Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles

Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles is the 2006 animated sequel to the 1985 Robotech television series. It was released on DVD on February 6, 2007.

At Anime Expo 2004, Harmony Gold USA revealed that Robotech: Shadow Force was in production to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Robotech in 2005. The name of the new story arc was soon changed to Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, and the film was completed on January 27, 2006. This project was initially met with skepticism from the fan community, due to Harmony Gold's spotty track record of completing Robotech sequels and spin-offs in past decades. The first teaser trailer debuted at Anime Expo 2005. An official trailer was later released on The Shadow Chronicles website during the NATPE conference, a broadcast industry trade show. Harmony Gold held a number of film festival showings in 2006, but FUNimation delayed the theatrical and Region 1 DVD release until January 5 and February 6, 2007, respectively.

Story and development
The storyline is a direct continuation from the 85th (and final) episode of the original Robotech television series, and the first third of the movie runs concurrently with the events at the end of the TV series &mdash; albeit from different points of view. The plot revolves around the Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF)'s final battle with the Invid on Earth, and the fallout from the events of that battle. An old enemy of the Invid is making its presence known, and is determined to wipe out all Protoculture users, including humanity. The production is a mixture of 2D animation and cel-shaded CG mecha animation.

Though the involvement of original Japanese studio Tatsunoko Productions appeared to be limited to early development, the actual digital production of animation was handled by the Korean animation company DR Movie, whose credits include subcontracting on the inbetweens, ink and paint of Macross Plus, and the inbetweens of Yukikaze. Co-director Tommy Yune said in a Newtype USA interview (republished on the official Robotech website) that the producers "consulted extensively" with Kenji Terada, a writer on Southern Cross and Mospeada (two of the three series adapted into the 1985 Robotech series).

DC Comics' Wildstorm label released Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles, a comic prequel series bridging the end of the aborted Sentinels storyline with The Shadow Chronicles. Each of the issues features a "behind-the-scenes" article about the new animation production.

The main characters in the film include Vince Grant, Dr. Jean Grant, Marcus Rush, Maia Sterling, Scott Bernard, Ariel, Janice Em, Louie Nicols, Alex Romero and General Reinhardt. Rick Hunter is seen briefly at the beginning of the movie at an advanced age.

Plot
The Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF) fleet gathers for its final attempt to drive the alien Invid from the Earth. Several previous attempts by elements of the Mars division have been made, but failed. This time, the REF has important technological advantages in the new Shadow technology and Synchro-cannons. All available REF forces have been gathered for the assault but even with their new technology and ships, the greater numbers of the Invid mean that the attack, even if successful, will likely result in very heavy losses. Resistance forces on Earth, now aided by REF Commando units secretly dispatched in advance, are prepared to launch a simultaneous ground assault against Reflex Point while the Invid's main forces engage the REF fleet. If both of these attacks fail, then the REF has prepared the devastating Neutron-S missiles as a last resort to wipe out the primary Invid hive at Reflex Point, although this will also wipe out most or all of life on earth.

Among the REF fighter pilots are Maia Sterling, Marcus Rush and Alex Romero, all of whom were born in space during the REF mission and have never seen Earth. Lieutenant Commander Maia Sterling, a daughter of Max Sterling and Miriya Parina Sterling, has just been given command of the famed Skull Squadron. Marcus and Alex, both lieutenants, are part of Wolf Squadron under the command of Captain Daryl Taylor. When Marcus first sees Maia, he finds himself attracted to her but only manages a bungled pass. Marcus, whose sister Marlene was killed in a previous REF assault on Earth two-years earlier, harbors a deep hatred of the Invid.

General Gunther Reinhardt, acting commander of the REF forces, sends Vince Grant, captain of the Icarus, one of the REF's five newly-complited Shimakaze-class battlecruisers, on a rescue mission to look for the SDF-3 and Admiral Rick Hunter, chief military commander of all REF forces. In its last transmission to the REF, it seems that the SDF-3 was involved in an accident of some kind.

Meanwhile, all available REF forces have assembled near Moon Base ALUCE. This force assembled includes four Shimakaze battlecruisers, 40+ Ikazuchi-class carriers, 200+ Garfish light cruisers, and thousands of VFA-6 Alpha and VFB-9 Beta fighters, which are armed with more powerful weapons and can carry larger quantities of missiles than earlier models. This REF force was built with assistance of the Sentinel races. While the Karbarrans provided the industrial resources to construct these new ships, the highly-advanced cybernetic race known as the Haydonites have provided advanced shadow technology and weaponry. In particular, the Haydonites have provided the Shadow devices, which make REF ships invisible to Invid sensors, and Syncro-cannons, which are significantly more powerful then the REF's earlier weapons. This force is led by the newly completed SDF-4 Izumo, a Super Dimensional Fortress over 1.3 km (0.8 miles) long which serves as General Reinhardt's flagship.

