The
work of Shirow Masamune is largely recognizable, and it has inspired the world of Manga and Animé, as well as their enthusiastic fans. With cyberpunk titles like Ghost in the Shell (not reviewed here yet, I don't know why), Dominion Tank Police, and today's entry,
Shirow explored what makes us human through futuristic settings mingling technology and flesh. Sadly, trying to tell the original 7 chapters from volume 2 of from the manga, seems a nearly impossible venture. Be thankful they chose to work with this volume alone. Volume 3 was released on July 31st, 1987, around the same time this OVA began production, and the final volume wouldn't be released until April, 15th, 1989. Imagine how much of a mess it would have been to fit 25 chapters into and hour animated feature.
The 70-minute OVA from 1988 is based upon volume 2 of the manga, and opens with a woman's suicide scene. We soon realize it is part of Caron Mautholos nightmare as he nightly revisits his wife's suicide. He's a member of
the police force of Olympus, a city built after World War III. Charon's mental health has reached a sticking point that secretly drives him into teaming up with terrorist A.J.
Sebastian to bring down the city and its entire
leadership. I just love how antagonists have a tendency to avoid going to therapy, and prefer to choose elaborated schemes to destroy the world as if massive murder and chaos could make you come to terms with your inner demons: "hey, I know a good therapist you could talk to". "Nah!, I'll destroy the world instead".
Good ol' opening titles style.
The future.
Enter the good guys Deunan and Briareos, two cops ready to go beyond the call of duty. Deunan can be the animated equivalent of any female action hero from an 80s film. She could be Red Sonja, Ellen Ripley, and Sarah Connor at the same time, while on the other hand Briareos is actually a human being, a WWIII survivor. Underneath his cybernetic implants and new body parts, he still enjoys burgers and fries. Their mission is clear: find who's behind the stolen new defense technology. Little do they know though, that their enemy is right next to them.
For someone from the 80s, the animation on this film is good enough.Some of the action scenes come off nicely. It looks like an average OVA
from its era. Some will always criticize this, as the source material will always be superior regarding character design and action sequences. Obviously, the manga NEEDS TO provide attractive visuals in order to survive in a world where hundreds of thousands of the same work are being still made as we speak. The OVA on the other hand, like most of them, suffers from time constraints, and modest budget, so here and there you will see some ugly animation but, I would neither call it an abomination nor a crime against Shirow Masamune.
Dining with colleagues is dangerous.
Nothing is more chill than cleaning your gun in your underwear.
From a plot perspective, director and writer Kazuyoshi Katayama scrapped all the subtleties the Manga had to offer, turning off everything that makes Appleseed an interesting read. Instead we're offered a standard cop story where everything is reduced into "the good guys battle the bad guys" type of story that may appeal to children, instead of teenagers and young adults, who are the original target audience of the story. I have to admit, in rewatching the OVA I fell asleep several times. As a matter of fact, I had this review incomplete for several months because I simply couldn't watch it from start to finish paying attention to details in order to have something to say other than "the manga is better, discard this from your watch list". However, Appleseed is worth watching as an early exercise on trying to adapt Shirow's work into the small screen. Most online reviews agree it's neither the worst, nor the best you can find in the cyberpunk genre during the OVA craze of the second half of the 80s. Perhaps, its only value lies in the fact this is an adaptation from one of the most popular authors of all time. Not everyone reads manga, they prefer the animated adaptations faithful or not.
Cassette tapes in the future.
That 80s look Animé nails like no other.
