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| Genre | Musical,[1]romance,[2]space opera[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Macross Frontier (マクロスF,Makurosu Furontia) is a Japaneseanime television series and the third Japanese anime television series set in theMacross universe. It was broadcast onMBS from April 4, 2008 to September 26, 2008.
Macross Frontier is the story of a human space colony fleet trying to find a habitable planet near the center of theMilky Way. The story focuses on three young adults (a famed pop singer, a private military pilot, and a rising pop singer) and the events that occur around them as the fleet faces a crisis of alien origin.[5]
The series features the 25th New Macross-class Colonial Fleet, dubbed theMacross Frontier, en route to the galactic center. This heavily populatedinterstellar fleet (consisting of numerous civilian vessels and their military escorts) contains a makeup of both human occupants and theirZentradi allies. As such, many of theMacross Frontier's companion vessels appear to merge more metallic Human designs with organicZentradi aesthetics.Macross Frontier's plot explores a combination of action/political intrigue/space drama more than previousMacross series have done in the past.
As the series begins, during a mission to an unexplored asteroid belt, a reconnaissance NewU.N. Spacy (N.U.N.S.)VF-171 is destroyed by an extremely powerful and fast insectoid biomechanical alienmecha known as the "Vajra" which immediately begin their attack on the rest of the fleet. Unable to stop the new enemy threat, the N.U.N.S. Colonial Defense Forces authorizes the deployment of aprivate military provider organization called S.M.S. (Strategic Military Services) which utilizes the new VF-25Messiah variable fighter to combat the alien menace.
The series was animated bySatelight and was broadcast inJapan onMBS from April 4, 2008 to September 26, 2008.[6] A pre-broadcast airing titledMacross Frontier: Close Encounter - Deculture Edition orMacross Special Edition (マクロスSP版,Makurosu SP Ban), showcasing a preview version of the first episode was aired on December 23, 2007. The series premiered on satellite television in Japan onAnimax on April 7, 2008.[7]
The series started streaming onDisney+ globally (via theStar hub) in 2024.[8] The series started streaming onHulu in the United States on January 13, 2025.[9]
Four separatemanga adaptations were run inShōnen Ace,Comp Ace andBessatsu Friend, starting in December 2007, February 2008, July 2008, and September 2010, respectively.
Radio Macross is a radio program, based onMacross Frontier, which was first broadcast onBunka Hōsō andMBS Radio on January 3, 2008. It has featuredMegumi Nakajima andKenta Miyake, voice actors for the characters Ranka Lee and Bobby Margot, as hosts.[10]
Macross Fufonfia is a series ofFlash-based 90-second promotional shorts developed bySatelight and sponsored byMainichi Broadcasting System where characters fromMacross Frontier are portrayed asoffice ladies and employees at the "Frontier Software Company". While not exactly standard anime, more a sort of paper cut-out animation, theseONA shorts are a fun spoof of the original series intended to promote the show. The series was aired in 2007 and featured 20 episodes.
| Macross Trial Frontier | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Artdink |
| Publisher | Bandai Namco Games |
| Series | Macross |
| Platform | PlayStation 3 |
| Release |
|
| Genre | Action |
| Mode | Single-player |
A theatrical version of theMacross Frontier anime television series was announced in Japan during the broadcast of the 25th and final episode "Your Sound" ("Anata no Oto") on September 25, 2008. According to interviews withShōji Kawamori the movie was to be anadaptation of the story from the television series. Japaneseanime magazineAnimedia had originally announced that the film was to be released during the summer of 2009.[11][12] Other reports later placed the premiere in the fall of 2009.[13] That report was confirmed by anitasha (vehicle decorated with character art) mini-van outside the "Macross: The Super Dimension Space Launching Ceremony" event that took place on February 22, 2009 in Japan. However, at that point, the creatorShoji Kawamori and the cast members Yuuichi Nakamura (Alto Saotome), Aya Endo (Sheryl Nome), and Megumi Nakajima (Ranka Lee) noted on the actual event, that the new date and the title were still subjected to changes.[14]
The theatrical film adaptation ofMacross Frontier opened in Japan on November 21, 2009, under the nameMacross Frontier: The False Songstress (劇場版 マクロスF 虚空歌姫 〜イツワリノウタヒメ〜,Gekijōban Makurosu Furontia Itsuwari no Utahime). The Kadokawa Cineplex and Shochiku Multiplex theaters' websites revealed the title and date, and the second issue of Kadokawa Shoten'sMacross Ace magazine eventually published the details on June 26, 2009. The teaser trailer for the film premiered in Japanese theaters on June 27, 2009 (the same day ticket pre-sales began in Japan).[15] The first movie retells the events of the anime from episodes 1 to 13, with significant alterations to the story and timeline of the television series.[16]
ABlu-ray Disc release of the movie, titledMacross Frontier The Movie: The False Songstress Hybrid Pack, was released on October 7, 2010. The Blu-ray release contains the Blu-ray jacket, the hybrid disc, a 48-page artwork booklet, a theatrical release archive, and a card featuring frames from the movie. The pack also included a code that allowed the owner to be entered into a contest to attend the Macross F Christmas Live event that year. A PS3 game titledMacross Trial Frontier is included in the Hybrid Pack, playable on the PlayStation 3. A standard DVD was also released in the same day. Later Namco Bandai (nowBandai Namco Holdings) released theMacross Frontier the Movie 30th d Shudisuta b Box on May 15, 2014.[17][18][19]
| Macross Last Frontier | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Artdink |
| Publisher | Bandai Namco Games |
| Series | Macross |
| Platform | PlayStation 3 |
| Release |
|
| Genre | Action |
| Mode | Single-player |
The official website of the Macross Frontier anime series has confirmed that there will be two theatricalMacross Frontier films. WhileThe False Songstress primarily reedited footage from the show's initial 13 episodes, the second film, titledMacross Frontier: The Wings of Farewell (劇場版 マクロスF 恋離飛翼 〜サヨナラノツバサ〜,Gekijōban Makurosu Furontia Sayonara no Tsubasa), diverges significantly from the events of the television series, featuring entirely new animation and new music.[20] In the Macross Frontier Girasama Festival, the movie's release date is confirmed to be on February 26, 2011.[21]The Wings of Farewell provides an original story and an alternate conclusion toFrontier, following directly off ofThe False Songstress.
