102 replies to this topic

[J.H.]

Vampire Knight?
Crap!
Soul Hunter?
Crap!
ToLOVEru?
Crap!
Almost everything that has hit Japanese airwaves anime wise since March?
Crap!
KURENAI?
Crap!
REAL DRIVE?
Ok that's not crap but...

There is only one show for the Spring/Summer season that you should watch and that is Macross FRONTIER!

Look, every major franchise has its hits and its misses. Hell I haven't been able to watch a Gundam show since G Gundam because that was really the last original take Gundam. SEED was just First Gundam with bishonnen pretty boys and super mecha. Saint Seiya has sadly proven that a 70's style manga can't make the leap to modern animation and look good. Do I even have to mention how dull and repetitive Bleach and One Piece are these days?

No Macross FRONTIER is the show that matters. Shoji Kawamori and crew have reunited most of the band together (sorry all you Mikimoto fans, only a few sketches are coming out of him for this) for Macross' 25th Anniversary and so far, ten episodes in it is has been absolutely amazing. Really nice CGI that actually blends well with the cel drawn animation, killer nods to previous Macross series and did I mention the incredible Yoko Kanno on music?

Look you can sit there and moan like me about how, with the exception of a few really good shows anime has sucked the last few seasons but dammit if you love anime and I mean [b]LOVE ANIME/b]  you owe it to yourself to get online and watch this bad boy. Sweet shades of Roy Focker the music alone is Kanno making great original music AND aping herself at the same time... I mean that is damn genius!

You've got everything you want from a show called Macross: A love TRiangle, A Space War, Bridge Bunnies, Zentraedi and most importantly a direct link to all Macross that has come before it (well accept for Macross II: Lovers Again... that was crap). I'm not giving you story hits on this. I'm not giving you character bios. I'm going to let you people rediscover the love of anime all for yourself. Watch Macross FRONTIER... You'll thank me!  

James

[DeMysteriisDomCanuckus]

Seconded.  I'm up to episode 9, and it's great!

[Cliff Hanger]

I've been arguing with myself for two months now.  On the one hand, the original Macross is maybe my favorite TV show ever.  On the other hand, I deliberately walked away from fansubs two years ago and have, so far, kept to it.  But it's gotten such good reviews and is a special legal fuckup case, so I'll probably watch it all at once when it's done.

[J.H.]

Cliff Hanger, on Jun 15 2008, 12:59 AM, said:

I've been arguing with myself for two months now.  On the one hand, the original Macross is maybe my favorite TV show ever.  On the other hand, I deliberately walked away from fansubs two years ago and have, so far, kept to it.  But it's gotten such good reviews and is a special legal fuckup case, so I'll probably watch it all at once when it's done.

There are a ton of shows. There even fewer shows I like but trust me, keeping up on Macross Frontier should be weekly viewing. It is just that damn good

James

[DeMysteriisDomCanuckus]

The characters are really interesting in this, and the animation is gorgeous.  It's worth getting it, even if it's fansubbed.

[Matt D]

My macross-fu is pretty weak (I mean I watched Robotech quite a bit, have seen Macross Plus a dozen times and uh... hey, that's it).

Do I need anything to catch me up?

[J.H.]

Matt D, on Jun 15 2008, 08:17 PM, said:

My macross-fu is pretty weak (I mean I watched Robotech quite a bit, have seen Macross Plus a dozen times and uh... hey, that's it).

Do I need anything to catch me up?

Here is a quick timeline:
2008 - Events of Macross Zero OVA
1999-2010  - Events of SDF Macross TV Series (Space War I)
2009 - Macross: Do You Remeber Love (the 1985 movie is retconned into Macross history as a 'Fictionalized' movie telling of Space War I)
2012 - Macross Flashback 2012 (Minmay's Farewell concert and launch of the SDF Megarod)
2016 - Megarod vanishes along with Space War I Heroes Hikaru Ichijo (Rick Hunter in Robotech), Misa Hayase-Ichijo (Lisa Hayes Hunter) and Lynn Minmay (Lin Minmei)
2040 - Events of Macross Plus OVA/Movie
2045-2046 - Events of Macross 7 TV Series, Events of Macross 7: The Galaxy Is Calling me movie and Macross 7 ENCORE OVA
2047 - Events of Macross Dynamite 7 OVA
2059 - Events of Macross FRONTIER TV Series

So far every episode has featured a nod to one of the previous Macross shows. Yoko Kanno even reworks some of her Macross Plus music for episodes 1 & 2.

All you really need to know is the original Macross TV series and the legend of Lynn Minmay to really understand FRONTIER.

James

[ColinBecker]

I'm only three eps in and I am loving this. I have to say at this point I'd watch anything that has a Yoko Kanno soundtrack.  Sadly this is the only current show im tracking, because Zoku Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei and GaoGaiGar are taking up all my free time.

[J.H.]

ColinBecker, on Jun 16 2008, 01:54 PM, said:

I'm only three eps in and I am loving this. I have to say at this point I'd watch anything that has a Yoko Kanno soundtrack.  Sadly this is the only current show im tracking, because Zoku Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei and GaoGaiGar are taking up all my free time.