My earliest memories of seeing some Shirow Masamune work, was through the Robotech comics. There were pages of ads from a variety of Animé/manga being published for the first time in the US, and one of those was Dominion Tank Police, originally released in Japan from 1985 to 1986. The Manga would obviously be adapted into an OVA in 1988 but it wouldn't be officially licensed until 1993. All I had was the ad, there was no chance I could get my hands into either the Manga or the OVA before it was legally available. My second encounter with his work would be his greatest work to date, Ghost In The Shell. This is circa 1996/1997 were there was a small but healthy industry producing dubbed/subbed VHS tapes with some of the most popular titles. Most of them would be from the 80s, but in the case of GITS, they managed to release a year or two after the Japanese release date. I was blown away. I even managed to get a deluxe reissue of the original manga and its sequel decades later. I know I should have reviewed it long ago, but since I like it so much, it takes me a longer time to decide how to proceed to avoid fangirling all over a post. Moreover, I did review the 2017 LAM, which I thought was pretty decent despite the negative reviews focused on Scarlett Johansson not being Japanese. In case you're interested here it is.
Robotech bioroids?
We're only here for the Mecha.
Another interesting fact we can observe on Appleseed, and in many other cyberpunk productions is how the artists perceived the future. Robots, cyborgs, transforming mecha, and power armors are everywhere. Yet, some of the most rudimentary technologies seem to be stuck in the past. The police department still has typing machines, and while they do have computers to profile criminals, they're still large in size. Watches are just watches, and phones haven't gone that far from video calls. No smart technology unless we go back to the robot part above mentioned.
Now, we know and understand this retro futurism is there only for entertainment purposes, not to be historically accurate. Yet, in 2025 people are still listening to cassette tapes, wearing that old Casio F-91W, while living in an environment that is fully connected through the internet, very much like it is on Appleseed's city of Olympus, where Gaia, a super computer, runs the various utilities and networks that make the city a safe place for humans, cyborgs and bioroids. So, old and new technology do share room in today's world. Two points for Shirow Masamune for predicting it. And two extra points for making the villains skip therapy and go straight into terrorist mode, just like it is today as well.
Yes, I'm sort of a hipster myself.
Yes, a collect call for Mr. Baldnutz, please.
Want more predictions? Well, just when you thought that was it, let's go back a bit to that opening suicide scene. Charon's wife, Fleia was an artist. The problem is felt stifled with all the artificial intelligence surrounding her. Aren't today's artists struggling with AI generators? Of course they are! that's why none of us should be using image generators to get some artistic result with a few prompts here and there. Fleia simply felt there was no reason for her to exist in such a pre-programmed world where there was scarce room for creativity and artistry. You can even create full songs with AI today. After she kills herself, Charon's anger towards this technological world grows bitter. Even though he's aided by A.J. Sebastian, who is only partially human, the reasons why Sebastian joins in the battle against technology remain unclear. I mean, you have survived with the aide of cybernetic limbs, why hate what kept you alive? Perhaps, he wants to secretly control the city?
There is no room for artists in the future.
Fleia warned us.
Overall, Appleseed is an experience you can choose to live or skip. If you're interested in the few animated adaptations of Shirow, go ahead give it a try. If not, perhaps try reading the manga instead. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Yes, I noticed I haven't made a post in a year or so. Not that I was sick, or that busy. It's just that the film and Animé industry haven't been that interesting for a 43 year older like me. The COVID years really hurt the industry, and as they say "business is where you find it", so the streaming platforms took the chance and have been pushing our brains into enjoying films at home instead of buying a movie ticket. Fast forward to 2025, and the good old days of going to the movies seem to be in their final days. While this is extremely convenient for the streaming moguls, we also saw the end of production for Blu-ray Discs, thus there has been a shift in how we consume entertainment. Although compact discs seem to be making a solid return, they never stopped manufacturing them, just so you know, this is the world in which we're living. Now, explanations set aside, I still have plenty of old Animé left for reviewing here, so let's go!
Dallos, to everyone's agreement, is the firs OVA, OAV if you prefer, ever made. The story and setting take influence from past works such as the 1966 novel The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. The story was developed by the late Hisayiuki Toriumi, who is known for his work on Science Ninja Team Watchman, Area 88, The Mysterious Cities of Gold & Tekkaman. Although he remains uncredited as the director, because a young Mamoru Oshii took the directing helm. However, don't expect to see his skills to be at full power here. Any of the magic he created for Angel's Egg (1985) & Ghost In The Shell (1995) it's simply nowhere to be found here.
the storyline follows a rebellion taking place on a moon colony. Star Wars anyone?. Why these people are in the moon you say? well, Earth resources have been already depleted so in order for mankind to survive, they move their society and sins, to mining colonies in the moon. The Earth Federal Government decides that all the resources have to be brought back to Earth for the wealthy to enjoy. Obviously, some colonies are against it, and the good old battle between good and evil starts.
