Plot: What’s it about?
In the realm of news, sometimes it can be easier to use scandal than truth, which is what Hibiki is best known for. His outrageous stories intrigue the audience of course, but when his facts turn out to be assumptions and lies, his boss becomes very upset. But Hibiki has managed to keep from slipping through the ever thin ice…until now, that is. He has told some real whoppers before, but this time he has gone too far and his boss refuses to let this slip through the cracks. He gives Hibiki the chance to prove his reports are true, but if he cannot, then he will be fired from his position. This situation is placed on hold however, when a conflict arises and Hibiki is sent to the front lines…as a cameraman. He will run the camera for his boss’ finest war reporter, which doesn’t please Hibiki too much in the least. As he tapes, Hibiki manages to capture some top secret images, which he thinks the public has a right to see for themselves. But before he can turn the tapes over, the government steps in and puts their own spin on the footage, leaving Hibiki with nothing in the end. Will Hibiki be able to use his skills to investigate and gather some proof, or will this be just another scandal to throw onto the pile?
I am not really up to speed in terms of this series, but I have to say, I rather enjoyed this film a lot. I am unsure if some details can be imported from the other Macross installments, but I never felt as though I was in dark here, even though this was my first jaunt with the series. The visuals are very cool, but more in design than animation, which might displease some viewers. I like the style choices in terms of characters and color schemes, which added a lot of visual impact to the film for me. The animation seems a little basic and not too fluid at times, but it is not too bad in the end. I’ve seen much worse anime and in the grand scheme, I would say this is above average for the time and such. The characters don’t just look good though, they’re well developed as well and that also enhances the experience. In that same vein, the storyline is well written and allows the characters a proper channel to be observed. I know some viewers think of anime of simple cartoons, but in truth, this one rivals a lot of feature films in terms of plot movement and character development. This is an easy recommendation to anime lovers, but anyone in search of a good movie should give Macross II: The Movie a spin.
Video: How does it look?
Macross II: The Movie is presented in a full frame transfer, which preserves the film’s intended aspect ratio. This is an above average transfer, but lacks the sharpness and clarity some of these visuals deserve, which is a real shame. The colors have a bright hue to them, but not as rich as I would like, though no flaws such as bleeds appear. No issues with the contrast though, it comes off well and allows for plenty of shadow depth when needed. The real problem here is a worn source print, which sort of drags down the entire image a notch or two. I know restoration is an expensive process, but some degree of repair is needed to liven up this print.
Audio: How does it sound?
We all love choices, which is why this disc houses stereo tracks in Japanese and English. As always, I give the nod to the original language track (Japanese in this case), but both tracks should take care of the basic needs, so either is a wise choice. The sound effects and music come across in fine form, at least as well as stereo allows and no real problems seem to emerge in the mix. The vocals seem sharp in both mixes as well, although the English dub is a real loser in terms of voice talent. If you have to listen to the original track, you’ll be pleased and if you hate those darn subtitles, then you’ll be pleased. Isn’t this the way we all want things to be? Of course, English subtitles also make the cut, in case you’ll need them.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Not a lot in terms of supplements, but you will find some mechanical drawings, information on the characters, and a music video. A trailer would have been nice, but I am not crushed one hasn’t been included.