Despite the disadvantage of not having the SDF-3 and its powerful arsenal, General Reinhardt is forced to begin the attack. The assault initially goes well as the REF. Capital Ships of the fleet fire their massive Syncro-Cannons, which destroy many Invid Carriers before they can launch their fighters. REF fighter squadrons, utilizing the shadow technology that makes them invisible to the Invid sensors, easily cripple the first wave of the Invid attack. On the ground, the resistance forces and REF commando units push forward and approach striking distance of Reflex Point.

However, the Invid Regis, obsessed with holding on to Earth no matter the cost, launches all of her remaining forces in one final attack wave. All Invid fighters capable of space combat are sent against the REF fleet and all remaining Invid ground forces are ordered to retreat to Reflex Point for a last stand. When Reinhardt tries to get an update from the ground forces, he makes contact with resistance leader Scott Bernard, a survivor of one of the previous failed REF assaults. Scott informs Reinhardt that the attack is going poorly and that the REF ground forces have been forced to halt their advance while still out of range of Reflex Point. Ending the communication, Scott meets with Ariel, an Invid that looks like a young human woman, and Scott's love interest. Ariel hopes to convince her mother, the Invid Regis, that the humans and the Invid can live in peace. However, the Regis is skeptical of Ariel's words as she recognizes the Humans' new Shadow technology as something used by an ancient enemy of the Invid &mdash; the "Children of the Shadow", and remains determined to fight to the bitter end.

In space, REF fighter squadrons, despite their technological advantages, become overwhelmed by sheer Invid numbers and begin taking heavy losses, and Invid fighters begin punching through the frontlines of the fleet and attacking the REF captial ships, further straining the ability of the REF to continue the battle. General Reinhardt is informed that the fleet, in particular the fighter squadrons, are taking heavy losses and further attempts to contact the ground forces get no response. Meanwhile, more Invid Carriers arrive in orbit, and begin launching thousands more fighters against the already overwhelmed REF fleet. Reinhardt, realizing that the REF is hopelessly outnumbered on both the ground and in space, decides he has no choice but to use the Neutron-S missiles and orders their launch, but is unaware of the missiles true power. However, the Regis' daughter Ariel finally convinces her mother to leave Earth rather than allow both races to be destroyed. This request, combined with the Regis' knowledge of the true power of the Neutron-S missiles, convinces the Regis that her race no longer belongs on Earth. She realizes that the REF has been fooled - if the REF had known how powerful the missiles were, they never would have used them. The Regis transforms the Invid race into a massive phoenix of pure energy, in the same manner by which the Invid first arrived on Earth, and ascends into the sky. As a parting gift to Ariel, who choses to remain behind, the Regis destroys the Neutron-S missiles. The Invid stream of light flies off into space in search for a new planet on which to continue their evolution, ending the Third Robotech War is over.

Meanwhile, in the Omicron sector, the Icarus arrives and locates the SDF-3 near a brand-new black hole. The Icarus barely escapes the massive gravational pull of the black hole - although the Icarus escapes, all of its shadow technology, including the shadow device and its syncro-cannon are now offline. A sensor scan then reveals that both the SDF-3 and the science vessel Deukalion, have been badly damaged by an accident involving the testing of the new Neutron-S missiles. Captain Vince Grant makes contact with Admiral Rick Hunter, who explains that they have discovered a critical flaw with the Neutron-S missiles and that the REF must be warned that the missiles cannot be used on Earth under any circumstances. He also orders Grant to take the Deukalion, which has recorded critical information. After securing the Deukalion with the Icarus clamps, Grant moves the Icarus close to the SDF-3 so that its fold-sphere will encompass both ships and enable them to return to Earth. However, a group of unknown alien warships attack the Icarus. Just as the they are about to initiate the fold-sphere, one of the alien vessels rams the SDF-3, pushing it out of range of the sphere and toward the black hole. Grant, following Hunter's orders that the REF must be warned about the true nature of the missiles, engages the Icarus fold drive and races back to Earth. The SDF-3 is left behind, adrift in space and caught in the black hole's gravatational pull.

With the battle over, the REF begins evacuating wounded personnel and damaged ships to Space Station Liberty for recovery and repairs. Since Earth will be vulnerable while the REF rebuilds, the fighter squadrons will remain at Moon Base ALUCE. However, the Invid took all of the Protoculture with them and the REF only has enough power to last a little less than a year. The only way to generate more power is with the Protoculture Matrix onboard the SDF-3. Due to the heavy losses (including the death of Wolf Squadron commander Daryl Taylor), Wolf Squadron, home of Marcus Rush and Alex Romero, is folded into Maia Sterling's Skull Squadron. Marcus is still attracted to Maia, but largely dismisses the possibility, since Maia is now his superior officer (although he attempts another bungled pass).

