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Bigwest has launched a new singing audition that will determine the voice actress for the heroine of the brand-new Macross entry. The audition's official title is Macross Heroine Audition 2025, and applications are open until April 30, 2025.

The company requires applicants to perform their own renditions of the demo song, which is titled "Ai to Ai." This audition is only available to women who are residing in Japan and aged between 13 and 22 years old as of April 1, 2025.

The residence clause is especially important, as the judges will summon applicants who have ed the initial screenings for face-to-face interviews in the final phase in late July 2025. In addition, the eventual winner will have to participate in promotions and concerts for the new anime show while attending singing and dancing lessons in Japan.

Bigwest has also published a sample "Ai to Ai" performance by Minori Suzuki. The latter won the previous audition and became appointed as the voice actress for Freyja Wion in the 2016 entry Macross Delta. Bigwest added that it will publish more samples from other singers in weekly intervals.

The new Macross anime show is undergoing production at Bandai Namco Filmworks' studio Sunrise. While the latter is best known for the Gundam franchise, it can dedicate a majority of staff to work on this project, as the series' 2025 show Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is being made in collaboration with Hideaki Anno and Studio Khara of Evangelion fame. The new Macross anime show is expected to be available to watch worldwide, following the deal signed by Bigwest and Harmony Gold in 2021.

Bigwest will close the public application period for the Macross Heroine Audition 2025 on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.

The post New Macross Heroine Audition Launches in Japan appeared first on Siliconera.

The first Macross movie will have a new release that includes English subtitles, even though it will still be only formally available in Japan. Bigwest has revealed that it will release the Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Love? 4K Remaster set on January 29, 2025. The regular set will be available at ￥9,900 (~$67.75).

The set will contain two discs with the same general content. One of them will be an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with a 16:9 2160p resolution, and the other will be a regular Blu-ray disc with a 4:3 1080p resolution. The English subtitles for Macross: Do You Love? will only be available on the Ultra HD version, as the regular Blu-ray disc will only contain Japanese subtitles.

As a reminder, when Bigwest and Harmony Gold signed a historic deal that allowed the worldwide releases of Macross titles in 2021, it did not include the first Macross TV anime and its movie adaptation, Do You Love?, which the latter had localized as Robotech. That causes subsequent releases like the Macross -Shooting Insight- video game and Disney+ title lineup to omit content related to those titles from global releases and make them exclusive to Japan.

Bigwest has also provided a link to the Macross Spirit Fan Club webpage where people can place a pre-order for the Remaster set. However, the website only s domestic shipping inside Japan. That means people who reside outside the country will have to find another way to obtain the set.

The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Love? 4K Remaster set will be available on January 29, 2025.

The post Macross: DYRL Ultra HD Blu-ray Will Include English Subtitles appeared first on Siliconera.

Walt Disney Japan announced that Disney+ will include 5 classic Macross anime series and movies as part of the August 2024 lineup for the streaming service. The shows and movies will appear between August 21-23, 2024 alongside other international movies and TV series. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

Additionally, Big West confirmed that other Macross series will appear on the streaming services around the same time. However, the availability of the series and movies will depend on region.

Here is the full lineup of Macross shows making their way to Disney+ Japan alongside their release dates:

• Super Dimension Fortress Macross – August 21
• Macross: Do You Love? – August 23
• Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Flash Back 2012 – August 23
• Super Dimensional Fortress Macross II: Lovers Again – August 28
• Macross Zero – August 28

Super Dimension Fortress Macross is the very first anime series in the franchise. Originally released between October 1982 and June 1983 in Japan, the show has 36 episodes. Macross: Do You Love? is a movie adaptation of the original anime series, featuring new animation. The full title of the anime movie is The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Love?, and it released in Japan on July 21, 1984.

