Oh Please Kawamori for the love of Misa please let Grace be the one who kills Leon.
At least that is what I hope it was… Well that was one episode that was firing on all cylinders, lots of plot progression all around and much to my elation my Alto-hime has finally given Sheryl an answer of sorts. Congratulations Sheryl you will have Kabuki-hime by you’re side until you can sing no more! Unfortunately with her condition being terminal as Sheryl is a long term carrier her seemingly last moments of her career will mean that she will die for the safety of the fleet. I salute her resolution and resolve to put volk and fatherland above her personal safety, and taking up the duties and responsibilities that traitor Ranka cast aside as if they were but trifling things. We will defeat the bugs and burn them out of their nests! So say we all!
Sort of new toys…they still look sexy though.
So it seems that Leon gets to be the fifth President of Frontier, but if Grace has anything to say about it will be one of the shortest presidencies in Frontier’s history. Since Leon had the gall to try and off Grace it is clear Leon is underestimating Grace and will be very shocked to see Grace roll up to his office in her VF-27 (possibly gold plated) and fuck up his office with an Itano Circus. At the very least it seems Grace is the most evil and dead sexy Cylon of the year, looks like Klein has some competition in the smexy female pilot category. Heck Grace grasping her hopes and dreams gives poor Alto-hime a good run too. The new fold quartz based weapons seem to be working and this time they are taking extra precautions to prevent the bugs from rapidly adapting. The modified VF-171, the VF-171EX is still a beautiful machine though still not as sexy as that VF-25. Nice to see how they are using SMS to train the rookies for the VF-171EXs, instead of just letting the rookies learn the hard way.
Hmmm… I still prefer the VF-25 hopefuly Alto-hime and Luca will get them back.
Sheryl starts singing again for free with the help of Elmo. Elmo doesn’t seem to mind as he now approves of Sheryl’s songs because there is love in her songs now. Mina, Monica, and Ram also approve of this new Sheryl. Their taste in music is about as good as how they look, god I love these girls. Klein is still mourning the loss of Mikhail and decides to tell Alto-hime the truth about Sheryl’s illness. Luca and Leon ask Sheryl to take Ranka’s place after explaining how after being terminally ill Sheryl’s songs have the power to create small fold waves, not nearly as powerful as Ranka’s but still better than nothing. While there is a cure for Sheryl’s illness, she is past that point and in the end decided to sing for the sake of Frontier which is still in ruins with its people still mourning the loss of the last Vajra attack.
The blue-haired alliance. Might as well be brother and sister.
Bobby finally finds Cathy and Ozma again and gets all teary eyed when he sees them. Ozma and Cathy tell Wilder, Bobby, and Canria how Leon orchestrated the assassination of Howard Glass and has by now destroyed all the evidence. Wilder was tipped off by Bilrer about the impending integration of NUNS with SMS. Canaria also informs Ozma about how Ranka has gone rogue and regained her memories. SMS is now at a crossroads try and do something or quietly go along with Leon’s integration plans. Wondering if they are doing the right thing Cathy sends out a call to arms of which we know nothing about to all of SMS. 70% of SMS soldaten answer including Mina, Ram, and Monica who has wedded her fate to that of Wilder. As for the other 30% they all have their reasons to stay behind.
Yakk Deculture! Ranka is Minmei, she even has a doll!
Sheryl gets back to her new home and shortly collapse in front of Alto-hime. Alto gets the call from Cathy but before he reads it he turns off his phone when Sheryl is awake again. Sheryl struggles to keep a brave face and conceal her illness thanking Alto-hime fore making her see that she must sing again. Under the full weight of his knowledge of Sheryl’s impeding fate hime begs Sheryl to stop for the sake of her health and to stop putting on a brave face. Sheryl insists that her songs are the only legacy she has left and is proof that she lived. Alto-hime relents and wipes off her tears reassuring Sheryl that he will be with her until the end. Sheryl admits that she is scared and asks Alto-hime to give her courage. Meanwhile Ranka and Brera find the Vajra homeworld where the once and future queen of the Vajra lives, much to the delight of Grace and her cabal.
Bobby loves them both. Cathy is so lucky to have a sister like that…
The Glass faction of SMS decides to become pirates and seize Macross Quarter and make off with all haste. NUNS along with Luca and Alto sortie off to stop them in their inferior VF-171EXs. Ozma is contemptuous of all of them and gives his reasons for being a pirate as the best way to protect the women he loves. Ozma then accuses Alto-hime of just going with the flow and attributes his stubbornness as the reason why he’s not running off with Quarter. Ozma says he’s not and adult but a man and asks Alto what his wings are for. After shooting each other in a charge Ozma remarks that Alto has improved. Fleeing the battle Ozma tells Alto that Ranka has chosen her path as has he, but asks where Alto will go. Despite a lot of Ozma’s big talk it was a good dogfight with Northern Cross blaring in the background.
Elmo is the Duke of Deculture.
First off I think I might be the only one who doesn’t approve of everything that Ozma says in the dogfight. I agree that Ozma is a man, but he is not an adult. In fact I think Ozma won’t be an adult until he fathers his own kids. One of the reasons why Ranka turned out the way she did was because he was not being an adult with her, nor is Ozma being much of an adult by proclaiming to be leaving Frontier to protect Cathy and Ranka. I say Ozma is about as thick as Alto-hime when it comes to knowing his wingmen. Ozma didn’t seem to understand that Mikhail’s death inflamed both Luca and Alto. I know that Ozma was busy and all but he could have at least tried to meet with both of them personally to try and address the issue, Mikhail was his wingmate too. Since Luca seemed utterly ignorant of what they were doing Cathy’s message must have been vague indeed. I think Alto has already chosen his path but unlike Ranka’s or Ozma’s he can’t protect Sheryl and has to watch her die while he is unable to save her no matter how much he flies. Had Alto been “going with the flow” he would have been there on Quarter after reading Cathy’s vague message, but instead hime mounted a sortie in an inferior fighter. The thing I agree with most in Ozma’s big talk is that Alto has improved, for an inferior pilot Alto did very well considering he was also flying the inferior Valkyrie when Ozma was aiming to kill. Alto at least has finally decided to do something for Sheryl even if Ozma is ignorant of it. I really want to know what the master plan is for Quarter now that they have left since it just reeks of self indulgence and self righteousness at a time when all of Frontier is under the hegemony of Leon. Ozma was not playing nice since he clearly shot at Luca for a kill. Whatever they have planned it better be good enough to excuse leaving everyone on Frontier to Leon’s machinations and actively trying to kill the pilots who are unaware of Leon’s treachery. At least the plan was good enough for Canaria to endanger her husband and child by becoming a pirate with Leon in charge. hopefully their plan will not be “ally with Ranka’s Vajra”, but rather identify which NUNS units are loyal to Leon and which aren’t before advancing to phase 2.