Back on Earth, Scott is surprised to find that Ariel has stayed behind. Despite his feelings for her, Scott decides to leave and try and convince the REF leadership that humanity can co-exist with the Invid. As he flies to the main REF base at Moon Base ALUCE (Advanced LUnar Chemical Engineering), he stumbles upon the just-arrived Icarus, and the enemy fighters that it accidentally brought with it. He helps the Icarus against the fighters, and then escorts it to ALUCE. Once there, he is reunited with Marcus, who is the younger brother of Scott's late fiancée, Marlene who was killed in the previous REF assault two years earlier. Marcus is overjoyed to see Scott again, and Scott is impressed that Marcus has become a skilled fighter pilot. However, Marcus' joy at seeing Scott again is soon tempered when Scott confirms that Marlene did not survive.

The Deukalion is examined, and the only surviving crew member is Janice Em, an android that uses a holographic overlay that makes her look like a young woman. Louie Nichols, a scientist and veteran of the Second Robotech War, takes Janice to the science lab, and the two go over the test data to try and figure out what went wrong with the missile test. While there, Louie learns from Janice that the new REF technologies &mdash; Shadow technology, Synchro-cannons, and the Neutron-S missiles &mdash; were partly the result of aid from an advanced alien race known as the Haydonites. The Haydonites aided the REF because they'd also suffered greatly at the hands of the Invid. Janice herself is a combination of Human and Haydonite technology, built to act as a emissary for the two races, as the Haydonites prefer not to deal with outsiders directly (as established in the prelude comic, only the most senior members of the REF are even aware of the Haydonites existence). Louie, who is somewhat distracted by Janice, later goes to the Officers' Club with her and Maia.

Scott, Alex, and Marcus are already there, and Scott is silently disturbed by Marcus's hatred for the Invid. Ariel, after using her teleportation power to travel to ALUUC, suddenly walks up behind Scott, and surprises him. He introduces her as a friend from Earth before hurrying off with her. Questions about his abrupt departure are put on hold, as Janice gets on stage and demonstrates her ability as a singer with the Minmei song, "It's You." The three men watch in fascination, until a visibly-annoyed Maia tells Marcus that Janice isn't his type (which suggests that Maia may be interested in Marcus, despite his previously bungled passes).

In an empty room, Ariel informs Scott that the reason she came to see him was because she had a vision. The Children of the Shadow are planning on attacking the REF. The Children destroyed the first Invid homeworld because they fear the power of Protoculture, and they will attack the Humans for the same reason. The discussion is interrupted by Marcus and Alex, and Marcus realizes that Ariel is an Invid. Scott is arrested and interrogated. During the interrogation, he warns of the impending attack, and reveals the Children's connection to the new REF technologies. Reinhardt and Vince watch on a monitor in another room. But the name Scott uses for the alien race is unfamiliar. Reinhardt also suspects that the warning is an attempt by the Invid to drive a wedge between the REF and the Haydonites.

But during the interrogation, contact is lost with Space Station Liberty. Louie analyzes the transmission data, and realizes that the race that attacked the SDF-3 is jamming communications. Vince is ordered to head to Liberty and determine the situation there. Vince takes Scott and Ariel with him. Also attached to the Icarus are Janice and Skull Squadron.

When the Icarus arrives, Liberty is under attack by a large fleet of alien ships which have jammed all communications. The battle is going poorly for the REF; Numerous ships are destroyed with just one hit by a disrupter wave emitted by the enemy fleet which causes the new Synchro-cannons to overload and explode. Instead of charging into the battle, Vince sends Skull Squadron to collect information. While flying through the REF fleet, Skull Squadron records an REF carrier destroyed due to a single hit on its reflex furnace. Scans reveal that the shadow device on the carrier caused its reflex furnace to implode when triggered by the enemy's disrupter wave. Janice sees the footage, and realizes that such an event should be impossible, due to the Shadow technology incorporated in all REF vessels. It then becomes clear to everyone that the Haydonites are really the mysterious Children of the Shadow, and that Ariel's warning was true. By now, 89% of the REF forces that engaged the Haydonites at Liberty have been destroyed. Captain Vince Grant, after watching the carrier explode, slams his fist as he realizes that every piece of technology the Haydonites have given to the REF contains some kind of Trojan Horse. Grant, suspecting that Janice may also be aligned with the Haydonites, orders her arrested and removed from the bridge. Unable to restore communications, Grant is unable to warn the remaining ships of these findings, and they are left to fight a hopeless battle.

