is a
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
television series that aired on
Tokyo MX
JOMX-DTV, branded as Tokyo MX (officially stylized as TOKYO MX), is an independent television station in Tokyo, Japan, owned by the . It is the only television station that exclusively serves the city. It competes with Nippon TV, TV Asahi, NH ...
in Japan from April 3, 2016, to September 25, 2016.
The fourth television series set in the ''
Macross
is a Japanese science fiction mecha anime media franchise/media mix, created by Studio Nue (most prominently mecha designer, writer and producer Shōji Kawamori) and Artland in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth and the ...
'' universe, it is directed by Kenji Yasuda and written by Toshizo Nemoto with
Shōji Kawamori
is a Japanese anime creator and producer, screenwriter, visual artist, and mecha designer. He is best known for creating the ''Macross'' mecha anime franchise and the ''Diaclone'' toyline, which were in turn the basis for the ''Robotech'' and ...
being the chief director and mechanical designer, whith Chisato Mita (
Capcom
is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...
) handling the original character design. Kawamori is also credited as the original creator along
Studio Nue
Studio Nue, Inc. ( ja, スタジオぬえ) is a Japanese design studio formed in 1972 (as Crystal Art Studio) by Naoyuki Kato, Kenichi Matsuzaki, Kazutaka Miyatake, and Haruka Takachiho. Crystal Art Studio would change their name to Studio Nue i ...
.
Summary
''Macross Delta'' is set in the year 2067, eight years after the events of ''
Macross Frontier
is a Japanese anime television series and the third Japanese anime television series set in the ''Macross'' universe. It was broadcast on MBS from April 4, 2008 to September 26, 2008.
''Macross Frontier'' is the story of a human space ...
'' in a remote part of the
Milky Way Galaxy
The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye. ...
called the , which is plagued by the , a mysterious phenomenon which turns people berserk without any apparent cause. A team of talented idols, the ''Walküre'', uses the power of their songs to calm down the infected by the Vár Syndrome, assisted by the Delta Flight, a team of experienced Valkyrie pilots, while facing the interference from the Aerial Knights of the Windermere Kingdom, which found a way to exploit the infection in their favor as part of their plan to resume war against the for control of the Cluster.
Production
The series was sponsored by
Big West Advertising
is a Japanese science fiction mecha anime media franchise/ media mix, created by Studio Nue (most prominently mecha designer, writer and producer Shōji Kawamori) and Artland in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth and th ...
and
Bandai Visual
was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai and a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings. They focused mainly in international distribution of anime properties in North America.
Most of the anime and ...
. As with the previous ''Macross'' series, the ''Macross Delta'' staff have scouted new talent for the anime. Auditions began on December 1, 2014. On February 7, 2015, it was reported that over 8,000 people auditioned to star in the new series. The final selection round was held in Tokyo in late April 2015. The finalists went through interviews with the judges, and demonstrated their singing and voice performing skills.
''Macross Delta'' held a Chō Jikū' Seisaku Happyōkai" (''"The Super Dimension" Production Unveiling''), a live-streamed event that revealed more details on the project on October 29 at 12:00 p.m. Kawamori appeared at the event to reveal the main staff, the winner of the audition for the new singer in the anime, and the new anime's characters.
Promotional media
A promotional visual created by artist
Hidetaka Tenjin
is a Japanese people, Japanese mecha anime artist and science fiction illustrator.
Personal life
Hidetaka Tenjin was born in Nishinomiya, Kobe City, on October 13, 1973. After graduating from the Shibaura institute of Technology's Department of ...
an depicting 2 fictional
dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is an aerial battle between fighter aircraft conducted at close range. Dogfighting first occurred in Mexico in 1913, shortly after the invention of the airplane. Until at least 1992, it was a component in every majo ...
ing aircraft was posted in the franchise's official website on Friday the 25th September 2015. Kawamori confirmed that both fighters in the visual are "Valkyries" (transforming
variable fighters
A variable-sweep wing, colloquially known as a "swing wing", is an airplane wing, or set of wings, that may be swept back and then returned to its original straight position during flight. It allows the aircraft's shape to be modified in fli ...
), and he specifically cited the old Swedish jet fighter
Saab 35 Draken
The Saab 35 Draken (; 'The Kite' or 'The Dragon') is a Swedish fighter-interceptor developed and manufactured by Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (SAAB) between 1955 and 1974. Development of the Saab 35 Draken started in 1948 as the Swedish air fo ...
as an inspiration for the darker Valkyrie in the background of the image. Kawamori added that he has been a fan of the Draken jet since he was a child. He also acknowledged that the blue and white Valkyrie in the foreground shares a design lineage with previous variable fighters in the ''Macross'' series and therefore was less of a challenge to design. By contrast, the background variable fighter will feature a relatively new transformation scheme that bears little similarity to those of previous Valkyries.
