This anime series was used by Harmony Gold as the third generational saga in a larger space opera which also consisted of Macross and Super Dimensional Calvalry Southern Cross. All three mentioned series are roughly 25 episodes, give or take a couple. When Harmony Gold wanted to import these titles to North America, 25 episodes were not sufficient for syndication so they glued three unrelated series together into Robotech. I grew up on Robotech and dearly love the show, however, the original, uncut anime series stand much better than the censored patchwork Harmony Gold put together. Harmony Gold even tried to do their own anime series called The Sentinels, which is part of the Robotech universe, and failed miserably. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what Harmony Gold did to bring this anime series, and love them for it--but each of the three series stand perfectly alone.
On to the review. Sometime in the future, Earth is colonized by an alien race who need our planet for her environmental conditions. The alien race, known as the Inbit, are a hive collective of shapeless beings who serve the Refless, their Queen. The species merge advanced biology and machine (mecha) ability to create a formidable force. The Inbit wipe out our military and about 90% of the human population while leaving nature, animal and plant life mostly untouched. The Inbit want to inherit our planet and are figuring out the best form to do so (as they can assume whatever shape the Refless chooses for them). The Inbit are not fond of humans as they studied human legacy and were not impressed. Ironically, the Inbit conclude that the human form is perhaps the best to inherit the planet. The Inbit are not evil, simply an intelligent race concerned with survival and finding the proper homeworld.
The numerically reduced pesky humans are scattered and mostly left alone by the Inbit. I suspect the Inbit allowed a few cities and towns to survive just in case humans turned out to be somehow vital to Earth's ecosystems. However, it just so happens that we are far enough into the future that humans have successfully colonized other planets like Mars and and have large enough populations and factories to hurtle massive, powerful, mechanized fleets to retake our planet. Wave one of the reclamation effort failed. Some years later, a second reclamation force was sent. Enter Stig Bernard, an officer with the second reclamation force that also gets wiped-out while he is one of the few survivors. Stig's ship crashed somewhere in South America where he encounters locals, motley survivors who dodge the Inbit while trying to eke out a living. Stig recruits a small ragtag group of military survivors and rogues and molds a formidable guerrilla team out of them. Their destination is North America where Refless Point is located, the Inbit HQ. Once there, they are to wait for and assist the third and final reclamation force.
Genesis Climber Mospeada tells of the perilous journey to Refless Point where the team tries to evade but sometimes confront and occasionally sabotage the Inbit. Over the course of the series, you learn more about the backgrounds of those who comprise this force, like Houquet (a former biker gang girl betrayed by her gang and off on her own), Mint (a child war orphan), Rei (a young forager), Jim (a mechanic and army deserter who seeks redemption), and Yellow (another army deserter whose own battalion betrayed him). The core group sometimes struggle to surmount personality conflicts while under pressure of their core mission, but grow close over time. The Inbit eventually notice this team who become a bigger thorn in their side, so the Refless dispatches special Inbit to track and eliminate them. In doing so, the Inbit learn about their enemy and it changes them. Our ragtag fighters also learn about and are changed by their 'enemy'.
What I love about this series is its maturity, depth and beauty. There is no evil and good, just survival. There are troubled beings on both sides of the human/inbit divide, but there are also noble, redeeming characters as well. This series asks deep questions, are humans really worthy of the Earth, despite our wars and pollution? Why do we fight wars?
Genesis Climber Mospeada is perhaps the least edited of the three Robotech series, and it still stands. Apart from brief bits of anime nudity and dialog excised for Robotech, it is almost the same. I think the animation very good for the 80's, the mecha's are fantastic and the story is powerful, heavy, harrowing. I both love and am saddened by the end of the series, because I have grown so attached to the characters in this wondrous anime. As a child of the 80's, I liked the fact that anime like this did not gloss over death in war, unlike the Transformers and GI Joe. The characters also form meaningful relationships and go through bouts of depression, which happens in real life. In not talking down to kids, kids like me respected the series. A lovely anime and a deep series for deep thinkers.
On to the review. Sometime in the future, Earth is colonized by an alien race who need our planet for her environmental conditions. The alien race, known as the Inbit, are a hive collective of shapeless beings who serve the Refless, their Queen. The species merge advanced biology and machine (mecha) ability to create a formidable force. The Inbit wipe out our military and about 90% of the human population while leaving nature, animal and plant life mostly untouched. The Inbit want to inherit our planet and are figuring out the best form to do so (as they can assume whatever shape the Refless chooses for them). The Inbit are not fond of humans as they studied human legacy and were not impressed. Ironically, the Inbit conclude that the human form is perhaps the best to inherit the planet. The Inbit are not evil, simply an intelligent race concerned with survival and finding the proper homeworld.
The numerically reduced pesky humans are scattered and mostly left alone by the Inbit. I suspect the Inbit allowed a few cities and towns to survive just in case humans turned out to be somehow vital to Earth's ecosystems. However, it just so happens that we are far enough into the future that humans have successfully colonized other planets like Mars and and have large enough populations and factories to hurtle massive, powerful, mechanized fleets to retake our planet. Wave one of the reclamation effort failed. Some years later, a second reclamation force was sent. Enter Stig Bernard, an officer with the second reclamation force that also gets wiped-out while he is one of the few survivors. Stig's ship crashed somewhere in South America where he encounters locals, motley survivors who dodge the Inbit while trying to eke out a living. Stig recruits a small ragtag group of military survivors and rogues and molds a formidable guerrilla team out of them. Their destination is North America where Refless Point is located, the Inbit HQ. Once there, they are to wait for and assist the third and final reclamation force.
Genesis Climber Mospeada tells of the perilous journey to Refless Point where the team tries to evade but sometimes confront and occasionally sabotage the Inbit. Over the course of the series, you learn more about the backgrounds of those who comprise this force, like Houquet (a former biker gang girl betrayed by her gang and off on her own), Mint (a child war orphan), Rei (a young forager), Jim (a mechanic and army deserter who seeks redemption), and Yellow (another army deserter whose own battalion betrayed him). The core group sometimes struggle to surmount personality conflicts while under pressure of their core mission, but grow close over time. The Inbit eventually notice this team who become a bigger thorn in their side, so the Refless dispatches special Inbit to track and eliminate them. In doing so, the Inbit learn about their enemy and it changes them. Our ragtag fighters also learn about and are changed by their 'enemy'.
What I love about this series is its maturity, depth and beauty. There is no evil and good, just survival. There are troubled beings on both sides of the human/inbit divide, but there are also noble, redeeming characters as well. This series asks deep questions, are humans really worthy of the Earth, despite our wars and pollution? Why do we fight wars?
Genesis Climber Mospeada is perhaps the least edited of the three Robotech series, and it still stands. Apart from brief bits of anime nudity and dialog excised for Robotech, it is almost the same. I think the animation very good for the 80's, the mecha's are fantastic and the story is powerful, heavy, harrowing. I both love and am saddened by the end of the series, because I have grown so attached to the characters in this wondrous anime. As a child of the 80's, I liked the fact that anime like this did not gloss over death in war, unlike the Transformers and GI Joe. The characters also form meaningful relationships and go through bouts of depression, which happens in real life. In not talking down to kids, kids like me respected the series. A lovely anime and a deep series for deep thinkers.