Maia Sterling initially leads her Skull Squadron into battle, but is called back by Grant since the Haydonite-supplied Syncro-Cannons equipped on the fighters will make any engagement futile. Unable to fight back, the squadron is ordered is ordered to head to Liberty, and acquire fighters that don't incorporate Haydonite technology. As they approach Liberty, the squadron is pursued by Haydonite fighters. Alex Romero tries to engage them but his syncro-cannon, crippled by the Haydonite attack, malfunctions and his fighter becomes stalled. Despite the pleas of Maia and Marcus for Alex to eject, he flies into the enemy squadron as his fighter explodes, destroying himself and the enemy fighters. Maia is visibly upset by Alex's sacrifice while Marcus, who was Alex's best friend, is completely devastated.

Realizing that the Icarus, which is equipped with Shadow technology, is no longer a viable ship, Vince orders the Icarus to dock with Space Station Liberty. He then tells Louie to scan Liberty's ship registry for capital ships that have no shadow technology. Louie finds only one capital ship on Liberty that has no Haydonite technologies installed &mdash; the colony ship Ark Angel. However, its reflex furnace is offline. Vince orders the evacuation of all station personnel to the Ark Angel, and gives Louie one hour to get the ship's inactive reflex furnace online. Ariel uses her teleportation power to assist in the evacuation after transporting Louie and his team immediately to the Ark Angel. In the meantime, Skull Squadron has located brand-new prototype Advanced Shadow Fighters that haven't had the Shadow technology installed yet, and Maia promises to buy time for the evacuation.

As Janice is taken to a detention area, two Haydonite soldiers in combat Mecha blast into the hallway and confront her. One of the soldiers disembarks from his mecha and Janice demands to know why she was not told of the hidden weaknesses in the technology she gave to the REF. The Haydonite soldier tells her that she was provided only with what was needed to carry out their plan and demands to know where the remaining protoculture matrix (on the SDF-3) is located. Janice refuses to cooperate and the soldier, deciding she is now expendable, prepares to kill her. Just then, Scott Bernard appears in combat armor and opens fire, destroying one of the mecha. The remaining soldier removes his cloak, revealling the true form of the Haydonites. As it flyes toward Scott, Grant also in combat mecha, appears and opens fire, crippling it. As the soldier's body, bleeding green fluids, lies on the floor, it tells Grant that "all those who embrace protoculture are doomed" before dying, to which Grant replies "Not today." Realizing that Janice was also betrayed by the Haydonites (who now want her dead), Grant asks her to continue to serve with the REF, to which Janice readily agrees.

Scott and Vince board Cyclones, and prepare to head into the space station. Liberty has the remaining stockpile of Neutron-S missiles, and Vince sets one to self-destruct. The Ark Angel is able to depart as planned, with the Icarus following closely. The Haydonites, unaware of the Grant's plan, move their fleet towards Liberty to destroy the Ark Angel as Skull Squadron continues to engage the Haydonite fighters. During the battle, Maia's fighter takes damage and she is forced to eject. Marcus uses his fighters' robotic hands to grab Maia's ejection pod and throw it towards the Ark Angel as it prepares to enter a spacefold. Marcus, deciding he has nothing left to live for, holds down his weapon triggers and launches a suicide run against the Haydonites to hold them off long enough for Ark Angel to escape. The Ark Angel then initiates a spacefold. The Neutron-S warheads detonate with a massive explosion, destroying Liberty and the entire Haydonite fleet.

Marcus sees a while light and has a vision of his sister Marlene, who tells him it is not his time to die and that she will always be with him. Marcus begs her not to leave him, before he wakes up onboard the Ark Angel, with Ariel by his side. Ariel then reveals that she used her teleportation power to save him. Marcus, almost angrily, asks Ariel why she saved his life, since he has only hatred for the Invid. Ariel simply tells him "hatred can only breed more hatred. It is not what we seek... any of us" and Marcus is left at a loss for words.

As the Ark Angel approaches Earth, Maia and Marcus console each other over the recent events. Marcus is despondent as he states that everyone he has been close to; his sister Marlene, his former commanding officer (Daryl Taylor) and his best friend (Alex Romero) have been taken by war. Maia is also despondent as she states that most of her family was aboard the SDF-3, which is lost in space and may have been destroyed. Maia puts her head on Marcus' shoulder and the two look out a viewport as the Ark Angel flies over Earth's surface, which neither of them has seen until now.

Back on Moon Base ALUCE, General Reinhardt gives Vince his new orders. Vince and his crew, including Janice, Louie, Scott, Ariel, Maia, Marcus and the other new personnel from the last mission, are to take the Ark Angel and attempt to locate the SDF-3, which may not have been destroyed as initially thought. As the Ark Angel prepares to leave on its new mission, Scott and Ariel share a kiss and Louie reassures a confused and uncertain Janice that, "We will win."

Theatrical
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles premiered at the Cannes Film Market on May 22, 2006 in the Grey One Theatre to an audience of distribution representatives. A number of independent film festivals screened the film during the summer and fall. It was awarded Best Animated Sci-Fi Feature at the International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival, although it was the first and only animated film ever shown in this Arizonan festival's three-year history.

