This was one of the only cartoons I grew up with that was like a real adult show, I mean c'mon people actually died in it . Not like GI Joe when everyone just ejected every time

I'm too young to be part of the generation that grew up on this show but it piqued my curiosity knowing Robotech is a retool of 3 separate Anime shows, so I'm watching both the original Anime (English DUB versions featured here in Hulu) and Robotech back-to-back. I watched the first episode of SDF Macross just before watching this episode now. I have to say, the generation that grew up on this show was lucky! I'd like to point out that I greatly prefer the Robotech voice acting to the SDF Macross English VA, as SDF voice actors sound cheap and uninspired (compared to Robotech). A lot of "iffy" lines are cut or re-scripted for Western audiences, but I don't find the changes overly drastic (as of this first episode). In fact, the young pilot's disdain for war and the military is more apparent in Robotech than the original. The more streamlined script is actually easier to follow and the music is more suitable to the action. So far, I'm liking Robotech more than SDF Macross's English DUB.

All I can say is thank god I grew up with this series and not the cookie cutter factory processed anime of today. Real human characters who act not in a stylistic detached way but a flawed and human way, they can excel to our greatest dreams like Roy Fokker's claims of shooting down 108 planes, or fail like Rick Hunter's fumbling and foolish self confidence at times. If you remember the time we kids of the 1980's had very little of epic stories that had continuity to follow, most shows were meant to sell a toy line not express the joy, beauty, triumph and sadness and loss that a life of a human on planet earth can entail. Robotech comes pretty dang close to surpassing literature, art and film in the attempt and analyzing the human attempt at greatness thru hard times such as war. As this episode begins years after a world war three scenario only ended by an alien crash landing. Yeah, and it has some pretty cool robots too.

Considering the source, this is a pretty good adaption! For it's time...And all the voice actors here are the ones who do stuff now! If this is where they started out from, then it's no wonder why they're so talented.I've already seen the ADV Films ver. of the dub, and while I love that version, this turned out pretty good for being made a LONG time ago!
Kudos to you Carl Macek, and Steve Kramer. And R.I.P Carl...

the lever labeled "B" puts it into configuration b... gotta love the simplicity.