Roboculture

"No, please... I beg of you - Don't touch my... AAAAAGH!"

STATE OF THE FANDOM

The fandom is... well, dead again. Most people are still pretty burned out by the Shadow Chronicles "hoopla" since this March. And yet, here we are. If you were... dilligent enough to go around the Robotech blogs, and the podcasts, and the message boards - you may have noticed something - an upsurge of a small group of vocal, whiny fanboys (lay off of me for a second).

While it's pretty much a given that every franchise has got em' (I wonder how many people ranted about Starwars?) Robotech's fellows are kinda funky. And loud.

First of all, you all know me as a big non-fan of Harmony Gold and Shadow Chronicles. My opinions about HG are constantly being modified and reworked, but it's always been the same. Harmony Gold disrespects Southern Cross.

DUMMIES GUIDE TO EXPRESSING DISPLEASURE ON TSC 

Getting back on topic - this new crop of vocal naysayers, while I agree with some of their sentiments, are sadly, (oh boy) making the wrong approach. Why? Well, look at the Robotech.com boards. There are some threads there filled with anti-HG sentinement - but there's little or no sympathy at all.

And that's the problem with vocal fans - more often than not, fail to gather sympathy. It’s laughably pathetic at times (I am human, and I’m no exception to this). Take for example "SazabbiChar", the latest in the tiny wave of vocal anti-HG fans.

LINK:
http://www.robotech.com/community/forum/read.php?id=1740973&forumid=11&pagenumber=1

It's a long thread, but it's simply about SazabbiChar expressing his disdain for Shadow Chronicles.

The first mistake, I think, is that SazabbiChar immediately goes for the kill - he says that The Shadow Chronicles or TSC sucks. Wrong. As usual, everybody rallies to prove this man wrong. TSC, like any product, has good and bad points. Stating that crude sentiment will get you nowhere.

When explaining the faults of that mediocre piece of animation, you should never, under any circumstance, say that it sucks - without proper, well researched explanations.

POINTS FOR EXAMINATION

Let’s say you hate Shadow Chronicles because...

1. "It's not comparable to other anime OVAs in the past."

                Explanation: Do not say this without staying Robotech's origins. Remember Robotech's Americanized roots, and how it may not compare to other anime OVAs because of the cultural difference,                          storytelling, etc.

     POSSIBLE COUNTERS BY TSC FANS

• "I've seen more then my fair share of anime, and I can tell you that in my humble opinion, even Robotech the Movie, arguably the WORST incarnation of Robotech yet created, blows many of them away. Just because something is anime, does not mean it is good."

        You can counter such an argument by stating on why must Robotech be constantly compared with                 previous Robotech projects. It is a well accepted truth that Sentinels and RT: Movie are not very good             productions. Please, always refer to the troubled productions of these projects.

          REMEMBER: It is not good to compare a mediocre product to two bad products to make the former look good.

          If someone compares the troubled productions of Sentinels, RT: Movie to TSC's troubled productions, tell         them you understand, but that it's an insufficient reason. If a man certainly has a good vision of Robotech,         then the movie's storytelling wouldn't have been so meh. (More on that later)

    2. "It looks like crap!"

            Explanation: Never say this without stating the "zero" budget of Harmony Gold for that film else you will           appear ignorant. Provide visual evidence. Be sure to delve deep into the stiffness of the mecha in the               "Earth Battle For Reflex Point". Also, refer to the ugly, crude metallic sheen of the Haydonites.                         That also looks dated like 90's CG.

    POSSIBLE COUNTERS BY TSC FANS

• Zero-budget = Bad CG. I believe this is nonsense. If I'm not mistaken, during a Space Station Liberty interview, the Creative Director claims to have willfully adopted this CG style thinking it would look true to the anime. It does not. The best counter is that to explain on why nobody told him that many of the action sequences looked "Animatic" in quality?

            Animatic - In animation and special effects work, the storyboarding stage may be followed by simplified           mock-ups called "animatics" to give a better idea of how the scene will look and feel with motion and               timing.

    3. "Why is there all Mospeada and no Macross or Southern Cross influence?"

Explanation: This is a very dangerous topic, one that will easily destroy your position. Do not be ignorant. Give a good explanation why this is a valid argument.