Home video
Harmony Gold and Funimation Entertainment released Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles on DVD on February 6, 2007. A 2-disc collector's edition with additional features was announced by FUNimation at Anime Expo 2007 and released on DVD November 20, 2007. The Blu-ray version was released on September 4, 2008.

Madman Entertainment in Australia was the first international distributor to license and release Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles. The film was released on Region 4 DVD on March 14, 2007.

Revelation Films released the film in the United Kingdom on July 23, 2007.

Guangdong Qianhe Audio & Video released the single-disc Standard Edition in the People's Republic of China on August 20, 2007 and the 2-disc Collector's Edition on May 1, 2008.

Cast
According to IMDb, a number of the original voice actors reprised their roles for characters such as Scott Bernard, Rick Hunter, Vince Grant, Sparks, and the Invid Regis alongside well-known actors such as Mark Hamill (Star Wars) and Chase Masterson (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). Still, certain other returning original voice actors voiced different characters.


 * Richard Epcar - Vince Grant (originally voiced Ben Dixon and Lunk from Robotech. Reprising his role from Robotech II: The Sentinels)
 * Eddie Frierson - Louie Nichols (originally voiced Lynn Kyle in Robotech)
 * Mark Hamill - Commander Darryl Taylor, Wolf Squadron Leader; Haydonite leader
 * Alexandra Kenworthy - The Regis (Reprising her role from Robotech and Robotech II: The Sentinels)
 * Yuri Lowenthal - Marcus Rush
 * Melanie MacQueen - Marlene Rush (Originally voiced Lisa Hayes from Robotech, also reprising her role from Robotech)
 * Chase Masterson - Janice
 * Edie Mirman - Maia Sterling (originally voiced Miriya Parina Sterling and Nova Satori from Robotech), Commander of Skull Squadron
 * Iona Morris - Jean Grant (originally voiced Claudia Grant from Robotech)
 * Tony Oliver - Admiral Rick Hunter (Reprising his role from Robotech and Robotech II: The Sentinels)
 * Arthur Santiago - Alex Romero
 * Greg Snegoff - Scott Bernard (Reprising his role from Robotech)
 * Michael Sorich - Sparks (Reprising his role from Robotech)
 * Kari Wahlgren - Ariel (character previously voiced by Melanie MacQueen in Robotech)
 * Dan Woren - General Reinhardt (originally voiced Roy Fokker from Robotech)

Music
The musical score was composed by Scott Glasgow, and was recorded with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. However, budgetary issues resulted in synthesized elements being mixed into a number of the cues, particularly four of the tracks in the film, and one of the tracks on the soundtrack CD ("Dogfight"). Chase Masterson sang the parts for her robotic character Janice. Melissa Kaplan, the lead singer of the band Universal Hall Pass, vocalized some of the background music.

Continuity with the Original Series
There are a number of fan service references that link Shadow Chronicles to the 1985 series, such as:
 * Rick Hunter appears in the film at a more advanced age.
 * Louie Nichols, who served under Dana Sterling during the Robotech Masters series, is now chief engineer of the Icarus. He is the only character from the second series to appear in the film.
 * Karen Penn was seen in Robotech II: The Sentinels, where she was a 17-year-old cadet and test-pilot who was assigned to the REF mission. In the film, she seems to appear as a very senior REF officer in command of her own carrier (although there is no confirmation that the two are the same person). She is seen at a briefing near the beginning of the film, and later as the commander of the REF force that attempts to engage the Haydonites. It is unclear whether she survives the Haydonite assault on Liberty.
 * Several characters hum, whistle, or occasionally sing Lynn Minmei songs during the movie.
 * Most of the recurring characters from the 1985 series are dubbed by their original voice actors.
 * Two minor characters from the final episode of the 1985 series, Sparks, and the originally unnamed SDF-4 Izumo commander, have expanded roles in the movie. The commander is named General Reinhardt for the first time onscreen, and is voiced by Dan Woren, who portrayed Roy Fokker in the original Macross Saga episodes. He was first mentioned in the novels.
 * Moon Base ALUCE and Space Station Liberty, which appeared in the Robotech Masters saga, is seen in the film.
 * Several design elements from the 'New Generation' saga, including the Alpha and Beta fighter planes, Cyclone motorcycles, and Invid carriers and fighters, are reproduced with a high degree of accuracy. Scott rides the same Cyclone he rode in the 1985 series.
 * Much of the Regess' dialogue from the first third of the movie is very similar to that in the final episode of the 1985 series.
 * Maia Sterling is the other daughter of Max and Miriya Sterling. Dana Sterling had a brief psychic vision of Maia (who was then unnamed) in the final episode of the Robotech Masters segment of the 1985 series.
 * Dr. Emil Lang is briefly mentioned, but not seen except in a deleted scene, and the comic series Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles.
 * Variations of Ulpio Minucci's theme music from the 1985 series appear prominently in the soundtrack, albeit in significantly different arrangements.
 * The Haydonites are a race featured in the Sentinels novelizations and the decanonized novel The End of the Circle.
 * The ships Icarus and Deukalion were most likely named in homage to the Daedelus and Prometheus from the Macross Saga. In Greek Mythology, Icarus and Deucalion are the sons of Daedelus and Prometheus respectively.

