Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross

native name	超時空騎団サザンクロス
genre	Adventure, mecha, military science fiction
creator	Tatsunoko Big West Advertising
director	Yasuo Hasegawa
voices	Michie Tomizawa Kumiko Mizukura Mika Doi
producer	Masanori Nakano Akira Inoue
executive producer	Kenji Yoshida
story	Jinzō Toriumi
screenplay	Jinzō Toriumi Kenji Terada Tomoko Kawasaki Masanori Hama
music	Ken Satō Yuji Dan
company	Tatsunoko
open theme	"Hoshi no Déjà Vu" by Yoko Katori
end theme	"Yakusoku" by Yoko Katori
network	JNN (MBS, TBS)
first aired	April 15, 1984
last aired	September 30, 1984
country	Japan
language	Japanese
num episodes	23
related	Super Dimension Robotech

Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross (超時空騎団サザンクロス) is a Japanese science fiction mecha anime TV series released in 1984, as the third of the Super Dimension series. It was adapted as "The Masters Saga" or the "Second Generation" of the American TV series Robotech.

Plot

In the year 2020,[1][2][3] humanity has left the Solar System and started the colonization of other planets. One of the farthest colonies is located on the terraformed planet Glorie. The powerful army of the Southern Cross protects the colonists there from any unknown dangers. However, unbeknownst to the humans, Glorie is also the ancestral home of the Zor, a highly advanced race of nomadic humanoid aliens who have returned to reclaim their world.

Characters

Southern Cross Army

The military organization (referred to as the Southern Cross Army) is under the jurisdiction of its prime minister. The units are divided among the Surface (land/sea) Forces and the Aerospace Forces.

The Surface Forces consist of:

The Aerospace Forces consist of:

There are also security forces and the Glorie Military Police (G.M.P.), which are independent but still directly affiliated with Supreme General Headquarters. Headquarters are located in every major city.

Each unit has a specialized robotic vehicle for combat campaigns. Among them are:

A.T.A.C. - the Alpha Tactics Armored Corps,

C.D.U. - the Cities Defense Unit, and

T.C. - the Tactics Corps and its specialized subdivisions:

RE.P. - the Reconnoitering Party,

CO.S. - the Cold Squad,

DE.S. - the Desert Squad,

MO.S. - the Mountains Squad,

FO.S. - the Forest Squad,

MA.S. - the Marsh Squad, and

NA.D. - the Navy Division.

T.A.F. - the Tactics Air Force,

T.S.C. - the Tactics Space Corps,

C.D.F.C. - the Cities Defense Flying Corps, and

T.A.S.C. - the Tactics Armored Space Corps.

ATAC-01-SCA Spartas: A one-man transformable hit-and-run vehicle used exclusively by the Alpha Tactics Armored Corps (A.T.A.C.). Each Spartas has the ability to transform into 3 modes: Sniping Clapper (a high-speed hovercraft), Walker Cannon (a GERWALK-like artillery emplacement which actually cannot walk but can make rocket-assisted jumps), and Battle Sniper (a humanoid robot form). Models differ depending on the rank of the individual and are upgraded throughout the conflict. By the time that the Auroran is introduced, the Spartas has been remodeled for effective space combat.

TASC-01-SCF Logan: The Logan is a transformable aerial assault mecha used exclusively by the Tactics Armored Space Corps (T.A.S.C.). The mecha has two modes: Flying Cat (fighter) mode for high-speed aerial combat and Flying Walker (humanoid) mode which is suited for near ground assaults. The fighter has the ability to cover great distances but performs poorly in space and is consistently outfought by Bioroids in all early engagements of the war.

TASC-02-SCF Auroran: The Auroran was a late development during the war, that was constructed to replace the Logan. It has the capability to transform into three different modes: Crusader (fighter), Cross Fighter (heavy combat helicopter), and Cosmo Sniper (humanoid). Though the new Cosmo Sniper mode was specifically designed to deal with the Zor Bioroid threat, the Auroran proves only moderately successful, since its debut coincides closely with an improved model of bioroid.

TAF Sylphide: The Sylphide is a fighter used by the Tactics Air Force. This fighter can also be distinguished by a center tail as well as vertical surfaces mounted in the middle of each wing. The weaponry of the Sylphide includes two guns in the fuselage, two guns mounted on a ventral pod and four missile hardpoints (two on the outside of either lower engine nacelle).

GMP Garm: The Southern Cross Glorie Military Police uses this mecha fielded exclusively for it. The unit is capable of identifying personnel and recording evidence in investigations. Its systems have access to the military legal code to assist in determining if the law has been broken.

Bioroids

Like the troops of the Southern Cross, the Zor rely on large humanoid mecha to spearhead military operations. The Zor mecha, called "bioroids", are considerably more advanced than their Southern Cross counterparts, based on a symbiotic interface that conveys the thoughts of the operator directly to the mecha. Because of this interface, Bioroids are effectively "alive", with the pilots acting as their "brains"; this increases the response promptness and makes their movements much more agile that those of the Southern Cross mecha. At the same time, there appears to be no pain-receptor feedback to the pilot, as bioroids are unaffected by direct hits unless the cockpit itself is damaged.

In addition to mentally centered control, bioroids have access to an array of weapons, including both advanced projectile and sustained-beam weapons held in one hand. Typical engagements also find the bioroids riding anti-gravity hovercraft equipped with their own strafing weapons, and it appears that the hovercraft can be summoned to their riders remotely.

Since the Zor are not a race suited for combat, they abduct personnel from the armies of the Southern Cross and Liberté forces, brainwash them, and use them as "biohuman" pilots for the bioroids. Southern Cross troops adapt slowly to the tactical imbalance they have versus bioroid forces but become ensnared as they start to gain ground in combat by the psychological deterrent of knowing that they are fighting their own kind. Even late in the war, Southern Cross troops demonstrate conflicting emotions over advances in weaponry, knowing that increases in their own kill rates paradoxically still mean greater death for humanity as a whole.

During the time of the conflict, many variations of the Bioroid are implemented by the Zor in order to adapt to the ever-changing battle conditions experienced on the field. The final version of the Bioroid embodies the Zor's own triplet model of operation, with each triple set representing thought, action, and reaction.

Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross

Plot

Characters

Main characters

Other characters

Main characters

Other characters

Background

Southern Cross Army

Personal armor

Zor

Bioroids

Episode list

Production

Home video

Staff

Reception

External links

References