Robotech: Shadow Chronicles Retrospect
2006, Year of the Shadow
It's been a while since Robotech's first animation in twenty years's been released on DVD, and time hasn't been too kind with it. The original release of the Robotech: Shadow Chronicles may have brought in a handful of new fans, but that's about the only good thing that has spawned from this cultural oddity. The alleged lackluster sales of the Robotech: Shadow Chronicles Special Edition DVD is a testament on how consumers aren't willing to buy the same film twice, especially if that film's story isn't particularly great or visuals that appealing.
What's unfortunate is how the film's story and characters seem to predict expectations for the sequel in 2009. YOu know what experts about sequels say - "More of the same and then some!" - Trust me, with Tommy in the directing helm, that might be a problem. Anyway, In the intervening years since TSC's release, there's been a few interesting things that have popped up about the film's production and promotional run that you may or may not have heard of. Part lampoon, part factual. Read all about it!
Back in 2004, the film was originally known as "Shadow Force", before fans complained it sounded like a Power Ranger knock-off.
The Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles comic-book series was released late 2005 to accompany the Shadow Chronicles DVD release. The DVD ended up being delayed for more than a year due to complications in distribution! Sadly, like most comic/movie-tie ins, the plot was so contrived and confusing, and the climax so unsatisfying that some speculated the downfall of the franchise . Some reviews stated that readers needed a cum laude degree in Robotechnology to just about understand anything regarding the plot. Despite these major hangups, its declining/lackluster sales was blamed exclusively due to the fact that "...comic books are dead!"
The budget for the film's CG was so low some of the pre-visualization was the final render in the film! (Kidding!)
Every female character on the film sports D-cups, which, according to Tommy Yune, was due to horny Korean animators. As Korean, and Creative Director, you'd think he'd have a say in this blatant fan service while watching the pencil test screenings.
In the name of Revisionism?
Scott Bernard, the hero from the original series, marks his return in TSC - sporting a new haircut. What's odd is how the promotional posters didn't bother to reflect the new look of Scott in the film, instead going for his design in the original series supposedly for nostalgia.
Promotional Putz
TSC's promotional run began by showing the film on local cinemas. The catch - Harmony Gold didn't see a cent in profit when they screened the film! Well, you know what Marketing 101 taught you right? Word of mouth is the best!
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, the only marketing the film had was from a fan named Darkwater.
Commander Darly Taylor, played by Mark Hamill, was top billed during promotion runs of TSC. His character had a total of ten seconds of screen time before he was violently killed by the aliens.
Commander Darly Taylor, played by Mark Hamill, says "break off and attack" on the film's trailer, which is a throwback to Mark Hamill's previous role in the Wing Commander PC 'CD-ROM' game series. Fans hailed this reference, but the damn line was cut in the final cut. Huh?
The film won best animated science fiction award - since it was the only entry!
Do You Remember Big West?
Despite strict legalities barring the Robotech franchise from using/copying the Japanese designs from Macross: Do You Remember Love?, the "Garfish" cruiser seen in TSC is basically a rip from the ships seen in that Japanese film.
TSC maintained so much of the dynamics of the original Macross series that some people thought it was going to be a straight up rip. Marcus Rush, the young hot-headed hotshot of the film is the film's classic Rick Hunter template, Alex Romero was original supposed to be the fat comic relief like Ben Dixon was in the original series, Maia Sterling is the hardnosed love interest who later mellows down and begins to love Marcus, similar to Lisa Hayes.
Are you kidding?
Alex Romero, one of the few likeable characters and comic reliefs in TSC, is killed for the sake of cheap drama.
Due to legalities with Japanese copyright holders of the Macross series, the term 'Zentraedi' was barred from use in any Robotech merchandise or animation (spoken and written). Maia Sterling, daughter of the 'Zentraedi' warrior named Miriya Parino and full-blooded human Max Sterling, casually states that she is "half-alien". Stupid works in mysterious ways.
Despite the film possessing an obvious animation error where one of the protagonists switches outfits in the same scene, some fans hailed it as a throwback to the original series' many animation glitches!
A fan bonked a pie at Tommy Yune, Creative Director of Harmony Gold. Everybody shunned this henious act - with some die-hard supporters even crying ASSAULT/BATTERY CHARGES of all things. Some even suggested the pie contained SALMONELLA. The question remains, years after this incident:
Conclusion
Hope this brings you all up to speed as to the magic of this new age of Robotech we live in. Harmony Gold has (unfortunately) wisened up after all the bad press between the fans, and has since kept mum about everything regarding the sequel, 'Shadow Rising'.
Those lucky enough to have seen Tommy's laptop and his cool 3D models, script outlines and what not in these Robotech conventions and barbeques had better watch out. Yeah, Harmony Gold, get your story right this time! Do that, and we'll have something to talk about.
