Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles was released in 2007. It was the first original, animated Robotech production since the release of the Robotech II: The Sentinels OVA in 1988.
Since then, only one other Robotech production has been released: Robotech: Love Live Alive - a stand-alone feature made primarily using existing 1980s footage, released direct-to-DVD in 2013.
It has now been a full decade since the last original, animated Robotech production (Shadow Chronicles). During that period Harmony Gold have continued to license Robotech merchandise (toys, books, clothing, posters, etc.) but if Robotech is to survive, it can only do so in the form of animated production(s).
Unlike a lot of other 1980s cartoons (created simply to service toylines), the 1985 Robotech animated series (and its animated spin-offs) represents the core of what Robotech is - a multi-generational space opera, filled with transforming mecha, music idols and melodrama and played out against a unique cosmic mythology (Zor, the flower of life, protoculture).
When Carl Macek merged Macross, Southern Cross and Mospeada, he did more than just stitch three unrelated anime series together. By constructing an unseen backstory (Zor’s discovery of the flower of life, the Masters’ conquest of the Invid and creation of Protoculture) he applied western sci-fi storytelling (in the vein of Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke) to Japanese animation and created something unique and greater than the sum of its parts.
This marrying of eastern and western storytelling combined with evocative Japanese animation is what made Robotech a success and why it can only survive as animation.
So where to go from here?
While it is admirable that there are plans for a Robotech live action movie, the reality is that it has been stuck in development hell since 2007. Meanwhile, numerous attempts to turn anime into hollywood movies have either taken decades (Speed Racer) or failed to materialise (Akira).
This is why Harmony Gold need to move on with producing new Robotech animation – irrespective of a live action movie that could take another 10 years to happen (or fail to happen at all).
But to proceed, Harmony Gold need a production partner. HG is a relatively small company who do not specialise in TV/film or animation production. Luckily there are already two candidates who would make good partners:
Sony Pictures Animation - With Sony now holding the live action movie rights, their involvement as animation production partners would be a no-brainer. While they don’t have direct experience of producing 2D cel-style animation (all their output has been 3D CGI), they would undoubtedly have the finances and connections to outsource this work to a Japanese or Korean animation studio.
Netflix - Netflix have now co-produced two high quality animated series: Voltron Legendary Defender and Castlevania. The new Voltron series is of particular interest to Robotech fans as it also has its roots in a 1980s anime adapted for western audiences and has been a resounding critical and commercial success. With the original Robotech already streaming on Netflix, and Netflix now demonstrating their expertise at co-producing animation this seems like an ideal combination.
I believe that Harmony Gold do want to make more Robotech and that even after a decade of inactivity, there is still an ambition there to make something happen.
I do also recognise that there have been both legal and financial difficulties over the last 10 years. But I hope that with that chapter now over, Harmony Gold are willing to bring in a suitable production partner and we can finally get what we’ve all been waiting for - more Robotech!
Not until they invest in Robotech. Without investment there is no making money. They were unwilling to give creative control to a sponsor and their Kickstarter failed and It’s been over a decade, so without changes to Harmony Gold, I would need it explained to me how there can be a change to Robotech.
Main problem is the loss of Mr. Macek. As you stated, his genius is what made Robotech what it is. Too bad Mr. Yune and HG decided to ignore and throw away his ideas in favor of their own.
Having read Carl’s post-Robotech ideas for myself I think Mr. Yune and HG made the right choice. If you like them you still have the novels, but personally I’d rather take a mulligan.
I still hope that they put ‘Shadow Rising’ back into production. All that I’ve ever seer is the ‘coming soon trailer’ at the end of the “Shadow Chronicles’ movie, when it was shown in the theaters.
Having read Carl’s post-Robotech ideas for myself I think Mr. Yune and HG made the right choice. If you like them you still have the novels, but personally I’d rather take a mulligan.
Fair enough, but Yune’s version wasn’t a mulligan, it outright contradicted the series continuity. Yune’s version of Fokker between 1999-2009 doesn’t match up with what was stated in the series, Shadow Chronicles outright contradicts the last few episodes of the series, and let’s not forget the date changes.
