Creator Behind 1 of the Best Mecha Anime of All Time Talks Opening the Door to U.S. Fans

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Despite being largely unavailable outside of Japan for many years, remains a hugely popular and influential mecha anime franchise. While it’s now becoming more widely accessible, its creator believes it could have achieved even greater success if it had been released internationally earlier.

In a recent interview discussing his new film, Shoji Kawamori also talked about Macross. He noted some connections between the classic mecha series and Labyrinth, but pointed out that the anime landscape is very different now. Considering this, and the history of Macross, it seems likely that the series might have become much more popular in the West if its various anime installments had been released internationally earlier.

Macross Creator Opens Up About Iconic Mecha Series Finally Making It to America

Shoji Kawamori recently discussed his new anime film, Labyrinth, in an interview. The movie examines the impact of social media and Japanese idol culture, highlighting both the drawbacks and the often-missed benefits through the art of anime. Kawamori noted that the film’s focus on music and idol culture is similar to his famous Macross series, where music and singing are just as crucial as the action and robots.

Most of the anime in this series weren’t initially available outside of Japan because of legal issues, which prevented it from becoming as well-known internationally as shows like Mobile Suit Gundam. It wasn’t until early 2025 that these anime were finally made available to Western audiences through streaming services. Kawamori has stated that more effort could have been made to avoid keeping it exclusive to Japan.

As a huge fan, I’ve always admired Shoji Kawamori’s work – he’s been involved with practically every Macross anime! That gives him incredible insight into where the franchise could go. Honestly, I think if Macross had been released internationally earlier, it could have become just as massive as Gundam – maybe even bigger! It’s amazing how Gundam is still so popular after three decades, and I really believe Macross had that potential too.

For decades, the legal history of Macross has been complicated. Harmony Gold used clips from the original anime – and two other robot shows – to create Robotech. This meant Macross couldn’t be officially released outside of Japan, even though Robotech hadn’t been very successful recently. Adding to the issue, the Macross design was also used for the Jetfire toy in the original Transformers line.

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With almost all of these shows now available on Hulu, they have the opportunity to attract a new audience alongside today’s popular anime. It might have actually been lucky that Macross wasn’t released internationally until recently, as it now has a greater chance of becoming a worldwide hit with its unique blend of music, action, and transforming robots.

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2025-12-27 20:38