Macross
The originalSuper Dimension Fortress Macross series logo
Created by	Studio Nue Artland Shōji Kawamori
Original work	Super Dimension Fortress Macross
Owners	Studio Nue Big West [ja]
Print publications
Book(s)	Macross The Ride
Films and television
Film(s)	Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? Macross Plus: Movie Edition Macross 7 the Movie: The Galaxy's Calling Me! Macross FB 7: Ore no Uta o Kike! Macross Frontier the Movie: The False Songstress Macross Frontier the Movie: The Wings of Goodbye Macross Delta the Movie: Passionate Walküre Macross Δ Movie 2: Zettai Live!!!
Animated series	Super Dimension Fortress Macross Macross 7 Macross Frontier Macross Delta
Direct-to-video	Flash Back 2012 Macross II: Lovers Again Macross Plus Macross 7: Encore Macross Dynamite 7 Macross Zero
Games
Video game(s)	Macross (Family Computer) Scrambled Valkyrie Do You Remember Love? Macross (PlayStation 2) Macross Ace Frontier Macross 30: Voices across the Galaxy

Macross (マクロス,Makurosu) is a Japanesescience fictionmechaanimemedia franchise/media mix, created byStudio Nue (most prominently mecha designer, writer and producerShōji Kawamori) andArtland in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth and the human race after the year 1999, as well as the history of humanoid civilization in theMilky Way. It consists of four TV series, four movies, sixOVAs, onelight novel, and fivemanga series, all sponsored byBig West [ja], in addition to 40video games set in theMacross universe, twocrossover games, and a wide variety of physical merchandise.

Within the series, the termMacross is used to denote the maincapital ship. This theme began in the originalMacross,Super Dimension Fortress Macross.

"Overtechnology" refers to the scientific advances discovered in an alien starship ASS-1 (Alien Star Ship - One later renamedSuper Dimension Fortress - One Macross) that crashed onSouth Ataria island. Humans were able to reverse engineer the technology to create themecha (variable fighters and destroids),faster-than-lightspace fold drive for starships and other advanced technologies that the series features.

The series title comes from the name of the main human spacecraft (which is usually shortened fromSuper Dimension Fortress Macross to "SDF-1" orThe Macross as it is the first). The original name for theMacross project wasBattle City Megarōdo (orBattle City Megaroad, as the Japanese transliteration to either "L" or "R" gives the title a double meaning in reference to the story line:Megaload, referring to the spacecraft containing an entire city of people; andMegaroad, referring to the long journey through space back to Earth); however, one of the sponsors of the project, Big West Advertising, was a fan of Shakespeare and wanted the series and the spacecraft to be namedMacbeth (マクベス,Makubesu). A compromise was made with the titleMacross (マクロス,Makurosu) due to its similar pronunciation toMacbeth in Japanese and because it still contained connotations to the original title. The wordMacross comes from a wordplay combination of the prefix "macro" in reference to its massive size in comparison to human vehicles (though when compared with the alien ships in the series, it is a relatively small gun destroyer) and the distance they must cross.^[1]

The following are themes commonly seen and established among the various series in theMacross franchise.

The U.N. Spacy (統合宇宙軍,Tōgō Uchūgun) is a fictional space military arm of theEarth Unified Government (地球統合政府,Chikyū Tōgō Seifu). It was established by the successor to the modernUnited Nations in order to defend Earth from a possible attack by hostilealiens, and was involved in Space War I against an extraterrestrial race called theZentradi. Later operations of the U.N. Spacy expanded into interstellarcolonization and generalpeacekeeping of off-world Earth settlements.

The term "Spacy" is a portmanteau of the termsSpace andArmy orNavy. Some Japanese sources also use the termSpace Army and some English-language sources use the termSpace Navy, suggesting that the term is a contraction.

Thevalkyrie fighter is one of a series of transformable aerospacefighters, primarily designed by franchise creatorShōji Kawamori andKazutaka Miyatake. They are generally able to transform into jet/space fighters, Battroid (a humanoid robot) and a hybrid of the two modes, called Gerwalk (Ground Effective Reinforcement of Winged Armament with Locomotive Knee-joint). The VF-1 was specifically named "Valkyrie", but all of the jet fighter craft have generically been referred to as such in the series since then.

