By Geoff L.

(Edited by Ramón Bannister)

Left to Right: Minmei, Rick and Roy

In his third contribution to Kena Cubed, Geoff L. discusses Robotech’s hero Rick Hunter. A complex character for sure, Rick matures very quickly in the midst of a seemingly unending war with a super alien race.

Geoff L., Kena Cubed Contributor

In Robotech: Macross Saga, the main character in which most of the story revolves around is our hero Rick Hunter.  From the beginning of the series, we see that Rick is a civilian stunt pilot who flies for his father’s air circus. He is there on the first episode to visit his adoptive “big brother,” LCDR Roy Fokker (a veteran naval aviator and ranking squadron commander) during the ribbon-cutting launch ceremony of the SDF-1.  On approach to Macross Island in his tricked out “Mockingbird” racer plane, Rick arrives in the middle of an aerobatics demonstration by a group of transformable VF-1 Veritech fighters.  So what does this crazy guy do?  He joins the demonstration as the fighters are in a vertical Immelmann climb, passing just a few feet from them!  Naturally, this enrages Roy while the crowd watching the air show cheers in light of the spectacle.

Roy Fokker

…he was swept into the war for humanity’s survival.

As they are meeting on the tarmac and reacquainting after a long time apart, we see that Rick holds a little resentment towards Roy for staying in the military (this time for the Robotech Defense Forces) and not returning to his father’s aerobatic circus.  In an attempt to impress young Rick with Roy’s line of work, he puts him in the front seat of a Veritech trainer.  But while all this is happening, the Zentraedi appear in Earth orbit.  The previously unknown “boobytrap” on the SDF-1 fires its main gun at the Zentraedi.  Roy leaves Rick in the trainer plane to investigate the sudden firing. Roy is informed that aliens have arrived and that all fighters need to scramble to meet the incoming threat.  As all of this commotion is happening, Rick manages to doze off in the trainer plane cockpit.

Mistaking him to be a military pilot, the Battle Coordinator, Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Lisa Hayes, gives Rick a rude awakening over the radio. While he was snoozing in the cockpit, the very Veritech fighter he is sitting in is now being armed and his engines are jump started. With LCDR Hayes screaming at him to take off, and the ground crew not letting him get out of the cockpit, Rick complies. Little did Rick realize that this marked the beginning of his odyssey; he was swept into the war for humanity’s survival.  His life would be forever changed in these next five years of his life.

To me, Rick seems to represent the very best in society who join the military.

CULTURAL ANALYSIS

We first see Rick Hunter as a cocky, free-spirited young man who really wants nothing to do with the military. However, he changes due to the catastrophic events he finds himself in.  When he’s stuck on board the SDF-1 in the outer reaches of the solar system, it dawns on him he’ll be doing nothing for the next year or more as they journey back to Earth.  Roy ignites Rick’s sense of duty by convincing him to join the Robotech Defense Force (RDF). Rick then grows from what some might consider being an unruly punk to a responsible service member in the RDF with subordinates to look after.

From what I’ve seen, people join the military for a wide variety of reasons. Some do it out of a need to belong to some kind of a team. Some do it to prove something to themselves. Some might join the military to run away from something in their past.  Some do it strictly out of pragmatic reasons (finding a stable job in a bad economy, money for college, etc.). Some do it simply because they have nothing else going on in their lives.  Some do it for idealistic reasons.  In the cartoon Robotech, Rick probably did it for all of these things. However, it is clear that the one that resonates the most with him is protecting those he cares about.

To me, Rick seems to represent the very best in society who join the military.  With the outbreak of WWII, many able-bodied young men put their lives on hold and volunteered. Many of them figured that is was their duty. To top it off, many came into the military already with useful skills that were in heavy demand by the military.  Similarly, Rick could have easily joined the ranks of the 70,000 non-combatants on board the SDF-1 and probably could have found some way to stay productive and have no involvement in the Robotech War. However, with Roy’s encouragement, the idealist in Rick decides to go into the RDF because he felt it was his duty. He was an experienced pilot who had something to offer.

Rick's Stunt Plane

It is without a doubt that Rick had a leg up on the other recruits during his pilot training. For someone who grew up flying in an aerobatic circus and winning eight international racing championships, I’d say he probably already had an impressive record of flying hours, being already instrument-rated, and was predisposed to pushing aircraft to the edge of its performance envelope. The technical aspects, however, can only teach so much.

Consequently, Rick was shocked by the brutal realities of war. In one particular battle, he found himself face to face with a Zentraedi soldier. When Rick raised his weapon at the soldier, all he saw was the stark terror in the eyes of the enemy alien, and found it difficult to shoot someone that appeared human. In other situations, he found himself narrowly cheating death on a regular basis. It affected him the most when some of his closest friends died in combat. Reasonably, anyone would find it difficult to put up with all of this if they didn’t have something to hope for.

Rick & Minmei

To speak of Rick Hunter’s life in this saga would be incomplete without mentioning the romance in his life. From near the beginning of the saga, Rick was infatuated with Miss Lynn Minmei after meeting her and sharing moments of survival and laughter. Minmei was a source of joy for him, yet also a source of frustration as it seemed that she didn’t always reciprocate his feelings. This was further complicated by the fact that she became a local starlet and recording artist after winning a beauty pageant. You could say that she was like an on-again/off-again girlfriend with an ambiguously defined relationship with him.  With this being a source of angst, he unexpectedly found solace in the woman who would later be the love of his life: Lisa Hayes.

When you’re deployed, you sometimes wonder about what you could be doing if you weren’t at war. For myself, I wondered what else I could have been doing if I wasn’t in Iraq.

As the romance between Rick and Lisa develops, we see a difficult courtship to say the least. Yes, opposites can attract but not without some rough and tumble moments. Both Rick and Lisa are passionate about their jobs. What this really means was that there were occasional argumentative flare ups. There’s no avoiding this, as a pilot needs to adhere to the instructions of the battle coordinator. Rick is responsible for the tactical arena in the field, while Lisa is responsible for the overall strategic picture in the bridge. Rick is unruly in that he operated on instinct alone. Lisa is more prone to follow planning and procedure. Rick is brash. Lisa is cultured. In other words, they are polar opposites.  However, Robotech was a dynamic drama in that characters changed over time.