Shun, the archetype.
Although the presime seems unoriginal even for the early 80s, the story isn't that far from what have potentially happened in our real world. Politicians from Earth manipulate the older mining population into thinking they're pledging allegiance to their homeworld by working as slaves in the distant hope they may have a better future prospect. On the other hand, people born on the moon, represent the youngest population, and the force the rebellion needs to state their case. Shun Nonomura is the leading character, AKA, our rebel hero. One thing I like about Dallos is that, for a 4 episode only OVA, we do get to see the consequences of Shun's choices, and how these directly affect the lives of those who are close to him. The generational divide sets the mood for the rest of the story.
Production wise, the sole existence of Dallos may have proved the home video format for Animé was a viable possibility. The animation of mechanical elements, like machines, robots, space crafts and buildings can still be considered top notch. On the other hand, character animation and design, may seem dated to younger viewers, but not for me.
The OVA industry did find room at the homes of thousand of avid fans from the early day. While Dallos may have not been the only igniter for companies to produce the format, it definitely played its part offering something you couldn't see on TV: Content made for a mature audience. Although graphic violence and sex, were nothing compared to future releases, let's not forget the adult themes Dallos comes packed with. Although undeveloped, we see religion, class struggle, slavery, abusive governments, and the consequences of choosing sides. Themes that may appeal a more mature audience. Do you remember ADV's ad? You know, the one that said "Animé is not kids' stuff". Well, perhaps that's what ultimately made the format so profitable overseas.
Give me VHS, or give me death.
Now, let's discuss the OVA industry a bit. as the VCR became hugely popular in Japan, demand for more Animé became a necessity for the red sun country. Video Stores would carry a massive variety of options for fans to look for. The Green Cat would have been the first OVA. However it was never released on VHS, or any home format during the 1980s. Dallos, on the other hand, was released by Bandai in 1983. Other production companies quickly developed an interest and started working on their own "direct-to-video" animations. The mid-to-late 80s became the golden era for the format, resulting in a lot of productions that are now considered as classics by Otakus, AKA, Animé connoisseurs. But, don't be confused by thinking anything made during these years is a certified must-watch experience.
During Japan's economic bubble, production companies were more than willing to spontaneously decide to make a one- or two-part OVA in the 1980s. They paid money to anime studios, who then haphazardly created an OVA to be released to rental shops. Judging from sales, should a longer series be deemed feasible, TV networks paid for most of the production costs of the entire series.
Moon workers are not happy.
Now, who built the Dallos machine? no one knows, yet it is worshipped as some kind of god that is there since the early days of colonizing the Moon. What is its purpose? I'm not sure since, what happens on the final episode seems to imply it's a security mechanism that is only there to protect the moon instead of protecting its followers. Moreover the ending seems to suggest the story would continue to expand on this, and the rebellion against the Earth Government. Sadly, all we have left is the ending, and credit scenes where some of these things are hinted.
I for one, think Dallos real value lies in the fact, it hinted the beginning of an industry shift, were Animé would no longer be "for kids only". Plot wise, there are better OVAs out there telling the same story. However, producers and artists had to start somewhere, and this is the closest to evidence we will ever get.
Dallos had no trailer, so this is the opening sequence instead:
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (機動戦士Ζガンダム) is a 1985 Japanese television anime series, the second installment in the Gundam franchise, and a sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam. The show was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, while the series' mechanical designs is split among Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano, and Kazumi Fujita. The series was originally aired on Nagoya Broadcasting Network and its sister ANN stations between 1985 and 1986.