Music is integral part to almost everyMacross title by having significances in a series' antagonists behavior towards it. Music idols also play a central role to variousMacross stories. Often, the protagonist will be involved in a love triangle with a series' music idol; most notably,Lynn Minmay.

Space folding permits nearly-instantaneous ultra-long distance travel: a space-fold transports a spacecraft in a very short amount of time by first swapping the location of the spacecraft withsuper dimension space or subspace, and then swapping theSuper Dimension space with the space at the destination.

According to U.N. Spacy First Lieutenant Hayase Misa during Space War I (2009–2012) an hour passes in super dimension space as approximately ten days passes in normal space. One of the latestMacross TV series,Macross Frontier, further expands on that concept by introducing fold faults or dislocations, which further retard fold travel and interfere with fold communications. Also explained inMacross Frontier are the limitations of space folding, such as the geometric increase in energy requirement with the mass of the object to be folded, which prevents very large objects from being folded with ease across vast distances.

The act of enteringSuper Dimension space is called "fold in". When arriving at the destination, the act of leavingSuper Dimension space is called a "defold" or a "fold out".

The metaplot of the franchise is centered on a purportedly extinct humanoid alien race called the Protoculture (プロトカルチャー,Purotokaruchā). It was first conceptualized during the pre-production ofThe Super Dimension Fortress Macross when the creators were researching cultural studies to develop concepts used in the plot.

According to official sources, the Protoculture was thefirst advanced humanoid race in the universe—advanced Protoculture civilization started 500,000 years ago—and is the creator of theZentradi andhomo sapiens. Phases of colonization resulted in the establishment of an "Interstellar Republic", (similar to agalactic empire) which covers much of theMilky Way galaxy 2800 years after Protoculture civilization started (498,000 years ago).

A civil war happened sixty years later, resulting in a split in the Republic. One of the factions' created "super-Zentradi" forces, which was later possessed by interdimensional beings—these forces are later called the "Protodeviln", which feeds onlife energy of both Protoculture and Zentradi; some of both the Protoculture and Zentradi was later brainwashed into the "Supervision Army".

The Supervision Army continued to battle both the Protoculture and Zentradi, which resulted in the dwindling of Protoculture population; they revoked the prime directive that banned Zentradi to attack the Supervision Army. This, however, made the war even more intense, and the Protoculture population sharply decreased; to avoid extinction, they seeded uninhabited planets by means ofpantropy and avoided any conflict as much as possible. This action included the genetic engineering ofhomo sapiens on Earth by combining Protoculture genes with native genes; a "sub-Protoculture" race meant for preparing the Earth for a future Protoculture colonization. The genetic engineering crew, however, was immediately destroyed by anti-Interstellar Republic military ships.

The final blow of the war happened because of the Protoculture lost control of the Zentradi; 475,000 years ago, the Protoculture was believed extinct. However it was discovered that 10,000 years ago, the Protoculture remnants made contact with humans in "Mayan Island", genetically re-engineering the native inhabitants to utilize the artifacts left by them. This included the "Bird Human" bio-mecha, tasked to destroy humanity if they are still in war.

The franchise also explores minor themes includingculture shock,capitalism,coming of age andnostalgia.

The new era following the end of Space War I is part of the ongoing fictional time-line of theMacross franchise. The most recent series,Macross Delta, is set 59 years after the start of the war with the Zentradi. Its main plot is about the spread of a rage virus on a star system and the combined efforts of singing idols and valkyrie fighters to stop it spreading.

Along withGundam, areal robotmecha series of whichShoji Kawamori is a fan,Macross explored how individuals cope with warfare. WhereasGundam is far more political and direct on the horrors of war, eachMacross television series is unique for never depicting the antagonists as inherently evil and proved in the end that love, culture, and music can be used to resolve their conflicts.