Rick Hunter embracing Lisa Hayes

Rick and Lisa’s relationship develops throughout the episodes as they find themselves sharing similar struggles in the line of duty. In one episode, he saves her life on a Mars base. She saves Rick from drowning while they were POWs with the Zentraedi. Lisa muses to Rick about the state of humanity and its uncertain future. They eventually find some comfort with each other as they lament over lost loves. She feels responsible for his safety when she accidentally has Rick fired upon. He heroically saves her yet again from a base in Alaska. As these events unfold, their relationship grows from annoyance, to begrudging respect, to a close friendship, to an uncertain cat and mouse game of attraction, to finally acknowledging their love for each other. Although seemingly straight-forward, none of this is without the complication of Rick needing to sort out whatever remaining feelings he may have for Minmei.

In the Robotech story, it could be said that Rick Hunter has a bit of a Hero Complex.  He likely has an inherent deep-rooted desire to help others in need. This is part of the impetus that compels him to enlist. We also see this in how he idealizes his rescuing of Minmei or his willingness to undergo any risk to save Lisa. While this seems to be an inherently good thing, this is also his weakness. It is for this reason that he is caught up in the euphoria of Minmei and finds it difficult to let her go even while he and Lisa were dating. He’s a nice guy to the point where he seems like he can’t be decisive and set a boundary. It’s a love triangle that distracts him.

Rick Hunter

When you’re deployed, you sometimes wonder about what you could be doing if you weren’t at war. For myself, I wondered what else I could have been doing if I wasn’t in Iraq. In a similar way, Rick wondered what he would do if the Robotech War never happened. Given his independent nature, I can imagine that he would have wanted to be his own boss or have a job with a great amount of latitude. He would have eventually taken over his father’s flying circus. As he got older, he would be flying a Gulfstream jet, meeting rockstars, actors, and talk show hosts. With enough contacts, Rick would probably be flying between major international cities, making the world his sort of oyster. At some point between all of this jet-setting, he’d probably be asked to be a catalogue cover model for Breitling watches, sporting some Ray Ban wireframe sunglasses, a leather jacket, that famous ascot, and prominently displaying a $7000 watch named after his famous “Mockingbird” racer. However, this war with the Zentraedi took him to a different destiny.

During the exploits of the 1^st Robotech War, Rick Hunter became a major figure in the RDF. We see that he’s a complicated man but holds to simple ideals. He grows as a person, marked by the responsibilities he bears and for the people he held in high esteem. He never wanted to be a military man. He was a man seemingly forever young, yet thrust into a circumstance in which he would have to be mature beyond his age.  Those circumstances that he found himself in demanded people who had the right qualities to fulfill this role. In the cartoon, humanity gained hope by having Rick and countless others fight on behalf of them.

By Geoff L.

(Edited by Ramón Bannister)

Lisa Hayes

Kena Cubed contributor Geoff L. discusses how Lisa’s character is very realistic, in part to contrast her with the alien Zentraedi race, but also to enhance the story of Robotech…

Geoff L., Kena Cubed Contributor

Lisa Hayes is the unforgettable First Officer aboard the SDF-1. We know her from the Macross Saga episodes as a bridge officer whose primary responsibility is to direct air combat operations and maintain situational awareness for the command elements. As required by her position, she is strong-minded and able to exert command presence when required. As most good officers go, she is also very eloquent, being able to interface with and apprise senior government officials with her reporting. She’s a capable person and a dedicated Robetech Defense Force (RDF) officer who comes from a long lineage of distinguished military officers. And we eventually learn in later episodes that she becomes Rick Hunter’s love interest and wife.

Lisa Hayes with uniform

At first glance she’s a rather attractive lady. The way she tosses her hair about in some episodes, without the uniform, one could probably mistake her for being a hair shampoo model. She seems rather fit as she is able to wear that cat-suit of a uniform and appear like a sculpted figure. To top it off, the inadvertently sultry yet regal voice would have most guys captivated by her even though she’s a cartoon character (well, at least for me it’s true).

However, I think the most endearing trait underneath all of the more superficial ones is that she has a tremendous amount of compassion. This is something that Rick is drawn to when it came to a long schedule of combat patrols, his dealings with his ambiguously defined relationship with Minmei, or just commiserating over shared hardship from their struggle against the Zentraedi. If not just for Rick, Lisa feels a sense of responsibility in protecting not only the SDF-1 or its crew, but also the 70,000 civilians aboard it.

All of these things above may equate to a well-drawn up character. However, I would further say that she could easily be a real-life person given her background. For instance, what makes her tick is largely influenced by events in her childhood and as a young adult. To me, it would seem uncanny and perhaps be very surprising if she were not modeled after a real person of a similar demeanor and background. Contrasting with some of my experiences in the officer corps, it begins to make sense why she may be more realistic than the general populace may see.

It would be very surprising if she were not modeled after a real person.

Cultural Analysis

Some of Lisa’s personality traits are very apparent in the TV series. As noted, she’s very strong-minded and professional. Since she is a flight crew officer, she probably needs to have a number of flight hours to maintain that type of certification. Perhaps this adds to her larger-than-life heroine mystique. At times, she may come across as an “ice queen” of sorts with many subordinates and pilots alike who are intimidated by her. But beneath that facade we see some contradictions. By this I mean the type of contradictions that make us very much human. Underneath that shell of professionalism and emotional distance, we see that she has a strong capacity for compassion. We also see an immense amount of insecurity when it comes to personal relationships. In order to understand why, we should look briefly into her past.

Growing up as a child in an Active Duty military environment has its pros and cons.

What we know of Lisa’s background is that she’s the daughter of a prominent U.S. Navy Admiral (well before the SDF-1 incident and formation of the United Earth Government). Growing up as a child in an Active Duty military environment has its pros and cons. Lisa probably saw different places around the world, going wherever her father would be posted. I can imagine that she probably lived in places like the Chesapeake Bay Area, Pearl Harbor, Japan, San Diego, and Washington DC for 3-5 years at each location. While some people could only dream of being so well travelled, the drawback here is that there isn’t much opportunity to form lasting friendships. You grow up going to school with the kids of Active Duty parents for a few years and then you move, likely to not see them again. Then you start over at putting down whatever roots you can at the next location. Over time, she probably grew to not be attached to anyone so as to mitigate the loss of being uprooted, thereby emotionally shielding herself.

As if growing up in those environs wasn’t hard enough, Lisa also suffered from the death of her mother while she was at an early age. That kind of loss would be painful for anyone. But with the added challenges of having a father whose job could take him to different remote assignments for weeks or months at a time, she would have to be strong, if only for herself and her own well-being. Needless to say, she had to learn how to be self-reliant at an early age.