Shoji Kawamori explained that the two fighters have exhausts in different colors because they were developed by different companies. He also noted that he has been deliberately avoiding more direct design inspirations from current real world fighters, since
stealth technology
Stealth technology, also termed low observable technology (LO technology), is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive and active electronic countermeasures, which covers a range of methods used to make personnel, aircraft, ships, subm ...
has made modern combat aircraft look too similar and harder to distinguish from each other.
Kawamori added that this new series will emphasize "Valkyrie versus Valkyrie" duels as opposed to previous television series. While video productions such as ''
Macross Plus
is a four-episode anime OVA and theatrical movie in the ''Macross'' series. It was the first sequel to the original ''Macross'' television series that took place in the official timeline (''Macross II'' was quickly retconned by series creator ...
'' and ''
Macross Zero
is an anime prequel OVA to ''The Super Dimension Fortress Macross'' released for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the ''Macross'' franchise during 2002 in Japan. It was created and directed by Shoji Kawamori and produced by Sateligh ...
'' prominently featured variable fighters against each other, Kawamori admitted that it has not been the focus in a ''Macross'' television series in a long time.
The staff also presented the official designs by Shōji Kawamori for the two main variable fighters: the VF-31 Siegfried and the Sv-262 Draken III. The VF-31 is flown by the Walküre group's escorts, the "Delta Flight". Kawamori confirmed that the VF-31 is an update of the YF-30 Chronos that appeared in the
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
video game ''
Macross 30: Voices across the Galaxy''. However, unlike the YF-30 the VF-31 design has built-in gunpods in its arms and forward-swept wings.
The Sv-262 is used by the Aerial Knights Valkyrie Aerial Knights of the Windermere Kingdom. The new variable fighter design was inspired by the real-life
Saab 35 Draken
The Saab 35 Draken (; 'The Kite' or 'The Dragon') is a Swedish fighter-interceptor developed and manufactured by Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (SAAB) between 1955 and 1974. Development of the Saab 35 Draken started in 1948 as the Swedish air fo ...
. While describing the Sv-262, Kawamori mentioned that this is the first time that a Valkyrie with this unique delta wing design variant has appeared in Macross. Hidetaka Tenjin also noted that unlike other Valkyries its cockpit is not transparent.
New series logo
The ''Macross Delta'' logo features a planet within the Japanese characters that form the word "Macross". Shoji Kawamori specifically noted that this planet is the main setting for the new series. He also explained that this was made deliberately in direct contrast with ''Macross Frontier'', whose setting was primarily in space. Kawamori started to describe more details about ''Macross Deltas setting but stopped short and asked fans to watch ''"The Super Dimension" Production Unveiling'' event.
Kawamori pointed out that the delta symbol in the logo is made of triangular symbols to symbolize the three main thematic elements of ''Macross'': music, a love triangle, and Valkyries. However, he also noted that the two symbols are split, and explained that this is indicative that the three elements will not come together as expected in the new story.
The Super Dimension Production Unveiling
18-year old
Minori Suzuki
is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with E-Stone Music. She started her career after passing an audition for the role of Freyja Wion in the 2016 anime television series ''Macross Delta'', beating 8,000 other auditionees for the r ...
from
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...
was announced as the winner of the newest ''Macross'' singer auditions. Suzuki plays Freyja Wion, an aspiring idol who is full of spirit and who is always smiling.
Other characters include five girls that form the "Tactical Sound Unit Walküre", the first major songstress group in the Macross anime franchise. (''
Macross 7
is an anime television series. It is a sequel to the show ''The Super Dimension Fortress Macross'' that takes place many years after the events of the first series following a cast of mostly new characters. The show ran from October 16, 1 ...
'' had the "Jamming Birds" group, and the
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
video game ''Macross Digital Mission VF-X'' had the group "Milky Dolls").
Hidetaka Tenjin
is a Japanese people, Japanese mecha anime artist and science fiction illustrator.
Personal life
Hidetaka Tenjin was born in Nishinomiya, Kobe City, on October 13, 1973. After graduating from the Shibaura institute of Technology's Department of ...
is credited as the "''Macross'' visual artist" for this series while Majiro (''
Barakamon'', ''
Nagareboshi Lens'') and Yuu Shindo (''
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU'', ''
Persona 4: The Golden Animation'') adapted the original character designs by Chisato Mita (designer in
Capcom
is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...
