Great news for Macross fans! You can now enjoy a variety of series on Hulu and Disney+. After the long legal battle over the international rights was resolved in 2021, the wait is finally over!
In the US, you can now stream 16 titles on Disney services, featuring the newest addition, Macross Delta the Movie: Absolute Live!!!!!! (Zettai Live), which came out in 2021.
Sadly, these series aren’t accessible globally on Disney+, but they may be offered in select countries and regions, particularly those where English is spoken.
Although the official announcement from BIGWEST only refers to Hulu, some users on social media have noted that the series can also be found on Disney+. However, they may be a bit trickier to locate there.
The series now available are as follows:
- The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Flash Back 2012
- The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lovers, Again
- Macross Plus
- Macross Plus Movie Edition
- Macross Delta
- Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre (Macross Delta the Movie: Passionate Walkyuure)
- Macross Delta: Zettai LIVE!!!!!!
- Macross Zero
- Macross 7
- Macross Dynamite 7
- Macross 7: The Galaxy is Calling Me!
- Macross Fb7 Listen to My Song!
- Macross Frontier
- Macross Frontier: The False Songstress
- Macross Frontier: The Wings of Farewell
- Macross Frontier: Labyrinth of Time
Previously, BIGWEST shared that all 18 series made from 1987 would be coming to Disney+ around the world in 2024, but that news has been taken down. The reasons for this could be varied, possibly due to the series not being available globally or changes in negotiations with Disney.
Since no official updates have been provided since that time, there’s still a possibility that the series could be released globally on Disney+ in the future.
The Long-Lasting Legal Battle
Macross vs Robotech
For quite some time, the distribution rights of Macross in the US and other areas were caught up in a heated legal battle between the Japanese firm BIGWEST and the American company Harmony Gold.
In the 1980s, Harmony Gold obtained the rights to Super Dimensional Fortress Macross, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber MOSPEADA from Tatsunoko. They merged the footage from these series to produce the Robotech series. However, BIGWEST, an advertising firm, also held rights to the franchise. The Macross project faced various challenges both before and during its airing in Japan.
BIGWEST has known about the agreement between Tatsunoko and Harmony Gold since the 1990s. In fact, they supported the creation of Super Dimensional Fortress Macross II: Lovers Again in 1992 as a reaction to this deal, even though Tatsunoko wasn’t involved.
Great news! The dispute seems to be resolved for now. In 2021, BIGWEST and Harmony Gold came to an agreement about distributing most of the Macross sequels and films. BIGWEST now has the rights to distribute all Macross titles made since 1987 on an international level.
In return, BIGWEST has consented to not challenge the release of a Robotech live-action film by Harmony Gold in Japanese cinemas. Additionally, Harmony Gold now has the official rights to utilize 41 Macross characters in Robotech, along with the ability to create and sell merchandise featuring those characters (excluding Japan).
It was mentioned that the two companies plan to collaborate on the global distribution of the franchise. However, the ownership of the original series and the film Do You Remember Love?, created in 1982 and 1984, remains uncertain. It’s difficult to believe that BIGWEST would have just handed over the rights to Harmony Gold, suggesting that they likely share ownership of these productions. Therefore, any international distribution efforts would probably need the consent of both parties.
Robotech can be found on Crunchyroll in the US, suggesting that Harmony Gold has kept the distribution rights for the series in that region. In 2021, Funimation, which is now part of Crunchyroll, revealed that Robotech would also be accessible in other areas, including Latin America. While it is available on Crunchyroll, it only offers English audio and subtitles, leaving it unclear whether this is tied to the agreement between Harmony Gold and BIGWEST or the licensing deal with Crunchyroll.