Anime has always been an audiovisual medium, and few anime series features music so heavily as the Macross. Music has always played an important part in the storied franchise’s history, from “Ai Oboete Imasu Ka” to “Triangler” to “Ikenai Borderline”. So what happens when musicians from Macross history come together to perform those songs live?
SANKYO Presents Macross Crossover Live 2019 at Makuhari Messe was held on Saturday (6/1) and Sunday (6/2) 2019. Similar to the previous Crossover Live 2009 and Crossover Live 30 (2013), the two-day concert featured a plethora of artists and songs from Macross‘s rich history. To say that it was eventful would be an understatement. IAT Staff was present on the second day of the event to report on what the extraordinary live had to offer.
A Gathering of Fans Across Space & Time
Less-than-perfect weather didn’t stop over 26.000 attendees from gathering at Makuhari Messe. Being such a world-famous franchise nearing its 40th anniversary, fans of all ages from all over the world went to the venue to experience the Crossover Live. Here were fans from those who grew up with the original The Super Dimensional Fortress Macross (1982) to those who were introduced to the franchise through the most recent iteration, Macross Delta (2016). The next generation of Macross fans was present too, as more than a few parents attended with their children, also fans.
More noticeable than in recent Macross events was the large gathering of overseas fans who had flown in just to see the Live, whether from Asia, Southeast Asia, North America, South America, or other places. It becomes clear how world-renowned and beloved the franchise is to this day, even despite its legal hurdles outside of Japan.
As is the case with Macross concerts, fans at the event had much to do and look forward to even before the main show. The venue itself was already packed at 11.00 AM, long before the concert opens at 16.00 PM.
Fans wandering around outside of the concert halls were lined up for concert goods on sale, although some were already well sold out even in the morning. Particularly popular was the Crossover Live 2019 T-Shirt featuring an illustration by Macross character designer Haruhiko Mikimoto.
Those looking for a bite to eat could line up for the “Macmeshi” booth for Macross-themed meals such as “Minmay’s I ♥ Mapo Tofu”, “Triangler Taiyaki”, and the “Super Dimensional Water” that came with a strap. You would have to wait for a while to get one though, as the long lines extended along even to the side of the venue.
A particularly interesting staple of Macross concerts in recent years would be the Gacha booth, which draws even longer lines than either the merchandise and food booths combined. Here, fans could draw from the Gacha machine for ¥500 each pull. But the large pool of items you could get from the machine (a whopping 95 types) would mean you have little chance of getting your favorite character.
However, this has resulted in the custom of fans trading merchandise among themselves, writing on pieces of paper items of which characters they are looking for and items of which characters they have for trade. All in all, a great way to get items of your favorite characters and to socialize with other fans to boot. It looks like it’s a popular thing that’s here to stay, as all of the Gacha had sold out by noon.
Next: More to see inside the concert hall.