Sheryl has decided to defend the fatherland until death. Honor and Blood for the Northern Cross.
Hopefully Bilrer is playing his own games and did deliberately tip off Wilder about the integration of forces, hence the unofficial memo. Otherwise you have to feel sorry for the man he’s only every done good to help his crew and at least deserves some respect for giving those people a job and letting them run their own operation without much interference from him. I suspect that Bilrer will be having a little chat with both Luca and his favorite kabuki-hime. We know that Bilrer is aware of Grace so he’s probably wary of Leon as well. I don’t think we need a third maniac in the series, besides I hope Bilrer is more cautious given how Grace has proven as invincible as she is sexy. I can understand why Klein stayed behind to help Luca and Alto mourn the loss of Mikhail since their hatred has given them tunnel vision. I like how Klein wasn’t just weeping for herself but was also trying to take care of Alto and Sheryl to have them avoid her fate. Luca would never leave Nanase behind and resolved to stay and protect her going off on some vague message from Cathy wasn’t going to change that. Alto might have left, but he promised to be with Sheryl who decided to stay and sing until she dies for the people of Frontier. Out of everyone in SMS I think that until we see the master plan the boys and girls of Quarter have, that Klein acted the most like an adult.
For once I agree with Leon. Ranka how could you go off with Brera you filthy traitor?!
Poor Cathy has lost her dad but at least she still has her surrogate family in Bobby and their daughters Mina, Ram, and Monica. I like how Cathy is an adult about this and choose the time and place where she cries. The decision to ask 70% of SMS to mutiny for the sake of her father was a hard choice. In the end though even if they had good intentions, it won’t mean shit if taking down Leon means slaughtering the people who chose to stay and protect the Frontier Fleet. Again I hope their master plan is good since going after Ranka is pretty much a pipe dream since they have no idea where to look. Hopefully they are still taking input from Bilrer or Klein who can act as their eyes on Leon. If Ozma never grows up into and adult, then at least he has Cathy to be the adult for him, forever if need be.
Kabitzin just make banner for Ram, she likes snails, those are almost like slugs…
Not much on the Ranka front, but I do hope Ozma learns the truth about how his Ranka has been acting as of late so he can apologize like a man for spoiling her to the point that she would run off with Brera. Given how disingenuous Grace was about Brera leaving without her knowledge I highly suspect that given how Grace also found the Vajra homeworld that Brera is not acting entirely on his own. I bet Grace was the one who manipulated Ranka into leaving or at the very least bugged Brera and was able to see what he sees. Grace is just awesome, I hope this will be one of Kikuko Inoue’s most memorable roles for years to come. It’s hard to believe that the voice of Belldandy is the same one as the super evil Grace. Ms. Kikuko Inoue, you ma’am are awesome.
I am glad it hurts, traitor…maybe Brera will make it all better.
Sheryl has over awed me once again, she sang for charity and was content with that. Unlike Minmei who took food and money to support her Kaifun, Sheryl did the exact opposite. This is why I have taken a liking to Sheryl she has improved and has done everything right where Minmei fucked up. While Kurogane would have us all believe that Sheryl sings only for Alto this is false since Sheryl thought about the grieving people of Frontier before she thought of Alto-hime. Ranka sings for Alto, Sheryl sings for the poor citizens of Frontier in their darkest moment. Like I stated before I admire Sheryl’s resolve to put the people of Frontier before her own life. This is the exact opposite of the Sheryl we met in episode 1 where she cared only about Sheryl Nome. She wanted to tough it out herself and spare Alto-hime and every one else the ordeal of having to watch her waste away. Sheryl has every right to be scared at time when she has fully accepted the duties and consequences of being Ranka’s replacement for the fleet. I am glad Sheryl did not ask Alto-hime to stay with her because she was lonely she only asked for the courage to see things through to the very end. I am also glad that Elmo, Monica, Ram, and Mina also like her new songs. The scared little girl who Grace found on Galaxy has grown into a fine woman. Sheryl as she is now is the anti-thesis of Minmei, I just hope Alto-hime not only sees that but loves her all the more for it.
Poor Elmo can’t get a break from MIB for the last two clients…
I think that Alto-hime has made a decision, its by no means definitive, but given how in the post Canvas 2 world is Alto-hime might pull off a jerk move by leading Sheryl on only to get with Ranka in the end. I hope it won’t come to that since at this late in the game I want these plot threads resolved sooner and don’t want more love triangle stuff mucking things up or slowing things down since the action has really heated up now. Regardless of whether or not Sheryl and Alto-hime got intimate with one another is pretty much moot. All we know is that while hime was in there with Sheryl giving her “courage” it must have gotten really hot in there. Hot enough at least to take off his jacket… In any case I think it was as good as an answer as we are going to get from Alto-hime. Hime has decided to be with Sheryl and give her the courage to see things through. The tragic part is that other than that there isn’t much else hime can do for her. The parallel with his mother Miyo-sama is important because when Miyo-sama died Alto-hime probably had no idea that she was on the verge of death; hime’s life was forever altered by that tragedy and now the imminent loss of Sheryl will be a severe blow to Alto-hime. I don’t think that Alto wiped away Sheryl’s tears and hugged her out of a sense of pity, I think he did it because he cared that much for Sheryl. For most of the series hime has been really tolerant of Sheryl’s antics and teasing, when Sheryl was kicking herself Alto-hime wanted to revitalize her spirits, and now that hime knows that she isn’t going to live into old age hime showed the most emotion he ever has for the entire series.
Klein you should just adopt yourself into Alto-hime’s family that way you can help all of them sort their problems.
