is a Japanese

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

television series and the third Japanese anime 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 t ...

'' universe. It was broadcast on

MBS MBS may refer for: People * Mohammed Ben Sulayem (born 1961), president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile * Mohammed bin Salman (born 1985), crown prince and prime minister of Saudi Arabia * Mohan Bikram Singh (born 1935), Nepales ...

from April 4, 2008 to September 26, 2008. ''Macross Frontier'' is the story of a human space colony fleet trying to find a habitable planet near the center of the

Milky Way The Milky Way or Milky Way Galaxy is the galaxy that includes the Solar System, with the name describing the #Appearance, galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars in other arms of the galax ...

. The story focuses on three young adults (a famed pop singer, a private military pilot, and a rising pop singer) and the events that occur around them as the fleet faces a crisis of alien origin.

Plot

The series features the 25th New Macross-class Colonial Fleet, dubbed the ''Macross Frontier'', en route to the galactic center. This heavily populated interstellar fleet (consisting of numerous civilian vessels and their military escorts) contains a makeup of both human occupants and their

Zentradi The are a fictional alien race of militaristic giants. They are antagonists in the ''Macross'' franchise and its ''Robotech'' adaptation. It is transliterated as "Zentradi", "Zjentohlauedy", "Zentrady", and "Zentraedi" for the Japanese ''Macro ...

allies. As such, many of the ''Macross Frontier'''s companion vessels appear to merge more metallic Human designs with organic

aesthetics. ''Macross Frontier'' plot explores a combination of action/political intrigue/space drama more than previous ''

'' series have done in the past. As the series begins, during a mission to an unexplored asteroid belt, a reconnaissance New U.N. Spacy (N.U.N.S.) VF-171 is destroyed by an extremely powerful and fast insectoid biomechanical alien

mecha In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines, typically depicted as piloted, humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the meaning in Japan ...

known as the "Vajra" which immediately begin their attack on the rest of the fleet. Unable to stop the new enemy threat, the N.U.N.S. Colonial Defense Forces authorizes the deployment of a private military provider organization called S.M.S. (Strategic Military Services) which utilizes the new VF-25 ''Messiah'' variable fighter to combat the alien menace.

Media

Anime

The series was animated by

Satelight is a Japanese animation studio. Aside from several stand-alone projects, the studio is well known for producing the '' Aquarion'' and '' Symphogear'' franchises, as well as later installments of the '' Macross'' franchise. The company's Represe ...

and was broadcast in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

from April 4, 2008 to September 26, 2008. A pre-broadcast airing titled ''Macross Frontier: Close Encounter - Deculture Edition'' or , showcasing a preview version of the first episode was aired on December 23, 2007. The series premiered on satellite television in Japan on

Animax , stylized as ANIMAX in all caps, is a Japanese animation satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. Launched on July 1, 1998, Animax is the first 24-hour network in the world dedicated to anime.The Anime Biz' - ...

on April 7, 2008. The series started streaming on

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

globally (via the

Star A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by Self-gravitation, self-gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night sk ...

hub) in 2024. The series started streaming on

Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...

in the United States on January 13, 2025.

Manga

Four separate

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

adaptations were run in '' Shōnen Ace'', ''

Comp Ace is a Japanese computer game and manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten. ''Comp Ace'' began as a special edition version of another one of Kadokawa Shoten's magazines, '' Comptiq''. The first issue was released on March 26, 2005, and was p ...

'' and '' Bessatsu Friend'', starting in December 2007, February 2008, July 2008, and September 2010, respectively.

Soundtrack

Others

''Radio Macross''

''Radio Macross'' is a radio program, based on ''Macross Frontier'', which was first broadcast on Bunka Hōsō and MBS Radio on January 3, 2008. It has featured

Megumi Nakajima is a Japanese voice actress and singer, who is affiliated with Stay Luck. In 2003, she joined the talent agency Stardust Promotion after passing their audition. Later, in 2007, she debuted as a voice actress and singer after passing an auditi ...

and

Kenta Miyake is a Japanese voice actor and narrator. He is affiliated with 81 Produce. Biography Miyake wanted to become a voice actor after admiring an actress. After attending the Amusement Media Research Institute and joining 81 Produce, he replaced se ...

, voice actors for the characters Ranka Lee and Bobby Margot, as hosts.

''Macross Fufonfia''

''Macross Fufonfia'' is a series of

Flash Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * The Flash, several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Barry Allen ** Wally West, the first Kid Flash and third adult Flash ...

