Episode 1: Booby Trap
Super Dimensional Fortress Macross
On air date: 1982.10.23
Story
A huge alien space battleship crashed onto South Ataria Island in the Pacific in 1999 AD. The human race, who feared the possibility of being swallowed up in an alien war in the near future, hastened the establishment of the Earth Unified Government, while also hastening the restoration of the battleship. Before long, they held the Space Launch Ceremony for the ship—which had been completed as the giant battleship Macross—in 2009. Ichijō Hikaru, a young man riding an aeroplane, intruded into the Space Launch Ceremony's acrobatic flight in a small fan racer, and was bathed in the audience's applause. At that very moment, the alien Zentrādi Fleet arrived at the orbit of the Moon. The Macross's main gun automatically activated in response to their arrival, annihilated the Zentrādi ships that were sent ahead of the fleet, and caused the war between humans and Zentrādi. The Zentrādi fleet routed the Unified Forces' space fleet and approached the Earth. Hikaru, who had unexpectedly launched in a Valkyrie, the Armed Forces' newest craft, was suddenly dragged into a dogfight with alien fighter craft.
Staff
Screenplay: Matsuzaki Ken-ichi / Storyboards: Ishiguro Noboru / Producer: Tomita Sukehiro, Tsuda Yoshizo / Production Assistant: Yamaga Hiroyuki
Character Animation Director: Mikimoto Haruhiko / Mechanincal Animation Director: Itano Ichirō / Key Frames: Itano Ichirō, Sen Yutaka, Yamazaki Shigeru, Shimada Hideaki,
(translation pending)
last line: Opening Animation: Hirano Toshihiro (Studio Nue), Itano Ichirō
Commentary
The first episode of the first memoriable series. Kawamori Shōji, Mikimoto Haruhiko et al, who experienced the pioneering anime boom of "Yamato" and "Gundam" as viewers, were all young talents in their early 20's at that time. Under the veteran supervisor Ishiguro Noboru, they opened the curtain on a new era by shaping the "anime that they want to watch".
Starting with several variations of the Valkyrie, a great number of mecha appear in this first episode, such as the Lancer II, Ghost and ARMD. The depiction of the mecha, into which a fighting spirit has been put, extends and develops over the entire episode. More than any other part, the high density of the depictions in the last 5 minutes—the carefully drawn VF-1D takeoff process, the bewildering dogfight, the clarified Valkyrie transformation process—is something that must be seen. Even though the Valkyrie's three-stage transformation was reported by anime magazines and so on before the telecast, the smooth appearance of the transformation from Fighter to GERWALK to Battroid in this episode is said to have won the admiration of anime fans of that time. In addition to the unprecedented density of the first episode that overwhelms the viewer, there was enough in it to convince viewers that it was the birth of a new robot anime that represents an era.
Cast
Ichijō Hikaru: Arihiro Hase / Lynn Minmei: Iijima Mari / Captain Global: Hazama Michio
Claudia LaSalle: Ohara Noriko / Hayase Misa: Mika Doi / Roy Fokker: Kamiya Akira
Vanessa: Sasaki Run / Kim: Tsuru Hiromi / Shammy: Muroi Miyuki / Buritai: Kanie Eiji / Exsedor: Obayashi Ryusuke
Town Council Chairman: Saka Osamu / Yocchan: OtoriYoshino / Politician A: Wakamoto Norio / Narrator: Ohara Noriko
Song
None
Characters and Mechanic that appear
Character
Ichijō Hikaru / Lynn Minmei / Hayase Misa / Roy Fokker / Claudia LaSalle / Bruno J. Global
Kim Kabirov / Shammy Milliome / Vanessa Leyard / Maximillian Jīnasu / Kakizaki Hayao / Miria Farīna Jīnasu / Lynn Kaifun
Buritai Kuridaniku / Exsedor Formo / Warera/Rory/Konda / Kamujin Kraveshera / Rapu Ramizu / Bodoruzā
Town Council Chairman / Yotchan
Mechanic
Macross / VF-1J (Hikaru) / VF-1J (Max) / VF-1J (Miria) /
(N) VF-1S /
(N) VF-1A (general)
VF-1A (Max) / VF-1A (Kakizaki) / Tomahawk / Defender / Phalanx / Spartan / Monster
Rigādo / Gurāji / Nūjaderu-Gā / Quadoran-Rō /
Buritai's Ship
VF-1D /
VF-1A (Angel Birds Specification) /
Fan Racer /
QF-3000E Ghost /
Lancer II /
ARMD /
[Jināru] Fighter Pod
N: Normal, S: Super Valkyrie, A: Armoured Valkyrie