[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Macross Frontier as of ep #10: throw out your cares and fly
After languishing in the seventh level of Backlog Hell I realised that I hadn’t blogged Macross Frontier since the First Impressions posts. My bad. Despite the strong start to the series, things took a bit of a dip after a while, culminating in a thoroughly disappointing episode eight that featured lazy animation, fillerish content and had a chase through the school after a pair of undies as its centerpiece. Since Most People™ are following this show too, it’s safe to say you know I’m not making that up; for all my Macross fanboying, I struggled to find anything to say about it.
Enter episode ten which, among other things, borrows a lot from the Macross Zero OAV. I haven’t had chance to re-watch and blog that yet but for all its pretty-shinyness that was an underwhelming offering in terms of characterisation and, well, everything apart from the pretty-shinyness. Frontier delivers on at least some of the visuals; in terms of content though it wins hands-down over its high-budget predecessor. My expectations were high given its Anniversary status but now I can look enthusiastically upon Frontier as a worthy addition to the franchise I know and love.
The space opera dorama, punctuated by scenes of Valkyrie action in asteroid fields that ride the crest of a wave of quintessential Jpop win, is what makes Macross what it is for me. Listening to the Plus OST as I type now, I can’t give Ms Kanno’s latest effort the same stamp of approval until I hear it in its entirety but it’s not without its high points. The orchestral tunes that accompany the aerial scenes hark back to her mindblowing OST debut and even Cheryl’s and Ranka’s numbers are growing on me (check out Jeff’s post if you’re not convinced as to why What About My Star? is awesome…more on that in a bit).
Cheryl still can’t match the sheer enigma of Sharon Apple but hey, at least she’s not a hologram. Ranka on the other hand has all that imouto charm (it’s all about that boundless enthusiasm, squishy cellphone and expressive hair, I guess) but that raw talent bubbling under the 25% Zentraedi, 75% moe exterior is I think what Cheryl sees, and wants to nurture, in her. I doubt Cheryl had that self-confidence air of the galactic idoru from the beginning after all, so probably sees a bit of her younger self in Ranka as she finds her true voice and sets out to prove her worth.
That scene in the shopping mall is, by the way, one of my favourites so far. The way she sees Alto’s paper plane, overcomes her fear and just goes for it…even getting the attention of passers-by who start an impromptu jam using the contents of a nearby music instrument store. Like the moments where she sings ‘her’ song when she thinks nobody’s listening (which reminds me of Therru’s in Earthsea, the best part of that movie by the way), it’s a bit on the clichéd side but as IKnight pointed out a while back, the Macross franchise has this good-natured playfulness that makes it more entertaining than its heavyweight Gundam cousin.
One for the fanboys: Ranka serves up a delicious slice of deculture…
The power of love tied to the power of music in bringing about peace and harmony in the universe is one of Macross’ pervading themes; we’re expected to believe that something as innocuous and trivial as someone singing is going to solve long-running, widespread conflict. Thinking of it that way makes the franchise’s core ideals sound soppy and ridiculous - and yet I love it all the more for that.
I see Macross, and Frontier as a part of this, to be the sci-fi epic for the music-loving romantics. The politics are simplified to make way for mecha that do the neat trick of turning into planes, then robots, and back again, and romance subplots that wouldn’t look out of place in a soap opera. I daresay this is why I’ve stumbled on quite a few female bloggers - not the target demographic of mecha shows normally - who enjoy Macross: I think its more balanced mix of mecha action and human issues appeals to a wider audience than other sci-fi series dealing with intergalactic warfare and robots fighting.
The sheer size of a long-running sci-fi frachise threatens the recycling of ideas, and inevitable comparisons with earlier TV shows and movies. Speaking from my own Macross experience, Shoji Kawamori takes the same general formula but re-invents it, making every new offering feel different yet somehow the same (the great thing about in-jokes over other anime references is of course that you don’t have to worry about breach of copyright). It’s like your favourite band trying new things but maintaining the signature sound that keeps you buying their records - the love triangles, aliens and transforming fighters are still fun to watch, even though we’ve seen them in some incarnation several times before.
Cheryl Nome in goth-loli mode? I approve
Back to Frontier, then. The tenth episode, which cleverly revisits Macross Zero through retelling the events portrayed in the OAV through a movie within a Frontier episode, is a prime example of how Macross self-references itself but uses its old ideas in new ways. Thanks to her growing singing talent, Ranka attains the lauded Best Supporting Role which, given her position in the love triangle with Alto and Cheryl, sums up her current situation pretty well. As trite as it may seem, this moment put a lump in my throat, honestly.
I’m wondering if Ranka’s song is, like Cheryl’s live performances, somehow connected to the Vajra or whatever is controlling them. There’s a bit of espionage-style subterfuge going on too but I must confess I was too wrapped up in the romcom that’s playing out in the foreground; I want to find out about Alto’s family issues, I want Ranka to succeed in the footsteps of Minmei, Myung and Cheryl. And I want to get to know Cheryl a bit better because the compassionate, big-sister side and self-assured flirtatious side to her have to be hiding some serious Angst. Actually, I’m becoming something of a Cheryl fanboy and can’t explain why, although that hidden depth (such as her former hatred for Galaxy, tempered by her recent concern after the Vajra attack) helps; I think I can say all of the main cast are fun and engaging in some way or another.