Later in life, Lisa would obtain a commission by attending the Robotech Academy, perhaps the futuristic equivalent of a military service academy (e.g. Annapolis, West Point, etc.). However, since she’s the daughter of a prominent Admiral in the newly formed RDF, her peers and perhaps her instructors might have perceived her to have gained admittance solely through her father’s connections. She had to have realized that in order to gain respect she would have to dispel this perception. Subsequently, she had to pursue a very high degree of academic and physical excellence to prove that she can succeed on her own merit and not through her family’s namesake.

With all of these things in her past, you might imagine that Lisa Hayes grew up as a strong, emotionally detached person. However, it doesn’t necessarily explain how she would later be attracted to the fighter pilot, Rick Hunter. In order to make any real sense of it, we have to examine her past attempt at love: Carl Riber.

Lisa isn’t without her faults. After all, humans aren’t perfect.

Carl Riber was an upperclassman that she knew from the Robotech Academy. Those in the military would have to agree that it can be a very insular environment. You live in an environment where you have appearance standards to adhere to. On top of that, you are looked upon favorably if you maintain high physical fitness or aspire to combat arms type professions. In short, being sort of a “jock”. However, Carl probably stood out to Lisa as being different than most of the other cadets. She felt safe enough to be vulnerable with him, as he showed a special sensitivity towards her. Carl was also different in that he felt apprehension about the Unification wars that were still being waged around some parts of the globe. Some of his peers might perceive that as being a coward. However, Lisa likely saw it differently as him speaking his conscience. It was for this reason that Carl wanted to avoid the UN war with anti-unificationists and requested to be posted at a research installation on Mars. Sadly, this was to be ill-fated as the Mars base would later be attacked by those anti-unificationist factions, likely killing Carl and the other inhabitants of the base.

Rick Hunter embracing Lisa Hayes

So then: why Rick Hunter?  She would later be drawn to him for similar reasons: 1) He was not your typical career military officer; 2) Rick developed a soft-spot for Lisa, recognizing her finer qualities; and 3) she felt safe enough to be vulnerable with him. In short, he was different. Rick wasn’t someone who was looking for a career in the RDF, climbing the ranks and impressing his superiors with glowing OERs (Officer Evaluation Reports), jockeying for key positions, or retiring with a comfortable pension. Rick joined out of near child-like innocence and wanted to protect other people. Although it would take some warming up for Lisa to appreciate this, she would eventually recognize him as a bright spot in her life.

Despite all of the above, Lisa isn’t without her faults. After all, humans aren’t perfect. Understandably, she is a jealous woman when it came to Rick and his residual feelings for Minmei. After resolving a hostage rescue scenario with Minmei and Lynn Kyle being held captive by Zentraedi holdouts, we see Rick and Minmei embracing as if rekindling their relationship. Upon seeing this, a jealous Lisa pulls rank without hesitation and orders Rick back on patrol, ending the tender spectacle. Later on, faced with the prospect of losing Rick to Minmei and suffering through a lonely Christmas, she drowns her sorrow in alcohol, as if to concede defeat. For someone so strong, even Lisa has her weaker, darker moments. But despite all of this, both Lisa and Rick would eventually confess their love as they realize how much lonelier they are without each other.

Lisa Hayes is a celebrated character in the Macross Saga of Robotech. It’s not very difficult to see why. She is a strong-willed, attractive woman with the qualities of a heroine. Yet despite this facade we also appreciate the fact that she’s only human, plagued with her own frailties and faults. Regardless, she is admired by fans on many dimensions; remarkable to say the least.

- By Geoff L.

(Edited by Ramón Bannister)

Geoff L., Kena Cubed Contributor

As a child, I enjoyed a good variety of pop culture shows that were indelibly burned into my memory. The one that I cherished the most was the animated TV series, Robotech.  Produced by Carl Macek for Harmony Gold, it is perhaps the most richly written story that I remember from that time. Some say that this was the show that popularized Japanese anime into the consciousness of American popular culture. Sure, there was Voltron, but that certainly wasn’t the vast epic drama that Robotech was. With Voltron, it seemed that whatever problem that arose from the beginning of the episode would be resolved in the same tired formulaic approach each time: the good guys defeat the bad guys (until the bad guys are up to their evil ways again in the next episode with little variation to their plans). You could say that Robotech was unique in contrast with other animated series that were on at the time. Nothing else seemed to be written with the same amount of complexity.

You might wonder whether Robotech glorified war. With closer inspection, I’m confident that you’ll see that it’s quite the opposite.

Later on in life, I served in the military after 9/11. You might say that I had an immersive experience in international affairs as well as some of the subtle things of military life. Most recently, I re-watched all of the Robotech episodes on YouTube and began to notice more in the story than I did when I was younger. With this recent viewing, I came to appreciate certain nuances of the story. Whether this was by accident or by special insight on the part of the writers, it’s another dimension that I can take to heart. Many themes were hinted at in the story which I can draw from experience:

1. How shared experiences bring about easy camaraderie
2. The feeling of being far away from home and commiserating with others who feel the same
3. The need to find some semblance of normalcy in an inherently chaotic environment
4. The hope that your efforts just might protect someone, even if it just means protecting the person to your left and right
5. How when you are under constant alert, you value even a few minutes of free time that you have, even if it means lying in your bunk and staring at the ceiling
6. You question if what you are doing is right, searching for some meaning
7. How war can be terrifying for a short amount of time, while the majority of it is a long, boring anticipation for something to happen
8. Finding some level of comfort knowing that one more day has passed without incident, equating to one more day that you’ll be home

I guess one could say that it’s hard to understand this without living it.

The SDF-1 when it crash landed. Screen shot from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjM8PbTw5tU&feature=sh_e_se&list=SL

So for the uninitiated, what is Robotech about anyway? Well, the story starts with the unexpected crash landing of an alien space cruiser in the South Pacific, beaching itself on a fictional Macronesian island called Macross Island. The arrival of this alien warship occurs while World War III is in full swing. Although the occupants of the ship are deceased, this ship makes the world leaders aware of something: 1) we aren’t alone and 2) they aren’t friendly. Recognizing that humans have a greater threat with which to contend, this one event puts an end to the war as the world’s resources are diverted into studying the alien vessel and developing technologies in the hopes of defending Earth and the human race. This technology is dubbed “Robotechnology.” Subsequently, this event makes “World War III” now retroactively named “The Global Civil War” (much like “The Great War” was called “WWI” with the outbreak of WWII).

The SDF-1 after it had been reconstructed. Screen shot from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjM8PbTw5tU&feature=sh_e_se&list=SL

With the remnant United Nations forming the United Earth Government (with some holdout nations in conflict over this formation), all efforts are pooled into thwarting a possible future alien invasion. For the next decade, the finest minds from all over the world converge on Macross Island to study this strange alien technology and rebuild the alien vessel into the Super Dimension Fortress One (SDF-1). As all of these efforts are being conducted, a small city (Macross City) begins to form around the military base.

