Macross Will Always Have One Huge Advantage Over Gundam as a Mecha Rival

While Macross and Gundam are often viewed as contemporaries with similar premises, they differ in many key ways. Gundam is more grounded and serious whereas Macross is fantastical and dramatic. The main antagonists in Macross are typically aliens, while Gundam is always about human conflicts. Gundam is all about the evil of war and governmental corruption, but Macross focuses on the relationship drama between the main characters. Despite all those differences, Macross‘ huge advantage over Gundam is its focus on music. The Macross franchise has some of the most poppy and enduring soundtracks in anime history, helping pave the way for anime characters to become musical idols.

Every entry in the Macross franchise features at least one memorable music piece, ranging from all-time classics like “Assault Love Heart” from Macross 7 to “Lion” from Macross Frontier. The series constantly uses diegetic music (heard or even performed by the characters in a fictional world) to showcase the anime’s catchy tunes and musical performances. A pop idol or band would traditionally be part of the main cast, giving the various shows a convenient excuse to highlight the show’s melodies. Gundam also has amazing soundtracks and unforgettable songs, yet Macross‘ has a deeper thematic connection to sounds. Music conveys the franchise’s themes about culture and relationship drama, digging deeper into how art can transcend cultural divides.

It All Started With Lynn Minmay

Gundam has always used its ongoing mecha premise to communicate its themes about the military hierarchy, government corruption, and empathy. In contrast, Macross‘ military conflict feels more secondary compared to the relationship drama and musical performances. The original Super Dimension Fortress Macross show initially presented itself more of a traditional mecha series, with the pilots using sci-fi jets that can transform into robots. Lynn Minmay, in the original series, was more of a side character, serving as the protagonist’s main love interest. Her main characteristic is acting somewhat like a diva, yet she quickly becomes a famous singer within the Macross battle station.

Her storyline at first comes across as the side plot to the main conflict, the war with the giant alien race known as Zentradi. However, it’s quickly realized that the Zentradi are emotionless creatures who can’t handle genuine human feelings. The Macross crew weaponized Lynn Minmay’s singing by broadcasting it to the enemies’ screens, overwhelming the Zentradi fleet and giving the Macross an advantage. It was one of the standout moments in the original Macross anime and served as the climax in the alternate retelling in the Do You Remember Love? film.

Lynn Minmay’s songs proved popular, making them trending songs in Japan. Minmay’s voice actress, Mari Iijima, became a pop star in the 1980s. From that point onward, pop idols and singers have played a major role in Macross. Typically, a singer will be the love interest for the main male lead, who is traditionally a pilot in an ongoing war with a mysterious alien race. The Macross formula is constantly tweaked in various animes, like in Macross 7 where the main cast is nothing but musicians and singers. Macross Delta features a full idol group known as Walküre. Fans can actually participate in real-life concerts centered on Walküre’s music. Some of the franchise’s most popular songs include “Assault Love Heart,” “Lion,” “Interstellar Flight,” “AXIA -Love and Hate-,” and the iconic “Do you remember love” showstopper from the movie of the same name.

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Music Helps Relay’s Macross‘ Themes

Music represents the idea of differing cultures coming together with art in Macross. The Zentradi become more human as they experience more human culture and emotions in the first Macross, leading the humans to find a way to end the war and bring the two races closer together. Likewise, Fire Bomber in Macross 7 wants to use their music to connect with people and avoid conflict. While the concept of winning wars by singing seems ridiculous, it helps sell how intermingled cultures can guide people to understand one another.

Gundam also has amazing music; “Mizu no Hoshi e Ai wo Komete” from Zeta Gundam‘s second opening is one of the all-time great anime openings. But diegetic music rarely plays a big role in Gundam outside the occasional singer in the cast like Lacus Clyne from Gundam Seed. The way Macross handles melodies is profound and interesting with a dash of campiness. It fully embraces songs as the ultimate form of human expression. Macross will always be a franchise that is part mecha and part pop idol singing, and that is what separates it from its contemporaries.