Folks, I am officially an old. I miss the NON-SPECIAL original version of my show.
I went into this re-watch of the classic Robotech cartoon (No, Robotech is not an anime, even if it's made of anime. It's a meaningless distinction I draw to separate it from it it's components) full of nostalgia-fueled glee... but it fizzled after episode three. The reasons are both old and new.
First, there's always what I call the "Minmay Wall." The sheer braininess stupidity of that character irritated me since I first saw the show on it's original release in eighty five. Over time it has grown to the point where I spend most of her screen time shouting "How have you not died from sticking forks in wall outlets yet?" at the TV. On this re-watch it totally leeched the enjoyment from the series, to the point it felt like WORK.
But to tell the truth, I just look at this "Modern" presentation of the series and want to weep. The original opening sequence is gone in favor of ones crafted of footage from their original anime's openings (Macross Saga from SDF Macross, Masters from SDC Southern Cross, etc.) with the Robotech theme slapped over them and a new batch of the most generic sound effects you will ever encounter. Long gone are original green titles and iconic SFX of the series. Also gone is the feeling of a generational epic that promised new and interesting things on the horizon. In it's place is a generic feeling that they weren't even trying too hard. It's like HG is now rubbing our noses in the fact the show is a story mashup of several different shows while minimizing the ways they fit together.
And don't even get me started on the video quality. It's grainy, dark washed, and utterly without redeeming feature. In the immortal words of Claudia Grant, "That's pathetic!"
So this one is probably going to wither on the vine. It's really sad, but like they say, ya can't go home again.
On the other hand, X-Men `97 is bringing it HARD.