I do also recognise that there have been both legal and financial difficulties over the last 10 years. But I hope that with that chapter now over, Harmony Gold are willing to bring in a suitable production partner and we can finally get what we’ve all been waiting for - more Robotech!
Unfortunately, the legal matters involving HG’s owndership of Macross in conjunction to the general progress of Robotech still remains a debacle to this day and is likely one of the main reasons why getting any visual media out of Robotech is such a difficult matter for the parties involved; The court cases have wrapped up, but really what remains of the final decisions is the consensus that Harmony Gold, like Tatsunoko Production, has the rights to the footage they bought of Macross back in 1985 for distribution purposes, which entitles them to still sell the three separate products (including Macross) as Robotech as well as producing comics, books, and toys on the product as that legally falls under the category of merchandise. However, this does not entitle them to produce derivative works (animated series/movies) using characters and concepts on anything from the Macross portion of the series. This is precisely why they had to make changes to the character designs, uniforms, and mecha in the Sentinels as Carl Macek has noted in Robotech Art 3, and even those were still cutting it dangerously close to a lawsuit.
Now, you’d think that since the Macross Saga is all said and done and that these legal matters shouldn’t have any baring on projects like the Shadow Chronicles, there is the remaining fact that much of the core characters in the Macross Saga are still active and play a pivotal role in the Robotech universe, especially with their offspring and because most of them are aboard the missing SDF-3 which is the main conflict of interest, not to mention the inclusion of alien races like the Zentraedi. Its pretty hard not to reference these characters and thus bringing them back into the fray and opening up legal obstructions all over again. It’s not just with Macross either as there’s also the fact that the mechs and character designs for Southern Cross and Mospeada still belong to Tatsunoko Production, and even though Harmony Gold has a positive relation with Tatsunoko, they still have to pay royalties for using the cylones, Saberfish-class starships, and the Alphas. This is likely the reason why much of the character designs in Shadow Chronicles looked so different from their original counterparts; to save money for a low budgeted film. Taking all this into consideration, if another business partner wanted to come in and try to make something fresh out of the Robotech brand, they’d have to negotiate with HG, who then has to work things out with Tatsunoko, on trying to wrestle up some designs and characters for whatever feature they want to get off the ground. On one hand they can try for a sequel and work out as much bugs as they can in order to come up with a concise look in a reasonable budget. Or they can take the more ambitious route and go for a complete reboot, starting from scratch with original designs (while possibly borrowing certain concepts for a fee with Tatsunoko) and creating a legal-free open window production….And as we all saw from Robotech Academy, coming up with original ship designs and mechs based on previous works in an ethical legal manner is a lot harder than it sounds.
Normally when other companies want to dig something up and invest into it for a series (Transformers, He-Man, Batman) everything is payed for and ready to go, making room for people to adapt it. With Robotech there’s far too many third parties involved as we’re talking about three separate shows; one mostly out of reach, while the rest are still financially tied to another company. There’s a lot of work involved in working out this stuff. Toys and merchandise is one thing, but creating a show is a whole other beast altogether.
I’ve seen Voltron Legendary Defender getting brought up a lot as a prime example of a Japanese show edited around with American story elements and characters getting a complete reboot, but what people don’t seem to realize is that Toei (the original owners of Go-Lion which made up Voltron) sold all rights to Legendary Defender’s production company, World Events Productions, out of complete disinterest in the product they tried to sell in Japan. This gave World Events free reign over the material, no obstructions whatsoever. If the same were to happen to Robotech, then Tatsunoko either needs to play ball for a share of the profits or somehow be convinced to sell off what they own of Southern Cross and Mospeada to the US.
