The Decutlure Wiki's Canon Policy is the standard that contributors must follow with regards to what is considered "canon" (sources of information accepted as the official interpretation) on this Web site. It is not intended to suggest that other sources are inherently invalid or untrue—merely that they are inappropriate in the context of the scope and goals of this wiki.
Summary[]
For the purposes of this wiki, the "primary canon" can be considered anything seen or heard in the official anime-based Macross media, whilst official novels and manga can be considered "secondary canon." The reason for the distinction is that the different forms of media are often contradictory and/or contain different accounts of events, and from a practical standpoint there are two reasons for preferring the anime over the others:
- Manga and Japanese novels have a much smaller audience amongst English speakers (the target demographic of this site) than anime. Given the very niche quality of Macross print-matieral in general outside of Japan, it makes sense to focus our efforts on the media that will interest the greatest number of people.
- Related to the above, English translations of the novels and manga are much harder (if not impossible, in some cases) to obtain, and since the (current) primary contributors to this site do not have novel-level Japanese skills, it would be difficult to maintain a wiki based on media that is only available in another language.
Primary sources[]
The following anime works are considered sources of primary canon:
- Super Dimensional Fortress Macross
- Macross Plus
- Macross Seven
- Macross Zero
- Macross Frontier
Anything seen or heard in these media is considered valid canon material and can be included in the main body of any "in-universe" article (see below) where appropriate. Conversely, any information in the main body of an "in-universe" article must be taken from the anime. Anything else should go in a separate manga, novel, or "Background information" section.
It may go without saying, but one exception to the above is that opening and ending titles, credits, background music, and subtitles are not considered to have actually "occurred" within the events of the anime; they are simply for our (the viewers') benefit. Additionally, changes in animation style/quality and voice actors are not intended to be canon events and should be ignored in "in-universe" writing.
Secondary sources[]
The following animated and printed works are considered sources of secondary canon due to the contradictory nature of included material. Information from the following sources should only be accepted if it does not contradict anything from a primary source.
- SDF Macross: Do You Remember Love?
- Macross Frontier: The False Songstress
- Macross Frontier Novels
Anything visible (written or drawn) in these media is considered valid secondary canon material, and can be included only in separate sections below the main body of the article. Do not mix information from the novels/manga in with information from the anime.
Non-canon sources[]
The following sources are considered non-canon:
- Production material not seen or heard in the final work (scripts, storyboards, sketches, cut or unused scenes/cels/music)
- Interviews with cast or crew
- "Making of" videos and documentaries
- Licensed reference works
- Licensed video games
- Licensed sound tracks
- Licensed models or toys of Macross vehicles
- Macross II OVA series
Information from these sources can be used in articles, but they should only appear in "meta" articles (such as articles about the series itself) or in the "Apocrypha" or "Background information" sections of "in-universe" articles. Usage of these sources within "in-universe" articles should be limited to interesting facts relevant to the topic at hand or to data that fills in gaps of understanding (such as vessel dimensions or character motivations that are only confirmed by outside sources).
Invalid sources[]
The following sources are considered invalid for all purposes:
- Fan fiction of any kind (including individual fan-made ships, characters, etc.)
- Fan-made video games (including mods)
- Fan-made models and drawings
- Fan sites or publications containing speculation or original research not confirmed by cast or crew
- Reviews (whether amateur or professional)
Information from these sources should not be used in any capacity in articles on this wiki, nor should they be linked to or even referred to.