's ''
E.X. Troopers
, stylized as ''E.X. Tr∞pers'', is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom for Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation 3. The game was released in Japan to retail customers on November 22, 2012 and later on Nintendo eShop and Pl ...
'' video game). Other non-Japanese staff members include Thomas Romain as worldview designer, Vincento Niemu as art designer, and Stanislas Brunet as mechanical designer.
Bandai also presented prototypes of the DX Chōgōkin models of both fighters.
Media
Anime
A ''Macross Delta Preview Special'' was aired on Japanese television on New Year's Eve in 2015, with the all-but complete first episode.
The anime premiered on
Tokyo MX
JOMX-DTV, branded as Tokyo MX (officially stylized as TOKYO MX), is an independent television station in Tokyo, Japan, owned by the . It is the only television station that exclusively serves the city. It competes with Nippon TV, TV Asahi, NH ...
and
BS11, along other stations in Japan on April 3, 2016. The series used twelve musical themes: two openings and ten endings. From episodes 2-12 and 14, the first opening theme is by Walküre while the ending themes are (for the new year special and Episode 1), , , "Giraffe Blues", and by Walküre. From episodes 15–25, the second opening theme is by Walküre while the ending themes are , "God Bless You", "Love! Thunder Grow", by Walküre, and by Mina Kubota. For episode 26, the ending theme is by Walküre.
A compilation film with some plot changes, ''Macross Delta the Movie: Passionate Walküre'' was released in Japanese theaters on February 9, 2018.
A new film, ''Macross Delta the Movie: Absolute Live!!!!!!'', serving as a sequel to ''Passionate Walküre'', was released in Japanese theaters on October 8, 2021.
Manga
Four manga adaptations were officially serialized, all released in June 2016. The first one was serialized in
Kodansha
is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...
's ''
Monthly Shōnen Sirius
is a Japanese monthly ''shōnen'' manga magazine published by Kodansha, and first issued in May 2005. It is issued in perfect-bound B5 format and retails for 580 yen. ''Monthly Shōnen Sirius'' is aimed at readers aged 16–21. The magazine a ...
''. The second, titled was written by
Shoji Kawamori
A is a door, window or room divider used in traditional Japanese architecture, consisting of translucent (or transparent) sheets on a lattice frame. Where light transmission is not needed, the similar but opaque ''fusuma'' is used (oshiire/ ...
and serialized in Kodansha's ''
Magazine Special
was a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Kodansha and first launched with a cover date of September 5, 1983. Its audience demographic is geared toward younger teenage boys, and contents tend to be predominantly sports stories and high ...
''. The third, , was serialized in
Ichijinsha
is a Japanese publishing company focused on manga-related publication, including magazines and books.
The company was first established in August 1992 as a limited company under the name Studio DNA whose main purpose was to edit shōnen manga. ...
's ''
Monthly Comic Rex''. The last, , was also serialized in ''Monthly Comic Rex''.
Music
Singles
Albums
Songs
International release
Due to a current legal dispute over the distribution rights of the ''Macross'' franchise, involving Studio Nue and Big West against
Harmony Gold, much of the ''Macross'' merchandise post 1999, including ''Macross Delta'', have not received an international release.
However, on March 1, 2021, Big West, Studio Nue and Harmony Gold reached an agreement on the international distribution of most ''Macross'' sequels and films.
Reception
Richard Eisenbeis from Kotaku gives the preview episode a mixed review. He praised the episode's beginning for introducing the basic setting and shows the first meeting of Freyja, Hayate, and Mirage along with some short character building scenes for each, but criticised halfway point of the episode. Despite praising the aerial dogfight, he thinks the sudden conflict and the introduction of 15 different characters was "far too much too fast". For the music, while the first two Walkure songs are deemed forgettable, he thinks the final song used for the ending and credits, "Ikenai Borderline", is great. Richard's main problem is Walkure themselves, referring them as the elephant in the room. He commented "While their "magic" is clearly technology-based, it is something so unexpected in a Macross anime, it's likely to throw even longtime fans for a loop—I know it did me". Nevertheless, he genuinely interested to see more and hopes much of the information will be sorted out by the time the series makes its true premiere this spring.
References
External links
*
*
{{Satelight
2016 anime television series debuts
Japanese idols in anime and manga
Delta
Delta commonly refers to:
* Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet
* River delta, at a river mouth
* D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta")
* Delta Air Lines, US
* Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19
Delta may also ...
Television series set in the 2060s
TBS Television (Japan) original programming
Mainichi Broadcasting System original programming
Mecha anime and manga
PlayStation Vita-only games
PlayStation Vita games