A very strong and consistent theme through out Robotech is that of star-crossed loves (one which also paves the way for alien redemption themes all through out), while the Lisa/Rick/Minmei plot is the only true love-triangle in the bunch. You should know, Robotech is broken up into three separate sagas spanning three to four decades, so each arc focuses on an entirely different cast of characters. What you're in now, The Macross Saga, is obviously Rick's story. While he briefly appears again in the second arc's opening flashback episode and even remains a prominent offscreen character in the third, don't expect a whole lot more to his story after Marcross in regards to the 85 eps.
The Masters, The Second Robotech War, will turn focus on the daughter of Rick's best friend (whom you will see as a baby in The Macross Saga's last nine eps). I would like to strongly suggest watching the movie Robotech: The Sentinels between the first two arcs, preferably the Remastered version on the A&E series set's Extras, as it provides a very smooth transition between them. This feature also marks the introduction to an often-referenced enemy in The Masters which prove to be humanity's greatest threat in the third arc, the Invid, as we see the Regess for the first time and meet the enigmatic husband of hers whom will keep the REF busy for years on end.
Now whereas The Masters had characters strongly tying into ones from The Macross Saga (Dana, Bowie), The New Generation -- The Third Robotech War -- is unique in that its entire cast of characters has no ties with the prior characters outside of a few being in the same military. As mentioned, Rick is a most prominent offscreen character and we get to see a couple characters again first seen in The Sentinels (the Regess, Jonathan Wolfe), but this arc is almost a spinoff in its own right. Nonetheless, it does continue Robotech's most important themes like star-crossed love, the power of music, the mystery of Protoculture, and of course Earth being the central focus.
Before The New Generation's last three episodes, I'd like to suggest reading the Trade Paperback of Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles, a five-issue comics story that at last touches back on most of the surviving Macross Saga characters and even a few from The Masters. It shows events concurrent with The New Generation from their perspective, ultimately leading up to the events of the third arc's final few episodes and the franchise's following movie. Also serving as a distant continuation from The Sentinels and some transitions into The Shadow Chronicles, it ties up some loose ends (T.R. Edwards, the Regent) while paving the way for all new story elements to come.
Now in regards to The Shadow Chronicles, definitely watch that after The New Generation is all finished. While the first half hour shows a perspective concurrent with the last two episodes, the movie more or less takes up from right where episode 85 leaves off and we get many returning elements from prior arcs mixed in with New Gen's. Amongst the returning characters include at least one main character from The Macross Saga (hint, it's Rick) and one from The Masters (sadly not Dana), so like The Sentinels, there is a sense of overall main characters coming together in the face of an all new Robotech War hot off the heels of the last.
The story is by no means over from there, a 'sidequel' feature -- Love Live Alive -- is currently in production and will cover certain gaps in the last two Robotech Wars while helping pave things for the coming Robotech movie, Shadow Rising. On the whole, don't let the different casts of characters fool ya', Robotech's story does have some strong ties and overall main characters whom influence all three generations. Rick Hunter, Zor, the Sterling family, even the Regess and Minmei's music to lesser extents. In my honest opinion, you are truly in for greatness!
Enjoy~
"Just tell the minister, I'm gonna be a few minutes late". *Cue John Williams' Superman theme*
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doctorcrimedog
12 years ago
The story is by no means over from there, a 'sidequel' feature -- Love Live Alive -- is currently in production
Where did you hear that? I'm a bit confused, because "Love Live Alive" was a Mospeada sequel feature that was released back in 1984. It was mostly Mospeada music videos set to new songs by Lancer (Yellow Belmont) mixed with interview footage of him being queried by a reporter regarding the Invid war. If they're planning on roping that into the Robotech canon as well, well, one, it won't impart much, because there's not much new footage, and two, it won't fit in with what Robotech claims happened later, as Scott and Marlene are both on Earth and there is obviously no war in progress.
-There is no such word as "alot."
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