The first collection of episodes constitute an exciting beginning to one of the best epics in science-fiction history.

With amazing rapidity, the first collection of episodes introduces and transforms the characters of "Robotech," layering a complex story dynamic with battle scenes almost immediately.

The characters are the true strength of "Robotech." The character of Rick Hunter travels to Macross to visit his brother and become something he never thought he would be - a fighter pilot. Other characters take shape around this central protagonist, each with his or her own personal arcs.

While effective in conveying the story, the animation in Robotech is looking a little long in the tooth. However, it's expressive and maintains a classic aesthetic.

Scripting would be a better word for this category in this particular situation since the dialogue was never translated per se from Japanese, but was instead rewritten to create a new story based on the original animation. The new story is cohesive, but in their rush to beat deadlines, the writers made a few poor decisions regarding word choice.

While the voicing of some characters, notably those of Rick Hunter, Roy Fokker, Lisa Hayes and Captain Gloval, are blessed with believability and style, some of the characters, such as that of Lynn Minmei and many of the lesser characters are overacted, which distracts from the plot.

The violence and titillation of the source material was eviscerated for the series' American release. What's left is an exciting epic.

There are few advantages to watching "Robotech" on DVD instead of VHS. The singly packaged episodes are merely repackaged versions of the originals in a new format, with the original sound, music and voices. However, those who spring for the deluxe, boxed-set version of Robotech receive a third DVD devoted entirely to extras.

They get knocked down, and they get up again. Macross city is ripped from the Island in episode 3, but the inhabitants rebuild. The city is destroyed in episode 5, but the inhabitants rebuild. You ain't never gonna keep them down!

In the span of three episodes, Rick Hunter crashes two vehicles, tying the record currently held by American animation/hardcore-porn star Homer Simpson.

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