Apparent Contradictions with the Original Series
There are some apparent contradictions on the movie, which can be easily explained.


 * In Dark Finale and Symphony of Light, all six members of Scott's team of freedom fighters, as well as three humanoid Invid, were involved. In this theatrical version, the events shown exclude Rand, Rook, Lancer, Lunk, Annie, Corg, and Sera. While this appears to be a contradiction, in actuality it is not. Scott and Ariel separate from the group during "Dark Finale." During the early part of "Symphony Of Light," the rest of the group leaves the hive, and then Ariel returns to continue her discussion with the Invid Regis. While the time frames appear to be the same, this is, in fact, incorrect.
 * In the movie, Scott refers to Marlene by her Invid name, Ariel, rather than her human form's name, Marlene. This is explained briefly when they meet before she enters the hive. He first calls her Ariel in front of Marlene's brother, Marcus, who would recognize that she was not the real Marlene Rush.
 * The 1985 series implied that the Invid destroyed a portion of the Robotech liberation fleet during their hasty exodus, with a scene of destroyed ships. In the movie, no Human ship is seen destroyed. However, some fans have speculated that the ships might have been destroyed off-screen.
 * In the Masters saga, Space Station Liberty was believed to be located very close to Earth (the decanonized Jack McKinney Robotech Novel Southern Cross (Book 7 of the series) states that Liberty orbits at the "Lagrange Five holding place, out near Luna." However, the television series only stated that Liberty was a counter part of Moon Base ALUCE, without specifying its distance from Earth. In the film, it is stated that Liberty is located in deep space.
 * Ariel joins Lunk and Annie after the battle of Reflex Point; these characters are not shown in the movie. However, her reunion with Lunk and Annie is implied by a camera shot from the movie where Lunk's truck is shown near Ariel before her vision of the attack on Space Station Liberty.
 * In the movie, the SDF-4 and the four Shimakaze battlecruisers attacking the Invid during the Reflex Point battle in space are equipped with Synchro-cannons, something that was not shown in the original series. These ships were in the third attack group, which was not in the main battle until later. The battle scenes in the 1985 series were more focused on the front-line ships, which used conventional weaponry.
 * In the animated Sentinels footage, Janice was created by Dr. Lang before the SDF-3 and the REF left Earth. In The Shadow Chronicles, Janice II is the second body of that original Janice, created with Robotech and Haydonite technology. According to the Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles comic series, her original body from the The Sentinels is destroyed although some of her data is transferred before this occurs) and is replaced with the Haydonite/Terran-hybrid robot.
 * When the Icarus is first attacked by Haydonite battleships in the Omicron Sector, no one can identify the ship as being Haydonite. The Haydonites were one of the five Sentinel races, but Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles makes it clear that many members of the REF don't even know about them, at the Haydonites' request.
 * The "General Reinhardt" briefly mentioned during the Southern Cross saga now seems to be the "Commander Reinhardt" named in the Sentinels animation. The Sentinels Reinhardt was a bald, older gentleman with a chinstrap beard. While the original script refers to this Sentinels Reinhardt as "Commander Adams," in the Art of the Shadow Chronicles book, it has been decided to keep the Sentinels Reinhardt as "Adam Reinhardt" &mdash; the father of The Shadow Chronicles' General Reinhardt. While a first name is not given for the junior General Reinhardt in The Shadow Chronicles, it is often assumed to be "Gunther," as that name was used previously used for the Reinhardt character.
 * There are claims that the Beta fighter is ignored as a standalone mecha. As examples: The portable Synchro-cannon is attached to the Beta, and when it doesn't work, Alex doesn't try to ditch his Beta. Additionally, when Marcus is hit after rescuing Maia, he does not abandon the Beta to continue with only his Alpha.  However, these claims ignore the fact that much of the thrust from the Alpha-Beta combination comes from the Beta fighter, and it's unlikely that the Alpha would have had sufficient thrust to outrun the explosion of Alex's Synchro-cannon, or that Marcus's Alpha alone would have been able to evade the high-speed Haydonite fighters.
 * In the Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles comics, it is hinted at that a new protoculture matrix had been created on Tirol to fuel the REF mission back to Earth. However, in a previous comic series, we are shown Dana and the 15th sneaking away from Earth, during the Invid Invasion, with the Matrix and taking it to the REF in deep space. The fault almost certainly lies with the comic, as the destruction of the protoculture matrix was the specific intent of Zor Prime in destroying the last of the Masters' vessels over the site of the old SDF-1; the REF matrix is best understood to be an independent creation, and can be explained in a manner analogous to the McKinney novels (i.e. Rem, the other surviving Zor clone, created it for the REF).
 * Another contradiction is that the film states that the Haydonites destroyed Optera, the Invid homeworld. In the novels, Optera was defoliated by the Robotech Masters, and this is 'fundamental' to the entire storyline of Robotech. In the show, the Regis explained that the Invid were forced to flee twice, possibly implying that both the Haydonites and the Robotech Masters had each destroyed an Invid homeworld on separate attacks. However, this would apparently place the Haydonites as having technology and numbers similar to the Robotech Masters, who at the height of their empire could call upon millions of Zentraedi warships; if the Haydonites had even a small percentage of this force, they would have been at little risk from the depleted forces of the Invid Regent during the Sentinels saga, nor would the REF be in any position to resist their forces after (or even before) battling the Invid over Reflex Point. While fans have spectulated that the Haydonite civilization suffered a catastrophic disaster (or perhaps was decimated by the Robotech Masters in a similar manner as the Invid), no evidence has been provided to support either theory.