It is during the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the SDF-1 that the aliens, the Zentraedi, have returned in force to retrieve the vessel, staging from lunar orbit. However, because much of the SDF-1’s technology is still yet to be understood by the humans, the ship had an unknown fail-safe “boobytrap” built into it by its previous alien owners. It was a trap meant to be enacted by its original occupants while near death against the Zentraedi if they tried to recover the vessel. With the arrival of the Zentraedi in outer Earth orbit, the SDF-1’s main gun activated without warning. As the bridge crew tried in vain to shut down the gun, the powerful weapon automatically fires into space, destroying a section of the alien fleet. This spurs the aliens to attack the island in an attempt to recover the SDF-1, marking the beginning of the 1st Robotech War and the start of the Robotech epic drama.

I feel that the story gives proper respect to members of the military while making its own statement against war and its destructive wake.

Cultural Analysis

Science fiction has a way of speaking about the current human condition. At the time that Robotech was released, the real-life tension of the Cold War was still felt across the globe. Personally, I don’t think it was an accident that the story starts with the alien battle cruiser crashing into earth while the world was at war. It seems to make a statement that mankind can accomplish many things if we can settle some of our differences. Yet sadly it also holds up a mirror to humanity, as if to say that we ourselves are really no different than the aliens who try to conquer Earth. We too have a sordid past replete with conflicts and conquest.

In another allegory, to me the Zentraedi are perhaps representative of some kind of Soviet-style authoritarian type of society. We find later in the saga that the Zentraedi are a bioengineered race of 40-foot humanoids that were meant to be a proxy army for another race, the so-called “Robotech Masters”, the Tirolians. Basically, all the Zentraedi know in their society is war and conquest. They are sustained by chemical protein constituents and have no concept of art, music, or any kind of cultural wonders that we as humans appreciate. However, several of their spies eventually defected to the human Earth society after they experience our culture (music, food, etc.). At this point, I realized that this is somehow a parallel to those who defected from Stalinist nations to the West. Some of the Zentraedi secretly come to find that those “Micronian” humans aren’t quite so bad and they start to envy what they don’t have, especially music.

Captured humans being interrogated by the Zentreadi leader. Screen shot taken from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BqFr7opSY4&feature=sh_e_se&list=SL

You might wonder whether Robotech glorified war. With closer inspection, I’m confident that you’ll see that it’s quite the opposite. I feel that the story gives proper respect to members of the military while making its own statement against war and its destructive wake. You sense this when certain key characters die and the loss is felt by those that were close to them. For my own military educational development, I read Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer. In a nutshell, it followed the fictional life of a career military officer from when he first enlists, to his exploits in Europe during WWI, to the Army’s reorganization thereafter, to his time in WWII in the Pacific Campaign, and then being recalled to Active Duty in the fictional Southeast Asian country of Khotiane. Though it’s fiction, I feel that it pays proper homage to those in the military who serve with genuine honor (as opposed to Machiavellian careerists) while making a statement against US involvement in Vietnam. In that same spirit, I feel that Robotech accomplishes the same with the Cold War threat of nuclear annihilation, at least indirectly.

It seems to make a statement that mankind can accomplish many things if we can settle some of our differences.

I understand that that the story of Robotech is essentially derived from 3 disparate Japanese animations (Macross, Army of the Southern Cross, and MOSPAEDA) and rewritten to be a coherent story for an American audience. Anime purists have a good case that the American adaptation in some ways “bastardized” the originals. Whether or not you believe that argument, one thing seems clear to me: I don’t think I would be as appreciative of Japanese animation if it weren’t for Robotech. I think others may feel the same.

Robotech is more than just a story about space warfare. It is also a coming-of-age story for the main characters. On another dimension, it is a story of romance and of love lost. In another way, it’s a testament of mankind’s will to survive, even if by sheer determination and morale. Without this complex plot, I firmly believe that Robotech could have easily been a forgettable story. The heavy themes in the story affect the characters, changing them during the long span of the story. The characters have dimension. It provides a certain continuity that is realistic and dynamic. I think this is the heart of what made Robotech special.

By Ramón Bannister

Minmei taking food orders from soldiers. From http://youtu.be/dPIldPps3wA

It has been a long time since I published the last cultural analysis of Robotech. But I hope my fans are still with me. The next post below is an analysis of two episodes. This time I decided to start with the cultural analysis rather than the episode summaries. I believe the former is much more interesting and may encourage my readers to really think about what I have to say. If you want to contribute to this analytical understanding of Robotech, feel free to send me a private email. Or, you can start a discussion by making a public comment and telling all your friends to add to the discussion.

Cultural Analysis

In the two episodes, “Transformation” and “Blitzkrieg,” I am struck by the many references to our penchant for war and how that is contrasted with our need for peace. Minmei and her aunt and uncle open a Chinese restaurant, in part to create a sense of normalcy during a devastating war. The normalcy is an attempt to give an impression of peace, in my opinion; she wants to make the restaurant a comfort zone, a place where people go to relax and hang out with their buddies. It’s an oasis, a focal point on a ship designed only for war and carnage. (Again, if you have a different opinion and want to write a different analysis, let me know and I will be open to differing opinions.)

And the Zentraedi are afraid of us exactly because of our reputation for that carnage. Their legends speak of a race of dangerous beings they call “Micronians.”

And in real life we are dangerous. Our weapons of war are constantly improved and made more efficient. In doing historical research for an unrelated topic, I found that in the early 1900s there was a machine gun invented in Germany that could spray 200 bullets per minute. It was heavy and mounted on a carriage-like apparatus. Nowadays that weapon is obsolete. An AK47 would have more fire power and is carried under your arm. We are an efficient and effective killing machine. That’s how we evolved. But we also evolved to be sensitive. Hence the Robotech reference to psychological pain during and after war. Rick couldn’t shoot another living being while looking into his eyes. He froze instead, sparing the alien’s life. He couldn’t bring himself to kill.

Transformation

In the episode “Transformation,” lots of interesting things happen. It opens with Minmei convincing her aunt and uncle to open a restaurant within the ship. Long story short, they agree. So begins the first Chinese restaurant in space, which they hope will give a sense of “normalcy.” Meanwhile, Rick is dismayed when Robotech soldiers ask if Minmei has any feelings for Rick, because she denies she has any feelings for him. But she senses his depression, and has the commander of a Veritech squadron (the airplanes that can transform into robots) talk to him about joining the Robotech force. By the end of the episode, Rick does join.