Alto-hime probably never did say good bye to his mother who kept things hidden from hime. Now that he knows that Sheryl is slowly wasting away I think Alto-hime is doing what he would have done for his mother. Alto doesn’t want Sheryl to die, her songs and the public be damned if they don’t get their idol, and that I think is the real indicator of how much Alto-hime cares. It was not the most perfect “I’ll be with you until the end” thing ever but it was for the most part genuine in the sense that there was something between them when they showed each other how vulnerable they really were for the first time. There was no pretension of strength or façade of nonchalance it was two people who confessed their fears and uncertainties to one another. Sheryl was afraid and lonely, and Alto did not want Sheryl to die. In his heart I think that hime has come to a decision. If Alto wanted to find Ranka then the opportunity to run off after her came and went with Quarter. It’s much more telling how Alto-hime did perceive Ranka’s flight with Brera as nothing less than a betrayal. Alto and Luca are out to kill Vajra and they seemed quite willing to bring Ranka back in chains if they had to so Nanase would never know how Ranka had betrayed them all for the bugs. Hime chose to stay behind because he wanted to honor his promise to Sheryl to be with her until the very end. Hime wasn’t screaming because Ozma was right, but probably because he wasn’t protecting much of anything by flying any more. Brera was better able to protect Ranka, Ozma was able to protect Cathy, Mikhail was able to protect Klein, but Alto cannot protect Sheryl no matter how many times he sorties. All three of them Ozma, Brera, and Mikhail were flying to protect the person they loved. Alto can’t even do that, so how much of a man is he when the person he cares about is dying and hime can’t do more than give Sheryl the courage to sing and die?
Your new life starts today Klein-sama.
Hopefully this is the end for the love triangle. Things can only move forward and go up I hope the ride Kawamori and his team have prepared for us is going to be full of win and awesome. Now I want to see Grace vs. Brera, Grace vs. Ozma, and Grace vs. Alto-hime, any of those will do Mr. Kawamori I just want to see Grace fly her VF-27 gracefully until the end. Here’s hoping Quarter has a sound plan and that Grace will have revenge on Leon. It would be funny of Grace assassinates Leon making the whole pirates on Quarter plan moot with Ozma looking like an idiot… In fact Mr. Kawamori and crew I give you free license to make that happen because Grace is just that awesome I don’t want credit I don’t want anything just do that and I will fork over money for your Bluray release in NA in what ever collector’s/limited edition thingie you plan on dropping here.
That she’s all Nanase’s would be a start.
Should have made Ranka Judas…
Not to mention run off with Brera…
Hime’s first reaction to Ranka.
I like simple.
In short kill Ai-kun.
That’s like joining the US Navy to study nuclear engineering…
Like every other college student.
Yeah and we all know who to thank for that…
Hey look there’s Capt. Wilder!
Well that peaked her interest.
Great job Elmo!
Sheryl’s in love, and got rid of Grace.
So say we all.
Can we change the “one of us dies part”?
I want to see AltoxSheryl because that would make Klein happy, and she deserves to be happy more than any one.
Leon tried to, trust me Cathy only an idiot would try and call of a marriage with you.
Cathy is so lucky ot have a sister like Bobby.
Except the ones involving Grace.
So did Bilrer tip them off? I hope so, given how duplicitous Leon is…
Let’s hope its not a spur of the moment thing.
Better than nothing, right?
Only you’ll be doing it for the Fleet.
We will be counting on you Sheryl to make sure this does not happen again.
Some day Sheryl this will be your home for good.
This how adults make decision we think about them before we do something stupid.
Good now all you have to decide is if the 4th Squadron is really in league with Leon or if they are just a bunch of rookies who follow around Sakura-hime…
Alto felt otherwise…
Never give in, never give up!
You have more than that I assure you…
Alto-hime leads the way!
…
She has but she wants to do more for volk and fatherland.
Beacsue Sheryl doesn’t want Alto to care out of pity.
You Sheryl Nome, and you will do great things.
A genuine laugh is so much better.
Well that was a 180… guess living a bit longer means that much to ya, hime?
Miyo-sama will protect you both…
Because you certainly can’t have kids…
Noe finds these tears of Sheryl to be True Tears.
Noe also wants to see hime cry True Tears.
Everyone who is that close to death is.
Not any more…
You better uphold that oath Atlo-hime.
Really to go after Ranka after making this oath would make you the biggest prick in the history of Macross.
It’s Sakura-hime and she loves you.
Alto-hime you better be there to wipe away her tears until her untimely death. For Men do not mak such oaths lightly.
Yes… courage.
Hime will, at least he better.
Oh just you two?
Oh there’s more…
That’s it?
Leon should have sent more…
Mina wink is okay…
Oh yes “ready for marriage” Monica is moe.
Okay kids play nice okay?
Cathy has such wonderful imoutos.
Klein stayed for her imoutos Alto-hime and Sheryl, along with that idiot Luca.
Klein respects what you are doing Ozma so don’t be a prick about it. Also make it fast.
Alto stayed for Sheryl, not that hime could do much for her…
Yes she did alright…
She chose to elope with Brera…good going Ozma.
Final destination Protoculture homeworld?
Leon should have sent more men…
Grace’s new ride.
I for one welcome our Cylon Grace Overlords.
Aww…such a shame Ranka made me dislike her som much later in life…
I know…how about kill Brera? Now that is a resolution!
137 Comments
You know, way back when I called Grace another Major Motoko Kusanagi… and she’s rewarded me with sexy fanservice, and… well, she’s a cyborg hacker with a penchant for switching bodies and killing people in unexpected ways. And she shows it off. And she even has her giddy schoolgirl squeal to go with the evil laughter and sexy-yet-motherly voice.
I’m definitely in love. If she makes a noise of satisfied pleasure when she sees the Vajra world next ep, I’ll have to take a cold shower and pause the scene there.
Kawamori has delivered and how!
Hopefully we shall see much more of Grace’s talents…
@Crusader
“Ranka said she left to return Ai-kun home, as far as Alto-hime is concerned she is a traitor.”
