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Macross

Macross TV series

The commonly used name for SuperDimensional Fortress Macross. A major classic work of anime. A massive spaceship crashes on Earth, obviously damaged in some sort of conflict. The United Nations recognizes a major threat to Earth and unifies the planet under it's rule, some nations resist and a decade of war takes place at the same time that the ship is studied and restored. Then during the ceremonies for it's test flight a fleet appears in space, then the ship automatically attacks.

Macross Plus OVA series

Taking place decades after the events of the original Macross series this is the story of two young test pilots and a young woman who is the manager of the hottest music act in the settled parts of the galaxy. There is trouble in their past and it has come back to them as they find themselves together again after 7 years of separation.

I recommend the 4 episode Macross Plus OVA series over the feature movie which is just a shorter edited version of the OVA tapes with a few minutes of new animation.

Maison Ikkoku TV series

Maison Ikkoku is the story of Godai, a young man who falls in love and has to deal with how to pursue the woman he wants. Godai is surrounded by a variety of characters, in more than one sense of the word, and has to deal with his own fears and emotional clumsiness, all of which provide an entertaining series.

Cultural Details: Foods, etiquette, household items, schools, day to day life.

Millennium Actress - Movie

Directed by Kon Satoshi. Tachibana Gen'ya is making a documentary and interviews Fujiwara Chiyoko, an actress who retired at the height of her career. This is a lovely homage to 20th century Japanese cinema as in a series of flashbacks tells the story of a young girl who accepted an offer to act and grew into a woman while in pursiut of the man she loved.

Cultural Details: 20th century japanese history and cinema, household items,, day to day life.

Mobile Suit Gundam

The Mobile Suit Gundam series of anime shows has been a major part of anime since 1979 when the first series was broadcast on TV. The quality of the shows greatly varies but many are excellent highly dramatic works worthy of consideration as among the best in anime.

Universal Century Gundam:

The titles listed here are all from the stories using the UC, Universal Century, dating system. These are in my opinion some of the best of the Gundam stories. Other Gundam series such as Gundam Wing, Gundam SEED, the very silly G-Gundam and the juvenile Superior Defender Gundam Force are set in entirely other fictional universes and have almost nothing in common with the Universal Century Gundam shows.

The Background:

The story is set in the not too distant future, space programs have advanced far enough to use materials from off the Earth, mainly the moon and asteroids, to provide needed resources. Using resources in space is called In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and is cheaper than lifting large amounts of material off the Earth. Such resources include metals, oxygen bonded to minerals and solar energy.

On the Earth energy shortages, pollution and environmental problems complicated by a large population leads to an adventuresome program to build space colonies, not colonies on other planets but giant rotating cylinders, each colony large enough to comfortably house millions. These are called O'Neill colonies after the physicist who first proposed them in the 1970s. At the time the story begins the Earth is under the control of a large federation of nations, a government for the entire planet. It is decided that there is a need to save the Earth from further damage and to even allow nature to repair what damage has been done. To do this it is decided to relocate a large portion of the human population into clusters of colonies at Lagrange points, clusters called sides. Each side is composed of dozins colonies, the older smaller colonies holding about 3 million inhabitants the larger ones about 15 million or more. The relocation is not voluntary and many sent to the sides, or the Lunar colonies, are resentful at having to leave Earth.

A new calendar is in use dating from the settlement of the first colonies. Many of the shows have titles containing references to the year in which they take place. In time the populations settle in and life goes one, some colonies specialize in raising food, some even develop tourism industries, trade develops and political movements adjust to the new conditions. Side 3, which is located opposite the moon from Earth had become the Principality of Zeon espousing grand ideals but in reality becoming an oppressive regime under the rule of the Zabi family. In 0079 Zeon revolts against the rule of the Earth Federation and attacks the Earth Federation with little warning.

Early in what became known as the One Year War half of humanity is wiped out, 5 billion dead, mainly as a result of the destruction of many of the colonies. A result of this is the Treaty of Antarctica banning nuclear weapons, poison gas and the total destruction of colonies. Long distance combat has been rendered useless by the discovery of Minovsky particles which when scattered block radio and radar effectively eliminating many of the techniques of 20th Century warfare. A major new kind of weapon has come into existence, large, usually anthropomorphic, Mobile Suits designed for close combat and useable in space or on Earth.

All of these tales have no faster than light drives, no aliens and all of the stories take place within the orbital range of the Moon.

A major theme in the Gundam series is the effect of warfare on civilian populations. While the shows take place in war time they are not simple action entertainment as an entire environment has been woven into a complex setting for the tales.

During the One Year War:

Mobile Suit Gundam the Movies

The TV show reedited into three movies. The fact that they did the story into three movies preserves much of the story that would have been lost if they tried to compress it into one movie. If you want the story in a subtitled version, or just don't want to sit throught the long re-dubbed version, this is the one to get.

Mobile Suit Gundam The 08th MS Team OVA series

Set in Asia in UC 0079, this side story deals with the war in a specific area and not only the people on the major sides but the local guerrilla forces. The story focuses on Shiro a young officer straight from the colonies in charge of the 08th MS Team.

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080 OVA series

The story of a young boy living on a neutral colony who is having to cope with the separation of his parents and trouble in school. He ends up befriending a young Zeon soldier who is actually part of a group investigating a hidden Federation research facility. Then the colony openly sides with the Federation and things get dangerous.

After the One Year War:

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 OVA series

The war is over but some elements of the old Zeon troops feel that they cannot live with the peace treaty and attempt to start a new war by stealing and using a special experimental Gundam unit armed with a nuclear warhead. Among the Federation crew sent to recover it is a young woman engineer who is in charge of the stolen Gundam unit as well as experimental unit and the test pilots who were to have tested the new Gundams.

Mobile Suit Gundam Zeta TV series

Universal Century 0087 again conflict grows, the Earth Federation established the Titans after the events of Mobile Suit Gundam 0083. The arrogance of the Federation and the brutality of the Titans is proving too much and a resistance is growing. A resistance in which former enemies are now allies, many are still determining the group they will support and which gives us more glimpses of the Universal Century settings of the stories.

Mobile Suit Gundam Char's Counterattack - Movie

More than ten years have passed since the One Year war ended. Suddenly Char reappears with a new army and threatens the Earth Federation. Amuro again takes on his old opponent in their final match.

Mobile Suit Gundam F91 - Movie

UC 123 after 30 peaceful years a new group, the Crossbones Vanguard, attacks and takes over the Frontier IV colony. A college student, Seabook Arno, finds himself not only in a war but that people he knew have been involved in projects that will reluctantly lead him into battle.

My Neighbor Totoro - Movie

A tale of two young girls who move to a country house with their father in the 1950s to be closer to the hospital where there mother is staying. Released in the United States by Fox, the license for this title will soon expire and the distribution rights transfer to Disney at which point it may be unavailable for some time. This is highly popular with parents and children.

Cultural Details: Household details, country life.