Macross Frontier (MF) are at it again.  Now with their new film that’s just been released a few weeks ago, according to this blog,  it’s come to dazzle the audience with incredibly stunning cutting-edge animation, wide array of VF-fighter jets flying all over the cinematic screens with its impressive air dog-fight sequences and the mesmerizing story-telling elements by none other than Shoji Kawamori, our legendary Macross director, himself.

Lots of character casts were there for the glorious evening. Shoji Kawamori is amongst the crew.

Following this anime fan’s blog, the entire MF gang were there to enlighten the MF-crazed crowd. You can see them performing the PR stage from the beginning to the every end.

What’s interesting of this blog, as you scroll down the pages while skim reading, you are reading the translated script of the individual voice actors (and Shoji Kawamori) who presented their speeches in front of large audience.  This way, you get the rough sense of what they were truly saying while the premier was going on.

It’s sure was a major hit for the crowd during that day!

As you slowly get to know the main voice actors of MF representing the film, there’s one particular (how should I say) star of the show really wowed the audience! And it’s this person’s cosplay as Ranka Lee.

And… IT’S NOT A GIRL!

I just dropped myself dead on the floor laughing hard out how hilarious this turns out to be!!! :)

Apparently, this ‘gentleman’ is a Japanese kickboxer who’s well known in the boxing community, hence he’s pretty butch.  And he likes anime too.  One of his obvious favourite category in anime is the cosplay.   Looking at the above pictures, he’s certainly knows how to get in touch with his feminine side so acutely… :)  (He’s also got his own personal blog, if you’re keen to find more about his secondary life as an otaku)

So there you have it folks.  The MF movie premier for ya!

Source:  Networkedblogs.com, Gigazine.net

Was watching this video clip last night, which I received as a group email from one of the mecha-related forums.

It’s a great thrill to know this interview was conducted almost a week ago and I bet there’s a lot exciting developments Shoji Kawamori (Macross founder) has in store for long-time Macross fan lovers!!

Here you’ll find many outstanding facts about his contribution, not only to his epic masterpiece, but  also to several globally well-known cartoon series like Transformers G1.  Especially on how he came up with the design of the transforming 18-wheeler truck, aka Optimus Prime.

Have a look!

Source: Youtube.com

It’s been over 25 years since Macross Super Dimension Fortress (SDF) appeared on our tiny television sets, broadcasting after school hours. And technology were not that advanced as compared to today’s.

It’s amazing to note while I was googling through web pages on Macross, I keep thinking back about the sweet melodic voice of the singer-actor who’s the one that made the series such a masterpiece worth the while to remember. It was the same strong reason why and how I got so hooked into super robot and mecha anime since then. The story, the action, the the drama, the planes-turn-to-robot sequences. Everything… I absolutely adore it. And so sure for other fans worldwide as well, including the ones from the unrelated disjointed Robotech series.

Japanese singer, Mari Ijima, the sweet 19 year-old-then girl, who lent such incredible voice when she went for the audition in the set of Macross to sing the main theme of the series as part of the selection process just like what they did with Sakamoto Maaya in Macross Frontier.

If you play from above clip, listening from beginning till the end, I would find it hard not to ever get tranced by its deep, soothing voice of Mari. It’s spellbound.  In my humble opinion. And that’s the greatest winning formula that sealed the Macross series’ fate as the greatest anime of all time that’s ever produced in anime history. Shoji Kawamori pulled out all the best works into Macross franchise and having Mari dragged in seemed like it was the best investment he’s ever made. Have a look at this 1984 live footage of her singing “Ai Oboete imasuka (Do you remember love)”.

That was Mari in his her late teens before hitting major stardom.

25 years later, this is her now…

Okay. It’s quite an appearance change from her sweet 19 years of age to her today’s present form. She looks though as if she’s keeping up to the fashion trends of modern casual clothing (and she’s even wearing a sports beanie). Guess you’re never too old to wear anything that’s super trendy and fashionable of today, even for Mari. Come to think of it, looking at Mari Ijima in her new video clip, she hardly ever ages at all! Honestly, in general sense without sounding too stereotypical, asian women usually look younger than their actual ages compared to other women in from other races. That means her voice is still keeping strong and fresh as ever!

I say ‘Bravo’ to her! I’m glad she’s moving ahead in times and she’s handling very well. The above video Mari was playing a piano, was held at the Rock and Jazz Live Festival in 2008 where she gave her singing performances on all her songs, mostly in English, since she moved to USA many years ago to learn English. She moved so she could launch her music career in the hopes to find greater fame and fortune thanks to the success of Macross, which was responsible for making her life possible till now.

Osamu Tezuka

No. I do not mean you get a DVD film about him how he got his best shorts as a kid he could buy before he became an anime artist extraordinaire at such young age. I’m talking about all his great short anime films he made in his early lifeworks during 60s (which became a sensation) have been converted into a digital format, more accurately DVD. In fact all 13 of them for 13 classic animes he’s produced.

A couple of days ago, film distributor, Kino International will be releasing these English-subtitled DVDs in the northen America region, expected to arrive on sale on 24th July. They will have all of his anime including the best and most memorable ones like Kimba the White Lion, Astro Boy, Phoenix and Black Jack.

Yeah. Astro Boy. That’s right. A robot boy. Not really a mecha as I mentioned in this post, but still a robot nonetheless. After all, the word ‘mecha’ would not have come into existence if it wasn’t for Osamu’s contribution in making Astro boy a hit, which inspired many young artists like Go Nagai to make Mazinger Z. Which in turn, Go Nagai transformed mecha as a standard anime subgenre a lot of future artists wanted to create their own robot series. So without a doubt, I would like to pay my tribute to Osamu Tezuka’s great works by buying his DVD on sale when they arrived in American online stores. He’s made people like Mitsuteru Yokohama (Tetsujin 28), Go Nagai (Mazinger Z), Shoji Kawamori (Macross) and Yoshiyuki Tomino (Gundam) their pioneering career a possibility. After all, what else would you expect from the ‘godfather’ of anime?

Astro boy - The original cover in 1963

Also, be sure to check out upcoming movie trailer of the new Astro Boy movie, expected to be released sometime in mid October 2009.  Check out this Youtube link, promoted by Clevver TV.com.  Looks pretty impressive!

Source: AnimeNewsNetwork.com

Macross Frontier won the Seiun awards at Nihon SciFi Taishou (Japan SciFi Convention, in English) in its 48th annual convention last Saturday. The award was given to such well-deserved anime artists for best sci-fi anime in TV . There were about 8 categories of sci fi listed for the awards presented that evening. (Click here to view the rest of the winners)

Director and mecha designer, Shoji Kawamori, the man who’s achieved massive success with his masterpiece classic Macross 25 years ago, once again proved he’s got the ‘magic’ touch to retell a wonderful story as it was in the orginal, with today’s modern CGI technology, the infamous love-triangle element (that everybody got hooked up to guess who will Hikaru fall for eventually in the original Macross) and fast-paced thrills of planet-robot action in space war between the humans/Zentraedi forces and the Vajra. Nothing short of expectations coming out from him.

I really loved the whole series whilst watching at Youtube. (I know. I shouldn’t be watching fansubs anime as I promised I wouldn’t. They’re doing a complete disservice to the anime industry as a whole. So rest assured, I’m not planning to watch them anymore in the future.) I think I’m going to buy myself DVD copy of the series and keep it as one of mecha DVD collection. Totally loved it! Highly recommended to all fans of Macross series or people who just wanna watch their favourite variable fighter jets transform/fight!

Source: AnimeNewsNetwork.com