Contradictions with the Original Series
The movie does contain a number of distinct contradictions with the original series.


 * All REF hand and mecha weapons are portrayed as projectile weapons in the Shadow Chronicles. While this may fit with various technical data used in the role-playing games and other non-canon material, both the standard-issue REF handgun and the rifle used by the REF Alpha fighter are clearly depicted as energy weapons in the series.


 * In the movie, it states that Scott Bernard is well aware of a squadron of Shadow Fighters coming to assist with the assault on Reflex Point. Although, in the 1985 series, it clearly shows Scott Bernard attacking several Shadow Fighters as he, Lancer, Sera, and Ariel escape the Invid hive.


 * According to the Collector's Edition DVD of Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, the staffers deliberately revamped the design of the Neutron-S missiles from its original streamlined version to a more "chiseled" look to appear more "menacing."


 * At the end of Symphony of Light, Reinhardt orders "all of our Neutron-S missiles" ready for an attack on Reflex Point. In Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, however, a number of these missiles remain in reserve on Space Station Liberty. The order could have easily referred to all of the Neutron-S missiles available to the fleet, rather than in existence altogether.  However, this would make neither strategic nor tactical sense, since at that point in the conflict there was no value in holding anything in reserve (i.e. defeat was a serious possibility, and there would be no further REF fleets coming).


 * When Vince Grant and Scott Bernard enter the secure areas of Space Station Liberty, Vince is subject to a retinal scan which displays his identification. The age given on the display indicates that he is in his mid-thirties. All previous Sentinels material indicated that Vince was approximately the same age as Rick Hunter. The Art of Shadow Chronicles book corrects this discrepancy by placing Vince in his fifties. The RPG sourcebook also explains Vince's relatively youthful appearance by stating that he dyes his hair.


 * The Collector's Edition DVD also referred to the returning fleet's flagship as the SDF-4 Liberator, when the original television series referred to the flagship as the SDF-4 Izumo.


 * The REF suffers catastrophic losses throughout the battle in Symphony of Light, which is the reason for Reinhardt ordering the desperate launch of the Neutron-S missiles in the first place; shortly before giving that order, he observes that at the rate things are going, they will be able to hold out against the Invid for "a few hours." However, in Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, at least a majority (and possibly a large majority) of the REF fleet survives the battle.

REF's Losses and Remaining Strength
Dialogue states that at least 89% of the REF ships at Liberty when the Haydonites attacked were destroyed. However, it is left unstated what percentage of the REF's remaining strength these losses comprised. Some fans have suggested that these losses constituted nearly all (or a large majority) of the REF remaining ships, pointing out that:


 * By the time of the launch of the Neutron-S missiles' launch in Symphony of Light, Attack Group Two has already been virtually annihilated, and Attack Group Three has taken sufficient losses that General Reinhardt muses that at their current rate of loss, the REF would only be able to hold out against the Invid for "a few hours;"
 * Invid forces numbered literally in the millions, while REF forces could only possibly have massed tens of thousands even under the best of circumstances (given human biology, the timeline, and losses up to that point);
 * It took the Invid during their initial attack on Earth only a short time to destroy all significant resistance, which even given the conclusion of the Second Robotech War must necessarily have been substantial given the resources of an entire planet; and
 * The Neutron-S missiles were to be used only if defeat seemed imminent.

