Retro Televsion

Art by Hendry Prasetya
Colors by Bryan Valenza 

I'm a huge fan of Robotech, ever since I first saw it on television. I even made a video about the show for my YouTube channel, which you should definitely check out. I'm not going to get into the issue of it being created from three separate shows or compare it to the original Japanese versions here. Instead, I'll focus on the original U.S. run. Growing up as a child in Georgia, I had no idea about anime. Everything I saw on TV, I assumed was made here. I eventually got into more anime, but that came later when Vampire Hunter D entered my life—but that's a story for another day.

When this show aired, I was absolutely amazed. The story was incredible and very dramatic; with a serious tone I wasn’t used to in animated shows. Waiting for the next episode was always such a pain. What stood out the most to me was how they showed the death of characters. If I remember correctly, even Voltron didn’t kill off Sven in the U.S. version—he came back later. If I’m wrong about that, feel free to correct me; it’s been a long time since I watched Voltron. Death wasn’t something American cartoons tackled up to that point. I liked most of the characters, along with the music and songs. I still jam to the soundtrack from time to time. Sure, some characters drove me insane, and I couldn’t stand them, but I overlooked it because the story kept my attention.

When the show transitioned into the next chapter, The Masters, I had no idea it was taken from a completely different series. The same thing happened when The New Generation debuted. I believe folks like my friend Richard, who grew up on the West Coast, knew what was going on since anime was more popular in California than in Georgia. Then again, I could be wrong about that. I genuinely thought it was all just the natural progression of the show. I didn’t enjoy chapters two and three as much as the original episodes aboard the SDF-1. They weren’t bad, per se, but many of the episodes bored me. The New Generation felt a bit off to me, but I didn’t realize why until I got more into anime in the '90s. Don’t get me wrong, though—I still try to watch the entire thing once a year because, as a whole, it’s an epic journey that I do enjoy.

I'm a guy who loves the past. I'm not the biggest fan of new anime, but I don't dismiss it outright—I do give it a try. I tried JoJo and liked it, but it's not something I can binge. Give me some old anime from the '90s or earlier, and I'm a happy camper. There's just something about watching those classics that I truly enjoy. Be sure to check out my Robotech video on YouTube, and if you haven't seen the show, look for it to stream. Also, check out the soundtrack—I think you'll enjoy it too. Until next time!

Grandpa The Nerd 

07-28-2025