Why no Macross 7/Frontier/etc in the USA: Short Version

Visual Novel Community Anime/Otaku Discussions
#1

The Setup: Long ago, Tatsunoko and Studio Nue joined forces to create what would be Macross. Tatsunoko would later license Macross to Harmony Gold who “made” (and I use the term loosely) Robotech. Tatsunoko, being morons, gave Harmony Gold complete and total control of all Macross related marketing in the US without an expiration date of said control (til the Sun burns out). Later Harmony Gold would sue FASA (Battletech people), proving that point. FASA got their permission from another Japanese license company that got their permission from Tatsunoko, but didn’t want to waste money in an ugly lawsuit, so they settled. Years later, Tatsunoko and Studio Nue would stop being friends, because Studio Nue was getting tired of Tatsunoko stealing all their glory and doing dumb stuff (like the deal with Harmony Gold). In the end, Japanese courts ruled that Studio Nue owned Macross ¬ñ not Tatsunoko - both companies have been enemies ever since.

The Situation: Today Harmony Gold still claims they have complete and total control over Macross importation in the USA. Technically this may not be the case, since Harmony Gold got their power from Tatsunoko, who illegally (according the Japanese courts) did such things. Whatever the case may be, no one really wants to waste the money to fight a long legal battle with Harmony Gold over the shit. Harmony Gold is very ruthless about suing everyone who brings something Macross related to the USA (see Jetfire/Skyfire from the Transformers as one example). They either get a cut of the profits or have the offender cease production. Harmony Gold sucks like that, because all they have is Robotech to mooch off… nothing else they ever made is worth a piss.

The Reality: In order for Studio Nue to let someone release Macross in the USA, they have to settle the issue about Harmony Gold. Studio Nue doesn’t like Harmony Gold, because Harmony Gold was friends with Tatsunoko, so they won’t let them release the new Macross stuff. Furthermore, Studio Nue really doesn’t give a fuck about expanding in the USA with Macross, because torrents and various piracy turned them off to the idea. Of course the torrents and piracy exist because people couldn’t officially get them in the first place, but two wrongs don’t make a right… so yea. Unless Studio Nue leads a lawsuit against Harmony Gold to invalidate their ownership of Marcross in the USA, there will never officially be a Macross in the USA. Stuido Nue has no plans to do so as stated previously. Therefore Harmony Gold automatically wins, and we shall only see Roboshit… errr… Robotech in the USA.

The End

Now I can cry in a corner, knowing the truth. Only reason I finally learned the full story, is because of MechWarrior 5 getting angry letters from Harmony Gold. :cry:

#2

What’s happening to Manga Entertainment? It released Macross II, and Macross Plus to USA. I have both for video tapes. I do not have DVD versions yet.

#3

Did some poking on this. Evidently Manga Entertainment and Harmony Gold reached some sort of backdoor settlement, with HG being the winner. That new Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles thing was partially funded and/or aided by Manga Entertainment. Two other companies that HG has dealings with are ADV Films and Fireworks International.

My guess is that either profits from Macross II and Macross Plus went to HG - or that Manga Entertainment made a deal to help finance the new Robotech stuff. Either way… HG still claims to be the only one who can use the “Macross” brand name.

#4

.<

“I hate Carl Macek!!!” “Screw Carl Macek!!!” etc…

cries I really want Macross Uncut and Unedit!!!

EDIT: RIT Anime Club members talked about whatever cut and edited Macross DYRL into Clash of the Bionoids, more than 16 years ago. And they disliked Harmony Gold because they cut and edited Macrosss.

#5

looks at my Super Dimension Fortress Macross uncut / Uncensored Special Edition Subtitled set released by Animeigo in 2001…

#6

Who got instructed by Harmony Gold to stop making. :frowning:

They once posted on their site:

[i]AnimEigo is proud to have been chosen to restore one of the best-loved and influential Anime TV Series of all time, Super Dimensional Fortress Macross.

Our collector’s edition release of Macross featured all 36 episodes, unedited and uncut. And we not only made a new, digital transfer from film for this release, but also spent hundreds of thousands of dollars (and over a year!) digitally cleaning, restoring and enhancing the transfer!

The result is Macross like you’ve never seen it before.

The Macross discs are subtitled only, with our usual detailed liner notes, and a few easter eggs as well. As the rights have reverted to Harmony Gold, Macross is no longer available from us, but we will maintain the information on this page as a courtesy to current owners of the title.[/i]

That page is gone though. :roll:

#7

ya one thing that toally rocks about Animeigo is the liner notes.

#8

Actually Narg, iirc Animeigo only got the License to print their Special Edition for a Limited time, Basically the single Print run they did of the set, which was only available through Animeigo’s site for online order.

#9

Who’d they get the permission from though?

#10

They got permission from both Harmony Gold and Tatsunoko. It even says this on the DVD sleeves.

Copyright 1985, 2001 Harmony Gold USA Inc. / Tatsunoko

#11

Thanks for the info.

Still… it proves that HG has total control over Macross in the US. We won’t see any of the Big West productions because of that. :frowning:

EDIT
I did some searching on the side, and learned that all the Japanese parties agreed that Harmony Gold could keep their US licensing monopoly. Neither of the three, cared about international status - just Japan - though by extension, it impacted international. Since Tatsunoko lost the case, that made Harmony Gold blacklisted from getting the new Macross series.

#12

Hikaru (Rick) and Max, tired of the nagging, decide to dispose of their problems the space age way before heading out for a beer.

They’ll come back for them. See the homing beacon? Knowing Milia, she’ll be horny for another kid after this stunt. :stuck_out_tongue:

#13

I never could get into SDF Macross ,but Im loving the shit out of Frontier, wonder why that is?

Ranka +Sheryl is better than Minmay IMO. Also the first episode with Lion as OP, when The frontier itself fired the cannon.Brix were shat

The Harmony gold thing sucks alot though. :evil:

#14

Frontier is like the culmination and distillation of all that is awesome in Macross. Seriously. A lot of the scenes you see in Frontier, happened EXACTLY the same way in a previous Macross… but this time done even better. Especially the battles. Final episode takes it to epic (and badass) levels. 8)