It's been a while since Robotech's first animation in twenty years's been released on DVD, and time hasn't been too kind with it. The original release of the Robotech: Shadow Chronicles may have brought in a handful of new fans, but that's about the only good thing that has spawned from this cultural oddity. The alleged lackluster sales of the Robotech: Shadow Chronicles Special Edition DVD is a testament on how consumers aren't willing to buy the same film twice, especially if that film's story isn't particularly great or visuals that appealing.
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles - The fan's proverbial dead horse
What's unfortunate is how the film's story and characters seem to predict expectations for the sequel in 2009. YOu know what experts about sequels say - "More of the same and then some!" - Trust me, with Tommy in the directing helm, that might be a problem. Anyway, In the intervening years since TSC's release, there's been a few interesting things that have popped up about the film's production and promotional run that you may or may not have heard of. Part lampoon, part factual. Read all about it!
Back in 2004, the film was originally known as "Shadow Force", before fans complained it sounded like a Power Ranger knock-off.
The Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles comic-book series was released late 2005 to accompany the Shadow Chronicles DVD release. The DVD ended up being delayed for more than a year due to complications in distribution! Sadly, like most comic/movie-tie ins, the plot was so contrived and confusing, and the climax so unsatisfying that some speculated the downfall of the franchise . Some reviews stated that readers needed a cum laude degree in Robotechnology to just about understand anything regarding the plot. Despite these major hangups, its declining/lackluster sales was blamed exclusively due to the fact that "...comic books are dead!"
The budget for the film's CG was so low some of the pre-visualization was the final render in the film! (Kidding!)
Every female character on the film sports D-cups, which, according to Tommy Yune, was due to horny Korean animators. As Korean, and Creative Director, you'd think he'd have a say in this blatant fan service while watching the pencil test screenings.
In the name of Revisionism?
Scott Bernard, the hero from the original series, marks his return in TSC - sporting a new haircut. What's odd is how the promotional posters didn't bother to reflect the new look of Scott in the film, instead going for his design in the original series supposedly for nostalgia.
Promotional Putz
TSC's promotional run began by showing the film on local cinemas. The catch - Harmony Gold didn't see a cent in profit when they screened the film! Well, you know what Marketing 101 taught you right? Word of mouth is the best!
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, the only marketing the film had was from a fan named Darkwater.
Commander Darly Taylor, played by Mark Hamill, was top billed during promotion runs of TSC. His character had a total of ten seconds of screen time before he was violently killed by the aliens.
Commander Darly Taylor, played by Mark Hamill, says "break off and attack" on the film's trailer, which is a throwback to Mark Hamill's previous role in the Wing Commander PC 'CD-ROM' game series. Fans hailed this reference, but the damn line was cut in the final cut. Huh?
The film won best animated science fiction award - since it was the only entry!
Do You Remember Big West?
Despite strict legalities barring the Robotech franchise from using/copying the Japanese designs from Macross: Do You Remember Love?, the "Garfish" cruiser seen in TSC is basically a rip from the ships seen in that Japanese film.
TSC maintained so much of the dynamics of the original Macross series that some people thought it was going to be a straight up rip. Marcus Rush, the young hot-headed hotshot of the film is the film's classic Rick Hunter template, Alex Romero was original supposed to be the fat comic relief like Ben Dixon was in the original series, Maia Sterling is the hardnosed love interest who later mellows down and begins to love Marcus, similar to Lisa Hayes.
Are you kidding?
Most fans agree, the alleged sacrifice of 'Alex Romero' was vain and therefore unmoving
Alex Romero, one of the few likeable characters and comic reliefs in TSC, is killed for the sake of cheap drama.
Due to legalities with Japanese copyright holders of the Macross series, the term 'Zentraedi' was barred from use in any Robotech merchandise or animation (spoken and written). Maia Sterling, daughter of the 'Zentraedi' warrior named Miriya Parino and full-blooded human Max Sterling, casually states that she is "half-alien". Stupid works in mysterious ways.
Despite the film possessing an obvious animation error where one of the protagonists switches outfits in the same scene, some fans hailed it as a throwback to the original series' many animation glitches!
A fan bonked a pie at Tommy Yune, Creative Director of Harmony Gold. Everybody shunned this henious act - with some die-hard supporters even crying ASSAULT/BATTERY CHARGES of all things. Some even suggested the pie contained SALMONELLA. The question remains, years after this incident:
Prank Gone Wrong?
-or-
Evil Plot?
What do you think?
-or-
Evil Plot?
What do you think?
Conclusion
Hope this brings you all up to speed as to the magic of this new age of Robotech we live in. Harmony Gold has (unfortunately) wisened up after all the bad press between the fans, and has since kept mum about everything regarding the sequel, 'Shadow Rising'.