I think the fastest route, as with Shadow Chronicles, is just to stick to the realm of Mospeada, work out an intergalactic series that tries to sooth out much of the wrinkles with Macross as much as possible, and go from there. But personally,...I think Robotech needs to start fresh, I mean REALLY fresh, like taking ideas and concepts from the three present sagas (three-mode mech transformation, intergalactic war, romance, etc) and just run with it and never look back; no legal reliabilities, no fees from other companies, just straight original (or close to original) ideas and concept through and through…..But that’s pipe dreaming.
but Yune’s version wasn’t a mulligan, it outright contradicted the series continuity. Yune’s version of Fokker between 1999-2009 doesn’t match up with what was stated in the series, Shadow Chronicles outright contradicts the last few episodes of the series, and let’s not forget the date changes.
Let’s also not forget when Love Live Alive tried to sequel New Generation while somehow trying to tie into Shadow Chronicles, despite that SC practically airbrushed Lancer (the main character) and the other cast not Bernard and Ariel out of the story.
Having read Carl’s post-Robotech ideas for myself I think Mr. Yune and HG made the right choice. If you like them you still have the novels, but personally I’d rather take a mulligan.
I’m with you. Love Macek, but I believe he spilled a few of his marbles.
Unfortunately, the legal matters involving HG’s owndership of Macross in conjunction to the general progress of Robotech still remains a debacle to this day and is likely one of the main reasons why getting any visual media out of Robotech is such a difficult matter for the parties involved; The court cases have wrapped up, but really what remains of the final decisions is the consensus that Harmony Gold, like Tatsunoko Production, has the rights to the footage they bought of Macross back in 1985 for distribution purposes, which entitles them to still sell the three separate products (including Macross) as Robotech as well as producing comics, books, and toys on the product as that legally falls under the category of merchandise. However, this does not entitle them to produce derivative works (animated series/movies) using characters and concepts on anything from the Macross portion of the series. This is precisely why they had to make changes to the character designs, uniforms, and mecha in the Sentinels as Carl Macek has noted in Robotech Art 3, and even those were still cutting it dangerously close to a lawsuit.
I wasn’t actually referring to the Macross rights legal issues, but this:
You are quite right through - the Macross rights do create a number of challenges for making any new animated Robotech. Regardless, Shadow Chronicles set a good precedent for the way forward - and there were enough classic elements present for it to feel like a continuation whilst also being something new.
I assume there’s been no significant change to HG’s relationship with Tatsunoko since Shadow Chronicles, so in theory there’s nothing preventing the concepts/story that was laid out there from being expanded into further animated productions (other than a financial commitment and a production partner).
I suppose the real question is: Could a new series that follows on from Shadow Chronicles also work as a soft-reboot – i.e. something that new fans unfamiliar with the original Robotech series could understand and enjoy? It’s difficult for us as longstanding fans to put ourselves in the shoes of new fans, so I honestly don’t have an answer to that. I suppose the important thing is to be clear about what the essence of Robotech is (transforming mecha, hard science-fiction, music idols, melodrama and space-opera). But it’s equally important to not drop the compelling cosmic mythology/mystery (Zor, the Flower of Life, Protoculture) which served as the glue that bound three unrelated series together.
Your idea about making a clean break with the original series and making a new, rebooted Robotech that does NOT feature any characters/concepts/designs from Macross, Southern Cross or Mospeada is equally exciting and terrifying!
It would not be impossible to achieve but would require some bravery and talent to do so! It’s a fascinating concept though.
Oh that? Heh, overall it had no real impact over the franchise. Besides even if Agrama was arrested, he already had his descendants in position to take over for him. I think he’s almost on his way to retirement anyway.
You are quite right through - the Macross rights do create a number of challenges for making any new animated Robotech. Regardless, Shadow Chronicles set a good precedent for the way forward - and there were enough classic elements present for it to feel like a continuation whilst also being something new.
I agree, and that’s why I think its easier to continue on from Shadow Chronicles because, in the long run, its mostly in the general art/story direction of Mospeada which is just as much fairground to use as Southern Cross for new material. Still, there was some rather ambiguous moments in SC that did feel rather awkward; For one thing is the constant reference to anything Zentraedi as “alien(s)” which really made the introductory scroll and the delivery of some pieces of dialogue rather odd and the fact that the prequel comic tried to sequel Eternity/Malibu comics but did it in such a way that the characters were immediately written to be a lot older (even in the time during Edwards failed tribunal) to avoid character likenesses from Macross or Sentinels, and the reluctance to show Minmei’s face; I mean, they could’ve used her likenesses from either Macross or Sentinels if they wanted to since they can do whatever they want with the illustrations in comics, but I guess it is best to keep things consistent with the SC movie as much as possible to avoid any further bites in the butt later on. That, and they clearly didn’t know what to do with her anyway.