You make it sound like having your time taken up Zetsubo Sensei and GaoGaiGar is a bad thing! I can think of no 2 finer shows to have my time taken up by... well maybe Gurren Lagann... no DEFINITELY Gurren Lagann!

and possibly Cutie Honey The Live...

James

[DeMysteriisDomCanuckus]

Spoiler

So...  I just watched Macross Zero, and does anybody else think that there will be a link between Sheryl Nome of Macross Frontier and Mao & Sarah Nome from Macross Zero?  And could the Vajra perhaps be linked to the Bird Human/APHOS?  The organic design of the BH leads me to believe there could be a link there as well.

[J.H.]

It is an interesting theory and wondered about that myself. It would be an interesting twist. I'm guessing Sheryl is using a stage name though (no proof just a feeling).

Episode 12 hits this week and it will be Alto fighting the Zentraedi Marines. The concet of Aentraedi Marines is so awesome that I'm totally stoked for the episode. They need to be at least as cool as the Earth Force Marines from Space Cruiser Yamato!

James

[DeMysteriisDomCanuckus]

Somehow, I have a feeling that the Zentraedi Marines are going to be brawling with eachother as much as they'd be duking it out with Alto.  Just based on Klan's description of them.

[J.H.]

I just watched episode 12 and f you are GIANT Macross geek then all I have to say is... YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS EPISODE!

James

[DeMysteriisDomCanuckus]

Oh yes, t'was glorious.  13 brought the darkness, though...  A lot of reason to question loyalties.  Reneging on my original theory of Vajra origin, as that now appears to have been blown out of the water like the HMS Hood, could the Vajra be a human creation?

[J.H.]

DeMysteriisDomCanuckus, on Jul 8 2008, 10:50 PM, said:

Oh yes, t'was glorious.  13 brought the darkness, though...  A lot of reason to question loyalties.  Reneging on my original theory of Vajra origin, as that now appears to have been blown out of the water like the HMS Hood, could the Vajra be a human creation?

It is certainly looking that way. I question the whole Grace suddenly wishing to kill Sheryl thing as it seems to have come from left field. I mean she was slightly suspicious for like 1.5 episodes and then goes all nuts. and now it looks like Ranka has a connection to the the weird crystals that Sheryl earrings are made of. Next episode is looking to be as action packed as episode 7 so that is a good thing. Hopefully we get some answers soon. Maybe my prediction of Ozma dying in episode 16 will not coem true (y'know I was thinking since he was in the Roy Rocker role and all)

James

[DeMysteriisDomCanuckus]

I thnk they'll kill Klan, Michael, or Luca before they kill Ozma.   I don't see them killing off Ozma just yet because there isn't the relationship there between he and Alto like there was between Hikaru and Roy in the first Macross.  It has to be somebody closer, and for that reason, I have feeling that it will be Michael that ends up getting the watery grave.

[J.H.]

I just hope the threads of the story start coming together and they don't rush to an ending. 11 episodes to go after all... I mean the thing with Grace came out of left field and I don't want ti go all crzy and all of a sudden reveal that Nana-chan is the Mistress of The Vajra or some such (because I really like Nana-chan and if she were to go apeshit crazy I'd rather she go all 'Perfect Blue' on Ranka)

James

[DeMysteriisDomCanuckus]

Yeah...  Well, with the next episode, we're supposed to learn the connection between Ranka and Brera, RE: the song "Aimo."  I'm guessing they were seperated in the assault on the 117th fleet, and are actually brother and sister.  And from there, that should hopefully lead to an explanation of the Grace/Mishima link...

And why do you figure the series is only going to go one season?

[J.H.]

DeMysteriisDomCanuckus, on Jul 9 2008, 02:05 AM, said:

Yeah...  Well, with the next episode, we're supposed to learn the connection between Ranka and Brera, RE: the song "Aimo."  I'm guessing they were separated in the assault on the 117th fleet, and are actually brother and sister.  And from there, that should hopefully lead to an explanation of the Grace/Mishima link...

And why do you figure the series is only going to go one season?

Because that's what it was announced as, 1 25/26 episode season. If it gets picked up for a Full season then that's great but all sources have it as 25 episodes. I don't think they'll take the Code Geass/Gundam 00 route and break one continuous story over 2 separate seasons. Studio Nue isa bit more careful with the Macross franchise than Sunrise is with the Gundam one (not saying that Sunrise isn't being careful with Gundam 00, just that the overall Gundam franchise policy in the past has been Gundam=Money no matter how crappy stuffing instead of potatoes... hence the Char Aznable feminine napkin debacale)

James

[J.H.]

DeMysteriisDomCanuckus, on Jul 9 2008, 12:46 AM, said:

I thnk they'll kill Klan, Michael, or Luca before they kill Ozma.   I don't see them killing off Ozma just yet because there isn't the relationship there between he and Alto like there was between Hikaru and Roy in the first Macross.  It has to be somebody closer, and for that reason, I have feeling that it will be Michael that ends up getting the watery grave.

Well looks like episode 17 is titled "Goodbye Sister" with the plot focusing on Ozma promising to go to Ranka's concert but having to bail when SMS has to scramble. The title doesn't exactly imply good tidingsfor Ozma...


James