Macross Mega Marathon

The place to discuss anything relating to anime or manga.
User avatar
Arbiter GUNDAM
Posts: 2904
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:36 pm
Location: Cruisin' the Universe w/Spaceman Spiff!!!
Contact:

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

EPISODE 16: KUNG-FU DANDY

Iconic Scene: Kaifun getting just a little bit of what he so richly deserves.

Quotable Quotes: "Wha! Wha! Wha! Wha! (seriously, that's what Kaifun sounds like to me.)

Best Character: Nobody really, just about everyone gets the short end of the stick in this episode.

Best Death: Once again, no deaths but Misa almost seals Hikaru's fate.

Personally, this episode is one of the worst, not in a general sense but just that it focuses so much on new character Lynn Kaifun. I hate Kaifun. I really, really, really, REALLY hate this guy. But then again, you’re supposed to hate him, even staff members hated this guy (I suspect that might be why his role in the franchise is continually reduced; they don’t even feature him in the pachinko footage at all). As other people have pointed out, the primary problem with Kaifun is his pacifism. Not that pacifism is inherently bad or anything (although thanks to Gundam Wing I can now spell pacifism backwards…) but Kaifun just spouts off some good-sounding ideas mixed with a bunch of complete bullcrap such as “soldiers only join the military because they like killing.” Which is then immediately undercut by Misa, Claudia and the bunnie's discussion on why they didn’t join the military for that reason. Everyone is just in a bad mood this episode, I suppose it’s because Kaifun spreads misery and ruin wherever he goes. Oh and to top it all off, why did even Misa have to get caught up with this guy and nearly kill Hikaru? And even though she admits to herself at the end of the episode that Kaifun is not Riber, she’s still going to be mooning over him for several episodes more. ARGH!

Lynn Kaifun: designed to be hated and succeeds spectacularly!
I can fly if I ride the wind! Gori gori!

--Freyja Wion
Zeonista
Posts: 1178
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 5:47 pm
Location: in ur colony, steelin ur gundam

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

Lynn Kaifun: designed to be hated and succeeds spectacularly!
Yeah, that about sums him up quite nicely.

I remember this as the episode where the destroids save the day. The Skulls and the otherr VF squadrons completely fail from stopping the Kamujin rampage, his units head for the elevators...which come up loaded with destroids ready to shoot! It is a goal line stand for the grunts, while Hikaru gets fished out of the drink.
"I am fire. I am death. I am Hashmal."

"Discontent is the first step in the progress for a man or a nation." - Oscar Wilde
User avatar
MrMarch
Posts: 1093
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 2:58 am
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

I think what enraged me the most is that Misa was unfortunately attracted to Kaifun because he looked so much like Riber, her dead boyfriend. I think Kaifun was also so infuriating because the very nature of the SDF Macross series spoke about the horrors of war, the tragedy and how it traumatizes people, yet here comes a character that ignorantly dismisses all that pain and suffering our heros have been enduring to try to make things right. I can see how even the production staff could have been angered by the character: outside of the fictional world, it must have hit them personally, as if all the great story telling and character work they created for the SDFM series was being undermined by this one jackass :)
Zeonista
Posts: 1178
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 5:47 pm
Location: in ur colony, steelin ur gundam

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

Despite wanting to see Kaifun get launched from a Monster cannon, I must say his presence helps with the realism of the anime. Long-haired peaceniks are an inevitable distraction whenever the military gets involved anymore no matter how well-intended. The knee-jerk dismissal of UN SPACY as the dogs of an impersonal and authoritarian world government would be characteristic of a certain Japanese demographic at the time. taken with Minmay's parents, it shows how out of touch the average citizen of Earth is with the entire situation. And even Kaifun has to deal with inner conflict; as noted, he is a very skilled martial artist, with the skill that only years of practice can grant, pacifist ideals or not.
"I am fire. I am death. I am Hashmal."

"Discontent is the first step in the progress for a man or a nation." - Oscar Wilde
User avatar
Arbiter GUNDAM
Posts: 2904
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:36 pm
Location: Cruisin' the Universe w/Spaceman Spiff!!!
Contact:

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

EPISODE 17: PHANTASMS

Iconic Scene: We're flying, E.T.!! (insert John Williams score here)

Best Character: Britai/Kaifun for dying

Quotable Quotes: "Today, 1st Lieutenant Hikaru Ichijo, also known as the Crash King, tried to fly his bike into space."

Best death: No ACTUAL deaths but again, still fun to see Kaifun get the end he should have had in episode 34.

