LiamGray

Macross 7 is heralded as the red-headed stepchild of the Macross Franchise because the main character plays a guitar in space and fights demons and space elves in a giant transforming robot.

However, this is more about a lack of ability to appreciate the series in all its complexity, and hardly a fair condemnation.

Macross 7 is quite intelligent, and although the musical numbers can become quite grating if you watch all 50 episodes back to back, if you space them out than you'll infinitely more appreciate the series.

Macross is an intelligent series about culture, the birth of civilisation, and spirituality. Basara's ability to channel animus is a refrence to the Hindi culture, and is a product of him being the chosen one (essentially Space Jesus). Its a story about ideals, finding one's place in the universe, and the self, and has a lot going on for it.

If you're the type of person who appreciates symbolism, cultural study, and pop-rock between your giant robots blowing shit up... than Macross 7 is for you. Its also the series that explains what the Protoculture was and lays out the mythology of the Macross Universe.