Meanwhile, Macross Flash Back 2012 is a compilation of music videos belonging to the original Macross anime series and the Do You Love? movie, released in 1987 to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the original anime series. The 6 episode OVA series Macross II: Lovers Again released between May and November 1992, and was the first installment in the franchise to with a new cast of characters. Finally, Macross Zero is an anime series that serves as a prequel to the original anime, and it released between December 2002 and October 2004.

The Disney+ Japan streaming service will receive 5 new Macross anime TV shows and movies in mid-August 2024.

The post Macross s Disney+ August Anime Lineup appeared first on Siliconera.

It took a while, but the Macross franchise is ready to bear fruit for its overseas fans. Roughly 18 months after companies Bigwest, Studio Nue, and Harmony Gold USA struck a deal to permit the worldwide release of Macross properties, officially licensed and localized releases of four Macross anime series will soon go on sale. The announcements came via Bigwest's  at Anime Expo 2022.

The announcement covers four Macross anime series: 1992's Macross II: Lovers Again, 1994's Macross Plus, 2008's Macross Frontier, and 2016's Macross Delta. Collectively these series have been out of print in English (Macross Plus, Macross II) or simply never made it out of Japan officially (Macross Delta, Macross Frontier). Now that Bigwest controls licensing for the franchise, it has picked new localization and distribution partners. Anime Limited will release Macross Plus on Blu-ray in North America and Europe, while AnimEigo will release Macross II on Blu-ray in the same territories. Nozomi Entertainment will handle Blu-ray releases of the Macross Frontier and Macross Delta anime series.

Macross II: Lovers Again is a six-episode OVA set 80 years after the events of the original Macross series. The anime was originally produced by Bigwest independently in 1992 after Studio Nue opted not to create a sequel to the first Macross series. After Studio Nue changed its mind and produced Macross Plus, the events of Macross II were rendered "non-canonical", although the franchise tends to treat continuity as more of a suggestion than a rule. The story focuses on a reporter, Hibiki, who rescues Ishtar, a singer from an alien race called the Marduk. The Marduk are at war with humanity, but are seemingly immune to the song-based "Minmay Attack" strategy that was so successful against the Zentradi.

Macross Plus is a four-episode OVA set 30 years after the original series. It takes place on the planet Eden, and involves the testing of a new generation of variable fighter for the U.N. Spacy military. Two test pilots, the hotshot human Isamu Dyson and the cold and calculating half-Zentradi Guld Goa Bowman pilot competing fighters in a rivalry to win the contract. They're also competing over the affection of their mutual friend, Myung Fang Lone.

Macross Frontier takes place onboard the Frontier, a super long-range colonization fleet. There a young trainee named Alto Saotome and his friend Ranka Lee bump into the "Galactic Fairy", superstar singer Sheryl Nome. Sheryl's concert is attacked by a new alien race called the Vajra, and emotions run high as the trio form a complicated relationship. The Macross Frontier series was redone as a movie duo in 2009 and 2011.

Macross Delta is set in a remote region of the galaxy, where Var Syndrome, a disease that causes violent rampages, threatens the populace. Key to stopping the spread of Var Syndrome is the Tactical Sound Unit Walkure, which travels around to suppress the symptoms with idol-style performances.

Macross anime series are available on various platforms. The announced series do not have a release window set, but are expected sometime in 2022 or 2023. The original 1982 Superdimension Fortress Macross series is on some streaming platforms, such as Amazon Prime Video and Vudu.

The post Bigwest Announces 4 Macross Anime Series on Home Video appeared first on Siliconera.

Bigwest has announced the official release date for Macross Delta: Zettai Live!!!!!! and Macross Frontier: Labyrinth of Time. The two movies will appear simultaneously in Japanese theaters on October 8, 2021. Additionally, Bigwest posted new Macross Frontier and Macross Delta movie release date announcement trailers on the official Macross YouTube channel. [Thanks, Ryokutya2089!]

