So, Macross Frontier has finally ended. Or has it? I have no idea. But what I do know is that the final episode is the most blatant 24 minutes of fan service I have ever seen, and that’s including that Gundam SEED Destiny episode where Lacus bares it all. Bravo Satelight! This is a new benchmark for all future human endeavours.

I don’t know what to say, really. Episode 25 has brought Macross Frontier to a completely different realm of existence from the unwashed masses of mere anime. It’s not a matter of entertainment value or literary merits; the show is simply in its own plane of being, beyond the limits of mortal comprehension.

Certainly, it’s not a very good episode if we consider the criteria used to judge regular story endings; in fact it’s a pretty bad one. I mean, who but the intellectual Hercules among us could’ve imagined that things would get spectacularly blown up and the day would be saved? But let’s put the predictable cop-out ending aside and appreciate the greatness of ultimate fan gratification.

Hey, that’s Mao Nome the ex-loli at the back!

Satelight really went all out with the homages for this episode. We have Earth’s Macross City, the good old Macross Attack (still as illogical as ever), and everyone’s favourite idol Lynn Minmay, whose classical character design makes her look like a different species from the rest. The only thing that can triumph this potent combination in tearing at the heartstrings of Macross fanboys is an actual sequel to the original series.

Macross Attack: because only humanoid mecha can shoot missiles

I am almost positive that every single piece of music composed for Macross Frontier is used in episode 25. Sheryl and Ranka diligently cover each of their trademark songs —so different in style from one another— in a chaotic cacophony worthy of at least five dozen Grammys. My feeble mind almost explodificated in the process, but it was worth it. I can now die happily knowing that I have experienced the entire human condition distilled into 10 minutes of seizure-inducing musical extravaganza.

Seriously though, what the hell?

That said, in spite of my cynical exterior, deep down I am just a vulnerable fanboy. I tried to steel my resolve against the onslaught of cheap fan baits, but Maaya‘s rendition of “AIMO” and the duet performance of “Triangler” at the end of the episode took me by surprise and totally melted my heart. Damn you Sunrise Satelight!

Macross F has suddenly become a yuri series

The ending itself is of course a bit of a letdown. The villains are defeated rather unceremoniously and most of the episode is spent on the familiar formula of “give airtime to everyone who shows up on popularity rankings”.

The crux of the story, the love triangle on which everything rests, is left unresolved. I blame this on the modern anime industry’s “let’s not upset the fans” mentality. The original Macross pulled it off without having to resort to a cop-out, so this is rather disappointing. It’s like when Ozma failed to die and went on to survive the rest of the series as a pointless character.

Apparently a movie release is in the works for Macross Frontier. I hope it’s a love comedy about how Alto and Sheryl get married and Ranka falls into a state of alcoholism, but chances are it’s about some other giant robot that Alto has to go blow up with his infinite supply of missiles.

Still, there is hope.

Macross Frontier has become one of the few joys left in my life, that and Team Fortress 2. Exams are just around the corner and I don’t have time to do much else. How I miss the carefree days of WoWing away the weekends. Anyway, the new OP/ED single is finally here! It’s awesome! And episode 20 was awesome too! Diamond Crevasse has received a sentimental power up. Sheryl is back. <3

Also, lyrics transliteration/translation for Lion and Northern Cross are up.

P.S. Tony Taka’s C74 release “Nanto Iu Deculture!” is a Macross F release. It’s a bit Ranka-heavy due to his preference for lolis, but the art is really nice. I can’t show you the rest of it because this blog is self-rated NC-16.

Episode 16 of Macross Frontier gets a new ending theme Northern Cross performed by May Nakabayashi. It’s a really beautiful song written to fit Sheryl’s image. YouTube video and my rough guesstimation of the song lyrics after the jump.

The song is awesome and really powerful. It foretells the second rise of Sheryl Nome who shall overcome the unwashed masses’ paedophilic preference for young green-haired loli klutz and retake her rightful place as the star of the show. XD

It will be out on 20th August as the B-side of the new OP single, “Lion”. Even if you are a Ranka fanboy—shame on you Omo—you shouldn’t miss this wonderful CD! I can’t wait to listen to the new opening theme too. (Although Maaya is still much loved.)