Back in 1989, as the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation wrapped up, they did a clipshow as the season finale called Shades of Grey. A somewhat appropriate title as the episode involved flashing back to a lot of the worst moments of seasons 1-2 of TNG (and there were a LOT of those). The flashbacks were presented as a kind of coma dream that they were giving Riker and the same sort of thing happens in this episode. Even though it comes just two episodes after the last clipshow, it's presented with new footage that makes for a surrealistic dream of Hikaru's. One thing to note is that in the dream, Dream Kaifun says that he won't let Minmay date anyone from the military. Hikaru doesn't hesitate in ripping off his flightsuit to reveal his old civilian flightsuit underneath. However, two years later when Minmay herself asks Hikaru to quit the military... he hesitates and ultimately doesn't go through with it.
I can fly if I ride the wind! Gori gori!

--Freyja Wion
Henyo
Posts: 690
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2014 10:24 am
Location: Hidden Tramo Village

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

i like the part Where Misa announces something about Hikaru. then his VF turns into a bike. or was it one of those stunt planes? ah well. sadly can't remember the details anymore. brain is failing more and more nowadays. :lol:
MOOK: ITS A YURI FANBOY!
Zeonista
Posts: 1178
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 5:47 pm
Location: in ur colony, steelin ur gundam

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

Henyo wrote:i like the part Where Misa announces something about Hikaru. then his VF turns into a bike. or was it one of those stunt planes? ah well. sadly can't remember the details anymore. brain is failing more and more nowadays. :lol:
I won't beat you up about things in this episode very much. It was a wonderful surreal dream episode, which took years to understand properly. (Dammit, get back to the transforming jets blowing up aliens already! :lol: ) This was another anime convention we were being introduced to back in the day. Anime sure does love surreal dream sequences, with the prize going to Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer. It's an entire movie that is one long self-aware dream sequence!
"I am fire. I am death. I am Hashmal."

"Discontent is the first step in the progress for a man or a nation." - Oscar Wilde
User avatar
Arbiter GUNDAM
Posts: 2904
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:36 pm
Location: Cruisin' the Universe w/Spaceman Spiff!!!
Contact:

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

EPISODE 18: PINEAPPLE SALAD

Iconic Scene: The deadliest thing in the universe, an anti-plot armor equation.

Quotable Quotes: Hikaru's lucky, he's got a real ace on his team...

Best Character: C'mon, it's Roy. This is his going-away party and it's great.

Best Death: Do I even need to say?

What else can be said about this episode except that it likely had a bigger impact here in the west than it did back in Japan. Sempai characters dying is not something new to anime (just looks at Ryu Jose from Gundam) and indeed the trope of mentor characters dying so the hero can stand on his own feet is about as old as stories themselves. The one thing I do have to wonder about this episode is, why did Roy do what he did? Why go to Claudia's instead of the hospital? My theory is that he figured he was bad enough off that there was as much a chance of dying on the operating table as surviving and if this was his time to go, might as well spend it with his lady love than being cut open by Docs.

EPISODE 19: BURST POINT

Iconic Scene: So long, Kakizaki.

Quotable Quotes: The barrier is going to overload!

Best Character: Hard to say in this one but I think we can award this one to Kakizaki's widow, 20 oz. Porterhouse. colonthree emoticon

Best Death: Kakizaki is going away this time, although his death here is not nearly as gruesome as it will be in DYRL.

Now THIS is a twist. Hot on the heels of Roy's death comes the death of Kakizaki and not JUST that but the final dashing of the hopes of getting the Macross's civilian population off the ship. This was a good place for this as we're nearing the end of the second third of the show and Macross was originally supposed to end eight episodes from now. It's time that the characters got kicked down and kicked again before they can rise back up. Hikaru has now lost not just his squadron leader but his sempai and now his wingman. Misa is depressed over various things, Minmay is being driven into exhaustion and generally there is an air of hopelessness. Certainly doesn't help that the UN Spacy brass has decided that a ship full of both thousands of their soldiers and thousands of civilians needs to be their sacrificial lamb.
I can fly if I ride the wind! Gori gori!

--Freyja Wion
User avatar
MrMarch
Posts: 1093
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 2:58 am
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

Yes, I remember this was a brutal one-two punch in the feels. I also really enjoyed how the original SDF Macross has a sequence which shows Hikaru struggling with the fallout of Kakizaki's death, something that was missing from the American edit of the show back in the 80's. It was a poignant way to show what Hikaru was going through and how he had no one but himself to rely upon, no one to help him cope. It really informed his character from this point forward and I believe was one of the reasons he was able to finally confront Minmay about his feelings just 8 episodes from now. THis episode also contributed to making Kamjin a more credible menace and less of a cartoonish non-threat.
User avatar
Arbiter GUNDAM
Posts: 2904
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:36 pm
Location: Cruisin' the Universe w/Spaceman Spiff!!!
Contact:

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

EPISODE 20: PARADISE LOST

Iconic Scene: What is this? A rummage sale for ANTS?!