Is that as far as Alto-hime is concerned or is that “as far as Crusader is concerned”? =) Ranka broke from the flow when she stopped fighting against the Vajra. Alto will be breaking FROM the flow also if he ignored what happened to Michael and started supporting Vajra and betrayed Frontier. How did going after Ranka meant going with the flow? ^^ It totally contradicted what Ozma told him. Luca even told SMS that the enemy was the Vajra, but SMS chose to ‘go away from the flow’.
Monica seemed to agree to being a pirate all because of her “school girl crush” for Capt. Wilder. (i like her btw) The rest of the bridge bunnies are just there because they’re just “curious”, so are the rest of the ‘curious’ unnamed SMS staff. Ranka’s reasons for leaving Frontier are heavier than theirs, and it has something to do with her own identity atleast (based on her letter to Ozma). So I think you’re just unnecessarily hating on ‘traitor’ Ranka because of your bias now.
Lastly, I also do think princess charming will come for Ranka at the finale. With how the way they set it up in this episode, Alto will heed Ozma’s words.
Sure if a Canvas 2 ending is what ya want then maybe it will happen. Still that would make my Alto-hime a jerk for leading Sheryl on like that and betraying Mikhail’s memory by playing with the bugs. Alto was visibly angry during that conversation with Luca. Ozma did not care about Mikhail that’s why he can talk big he neve saw Gilliam get juiced, he wasn’t there when Mikhail got skewered. If Alto forgets Mikhail then he will be faithless to his friends. Ozma left to protect Cathy and his own hide, Alto already gave his word to be with Sheryl leaving now makes hime a jerk plain and simple. If Alto-hime cannot uphold his oaths and honor the memory of the fallen then hime is base, I don’t think Hime will abandon the fleet at the mere suggestion of Ozma. hime could have left with them instead of fighting, but he did not he made a decision to go against Ozma’s flow.
Monica, Mina, and Ram left because they trusted Wilder, Booby, and Cathy. Ranka left because she wanted to take Ai-kun home and cast aside her burdens. Ultimately by leaving the goal of Quarter is to expose Leon so they aren’t traitors who fled the fleet to play with bugs. That’s the difference.
Besides I will never tolerate RankaxAlto-hime so long as that Brera is still around. I think you are being too tolerant of Brera and making out Ranka to be some ditz who gets two boys. Get rid of Brera then we can talk.
Or the SMS staff could be going along with them because they trust the judgment of their superior officers.
Meanwhile Ranka comes off as selfish because she left with seemingly no consideration for Frontier while the Quarter crew are at the very least going to take this chance to regroup to eventually move against Leon.
@Crusader
lol they’re siblings ^^
@d3v
Indeed at least the Crew of Quarter were not doing it for themselves, but for the fleet.
@ani_d
Tell that to Ranka, and Brera is still the Kaifun equivalent…
ani_d: Crushing a beverage container in one’s hand is NOT usually a sign that someone’s happy with a person or situation. Or at least, not in the real world where we’re dealing with humans; it’s usually a sign of frustration or anger, not joy or affection. Also note how Alto responded to Luca’s statements about Ranka ‘betraying’ them; he didn’t disagree or try to defend her actions, but instead just said “We just need to settle everything and bring Ranka back before Nanase wakes up.” And then he agrees with Luca about ‘beating the Vajra’ – he certainly doesn’t seem to think Ranka’s right in her convictions, or believe that she’s really anything but a fool who ran off to aid the enemy.
I still say Ranka’s more likely to rescue Alto than vice versa, at this stage; Alto is unlikely to come for her, except to arrest her… or shoot at her adopted friends, with her moving in between them and him maybe not caring anymore. It’s kinda hard to be affectionate for someone if you think they’re an irredeemable idiot, the way Alto’s actions and words suggest he’s considering Ranka.
@Haesslich
Indeed I think Alto-hime has not only fed his hate of Vajra he’s nurtured it to the point where he is disdainful of Ranka’s ideas of being friendly with the bugs. Killing more bugs certainly won’t make Ranka happy or be what she wanted.
If Ranka saves the Fleet then that would be some much needed positive character development, even better if Ranka can actually outwit Grace (but I doubt Grace can ever truly be dead…). I think that ultimately it will be the bugs who save Frontier from Galaxy otherwise there would be no basis for inter-species peace that Kawamori’s Macross is known for.
Macross Zero wasn’t exactly about inter-species peace: remembering that the UN Spacy were nuking Bird Man, until it decided along with Sara Nome to escape instead. We may end up with a situation where the Vajra just leave, and humanity goes out of its way to leave them alone. Macross 7 didn’t have inter-species peace with the Protodevlin either, IIRC.
I still say that Grace’s dreams represent Peace through Power and Conquest.
Well Macoss Zero was just odd overall and the UN did unite humanity in the end…sort of.
In Macross 7 (IIRC) Gigile and Sivil were awfully chummy Protodelvin blokes…they just made peace and left, but yeah there is always a helping hand for humanity and Zentradi. It be strange if Frontier had to save the bugs from Galaxy, they are hardly in a position to do so…
Well whatever she calls them I’d like to see them more often…
@Haesslich
Well, at the very least, an understanding between two warring species/races (to the point where hostilities between them end) has always been the theme of any Macross TV series.
I’m hoping if Ranka does save Frontier from Grace and Galaxy, they don’t really end up destroying Galaxy and we get another season – but not before Galaxy uses it’s Macross cannon to shoot Leon’s hair.
@Haesslich
So that’s what their called, and here I was thinking they were called Hopes and Dreams, just like Sheryl’s.
@d3v
Yeah peace has always been one of Kawamori’s beliefs. Though I’d be happy with the eventual mauling of Macross Galaxy, maybe they will start a conflict that will out live them like what Kamejin did. You know how Grace will be the founder of her own never ending conflict that will plague NUNS for years to come in the case of cyber humans.
@d3v, “but not before Galaxy uses it’s Macross cannon to shoot Leon’s hair.” Awesome, just awesome!
@Crusader, “I don’t think Hime will abandon the fleet at the mere suggestion of Ozma.”
