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Robotech / Southern Cross
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“Super Dimensional Cavalry: Southern Cross” is a 23-episode TV series from 1984. Character designs were by legendary sci-fi Character Designer, Tomonori Kogawa (“Dunbine”, “Ideon”, “Tekkaman Blade”). Carl Macek took “Southern Cross” and combined it with two separate series, “Macross”, and “Genesis Climber MOSPEADA”, to create “Robotech”, which aired in the US in 1985. Serving as a bridge between “Macross” and “MOSPEADA”, “Southern Cross” underwent the most plot alterations of the three series.
Southern Cross
In the beginning of the 22nd century, mankind has left its war-ravaged home, and traveled into space to colonize alien worlds. After years of cultivating the harsh, aired soil of the seemingly deserted planet, Gloire, humanity has created a second home for itself. That is, until the settlers face a new obstacle… the return of the planet’s original inhabitants, the Zor! With the younger generation of both the Zor and the Earth colonists blindly following the ideology of their elder militaristic leaders, neither side is willing to give in, or even to attempt peace negotiations. Instead, the war between them escalates into an apocalyptic end game.
Robotech Masters
Fifteen years after Khyron’s last stand and suicide attack on the SDF-1, the heroes from “Macross” have left our planet to search for answers regarding the origin of the alien power source, Protoculture. And the newly established, militaristic, United Earth Government has started to rebuild our destroyed planet.
In order to sustain themselves, the Zentradi’s overlords, the Robotech Masters, have come to Earth to reclaim the Protoculture Factory left within the wreckage of the SDF-1. With a mutual distrust between human and alien, and neither side willing to engage in talks with each other, a war ensues that will further decimate our war-ravaged homeworld; leaving it vulnerable to the fast approaching Invid, the common enemy of both Earthling and Robotech Master.
“Beware the spores Dana… The Invid Are Coming!!”
Far from the usual anime side characters that exist to support their male heroes with some under-defined inner power of love and goodness, the women protagonists of “Southern Cross” are on the front lines, kicking ass in this super robot mecha show; rarely needing any man’s help to do anything, and even freed from the other anime staple of, “She’s like a butch lesbian”. The Military’s top brass is all male, but the lower ranks are gender integrated, and the series follows three female military officers: Dana Sterling/Jeanne Françaix, leader of the Land Armored Division’s Squad 15 (and in Robotech, the half Zentradi daughter of Max and Miryia); 2nd Lt. Marie Crystal/Marie Angel, “Cosmo Amazon” of the Space Armored Corps’ Squad 12; and Nova Satori/Lana Isavia, a “by the book” officer of the Military Police. While I like both the original Japanese “Southern Cross” and the American “Robotech Masters”, I have to give the edge to “Robotech”, for improving the script to make Dana seem less ditzy and more fun-loving; and for removing some of the original’s ubiquitous sexist dialogue and (even though I like them *cough*) ridiculous number of shower scenes.
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8.65/10 
9.12/10
8.70/10 
65 votes