The first pressings are all sold out, but you still can preorder the regular version from CD Japan or Amazon. Of course, I already have my first press copy preordered some time ago. :)

Driven by my obsession with Sheryl Nome and my curiosity in Macross lore, I embarked on a journey of discovery to watch every single Macross series ever. Weeks later, I’m not yet at the goal, (*cough* Macross 7 *cough*) but I have seen enough to speak about my otaku trip.

It is a story of excitement and expectations, boredom and disappointments, and most importantly, a story of love.

The discovery that most surprised me was just how little Macross lore there is. Compared to the well-milked Gundam universe, Macross barely has any continuity between individual series, and the links between spin-offs/sequels to the original are vague at best.

My only prior contact with Macross pre-Frontier was Macross Zero. I read enough to know that it was a prequel to the original, but that was about it. I thought it was a decent OVA series at the time, and along the way it gave me the impression that my ignorance of the franchise was causing me to miss out on a rich background story in a well-established fictional universe. It turns out that this is not entirely true…

Super Dimensional Fortress Macross

The original Macross is definitely the best in the franchise, barring a possible future upstaging by Frontier. Like most anime titles of its era, including the fanboy favourite Mobile Suit Gundam, the original Super Dimensional Fortress Macross suffers from bad pacing, awkward dialogues and weird directing. There are times when the characters behave pointedly out-of-character, and there are often unnecessary pauses in the dialogue that interrupt an emotional exchange. But the series makes up for all that with its sheer awesomeness, a sense of epic grandeur, and a decent mastery of emotive storytelling.

Ahh… The 80s

Macross is a pioneering work in the genre of mecha-moé hybrid, the fusion of testosterone-fuelled variable fighter combat with the pop idol music of Lynn Minmay. It is undeniably far from perfect, limited by the technology of its time, particularly in terms of achieving harmony between the on-screen animations and the accompanying music. The movie Do You Remember Love? improves on the original concept with upgraded animation and better rhythm synchronization, but the experience is still nowhere close to the immersion level of Frontier‘s musical battle scenes.

The 80s with a larger budget

Still, despite its imperfections, Macross is definitely the most enjoyable and engrossing mecha musical I’ve watched since RahXephon. The plot-heavy storytelling works well in establishing the characters without having to do so blatantly. It annoys me when anime titles have clearly-demarcated “character development” episodes which are really just glorified fillers. The only real problems I have with the story are the underdevelopment of the subplot between Max and Milia, and sudden character deaths that do not achieve any purpose.

Off-topic: What’s with Minmay’s name? She’s supposedly Chinese, but no one romanizes Chinese like that. It should be Lin Mingmei… >_<

Kyuun Kyuun

And as awesome as Sheryl’s songs are in Frontier, Minmay’s Watashi no Kare wa Pilot and Ai Oboeteimasuka are simply magical in the way they have come to embody the spirit of the story. I also love Silver Moon Red Moon. <3

The rest of it

The original Macross is awesome. That said, I would be lying if I said that the rest of it is just as good. Remember what I said about the lack of lore? Well, there are a few sequels and spin-offs, notably Macross II, Macross Plus, Macross 7 and Macross Zero. The problem is that they mostly suck and, with the exception of Zero, generally contribute nothing to the overall Macross universe.

The only reason why I finished watching the thing

Macross II: Lovers, Again is ostensibly an OVA sequel set 80 years after the original series. Unfortunately, the story makes a good dentist, in the sense that it’s done before you even feel anything. The execution is one huge yawn and there’s nothing about the series that feels Macross. The appearance of SDF-1 is about the only thing that justifies having “Macross” in the title at all. It is barely watchable.

Macross Plus is a short OVA series set a few years before Macross 7. Similar to Macross II, it’s a story that can easily exist independently of the Macross universe and, once again, the appearance of SDF-1 is the only link to the original. However, the story and execution does fare better than Macross II and at the very least the series is enjoyable and has music by Yoko Kanno. It would’ve been a lot better if Sharon Apple actually sang anything at all.

“Why am I stuck in this piece of crap?”