And that is probably a testament to the fact that Ozma isn’t as good a leader as he should be SMS are following Wilder not Ozma. If Ozma was a better leader his team would follow him, the only one probably doing so is Canaria. Of course it was Cathy who sent the message out not Ozma
But up there in space Luca decides not to trust his commanding officer’s judgement. But then again Luca isn’t really thinking rationally right now, he’s very clouded by his feelings of anger and inadequacy over Nanase. Luca is going with the flow and acting off of his feelings. I wonder just how much Luca knows about the goings on of Leon, that he is aiding a man who helped hurt his beloved Nanase. Poor little Luca hasn’t really grown up much either, he’s still very naive.
No Ozma didn’t see “Gilliam get juiced or Mikhail” skewered but I don’t think that doesn’t mean he didn’t care about them. But I do find the distinct lack of anyone other than Klan outwardly showing that a little bit sad
Our Michel-kun deserved better even if he was an SMS pilot whose death would not be known to the public.
Ozma’s seen a lot of death and I think his view on it really was as he kind of stated in the beginning. If Mikhail died fighting for what he believed in then he died a good death, so he’s not going to sit around a mourn him when there are things that need doing. But yeah some acknowledgment about him would be nice…
Oh and yea Leon is no end boss. Grace is a magnificent Bastard. Leon (to quote hubby)is a Master of Douchery at best.
Well, at the very least, Mikhail got his own grave, unlike Gilliam who was recycled.
Here’s an interesting scan http://www.death-note.biz/up/img/23150.jpg from Animage showing Sheryl and Ranka dressed up quite interestingly.
I know people keeping saying Sheryl will let Alto go, but even if that happens that would still make him a grade A asshole for leaving her to die alone. I’m not sure she can’t pull another “who do you think I am?” when she’s on her death bed. I don’t think Sheryl will hold him back either, so I think whatever comes they will face together.
Personally speaking, Ranka can’t have everyone even if people think she deserves it. When she ran off with Brera she sealed her fate in losing Alto-hime. She has Ozma, Brera, all of the SMS, and Nanase who love her and protect her. I think it would be wrong to give her Alto-hime as well while Sheryl is dying and singing for the sake of the poor people of Frontier. I will be very disappointing if that happens.
Well, looking back at previous Macross series, there’s a tendency for whoever it is who saves the day/galaxy/etc. to lose in the love triangle.
@D.J
Ozma should understand what if felt like to lose a wingman for the first time. If he has forgotten then he is a fool that is faithless to his friends and comrades, just because you become jaded doesn’t mean you forget.
Luca and Alto-hime are showing exactly how they feel by killing more bugs and calling Ranka a traitor for siding with them. Ranka saw Mikhail, die and then she turns around and hugs Ai-kun. The way they regard her now with contempt and disdain speaks volumes of how much the cared about Mikhail.
@d3v
Cold comfort I am sure, though hopefully he had his tombstone next to his dear onee-san Jessica’s.
That settles it Ranka is Minmei and Sheryl is Basara. I know who to fully support now. LISTEN TO MY SONG!
@anne
yeah It’s not so much Sheryl cutting ties with hime but if hime leaves before fulfilling his promise then he’d be a douche. I am sure he’s not going to go back on it considering how much pride hime tossed aside for Sheryl’s sake.
Like d3v said there is a tendency for the savior of the Galaxy to end up alone. If Ranka can;t save the galaxy then she will be the most useless character in the series and the biggest disappointment.
@ d3v I don’t think people thought Sara had lost the love triangle.
She was out of the picture at the end but Shin loved her…
I think it will be the same for Ranka.
@shinz
Perhaps, but Macross Zero was pretty light on the triangle, and besides, Ranka isn’t Sara-class not yet anyway. She still has to deal with Grace.
Well, crusader, you have been pretty harsh with Ranka but the silhouette in episode 25 must be her
It’s still a spoiler but I ‘m ready, to bet here with you that she will be transformed into the super songtress we were waiting for…
Even thought you can’t help but hate her character now, she will enter in the story in being the character who evolved the most in a pretty short time !
Sure whatever, assuming Grace doesn’t destroy her first…sorry but Grace is going to get off one more hit on Ranka we shall see if Ranka can handle the awesome might of Valkyrie Pilot Grace.
That silhouette is none other than Basra, you will listen to his song.
LOL you don’t even have an ounce compassion, trust left for Ranka ?
We will see!
Dude it’s FUCKING GRACE, has she ever met her match?
Poor Ranka is going to be pretty down once she finds out Grace has been pulling Brera’s strings this whole time. Can’t see what Ranka can do to Grace, Grace has killed Leon’s personal hit squad, survived an MDE Bomb, and basically made Leon dance to her tune. You overestimate Ranka if you think that Ranka as she is now can do anything to Grace on her own…
I just read the post of Impz about the writing. Passion is the word !
I don’t want to suggest you anything but I’m not the only one who noticed your posts were less hilarious, even Sheryl people said it .
The hate you have for Ranka is your perfect right, but you will have less exchanges since people , already know your course of action .
What was the difference between your post and the other Ranka’s hater post, was your way of expressing your disagreement by irony. Which attenuated your, at that time, Ranka’s disappointement and made it into a well made parody of the episode,and most of all , of her character.
But now you are focusing so much in her bad points that it looks like you didn’t enjoy the show when watching the episode.
This is why this is not as enjoyable to read as before.
After you can blame me for whatever reason, being rude, mean, but I just wanted to say it because I have readed your post and your view of the show wasn’t like that, nor your post at the beginning
There was much less to laugh about this time and I hardly call pointing out the difference between what SMS just pulled and what Ranka did, out and out hate. I have never approved of Ranka getting cozy with Brera that will never change. i supported Ranka until recently and she has yet to redeem herself in my eyes. Unlike most people I do not forget those who spurn their duty and betray their commitments to the fleet.
I very much enjoyed how my Alto-hime saw Ranka’s leaving with Brerea as nothing short of betrayal, among other things…
Despite having a supremely stupid-looking haircut, Leon certainly does know how to give an epic speech. Give no quarter! Those bugs came looking for a fight– let us educate them as to the gravity of their mistake.
Hey, do you think the frog phone still receives calls out there?
@skoll
Sieg Frontier! So say we all!
We shall make the bugs pay for their crimes twice over…
@Kabitzin
If Ranka could call she’s been very callus not have given Ozma a call at this point. We know Grace is pulling Brera’s strings from this far out so may be the iSlug is up to it too.
