There's no denying that the Japanese animation industry has been in a slump lately. As a result, recent mainstream interest  in the medium has been less than enthusiastic. The generation that grew up with Gundam Wing and Sailor Moon has become disillusioned with the mindless moe filler and substandard shonen drivel that have been clogging up the airwaves for the last few years. To be frank, you guys are losing fans fast, and you need an exciting new series to re-captivate their attention. Macross Frontier is that series.

Why would Frontier be a perfect fit for the States? Simply put, it's a show that can easily attract a mainstream audience. Its story takes place on both an epic galactic scale and an intimate personal one. Whether you're male or female, Frontier has something for you: action, comedy, drama, romance, galaxy-spanning space battles... this show has it all. Hell, it even has pop idols, voluptuous alien elves and friggin' space fighter planes that transform into robots. If that doesn't spell mass-market appeal, I don't know what does.

Of course, one of Frontier's most outstanding elements is its music. Everybody loves to rave about Haruhi and K-On!'s tunes, but they can't hold a candle to all the great Jpop that Frontier provides. The songs are so catchy, they'll stay stuck in your head for days after you finish watching the series. Of course, all this pales in comparison to the show's instrumental soundtrack, composed by the legendary Yoko Kanno. Her music, full of raw passion and emotion, is enough to bring even the most cold-hearted otaku to tears.

Whoops, I just broke the hyperbole meter. I guess I'll have to tone it down a bit. In any case, you get the point. Macross Frontier has some absolutely kick-ass music.

Look, anime company executives, I know that dealing with Harmony Gold is a hassle. Their skirmish with IGN proved that they can be mind-numbingly anal about their copyrights. Nevertheless, I know that there's a company out there big enough to go head-to-head with Harmony and secure the license to Frontier (I'm looking at you, FUNimation). Just think of the possibilities... you could give it the royal treatment, with a great dub, then sell it to Cartoon Network as the centerpiece of a resurrected Toonami block. Back it with a few other great shows (such as Bakemonogatari), and you could spark an American TV anime revival; one that would win back old fans, and create a whole new generation of young ones. Then all you have to do is sit back and count all the cash from the merchandising and soundtrack sales. Sound good?

Okay, so maybe it's a crazy, incredibly far-fetched idea... but I can dream, can't I?

Yack Deculture!