Macross 7, as far as I can tell, is a handful of monkey feces that was violently flung into the collective faces of Macross fans everywhere. Among the titles listed here, this series is probably the only one that can be considered a direct sequel to the original, which only worsens the insult. To top it off, it is also the longest series in the entire franchise at 49 episodes long. I just can’t bring myself to continue watching this crap. Someone tell me if it’s worth the effort… I really want to find out more about Max and Milia, but Basara is putting me off.

Considering the poor quality of its successors, it’s quite an amazing feat that the popularity of the original Macross managed to survive to this day to justify the celebration of its 25th anniversary with a new series. The entire Macross franchise appears to be nothing but uninspired subpar works leeching off the success of the original. It is truly a miracle that we are able to enjoy the delicious love triangle that is Macross Frontier today, instead of a second Macross 7.

Conclusion

1. Do watch the original Super Dimensional Fortress Macross. It’s awesome.
2. Do watch the Do You Remember Love? movie. It’s good enough for fanboying purposes.
3. Do watch Macross Zero. It’s interesting background story.
4. Do watch Macross Frontier. Why aren’t you watching it already?
5. Do not touch any of the other titles. They are a waste of time.
6. Misa is hawt. <3 I wonder what happened to her Megaroad-01? This is why Macross lore fails.

In episode 10 of Macross Frontier, Ranka and Alto take part in a movie production based on the legendary story of Shin Kudou, Sara Nome and Mao Nome and the events surrounding them that took place over half a century ago on Earth, leading up to the beginning of the first human-alien war.

Here are some comparisons between the adaptation and the original story as told in Macross Zero.

Spoilers ahead.

Format

[ Macross Frontier ]
[ Macross Zero ]
Weak attempts at humour

First meeting

Shin Kudou is a downed UN F-14 pilot who wakes up to find himself in a Mayan island surrounded by villagers who all miraculously speak perfect Japanese. Sara is the village’s priestess and Mao is her sister.

Fifty years later: The dude in the background aged gracefully

Shin wasn’t such a wimpy noob

Sara was way hotter than that bimbo

Mayan mating ritual

She’s admiring his piece

Episode 10 saved billions by reusing all the backgrounds

Mao did not receive as much focus… :(

The Bird Human

The Mayan’s oral tradition speaks of Bird Humans who came down to Earth in ancient times and gave birth to mankind. It turns out that this legend is to be a key component in the war between the United Nations and the Anti-UN, and eventually that between mankind and the Zentradi giants.

Mao > Ranka

I swear I didn’t just post the same picture twice…

Shin > Alto

The final goodbye

The descendants of the Bird Humans possess in their genes a special affinity with nature and alien technology, and their powers can be channelled and manifested through songs.

It’s the exact same footage

A perfection re-enactment…

Poor Mao never got the respect she deserved (though I prefer Sara)

Lazy animators

Or shall I say, reanimators? (That was awful)

The verdict

While Ranka’s AIMO is a pretty good song, I still prefer Sara’s ARKAN. It has a more mythical feel.

Also, Ranka seems to be related to Mao Nome in some way (granddaughter?), judging by Ozma’s reaction in episode 10. Now consider the fact that Sheryl shares her last name with the Nome siblings, perhaps Ranka and Sheryl are in fact related.

And oh, I warned you about spoilers didn’t I?

Awesome

I’m looking forward to more self-referential cost-saving footages in future Macross Frontier episodes. It’s a pity that episode 11 will only air on 19th June.

I hereby declare Macross Frontier OST 1 to be the animé soundtrack of the year, and all upcoming titles for the remaining half of the year shall have to live in shame knowing that they will never live up to the greatness that is this collection of pure awesome. It’s so good that I translated half the songs on it already.

Frontier

As you may or may not know after all my constant fanboying, Macross Frontier’s soundtrack is composed by Yoko Kanno, known overseas for her works in Cowboy Bebop.

The main vocal locomotives in the show are May Nakabayashi (May’n), who provides the singing voice of everyone’s favourite galactic fairy Sheryl Nome (<3), and Megumi Nakajima, a debut seiyuu who also sings quite beautifully.

Interesting facts: They are both the same age as me, and Megumi Nakajima (中島愛) is NOT read as Ai Nakajima.