Guys, I love all your comments. @Especially@:Ubi,Haesslich,Crusader,Swampstorm,mareo,Deckard,D.J ,Seifall;
There isn’t much I can add to what there has been written above.This episode gave me some satisfaction , I really enjoyed the plot twists and turns and for the first time I don’t care in Sheryl dies or lives and keeps Alto hime.
I’m curious if they will let Sheryl die or she will be saved at the last minute.That will be just too ‘WTF O.o’.I think she will die , Alto will become a lone wolf and Ranka will find her own reason to live a happy life.BUT !!!! looking back at the previous Macross series ,esspecially with love triangles, we can see that one of them dies and the other 2 live in joy for the rest of their days.SO, I can’t help but hope for an awsome ending.
I keep my position by Ranka’s side ,I love ambiguos characters and I hope she’ll turn out a great/shocking person (good, bad, evil it doesn’t matter).I have a favorite quote that I use on forums:
”As I walk in
The valley of Death
I fear no Evil couse
I’m the meanest (b*tch in the valley).” -Ranka if you changed teams this is for you (of course you’ll never be an evil ‘bip’,I’m shore you’ll save the day at the end).
i was wondering how many episodes is macross frontier gonna be? 25??
http://danbooru.donmai.us/post/show/301181/blonde_hair-blue_eyes-cosplay-long_hair-macross-ma
Well, the cosplayers have begun showing up.. and daaaaamn, that’s a fine-looking Sheryl.
Yeah, I think Ranka will redeem herself in the last few episodes. In a way I see her situation like Luke Skywalker’s.
Sheryl will probably die (wish it weren’t so, but I don’t see any way out of it now), but no, Alto and Ranka will not get together in the end. Oh well, at least the fleet will eventually be safe and the Earthlings and Vajra will live in harmony.
@ShadowCat
Only Guld died for reals in the love triangle in any Macross series to date, though Sheryl might go the way of Guld.
@tofu
So far spoilers have been released for 25 might go 28 but I have by doubts since it is already this late.
@Haesslich
Just wow…
@Andrew
Ranka will have to save the fleet somehow otherwise she will be damsel in distress de jour, a fate no one, not even me wants to see.
If Sheryl dies and Alto-hime goes over to Ranka at the drop of a hat that would be a really dick move on Alto’s part, I doubt it will happen. One day the bugs will be our friends or they just leave the Galaxy to humans and Zentradi.
@Crusader
(talking about few episodes ago) yeah I was right, Grace MKII has huge boobs.
I am on your side Crusader, I laughed when you said “that traitor ranka”. It is true, she did betray everyone and ran off to take aikun back to his people. Since she is selfish and only thinks about herself, she decided to take her pet back to her friends than to help the endangering frontier fleet. She didnt care about her brother, friends, fellow citizens. Good think Nanase is in a comma or else she would of killed herself.
Crusader, you have every right to go to the darkside of the force and rely on hate to write your posts.
IN my opinion as much as I hate to say it, I have a feeling that Shoji Kawamori will save Ranka at the very end and have her come out as a hero and ending the war of the Vajra. I pray and hope it doesnt happen and if it does atleast give Macross Frontier an OVA, Season 2, or Frontier the Movie so Ranka can redeem herself in time rather than rushed. Only sympathy I have for her is because I once was heartbroken and it sucked.
Aside from Ranka being redeemed in like 5 minutes in the next episode I am afraid of the protoculture being redemed also. Reason why I survived Macross 7 was because I wanted to know more of them. I really hope the redemption of the ancient civilization gets redeemed in another series. Please Kawamori I hope you do the right thing!!!!
Well, it’s more that if Ranka DOESN’T end up saving someone at the end of the series, then she’s basically not grown at all – she’s not acting at that point, just sitting back and waiting for things to be handed to her, wasting 25-26 episodes of potential development. A character in a drama who doesn’t change is either dead, or a dead-end side-character that everyone in the audience hates, pities, or finds boring… since the point of a drama is that people get into dramatic situations and respond to them by acting or reacting and changing in the process. Plus it’ll make Sheryl and Alto the heroes of the series, which puts Ranka in the proverbial fifth wheel position… and that’s no good to her either, as a character. Either she saves the fleet, Alto, or just someone else… otherwise if she’s standing there helplessly as Grace enacts her master plan, then she’s a lost cause.
Sheryl may die, but at least she’ll be a legend by the time she goes down – Minmei vanished with the Megaroad-01 and the other two members of the first love triangle; Sheryl will die as a heroine in a tragedy who sang with all her heart and overcame hardships in an effort to try to save millions.
Personally, I suspect that Ranka-as-Mary painting was painted BEFORE Ranka went over to the Vajra – probably during the period after 16 when they discovered her power as the Songstress of Hope. It’ll be telling if it was left behind on Frontier, and Alto runs across it later only to find it defaced. The way everyone onboard Frontier jumped up to cheer Sheryl seems to suggest that Ranka’s absence and the reasons for it are an open secret if not official government propaganda – the “Songstress of Hope” stopped singing and fled the fleet, which meant a new (or rather, an existing) singer had to step into her role as Frontier’s savior.
As for that cosplayer… “Yakk Deculture!”
http://adella.deviantart.com/gallery/ – mind you, this one’s not bad either. They even got an Ozma and Ranka in there.
Heck, there’s even German Sheryl cosplayers. Macross is spreading its wings. http://www.cosplay.com/gallery/119210/
Yeah, Crusader, I’m right there with you on the “peace with the bugs” thing. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times.
It’s pretty plain to see that Ranka’s betrayal is just a set-up for her “pulling a Macross” and getting the Vajra vs. Humanity business to stop while they go after the real threat. Naturally, she’ll bring them around by singing at them. Hey, this is a Macross TV series we’re talking about. The OVAs can get away with going off on tangents, but the TV series just wouldn’t be right without music bringing mortal enemies together. Like how you’d play Guitar Hero in your cockpit to convince a velociraptor and a viking to team up and defeat Vampire Hitler. (To anyone out there thinks that sounds ridiculous: You don’t know Macross.)