-based 90-second promotional shorts developed by

and sponsored by

Mainichi Broadcasting System JOOY-DTV (channel 4), branded as or (formerly known as from 1959 to 2011), is a Japanese television station serving as the Kansai region key station of the Japan News Network, owned-and-operated by a subsidiary of MBS Media Holdings with ...

where characters from ''Macross Frontier'' are portrayed as office ladies and employees at the "Frontier Software Company". While not exactly standard anime, more a sort of paper cut-out animation, these ONA shorts are a fun spoof of the original series intended to promote the show. The series was aired in 2007 and featured 20 episodes.

''Macross Frontier: The False Songstress''

A theatrical version of the ''Macross Frontier'' anime television series was announced in Japan during the broadcast of the 25th and final episode "Your Sound" ("Anata no Oto") on September 25, 2008. According to interviews with

Shōji Kawamori is a Japanese animation creator and producer, screenwriter, visual artist, and mecha designer. He is best known for creating the ''Macross'' mecha anime, mecha animated franchise and the ''Diaclone'' toyline, which were in turn the basis for t ...

the movie was to be an

adaptation In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the p ...

of the story from the television series. Japanese

magazine '' Animedia'' had originally announced that the film was to be released during the summer of 2009. Other reports later placed the premiere in the fall of 2009. That report was confirmed by an '' itasha'' (vehicle decorated with character art) mini-van outside the "Macross: The Super Dimension Space Launching Ceremony" event that took place on February 22, 2009 in Japan. However, at that point, the creator

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 (/close ...

and the cast members Yuuichi Nakamura (Alto Saotome), Aya Endo (Sheryl Nome), and Megumi Nakajima ( Ranka Lee) noted on the actual event, that the new date and the title were still subjected to changes. The theatrical film adaptation of ''Macross Frontier'' opened in Japan on November 21, 2009, under the name . The Kadokawa Cineplex and Shochiku Multiplex theaters' websites revealed the title and date, and the second issue of Kadokawa Shoten's ''Macross Ace'' magazine eventually published the details on June 26, 2009. The teaser trailer for the film premiered in Japanese theaters on June 27, 2009 (the same day ticket pre-sales began in Japan). The first movie retells the events of the anime from episodes 1 to 13, with significant alterations to the story and timeline of the television series. A

Blu-ray Disc Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of ...

release of the movie, titled ''Macross Frontier The Movie: The False Songstress Hybrid Pack'', was released on October 7, 2010. The Blu-ray release contains the Blu-ray jacket, the hybrid disc, a 48-page artwork booklet, a theatrical release archive, and a card featuring frames from the movie. The pack also included a code that allowed the owner to be entered into a contest to attend the Macross F Christmas Live event that year. A PS3 game titled ''Macross Trial Frontier'' is included in the Hybrid Pack, playable on the PlayStation 3. A standard DVD was also released in the same day. Later Namco Bandai (now

Bandai Namco Holdings (commonly known as and formerly Namco Bandai until 2015, also known as Bandai Namco Group,) is a Japanese mass media and entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 2005 by the merger of Namco and Bandai. The company specia ...

) released the ''Macross Frontier the Movie 30th d Shudisuta b Box'' on May 15, 2014.

''Macross Frontier: The Wings of Farewell''

The official website of the Macross Frontier anime series has confirmed that there will be two theatrical ''Macross Frontier'' films. While ''The False Songstress'' primarily reedited footage from the show's initial 13 episodes, the second film, titled , diverges significantly from the events of the television series, featuring entirely new animation and new music. In the Macross Frontier Girasama Festival, the movie's release date is confirmed to be on February 26, 2011. ''The Wings of Farewell'' provides an original story and an alternate conclusion to ''Frontier'', following directly off of ''The False Songstress''. Blu-ray and DVD editions of the movie were released by

Bandai Namco (commonly known as and formerly Namco Bandai until 2015, also known as Bandai Namco Group,) is a Japanese mass media and entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 2005 by the merger of Namco and Bandai. The company specia ...

Games on October 20, 2011. The Blu-ray version is still a Hybrid Pack, the same as the first movie released in Blu-ray. A PS3 game titled ''Macross Last Frontier'' is included in the Hybrid Pack, and it can be played when the disc is in the PlayStation 3. Later, Namco Bandai (now

) released the ''Macross Frontier the Movie 30th d Shudisuta b Box'' on May 15, 2014.

