One of the many fond memories of my childhood was watching the immensely popular sci-fi anime series Macross on television; the sleek animation, the impressionable characters and of course the outrageously cool looking mecha captivated me and my brother to no end. Back then we had very little money to spend on toys, so I would always look with envy at the beautiful box art of the Macross model kits at the local shopping mall.

Now, all the delightful illustrations of these box art are collected in this Macross Package Art Collection book (超時空要塞マクロス パッケージアート集), and it is the most wonderful thing ever. What is equally wonderful is that I have from time to time lamented on the dire need for an art book showcasing Yoshiyuki Takani’s (高荷義之) amazing art, and this book checks that box as well.

There is also another artist/illustrator credited for many of the art work, Suzuki Toshimichi/Toshimitsu (鈴木敏充). While I am not familiar with his name, a google search revealed that he is one of the co-creators of the popular manga/anime series Bumblegum Crisis.

The book showcases all the major mecha units, the U.N. Spacy’s Variable Veritech fighter jets the Valkyries, the Gerwalks as well as the mecha units from the formidable Zentradi alien race. Yoshiyuki Takani’s superbly detailed and stunning rendering are further enhanced by the high quality scans of the original art work done specifically for this publication. Also included are interviews with the franchise creators Shōji Kawamori and Kazutaka Miyatake ( in Japanese language ).

(above & below) These veritech fighters that have been fitted with additional missile silos is quite possibly my fav mecha from the entire series.

This is a must have for any self respecting Macross, mecha or fan of Yoshiyuki Takani’s art. At the time of writing this review the book has gone out of stock on Amazon Japan, and I believe it is highly sought after. If you wish to acquire a copy and see the book pop back into stock, don’t wait ! Very highly recommended.

I would also highly recommend Tenjin Hidetaka’s splendid Valkyries art book series.

“Macross Package Art Collection 『超時空要塞マクロス』パッケージアート集 高荷義之” details :

– Dimensions – 29.7 x 21 x 1 cm
– Softcover, 176 pages
– Full color, in Japanese language

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