The whole “us or them” issue is a red herring that too many young folk viewers seem to be buying into. While a good bit of Ranka hate is tongue-in-cheek, there’s some actual frustration amongst some viewers about her actions. Perfectly reasonable, considering how many years have passed since the airing of the previous Macross TV series. But it’s still amusing. I honestly doubt that an anniversary commemoration broadcast like Frontier would betray its Macross roots by subverting the “music saves the galaxy” theme.
Grace said it herself–the Vajra’s not the real enemy, she is. And by golly, she’s a sexy, sexy enemy.
@Luke
Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.
If Ranka can’t lift a finger against Grace then I think we are set for the five minute Ranka save. If Ranka tries to resist Grace then there is hope for her. Ranka better be the one to save the fleet otherwise her character will be long remembered as that useless character who nearly sent Frontier to the scrap heap or the Vajra dung pile.
@Haesslich
Yeah a overwhelming Grace victory over Ranka will probably make her the most useless Macross character to date. I hope she does something positive to cement her legacy after nearly killing the whole fleet in a single blow. Otherwise Ranka will be the new Kamejin the Ally Killer only this time it will be Ranka the Fleet Killer.
I am sure that just for stepping up even if by some chance Sheryl loses Alto-hime in the end (not that I think it likely) that Sheryl will be long remembered as the real heroine of the series for being the anti-Minmei and stepping up to the challenge. If Ranka is to be redeemed then at best she will be considered on par with DYRL Minmei. However I think that it will be Sheryl that will be celebrated as the woman who stared out as a haughty bitch and ended up the tragic songstress who sang until her dying breath to protect her people. Alto-hime will be a douche bag if he leaves her before she dies, a man unworthy of being the male lead in a Macross series. I trust without doubt that hime will make the right decision and honor his oath and uphold the honor of the Saotome name and Mako-cakes’ legacy.
Nanase probably painted that long before Ranka left with Brera and Ai-kun. It would be a shame if it were lost, if Nanse dies then Luca is going to town on that painting. by now I am sure Leon has done much to sell the idea of Ranka the traitor to the Fleet, not that he didn’t have much to work with. I doubt Leon will make it public knowledge that Sheryl is dying so its pretty much down to Alto-hime as her sole source of support for the hard times ahead. Hopefully what ever Alto-hime is cooking for her will make her feel better. (Any idea where I can see that picture? I know it exists somewhere…)
Cosplay is deculture.
@Dorian Cornelius Jasper
If Kawamori decides to kill the bugs that would be the biggest surprise of them all. I saw some of Macross 7 thus I know how crazy macross can get. I am still half expecting Basara to show up at any moment…
I think much of the rancor from macross vets is that Ranka basically became Minmei and all the old hatred we had for that Kaifun loving bint has come back to hit Ranka with a vengeance. It might not be entierly justified, but seeing as how Ranka despite the gentler demeanor did end up making more Minmei moves that Sheryl did…and Sheryl started out as the haughty bitchy Minmei type most of us hated.
Still Grace is now the saving grace for the plot to progress, she’s just so evil hoepfully she will be the last villian to die after trashing Ozma in her VF-27. That would be awesome…otherwise if Grace can’t fly she’d be much less menacing.
@crusader
oh yeah thats right I forgot about Kamujin responsible for the deaths of many zentran allies. Ranka is the ally killer!! many humans, zentran and vajra have died because of her and her song “aimo”
And no evil doesnt always triumph, just anyone who happens to live in a fleet called frontier or 117th research fleet gets screwed over.
@ Dorian Cornelius Jasper
There will be a lot of fighting. Many cannon fodder VF-25s and VF-171s will be lost fighting eachother and the vajra. Some VF-27s will go down too since they have the cannon fodder paint scheme. Island 1 will probably suffer another major direct hit. Many people will get sucked out into space like our hero Skull 2. Just as Battle Frontier is about to shoot its main cannon at SMS Macross Quarter, Ranka will start singing Aimo – club remix. The vajra will make some bug sounds that translate to “deculture!!!” and join SMS Macross Quarter to fight Leon aboard Battle Frontier. The Fighting at this point will get really intense, probably Ozma might get a heroes death or Brera. I am thinking Brera will die because he is more machine than human. As Alto is killing vajra left and right, Sherly will tell him her last wish. Alto will fly back to Battle frontier and into the changing room. Alto will give his last kubike performance on the bridge of Battle Frontier. The Vajra, Frontier Fleet, and even Grace will be so shocked that the fighting will end. After the performance alto will run off to a dieng sherly. Leon really upset that the fighting ended orders Battle Frontier to intensify the foward batteries but it will be too late. Grace VF-27 will plow right through the bridge killing Leon. Battle Frontier will crash into one of the moons orbiting the planet.
Maybe after realizing that thousands, probably millions of life forms (humans and vajra combined and any species caught in space battles) were lost because of her and a dieng slap from an ill Sherly will cause her to care about the galaxy just a tad more. Oh and I forgot to mention, a Macross Class ship always goes down at the end. Since the SMS Macross Quarter is on the good side, she will sink! Monica will have her final moments with Captain Wilder.
after the credits end in the last episode. a red VF-19kai will defold into the protoculture planet and we will see an older Basara upset that he arrived late and nobody heard his music.
@Luke: AWESOME!!! Just AWESOME!!!!
“Ozma should understand what if felt like to lose a wingman for the first time. If he has forgotten then he is a fool that is faithless to his friends and comrades, just because you become jaded doesn’t mean you forget.”
I totally agree, he should understand and if he’s become jaded to point where he has forgotten then he’d be nothing more than a soulless killing machine who cared about nothing.
That’s why I don’t think Ozma is past caring entirely, because he obviously isn’t an empty killing machine.
If he’s guilty of anything its of selfishness right now. His priority isn’t Alto or Luca its Cathy and Ranka.
I concede to you and Hubby-sama on this, no Ozma isn’t totally manly but he isn’t the biggest douche in this series either, Leon wins that title!
Good blog as always, Crusader. And agreed fully at Ranka as a “traitor”.
Though I have to wonder (now that synopsis for the next episodes are up), is Alto going to go back to Kabuki life? *Cough* I think I’m the minority who want him to perform as a kabuki actor in his VF ala Basara *Cough* Look at him, having more girly hips than any of the girls ( No, I’m not counting Grace. Hey, she is a cyborg! As much as I think that Grace is hawt, I prefer au naturale
). He must go back to his kabuki life if he ever had resolution *cough* I am waiting for the legendary Sakura-hime to go back to the stage.
