Macross Frontier

[DDBen]

Wow what a ending. Seriously the amount they managed to fit into this episode was astonishing and and contrary to a few I felt it flowed incredibly well without being to rushed. Little things like Klan's Zentradi mecha being replaced with Michele's Skull One were subtle yet very well thought out additions overall. The battle itself and the almost nonstop music really caused this entire episode to come alive for me. In addition I can't give them enough credit for letting characters who died STAY dead unlike some other series with to many Decoy ships laying around.

All and all I would say this series outdid my expectations by miles and I look very forward to the movie assuming its a progression of the story instead of a retelling of the series. Also I think not resolving the love triangle was the best way to end it. This leaves them enough room to finish it up in the movie if they so choose. However beyond that both of the female leads ended up with completely equal footing in the long run so honestly how could they have possibly left Alto to choose one without at least another episode?

Another Note I loved the fact in this series that each of Ranka's/Sheryl's songs during this series and highlighted in the end really tells the story from each girls perspective. You can really tell that each song was written to convey a part of the story and to have all of those pieces put together as a concert for the last couple of episodes couldn't have been done any more perfectly. If you haven't taken the time to read the lyrics and think about what they mean in context to the show I really suggest you do so..

[NeoBear]

DDBen if you happen to have a quick link handy to some of the more prominent songs that you referenced in your topic above about what the lyrics mean id love to take a look at that =)

[shinta|hikari]

I just hope they continue the story and give a proper conclusion to the love triangle, hopefully Sheryl emerging the winner. If they just leave it like this, I can't really say it is a good ending, since they just left one major plot point hanging, never to be addressed. The movie hopefully aims to fill this gap.

@DDben - You should not forget that Alto "died" in the previous episode, only to make a triumphant comeback in this one, with his only decent excuse being he is the protagonist.

[DDBen]

DDBen if you happen to have a quick link handy to some of the more prominent songs that you referenced in your topic above about what the lyrics mean id love to take a look at that =)

Its not really about a link just read over the lyrics and think them over a bit. Its fairly clear Sheryl writes her songs as they tend to contain a lot of personal meaning. In contrast Ranka's songs are basically all covers.

http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/mac...otorinohit.htm
http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/macrossf/aimo.htm

Aimo is a direct reference to the bird humans and Macross Zero. For Ranka the song really represents her past as it seems she learned it from her mother.

http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/mac...boutmystar.htm
http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/mac...tboutmysta.htm

What about my Star starts as Sheryl's song but is also later used by Ranka. This ones kind of used to show them battling over position. Kind of to say what about me! Also being the song used to fight over Alto in the hospital.

http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/mac...mondcrevas.htm

Diamond Crevas is Sheryl basically giving up as she falls into despair.

http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/mac...therncross.htm
http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/macrossf/infinity.htm

These are also directly written to Alto Sheryl seems to be constantly writing her feelings for him into her music.

Sagittarius 9pm. Don't be late
http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/mac...zagogokuji.htm

Note Alto is Sagittarius 1 when he gets shot down in 24. This is a Song Sheryl wrote to him specifically while they were dating after Ranka left.

http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/mac...jinlovesyo.htm

That one just proves Ranka was turning into a cooperate whore :P

http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/macrossf/lion.htm

Lion is about Sheryl's plea to survive the "brain aids" she has. She's past wanting to die at that point she really wants to be strong and live on of course with Alto even if she thinks its impossible.


Just some quick thoughts. To me I was just impressed how meaningful all of Sheryl's songs were and its also the main reason I think he should be with her Over Ranka. I found the ending where She was singing with everything she had to tell Alto how much she cared about him while she said goodbye. Then after Ranka moved the Virus out of her brain and into her intestines how when she's singing again its about surviving the battle and no longer about saying goodbye.

@DDben - You should not forget that Alto "died" in the previous episode, only to make a triumphant comeback in this one, with his only decent excuse being he is the protagonist.

I 100% disagree with this. The fact pilots had solo flight suits and he ejected and waited on nearby debris was completely in character. His mech was shown to have only been shot in the wing and they only stated the signal from his Valkarie was lost. This is quite a bit different from showing people die in a bath of light in the middle of nukes multiple times or shooting someone with a magic Machine gun and having them wake up with minor wounds. Also the Valkarie they brought him was HIS in the first place they took it when they left with the Macross Quarter and Klan getting Michele's mech as well was genius.

[shinta|hikari]

It does not change the fact that he came back from the dead. It was better executed of course, but what you were pointing out in your previous post was that no one came back from the dead in this show, and clearly, the episode before this one (where his fighter clearly got blown to pieces and Sheryl screamed in horror at the sight of it) was going for the "protagonist seems to have been killed but obviously he can't be gone" approach. If it was any other character instead of Alto in that scene last episode, no one would think that person would still be alive, and it would seem like another dramatic death like Michel's used to usher in the final climax.

[DDBen]

They certainly did it as a cliffhanger to build tension but I disagree he came back from the dead. There is a massive difference between someone being shown as clearly dying with ZERO chance of survival aka Michele in this series. Who disappears for several episodes and then magically shows up later with no explanation of what happened. Alto was at no point shown dying his craft was merely shown blowing up and before that it was shown being damaged in a non-critical location. Its not like he was shown pushing someone out of the way of one of those fold missiles had himself shown dying in the cockpit of his mech and then when Sheryl fell over in a clump he walks out of nowhere kisses her to magically heal her and sing a duet.

So no in absolutely no way did he come back from the dead. At the end of 24 we are shown purely the perspective of a onlooker. In 25 in the VERY beginning we are shown Alto's perspective and with next to no delay we have him radioing in to say he's alright. I mean its not like they showed his corpse in space and then "erased it" in a special edition to have a excuse to have him alive for season 2 or anything.

