Otakuism

Upgraded nukes.

Honestly I’d be perfectly happy with 25 episodes of massive space battles, badass gay guys piloting HUEG transforming battle ships, crazy 3D graphics that keep blaring warnings, and lines like “THIS IS THE FINAL DEFENSE LINE! MACROSS GUN MAXIMUM POWER! BY SPECIAL EXEMPTION OF THE NEW U.N. CHARTER WE MUST DECLARE ALL OUT WAR! DIE BUGS DIE!”

Now that’s a show.

In actual events it’s too bad Luca’s one moment of badassness ended with him being owned. Hopefully the little guy can properly declare his lust love for Nanase’s boobs next time.

Macross Frontier adds another mystery to its ever growing list with the appearance of the supposedly original SDF-1 Macross on Gallia IV. However, this can’t be possible as the original Macross is supposed to be on Earth, or at least that’s what I’ve been told. My only information on the original Macross comes from Do You Remember Love? and that wasn’t even canon. Kawamori couldn’t make it easy for us and just put Megaroad-1 in there, he has to confuse us even more. It’s not like the Macross Zero references, mysterious alien that looks like AFOS, vajra, Brera, and all the “everything is going according to plan” lines aren’t confusing enough.

My personal theory for this newest mystery is that the Macross featured here is actually some massive replica used in the filming of the DYRL movie, which is why DYRL was the ED song for this episode. Ranka’s version is just as beautiful as Minmei’s, though a little too techno popish, if that makes sense at all. Now this flimsy theory will be completely blown apart if there’s any official material saying that DYRL was nothing more than an in-universe CG extravaganza, but if there’s one thing Macross Frontier fans have to be used to it’s theories proving wrong (except for my theory stating that Brera and Ranka are siblings, cause that just has to be true).

Story:

Set one year before the events of the original SDF Macross, the war between the UN and Anti-UN forces has been raging for a while and tearing the planet apart. Shin Kudo is an apathetic pilot in the UN forces, who is shot down by an odd, transforming aircraft. Landing on the island of Mayan, he is saved by the priestess of the island Sara Nome. Shin meets the people of the island, including Sara’s precocious sister Mao Nome, and begins living a peaceful life with them. However, this all changes when the fighting between the UN and the Anti-UN comes close to the island. Both sides are battling to find the mysterious AFOS, or Birdman, an ancient being of power connected to the equally mysterious Protoculture. Shin must fight again to protect Sara and Mao, while also trying to figure out the mystery of the Birdman, the god of the island that will sing the Song of Destruction when the Kadun of battle comes to the island…

Impressions:

Macross Zero is a five episode OVA series that ostensibly is a prequel to the original Macross, but is really only so much a prequel cause it has Roy Fokker as a main character. The rest of the plot is purely stand alone, and probably has more connections to Macross 7 and Frontier than the original series. The three standby’s of Macross are featured here: love triangle’s, singing, and mecha dogfights. The dogfights are the most similar element to other series, and are also one of the standout elements of this OVA. Aside from Fronter, Zero has some of the best mecha battles I have ever seen in anime. The dogfights are pure savage beauty in motion, a ballet of jets and missiles. The show is worth watching just for the fighting alone.

The love triangle aspect is a bit lacking in Zero. At first it seems obvious, but the larger plot and battles going on quickly push it to the side, and by the end there’s no doubt who Shin has chosen, though his own future is ambiguous. The singing is probably the most radical element of Zero, as there’s no pop at all. Nope, not one idol in sight. Instead, singing is seen as a magical force in the show by the Mayan people, and the songs in the show reflect this, as they’re all beautiful and hauntingly melodious. The effect of the music in the show is perfect, especially in the final, apocalyptic battle. The wholly mystical element of music in the show may drive away some hardcore realistic fans, but in the context of the Zero universe it fits perfectly.

The animation for Zero is also appropriately stunning. This show had money. A realistic tone pervades the series, from the character designs to the landscapes. The views of the island are gorgeous, and especially pay attention to the scene in episode 4 when the jungle comes alive. It’s a wonderfully animated scene showing the fullness and beauty of life. The planes and other mecha are rendered in CG, very similar to Frontier with a little less polish. They work fine, though, and are integrated nicely into the rest of the animation.

Thematically, Zero is probably Shoji Kawamori at his most mystical and environmental. A strong theme of native cultures being poisoned by technology runs throughout the show, which is ironically funny for a sci-fi series. While I don’t think Kawamori is outright condemning technology, there is a strong chiding on the overuse of technology and how humanity has not evolved past warfare, which is similar to the original Macross. The theme is so pervasive I may have to do an actual post just on that. The only negative thing about Zero is that it doesn’t wrap up any of its big plot points. Now, the actual plot of the show and its characters is wrapped up nicely, but big questions - what exactly is the Birdman? what is protoculture? What did aliens do on Earth? - aren’t answered at all, but hopefully they will be in Frontier.