    POSSIBLE COUNTERS BY TSC FANS

• Old technology, mecha not in use - The first thing any logical fan would tell you is that Hovertanks and Valkyries are each, outdated technology.
  
  First of all, please, forget frickin’ Macross. It's illogical to have VF-1 Valkyrie design influences in New Gen's period. It’s not a case of old technology. Remember the lawsuit of HG with Big West, and you will be set free. State it so you will not appear ignorant.
  
  In any case, I accept this fact. But how about design influences? Remember to refer to Robotech's past! Use that to your advantage.
  
  
• Remember that Robotech is the product of merging of 3 different anime shows (do not lose sight of this). Now, tell them - why is Mospeada all that we see in Shadows? Is it because the animation in New Gen did not show (or splice in) Southern Cross mecha?
  
  "Bollocks" is all I can say. Explain how TSC ret-conned several elements of NewGen's final episode "Symphony of Light". Now explain why the retconning of certain elements cannot be applicable for the mecha? How about modernized Southern Cross fighters alongside the Alphas and Betas? What? Southern Cross mecha sucks? What if I said that the Beta fighter is a bad fat turd of a mecha? What? You're offended? Well, I'm offended you would dare say that about Southern Cross stuff. It's all in the eyes of the beholder.

• No cameo of Macross / Southern Cross characters – Understand this harsh fact. TSC is a different monster, and any cameo of old RT characters could ruin chance for development of newer characters. The problem then is simply on how they introduce old characters. Did you really care about Scott Bernard in TSC? Was his behavior out of character?

    4. "TSC is simply a bad movie with a bad story”

Explanation: This is the most interesting. You may be amused as to how people would defend Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, like it is the Second Coming or something. Below is a list of several prepackaged "defence quotes".

POSSIBLE COUNTERS BY TSC FANS

• “I have waited 20 years for any Robotech – Shadows is a decent follow-up.”

TSC then, might seem decent to some, primarily due to the visuals. Good visuals has a way of masking flaws in a film – look at French animation and some of their films. Remember this. The glossy anime style may have just clouded people’s judgment.

I am not complaining about TSC's direction - Haydonites are okay. Whatever. My beef is simply that TSC is just a bad movie with bad story telling elements. Explanation expanded below.

• “It’s better than nothing.”
• “It’s the best thing since sliced bread.”

            Praise TSC all you want, but how would the Creative Director learn from this experience if all he gets is "I love             you" notes from fans? And their only viable complaint would be the bad CG? To quote Samuel L. Jackson from                 Pulp Fiction "Exactamundo!" The sequel will have better visuals, but still retain amateurish storytelling.

• “It promises great things for the sequel. Epic story, uiniverse, etc.”

Okay, first accept that what is done is done. Shadow’s is out. You can’t change it. You’re only goal now is for a more competent director to take the reigns of the sequel rather than the Creative Director.

With that out of the way, let me say this – I rewatched Shadows, hoping a second viewing would improve my experience, but it did not. The cheesy dialogue stood out even more, the flow of the narrative is just so so-so. Like an amateur fanfilm maker storyboarded this film.

There is no dramatic oomph to any of the scenes. The death of Taylor and Romero are infamous scenes of crappiness that surround TSC. Marcus meeting his long dead sister Marlene could’ve worked – but it felt cheesy in the end because Marcus Rush proved himself equal, if not worse than the Masters Saga’s Bowie Grant. Basically, you just don’t care. 

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW

I say again, the reality is that it is simply an impossible task to change public opinion – still, it is better to let it out and let yourself be heard – if the Robotech world were filled with people who just supported TSC, the sequel might just offer us more of the same mediocre story telling. (said that earlier, I know) 

I’ll say this though – about Shadow Chronicles haters – NEVER BE ANTAGONISTIC – do not attack fans. It’s of bad taste, and it will ruin your credibility. Only attack those that matter – such as the Creative Director. If you are indeed attacking fans and mocking their opinions, then I’m sorry – you will not have my support or sympathy.

Be a smart ranter. Do not fall into any traps without research. I fell into that trap back in 2006 when I mocked Harmony Gold’s poor marketing. I had to have the Marketing Guy intervene. Big mistake.

Tomorrow – PITFALLS OF RANTING AGAINST TSC! What vocal and ignorant Robotech Ranters must avoid! Or else!

Special thanks to Invid Future.