The OST contains all the songs that appear in the series so far, as of episode 9. (Edit: Except Ranka’s Miss Macross song apparently. Forgot about that.) Going against industry convention, both the ending and opening themes are included in full in the OST. Then again, most shows don’t make music such a central part of their story dynamics. Some of my favourite songs from the OST:

Infinity
インフィニティ
by May’n

This is probably my favourite song in the series so far. It totally blew my mind the first time Sheryl performed it in episode 7. (Though the choice of costume leaves much to be desired.)

Iteza ☆ Gogo Kuji Don’t be late
射手座☆午後九æ‚Don’t be late
by May’n

This is the “wow” moment in episode 1. It’s pretty good too. That said, I still can’t figure out what the first part of the title (Sagittarius ☆ 9pm. Don’t be late ) is supposed to mean. Is Sagittarius the meeting place? A bunch of stars light years apart sure is a huge ass volume of space to find someone in…

Diamond Crevasse
ダイアモンド クレバス
by May’n

This is the ending theme. So good. T.T

Triangler
トライアングラー
by Maaya Sakamoto

This is the opening theme. Maaya-sama! XD (I scare myself sometimes.) And I’m pertty sure the title is “Triangler” and not “Triangular”, however nonsensical it may be English-wise. It’s even spelt that way on the CD cover.

Aimo
アイモ
by Megumi Nakajima

This song, along with Ranka, will probably end up saving the universe or something. I can’t say for sure since I don’t speak many languages, but I think most of the lyrics are in Yoko Kanno’s (aka Gabriela Robin) trademark gibberish.

What ’bout my star?
by May’n

This song has actually been performed by both Sheryl and Ranka in the series, but I prefer Sheryl’s version. I haven’t translated this one yet.

And many, many more! (i.e. I’m lazy.)

Macross Frontier’s music is just amazing.
Do buy the OST if you can. (Amazon JP | CDJapan)

Why does watching Macross Frontier bring a warm and fuzzy feeling to my heart? Perhaps it’s the draw of its wonderful soundtrack composed by Yoko Kanno, or is it the oscillating love triangle between Alto, Sheryl and Ranka? The storytelling is altogether compelling and the seamless blending of audio and visual effects bring highlight to every episode, each one an unique and exhilarating ride to satisfaction. It’s difficult to pinpoint just what Macross F has done right, but the use of music as a central plot device is without a doubt a vital part of its magic.

Macross Frontier looks set to be the show of the year. Go watch it if you haven’t. It’s simply deculture. (Zentradian for “unbelievable”.)

P.S. The primary motivation for this post is my sudden urge to fanboy over Sheryl after having watched episode 5. Sheryl <3

Oh my god! It’s finally here! The Holy Grail! The first song that Maaya and her former mentor Yoko Kanno have worked together on in almost half a decade!

Triangler is the first opening song for Macross Frontier. Lyrics translation and fanboying after the break.

Kanji | Printable

This song is a marked return to Yoko Kanno’s faster pace. The lyrics, credited to Gabriela Robin (one of Yoko’s pseudonyms), is quite noticeably different from Maaya’s other recent songs. While most songs in general are clear and elaborate in their messages, Yoko’s lyrics tend to be highly condensed and open to (mis)interpretations, which makes translation difficult.

The prevalent grammar contractions present quite an obfuscated challenge, and the systematic omission of overt pronouns in Japanese certainly doesn’t help either. Hopefully I got the crucial meanings right… Do comment.

I hope this song is a sign of more to come, because Maaya and Yoko are just meant to be. As a Maaya fanboy holding IDS membership, I approve of this release. That said, my favourite Maaya songs are still the ones from her Nikopachi singles collection.

And oh yeah, I think Macross Frontier is great too.

You can purchase the single from Amazon or CDJapan. First press is sold out though. (I have one of them.)

Triangular will be the OP theme to Macross Frontier, which is due to be aired in April this year. This marks the first time in almost half a decade that the two of them are working together. Maaya’s seiyuu and singing career were jump started by her role as Hitomi Kanzaki in Visions of Escaflowne, with Yoko has her mentor. She also sang the opening song Yakusoku wa Iranai, which is probably one of her better-known works for English speakers, along with Platina from Cardcaptor Sakura and Hemisphere from RahXephon.

I’m a happy fanboy. XD

[ Source: Chara-Ani ]