Macross F Galaxy Tour Final in Budokan

In November 2008, a live concert of ''Macross Frontiers music was performed by May'n, Megumi Nakajima, and Yoko Kanno. A video recording of the concert was released in November 2009, and is available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

All That VF - Macross 25th Anniversary Air Show (Frontier Edition)

Coinciding with both the 25th anniversary of Macross and the Blu-ray releases of volume one of both '' Macross Zero'' and ''Macross Frontier'', the official website of ''Macross Frontier'' posted two newly animated short films featuring Air Show style demonstrations for both series. People who purchased the first pressings of either ''Macross Zero'' or ''Macross Frontier'' received a unique code to enter into the website and therefore be able to watch the short film of the respective anime.

International release

Due to the 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 Frontier'', has not received an international release. Until Big West, Studio Nue and Harmony Gold reached an agreement on the international distribution of most ''Macross'' sequels and films, on March 1, 2021. The two ''Macross Frontier'' films each received a one-night theatrical release with English subtitles in the United States via Big West and Fathom Events, with ''The False Songstress'' shown on June 16, 2022, and ''The Wings of Farewell'' shown on June 30, 2022.

Reception

As a tribute to the popularity of the series, Japanese

champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, Competition, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world champi ...

cosplay Cosplay, a blend word of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and Fashion accessory, fashion accessories to represent a specific Character (arts), character. Cosplayers often i ...

kickboxer Yuichiro Nagashima ("Jienotsu") crossplayed as the character Ranka Lee during one of his tournaments and also in a promotional event for the show. The first DVD volume of the series released in Japan by

Bandai Visual was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution company, 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 ...

maintained the #3 spot in the sales chart for two consecutive weeks. It was revealed that about 45,000

s and 55,000 DVDs were shipped by Bandai Visual for the first volume. This marked the highest Blu-ray Disc pressing among all Bandai Visual releases. ''Macross Frontier'' was also reported to be the first anime television series to ship simultaneously on both disc formats in Japan. The original soundtrack of the series, ''Macross Frontier O.S.T.1 Nyan FRO'', made it to #3 in Oricon's's weekly album chart. The album sold over 72,000 copies, becoming the first anime album in eleven years to rank in Japan's top 3. The only anime album to rival these sales was ''The End of Evangelion'' soundtrack, released on September 26, 1997. The first opening single, "Triangular" by

Maaya Sakamoto is a Japanese actress and singer. She made her debut as a Voice acting in Japan, voice actress in 1992 as the voice of Chifuru in the anime ''Little Twins'', and became known as the voice of Hitomi Kanzaki in ''The Vision of Escaflowne''. Other ...

, debuted at #3 in Oricon's weekly singles chart and maintained the spot for three weeks before falling to #6. The second single, "Diamond Crevasse" by May'n, also debuted at #3. The third single, Megumi Nakajima's "Seikan Hikō", reached #5 with 34,501 copies. The fourth single, including the second opening "Lion" and the second ending theme "Northern Cross", sold about 56,000 copies in its first week, reaching #3 as well. These four singles sold a total of over 500,000 copies, marking the start of a "new anime song boom" in Japan. ''Macross Frontier'' won the 40th

Seiun Award The is a Japanese speculative fiction award given each year for the best science fiction works and achievements during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by , the awards are given at the annual Nihon SF Taikai, Japan Science Fic ...

in the Best Dramatic Presentation category. Furthermore, ''Macross Frontier the Movie: The Wings of Farewell'' also won the 2011

Newtype is a monthly magazine originating from Japan covering anime and, to a lesser extent, manga, voice actors, science fiction, , and video games. It was launched by publishing company Kadokawa Shoten on March 8, 1985, and has since been released in ...

Anime Awards for Best Anime Film and Theatrical Film Award at the 2011

Animation Kobe Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...

(the latter prize was previously awarded to numerous Animated Film including

Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese Anime film, animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was produced by Toshio Suzuki, animated by Studio Ghibli, and distributed by Toho.WALL-E ''WALL-E'' (stylized with an interpunct as ''WALL·E'') is a 2008 American animated Romance film, romantic science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by Andrew Stanton, produced b ...

References

External links

*
Official Website @ MBS

Macross Frontier Official PV @ Bandai Channel (1Mbit/s)

Macross Frontier
entry at th
Macross Compendium
* *

A website profiling the fictional vehicles of the Macross series {{Authority control 2007 manga 2008 Japanese novels 2008 manga Fiction set in 2059 PlayStation 3 games PlayStation 3-only games Anime series Japan-exclusive video games Japanese idols in anime and manga Kadokawa Shoten manga Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko Light novels

Frontier A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. Australia The term "frontier" was frequently used in colonial Australia in the meaning of country that borders the unknown or uncivilised, th ...

Mainichi Broadcasting System original programming Mecha anime and manga Romance anime and manga Satelight Space opera anime and manga Shōnen manga Television series set in the 2050s Real robot anime and manga