Chris responds:
Honestly, I don't think that Gurren-Lagann is the kind of series that needs technical explanations like Gundam does. Given that the Gunmen are literally powered by hot blood and determination, I don't think it's really necessary to look for more technical details about power sources beyond what the series has already stated. As for fleet-sized Grapals, I don't have access to the episodes to check, but the ones in the later portion of that final battle certainly seemed large.

Chris responds:
1. No, I wouldn't consider making a section to cover original Robotech productions like Sentinels and Shadow Chronicles. There are several reasons. One is that we like to review franchises in context. We've got all of Gundam covered, so you can read up on all aspects of the Universal Century, Cosmic Era, etc. But Robotech has a long continuity, and reviewing Sentinels and Shadow Chronicles are just two small pieces of a very large puzzle. In addition, we stick to the view that the anime we cover should primarily be created by Japanese staff for a Japanese audience. Robotech productions don't fit that criteria.

2. Well, apparently enough people liked Shadow Chronicles (or at least bought enough) that Harmony Gold is working on a sequel. I thought it was average at best, and the plot was full of holes and cliched characters. There's a lot of stuff not covered that was relegated to the prequel comic, so if you straight from the end of Robotech into Shadow Chronicles, you're in for a lot of confusion.

3. No, it's not something I'd ever do. Most anime review sites (and most review sites in general) don't list alternate angles. To read other perspectives, that's what forums are for. Perhaps we could have a thread were someone could post alternate views of things reviewed here. If people are reviewing things for MAHQ, I'd rather they cover new shows and expand our series offerings, rather than just treading the same ground I've already covered.

4. I heard unsubstantiated rumors about it years ago, so I doubt if the project ever really even existed. The only way to find out for sure is to ask Tomino the next time he comes to America. However, when it comes to projects from years ago, I've noticed he has a habit of saying he doesn't remember much about them. So maybe it did exist, and it's possible he may not give a straight, definitive answer.

Chris responds:
About ten years ago, I wrote a short Star Trek: Voyager fanfic for the hell of it. It was rather fun because I killed most of the cast. The actual story itself is long lost, and I don't even really remember what it was called. That's the only time I've ever entered the fanfic world, and I've never designed a custom mecha or a franken.

Chris responds:
1. I can't give a complete answer to this, because I've never built any SD kits. The simplicity of SD kits compared to regular ones might be market perception. Just from a cursory examination, they seem like they're targeted more toward casual fans than dedicated, hardcore Gunpla builders. They're also cheaper than regular kits, so cutting costs to create a cheap product could be a reason.

2. I highly doubt it. From what I recall in skimming through the manga, it seemed to be page-for-page pretty much identical to the OVA. Given that, I don't think I'd waste any time reviewing it.

3. I doubt the show's reputation would have any impact on whether it's released in America. Now that we're ten years away from the show's cancellation, the series has had a bit of a turnaround in popularity in Japan, with things such as the unexpected success of the Under the Moonlight manga, the Gundam X GFF release, and the inclusion of Gundam X mecha in the video game Another Century's Episode 3. Given that, I don't know what to expect in America. It's been obvious for years that the glory day of Gundam in 2000 are long over. Bandai Entertainment was quoted back in those days as saying it's a matter of when, not if, when it came to Gundam releases. We see that's not the case. They never released the second season of SD Gundam Force here, which got very low ratings in Japan. Bandai Entertainment did recently grab the DESTINY Special Editions and the FINAL PLUS episodes, but that's just an extension of stuff they've already released. They didn't even license a small release like STARGAZER. On the other hand, you've got Bandai Visual releasing MS IGLOO, but I think that's more to do with their habit of releasing short OVA series than any desire to release Gundam. I would expect Gundam 00 to be licensed sometime next year, but for now, I don't hold much hope for the remaining four TV series.