[Kraco]

This is quite a bit different from showing people die in a bath of light in the middle of nukes multiple times or shooting someone with a magic Machine gun and having them wake up with minor wounds.

I don't know what magic there was in the guns that were used to kill the previous president and it was just one huge bomb that killed Grace the first time, but Alto's "resurrection" certainly was better than Grace's immortality. Besides, she didn't have any wounds, probably because it was a different body (why doesn't she wake up somewhere yet again, btw... The bitch could have 100 bodies in store all around the galaxy). But in short, I saw nothing wrong in Alto's survival since the initial hit didn't kill him.

[DDBen]

I don't know what magic there was in the guns that were used to kill the previous president and it was just one huge bomb that killed Grace the first time, but Alto's "resurrection" certainly was better than Grace's immortality. Besides, she didn't have any wounds, probably because it was a different body (why doesn't she wake up somewhere yet again, btw... The bitch could have 100 bodies in store all around the galaxy). But in short, I saw nothing wrong in Alto's survival since the initial hit didn't kill him.

I'm not sure why your quoting me on this one as we agree about this one Kraco. My comments that you quoted were referencing crap that came out of R2 with at least 3 characters of various importance.

As for Grace her immortality was based on the Battle Galaxy(whatever Galaxies Macross was called). Being they took out both her Macross and her Main body inside the queens head. At that point I assume she was killed. Even if she had some other bodies somewhere. Of course even assuming she does. Still in the case of Grace she didn't come back to life she simply wasn't killed in the first place.

[shinta|hikari]

You don't seem to understand my point at all. I am not saying that Alto's survival is unfeasible. In fact, it is fairly well done (especially compared to that other show) as I said in my previous post.

What I am saying is, the creators intended his "death" scene to seem like a death scene, and the only reason people did not immediately assume that he is dead is because he is the protagonist. So, if there is a "death" scene, where his plane explodes with no sign of him ejecting, him appearing again the next episode is technically coming back from the dead.

You seem to be aware of the fact that the perspectives on how a scene is delivered affects its interpretation by the viewers (and Macross F did well in this respect). What you did miss though, is that this can be applied to "being bathed in the light" scenes as well. The gap between disappearance and reappearance does not matter either.

Setting the reason for survival aspect aside, I don't see how being bathed in white light followed by a scene cut (remember that the perspective shown is also limited as in Alto's case) is a more definite sign of death than a plane blowing to pieces without any signs of ejection (take note that the viewers knowledge of the story at this point is only up to episode 24).

What you said about Grace also applies to all the other "resurrected" characters you were criticizing. They never really died (that is what the show claims anyway, as hard to believe their excuse is), so they didn't come back to life either.

EDIT: Well, this is mere semantics anyway, so any further argumentation is unnecessary. Don't worry, I get your point, and I only wanted to clarify mine.

[Ryllharu]

I guess a lot was already said while I was downloading this ridiculously large filesized episode. I suppose I will just leave my impressions.

While I certainly loved the series, I feel totally, completely used. The love triangle remains unresolved! Damn those bastards for stringing us along, dividing us into either pro-Sheryl or pro-Ranka camps, and then leaving us with nothing!

As someone said before, I was a little surprised, but very glad to see that the Daedalus Attack (using a pinpoint barrier to punch the hell out of another warship, and then have land units or Koenig Monsters blow the hell out of it from the inside) was still a completely viable strategy 50 years later.

It also seems I was wrong before, Klan's hair may not, but Sheryl's hair does change color. Apparently V-type infections sap the vibrant luster out of a girl's hair.

[animus]

I had goosebumps throughout this whole episode.

[oyabun]

I had goosebumps throughout this whole episode.

Me too. But it kinda ended when Sheryl miraculously survive and became a Vajra singer. But the animation was top notched.

[MFauli]

Just watched the final episode. A solid series all in all, but just to un-creative, especially the ending. And that Alto didnt choose one of the two girls was kind of disappointing as well.

Well, that´s all i can say. Not a series i would rewatch, but it doesnt feel as if i wasted my time on it.

[Psyke]

I was hoping for more valkryie action throughout the series, but then again I loved the songs so much that it makes up for the lack of transforming planes. Still, I thought how they arranged the songs in the last episode was interesting but a little messy at the same time.

There's a movie? I can't wait to see Sheryl and Ranka again, perhaps in a concert together.

[Buffalobiian]

Hot Hot Hot!

[Nipponsei] Macross Frontier Original Soundtrack 2 - Nyan Tora..zip

[Buffalobiian]

I'm really getting into the alternate versions in the the second OST. The medly was good, though not quite as good as what I remembered from ep25.

Anyway, here's the OST artwork as the link didn't come with one (again).

[Psyke]

Sheryl Nome aka May'n is coming to Singapore for a event, and will be singing songs from the album. I'm still thinking whether I should attend. I'd definately go if Nakashima Megumi's coming too.

[Besu]

Finally watch this searies and msut say i enjoyed it. Though the most exciting part was between eps 6-12 for me it still had a good ending.

Can never get used to the 'hero' not being able to choose his girl.

[Ryllharu]

Thinking back to the final episode, there was a line where Alto said that they were "both his wings," so it may be a harem ending after all. If Sheryl and Ranka can learn to share Alto, everyone would be happy.

[Besu]

Thinking back to the final episode, there was a line where Alto said that they were "both his wings," so it may be a harem ending after all. If Sheryl and Ranka can learn to share Alto, everyone would be happy.

But didn't Sheryl accept Ranka's challenge at the end. But I hope it's possible for me :P