The popular anime series "Macross" will have a 4K remaster to commemorate the 40th anniversary of its release on July 21, 1984. The Macross: Do You Remember Love? film will be remastered in 4K using the latest film scanning technology, and the 4K ULTRA HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Discs "Macross: Do You Remember Love? topic when it was released for its overwhelming visual beauty, will be revived in the Reiwa era with the highest quality ever. We asked Mitsuhiro Shoji, technical coordinator at Coupe, who handled the remaster, about the thoughts behind the remastered version.
◇Improved details with AI technology
The 1980s was the peak of Japanese animation technology. It is often said that Japanese animation reached its peak, and this was the era when hand-drawn cel animation (analog) was born, which is still astonishing to watch today. "Do You Remember Love?" is one of them, and its overwhelming details, amount of information, and flashy action make it a masterpiece that is full of the flavor and charm unique to analog that has not faded even today.
The director was Shoji Kawamori, who was 24 years old at the time. Haruhiko Mikimoto, who was the same age as him, Ichiro Itano, Toshihiro Hirano and other staff members in their twenties served as animation directors, while Hideaki Anno, Hiroyuki Kitakubo, Masuji Kigami, Hiroaki Goda and Nobuteru Yuki participated as key animators. Many young staff members played an active role. Just watching the credits conveys the incredible nature of the work.
Shoji said, "It's an amazing production! The staff are all legends. Everyone was young, and I think they were doing what they wanted to do. But it couldn't be done now. It's a lost technology."
The game was first released on Blu-ray in 2012 as a PS3 Hybrid Pack, and was later released as a Blu-ray product in 2016. Shoji began the remaster with the following statement: "We have to make it better than it was in 2016. We tried to do something that can only be done in 2024."
The 35mm negative film was scanned at 5K and "we adjusted the focus, graininess, etc. We were able to add detail using AI technology in last year's remaster box of 'Macross Zero,' and we're using it again this time. We tried to erase as many scratches as possible that couldn't be removed before," he said, making full use of the latest technology.
◇Such an amazing piece created 40 years ago!
The details were so detailed that some parts were hard to see. I made repeated adjustments while trying not to ruin the image of the work.
"There were some parts where the artwork was hidden by the grain. If you brighten the dark areas, they will become visible, but we aimed to make the dark scenes dark and the bright scenes bright, while still allowing the artwork to be just barely visible. This was made possible by the evolution of monitor and video standards."
Another highlight is the action scenes by animator Ichiro Itano, who is also known as the "Itano Circus" for his acrobatic moves. The action scenes in "Do You Remember Love?" are still talked about as legends today.
"We put a lot of effort into the flashy battle scenes. We adjusted the focus to make them crisp and added detail. We also used transmitted light where possible to make them flashy. However, since it's a long film at two hours, we also tried to make sure the eyes don't get tired. We adjusted how much to show without changing the impression."
"I've worked with Kawamori-san until now, so I left it to him. I knew Kawamori-san wanted to make it three-dimensional, and make the live performance scenes more flashy... so I remastered it with that in mind," said Kawamori, who added, "After 40 years, I can finally deliver the visuals I had in mind back then. With this 4K remaster, I was amazed at how precisely in focus even the scenes that I felt were a bit off were. Also, the tones in dark scenes are clearer! You can see the finer details, and the sense of realism has been enhanced."
Hirai Shinichi of Big West, which produces the "Macross" series, expressed confidence, saying, "We aimed to recreate the shock that was felt when it was shown on the big screen in 1984, and we've succeeded in doing so beautifully." Shoji added, "I hope everyone enjoys watching it. I want even those who have never seen it before to realize that there was such an amazing work 40 years ago! We did everything we could."
We hope you enjoy this timeless masterpiece.
The "Macross: Do You Remember Love? 4K Remaster Set (4K ULTRA HD Blu-ray & Blu-ray Disc)" includes the 1984 theatrical release format and the 2016 complete version format. Bonuses include a special booklet with new interviews and a box with an original illustration by character designer Haruhiko Mikimoto. The bonus footage also includes an upconverted version of "Angel's Paint" from "Flash Back 2012," said to be the elusive ending.