The Zettai Live!!!!!! trailer gives fans a few glimpses at the idol group Walküre, as well as the antagonist rival idol group Yami_Q_ray. Both the trailer and key visuals hint at the rival group's darker motivations of destroying the galaxy with music, directly opposed to the Walküre's use of music for peace. Furthermore, Bigwest revealed that it will show the first 5 minutes and 29 seconds of the movie on its YouTube channel on October 7, 2021, at 10 p.m. Japan Time (9 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. CEST), a day ahead of the official release.

[embed]https://youtu.be/Tt4vjKw2KNk[/embed]
 
Labyrinth of Time is the latest film adaptation in the Macross Frontier anime series. The most recent predecessor, The Wings of Goodbye, released in 2011. The trailer includes new footage from the movie and showcases some ethereal music, produced by Macross music label Flying Dog. Interestingly, the narration notes that the movie takes place "half a century" after humans began long-distance space travel, which possibly sets Labyrinth of Time at 2062. This would be three years after the events of the original Macross Frontier.

[embed]https://youtu.be/ok845OkqyVM[/embed]
 
Both Macross Delta: Zettai Live!!!!!! and Macross Frontier the Movie: Labyrinth of Time will appear in Japanese theaters on October 8, 2021. The first five and a half minutes of Zettai Live!!!!!! will appear a day before the Macross Frontier and Macross Delta movie release date. It will post on the official Macross YouTube channel on October 7, 2021, at 10 p.m. Japan Time (9 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. CEST).

The post New Macross Frontier Movie, Macross Delta Movie Release Date Announced appeared first on Siliconera.

Bigwest has officially revealed that the Macross Delta - Zettai Live!!!!!! movie will appear in Japanese theaters in Fall 2021. It published a new trailer for the movie, which is also available to view worldwide on the Macross YouTube channel. The company also confirmed that the new Macross Frontier movie, Labyrinth of Time, will release in Japan at the same time. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

Zettai Live!!!!!! will see a continuation of the Macross Delta storyline, which features the idol group Walküre, from the 2016 TV series and the 2018 movie ionate Walküre. The new trailer features one of the movie's insert songs, "Glow in the dark."

[tnm_video layout="mnmd-post-media"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gt5hp-sQAQ[/tnm_video]

In April 2021, Bigwest and Harmony Gold signed an agreement that clears the path for official worldwide releases of the Macross franchise. The first trailer for the new Macross Delta movie, published in January 2021, is available worldwide with an English description note. It teased that the movie, along with Walküre's new song "Walküre wa Akiramenai", and will have a global release.

Macross Delta - Zettai Live!!!!!! and Macross Frontier the Movie: Labyrinth of Time will appear simultaneously in Japanese theaters in Fall 2021. Bigwest is also planning to release the new Macross Delta movie globally at a later time.

The post New Macross Delta and Frontier Movies Will Appear in Japan This Fall appeared first on Siliconera.

Bigwest, Studio Nue, and Harmony Gold USA tly announced that they have reached an "expansive agreement," permitting the worldwide release of the Macross franchise. This means that international audiences will finally have access to the series' films and sequels. Due to legal disputes, they only appeared in Japan until now. Additionally, the agreement confirmed that Harmony Gold can release a Japanese live-action Robotech film, and that Bigwest cannot oppose its release. [Thanks, Den of Geek!]

The official press release went over what this would mean for the series outside of Japan. The biggest news is that more Macross media will have an opportunity to appear everywhere. However, it also means Harmony Gold's Tatsunoko license will be respected and the companies will work together for wider releases.

The first Macross series Super Dimension Fortress Macross released in Japan in 1982 and came to the US under the Robotech title. While the series has since gotten sequels such as Macross Frontier and Macross Delta in Japan, the international release of these sequels had been blocked by Harmony Gold due to disputes concerning international distribution rights. After 20 years of disputes, fans will finally be able to access the full Macross catalogue via official release.

No new Macross localizations or releases were announced.

The post The Macross Franchise Is Getting A Worldwide Release appeared first on Siliconera.