Elsewhere in space, the Zentraedi discover that we humans are a race known as “Micronian,” and that there is a legend that warns the Zentraedi from having anything to do with the Micronian race. So, Breetai decides to go after the Robotech ship instead of staying in Earth orbit. The human Robotech ship detects the Zentraedi ships and commences attack.  Again, Breetai and his braniac assistant are puzzled that the Micronians haven’t used the main guns, and decide to test them further by firing on the ship. The Robotech ship suffers heavy damage, and General Gloval orders the ship to undergo “modular transformation.” This transformation is required to fire the main guns. The general fires the main guns and destroys many Zentraedi ships in one blast.

Blitzkrieg

The drama continues in the next episode, Blitzkrieg, another word denoting a military trap. (Recall that the first episode was entitled “Booby Trap.”) As two months elapse, Rick trains to be a Veritech pilot and completes basic training. Dr. Lang, the technology researcher aboard the Robotech space ship (SDF-1), also develops a “photon barrier,” a kind of shield to protect from direct attacks.

Breetai and his assistant try to figure out why the ship had to transform before firing the main guns. They also anticipate the trap that Captain Gloval set, which was to hide behind the rings of Saturn and do a surprise attack on the Zentraedi ships. But Breetai laughs and gives the order to pursue the SDF-1 anyway, saying,

“I’ll let them attempt their clever little plan. We’ll follow them. As they would say it will be like shooting fish in a barrel, whatever that means.”

This is also the episode in which Rick Hunter is officially introduced to Commander (1st Officer) Lisa Hayes, the same woman he bad-mouthed in a previous episode. Except this time she shows him who’s boss, and Rick is quite intimidated (I know the feeling).

In any case, the plan is commenced and the counter attack begins. Breetai’s assistant says something interesting:

Attacking with such a weak force is completely illogical. They have no idea of how to wage war!

And then Breetai agrees:

It would almost seem as if they don’t realize we’re holding back almost all of our forces! I believe the time is excellent to show them just what they’re up against!

Captain Gloval realizes that his plan has backfired. But Commander Lisa Hayes concocts a plan to ram the Zentraedi battle cruiser with the Robotech ships’s arm and release a barrage of missiles inside the Zentraedi ship. This adhoc plan saves the day when the Zentraedi ship is obliterated. But not before Rick accidentally gets inside the alien ship and discovers he is psychologically unable to fire upon a Zentraedi soldier. He leaves the ship before it explodes. His tells his superior, Commander Fokker, who then tells him not to worry about it – the same thing happened to him when he was a new recruit.

- By Ramón Bannister

Rick & Minmei, waiting to be saved. Screen shot taken from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7Q8GxIW16I

The episode, “The Long Wait,” develops the characters of Rick and Minmei, who have a somewhat romantic experience amidst the horror of war. They are in the human space fortress, a.k.a. SDF-1, and get stuck in a forgotten section of the ship. All of their efforts to find a way out lead to the realization that there IS NO way out. They both turn to that old human emotion that has helped us since our inception: hope – the hope that they are found and saved by the ship personnel.

Faced with starvation, they ration their remaining food stores and spend their time conversing about their lives, their dreams, their hopes and fears. At first, Minmei is your typical ditsy girl, somewhat flirtatious and all around nice. Rick thinks she’s beautiful, and falls short of telling her he’s falling in love with her. Later, Minmei turns to her more serious side. She is scared of dying alone. Rick comforts her by asking what her dreams are. That’s the first time she sings to him. She wants to be a singer, a famous singer that’s loved by everyone. But her ultimate dream: to get married. Rick comes up with the bright idea to have a mock wedding, as a kind of hint to her that he’s interested. They’re about to kiss, Minmei crying, Rick wanting to show his love, when suddenly there’s a loud crash. They turn around and realize that they have been saved! The entire population of the Macross island is on the ship. They are pulled up to safety. Immediately, Minmei, ignorant of Rick’s feelings, ignores him and brushes him off. Thus, the beginning of their relationship unfolds – soap opera style.

Cultural Analysis

There isn’t much to say here, beyond the obvious. Minmei’s ultimate dream in life is to get married? That’s cheesy. Very un-modern. Women are worth more than the men to whom they are married. But the script writers know that. We get a hint of this when she sings. Maybe she WILL become a singer. But she’s young, and has that typical “girly” attitude. She’s not very tough. “She isn’t?” You may ask. In fact, mentally, she’s tougher than Rick. She’s the one who asks the right questions about how to get out of their situation. She’s the one who tries to be happy. She’s the one who isn’t afraid to appear vulnerable. Take the shower scene for instance, in which she takes off all of her clothes.

Minmei taking a shower. In this scene, we actually get a quick look at her tush and side of one of her breasts. And this was supposed to be a cartoon for kids! Screen shot taken from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7Q8GxIW16I

Sure, she and Rick set up a booth-like enclosure to give her privacy, but she’s still vulnerable. Rick, being the typical young man, tries to take a quick peek through a small hole. He hears a blood-curdling SCREAM and moves away as if he has been caught. Then he yells, “Don’t worry Minmei! I’m coming! What happened!?…” He runs in to check on her to find out that she’s still fully dressed. Minmei then tells him, “I thought I saw something.” Rick responds, “Just your imagination?” Then Minmei accusingly answers, “SURRRRRE.” Rick walks away in embarrassment. So, at one moment she’s ditsy, and the next moment she’s quite intelligent.

This apparent contradiction in her character is jarring, is fantastic. The cultural emanations are what make the cartoon so interesting to adults. It is very realistic. Contradictions abound in real life. You’re tough one moment, only to find yourself in your wife’s arms against her bosom the next moment, comforted by her warmth, only to go outside the next minute and chop wood or drink beer with the guys.

Rick and Minmei’s escapade and escape take place during extreme circumstances. There’s a war going on, they’re on a ship in outer space, and they are constantly attacked by an alien force they don’t understand. Rick and Minmei are actually saved by accident, when the street above caves in. But the narrator leaves us with a cliff hanger. Although they are saved, their safe existence is over:

…as they face an enemy determined to capture their vessel.

Stay tuned till next time, when the ship undergoes “modular transformation” and Minmei helps her parents start an Asian restaurant.

-Ramón Bannister

Alien Zentraedi who spares his life. Screenshot from "Midnight Sky," written and directed by Tana Sarnt

In my last post, I briefly raised your attention to a Robotech fan project. It is a film called “Midnight Sky.” As Tana Sarnt, the filmmaker, explains on his Project Robotech blog, he has set a goal to become an actor in the Robotech live-action film being produced. I commented to him through email and through his Facebook page that the producers should hire him as an actor AND script writer.

