History Anime / Macross

''Macross'' is a long-running multimedia franchise created by Creator/ShojiKawamori, who also provided mechanical designs alongside Kazutaka Miyatake and Haruhiko Mikimoto. Along with ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'', it's considered one of three unassailable pillars of anime SpaceOpera.

%% The image used is from the recently-released ''Macross: Shooting Insight'', the first ''Macross''-related videogame to be released in the West following the agreement between Big West Japan and Harmony Gold over the ownership of the ''Macross''/''Rpbotech'' IP in the West.

The ''Macross'' franchise is a long running anime series created by Creator/ShojiKawamori, who also provided mechanical designs alongside Kazutaka Miyatake and Haruhiko Mikimoto. Along with ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'', it's considered one of three unassailable pillars of anime SpaceOpera.

The general plot of each series concerns a galaxy-spanning conflict waged with TransformingMecha (and usually involving aliens). In the middle of it all, ThePowerOfRock comes into play, as does the PowerOfLove, thus forming the three main elements of ''Macross'': HumongousMecha and TransformingMecha in the form of the titular "Macross" space battleship and the iconic variable fighter jets known as "Valkyries"; superpowered music, usually leaning between [[MagicMusic mythically supernatural]] and [[ThePowerOfRock implausibly awesome]]; and the various [[LoveTriangle love triangles]] between the main protagonist(s) and their love interest(s).

On March 18th, 2024, it was announced that all anime entries (save for ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross'' and ''Anime/MacrossDoYouRememberLove'') will air worldwide on Creator/DisneyPlus.

On March 18th, it was announced that all anime entries (save for ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross'' and ''Anime/MacrossDoYouRememberLove'') will air worldwide on Creator/DisneyPlus.

The ''Macross'' franchise is a long running anime series created by Creator/ShojiKawamori with designs made by Kazutaka Miyatake and Haruhiko Mikimoto. Along with ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'', it's considered one of three unassailable pillars of anime SpaceOpera. The general plot of each series concerns a conflict waged with TransformingMecha (and usually involving aliens). In the middle of it all, ThePowerOfRock comes into play, as does the PowerOfLove, thus forming the three main elements of ''Macross'': HumongousMecha and TransformingMecha in the form of the titular "Macross" space battleship and the iconic variable fighter jets known as "Valkyries"; superpowered music, usually leaning between [[MagicMusic mythically supernatural]] and [[ThePowerOfRock implausibly awesome]]; and the various [[LoveTriangle love triangles]] between the main protagonist(s) and their love interest(s).

The ''Macross'' franchise is a long running anime series created by Creator/ShojiKawamori with designs made by Kazutaka Miyatake and Haruhiko Mikimoto. Along with ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'', it's considered one of three unassailable pillars of anime SpaceOpera. The general plot of each series concerns a conflict waged with TransformingMecha (and usually involving aliens). In the middle of it all, ThePowerOfRock comes into play, as does the PowerOfLove, thus forming the three main pillars of ''Macross'': HumongousMecha and TransformingMecha in the form of the titular "Macross" space battleship and the iconic variable fighter jets known as "Valkyries"; superpowered music, usually leaning between [[MagicMusic mythically supernatural]] and [[ThePowerOfRock implausibly awesome]]; and the various [[LoveTriangle love triangles]] between the main protagonist(s) and their love interest(s).

The ''Macross'' franchise is a long running anime series created by Creator/ShojiKawamori with designs made by Kazutaka Miyatake and Haruhiko Mikimoto. Along with ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'', it's considered one of three unassailable pillars of anime SpaceOpera. The general plot of each series concerns a conflict waged with TransformingMecha (and usually involving aliens). In the middle of it all, ThePowerOfRock comes into play, as does the PowerOfLove, thus forming the three main pillars of ''Macross'': HumongousMecha and TransformingMecha in the form of the titular "Macross" space battleship and the iconic variable fighter jets known as "Valkyries"; superpowered music, usually leaning between [[MagicMusic mythical supernatural]] and [[ThePowerOfRock implausibly awesome]]; and the various [[LoveTriangle love triangles]] between the main protagonist(s) and their love interest(s).