Quotable Quotes: I guess we're Macrossians now?

Best Character: Loli, Conda and Warera for being the secret purveyors of culture. smile emoticon

Best Death: None in this episode, as I recall

And another good build to the plot here. After the last episode where the characters are beat down with the hopelessness of their situation, it begins to spread to the civilians as well but they take a more optomistic view of it. With the Zentradi, Loli, Conda and Warera have begun the Heralds of Culture, spreading among the fleet. Global has to break the news to the Macross's civilian population and his heartfelt speech helps to deflect some of the anger that might come his way and the way of the military crew as well as Minmay's speech and song, probably more on Minmay's part more than Global. Incidentally, the scene where Kaifun pats Global on the back... considering his attitude before now, after and during the after war arc makes me consider this action to be wholly out of character. Must have been a hiccup on the part of the writers' minds or somesuch. wink emoticon
Also, I wonder what the different colored stripes on the three spies' uniforms mean? Likely nothing as you can see more than a dozen and a half variations on the UN Spacy uniform on just the Macross.
I can fly if I ride the wind! Gori gori!

--Freyja Wion
User avatar
Arbiter GUNDAM
Posts: 2904
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:36 pm
Location: Cruisin' the Universe w/Spaceman Spiff!!!
Contact:

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

EPISODE 21: MICRO-COSMOS

Iconic Scene: THIS IS THE LEGENDARY POWER!!

Quotable Quotes: Did you guys do stuff like that [kissing] with Minmay?!

Best Character: Hard to call in this one, Nobody really stands out. Maybe I'll say it's the three spies again, for blatantly lying about making out with Minmay. grin emoticon

Best Death: Again, no actual deaths except for maybe the death of the imaginary relationship Hikaru had with Minmay.

Another link in the chain leading to what would have been the finale. Minmay and Kaifun's movie Shao-Pai-Long premieres... and somehow Britai and Exedol are able to watch it? What the heck? Last i checked, movies, especially in the 1980s, weren't broadcast. Maybe they are doing it on this occasion so all the crew of the Macross can see the premiere even if they're not actually there? Hikaru can't stomach the sight of Kaifun getting his incest on and runs into Misa (literally) and they get to have another moment. Given that Macross The First retconned in references to the Vajra, I'm actually not surprised that Britai and Exedol can believe that the miclones have the power supposedly demonstrated in the movie. They'll pass this along to Bodolza and it'll lead to his decision to attack Earth.
Incidentally, Shao Pai Long is my least favorite Minmay song, initially because it simply had something to do with Kaifun but now... I dunno I can't really point to anything specific, I just don't like it as much as some of her other songs like Silver Moon, Red Moon and My Boyfriend is a Pilot.
I can fly if I ride the wind! Gori gori!

--Freyja Wion
User avatar
Arbiter GUNDAM
Posts: 2904
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:36 pm
Location: Cruisin' the Universe w/Spaceman Spiff!!!
Contact:

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

EPISODE 22: LOVE CONCERT

Iconic Scene: Did she have some head trauma? Nope, just animation trauma.

Quotable Quotes: There he is! No doubt about it, that's the ace who beat me!

Best Character: Kaifun for getting konked on the head by a stage light. Pity it didn't kill him.

Best Death: All the poor buggers that likely get killed as the Zentradi start blowing up the city.

The thing that stood out to me the most about this episode was that this was the first of many, many stupid things that Kaifun will do. Since we're talking fiction I have no compunctions against saying that I kinda hope lots of people got their stupid selves killed listening to him. Oh who am I kidding, he'd just blame it on the military.

******

EPISODE 23: DROP OUT

Iconic Scene: Hikaru and Misa have a moment in the Nyan Nyan Cafe.

Quotable Quotes: Who knows? War is the only thing our enemy knows, right? But we'll put an end to it someday.

Best Character: Misa, for just being awesome this time around.

Best Death: Nobody notable.

There's hope now in the form of the Zentradi defectors... and that Misa has FINALLY given up on that douche-nozzle Kaifun... even though she did that back in episode 16... whatever.

*****

EPISODE 24: GOOD-BYE GIRL

Iconic Scene: Not a duck.

Quotable Quotes: Shammy! Launch the Booby Duck!

Best Character: Hikaru because not only does he fly the Super Valkyrie but he seems to finally be getting it that he and Misa have something much more tangible than emotional stress after being trapped for two weeks.

