「旋風ドッグファイト」 (Senpu Doggufaito)
“Whirlwind Dogfight”

Just like that, the overconfident rookie gets his wings, and it’s whirlwind initiation for both Hayate and Freyja as they get whipped into shape by a variety of early challenges. With Mirage hot on his tail (literally), Hayate learns the hard way that there’s more to flying than natural talent and confidence, and Freyja receives a lesson in regards to what it means to fight and the battlefields that exist outside of actual skirmishes. As expected, Mikumo’s subtle guidance goes a long way towards the latter’s growth, and with it comes the arrival of a main duo whose natural chemistry is nothing short of impressive.

Granted, it remains to be seen how long it’ll stay a duo given Mirage’s rapid catch up this week, but it’s all Freyja and Hayate for now, and it’s readily apparent in everything they do. Even the backdrops used in their respective scenes are emphasized more than others, and even what would be a casual stroll ends up being so much more. This is a pair whose every interaction reeks of two people that love each other’s company whether they realize it or not, and the fact that both of them rely on one another to succeed at their respective roles makes their link all the more apparent. It’s a match made in heaven as the two inspire one another to take things to the next level, even if it makes you wonder what disasters could happen if the two somehow get separated at some point in the future. Given that the opposing faction seems to consist of other Windermeres, this seems likely to happen sooner rather, and in hindsight it seems like a fitting confirmation given that they’re known as the “Kingdom of the Wind.”

With that said, this episode continues to bring us nostalgic moments reminiscent of other past series, and it was quite the surprise seeing the VF-1 back in all of its glory. Having a whirlwind of a dogfight utilizing them, then contrasting them with the newest VF-31 was a fabulous showcase of past versus present, and the fact that it was quite reminiscent of the dogfighting in Macross Zero made it all the more better. It didn’t quite have the same life and death stakes, and Hayate ain’t no Roy Focker, but it was a nice touch nonetheless, especially when you consider that Macross Δ also brings back the SV line of fighters we last saw in—you guessed it—Zero. Adding to things are the obvious similarities between how Hayate and Freyja are growing closer to one another in the same ways we saw Ranka and Alto grow closer in Frontier, and while I can’t find a screenshot handy off the episodes we covered on RC at the moment, this goes as far as the backdrop we see here (which is nearly identical to one we see in a scene with Ranka and Alto early on in Frontier) and the whole bit with the nyan nyan restaurant/dorm.

And so, with this episode comes yet another week that flew by faster than expected (pun intended), and here’s hoping that by next week Jenius won’t smell too much like vomit. The fact that he didn’t beat the crap out of Hayate still surprises me, but aside from that, mercats are awesome and I still want one. Here’s looking forward to Freyja’s concert debut—can you believe we haven’t even gotten to that yet?—and what should be a new set of catchy themes I’ll look forward to repeating endlessly.

Full-Length: 15

 

Preview

67 Comments

  1. Mirage is proving to be quite an interesting character. Would be nice if she could win some affection points, but….doubtful, unless something happens down the line.

    Silivious
    1. Doubtful? Its already starting and there plenty of more episodes to go. Don’t you know how an anime love triangle works, particularity a Macross one? Heck, Misa’s relationship with Hikaru didn’t start until much later in the series.

      fragb85
      1. I’ve always felt that Alto felt stronger for Sheryl than Ranka overall. The movie kinda just made this point clearer when Alto rejected Ranka and confessed to Sheryl.

        There’s no denying that Alto cares about Ranka, but I guess there’s arguments there for love or simply the desire to protect her as he sees her as vulnerable.

        Lyfe
  2. its funny how in the future, dogfighting still exists when in our current world dogfighting is pretty much not needed with the current lock-on, fire and forget missile systems that can fire from a distance. Yes these VF fighters can shoot down incoming missiles, but in an age of space travel and science magic… im sure militaries can develop a better missile warhead. Or even a better version of a flak gun (thats long range with radar guidance) or large radius explosion guns/missiles. Also… with targeting systems that advanced and with (unlimited?) energy bullets, theres no need of having to be that close to their tail.

    But i like watching dogfights anyways so ill give it a pass, but unless its in a WWI/WWII inspired setting (or even last exile), dogfighting with sci-fi elements kinda ruins the fun.

    Also, as much as i enjoy Freyja, the VA’s vocals when it comes to singing is pretty similar to Ranka Lee’s Megumi Nakajima (but with less range/power/clarity/something, maybe she’ll get better later on?)

    sithstormjedi
    1. i actually think one of the strengths of minori suzuki’s singing is the fact that there’s clarity in her voice unlike some voice actresses who sing and sound just passable.

      sonicsenryaku
    2. First and most important: I am not sure why this comment reminded me of the F-4A. Most military “experts” on that time thought that “supersonic aerial combat” during that time thought that missiles will rule the sky, so they made the F-4A with low armor, low maneuverability, no cannon, lots of missile and great speed. Turns out they had to fix all this in less than two years since they were being destroyed by the Mig-17 (older, slower, no missile just cannon, and very hard to be track by heat or radar signal).

      In fact, today´s military prefer to shot down the enemy air force while it´s still grounded since it is safer. You really never know if those fighters actually have a decent stealth and/or anti-stealth capacity that may force you into a dogfight. In fact, Sukhoi designs are currently focused in that sense. The T-50 PAKFA supposedly has 5 omnidirection sensors designed specifically to detect the F-22 and F-35 (or at least they are trying 😀 ). And they have been working for decades in the plasma shield which actually absorb or deflect all kind of radar signal.

