マクロスF（フロンティア）/ Macross Frontier

Idols & space robots return!

A few days ago in the magical world of Japan, NHK (Japan's national public broadcasting organization) celebrated the "Ultimate Macross Poll", a feast like no other for Macross fans. The celebration included the participation of Macross celebrities, creators (Shoji Kawamori, the God himself) and if you want to know more about it, you can totally open this link were educated people compiled every bit of information and translated it to English right here. Now, what does this have to do with today's entry? EVERYTHING!! マクロスF （フロンティア） was voted as the number 1 all time Macross Animé!

Taking place 47 years (story-wise) after the original series, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Macross Frontier is everything old & new fans can expect from a franchise that has proven time after time, to be larger than life!

New Valkyries!

New idols!

Background

Macross Frontier is the twelfth installment (yes, twelfth!)* in the space opera franchise, with Macross Zero being the previous OVA series and Macross Delta being the latest entry in the saga to date.

The macross chronology (not including Manga, novels, video-games and musicals) is as follows:

1. Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982)
2. Macross: Do You Remember Love? (1984)
3. Macross: Flashback 2012 (1987)
4. Macross II: Lovers Again (1992)
5. Macross Plus (1994)
6. Macross 7 (1994)
7. Macross Plus Movie Edition (1995)
8. Macross 7 The Movie: The Galaxy Is Calling Me! (1995)
9. Macross 7: Encore (1995)
10. Macross Dynamite 7 (1997)
11. Macross Zero (2002)
12. Macross Frontier (2007)
13. Macross Frontier The Movie: The False Songstress (2009)
14. Macross Frontier: The Wings Of Good-Bye (2011)
15. Macross FB 7: Ore No Uta O Kike! (2012)
16. Macross Delta (2016)

*While Macross F is the 12th official release in the franchise, it's the actual third Macross series, so in terms of story continuity it'd be the direct sequel of the Macross 7 series made in 1994.

Written and directed by Shoji Kawamori & Yasuhito Kikushi, the third full series entry in the popular Macross franchise, which aired in Japan from April 3, 2008 to September 24, 2008. The series began airing during Macross' 25th anniversary and has proven immensely popular (its Blu-ray release was the single best selling HD release in the entire Japanese marketplace in 2008, and one of its soundtracks sold as many in its first week as a Neon Genesis Evangelion soundtrack - a decade-old record). It even spawned two movies.
 

Zentradi boobs.

Very large micronian boobs.

The story is set in 2059 aboard (and in the space surrounding) the titular Macross Frontier, one of the many colonization fleets heading from Earth towards the centre of the galaxy in search of a new home to settle. However, Frontier's mission is suddenly disrupted when it comes under attack from a bug-like alien race known as the "Vajra".
 

There are three main characters: Alto Saotome, an ex-kabuki actor turned pilot who feels oppressed by the domed skies of Macross Frontier but also an obligation to protect them; Ranka Lee, a spunky young girl with a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder and a dream of becoming an Idol Singer; and Sheryl Nome, a popular and headstrong Idol Singer from the neighbouring Macross Galaxy fleet who is known as "The Galactic Fairy".

Friends will be friends.

Brunch, Macross style!

The stories of these three intertwine amidst the Vajra attacks on the Macross Frontier, slowly revealing dark conspiracies that seem destined to determine which direction mankind will move forward into the stars.

A movie version was announced at the airing of the last episode of the series. It was initially expected that it would largely be a clip show of the series with some new scenes, similar to Macross Plus, but as the project developed it eventually became more of an Alternate Continuity retelling that was split into two movies. The first, The False Songstress, was released in November 2009 and covers the range of episodes 1-7 in the series, including numerous new and altered scenes as well as several new songs. Some scenes were altered quite drastically. For instance, Sheryl Nome's fall during her first concert in episode one was caused by Alto accidentally knocking her off during a stunt, while in The Movie she jumps off the stage by her own free will. The second movie, The Wings of Goodbye, was released on February 26, 2011 which resolves the Love Triangle that has hounded the show since the first episode.

With the release of the TV series, several PSP and PS3 games were released consisting of Ace, Ultimate and Triangle Frontier. Trial and Last Frontier were bundled with the two movies when they released to the public, and a PS3 crossover game (done in the style of the PSP games), Macross 30: The Voice that Connects the Galaxy was released in February 2013. A few mangas/light novels/drama CDs were also released, contributing to the storyline of the show.

The Macross 7 crossover movie, Macross FB7: Listen to My Song!, premiered October 20, 2012 and is set in the middle of the TV series.

Sheryl Nome and her hope & dreams.

You must feel the music flow.

Due to a current legal dispute over the distribution rights of the Macross franchise, involving Studio Nue and Big West against Harmony Gold, much of the Macross merchandise post 1999, including Macross Frontier, has not received an international release. However, there are still ways to get your hands on official DVD/Blu-ray sets from the Macross franchise. The only problem, is shipping is a bitch, and you need to know Japanese in order to understand what's going on because there are neither English dubs nor subtitles available in the Japanese official editions. 