Best Death: Again, the poor Zentradi that messed with Max and his new VF-1J

The beloved Super Valkyrie makes its debut and HIkaru now has another woman walk out of his life, sort of. At least he sort of seems to be getting that he has a thing with Misa.

*****

And so the second third of the series ends.

This is where the series really came into its own with a unique story that took the real robot concepts made famous by Mobile Suit Gundam and puts their own twist on it. The only negative would be the appearance of Kaifun. As I said before, if he was designed to be hated, they succeeded in SPADES.
I can fly if I ride the wind! Gori gori!

--Freyja Wion
User avatar
Arbiter GUNDAM
Posts: 2904
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:36 pm
Location: Cruisin' the Universe w/Spaceman Spiff!!!
Contact:

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

EPISODE 25: VIRGIN ROAD

Iconic Scene: Ya think ya got enough cake there?

Quotable Quotes: Our love is strong enough to conquer all that!!

Best Character: Global for his speech that starts out sounding like a blistering indictment against aliens... and then becomes a call for peace so much better than Kaifuns bawling.

Best Death: Nobody notable

The various problems with this episode have been elaborated on at length by Richard Clark, so I'll just say that I really am not surprised Max and Milia have problems in their marriage in Macross 7 considering how "whirlwind" their romance is here.

*****

EPISODE 26: MESSENGER

ICONIC SCENE: The Macross and about 1,200 of Britai and Laplamiz's ships against 4,790,260 ships of the Bodol Main Fleet. Brown Trousers on standby.

QUOTABLE QUOTES: "What is the function of that flimsy garment? [lingerie]

BEST CHARACTER: Exedol, especially for his gloriously awful attempt at My Boyfriend Is A Pilot.

BEST DEATH: The Quamzin squad schmucks that Britai has to shoot down because Quamzin is himself a schmuck. smile emoticon

So here's where all the threads come together and we get the deep breath before the plunge. I'm going to elaborate about this elsewhere so I'm just going to mention that I love Exedol here, especially when he tries to do his Minmay impression.
And just because it gives me perverse pleasure, I'd also like to comment here on how much of a douche he is. Even when presented with the oppurtunity to work out a peaceful resolution to this conflict, he acts like a petulant child, likely because the military is in charge of this. He even immediately goes into one of his rants and thankfully Global tells him to SHUT UP. Seriously, why was this guy never ironically killed off?

*****

EPISODE 27: LOVE DRIFTS AWAY

Iconic Scene: Quite a few really. Just see the following photos.

Quotable Quotes: The entire surface! It's been annihilated!

Best Character: Hikaru for finally giving up on Minmay... for now at least.

Best Death: Bodolza, of course.
I can fly if I ride the wind! Gori gori!

--Freyja Wion
Henyo
Posts: 690
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2014 10:24 am
Location: Hidden Tramo Village

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

Arbiter GUNDAM wrote: BEST CHARACTER: Exedol, especially for his gloriously awful attempt at My Boyfriend Is A Pilot.
yup. i fondly remember that scene. more so in the English dub. i SO have to see the original. :D
MOOK: ITS A YURI FANBOY!
User avatar
Arbiter GUNDAM
Posts: 2904
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:36 pm
Location: Cruisin' the Universe w/Spaceman Spiff!!!
Contact:

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

EPISODE 28: MY ALBUM

Iconic Scene: Misa's pictures

Quotable Quotes: So even out in this wasteland, new life can grow?"

Best Character: Minmay for sassing back to Kaifun. Unfortunately we'll only sort of see this one more time before it all fades away...

Best Death: None this time.

The blurbs for these pictures are going to be getting much shorter, for reasons that will become clear soon enough. :)
Suffice to say, the Reconstruction Arc or After-War Arc has become a decidedly mixed bag for me. We'll see why as we go through these episodes.

*****
EPISODE 29: LONELY SONG

Iconic Scene: We will heroically clean your laundry!

Quotable Quotes: "You suck but keep making me money!" (OK that's not what Kaifun really said but it's what it sounds like to me.) tongue emoticon

Best Character: None really, this episode.

Best Death: Oh it's coming, I can feel it.

So these guys should be considered kinda like war heroes right? They did kinda help spread culture around the Zentradi, right? And the best they can do is bounce from job to job?

*****

EPISODE 30: VIVA MARIA

Iconic Scene: THE BABY OF POWER!!!

Quotable Quotes: "This is the power of the protoculture!"

Best Character: Komilia, just for being the representation of the power of Protoculture or whatever. smile emoticon

Best Death: Nobody notable, really

Otherwise known as that episode where Max and Milia stick their baby in a space capsule and take her into the middle of a warzone.