The ''Macross'' franchise is a long running anime series created by Creator/ShojiKawamori with designs made by Kazutaka Miyatake and Haruhiko Mikimoto. Along with ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'', it's considered one of three unassailable pillars of anime SpaceOpera. The general plot of each series concerns a conflict waged with TransformingMecha (and usually involving aliens). In the middle of it all, ThePowerOfRock comes into play, as does the PowerOfLove, thus forming the three main pillars of ''Macross'': HumongousMecha and TransformingMecha in the form of the titular "Macross" space battleship and the "Valkyrie" variable fighter jets; superpowered music, usually leaning between MagicMusic and ThePowerOfRock; and the various [[LoveTriangle love triangles]] between the main protagonist(s) and their love interest(s).

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/macross_super_encyclopedia_2022_cover.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Two things that define Macross: (Idol) Singers (Top) and Transforming mechs (Bottom).]]

The ''Macross'' franchise is a long running anime series created by Creator/ShojiKawamori with designs made by Kazutaka Miyatake and Haruhiko Mikimoto. Along with ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'', it's considered one of three unassailable pillars of anime SpaceOpera. The general plot of each series concerns a conflict waged with TransformingMecha (and usually involving aliens). In the middle of it all, ThePowerOfRock comes into play, as does the PowerOfLove, thus forming the three main elements of ''Macross'': HumongousMecha, superpowered music, and [[LoveTriangle Love Triangles]].

On March 18th, it was announced that all anime entries (save for ''Anime/SuperDimensionalFortressMacross'' and ''Anime/MacrossDoYouRememberLove'') will air worldwide on Creator/DisneyPlus.

* ''Anime/MacrossPlus'' (1994-1995), a short OVA (and later movie) sequel set in 2040 (thirty years after ''SDF''), focusing on a contest between two prototype planes and a VirtualIdol; two paths that cross when three ChildhoodFriends meet up after seven years again.

* BackgroundMagicField: Fold Waves, a naturally existing energy wave in super dimension space that travels effectively Faster-Than-Light. This serves as the basis for the series's main form of FasterThanLightTravel (folding into super dimension space). Additionally, the ability of certain people to generate this through song ([[InsistentTerminology Human Space-Time Resonance]], also known as [[InsistentTerminology Fold Receptor Factor]]) is used to explain the more [[ClarksThirdLaw mystical]] things added to the franchise such as Anima Spiritia from ''Anime/Macross7'' and the Mayan priestesses' powers in ''Anime/MacrossZero''. [[spoiler:The main thrust of the conspiracy plots in all versions of ''Macross Frontier'' involves various Macross fleet factions attempting to harness and ''[[HumansAreBastards weaponize]]'' this phenomenon, and the singers who can invoke it.]]

* RiddleForTheAges: Exactly what happened to the ''Megaroad 01'', and with it, the original series cast? Thirty real-life years later and nearly fifty in-universe years later, and all anyone knows is that it disappeared without a trace a few years after its launch. No ''Macross'' series touched that plot thread until ''Delta'', which dropped some vague hints that seemed to relate to it near the end of its run, but the actual answer is still left ambiguous.

** Whenever a Macross or New Macross class warship are configured in assault (humanoid) mode and land on a habitable planet, the vessels rest in large bodies of water. This is because the ships are unable to structurally support their own weight over long periods in this configuration within Earth-like gravity or greater. The ships are also still buoyant and their center of gravity, as well as carrier arms, keep them upright.

* BlackSheep: Either ''Macross 7'', which was much lower-budget and more Super Robot-like than the rest of the franchise, or ''Macross Zero'', which is far more character-focused and lacks an emphasis on J-Pop music, instead having tribal island hymns.