Blu-ray and DVD editions of the movie were released byBandai Namco Games on October 20, 2011. The Blu-ray version is still a Hybrid Pack, the same as the first movie released in Blu-ray.[22] A PS3 game titledMacross Last Frontier is included in the Hybrid Pack, and it can be played when the disc is in the PlayStation 3.[23][24] Later, Namco Bandai (nowBandai Namco Holdings) released theMacross Frontier the Movie 30th d Shudisuta b Box on May 15, 2014.[17][18][19]
In November 2008, a live concert ofMacross Frontier's music was performed by May'n, Megumi Nakajima, and Yoko Kanno. A video recording of the concert was released in November 2009, and is available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.
Coinciding with both the 25th anniversary of Macross and the Blu-ray releases of volume one of bothMacross Zero andMacross Frontier, the official website ofMacross Frontier posted two newly animated short films featuring Air Show style demonstrations for both series. People who purchased the first pressings of eitherMacross Zero orMacross Frontier received a unique code to enter into the website and therefore be able to watch the short film of the respective anime.[25][26]
Due to the legal dispute over the distribution rights of theMacross franchise, involving Studio Nue and Big West against Harmony Gold, much of theMacross merchandise post 1999, includingMacross Frontier, has not received an international release.[27] Until Big West, Studio Nue and Harmony Gold reached an agreement on the international distribution of mostMacross sequels and films, on March 1, 2021.[28][29]
The twoMacross Frontier films each received a one-night theatrical release with English subtitles in the United States via Big West andFathom Events, withThe False Songstress shown on June 16, 2022, andThe Wings of Farewell shown on June 30, 2022.[30]
As a tribute to the popularity of the series, JapanesechampioncosplaykickboxerYuichiro Nagashima ("Jienotsu")crossplayed as the character Ranka Lee during one of his tournaments and also in a promotional event for the show.[31]
The first DVD volume of the series released in Japan byBandai Visual maintained the #3 spot in the sales chart for two consecutive weeks.[32] It was revealed that about 45,000Blu-ray Discs and 55,000 DVDs were shipped by Bandai Visual for the first volume. This marked the highest Blu-ray Disc pressing among all Bandai Visual releases.Macross Frontier was also reported to be the first anime television series to ship simultaneously on both disc formats in Japan.[33]
Theoriginal soundtrack of the series,Macross Frontier O.S.T.1 Nyan FRO, made it to #3 inOricon's's weekly album chart. The album sold over 72,000 copies, becoming the first anime album in eleven years to rank in Japan's top 3. The only anime album to rival these sales wasThe End of Evangelion soundtrack, released on September 26, 1997.[34]
The first opening single, "Triangular" byMaaya Sakamoto, debuted at #3 inOricon's weekly singles chart and maintained the spot for three weeks before falling to #6. The second single, "Diamond Crevasse" byMay'n, also debuted at #3.[35] The third single, Megumi Nakajima's "Seikan Hikō", reached #5 with 34,501 copies. The fourth single, including the second opening "Lion" and the second ending theme "Northern Cross", sold about 56,000 copies in its first week, reaching #3 as well. These four singles sold a total of over 500,000 copies, marking the start of a "new anime song boom" in Japan.[36]
Macross Frontier won the 40thSeiun Award in the Best Dramatic Presentation category.[37][38] Furthermore,Macross Frontier the Movie: The Wings of Farewell also won the 2011Newtype Anime Awards for Best Anime Film and Theatrical Film Award at the 2011Animation Kobe (the latter prize was previously awarded to numerous Animated Film includingSpirited Away andWALL-E).[39][40]
In theMacross Frontier robot/romance adventure series, Lanka is the high school student who dreams of being a singer
Macross Frontier space opera television anime
Theatrical short In theMacross Frontier robot/romance adventure series, Lanka feels fold waves during a concert and the Macross Frontier crew goes to investigate.