It’s going to be a Sheryl ending now, it’s just a matter of whether Sheryl and Alto are alive or not. Would Ranka fans even want Ranka to be paired up with Alto if it takes Sheryl dying for that to happen? I mean sure you would be ecstatic when it happens since it proves all the naysayers wrong and it vindicates you but when you look back over it… it’s a pretty crappy way to win a triangle. Will be interesting too see certain peoples opinions from the RankaxAlto camp once their euphoria wears off… I know for sure I would be pissed off with that if I was a Ranka fan.
“Lastly, I also do think princess charming will come for Ranka at the finale. With how the way they set it up in this episode, Alto will heed Ozma’s words.”
You didn’t understand Ozma’s words
Here’s a hint Ranka was used as an example.. and that’s about it. Notice how Ozma went from “Protect Ranka” in episode 18 (which led alto to thinking that he wants to find his own path) to “Find your own path, like Ranka did, like I did”.
I also think in a way that Alto had decided on his path its just that he can’t do anything about it. Ozma’s words about being able to protect the women he loves in particular really stung Alto. This is an Alto who had to watch his mother die slowly and now has to go through the same thing with Sheryl. Ozma of course doesn’t know this…
Also for the people thinking Sheryl will give up on Alto unless Aya Endo is flat out lying in the latest Animedia interview, not going to happen.
Still calling Ranka a ‘traitor’?How can you betray something of wich you where never truely part of ?She just chose her path , in order to find the true meaning of her existance she has to find ‘herself’ first.So don’t you dare call her a traitor.Grrrrrr
)
).They might make an OVA or movie or something with more Ranka development (couse she’s slow) in order to put to rest the outraged Ranka fans, they better do it ! XD
@Luke that was great (both posts).
@Dorian Cornelius Jasper -Damn,you’re right
I don’t think that Ranka will fail because than all the episodes dedicated to her would be seriously wasted.And I don’t think she’ll turn out a villan even trough that would be an awsome twist (Revenge! and I love good ‘Dark side’ characters).
At the end of the series or season ,or what ever this is,the two heroine will stand tall (at the same hight
We don’t want her to be the best (we’ll leave that to Sheryl ),or to keep Alto-hime,just give Ranka some happy end.
@Luke
Alto-hime as the silhouetted figure on Battle Frontier who saves the day through the power of Sakura-hime Azuma bunsho? FUND IT. The Bugs will melt before the greatest oyama in the history of anime, not even Grace will be able to ignore hime. In the last act Alto-hime caresses Sheryl as Sakura-hime, Sheryl finds it so moe that she dies. Basara-sama can be the closing act whose music cures Sheryl while Cathy and Ozma make babies in Basara’s honor.
@D.J
Ozma put Cathy before his team…sad to say I cannot agree with this even if it is Cathy. It makes sense though Ozma was not really mentoring his pilots or doing much of anything for them for most of the series other than give orders. He could be inspiring, but he did not take care of those under his command. I would not be surprised if he actually got discharged from NUNS rather than leaving on his own accord.
@Nakki
Let us hope that in the end hime will given one last performance as part of the victory celebration.
@Westlo
Yeah as the episode count dries up the less likely there is a chance of RankaxAlto-hime happening in a satisfying manner that would not make my Alto-hime a jerk. I was willing to give hime away to Ranka, but she dallied far too long with Brera and then went emo in episode 20. As she is now I would not like to betroth my Alto-hime to such a little girl who still keeps that Kaifun equivalent around and that damned pet that tried to kill my Kabuki-hime. Sheryl and Alto-hime have been progressing more as characters together it be a shame to waste all of it considering how little effort Ranka actually put into her love for Pilot-hime. If Ranka gets Alto-hime in the last five minutes she will be mary sue. I just don;t see any real possibility of developing Ranka to a point on par with Sheryl in the time left, we still have to deal with Grace, Leon, and the Vajra issue. They would have to sacrifice most of that if they wanted to redeem Ranka, so I just don’t want it to happen now since I really want to know more about Grace adn the Vajra-Protoculture connection.
@ShadowCat
Ranka was part of the fleet for over a decade, and took on the role of Songstress of hope for the fleet. She abandoned her duty and the promises she made, that is treachery in its most base form. To say that Ranka was never part of Frontier is a lie, it was the people who made her a star and realized her dreams long before Grace stepped in. I care not that she had to find herself, she fled from the fallout in a cowardly manner. No Ranka did betray the fleet in order to find herself, you might think it justified because of pure intent but that hardly excuses leaving her job on some personal whim and leaving at a time when there were no other countermeasures to the Vajra menace. Ranka put herself before the safety of the fleet, she sold them out to find herself that’s what it essentially was.
Now Ranka has found Ai-kun’s home, but she has also led Grace there due to her poor choice of companions. Ranka will have much to answer for.
@Crusader
I will gladly take any donations to fund the episode. I really hope the series ends as crazy as my vision or even better.
If music can end wars and heal people. I am sure a performance from the greatest oyama will do what the protoculture were never able to do in 500,000 years!
@ShadowCat
Ranka will get her good ending.
Ranka and Aikun will walk off into the myst on the ruins of the protoculture city. Ozma and Kathy will be hugging as Ranka dissapears. The homage will be made to SDF Macross Episode 36. So Long 2059
@Nakki
Alto performing in the last episode will be the only logical weapon to use on the vajra aside from the MDE bomb. Recap episode 19 when the camera showed the crowds reaction. Imagine if Alto somehow was able to his VF-25 via Bluetooth and give the galaxy the performance of a lifetime and also show the true potential of the VF-25.
so you suggest that humanity’s greatest demonstration of culture will come not in the form of song but kabuki? subversive, i like! but… if hime-sama is doing the heroine, who gets the man role? *coughOzmacough*
@LurkerJay
The man role will be fulfilled by a miraculously cured (by the power of song energy) Sheryl who will fly in in full Fire Bomber gear (including a fire red VF-25) and she will then proceed to spirit Alto-hime away to parts unknown but not before teaching the Vajra the joy of yuri-goggles and making them join the Ai-Ai-Alto-hime club.