Other fans disagree with this conclusion, and point out that:
 * The Invid invasion of Earth in 2031 should not be used as a benchmark for the Battle of Reflex Point becuase:
 * Severe damage to Earth's military and economic infrastructure due to the Second Robotech War;
 * Political and military fragmentation (and even open combat) among the Earth's population;
 * Few military units were even combat capable when the invasion began due to deserations and lack of coordination; and
 * With most of Earth's advanced weapons either destroyed or inoperable, the resistance was effectively limited to pre-SDF-1 technology, which consisted only of mostly 20th conventional ordinance and a small supply of nuclear weapons.
 * The Invid's forces initial attack wave consisted of approximately 40 Carriers, each carrying 450 fighters, for a total of 18,000 (although several carriers are destroyed by the REF's Synco-cannons before their fighters can be launched), a number nowhere near the millions that have been suggested. In addition, the Invid fighters weaponary was inferior to that of the new REF fighters. Finally, the Invid had no capital ships (other than the carriers which had no weapons of their own); in constrast the REF had at least 40 large captial ships and hundreds of light crusiers, which likely gave the REF a significant advantage.
 * It has been suggested that Reinhardt, after realizing that the REF is hopelessly outnumbered, ordered the Neutron-S missiles to be launched earlier than the original plan (i.e. imminent destruction) called for, in order to prevent the further loss of REF lives in a battle that was clearly hopeless.
 * General Reinhardt stated that only the ships damaged in the battle with the Invid were diverted to Liberty for repairs (although it could also be assumed that most of the REF's capital ships required repairs after the battle);
 * Some of the damaged ships might either not yet arrived at Liberty, or had already had their repairs completed and had thus departed, at the time of the Haydonite attack; and
 * The prequel comic Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles quotes Admiral Hunter as stating that "all available" REF forces would take part in the Battle of Reflex Point without accounting for what percentage of the REF's total strength this amounted to.

While there is no doubt among fans the REF suffered heavy losses in both the Battle of Reflex Point and the subsequent battle with the Haydonites at Liberty, the exact or approximate remaining strength of the REF is difficult to determine. Some fans have suggested that the losses and remaining strength of the REF have been kept deliberately vague by the film's creators in order to avoid limiting options for future plot threads in any sequels.

Reception
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles has received mixed reception from fans and critics. Justin Sevakis of the Anime News Network gave it an overall rating of C-, commenting that while the movie had good music, it suffered from mediocre animation, a cliché story and a host of forgettable characters. Slop Reilly of Ain't It Cool News gave it a 1 out of 5 stars, citing a poor screenplay, weak character development and unnatural character design and animation.

On the positive side, Tasha Robinson of the Sci Fi Channel's Sci Fi Weekly gave it a B, while Jeffrey Kauffman of DVDTalk recommended it.

Sequel Information

 * On February 27, 2007 at the New York Comic Con, Shadow Chronicles director Tommy Yune said, "Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles has been doing good business at retail, and we are currently in production on the sequel."
 * Later that same day, Yune mentioned that the sequel will be a feature movie.
 * The title of the sequel has been revealed as Robotech: Shadow Rising, and the film was expected to be released within two years of the time of the announcement, earliest.  However subsequent announcements in mid-2008 have made it clear that little-or-no progress has been made on the film, and it has been indefinitely postponed, pending developments with the live-action film.
 * It was later revealed that the two year estimate was a misunderstanding, by fans. While the two year date was stated, by Tommy Yune, to be possible, it was never intended to be an actual release date. However, fans erroneously took it to be an actual release date. Subsequently, this caused a great deal of confusion within the Robotech fan base. Later, fans were further confused when another member of HG's staff stated the "animation was on hiatus." Many fans took that to mean the show had been postponed, when this was not the case. HG later corrected this misunderstandings by appearing on Space Station Liberty, a Talk Show Call In Live Pod Cast dedicated to Robotech. HG's staff explained the error with the "estimated release date". HG also explained that "hiatus" was an industry term meant to say that the animation was on hold while other parts of the production process caught up to it. In this case, scripting, story boarding, and other parts of the production process are continuing. However, as the animation has gotten ahead of the rest of production, the animators have nothing to animate until they get the next bit of the story from HG's staff writers. At this point in time, no firm release date has ever been given for "Robotech: The Shadow Rising," but an estimated release date was reported to be forth coming..
 * At Anime Expo 2009, Kevin McKeever and Tommy Yune confimed that Robotech: Shadow Rising has been put off indefinitely since Warner Brothers is now actively developing a big-budget Robotech feature film. Akiva Goldsman (Starsky & Hutch), (Mr. & Mrs. Smith), (I Am Legend), and Jason Netter (Wanted) have been hired as producers and Tobey Maguire is also attached to the film. Several screenwriters, including Lawrence Kasdan, Alfred Gough, and Miles Millar, have also joined the project. Details about the plot of the movie are still very limited, but conceptually, it will likely be a "re-imagining", rather than a story that is a direct sequel or prequel, or one that is set at some point within Robotech's established chronology.