Codename: Robotech

73 minute feature film given to TV stations that agreed to air Robotech on a weekly basis. This film was aired on TV once around the country on March 4, 1985 before the Robotech TV series began. It was meant to introduce an audience to the complex world of Robotech before watching the episodes.

[@sigmarecovery699]

I woke up at 6 am before school to watch this when I was a kid. I loved Robotech. Had some heavy themes and a great story. War after desperate war but always a glimmer of hope. Yes, I still want to fly a Veritech. I’m 47 and not ashamed at all.

[@seanmcgrath3826]

I'm 48 & feel exactly the same as you

[@huynhydpooh1349]

Same here, but on Saturday morning cartoons in the 80’s.

[@12midnightbabymaking]

I am 49 years old and have the full disc set.

[@madmax8620]

@@12midnightbabymaking i paid over a grand for the vhs set.

[@Chystyle]

I'm 50 and did the same...!

[@dougmoore6612]

My school bus let me off at my stop about 10 minutes after Robotech started every afternoon. My father worked night shifts. He would tape the episode on our VCR. I would watch the other cartoons I liked, and then put on Robotech while he started dinner before my mom got home from work. Later, he taught me how to set the automatic VCR recording feature when he picked up the day shift. Every morning I would put a tape in and set it up to start recording at 2:30pm before I left for school. Robotech was absolutely my favorite!

[@David27mk]

Great story it's nice to have a good memory like that thanks for sharing it 💯

[@alexmasic]

It came out in 1988 in Yugoslavia (Serbia) and I was just 6 years old.I was blown away by Robotech!I lived near military airport and MiG-29 that flew above instantly made me love aviation. ROBOTECH FOREVER!!!!

[@bojankuzmanovic2941]

Same here.. i was 8 yo,in Bosnia (Yugoslavia) when this came out... Still blown away.

[@CavemanVanDweller]

For me it was the F-15 Eagle giving me Robotech daydreams when I was a little boy in rural Washington u.s.a..

[@DarkmanTC]

Onda ce ti se svideti da sam napravio od epizoda ceo film u 720p, a da sada radim na obradi u 4k 60fps. Videcemo kako ce biti kada bude gotovo. Film imas na balkandownload da skines :)

[@riflemusket]

I remember when this came out in March 1985. I was hooked instantly!

[@mattbarnes3467]

I was 9. The action was awesome! The romance made me cringe. 😆

[@DieWitness]

I've been watching anime ever since people getting vaporized was a new thing to me then

[@ripmax333]

the moment I saw an F14-like modern jet fighter transforming into an awsome Robot I was instantly hooked.

[@lesjambf]

Same here,was 23 at that time

[@BC-vg3zf]

All I can say is goo memories

[@faithgreenland]

I was 13 when this first aired one episode a day, M-F after school. It is my favorite cartoon of all time. What makes it the best for me is the fact that it was realistic in terms of the struggles humans go through. Whether it was with love or relationships, or combat. Even major key characters died, so there was no favoritism just for being a good guy. Absolutely ahead of its time.

[@masrimatusin9080]

ROBOTECH + Macross + Mospeda

[@TheSanien]

I remember the exact moment I first saw Robotech in the electronic store, my life was forever changed!

[@YoutubeIAAI]

Mine too

[@shaneraine8081]

Mine too.

[@angelomendoza1174]

A tribute to our fallen heroes of The Macross Saga: Henry J. Gloval (with his extended narration of Gloval's Report), Claudia Grant, Vanessa Leeds, Kim Young, Sammie Porter, Ben Dixon and Roy Fokker. May you all rest in peace.

[@gwilliams4269]

👏👏😊

[@nesmandan1037]

Oh man, I hated Global’s Report and Phantasms. Basically 2 filler episodes to make 36. However that line where Rick crashes a bike trying to rescue Minmay was pretty good. 😂

[@lorenzopeiyang6934]

It is not macross

[@lorenzopeiyang6934]

It is robotech not macross

[@RimTales]

@@lorenzopeiyang6934 No the anime is called Macross. Robotech is a butcherd renamed mess by Harmony Gold. We lost out on all future Macross series because of them refusing to give up the rights to the anime.

[@frankreynolds445]

I was 26 when Robotech came to my area in 1985. It is one of the great anime series in history. I been into anime since 1963.

[@PiterDeVries668]

Man, and we thought our ass was Ye Ol' Skool for anime... Damn dude, serious props!!!

[@rickg8015]

Wow.. Since the first Astro Boy anime series.. *said in Owen Wilson’s drawl*

[@jonas000111]

We used to call it Japanimation

[@xxx-fv8jt]

It started in 1984

[@ChuckyMcNubbin72]

Australia got Robotech in 86. The US was a year before. The original series was released in Japan as Macross.