For those watching Frontier now, there’s already a few links between Zero and it. There’s Sara Nome and Sheryl Nome, the physical similarities between the Birdman and Vajra, and a scene in episode 3 that is exactly like the one where the Vajra reacted to Ranka’s singing. So for those just being introduced to Macross now, Zero is another fine series to check out, not only for its connections but for being a strong, wonderfully entertaining show in its own right. Really one of the best OVA’s I’ve seen, and arguably some of the best dogfights ever featured in any art form. It’s only five episodes long, so there’s no excuse for not watching this fine anime.

Voluptuous giantess bombshell…

and fiery tsun-tsun loli? The Zentradi have to be the best species in the universe. They have their priorities straight.

When comparing the broadcast version of Macross Frontier to the deculture edition from earlier, it’s hard to say if either version is superior to the other. I love the way the fight scene is synced with the music in the deculture edition, but the regular version gives some nice characterization with the added concert scenes. Either episode is a fine and solid introduction to Frontier. The one thing that really surprises me about MF is how well it does at creating a whole new world in the future. Few anime truly create a different world from the one we live in, but Macross takes the extra step of imagining the future both as a continuation of the present while keeping in any unpredictable innovation the future brings. It’s the small touches that help, like the ever present advertising and holograms, or the bizarre living cellphone. We can easily recognize these things from the present day, but MF gives them a whole new twist that really makes them seem futuristic and new.

Aside from the setting MF looks to be following the tried and true formula of Macross: love triangle x transforming mecha x aliens = win. Ranka definitely comes out ahead as the favorite girl, especially with that Nyan-Nyan dance. Sheryl is just, well, a bitch who’s really popular. Yeah, I really don’t like her right now. Alto may look bishounen, but he seems to have some pretty badass qualities. Just hope he’s a good pilot. There’s a ton of characters in the OP, so I think we’ll be seeing the world of MF fleshed out a lot more later on. The music, that is key for any macross, is very good, particularly Sheryl’s catchy tunes. The rest of the instrumentals sound good, and I like the one when the veritechs scramble for the first time. The CG is solid and extremely well done. It’s rare to see CG mecha done well, especially transformations, but MF hits it on the nail. The 2D animation jars with the 3D at some points, but it’s mostly smooth. That one friend of Alto’s constant blushing creeps me out, though. MF is doing a great job of getting me pumped for it, and I can’t wait to see what surprises it brings.

Story:

Hikaru Ichijyo is a young hotshot Valkyrie pilot for the fugitive SDF-1 Macross, a massive battleship on the run from its proper owners, the single-minded warrior race of Zentraedi. Hikaru is drawn between the affections of two women: the excitable pop diva Minmay and cold yet beautiful CO Misa Hayase. The three must deal with their fillings amid a galactic war that threatens the survival of the human race.

Impressions:

The extent of my Macross experience is the first episode of Macross Frontier, the first Robotech novels omnibus, and whatever information I get from wiki and /m/. So really the theatrical movie Macross: Do You Remember Love? is my first real macross experience, and what an experience it is. DYRL contains all the elements that supposedly make Macross what it is: transforming fighters, itano circus, love triangles, and catchy jpop. The animation for DYRL is amazing, especially when considering that everything is hand drawn; no effort was spared in the creation of this film. Every machine, person, and scene is filled with amazing detail, whether it be Zentraedi fighters or small recycling bots on the streets. The character designs are unlike anything in anime these days, both recognizable in their art style but filled with the grace and softness of real people. Every time Minmay smiles you can fully understand why she is such a star, or realize Roy’s cocky attitude by his smile.

The action scenes are also great with the trademark barrage of missiles Macross is known for. The final battle between literally millions of ships is just amazing in both its scale and the fact that it never seems too cluttered. I was surprised at how brutal some of the violence was, with severed heads flying and brains exploding. DYRL doesn’t shy away from the harshness of war at all. The central romance of the story - between Hikaru, Minmay, and Misa - was handled well. The development never felt too rushed and you can understand Hikaru’s agonizing decision at the end. There are only two points story wise in DYRL that really hurt it. One is that the movie starts with the viewer thrown into the conflict between the Macross and Zentraedi without any explanation, and only a viewer of the original anime would know why they’re fighting. Second is the handling of Max and Miriya’s relationship, who meet halfway through the movie and disappear after that except for a brief cameo at the end. More really could of been done there.

The soundtrack for the movie is perfect, from the epic OP song that literally gave me shivers to Minmay’s smooth jpop. It’s eighties to the end, but I can still like it. For a movie focused so much around music it’s a good thing that the VA for Minmay can actually sing. A couple of her tracks aren’t that inspiring, but the rest are all good, the best being the title song “Do You Remember Love?” sung during the final battle. DYRL is one of the best anime movies I’ve seen in both its presentation and story. It’s a great introduction for anyone wanting to get into the Macross franchise, and also good for anyone who wants to expand their anime horizons. A perfect example of the kind of work that came out of the eighties.