…and now one for the fangirls. It turns out that my own fringe is a full three inches short of the regulation length for an Angsty Bishie Mecha Pilot™. Damn
The bottom line is, I find Macross as a concept, despite its flaws, to be the first and last word in epic animated sci-fi - one of the reasons I’m looking for a second job is so I can afford the DVD box set of the original TV series and finally see it in its non-Robotech incarnation. If this recent return to form in Frontier is indicative of the series as a whole I think it’s going to be another reason for my unashamed fanboying, bishie trap Valkyrie pilots, nyan-nyan and all.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 @ 2:40 am
>>I daresay this is why I’ve stumbled on quite a few female bloggers - not the target demographic of mecha shows normally - who enjoy Macross
I’m one of them because I’m not fond of mecha anime, but I really love Ranka and the fillerish eps of Macross Frontier. I think the rabu rabu triangle is really interesting as well, and the plot is also becoming thicker. I don’t think Sheryl’s singing is connected with the Vajra and that Ranka’s singing calls to them to protect(?) her. I also think that she may be responsible for her family’s death in a way.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 @ 5:42 am
I’m in an interesting position because I knew zip about the Macross universe before I started watching Frontier, which has led me to Netflix the original 1982 series. I’m somewhere around ep 20-something. I’m having a great time with both.
I’ve seen the original Gundam in its 3-movie format as part of my basic anime education, but I’m not a mecha guy and I found it dated and predictable. Yet I’m enjoying the original Macross. Partly it’s me making the obvious connections. “Oh, the giant people were enemies once! Okay. Naou-Naou Restaurant! Aha! Novice mecha pilot rescues singer from bad guys. Does every Macross incarnation do that?” And oddly referencing ep titles, like “Bye Bye Cheryl.” I’m hoping there’s no pineapple salad references coming up.
But the main point is that you and others have made: no matter what’s going on, both series are optimistic and cheerful, almost smiling. They take time to enjoy the situations when they can. The first series would throw in a row of hilarious goofy faces watching Minmay perform; the latest has Ranka’s squishable phone, just to mention the first examples that spring to mind.
Sure, a lot of references are whooshing over my head, but I’m too happy watching and catching what I can. And I thought the ep 7 battle spectacular.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 @ 7:07 pm
@blissmo: yeah, when I noticed several female bloggers declare their love for Macross I was initially confused since mecha shows are usually geared for ‘boys with toys’ but its appeal is pretty universal. As for the connection between Ranka and the Vajra, I think you’re onto something…I think her lack of memories relating to the incident in her childhood was written into the story for good reason. There’s something really significant that I’m sure will be explained later but she’s definitely very important, without being aware of the fact at all.
@Peter S: the great thing about Macross is that, despite loads of self-referencing for the benefit of existing fans, every movie or series can be enjoyed on its own merits too - it helps to watch them in chronological order but it’s not essential. I strongly recommend Macross Plus after finishing the original series though - it’s still my favourite of the bunch.
And yeah, there’s this joyful and optimistic vibe to the whole franchise - for all the war and conflict it portrays, there’s a sense of hope that allows the writers to make serious points without detracting from the entertainment value.
Posted on June 12th, 2008 @ 9:13 pm
For pedantry’s sake, and to prevent people getting the wrong idea about my preference, I feel compelled to point out that ‘good-natured playfulness’ is only more entertaining if that floats your boat more than angsty psychics and the mass slaughter of a show’s cast . . . I’m not doing a very good job selling Gundam here, am I?
Posted on June 13th, 2008 @ 5:58 am
IKnight: There’s nothing wrong with angsty psychics! Mass slaughter of a cast, well, I enjoyed Bokunaro last year … The whole Macross thing has taken me by surprise because of its cheerfulness mixed with a serious plot and a lot of splendid fighting scenes.
Posted on June 14th, 2008 @ 12:06 am
Martin: There’s a reason it draws in female fans as well as male ones - music and love are universal stories between all cultures, which is part of why the original did pretty well overseas (aka: with the North American market), with the mecha providing extra action for the guys while the romance aspects and soap/space opera elements giving some extra context in which to place things… which appeals to both genders.
Plus there’s that sense of hope which is uplifting, and they try not to annoy as badly as certain Gundam franchises did…. such as anything that a certain director and his writer wife touched (hint: It’s the only Gundam series which had someone who got dubbed ‘Jesus’ for his superlative Marty Stu abilities).
Posted on June 14th, 2008 @ 7:12 pm
@IKnight: I still want to like Gundam (hell, I enjoyed Gasaraki), but I’m finding that I have to be in the right mood to appreciate certain things. Hopefully I’ll find the time to watch another one of them, and be in the right mood for its ’srs business’ approach.
@Peter S: cheers for reminding me that I wasn’t the only one who thought Bokurano wasn’t that bad!
@Haesslich: cheers, you’ve confirmed what I suspected! Not only is Macross uplifting, but has a lot of very universal themes woven into it that translate well to overseas audiences. If only the copyright debacle were to be solved, then we’d get more of the franchise here in the UK!
Posted on June 19th, 2008 @ 5:25 pm
Stumbling upon this find, I can only say- I approve this post.
Posted on June 25th, 2008 @ 12:42 am
I just wanted to point to one sentence that appeared in the middle of the episode: the one where Ozma says “It might be predestined… to think that you are playing the role of Dr. Mao”… Mmmmm… This caught my attention since it seems to indicate a stronger interrelation with Macross Zero than what has been shown so far (well, besides the obvious episode dedicated to it
).
What if Ranka is a descendent of Mao? If so, does the “protoculture” in her genes have something to do with the Vajra (as suggested already in other posts)? Has “Dr. Mao” died in the expedition where Ranka survived (it’s possible, since Mao would be 60-70, according to the plot from Macross Zero and Frontier)? does it mean, perhaps, that the protoculture civilization is not yet extinct -as it has been hinted through other Macross series-, and they might be pulling the strings behind this whole Vajra thing?. Also: are Leon and Grace teaming up and pulling the strings behind Brera?
The plot is definitely getting better and more complex… I just hope that they really surprise us with some unexpected twist…