[@TheRockDaGreatone]

It was 1983 or 84, and I fell in love with these mechs. Best years of my life.🙏

[@MrNajibrazak]

Robotech was later than Mospeada and Mospeada came out right around then?

[@majedhamad529]

Goddammit i thought i will see this shit in real life when I grow up. I'm 45 and still waiting

[@mattdestroyed]

Same here lol

[@Birdii1980]

Robotech was what my father rented me while sick as a kid. Nothing but fond memories of this masterpice!

[@albertvermeule5844]

In the Netherlands we had to wait until 1988 before we could watch robotech. I did expect much of it, thinking it would be just a other monster of the week show like battle of the planets, but starting from 1983 i had build a number of modelkits from Macross and i thought it would be nice to see those Valkyries, Destroids and other robots in action for a couple of episodes. Needless to say after the first episode (Boobytrap), i had to take a few minutes to comprehend what the heck it was i just saw. After Bye bye Mars i was completely hooked and now 40 years later i'm sitting on a big pile of manga, anime, modelkits, figures, books, posters and fond memories of my visit to Japan. I know robotech isn't perfect, but i'm still grateful toward Carl Macek for bringing it and other shows to the Western tv screens.

[@alanhilder1883]

The story starts in 2011, with the captain telling us it started 10 years earlier... So I missed all this war while living through those years.

[@NEVERSLOWDOWN-NEVERGROWOLD]

I watched this religously. I read all the books. I still have 'The Southern Cross' somewhere. The models i built were mechs. I loved Robotech.

[@josephholsinger262]

In 1985 I was a bored 18 year old looking to see what was on TV on a Saturday morning. Ran across Robotech and at first I thought it was a G.I. Joe ripoff. Then I noticed that the pilots were not miraculously ejecting safely when their fighters were blown up like in G.I. Joe. It caught my attention because it showed that people can die in war, which is a reality "cartoons" usually ignore. I've been a fan of the series since then.

[@giantlobsterboy644]

I was a five years old in 85. I loved GI Joe but wanted more realism in my cartoons. I saw Rock and Rule the day the Transformers Movie was released. The monster ate people during the end scene. I was blown away by that! I wanted to see more of this "real life" in cartoons. I discovered Akira and Macroas: Do you remember Love? at the Blockbuster video where I had a job. It took me a while, but I had finally found my ultra violent cartoons. After that it became a common theme.

[@itpros-z]

I remember, it was a first great cartoon in my life what i see ever. I and my sister Always waited the next episode. Thanks the upload.

[@luisglinos9112]

I am 45 and this was the anime that got me hooked... I am not ashamed to say that I love robotech and anime to this day.

[@charleschadwick5686]

Loved this cartoon. I also noticed that they took 11 episode and combined them to flow into a smooth episode.

[@jasonowens8023]

Ah nostalgia. I used to watch this with my father back in the 90s.

[@SGusky]

When this came out, a comic book store had small models that we could buy from the series and put them together. They were also in a game called battle droids, which was a BattleTech before it went through it changes. We played the hell out of that game with those models. Loved the Phoenix hawk and archer kit!!

[@ferrarriohh]

I used to run home from the bus back in 1985, just to catch Robotech. The days I caught it, I'd sit transfixed to my tv for 20 minutes, thinking about Veritech fighters and Claudia (I'm a big Roy Fokker fan).

[@illglenco]

i cried when big brother died.

[@marlonphoenix4004]

Running home to watch it is how I remember loving this cartoon. There was nothing else like this story and there never will be. If there is a movie adaptation they better not X#*&!!!! It up like they do with all the great stories of my childhood. ( I was a fan of Max and Khyron.)

[@lisaorourke4998]

I enjoyed watching Robotech with my brother. I thought it was really cool. I miss cartoons like this. Robotech was the best cartoon I ever seen and I miss it dearly.

[@michaelbrown7148]

I was 28 when I Discovered this amazing anime show. I was immediately hooked! The story line, music and animation was the best i ever seen. It premiered in Chicago on WPWR channel 60.

[@MovieFanobi]

I love that this has the original sound effects in the intro/outro. That’s how I remember the theme song with mixed scenes from all 3 generations. Cool/unique music as well. I was 12 or 13 in 1985 and it was my favorite animated series. I watched other series like Starblazers, Transformers, Voltron, anime blocks but my heart was with Robotech. I thought it was so cool that G1 Jetfire was really a Robotech figure. Thanks for sharing this.

