MLOP 13: Macross Plus (1995)

Welcome to Mona Lisa Overpod, the show that asks the question "What is cyberpunk?" On each episode, hosts Ka1iban and author Lyda Morehouse dive into the genre that helped define sci-fi fiction in the '80s and break down the themes which remain relevant to our lives in the 21st century. Pull on your mirrorshades, jack into the matrix, and start your run with us today! Cyberpunk meets space opera (and soap opera) in the 1995 anime OVA Macross Plus, a continuation of the original 1983 Macross series! Isamu and Guld are childhood friends turned professional rivals who are who are pushing their bodies and their Veritechs to the limit for an experimental aircraft competition. When they are abruptly reunited with their mutual former flame Myung, the trio will be drawn into a deadly game of killer AIs, insane virtual idols, and deadly resentments! In this episode, we discuss the tortured history of the Macross franchise both domestically and abroad, the subtle complexity of anime storytelling, the reality of virtual entertainers and generative AI in the arts, the dubious connection between art and trauma, the strengths of anime as a storytelling medium, and the real-world application of machine learning in war. We also talk about furries and cyberpunk, machines hacking us, kicking the robot dog, humans failing the Turing test, the "Itano Circus", being a wysiwyg guy, red oni vs. blue oni, ending a war with a song, being fluent in Zentraedi, John Henry B/23, art about art, and the "curious" parallels between Macross Plus and Top Gun: Maverick! The Star Wars Trilogy is an OVA! The new edition of Lyda's book, Ressurection Code, is out now! https://wizardstowerpress.com/books-2/books-by-lyda-morehouse/resurrection-code/ Join Kaliban on Twitch weekdays at 12pm for the Cyber Lunch Hour! http://twitch.tv/justenoughtrope Put Just Enough Trope merch on your body! http://justenoughtrope.threadless.com MLOP is a part of the Just Enough Trope podcast network. Check out our other shows about your favorite pop culture topics and join our Discord! http://www.twitter.com/monalisaoverpod http://www.justenoughtrope.com http://www.instagram.com/monalisaoverpod https://discord.gg/49bzqdpBpx Buy us a coffee on Ko-Fi! https://ko-fi.com/justenoughtrope