The plot is set in the futuristic "Universal Century" timeline, and takes place eight years after the events of the original series. Zeta centers on a new conflict that is formed between two new factions - the Titans, a corrupt task force formed by the Earth Federation, and the Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG), a rebel group who seek to end the Titans. The show is told through the perspective of Kamille Bidan, a teenage member of the AEUG and pilot of the RX-178 Gundam Mk-II, and later the MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam. Several main characters from the previous Gundam series return in supporting roles, including Amuro Ray and his rival Char Aznable, the latter of which returns as a pilot for the AEUG under the new identity of Quattro Bajeena.
New and old characters together for the same cause.
They're against a very human threat.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam is, of course, the second installment in the Gundam franchise, so first off watch the original Mobile Suit Gundam beforehand. That should go without saying. Comparatively, this sequel not only lives up to its predecessor, but even surpasses it. Moreover, I think Mobile Suit Z Gundam is perhaps the best Mecha anime from the 80s. Essentially, because it has everything that makes an Anime a masterpiece: Excellent animation, excellent soundtrack, a good story that is not that hard to follow, and interesting characters, and I'm dead serious because I'm a sworn Macross fan.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam's tale is set seven years in the future after its prequel, and quite a bit has happened since then. In the One Year War we watched a brutal war between the Earth Federation Forces and the Principality of Zeon. Now, we watch as a tyrannical sect of the Earth Federation, known as the Titans, and the Anti-Earth Union Group, a faction of rebels, duke it out. In the beginning of the series, we're sort of just quickly tossed into the middle of things, but as the story progresses things make more sense and it turns out fine.
Amuro Ray returns.
And so does Char Aznable.
Zeta's story is also a bit more mature, and becomes more developed than Mobile Suit Gundam's. There really is not a centralized antagonist, like Char in MSG. You could consider this a slight downfall, or perhaps even an improvement, because it's questionable whether or not Zeta would have felt a bit too dependent on the MSG story. So maybe you will feel like you're missing something, or you might be glad that it isn't just a rehash. But, as I was saying, the plot gets developed nicely as more obstacles, alliances, secrets, and politics are involved. Speaking of which, Zeta does an exceptional job at building up political battles, that aren't too simple, but that are still easily followable. Overall, Zeta tells a brilliant story that is somehow a more everlasting adventure than it's predecessor which by no means, it's saying Mobile Suit Gundam is a bad anime. On the contrary, Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the most influential mecha Anime of all time!
As above mentioned, and 36 years later the animation quality is remarkable. One aspect of the animation that I really liked the first time I saw. Z Gundam, remains today as a thumbs up in my book: The nice use of camera splitting, a la Bryan De Palma. It's something that isn't very popular in today's animation techniques I'd say. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's when we have one image on the screen, and then part of it is split to display another image, or something pretty popular is when the screen is just cut in two with different images on top and bottom. Zeta definitely utilizes the best animation techniques available for its time.
Now, the sound is actually outstanding and very impressive. Most of the background tunes are made of magnificent orchestral pieces that capture perfect moods. The sound effects are of course a huge improvement from MSG, and they actually don't sound old at all or anything. The opening and ending themes are similar to the background music; really nicely made instrumental compositions. The voice acting is pretty much standard voice acting.
The best dogfights in Mecha anime history.
The mighty Z gundam.
Now where to start with our Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam characters. This time the story follows a young man by the name of Kamille Bidan. He becomes a member of the AEUG aboard the Argama ship and is a valuable Gundam pilot. Like Amuro Ray, he is a Newtype. In the beginning he is somewhat of a whiny and foolish kid, but, no doubt about it, this boy suffers much more than Amuro did as an assortment of tragedies occur throughout the series. I'd say his character as the lead protagonist gets better developed than Amuro's as well. Speaking of Amuro, just about every character from the White Base crew have appearances. Some are more important than others, but it is nice seeing how the crew has all matured. Bright Noa and Char Aznable, better known as Quattro Bajeena (four vaginas? WTF?!) in Zeta, are main characters as well, and Char himself gets much more developed as well. The characters of course deal with deaths, relationships, switching alliances, intense battles, and the like. However, there are minor moments where this Anime shows its age, like the way women behave, and other obsolete concepts of family, coming of age and manning up. Still, a fantastic upgrade that has all that "dark and gritty" feeling some older fans of anime used to describe some of these shows from the 80s.