The kiss that spared him. Screenshot from "Midnight Sky," written and directed by Tana Sarnt

I particularly enjoyed the dramatic elements of his film. It’s quite sophisticated and poetic. The film blurs the distinction between dream and reality. A beautiful, alien woman spares his life, and this is compared with his first date with another beautiful woman. That woman kisses him on the cheek; she also “spares him,” shows him the love that he needs to survive. This is absolutely fantastic, because this is exactly how a man feels when he kisses a woman he cares about! Somehow, the vicious alien Zentraedi pilot shows him that same compassion and understanding. Check out his video below, read the text excerpt I included underneath the video, and more importantly, BECOME ONE OF HIS FANS!

The following is a direct quote from Tana’s YouTube synopsis.

SYNOPSIS: This is a story told by an anonymous Veritech fighter pilot recalling two memories: his first encounter with Miriya, the Zentradi ace pilot, and his first date with a loved one on Earth. As with our own memories, the story is fragmented, and the line between dream and reality is blurred.

My name is Tana Sarnt, and I’m an actor/filmmaker in New York City. Thank you for watching my original film, “Midnight Sky.” With the help and support of my friends, I’ve spent the past year creating this film with the sole purpose of landing a role as a Veritech fighter in the upcoming Robotech live-action feature film by Maguire Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures. To learn more about how I plan to make this happen, please read MY STORY at www.projectrobotech.com.

- By Ramón Bannister

And now we arrive to episode 3, “Space Fold,” of the 1st Robotech series known as The Macross Saga. The battle fortress of the human crew survives and is in space just above Earth’s atmosphere. The Captain orders the crew to take the ship to an agreed-upon location to rendevous with other Earth defence forces, a small fleet of ships. An interesting discussion arises among the captain and crew. Why aren’t the aliens continuing their attack? The captain concludes that the aliens “are playing with us.”

“They have the advantage but they don’t attack. They must have a reason.”

Long story short, the Zentraedi attack again, before the ship can rendevous with the small fleet. The aliens destroy most of the human fleet, but of course leave the main ship unharmed. Captain Gloval realizes that executing a hyper space jump – space fold – is the only way to defend the ship. There are numerous objections from the crew. But the Captain explains sternly,

“We can’t just surrender! We simply have to try everything first!”

Unfortunately, the captain learns that the fold system was damaged. They cannot go back to Earth through a fold, so they realize they have to navigate the ship the old fashioned way. During the course of these events,  characters are developed, including a special relationship between Rick and Minmei – sexual tension and all. More about this in the analysis of the 4th episode.

Cultural Analysis

The first interesting element is that rick is in total shock, what I call a temporary bout of PTSD. He shuts down mentally and is unable to react without panicking. This is a very realistic emotional response and one of the characteristics that makes Robotech engaging. I am reminded of the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, who often return home in a state of shock. What is strange is that when Fokker saves Rick and Minmei, it appears as if Fokker enjoys fighting and killing the aliens. In one scene, he has a smile on his face as he shoots down enemy battlepods. I don’t know how to interpret this. It could be that either he really does enjoy killing, or that he is also in shock, so he deals with his emotions by avoiding his deep feelings about war.

The second thing I noticed is that Robotech has a heavy Star Trek influence, especially with having a multi-ethnic crew. Also, this cartoon is obviously influenced by a cold war mindset. A Russian captain and an American crew reflects our understanding of war in the mid-1980s. Back then, it was us vs. them, the U.S. vs. the Soviet Union. Both countries were locked in a never-ending battle. The writers imagine that an alien ship knocks us back to reality, and we realize we have to work together to progress as a human species. This is actually a common theme in science fiction films, i.e., 2001 and 2010, War of the Worlds, Independence Day, etc. The writers could not have imagined that a more Earthly phenomenon – economics – would obliterate what we know about war and the enemy. They could not have imagined the fall of the Berlin wall either. However, they did envision and idealize the notion that it would take a commitment from all nations around the world. This contrasts with most Hollywood films, in which none other than the United States saves the world.

Claudia Grant, "I was against this fold system all along!"

Finally, the representation of women is a bit skewed. On the one hand, women are portrayed as leaders and independent thinkers. On the other hand, stereotypes come out: Minmei is somewhat ignorant of her surroundings; Rick calls Lisa a “sourpuss” and nothing happens to Rick. (Try doing that today to any female, military or not, without becoming a social outcast.) Actually, this comes back to haunt him in a later episode, so he doesn’t exactly get away with it. But nowadays not many men would dare publicly call a woman a sourpuss. But at least Lisa shows her anger and authority, and the crew as well as Fokker are obviously scared of her. And what I couldn’t fit into this discussion is the fact that Claudia, the only black woman on the crew, questioned Captain Gloval’s judgement more than once on executing the space fold.

I hope you are beginning to realize why Robotech is so interesting and why it is experiencing a resurgence. It is full of drama that could actually take place in the real world. If you do a Google search, you’ll find many independent fan projects out there. One in particular is quite interesting. You first need to know that the special airplanes that the humans fly are called veritechs. Well, there’s a guy named Tana, with whom I have been in email contact, who bills himself as an actor. He watched Robotech as a kid like I did, AND DREAMED OF BECOMING A VERITECH PILOT. So, his answer to this dream was to produce a film in which he stars as a veritech pilot! It’s quite fantastic, with an original script and everything. The whole point to the film is to encourage the producers of the live-action Robotech film to hire him as an actor. He calls his venture Project Robotech; I am now frankly one of his fans. More details of his project will be included in the next Kena Cubed™ post.

- By Ramón Bannister

Episode 2 of the first Robotech series is a continuation of Episode 1, “Booby Trap.” The title “Countdown” refers to the humans’ first attempt at launching the huge space craft, or battle fortress. It had never been tested before this battle – only its computer systems and other functions were known to work with any certainty. Keep in mind that the only reason Captain Gloval even considered launching into outer space is because of a politician. This politician in the Robotech episode cares more about his image than of the reality of the war going on around them. So, he orders the ship to be launched, despite the captain’s objections and warnings that he had an inexperienced crew in an untested ship. Well, too bad. The Senator said that too much money was spent on the ship to see it destroyed on the ground. The image of the politician is an ongoing theme/sub-plot in Robotech.