[@babytoshiro7014]

This suddenly appeared in my feed💯💯💯💯💯💯💖💖

[@igalnagar4851]

Same here 😅

[@Treachery93]

The ending with Minmei singing and the book closing brings tears to my eyes.

[@PantsuMann]

"she sure doesnt look 16 to me, haha" haha absolutely went over my head when I was 6. Jesus christ. Awesome 2023 new years nostalgia though

[@metalformer4851]

I still remember the day I saw it. It was a Saturday afternoon (1:00 pm, to be exact), on channel 4, in Puerto Rico, In 1986 (dubbed in Spanish, which means it aired a year after the USA premier). Was presented as a movie by the local TV station with sponsors and everything! (I wonder what they would have done have they knew more about the nature of this "cartoon".) It goes without saying I became instant fan and it became part of my pantheon of mecha shows, along Mazinger and Transformers! I also remember having watched Dorvack later on and was expecting the aliens to be giant as well! Note of interest: I got to watch Dorvcak, Mazinger, Gaiking, Steel Jeeg and Captain Harlock, among others basically UNCUT! Those were the days!

[@ashontahuddleston6663]

It was also THE first cartoon saga where major characters like Roy Fokker died.

[@danallery8207]

I remember vividly being in a Hitz Video rental with my mum, back in the very early 90s. I was too young (5-7) for me to remember exaclty when.. Being allowed to choose anything I wanted to watch and finding the amazing artwork of this little beauty on VHS. Everytime I would go into that rental store I would order that same VHS until I can remember. Probably until they went bust. Not wanting to sound too dramatic but this 'movie' changed my life. I now know all of the backgrounf of Robotech and Marcoss of course, and an avid anime lover in general. I like to think that I was slightly ahead of the curve in the UK, early 90s, several years before DBZ, even before Manga (the movie puplisher, not comics) came to prominence. Quite cute to know I was a nerd even in primary school! Now I have a 3 year old and hoping I can re-watch these things with her as she grows up. I dont write these sort of things anywhere. I know I'm probably writing into the void but it's my ode to one of the building blocks to my life, as silly as it may sound. peace.

[@gorillaau]

The animation still holds up today. The level of detail is amazing for a cartoon., some might say it's "over animated" if that is a term. Nah, just great as it is.

[@jameslong9921]

Nothing wrong with an ode that celebrates something particular in your life that had a significant impact on your life arc, even if it is anime 😂

[@spacelinx]

I was a child in the 80s who had heard of Robotech, but never got to watch it. I didn't watch it til I saw the boxed sets of it on DVD at a store in my early 20s. I bought them a day or so before I got very sick with the flu for a few days and binge watched the whole series during that time, because hey, when you're that sick, what else is there to do, right? I couldn't believe I missed out on the series when it aired in the 80s. I liked the Macross Saga and the New Generation Saga the best. During that time, the G1 Transformers was what impacted my life the most. It should be some sort of crime to not put as much effort into storytelling the way they do now, compared to the 80's toons.

[@arespaulson414]

The void hears you, brother, and swallows up your words to be forever savoured.

[@wohienie]

I love these historical dramas. they returned to earth back in 2011 after 3 years in space.

[@allansturgis5401]

I purchased the entire VHS set back in the early 90's. Best money I ever spent!

[@MLedbetter1150]

I'm 48 and used to come home everyday after school to watch G.I Joe, Transformers and Robotech in that order. This show was may favorite of the three only slightly edging out Transformers.

[@jldp24]

I watched this summary of episodes 1-14 up to 1000 times...I was that obsessed back as a 13 year old..I remember watching it as a 4 year old back in 88..then one day at 13..I heard the music on the Sci fi channel and it came back to me piece by piece...I didn't remember Macross. .but remembered the other two series...then saw this summary and I lost myself in it..thankfully a few years later I got to watch all the episodes and my childhood favourite could be laid to rest...will forever be part of who I was...this series was God like...talking abt Macross now..Harmony Gold are a disgrace..however..the voice acting and Ulpio Minucci soundtrack has to be legendary

[@davidmorse2310]

I was 18 in 1985 but I still loved it. In Japan all animation is made for adults.

[@Kopie0830]

I wish they remaster this masterpiece.

[@anthonyhamm6875]

I was 15 years old when Robotech premiered here in San Diego. I remember turning on this show after Transformers and G.I. Joe and thought to myself, what genius show is this? The next day at first period, Robotech was all and my friends could talk about.

[@mxferro]

The design work was great. Taking already very popular design and styling trends to merge them and then accelerate the evolution of them to more futuristic shapes was something brilliant on the part of the animators. This came out in US in mid 80s i was 10. I remember thinking how sophisticated it seemed.