I assume there’s been no significant change to HG’s relationship with Tatsunoko since Shadow Chronicles, so in theory there’s nothing preventing the concepts/story that was laid out there from being expanded into further animated productions (other than a financial commitment and a production partner).
I wasn’t really saying that the relationship of HG and Tastu had changed, rather I was focusing more on financial issues since the materials used for Masters Saga (or Master’s War, however you want to call it) and New Generation still belong to an outside party and the more material you use from them, the more royalties you pay, hence SC’s tiptoeing of character designs; makes things a lot cheaper for a minuscule budget. Finding a precise production partner was exactly where I was getting at.
I suppose the real question is: Could a new series that follows on from Shadow Chronicles also work as a soft-reboot – i.e. something that new fans unfamiliar with the original Robotech series could understand and enjoy? It’s difficult for us as longstanding fans to put ourselves in the shoes of new fans, so I honestly don’t have an answer to that. I suppose the important thing is to be clear about what the essence of Robotech is (transforming mecha, hard science-fiction, music idols, melodrama and space-opera). But it’s equally important to not drop the compelling cosmic mythology/mystery (Zor, the Flower of Life, Protoculture) which served as the glue that bound three unrelated series together.
Well the entire process of SC so far, from Prelude to the movie, has been a soft-reboot considering things were changed on how New Generation ended (moreover how continuity is percieved in the Sentinels story), how the characters looked, that any references to unusable material had to be swept under the rug, and how some of the weapons worked (apparently the Gallant H-90s no longer fire energy blasts anymore), so I don’t think there’s too much to worry about. Plus, if its a sequel to SC I really don’t see much need in worrying about outside fans since they likely should see SC and the original series to begin with if they expect to dive in at this point. If they really wanted to start from scratch like Voltron did, they’re going to need to use what they can and work out a story that uses characters and designs in an all new original way. Its what the proposed live-action movie is going to have to do anyway.
Your idea about making a clean break with the original series and making a new, rebooted Robotech that does NOT feature any characters/concepts/designs from Macross, Southern Cross or Mospeada is equally exciting and terrifying!
It would not be impossible to achieve but would require some bravery and talent to do so! It’s a fascinating concept though.
Well, like I said, its mostly me just pipe-dreaming. On the one hand, as we saw from the RT Academy Kickstarter Robotech 3000, it is possible to come up with new designs and concepts for a whole new look for a series. Now, they may not have been pretty, but with a little more work and scope there is some potential for an awesome series, movie, or whatever else.
I’ve seen Voltron Legendary Defender getting brought up a lot as a prime example of a Japanese show edited around with American story elements and characters getting a complete reboot, but what people don’t seem to realize is that Toei (the original owners of Go-Lion which made up Voltron) sold all rights to Legendary Defender’s production company, World Events Productions, out of complete disinterest in the product they tried to sell in Japan. This gave World Events free reign over the material, no obstructions whatsoever. If the same were to happen to Robotech, then Tatsunoko either needs to play ball for a share of the profits or somehow be convinced to sell off what they own of Southern Cross and Mospeada to the US.
I think the fastest route, as with Shadow Chronicles, is just to stick to the realm of Mospeada, work out an intergalactic series that tries to sooth out much of the wrinkles with Macross as much as possible, and go from there. But personally,...I think Robotech needs to start fresh, I mean REALLY fresh, like taking ideas and concepts from the three present sagas (three-mode mech transformation, intergalactic war, romance, etc) and just run with it and never look back; no legal reliabilities, no fees from other companies, just straight original (or close to original) ideas and concept through and through…..But that’s pipe dreaming.