Unfortunately, for the Harmony Gold corporate greedy pigs, Macross is really big outside Japan, and fans around the globe, have always found ways to watch every new entry in the saga, and hopefully by 2021 Harmony Gold finally loses the outside-Japan-merchandising-rights to Macross, and finally, fans will move on from black market fan-subbed copies, to official merchandise from once and for all.

Review

Macross F isn’t merely another sci-fi space opera. Despite incorporating just about every anime cliché in the book (some of them established by the original series) Macross Frontier manages to create something that is simultaneously the maximum fulfillment of its genre’s capacity and also the complete and utter subversion of its viewer’s expectations. It’s been hailed as 'the SDF-Macross of the 21st Century', and there’s no doubt about that; even for viewers unfamiliar with the original Macross series, Macross F plays as a standalone series of its own. Moreover, it manages to explain the origin of its world in a single episode by re-telling the Macross Zero story. Years earlier, Macross 7 did the same thing while explaining the events that took place in the Macross: Do You Remember Love? movie. A clever move that was masterfully reprised on Macross F as to allow new fans to understand what makes music & technology so relevant to warfare matters.

The directing is a combination of what made SDF Macross a classic and updated techniques that take advantage of the new animation technologies available. The signature tracking shots of dog-fighters have been given extraordinary retrofits with wonderful CGI integration, and immediately call to any Macross fan’s mind the meticulously drawn epic battles of the original series and its companion film, yet they still manage to remain largely unique. This lies in the masterful art direction and consistently top-notch quality found throughout the whole series, giving the impression of absolute relevancy yet remaining “Macross” enough to justify just enough nostalgia to appeal to any fan.

Ranka Lee, the new rising star.

Oops! no undies!

Macross has always being popular for featuring some of the coolest songs in Animé history, and while old school fans like you and I, may find it a bit hard to get used to the 'new sounds of Japanese animation' Macross F's soundtrack is easily one of the series’ highlights. The ballads from the original series, and the alternative rock from Macross 7 have been somehow merged and updated into a more J-Pop/K-Pop feel that may not be every old school fan's cup of tea, but believe you me, there is a high quality product here. Yoko Kanno provides the perfect musical accompaniment to the lovely vocals of Megumi Nakajima and May Nakabayashi. The climax of the whole show provides one of the most interesting medley collages of music I’ve ever encountered, and pretty much reestablishes (or at least adds credence to) Yoko Kanno’s position as one of the greatest soundtrack composers of all time.

"1st Anime Album in 11 Years to Rank in Japan's Top 3"

"Two Macross Frontier Singles in Japan's Weekly Top 10"

"All four of the Macross Frontier singles that have been released have debuted at #5 or higher."

How does that sound for starter? The Macross series were largely famous for its music as they all played an integral part in every single Macross title. However, one can say Macross Frontier have taken the anime song industry to a whole new golden era! Both the singer and seiyu responsible for singing the second OP won awards for their fabulous works.

Pick your favorite idol.

Music & space fights: Classic Macross!

And then there’s the story. Classic Macross! We have a group of daring Valkyrie pilots, transforming space fortresses, not one, but two singers that have the ability to disturb the enemy while the fight is taking place. We also have the classic love triangle figure, an mysterious alien race that wants mankind dead, and a lot of interesting characters that play key roles as the series reaches its climax. Oh! boobs! we have boobs! Moderate fanservice, but yes, there is a little here and there.

Its seemingly simplistic plot allows for character development (at least the main characters) in leaps and bounds, to the point that just about every character in the series is fleshed out enough to be a well-rounded and three-dimensional device. Despite this, Macross Frontier remains a heavily plot-driven show, as much of the conflict created between the characters—masterfully handled as it is—remains largely unresolved through interactions and relies on plot-driven consequences in order to keep the whole narrative flowing. At times this peeks through as a detriment, but for the most part the show manages to balance itself out. To its credit, it never fully lapses into ungrounded melodrama and angst in order to illustrate character interaction, and seems to be acutely aware of the fine line between well-executed drama and baseless moaning. In compensation for its shortcomings with overall character drive, the plot takes advantage of allegory and an abundant use of vague foreshadowing to create an ever-shifting storyline that never really has a chance to congeal into a set routine. 

a familiar view.

Alto Saotome,  our hero.

