (Let’s remember just how many different formats Robotech was released on, and the amount of times!) Macross fans do like to act like if all the Macross sequels were released in the west they’d be gigantic best sellers but they’d just be another hyper niche group that could probably make the sales decent but not some sort of GANGBUSTERS numbers they act like they’d be.

Macross fandom, even at its biggest here, is still a hyper niche fandom. Again, if we go back to TRUE FANS meaning SUPER INTENSE ALL GO TO CONVENTIONS then… Well you can’t even really compare that. Just because Macross has a more organized convention doesn’t mean it has more fans. I’d argue Robotech has a much bigger fandom that isn’t really being pointed anywhere. I wish more people would get on reading the new comic because it’s fantastic, but I don’t think enough is being done to promote it by the official Robotech accounts. Which is a shame because it really could be a nice rallying point for the hardcore fans. I certainly try to talk it up on the RoboSkull Cast, that’s for sure.

Oh yes, we fans waited with great anticipation for the latest Macross release back in the ‘90s.  Manga Video was releasing Macross Plus one episode at a time, and it was extremely well known and liked.  Just about any anime fan at that time would be familiar with Macross.  I remember when Macross II came out, and we all bought it, even though it was strange and not really what anyone wanted in a Macross show.  Pretty happy that it was de-canonized.  But yes, there was a time when the shelves at Suncoast, Sam Goody, or Best Buy would have Macross titles on them, but Robotech was harder to find.  Times definitely changed in the 2000’s when Macross was impossible to find, but Robotech was putting out a new box set every few years. 

These days, Macross is so hard to find that I actually do panels at conventions telling people about it and how to find it.  My panel covers both Robotech and Macross, and after hosting the panel about half a dozen times, I’m happy to say that I’ve never had a single dispute between Macross and Robotech fans.  They seem to get along just fine, despite the few vocal Macross fans online who talk trash about Robotech. 

There are definitely more casual fans of Robotech than Macross, like you say.  But I stand by my statement that when it comes to those who are likely to come out to an event, the two fandoms are fairly even.

The quick answer is that Robotech is definitely more popular within North America as the series has garnered more exposure and attention via physical media and streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Crackle and so on which made Robotech more mainstream than other animes like Macross and gundam.

Mav…