Robotech - Protoculture Collection (DVD, 2005, 21-Disc Set)

The year was 1986. I remember waking up every morning before school at 6:00 a.m. just to watch Robotech. This show was different from any other cartoon that was on TV at the time. For a 12 year old fan of science fiction, this show was the coolest thing on TV. We have a war taking place with giant aliens, battling humans in jets, that could transform into giant robots. I have no idea how I found out about this show, I just know it was like I was watching all of my favorite cartoons at the same time. G.I. Joe, Transformers, Voltron, Starblazers, and Star Wars were all represented at one time by this one show...Robotech. It was like a soap opera for kids. There were no stand alone episodes. The storyline was continuous. This cartoon treated kids like young adults. This cartoon didn't assume that you wouldn't remember what took place three episodes prior to the one you were currently watching. Even though no one would admit it, everyone who watched it back then had their idea who Rick Hunter should choose, Minmay or Lisa. (I chose Lisa by the way.) There have been a few different DVD releases of Robotech, but this box set combines the DVD's of Robotech Remastered with the 7 Extras DVD's of Robotech the Legacy Collection. This is the best of the best in my humble opinion. You get the digitally remastered shows with a cleaner look, better sound and some extra footage. You also get the extras from the Legacy Collection which include toy commercials (which are some of the silliest commercials ever, boy were the 80's rough on kids), the movie Robotech: the Sentinels (which I'm sure a lot of folks would rather forget) and a lot of the original promo material for the show. The show itself spans three series (basically generations in the Robotech universe) and consists of 85 episodes. If you're a fan of Robotech, then this is the best combination that you can buy, you get all three series (Robotech, The Masters, and The New Generation) plus the previously mentioned extras in one box set. If you're just getting into anime, then this is a good starting point. You get a solid introduction into the world of anime, plus you may get an understanding as to why this series is so beloved. Just imagine you're twelve years old watching fighter jets and flying tanks transform into giant robots, motorcycles transform into armor for soldiers who are firing lasers at giant aliens. Aliens who are flying their own giant robots and giant warships attempting to conquer the world in search of "Protoculture". What could be cooler than that?