[@LuigiL75]

I was THAT 10 year old when this shattered my world way back in 1985...😩

[@ashontahuddleston6663]

I'll be 55 in June. I still have ALL the VHS tapes as well as the CD collection for all three sagas.

[@SynthgodXXX]

Excellent Robotech is my favorite! Fantastic memories!

[@almighty-hulio7]

I cried when i had to leave france when i was 7-8 years old,cause it wouldn't be possible to watch it!! One of the best memories

[@igalnagar4851]

The same happened to me with Saint Seiya, I was 11 😢 .. still a huge fan of both shows

[@almighty-hulio7]

@@igalnagar4851 that was the second one!! Damn bro!! You got taste!! You made my day

[@suzukiegi5699]

I never realized how much the Starcraft Battlecruiser in-game portrait looked like the Captain of the SDF. And I can't unsee it now.

[@lorenzopeiyang6934]

The musical remastering is awesome

[@adamfox1669]

Thank you for sharing this. I remember these fondly from my childhood

[@Seijir0]

I enjoyed playing the PS2 game of Robotech. Good memories I'll never forget.

[@casmartin1314]

Been waiting for the new age release

[@donaldwiggins1799]

I remember seeing this on Saturday morning. The series had already started.I've been looking for this for years!! Yes! They should convert this into DVD or Blu-ray!

[@michaeldublg]

It's already on DVD. I purchase the entire series on DVD probably about 20 years ago

[@donaldwiggins1799]

@@michaeldublg I'm talking about this movie. I already had dvd. Thanks Anyway!

[@illglenco]

robotech, ahhh my old friend, it's good to see and HEAR you. carl macec is a genius. he took 3 unsuspecting anime and told a FAR superior story, and a far superior sound track. the music is incredible. truly a masterpiece

[@JinzoCrash]

I like how the whole start of this has no annoying Rick or Minmei garbage lol.

[@hotrod9073]

Come on, Hollywood, it's time for a movie.

[@karnovtalonhawk9708]

Gday. In 1986, used to race home from high school, when i was 16 to watch this as it started about 20 minutes after school got out. thought it was the best thing i had ever seen. 2 years later i actually discovered girls liked me and saw a few other things, but i still rate it highly.

[@spritemon98]

Im glad i found this on netflix years ago

[@DeadMeat991]

Thank you for uploading this.

[@deadletter19]

Thanks for posting, just finished watching with my son.

[@jamesperkins191]

I have been looking EVERYWHERE for this!

[@luisd7636]

been looking for this forever. thanks for posting. you are doing gods work.

[@SerdarAkkilic]

Musics of this version are epic

[@ALT3REDB3AST]

The only death in entertainment that truly affected me more than Ned Stark was that of Roy Fokker.

[@filthyduck]

this brings back some memories

[@Val_da_Shark]

I’m middle gen-Z and this is my favorite show of all time, I first found it on Netflix a few years ago and I got pretty upset when they removed it, I now own two veratech and the Crunchyroll collectors edition box.

[@Marvelousod]

I got to watch this once a year....Love It!

[@jldp24]

The pinnacle of of 80s pop culture and Macross/Robotech was part of it...everything went to shit around the early 000s...music..tv series..everything.

[@jeffreyshreve1277]

I saw this when it first came out in California I was on guard duty at the time and the show was during my lunch break, we never missed an episode.

[@Lance-Urbanian-MNB]

This show absolutely changed the definition of a "cartoon" for US youth. By far the best animated series story tell of the time. Funny enough, I was in Japan when the original Macross series came out so I had the pleasure to watch it in 2 languages.

[@kennethdemuchest3985]

Lucky you.

[@kennethdemuchest3985]

Lucky you.

[@anthonygutierrez7243]

Great job on this bring back memories.never did like Robotech Master but the series was fantastic while growing up

[@TheCADDGUY]

this was how i was exposed to Robotech - back in like 1991 my father rented this movie for me - and from then on, i was hooked

[@popculturerocks]

I was 16 and lving in WPB, FL at the time. This was astonishing because of its complexity.

[@freemanpennington6053]

I remember when this came out in 1985 I was instantly hooked now I still watch it I have the video box set that includes all the music videos movies excetera as well as all 85 episodes

[@jonathanshelton2137]

Rewatching the series! 🙌❤🙏🤟🔥

[@Sir_Ejik]

Cool! I've been searching this film for ages! )) Thanks!

[@francisbersabal9520]

rick, dana and max sterling...gosh...i missed this series back in 1986

[@salemilojevic2132]

Mnogo ti hvala brate.