Captain Gloval (left) arguing with the Senator (right). One of the crew members (middle) is pretending not to be listening. Screen shot from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ3K98i02UE

Meanwhile, the amateur pilot Rick Hunter is trying to figure out how to control the Robotech airplane. He meets Minmei again and they develop a bond rather quickly. Probably the best and most unlikely scene of the film is when Rick saves Minmei. She’s falling from thousands of feet in the air and he flies his airplane next to her and opens his cockpit. Yeah, pretty unrealistic. But that’s what happened. He opened his cockpit and pulled her in while almost falling out himself. Their relationship is a sub-plot that develops throughout this 1st series.

Towards the end of the episode, Rick shoots an alien battle pod (ground vehicles that resemble ostriches); it falls over, but suddenly the alien pilot steps out and takes off his helmet. He attacks Rick’s plane and is shot from behind by Roy Fokker (the commander of an airplane group). Rick learns through this experience that the aliens are 50ft tall! By the end of the episode, Minmei, now in the cockpit, passes out, and Rick is in shock. At the beginning of the next episode he basically has PTSD.

As that’s going on, the ship fails at its first launch attempt due to “anti-gravity” units malfunctioning. So, the Captain orders that the regular rocket boosters be used. When asked how he knows that the rocket boosters will work, he answers, “They were built on Earth.” The battle continues into the next episode.

Cultural Analysis

I still can’t get over the fact that all the Zentraedi want is the ship. They could care less about us meaningless humans. But the narrator makes it a point to say that the humans are countering “vastly superior forces of the alien army.” Of course they’re doing this in an untested ship with an inexperienced crew and an ignorant politician who only cares about his image. Sound like a typical theme to you? This is what they call the “underdog” status, or David vs. Goliath. The underdog fights a seemingly invulnerable enemy and somehow wins the fight – which in reality we know almost never happens. But what makes this cartoon different is the complexity behind this underdog status. Sure, the writers make clear that the Zentraedi can annihilate us. But as Commander Breetai said in this episode:

“Level everything in the path of the assault forces! But be careful not to damage that battle fortress! I want to take it intact!!”

Oh well, so much for an easy game. We learn later that if they destroy the ship, they lose the knowledge of protoculture and how to manufacture it, the secrets of which are on that ship! And with those secrets they can rule the universe.

One interesting note is that women are in leadership positions, especially Lisa. In subsequent episodes, aircraft pilots and other soldiers are even afraid of her. For instance, Lisa requests air support to defend the ship against alien battle pods. That “request” is actually an order that is relayed matter-of-factly, so it comes out controlled and nice. The pilots, mostly if not all men, run to the rescue, because they know that if they don’t they’ll have to face an even scarier site – Lisa – not to mention the possible annihilation of the human race.

Interestingly, research shows that leadership positions are best filled by women due to their heightened ability for social interaction and their ability to focus like a laser beam.

And that’s the implication in Robotech. Most of the crew on the ship’s bridge is female. The only male is Captain Gloval, a Russian who obviously has extensive knowledge on combat strategy. But even he is often questioned by the women on the bridge. For instance, he was about to light a cigar when, suddenly, one of the female crew yelled, “YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO SMOKE ON THE BRIDGE!” Now, you tell me what man would be daring enough to yell at a military general. Women, in fact, have important roles in Robotech. They are smart, witty, and though some are kind of ditsy (i.e., Minmei), they all seem to keep the men in check.

In my search for more interesting material for this post, I accidentally found out that I’m not the only one who thought of doing an episode-by-episode analysis of Robotech. Check out this YouTube video of two guys conversing about this 2nd episode. They have a kind of comedic style. It was an interesting ten minutes for me.

- By Ramón Bannister

As I said in the last post, I will do an episode-by-episode cultural analysis of the cartoon, Robotech, produced by Harmony Gold. Robotech provides us with a fascinating portrayal of our desires, fantasies and overall society. So, let’s get into the nitty-gritty.

“Booby Trap”

The first episode is entitled “Booby Trap;” it starts with a narration. As it turns out, the entire cartoon is narrated, kind of like reading a book. The narrator tells us that it is the year 1999, and we humans are in the middle of a brutal global civil war. Every country is fighting every country. We see scenes of blood and carnage, tanks and missiles, no one giving in and fighting to the death. Then, suddenly, literally out of the blue, an alien space ship appears in the sky. It is on a crash course towards Earth.

It crashes on an island called Macross in the South Pacific. World leaders realize that humans aren’t the only ones in the universe. They see the ship as a threat to come in the near future. A world government is formed, the United Earth Government, and all countries agree to a cease fire to have time to analyze this sign from above. Scientists from all over the world descend into the ship to study its technology and restore it to original condition.

The ship is restored and the human species develops a top secret technology, called Robotech, to defend Earth from what leaders think is an inevitable war with an alien species. All this the viewer finds out within five minutes. The next scene is of a celebration, where the alien ship will be revealed to the public and the pilots of the smaller Robotech airplanes doing tricks and maneuvers previously impossible with standard fighter planes of the past. All of Earth’s resources are devoted to this “space fortress,” measuring about 3/4 of a mile long.

Important characters are introduced on the bridge of the ship:

1. Captain Gloval
2. A politician who’s concerned more with how he appears to the public than to meaningful solutions
3. Lisa – An officer, 2nd to the Captain
4. Claudia – Another officer, 3rd in the pecking order
5. Rick Hunter (soon to be the most famous Robotech character) – Amateur pilot
6. Roy Fokker – Robotech pilot

And we cannot forget the aliens, who are introduced on their ships in space. The aliens are known as the Zentraedi race. The narrator tells us that they were specifically bred for military conquest. They were born to kill. The two officers who command a vast armada of ships are:

1. Commander Breetai – The leader (obviously)
2. Exedore – the scientist/academic

Well, during this celebration, the crew on the bridge notices the ship’s radar detect two ships of unknown origin. The ship automatically kicks into high gear, takes aim, and fires a huge weapon without the crew doing anything. Captain Gloval realizes that it was a booby trap. The ship was somehow programmed to fire upon enemy ships automatically, in self-defense. Therefore, the captain assumes that the ships were enemies.

Commander Breetai, the alien commander, mentions something about the ship having “reflex weaponry.” He commands a large fleet to engage and destroy the humans, BUT DON’T DAMAGE THE SHIP. That last order is key. That was the writers’ answer to how the human species survived at all. In any case, they engage the humans. We humans fight back with our Robotech weaponry. Hence, the famous exchange between the 2 aliens:

Exedore – “VERY heavy resistance, sir.”
Commander Breetai – “Yyeeeeesss. But why are they using such primitive weapons?”

Nevertheless, Breetai warns his soldiers to be cautious. (Interesting.) Long story short, a series of battles are waged, and the humans realize they’re up against fantastic warriors who know no fear and are armed with superior firepower.