Those lucky enough to have seen Tommy's laptop and his cool 3D models, script outlines and what not in these Robotech conventions and barbeques had better watch out. Yeah, Harmony Gold, get your story right this time! Do that, and we'll have something to talk about.
The story basically goes that me and a couple of guys were joking about pieing 'Steve Yun', the sensitive Robotech.com webmaster, on a fan message boards - Quite similar to what was done to Bill Gates so many years ago.
Little did I know that it would lead to one of the members going an anime con, and literally pieing Tommy! According to the pie-guy, Steve wasn't around. Yes, literally a joke gone too far.
So I get the boot from Robotech.com, yada yada yada, roughly two years later, the whole thing just looks damn silly now. Steve's hasn't been known to forgive and bring back anyone, so I've given up on that.
No insidious plot to topple Harmony Gold, just a bunch of idiots wankin' around.
Funny thing though that people have been banned for far less than that. Trust me when I say Robotech's got a laundry list of things it doesn't want the public to know. (Comment this)
(Comment this)
A few interesting 'incidents' followed in the intervening months. I managed get caught up with a group on a fan forum where arguments with other members eventually turned... ugly. To say the least. A tiny corner of the internet fandom literally implodes. What's left now is the rotten husks of a once great site.
At the end of the day though, its all water under the bridge. If I recall, this is Robotech we are talking about, the nichest of all niche. Things like this have come and gone, so I ask:
"What me worry?" (Comment this)
I think: Absurd fanboy plot gone wrong.
I love RT, but it's a fuckin' cartoon. PERIOD. Star Wars and Star Trek are fuckin' t.v. shows. PERIOD. Entertainment (genre fiction, pop music, superhero comics... whatever) is fuckin' Entertainment. PERIOD. You get my drift.
Many fans become... fanatics. Which is sad. They need to get a life. If they feel so strongly about such an INCONSEQUENTIAL thing (really, there are significantly MORE IMPORTANT things in our world to worry about), become a pro and take it over. It's worked for some people...
~ Evan (Comment this)
Why did I launch myself into a campaign of fanboy craziness in the Void™ that is Robotech fandom?
I was unemployed for a rather large chunk of 2007. I decided to bum around for a couple of months after graduation, so I was pretty much at the ol' homestead doing things of no consequence.
Let me tell you: an indifferent fandom like Robotech, an intense desire to 'help' the community, and staying around the house for a greater part of the day is a DEADLY combination. Combine these ingredients with the opportunity to BLOG and post on forums and you got yourself a freakin' nuclear bomb waiting to be blown up!
You're right, some fans like yours truly took things way too seriously. Been there, done that! Getting a job was what really made me decide to rethink my actions towards the fandom and this Robotech thing in general.
I'm only glad that my fervor for Robotech has waned drastically. Sure, I post stuff post stuff now and then, but I know better. Glad too, since Robotech eventually paved way to read on digital art and stuff.
Anyway, hope you're doing well, Cass. (Comment this)
In regards to all these petty disagreements you, me and so many other RT fans have been witness to over the past couple years -- strike that -- past couple decades(!): I've said it before, and I'll say it again...
Why can't we all just get along?? Let's ALL OF US celebrate RT's diverse visions, share our stories, and engage in some RESPECTFUL good-natured debates. Fandom's supposed to be *fun* recreation, not a *soul-sucking* lifesyle... (Comment this)
I would be beckoned to argue that dedicating such grand numbers of hours of one's life--including viewing, reading, and discussing things related to ANY series--should have some kind of grander goal, in the end, and those who do not let their soul get "sucked" into something they waste so much time upon are, in fact, wasting their life away.
The more seriously one takes their fandom, the more they're emotionally involved with it. One wouldn't be derrogatory toward one who does the same thing with politics, a woman, or an occupation (all things which, in post-industrial societies, are largely inconsequential), so to say it about being a "fan" and not about others is undoubtedly hypocrisy. (Comment this)
...
Adam, you're one of a kind. ;) (Comment this)
I probably can never articulate the point I want to come across here without someone disagreeing with me, but suffice to say that I am very disappointed with nearly every facet of the franchise and fandom at this point.
You know the fan-mag I was working on? I thought that thing was good to go. I really thought the fandom might actually go somewhere with that publication "by fans, for fans".
That never went anywhere. I literally got blown off. I still see my friend on Robotech.com (he's a Commander), and I'm thinking, hey buddy, you forgot about me already? I put in f**king 2 hours a night for your s**t. I didn't get paid, I got screwed!
It's things like this, along with the current line-up of Harmony Gold products, plus all the other bad stuff about the franchise that just gets me, you know?
I may be one of the disenfranchised, but as a Robotech fan, I still wish things turn around. I really do. But not with where things are heading. Sorry. (Comment this)