[@lorenzopeiyang6934]

Purely universal conception of a legendary confrontation of love and space

[@Zalthook5048]

1st anime I ever saw.

[@neilwiggins5522]

Yeah, I used to love watching it,every afternoon

[@ramonmiguelcasco8997]

Weeee!!!! Ni el sistema de teme transportación del entersprair era tan rápido cómo yo cuando salia del colegio ala tardé para verlo que nostalgias tan bellas ❤❤❤

[@ByCrom]

I went thru a brief robotech phase in the mid 90s. even had Rick's jet as a toy till a school friend as kid to lend it from me then he never bought it back! I'll never forget, Fransisco, I'll never forget.

[@heathw4739]

First morning cartoon I saw with characters dying... buh-bye to GI Joe! Was a Robotech fan from that day forward. Got the paperback books for Gens 1-3 and Full Circle. Just an awesome series!

[@waisinglee1509]

Wow! Same experience! I also got the books, not sure up to what point but it was when they were going around picking up new aliens.

[@heathw4739]

@@waisinglee1509 Robotech: The Sentinels That was a 5 book series.

[@waisinglee1509]

@@heathw4739 Yes, that's right! Sorry, the books are halfway around the world from where I am now.

[@heathw4739]

@@waisinglee1509 I loved the Sentinels! The crystalline planet was my favorite in that series, but they were all great.

[@waisinglee1509]

@@heathw4739 Haha, I only remembered the bear aliens.

[@AllBreaksLoose]

This, along with Voltron, was my gateway into anime. I still love this series. While now I know its a mashup of 3 different series it's still cool.

[@bubbaredneck75]

This is my childhood. Watched this religously asa kid. All 3 seasons

[@amurmurmur609]

I know the Robotech audio like the back of my hand. Hearing the “new” Captain Gloval lines of this special was quite a treat.

[@paulproductions9213]

Thank you for this upload 24:21 🎉

[@ahsenkhan5386]

Robotech + Spacebattleship Yamato + Fist of the North Star+ Mobile Suit Gundam a series that has all these elements

[@aaronscott8837]

This is without a doubt top 5 best animes from the 80s. Even my boys watch this today, everyone loves a giant robot!

[@paulbessassar3840]

The name of this anime definitely is, "Codename: Robotech March 1st, 1985 Duration: 73 Minutes Dub Movie Version".

[@schirn6078]

What they thought 2011 would be like and what we got are crazy

[@martinmanja6024]

Great Cartoon in 80s where an era of coloured tv start to evolve...

[@Nowaythanks]

What a time machine this is. Thanks

[@brockstran]

I REMBER WAKING UP AT 4 AM TO WATCH BEFORE SCHOOL EVERY MORNING

[@bluemantom77]

I was 8 this was and still one of the best animes of the 80s of course rebranded

[@SpaceLord2025]

this needs to made in to a movie and done right!!!

[@bryanthardin5514]

Awesome time watching Robtech

[@cvitos]

My first anime and loved one. Watched it many times till now !

[@user-wl1yr6zw3w]

I rushed home after school to watch this and Starblazers. UPN 41. The good times.

[@alfaromeo1819]

Trully amazed

[@richardward9582]

The artwork is great

[@killemtoenjoythesilence]

Just look at what we had to watch as kids. Now look at the garage kids today watch. It's so sad. I was 6 when this came out.

[@kennethdemuchest3985]

My first time seeing this was in New Orleans. I went sent a week with my cousin James he told me about it. We plan to wake up early Monday morning and watch it together. Well he over slept, but I watch it myself. Didn't know it anime. I love the show.

[@user-ll2xf9bw9d]

I just love the fact the earth get totally reckt! But fights back the best they can. Really great story for it's time.

[@gregward1756]

I was 11 when it came out. I was instantly hooked.

[@babylov3r]

Wow. This movie release the year I born🎉🎉🎉

[@zerogrey3798]

Man I remember when this came out in my part of the woods back in 1985. It was so different from everything else on at the time. It was probably the only thing that the boys and girls all got into, well until the girls decided they couldn't allow that and decided it wasn't cool anymore lol. Came on a local channel that wasn't owned by any of the nation wide channels. Channel 41. They showed this, a bunch of other cartoons, weekly creature features that played even latenight once the other channels went off the air. That used to be a thing, tv stations didn't stay on all night but 41 stayed on pretty late. A really bad ice storm caused the channel's tower to ice up and it eventually collapsed and the channel was done in for a number of years, it eventually 41 became UPN41. (then WB) We got probably a solid 6 or 7 months of great tv which included the amazing Robotech. We would all run home immediately after school to watch it.