Robotech - The Next Wave (Vol. 11)

Rating:
Summary: The Quest for Reflex Point!!!
Review: Robotech: Next Wave, contains Episodes 61 - 67 (A WHOPPING 7 EPISODES) which signals the beginning of the ultra-intense third story arc (The New Generation) in the classic, ground-breaking, epic Americanized anime series from the 80s, Robotech.

For the uninitiated, Robotech was the most popular of the Americanized Japanese anime series to hit American TV waves during the 1970s and 1980s (along with Star Blazers, Voltron, Transor Z, etc.) Known for its cutting edge animation, high-tech battle scenes, futuristic weapons (planes, tanks, motorcyles that transform into robots), cool alien invaders, and realistic and compelling storylines, Robotech swept an entire generation and helped put Japanese Anime forever on the map of American pop culture.

THE STORY:

Several years after the events of the Robotech Masters saga, the deadly alien menace known as the Invid, attracted by the dispersal of the Flower of Life and Protoculture, have taken over the Earth, subjugating mankind to its rule. Out of these ashes rises a resistance movement of Robotech fighters committed to reclaiming the home world and vanquishing the Invid conquerors...

Thought by many to be the best of the three Robotech story arcs, these stories provide a great look into a Post-Apocalyptic earth full of colonies of survivors and their alien tormentors. The constant battles for survival of the heroes show the true intensity and drama of this series. Overall, the action and drama are very compelling.

This volume begins the story of the New Generation.

THE EPISODES:

Here's a rundown of the episodes featured on this DVD:

Episode 61 - Invid Invasion: Scott Bernard, the lone survivor of a REF contingent sent to reclaim the home world from the Invid invaders, sets out on his lone quest to fulfill his mission to eject the Invid. Along the way he meets with another young fighter Rand - and the action begins. Plus, the ultra-cool Cyclone!!!

Episode 62 - Lost City: Scott and Rand travel to a strange town that does not seem to want them around. Could it be an Invid trap? Plus, Scott and Rand meet a new friend in a young girl named Annie and another ally in the mysterious Red Cyclone warrioress.

Episode 63 - Lonely Soldier Boy: Scott, Rand and Annie come across a lawless town overrun by bullies and set out to bring back a little justice. In the process they make new allies with Rook - the Red Cyclone Warrioress, Lancer - the singer, and Lunk - a former solider. Can they bring justice back to this town and fend off the Invid at the same time? Plus, the ultra-cool Alpha Fighter!!!

Episode 64 - Survival: On the run from the Invid!! Scott and friends are constantly hunted and hounded by Invid patrols seeking to exterminate them and any other resistance. Can they evade the Invid while maintaining their dwindling supply of Protoculture that powers their weapons? Plus, Rand goes fishing!!!

Episode 65 - Curtain Call: The Great Protoculture Heist!!! The gang, using a Yellow Dancer concert as a cover, pulls off a daring Protoculture Heist from an Invid fortress.

Episode 66 - Hard Times: A look into Rook Bartley's past as the gang makes their way through her home town.

Episode 67 - Paper Hero: A look into Lunk's past as the gang takes a side mission to South America to help Lunk fulfill the last request of his deceased army buddy. All is not as it seems in this quiet and mysterious villa.

Incidentally, these volumes DO NOT have special DVD features (aside from trailer ads for other anime series coming out on DVD from ADV). Not to fear though. If you purchase the boxed set collections, each boxed set collection will come with an "Extra: Elements of Robotechnology" DVD special which will contain all the DVD special features you could want: interviews, trailers, commercial spots, specs, etc... So by all means, get the boxed set if you are planning on buying.

THE VERDICT:

Many feel that the New Generation story arc is by far the best out of all three of the Robotech story arcs, including the Macross Saga, and with good reason. The ultra-cool mecha and the ULTRA-INTENSE action as Scott Bernard's band of fighters literally run and fight for their lives against the Invid is compelling and dramatic and contains all the action you could look for, without the "sappy" love stories that the previous arcs had.

If you've never seen Robotech, simply put YOU MUST. The action and the drama are compelling, clearly showing why Robotech became a pop culture icon. It is the series that forever put Japanese anime on the map in the US. If you did grow up with Robotech, give these a watch again. They're great for a trip down memory lane. With a whopping 7 EPISODES in this volume, you can't lose!!!

Highest Recommendation

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as Macross or Robotech Masters
Review: The New Generation series begins after the Invid have successfully conquered earth. A human starship returns to earth only to be defeated by the vastly superior number of Invid drones. An ace pilot is shot down in the process and he forms a small rebel group consisting of

a skilled, but very unsocial female warrior,
a social, but very anoying little girl,
a transvestite male singer,
a mechanic,
and a less skilled male warrior.

The group is persistently hounded by the Invid, because the Invid can detect the engine signature of the group's veritech fighter as well as any gun fire. The group also constantly runs into oppressed humans who have effectively sold out to the Invid. Neither the plot nor the character development progresses beyond this in the first 14 episodes. The story is also very unbelievable considering the tracking abilities and the vastly superior numbers of the Invid (who have already defeated an entire planet + 1 starship worth of veritechs). ...