Is Harmony Gold ever going to move forward with Robotech?

I'm certainly an odd man out in many ways. I liked the MOSPEADA/New Generation segment of Robotech better than I did the Macross segment. Likewise, I enjoyed the Vehicle Team Voltron more than I enjoyed the Lion Team Voltron.

Plus, I never cared for the Thundercats either.

 

Anime is a tough sell on TV nowadays SyFy went and got rid of their anime block and they were showing Star Blazers. The closest thing to Robotech (a mecha show) that's been on TV lately were Code Geass on AS and Gundam 00 on SyFy however those shows are a lot newer with style and animation from 2007 as opposed to 1982. You also have to deal with Harmony Gold's ego I imagine they would ask a lot to air Robotech making it a not very lucrative acquisition for a cable network.

 

^ The whole series is available for streaming from Netflix so I don't know if the rates are that unreasonable. I'm thinking it's more that there isn't much market for anime, let alone old stuff.

 

Harmony Gold is full of idiots, and the amount of stuff they block makes me think HG is populated completely by trolls that hate anime fans. There IS a demand for the older anime, and they can't see that. The fact that Netflix has Robotech is because A&E got the rights to distribute it. They have also released the series in 3 DVD seasons, you can pick them up for $15 each at Wal-Mart.

 

Is there for TV? I'm not so sure there really is.

 

Not enough to really make it worth the while for TV networks anyway.

 

Yeah there might be some small demand for older stuff that was adapted for American audiences like Voltron or Robotech but there isn't much interest past that, aside for maybe some streaming online where there isn't much overhead like there is with physical media.

This explains why we don't see classics like Legend of the Galactic Heroes being brought over and why the older Dragonball and Gundam series didn't get that high of ratings back when Toonami was on.

 

I hate for anybody to lose their jobs, but it's hard not to wish for something to change to allow the Macross material to come over here. It really just comes across as petty and childish that we can't legally buy the other Macross shows in the US.

 

I doubt anybody would lose their jobs since most of Harmony Gold's profit comes form real estate Robotech is a miniscule portion of the money they make from anything. Given the state of the anime market in 2012 it makes no logical sense for them to block anything Macross related from leaving the Japanese market.

 

Probably wouldn't be aired on Cartoon Network or SyFy, but I don't see why it couldnt' be aired on say "The Hub" because it shows a lot of old 80s cartoons like the original GI Joe or Transformers.

Every once in awhile I watch an old episode. I find it funny that both shows include the 'bumpers' leading into a commercial break from when they aired in the 80s, but for some reason the Hub then puts in their own bumper. I'm like why are you letting me know we're going to a commercial? GI Joe just did it (in an 80s style) but still...

 

^^ Yeah, The Hub sounds like the most likely of candidates at this point in time.

 

The reason that the Hub airs those shows is that they own those properties outright, the channel is practically one huge ad for Hasbro toys. Robotech unlike Transformers and GI Joe hasn't had a toy presence in stores for decades and no live action movie either.

 

^^ They do show other older things (that I don't think are Hasbro) like Batman and Men in Black and I could see Robotech working in there. Other than that, what is there, Syfy and Cartoon Network, which seem to be going in different directions these days.

 

If they ever do a live action movie, Jessica Sanchez ought to be Minmei. (or at least a movie-ized version). She could do a believeable job as a "normal girl" who can rally the troops with her singing.

 

The girl from American Idol? She doesn't seem very "Minmei" to me.

 

As long as she can do "incessantly annoying" to capture the true essence of the character, then sign her up.

 

You know, I heard the guys doing the new Thundercats show would be interested in reimagining Robotech. I'd like to see that, as long as someone other than HG owned the property, since they've done jack shit with it since Shadow Chronicles and didn't really do much to ensure those guys would succeed either.

The only problem is that the two nearly universal cartoon carrying cable channels in the US might not be willing to guarantee that the show will run as long as it needs to.

 

I'd like to see the original Macross Saga get a face lift, if for no other reason than to get the newer generation interested in the story

 

I'll always have a soft spot for Robotech as that's what got me into anime.

That being said, Macross is the definitive version of the story, and there have been some wonderful continuations - Frontier being the best.

I really would like to see a Robotech live-action movie, come on HG!

 

Agreed. Yamato is getting a fancy new remake, Macross would be the perfect follow up.

I've always loved the series, but the animation quality is pretty weak.