Name(s): Super Dimensional Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? / Macross DYRL / Clash of the Bionoids / Gekijouban Choujikuu Yousai Macross: Ai / Oboete Imasu ka / Macross in Clash Of The Bionoids / Super Dimensional Fortress Macross The Movie: Do You Remember Love? / Choujikuu Yousai Macross: Ai Oboete Imasuka / 超時空要塞マクロス -愛・おぼえていますか-
Format: Movie (115 minutes)
Release Date(s): July 21, 1984
Studio(s): Tatsunoko Production
Related: Macross 7 (1994)

Macross: DYRL Review

When adapting an anime series to the big screen, there’s consistent problems that almost always make the movie inferior to the original series. While Macross: Do You Remember Love? (DYRL) is no different when it comes down to cutting out strong, integral scenes, it mitigates this loss. DYRL is a complete recreation of its source material, ensuring any audience that this isn’t simply a dumbed-down version of a great anime intended to extract an extra buck. Rather, this is a largely new experience that does justice to beloved elements from the original.

Visual Enhancements

The most obvious difference between DYRL and the original series is the way it looks. Despite debuting a mere year after the original—not even reaching the middle of the ’80s (!)—it looks as though it released a decade later. The art style in DYRL is still absolutely stunning to look at, not only in its increased amount of detail, but in how it reimagines and refines the setting and characters. After watching DYRL, you may feel that it’s the way the original series should’ve always looked (budget aside). There’s occasionally a lack of in-betweens, but for the ’80s, this is phenomenal quality.

With the original Macross being an all-time favorite, I couldn’t help but be disappointed by the many removed scenes. This was escalated by the feeling that many scenes were dragged out longer than they should have been. This might have allowed more time to include things from the original. Despite this, the most major aspects of the storyline are still told. Many are done in different ways that’ll surprise old fans while reaching the original conclusion.

Character Changes

Possibly the biggest change to the story is that of the personalities of Hikaru and Minmay. They both act significantly older than their series counterparts, being more mature and confident in their feelings. This likely had to be done to speed up the pacing of their relationship. Nevertheless, it makes the story lose its coming-of-age elements, and it now feels like a standard adult romance/drama. This is a loss, but again, at least it’s something new. Supporting cast members like Fokker, Max, Milia, and Kakizaki move over to give Hikaru, Minmay, and Misa necessary screentime. Thankfully, they’re not removed entirely, as is the case for some other theatrical adaptations.

Macross: DYRL Verdict

Though inferior to the series, as expected (and absolutely should be watched second), Do You Remember Love? is still an excellent example of how good an anime series adaptation can be done in just one movie. This is because it was specifically written for the screen, rather than cutting up a script that was meant for episodic syndication. It may seem like an obvious thing to do, but few studios ever pay the big bucks necessary for a brand new screenplay, animation, etc. Bravo to that. I’d hoped for an “alternate ending” to the series (fans know what I mean). Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.