The "newtype" concept seeing in the original Anime is now expanded and somehow juxtaposed to the "Cyber-newtype" new race of artificially enhanced humans ready for space travel and most importantly, ready for space combat. The dogfights in Z Gundam are perhaps the best you'll see in a Mecha anime from the 80s.
New magnificent mecha.
Newtypes prefer blondes.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam is praised by fans of the Universal Century sect of the franchise, with many lauding it for its bleak tone, character development, and its complicated expression of war. However, the series has also been criticized for being overtly depressing, and frequently exhibiting a directionless plot. Even the series' director, Yoshiyuki Tomino, has expressed not liking the show, finding in retrospect much of the hostility and abuse inflicted upon characters to undermine any realistic depiction of war.
The review website Mania.com gave the anime an overall 'B+' rating, regarding it as "one of Yoshiyuki Tomino's greatest works." They stated that the "lack of an A/A+ is that this is recommended for fans who are already familiar with the Universal Century storyline," recommending that audiences view "the original movie trilogy" first before watching Zeta Gundam. The reviewer Chris Beveridge of Mania.com gave certain volumes of the series a full 'A' rating, describing the last ten episodes as being "the huge payoff episodes" where "you can almost feel the characters being rushed around a bit and moved through the paces. But at the same time, it all comes so fast that it's simply enjoyable to watch so much happen and change so quickly."
Beveridge would later review the Blu-Ray releases of the series for The Fandom Post, giving both sets of Blu-Rays a 'A-' rating. Beveridge writes in the review for the first set, "It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost ten years since I last saw this series as you realize just how much anime you consume. But it also makes you realize which ones truly stand out over the course of time and this one is definitely one of them." Beveridge found the second half of the series weaker, though still claims that the show "hits most things right".
Gorgeous mecha from the 80s.
While reviewing for the Blu-ray release of the series, Ollie Barder of Forbes gave the show a rave review, even titling it as "Possibly The Greatest 'Gundam' Series Ever Made". Barder praised the series' more realistic approach to war and its striking designs for the many different robots, though did find the transforming mechas out of placed in Zeta's more grounded reality. Lauren Orsini of Anime News Network also praised the series in a review for the first Blu-ray release, giving the dub for the first set a 'B', praising it for its powerful storytelling. Orsini was more critical of the second half of the series, finding the plot too chaotic and calling it Gundam's "awkward coming-of-age". But Orsini still praised the second half for its mecha designs and strong emotional payoffs, ultimately giving the subtitle version of the series a 'B'.
In the NHK's 2018 mega "All Gundam Poll", Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam was place as the second best anime in the Gundam franchise, only behind the original 1979 Gundam show. The NHK reported that there was a total of 1,740,280 votes in the poll, with 46% of the votes for Zeta coming from voters between the ages 40 to 46.
The giant Psycho Gundam.
Legendary heroes.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam absolutely does not disappoint in enjoyment. Every episode is action-packed with awesome mecha and space warfare. It is a superb and fun watch all the way through, and it totally lives up to the greatness of its prequel. It is a joy to follow and gets seriously epic at the right moments.
Overall, it is remarkable how well Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam was pulled off after the spectacular Mobile Suit Gundam. Pulling off another marvelous show that not only lives up to, but surpasses the first is hard to do, but here it is incredibly done.
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:
Macross 7 The Movie: The Galaxy Is Calling Me! (1995)
Macross 7: Encore (1995)
Macross Dynamite 7 (1997)
Macross Zero (2002)
Macross Frontier (2007)
Macross Frontier The Movie: The False Songstress (2009)
Macross Frontier: The Wings Of Good-Bye (2011)
Macross FB 7: Ore No Uta O Kike! (2012)
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!
.png)
