"Chôjikû kidan Sazan Kurosu" (1984) TV series

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Directors:

Masayasu Furukawa
Yasuo Hasegawa

Writers:

Tomoko Kawasaki (writer)
Hisato Shimogochi (writer)

Release Date:

15 April 1984 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Sci-Fi

Plot:

In the far future, a human colony planet fights a desperate war against a formidable alien invasion force with its own tensions.

Plot Keywords:

Alien Invasion | Piloted Giant Robot | Giant Robot | Anime | Women Soldiers

Cast

Michie Tomizawa	...	Jeanne Fránçaix (voice: Japanese version)
Mika Doi	...	Lana Isavia (voice: Japanese version)
Kumiko Mizukura	...	Marie Angel (voice: Japanese version)
Yûichi Meguro	...	Andrejz Slawski (voice: Japanese version)
Bin Shimada	...	Charles de Etouard (voice: Japanese version)
Issei Futamata	...	Louis Ducasse (voice: Japanese version)
Arihiro Hase	...	Bowie Emerson (voice: Japanese version)
Mugihito	...	Rolf Emerson (voice: Japanese version) (as Makoto Terada)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Arisa Andô	...	Migea (voice: Japanese version)
Daisuke Gôri	...	Claude Leon / Viera (voice: Japanese version)
Noriko Hidaka	...	Musica (voice: Japanese version)
Yoshikazu Hirano	...	Seifried Weisse (voice: Japanese version)
Shingo Hiromori	...	Captain Sekishima (voice: Japanese version)
Kazuhiko Inoue	...	Lt. Alain (voice: Japanese version)
Tomomichi Nishimura	...	Moran (voice: Japanese version)
Shigezô Sasaoka	...	Yazawa / Vieda (voice: Japanese version)
Ikuya Sawaki	...	Col. Antoine (voice: Japanese version)
Hirotaka Suzuoki	...	Dess (voice: Japanese version)
Nobuo Tobita	...	Faida (voice: Japanese version)
Kôji Totani	...	Brown (voice: Japanese version)

Also Known As:

"Robotech: The Masters" (USA) (dubbed version)
"Super Dimensional Cavalry: Southern Cross"

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Company:

Tatsunoko Productions Company

Trivia:

According to information from the show's producers, the Zor were humans. They were the descendants of the crew of a colonizing ship that had been thrown into the past due to an accident with their hyperdrive. This information is also in the booklet included with the North American DVD set.

Movie Connections:

Edited into "Robotech" (1985)

Soundtrack:

Hoshi no De Ja Bû

Not bad, but...

With the coming of the Japanese bubble economy in the 80s, anime companies were given free reign to put shows on TV, regardless of quality. Souther Cross is in the middle tier of those shows. As a sci-fi actioner, it's not too bad, although it is light on the plot department. The problem comes in two areas: Plot and character development. The characters are shallow (particularly Jeanne herself, who is a pretty good indication of what would happen if Lynn Minmay were made a military commander), and their development seems forced. Key moments (such as Bowie and Musica's romance) are flubbed poorly. As for the plot, it was unsatisfying in some ways, particularly at the end of the series. There was no real exploration of who the Zor were and the subplot with the flowers was left unresolved. Hinted romances (between Marie and Charles and Lana and Lt. Brown) went nowhere, and the political machinations of the SCA's leaders were never explained. In short, approach Southern Cross as eye candy and good solid episodic sci-fi and try to forget there's a plot.