One thing to consider with Legendary Defender is that yes, while Toei sold the rights to World Events, Legendary Defender still looks like Voltron/Go-Lion. When fans ask for a Robotech Re-Boot one thing has to be considered. Rick is not Hikaru, Lisa is not Misa, etc…A Reboot with unique designs acros the board and story elements to distance it from Macross, SC, and Mospeada wouldn’t be a bad thing. Part of the problem with Sentinels is that is has Valkyries and Battlepods, etc..while also keeping a similar design to the main cast so that’s a no go. A Re-Boot would need a very different look and feel and that’s not a bad thing per se’
REALITY THOUGH - Robotech is a story best told in animation. Not every story lends itself to every format. DBZ, Gundam, Etc..those are better as animation than Live Action. I am inclined to feel the same for Robotech. Also, we have had what, 3 directors announced, countless producers, 2 movie studios, a handful of famous fans wanting to produce, etc, etc, etc…when it comes to the LAM. I highly doubt we will ever see a live action movie. In the time since TSC was released we have seen multiple Robotech contemporaries get rebooted to varying degree of success but they all did more than RT has done. I do not for one bit think merchandising the property is going to be the savior this franchise needs. Truth is, the fandom is an aging one with fewer and fewer new fans coming aboard. Merchandise will always be limited, that’s just a fact. unless you’re a large franchise such as Transformers or have serious backing most merchandise will be niche. The franchise needs new animation simple as that. I honesty do not believe the current stewards of the franchise are up to the task. It’s not a knock on them as people but I do not believe they are up to par for this franchise and what it will take to truly revive it. When TSC came out, it’s quality was suspect, just re-watch and the inconsistency in the art is a giveaway. Like I said, we need new animation in a real form, not another LLA and until then this franchise will continue to linger in the current state while a handful of dedicated fans keep paying to support it but time marches on and Robotech is doing itself no favors lingering behind. You have to spend money to make money and without some form of artistic investment in actual content, comics or anything else won’t change the status quo.
REALITY THOUGH - Robotech is a story best told in animation. Not every story lends itself to every format. DBZ, Gundam, Etc..those are better as animation than Live Action. I am inclined to feel the same for Robotech. Also, we have had what, 3 directors announced, countless producers, 2 movie studios, a handful of famous fans wanting to produce, etc, etc, etc…when it comes to the LAM. I highly doubt we will ever see a live action movie. In the time since TSC was released we have seen multiple Robotech contemporaries get rebooted to varying degree of success but they all did more than RT has done. I do not for one bit think merchandising the property is going to be the savior this franchise needs. Truth is, the fandom is an aging one with fewer and fewer new fans coming aboard. Merchandise will always be limited, that’s just a fact. unless you’re a large franchise such as Transformers or have serious backing most merchandise will be niche. The franchise needs new animation simple as that. I honesty do not believe the current stewards of the franchise are up to the task. It’s not a knock on them as people but I do not believe they are up to par for this franchise and what it will take to truly revive it. When TSC came out, it’s quality was suspect, just re-watch and the inconsistency in the art is a giveaway. Like I said, we need new animation in a real form, not another LLA and until then this franchise will continue to linger in the current state while a handful of dedicated fans keep paying to support it but time marches on and Robotech is doing itself no favors lingering behind. You have to spend money to make money and without some form of artistic investment in actual content, comics or anything else won’t change the status quo.
I am more inclined to think that these studio licensing shenanigans are more about blocking a competition film, i.e. when it was announced that WB acquired Robotech licenses, WB focused on producing Pacific Rim
Producers may get scared about all the licensing mess,
By the time the movie is made, the handful of famous fans, wanting a role, may get to play Excedore or one of the Robotech Masters
But, this is only speculation from my side, it has been more than one decade and still waiting for new animation.
On the one hand, as we saw from the RT Academy Kickstarter Robotech 3000, it is possible to come up with new designs and concepts for a whole new look for a series. Now, they may not have been pretty, but with a little more work and scope there is some potential for an awesome series, movie, or whatever else.