Now, let's take a look at the main characters:

Alto Saotome

Alto's a high school student in the Mihoshi Academy, studying its "Pilot Training" course. As a result of his fine, feminine features and long, blue hair, he's often mistaken for a girl at first glance, even receiving the In-Series Nickname "Hime" (Princess). Otherwise, Alto's your Ordinary High-School Student, though somewhat aloof and standoff-ish. Born into a well-known Kabuki family, his persistent yearning for the skies has made a thorny relationship with his father Ranzou Saotome. He constantly frets having to live aboard the Macross Frontier fleet, due to the lack of a "true sky". After getting the chance to pilot a VF-25 Messiah variable fighter (due to its original pilot, Henry Gilliam, being killed by a Vajra space mecha-drone) and seeing the destruction brought upon by the Vajra, he makes it a point to serve the S.M.S., a private military corporation, to protect those around him and fulfill his dreams of taking to the skies. Under the designation "Skull-4", Alto serves under Major Ozma Lee of the S.M.S. Skull Squadron.

Throughout the series, Alto balances both school and military life, being called into service when the Vajra attack. He also develops emotional bonds with Ranka Lee, a young girl who aspires to be a singer and shares Alto's similar drive to achieve his dreams, and Sheryl Nome, the Idol Singer from the Macross Galaxy fleet.

Ranka Lee

One of two female protagonists, Ranka's a petite, lively and cheerful (although naive) teenage girl with green hair and one-quarter Zentradi, which gives her a unique ability to have her hair move on its own according to her feelings, including an above-average resistance to the vacuum of space. Ranka suffers a mild form of amnesia due to having witnessed the destruction of the 117th Long Distance Research Fleet where her biological family perished. As the adopted younger sister of Ozma Lee, she initially attends an all-girl's high school at the urging of her brother while working part-time at the Chinese restaurant "Nyan-Nyan", but later transfers to Mihoshi Academy to facilitate her singing career after being discovered at the Miss Macross Contest and an ensuing movie. Ranka started off as a huge fan of Sheryl Nome as she loved singing since her childhood and had dreamt of becoming a singer. She develops a crush on Alto, especially after being rescued by him when the Vajra first attacked the Macross Frontier fleet.

Idol panties are a galactic collectible.

"Is it true you saw Sheryl naked?".

Sheryl Nome

The second of two female protagonists, Sheryl's known as the "Galactic Fairy", a pop idol from the Macross Galaxy fleet who constantly topped the music charts, leading people to say it was impossible not to hear her songs if you lived in the Milky Way. Her popularity was soaring just as high in the Galaxy's sister fleet, Macross Frontier. Due to her beauty and singing talent, she's a very proud and self-assured person. Sheryl recognizes the singing talent of Ranka and often offers to help her "behind the scenes" to realize her dream. Sheryl's first encounter with Alto was when he served as a backup stunt performer at her first concert in the Frontier, leading her into the series' archtypical Love Triangle.


Now, the secondary characters, are what some reviewers have called as the major weakness Macross F has. Mostly due to a lack of development in their personalities. Allegedly, these characters "don't grow" enough by the end of the series. Moreover, some people have called Alto Saotome, the weakest main character of the series, as he seems to behave the same throughout the whole series, while Ranka & Sheryl clearly change their personalities, due to the issues they face. Fair?, Unfair? You decide. I for one, think the series features a fair amount of secondary characters serving a purpose, while avoiding to stay one-dimensional. You can't deny how relevant Ozma Lee is to the series! Moreover, Mikhail Blanc & Klan Klein's love story is hilarious!. Catherine Glass is the updated version of Claudia La Salle & Misa Hayase! How can't you not find that good enough! (psst, there's a love triangle going on there too), and let's not forget about Grace O'Connor and the mysterious Brera Stern, both characters very relevant to the story so I'll leave their story for you to find out.

But what about that lame ending? 

To a lot of Animé fans, the ending of the series felt incomplete as Alto never made a choice between Ranka & Sheryl. Fan theories, fake interviews, and fake info all over the web may or may have not influenced producers to offer a clear ending in the Macross F: The Wings of Good-Bye movie. If you ask me, and considering I'm an old fart, since I became a "fully functional adult" years ago, I sorta stopped enjoying the romantic stories offered in most Animé because they simply felt 'too childish' for me to actually relate to them. Honestly, I feel there are a lot of interesting things happening on this Animé besides who's Alto going to put a ring on it. However, if you're interested, I'd say he clearly chose to keep on flying, and to my limited understanding, he chose that over the two girls. Obviously, the second movie settles it very clearly. If I was Alto, I'd choose Sheryl simply because she's an adult woman!.

Are you talking to me?

Massive space battles!

Overall, Macross Frontier is a series that will have both new & old fans of the franchise craving for more as soon as the 25 episodes are over. 25 episodes because the series was made for the 25th Anniversary of Macross! Be sure to watch the series and find a lot of extra number 25 related themes, like Ranka being a quarter Zentradi and more! What are you waiting for? go watch it now!


Here's opening 1:



Here's opening 2:



Episode 17's special opening:



Here's Ending 1:



The ending featuring the "Aimo" song:



 Ending 3:



The Blu-Ray reissue ad:



The PS3 Blu-Ray box trailer:




Macross Frontier Galaxy Tour: