In the next century, a reconfiguring ship (think "Transformer" with a pilot) called Macross carries fifty thousand refugees within its hold as it returns to Earth pursued by giant humanoid warriors. A young pilot in the military named Hikaru rescues his idol, the beautiful singer Lynn Minmay, from the giants as they break through the ship's hull during a concert-during which the giants are shocked to see females on a male vessel-and they are trapped for days in an aft hold of the ship. After their rescue, Hikaru and Minmay continue on good terms until a joyride in a fighter trainer gets Hikaru, his squadron leader, Minmay's brother, Minmay herself and the tough female operations controller captured by the giants, who grill them on how males and females can survive together without fighting. The giants' female counterparts arrive to wreak havoc on their male foes, and in the ensuing confusion Minmay and her brother are detained while the others make an escape that costs squadron leader...