Several sequel series and one prequel have followed. Most use a chronology created by the Studio Nue creators, and those that followed their own chronologies were regarded as "parallel storylines" by the studio. Several different studios were involved with Studio Nue in theMacross franchise along the years, but since 2002'sMacross Zero, production has been handled exclusively between Nue andSatelight, from which Shōji Kawamori is one of the main key members. The main ofMacross production consists of (in chronological release order):

A feature film, subtitledDo You Remember Love? (愛・おぼえていますかAi Oboete Imasu ka), was released in 1984, with a condensed version of the storyline and cutting-edge animation. This movie was later described as a "historical drama" movie within theMacross universe (similar to World War II films in the real world). InMacross Plus andMacross 7, it is revealed that there was a movie produced afterSpace War I (the original Earth-Zentradi conflict). Kawamori described the relation between the two depictions of Space War I: "The real Macross is out there, somewhere. If I tell the story in the length of a TV series, it looks one way, and if I tell it as a movie-length story, it's organized another way."^[17] (An edited, English-dubbed version of the feature was also released to video asClash of the Bionoids.)

Macross II, the only animated project without Studio Nue's direct involvement, was declared by Studio Nue to be a parallel-world story.

In March 2007, Studio Victor placed a casting call for a voice actress to play the heroineRanka Lee,^[18] in a then untitled newMacross series.^[19] Eighteen-year-old Megumi Nakajima selected in the nationwide singing and acting audition for the role of Ranka Lee in Japan. The project was given the tentative title ofMacross 25. Later, as part of the 25th anniversary concert, a trailer was shown that revealed the new tentative title ofMacross F (Frontier). During the concert,Kawamori Shoji mentioned that the timeframe ofMacross Frontier was about 2070 AD. Kawamori also announced thatYoko Kanno would be the music co-composer of the newMacross series. According toNewtype magazine, this new series were supposed to take place in a school. The pilot episode aired on December 23, 2007. The new series were finally set in the year 2059 AD and took place in a new Macross Colony Fleet called "Macross Frontier". The new show was produced bySatelight and its episodes began their regular broadcast on April 4, 2008, inMBS channel of Japan. The final episode aired on September 25, 2008, what brought the series to a total of 25 episodes. AMacross Frontier Movie Edition was announced just after the ending of the new TV animated series.^[20]

The Kanto area rerun of theMacross Frontier anime television series during early 2014 in Japan ended with a teaser announcement that a newMacross TV series is in the works,^[21] and later in the year was tentatively titledMacross Δ (Delta). Just like forMacross Frontier, a casting call was held for the series' main singer who also became part of the cast.^[22] The winner of the contest as well of the rest of the cast and characters were revealed in a special event held on October 29, 2015.^[23][24] A newMacross anime television series was to premiere in 2018, but still hasn't released (as of September 2024).^[25] A newMacross series was announced in 2023 to be animated byBandai Namco Filmworks.^[26] It is unknown if this is the previously announced 2018 anime or if this is a completely new project.

On March 2nd, 2025, Big West and Bandai Namco Filmworks announced through a livestream that songstress auditions for the next Macross series had officially begun and that submissions for the first round will be open until April 30th. This audition is limited to only women ages 13-22.^[27] In that same livestream, it was revealed thatFlyingDog andLantis would be responsible for the music of the series. The first round audition song is be "Ai to Ai" by Fuwari and that the contest would feature prior franchise artists and guests perform the song during the duration of the audition.^[28]

Several sequel series and prequels have followed inMacross. The mainMacross productions consists of (in fictional chronological timeline order):

Macross video games are based on its universe, sometimes expanding it with original characters and sidestories; latest games often include newly created anime footage, and all of them were exclusively released in Japan;^[29] except a Takatoku Toys handheld electronic game distributed by Incoming Trading, a Banpresto arcade game licensed by Fabtek, and a Bandai Visual PlayStation game whose debuted North American localization was eventually cancelled probably due to copyrights issues involving Harmony Gold.^[30]

See thelist ofMacross video games for all the official and crossover releases from the 1980s up to the 2010s.

