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About two years ago, near the University of Montreal, some Design students thought it would be great to create an eco-friendly project called "Recycled Ideas". In short, they would take some trash objects and turn them into pieces of artwork, which they would then put on display in their pavilion's backyard, near the parking lot. At the time, it struck me as a great idea.
Then winter came. Winter in Canada usually means tons and tons of snow, and that particular winter was no exception. Naturally, the parking had to be cleared, and the bulldozers that took care of the job would simply shove the snow in large banks surrounding the lot. Easy and cheap. In the process, most the wonderful "Recycled Ideas" were buried and broken. When spring finally came, they were all bent out of shape and returned to the trash where they came from.
So much for THAT idea.
Speaking of which, let us turn our attention to our Japanese friends. They too have been recycling their animations. To our great enjoyment, we have seen the return of such classics as GIANT ROBO and 8TH MAN. To our abysmal dismay, however, MACROSS II also attempted to capitalize on a cult classic, with catastrophic results. They used the same old storyline -- although they pulled the meat from the trashcan instead of from the fridge -- the same old characters (with new faces), and a sauce that tasted like green mushrooms diluted in water. The result: stomach ache, and a disappointment that rivals with the one most fans experienced when they watched STAR TREK V, HIGHLANDER II or ALIENS III.
And then, we were told MACROSS PLUS was coming. The fandom sharpened its teeth and pulled out the chainsaw (well, at least, we did). This time, no matter how tough the meat, we were ready. No more great expectations. This time, it's war and we were out for blood. This time, however, things were different. The producers did their homeworks and came up with endearing characters, dazzling machines, a gripping storyline and moving music. This time, at last, the recycled idea hit the spot.
The focus of this issue is MACROSS PLUS. Herein, you will find everything you need to know about the story and the characters of this new series of OVAs. Should you be equally interested in the mechanics of the anime, all of issue #18 of Mecha Press (PA's sister publication) will also focus on MACROSS PLUS. In the meantime, lick your lips, crack your knuckles, flex your fingers and sink your teeth in this issue. It's not tofu, it's real, fresh meat!
Jean Carrieres