Often, Breetai and Exedore make what I think are amusing statements. Consider this one by Breetai when looking at satellite images of Macross Island:

“What a disorderly arrangement! These people are completely ignorant of space-war tactics!”

Those kinds of alien observations are quite interesting and make me laugh. They show how much more advanced the Zentraedi are than the humans.

Cultural Analysis

Early on, Captain Gloval automatically assumes that the aliens are set to annihilate the human species. He mentions that they are fighting alien forces “whose power is beyond our imagination.” So, the captain makes an assumption but never tests it. How does he know that the aliens are bent on destroying us? Sure, shots were fired, but only after the ship on Earth automatically fired upon the two oncoming ships. By fighting so strongly, human characters showed that they wanted what was not theirs.

When the cartoon was produced, we were at the end of the cold war. The Russians were our enemies. Interestingly, the crew of the space fortress on Earth (in the cartoon) was multi-cultural living in a multi-cultural society. Captain Gloval was Russian. Lisa was white. Claudia was black. And the non-military characters were multi-cultural. For instance, Rick Hunter’s girlfriend-to-be (Minmei) was Asian.

It seems as though the writers envisioned a future society of people who learned to respect one another regardless of ethnic background. It was as if they were saying that this is not how it is now (mid-1980s). This is how the cartoon reflected – and still reflects, to a certain extent – our society.

And before the Zentraedi arrived, the United Earth Government had ten years of peace. Strangely, that “peace” consisted of arming a large military with never-before-seen technology that was more powerful than nuclear weapons. Inventing robots of war, machinery designed to kill, took precedence over developing the intelligence necessary to come up with ways to avert war. There’s a contradiction in all three series that plays out regularly. Humans’ desire for peace is enforced with humans’ penchant for war.

Sure, the Zentraedi were bred for for military conquest, but so were we. Commander Breetai and Exedore realized our ruthlessness in that first episode. I ask myself, Is there an alien race out there who would ever dare show itself on Earth, despite superior technology? Probably not. It would be intelligent enough to let us wage war with ourselves.

The Jews and Muslims fight in Jerusalem. Russia has claims on Chenya. We have not-so-subtle claims in Iraqi politics. We deposed a despot by using some of the same tactics of which we criticized the despot.

If I were the captain in the cartoon, the series would have ended in the first episode. Have the damn ship. Take it. The End. Isn’t that what the Zentraedi wanted? It was their ship.

(Well, the plot thickens as the story develops; we learn that it was not the Zentraedi’s after all. It actually belonged to an even more powerful alien race than the Zentraedi, known as The Robotech Masters. And then it thickens even more, when we find out that the secrets of this “protoculture” energy source was stolen from an even more powerful race, the Invid. But I’m getting way ahead of myself. That’s 2 seasons away.)

No. WE HAD TO HAVE THE SHIP. It fell on our land and it’s ours. No one can have it, and we will die protecting our property. Again, a sign of the times. Why can’t we share it? Or, why can’t we negotiate? They get the ship, but we get some of their knowledge of this energy source.

Also interesting is this robotechnology. Even now, scientists are inventing suits that allow its wearer to lift 1000 pounds. The military uses lasers to highlight targets for the computer weapons systems. Not quite Robotech, but the cartoon illustrates what we can dream up. It also illustrates how we could be strangely interested in war machines designed only for killing. Heck, I’m guilty of being fascinated by the cartoon.

I’ll leave further discussion and analysis for upcoming posts. But let me leave you with an interesting plot tidbit. This “protoculture” energy source is a mystery, even to the Zentraedi. And the human characters have absolutely no idea that the secrets of protoculture lie within the ship itself. The humans don’t exactly know about protoculture either.

- By Ramón Bannister

I have written about Robotech in the past and am a huge fan of it. I own all three DVD sets of the series as well as the more recent “Shadow Chronicles” film. I even interviewed the director of Shadow Chronicles, Tommy Yune. This story is the first of what I’m calling a cultural analysis, which I first explained in my last post. I intend to analyze the Robotech plot and story lines in terms of our culture. There are two underlining questions that will pervade all of the stories within this cultural analysis of the cartoon:

1. What does this cartoon, this entertainment designed for children, say about us?
2. Conversely, What does it not say about us?

Note that both questions oppose one another. This opposition I will call “Ramon’s Dialectic.”

Before I get into a cultural analysis, I should introduce to you the cartoon. Many of my friends have asked even more basic questions, the most important of which is, “What is this Robotech cartoon all about anyway?” You see, many have heard of the cartoon but are dismayed by its complexities. But it is those complexities that make the cartoon fascinating to Robotech fans like myself. So, I will try to explain.

The cartoon runs three seasons. Each season is a different generation. That is to say, the children of the 1st season appear in the 2nd season, and a whole new generation appears in the third season. All three generations encounter aliens from an unknown part of the universe. What makes it interesting is that each season covers a different alien species – three in all. They and the human species are all interconnected by one important concept: PROTOCULTURE.

Protoculture is a sort of raw material that can be converted into an energy source. Call it the coal/oil of the space age. Humans don’t exactly need it, except for the fact that protoculture is necessary to power the ships and the new technology that was developed (more about this later). This technology is called “robotech,” named for the manufacture of robotic military machinery, similar to that of the Transformers. These are huge robots that are piloted by humans or aliens – depending on which “mecha” you’re talking about. “Mecha” is simply the machinery, the robots. These robots, at least in the humans’ case, can transform themselves into other shapes to take advantage of the geometric physics associated with each shape. There are three shapes: one that looks like an F16, one that looks like a cross between an eagle and an F16, and a giant humanoid form (legs and arms).

As you can see, the plot is already complex, and it gets even more complicated. There will be many more details as this series unfolds. I will end this introduction with a teaser, just to get you thinking about what is to come. In the first episode of the cartoon, two alien leaders are introduced. One is a scientist/scholar, the other is a commander. Together they form a powerful strategic team. Within the first few battles with the humans, they get a taste of what the military campaign will be like – they see the ferocity of the human species.

Exedore, the alien scientist, remarks to the general, “Very heavy resistance, sir.”

The general, Commander Breetai, agrees but is perplexed, and responds in his authoritative low voice, “Yeeess, but why are they using such primitive weapons?”

This is what makes the cartoon so interesting. And somehow the writers have to answer the implied question, “How is it that the humans even survive the first attack against such an insurmountable, powerful, seemingly limitless and intelligent civilization that can destroy entire worlds in the blink of an eye?” It makes no sense, until the plot unfolds.

Stay tuned for the cultural analysis of the 1st episode.