Harmony Gold purchased the international distribution rights for theMacross series and between 1999 and 2003 filed trademarks on the distribution ofMacross merchandise and media outside of Japan.^[30] Harmony Gold's international distribution rights are under dispute however as they bought the rights from the Japanese company, Tatsunoko Production, which in a court ruling against companies, Studio Nue and Big West, was ruled to have only the rights to the international distribution ofThe Super Dimension Fortress Macross and no legal claim to the rest of the franchise; those belonging to the latter companies.^{[31][32][33][30]} Harmony Gold claims that the case does not apply to them since it occurred in Japan and does not apply to the international distribution rights.^[34] Harmony Gold continued to re-affirm their claim to the international distribution through cease and desist letters,^[35][36] resulting in laterMacross series not being distributed outside of Japan.^[31][30]

On March 1, 2021, Big West, Studio Nue, and Harmony Gold came to an agreement. Harmony Gold would no longer hinder Big West's distribution ofMacross properties outside Japan and Harmony Gold would be allowed to release their upcomingRobotech film in Japan.^[37]

On March 18, 2024, Macross would be available viaDisney+ for streaming worldwide (via theStar hub), with the exception of both theSuper Dimension Fortress Macross andDo You Remember Love? that was currently available in Japan.^[38][39][40]

Macross was the basis for theRobotech franchise in North America.Super Dimension Fortress Macross was adapted into the first saga of theRobotech television series (1985–1986), calledThe Macross Saga, which spawned theRobotech franchise.Robotech was influential in the Western world, helping to introduce theanime medium to North America.^[41]

Macross popularized the concept of transformingmecha, which can transform between a standard vehicle (such as a fighter plane or transport truck) and a fighting mecha robot.Shōji Kawamori introduced the concept withDiaclone in 1980 and then popularized it withMacross. Kawamori then went on to design transforming mecha forTransformers (1986). The transforming mecha concept became popular in the mid-1980s, withMacross: Do You Remember Love? (1984) andZeta Gundam (1985) in Japan, and withRobotech andTransformers in the West.Transformers went on to influence theHollywood movie industry.^[41][42]

In contrast to earliermecha anime which focused on combatants,Macross portrayed mecha conflict from the perspective of non-combatant civilians, such as the singerLynn Minmay.^[41] Voiced byMari Iijima, Minmay was the first fictional idol singer to garner major real-world success, with the theme song "Do You Remember Love?" (from the filmMacross: Do You Remember Love?) reaching number seven on theOricon music charts in Japan.^[43] This was later further explored inMacross Plus with thevirtual idolSharon Apple, anartificial intelligence (AI)computer program who takes the form of an intergalacticpop star,^[44] and inMacross 7 with thevirtual bandFire Bomber who became a commercial success and spawned multiple CDs released in Japan.^[45]Macross set the template for later virtual idols in the early 21st century, such asHatsune Miku andKizuna Ai.^[43][44]

Another innovative character concept inMacross was the role ofMisa Hayase inSuper Dimension Fortress Macross, who was one of the main commanders of the Macross battleship. She was the boss and commanding officer of the fighter pilot protagonistHikaru Ichijyo, and later his love interest. This was a scenario Kawamori came up with which he had not seen in any Hollywood movies before. A similar scenario, however, later appeared in the Hollywood movieTop Gun (1986). According to Kawamori, "Many people pointed out that later films likeTop Gun copied that idea and setting, as well as including the combination of many songs and fighters too."^[41]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toMacross.

• Macross episode reviews at MAHQ
• Macross Compendium
• Macross World

• Official website
• New Official website
• Macross 30th Anniversary Official SiteArchived 2017-09-25 at theWayback Machine
• Macross F Official
• Big West

• Macross
• Bandai Visual
• Extraterrestrials in anime and manga
• Fiction about faster-than-light travel
• Mecha anime and manga
• Military anime and manga
• Fiction about alien invasions
• Apocalyptic anime and manga
• Robotech
• Space opera

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