*****

EPISODE 31: SATAN'S DOLLS

Iconic Scene: Aw gee, looks like that miclone chamber got stolen anyway. Where's your Kaifun to make a fancy speech now, ya mooks? colonthree emoticon

Quotable Quotes: WARISBADMILITARYISBADGOAWAYWENOLIKEYOU. (et cetera, ad nauseum, more Kaifun babbling)

Best Character: Hikaru for being the bigger man, one of the few smart things he does in this arc.

Best Death: Hopefully all the poor stupid fools who listened to Kaifun and Kamujin squashed on his way in.

The one where Kaifun and Kamujin are allowed to win. And everyone else loses.
I can fly if I ride the wind! Gori gori!

--Freyja Wion
User avatar
Arbiter GUNDAM
Posts: 2904
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:36 pm
Location: Cruisin' the Universe w/Spaceman Spiff!!!
Contact:

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

EPISODE 32: BROKEN HEART

Iconic Scene: HI-HO MONSTER! AWAY!

Quotable Quotes: "Aw, just when the culture was getting good..."

Best Character: Laplamiz, for turning Kaifun into a marrionette.

Best Death: Again, none worth noting

An interesting point is made here by Kamujin but I think it's more just that you can't expect a race like the Zentradi to wholly change and especially not in just two years. Plus if you follow expanded material this won't be the last Zentradi uprising and will even be something of a plot point in Macross Frontier.

******

EPISODE 33: A RAINY NIGHT

Iconic Scene: Roy and Claudia with the VF-X test models

Quotable Quotes: "Every time I go out there, I'm a little afraid."

Best Character: Roy, for baring his soul to Claudia.

Best Death: The Karyovin pilot that Roy shot down.

Probably the absolute best episode of the Reconstruction Arc... which is kinda weird since it's mostly flashback

*****

EPISODE 34: PRIVATE TIME

Iconic Scene: I'm pretty sure this is the only time in all of the Macross franchise we see a named character pilot a Destroid.

Quotable Quotes: "You gave this to the wrong person."

Best Character: Nobody because every character comes off badly in this episode

Best Death: Misa and Hikaru's relationship... at least for now.

Honestly, I feel that in reality, there's probably not a lot of chance that Hikaru and Misa's relationship could possibly recover from this debacle. Oh and this the one where Kaifun finally leaves but that's really not what should have happened. THIS is what should have happened...

*****

EPISODE 35: ROMANESQUE

Iconic Scene: Bad Santa indeed.

Quotable Quotes: "It's time to give them their Christmas presents."

Best Character: Kamujin, for getting to win again and actually coming up with a fairly elaborate plan.

Best Death: Poor old Santa Claus here. At least I assume he died.

The penultimate episode. Kamujin has a Reaction Engine and devastates a city. Hikaru seems to have chosen Minmay and Misa has lost all her self-respect. Time for for all threads to be pulled tight.

******

EPISODE 36: FAREWELL TO TENDERNESS

Iconic Scene: Minmay bids farewell to Hikaru and Misa and the love triangle is resolved... somehow.

Quotable Quotes: "When I find my reason for singing again, I'd like to come with you on your ship."

Best Character: Global for already being on the bridge, like a boss.

Best Death: Laplamiz and Kamujin. If ya gotta go, go with the one you love.

And so Super Dimension Fortress Macross ends. This last third of the series was much more mixed than the previous thirds. The setup and world-building of the Reconstruction Arc is good but the characters, specifically Hikaru, Misa and Minmay leave much to be desired.

Next, I'll be doing the preview episode of Macross Delta, Mission 0.89, and then I'll be doing DYRL. I'll just have ten or twelve photos for that because well, I don't want to clutter. ;)
I can fly if I ride the wind! Gori gori!

--Freyja Wion
User avatar
MrMarch
Posts: 1093
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 2:58 am
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

A big finish! it was great to read your thoughts going through this series again. There were a few interpretations I didn't jive with, but it was by far a really fun way to revisit the series again. Thanks for doing this!
User avatar
Arbiter GUNDAM
Posts: 2904
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:36 pm
Location: Cruisin' the Universe w/Spaceman Spiff!!!
Contact:

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

I can fly if I ride the wind! Gori gori!

--Freyja Wion
User avatar
MrMarch
Posts: 1093
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 2:58 am
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

I did notice. Yummy delicious :)
User avatar
Iris Scope
Posts: 165
Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2014 12:43 pm

Re: Macross Mega Marathon

Say, I received a DVD set of the original series this morning. I haven't watched the show in it's unaltered format for nearly a decade. How about I give my two cents here if you don't mind?
Post Reply