Macross Zero is very good, but not quite great. The series boasts well fleshed out characters, beautiful art and character design, quality sound and music, interesting storylines, and benefits from a rich universe decades in the making (though watching SDF Macross is unnecessary). It only falls flat at the end, failing to connect its numerous stories and themes in a way that fully satisfies its ambitions. Zero is a story about the unification wars that took place before the completion of the SDF Macross, focusing on one pilot by the name of Shin, a loner with a painful past wrought from the fireof war. When Shin is shot down over a remote island and saved by a primitive tribe, he begins a slow process of self discovery and healing; unfortunately, a team of scientists looking for an ancient artifact crosses paths with this relatively untouched culture and bring the clash of modern nations to their doorstep.

The visuals are stunning: The island is portrayed in a spectrum of natural, vibrant colors - in stark contrast to the flat greys and garish paint applied to all things technological. The sounds capture machinery and remote island very well, the voice actors are superb, and the music has the ability to stir the heart. The characters are fairly well fleshed out, with the exception of completely whiffing on what could've been an insightful look into one of the icons of Macross - Roy Focker, but his character at least stayed true to his keywords. The pieces are all here, but the problem is trying to fit them together.

The themes here are fairly easy to see, and some are fascinating. Technology against nature, faith against science, corruption of innocence, the cycle of hatred and many more...all are interesting in their own way, but unfortunately there are scattered among too many storylines. The show would've benefited from cutting out a few unnecessary pieces and going deeper into fewer subjects.

Overall, Macross Zero was an interesting, heartfelt adventure that kept me glued to the screen, devouring episode after episode. The characters felt real and I cared for each of them, deeply for a select few. Had the show let its characters grow naturally to the end and make their own decisions instead of being uncharacteristically heavy handed, this show would've been amazing and a few steps up from where it is. Alas, here we are.