      Back to Macross, Kawamori actually is an aeronautics engineer and after investigating/researching the F-22/23 project, he actually makes the VF-19/21 of Macross Plus with the main idea of building a design that may defeat the F-22, by adding the plasma shield, countermeasure AI, and Jamming. Many people actually joke that it was Sukhoi that stole his designs and ideas to make the T-49 Berkut.

      Maverick05
    3. There’s a reason why dissimilar air combat training (and by extension, TOPGUN) exists. While BVR missiles can help increase pilots’ kill counts, they can’t depend on them all the time. That’s why fifth-gen fighters like the F-22 still have an on-board gun.

      Dogfighting skills are a case of “better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.”

      Anyway, back on topic… VF-1’s being rendered in current-gen anime CG: nostalgic, yet beautiful. (Bonus points for being painted in similar color schemes as Max and Millia’s fighters.) Also, I’m not the only one who thinks that the VF-31 has a similar profile to the Nosferatu from Ace Combat 6, am I?

      And who knew that a mercat of all things can inspire Hayate to do his own take on the Pugachev’s Cobra?

      Incognito
      1. That’s why fifth-gen fighters like the F-22 still have an on-board gun.

        Just to add in, even the newer F-35 has a gatling gun of its own. It fires like less than a minute before it’s completely unloaded, but yeah.

        Zephyr
    4. @Sithstormjedi:

      Apart from what everyone above me has already said about the actual effectiveness of BVR combat in the real world, keep in mind that in the Macross setting all variable fighters not only come equipped with both active and passive stealth capability, but also electronic countermeasures and point-defense weapons designed to disrupt and shoot down missiles. There’s a reason why the famed Macross Missile Massacre is the preferred tactic for air-to-air combat in this setting, and even then they’re not always that effective (as Messer quite handily showed in episode 1, as do various other pilots in other Macross series).

      Considering those, old-school dogfights are in fact the most reliable way to actually engage enemies in air combat in Macross.

      SonyaUliana
    5. @dogfighting with sci-fi elements kinda ruins the fun.

      I’m the opposite. I thought pilots trying to shoot each other down adds to the excitement of the battle. Like when Alto faced Brera in Frontier.

      Lyfe
  3. Just to remind people though, the SV-51 in Macross Zero was based on Sukhoi’s designs, while Macross Delta’s SV-series planes seem to be based on SAAB’s (think the SAAB Gripen, Draken, or the Viggen)

    I’m getting worried though, only “Ikenai Borderline” seems to be the ear worm music of this show. Maybe they need to get Yokko Kanno back on this project?

    Okabe_Rintarou
    1. The SV-262 is based of the SAAB Draken since its named the Draken III.

      Why should they get Kanno back when they already have 3 musical composers for Delta? They don’t have any problems with their songs. And Kanno works better in orchestral musical scores than song composition. Honestly the songs the in Delta are pretty good especially since its focused on an idol group and not single or duet like Frontier. I particularly like the song in the last episode.

      Bystander
      1. I’d say give it some time as well. It’s quite early on in general, so even if none of the vocal songs rock your fancy right now aside from that one, there’s a lot of room for that to change given how many they’re bound to have before it’s all said and done.

        Zephyr
      2. New song Freyja sang was great, though the songs are not “Diamond no crevasse” or “Lion”, great at the moment. It’d be great if they managed to one up Diamond no Crevasse, which I think is one of the best anime songs to come out recently.

        Swarz
  4. I’m liking Freya already. She started out as Ranka 2.0 but apparently capable of snark (my favorite type of comedy). That’s a huge plus for me. Mirage still has a steel rod up her ass but thankfully Hayate doesn’t really have any ill will with her and is willing to listen to her now. And speaking of Hayate, he may be a slacker, but I enjoy his optimism. Even when Messer messed him up, he just smiled aond moved on. Its refreshing, considering how tiring the whole generic “character mopes about his faults #100” cliche that has been plaguing the anime industry.

    fragb85
    1. That almost sounds like Mirage should be grateful to Hayate, then??

      Fighter jets are not there for the enjoyment of juveniles who desire to soar the skies.

      Let’s not mince words: Up to his apology at the end of ep3, Hayate has been a selfish prick with horrible work ethics (think back to ep1 where he was fired for his job performance). And when he started ep3, he also showed zero concept of responsibility, either.

      Mirage tried to do what she could. She went out of her way to chase him down and make him understand that this job would require him to fight on battlefields – just like he had already even experienced. No matter to Hayate. This was about his personal fun/enjoyment, nothing else. THIS is why Mirage wanted to flunk and expel him, she said it in ep3. If Hayate passes, he will die in the first serious battle they might enter. A very realistic assessment, if you ask me.

      No. The captain wanted to try out Hayate for his aptitude in battloid mode that he had shown, but pre-apology Hayate would be a failure sooner or later. He needs a massive attitude adjustment, but it seems that he’ll gradually smarten up.

      Mentar
      1. You are right. If anything, Mirage deserves a prize for being so patient with him.

        Another blog I follow explained his character as the last in a common trend in anime in which the protagonist is “a misunderstood genius that looks for freedom but doesn’t know where to find it”. If only the rest of the world bended itself to give him the chance to prove how awesome he really is…

        On the bright side, Macross Delta diverged from the typical path by making him acknowledge that his instructor’s efforts had a reason, that flight is not as easy as it seems, and that last humilliation by Messer taught him that the battlefield isn’t fair and he shouldn’t expect it to be just because everyone has tolerated his antics in the base.

        Mistic
      2. Indeed.

        The way Hayate was initially irked me initially as well, and ultimately it’s important to note that flying in your own way isn’t something that excludes being able to work well in a group or being more aware in combat situations.

        It took a bit of effort on the part of Mirage to get him to realize that, and thankfully he’s on the path towards that realization. He’ll probably take a little longer to truly internalize the lesson, but it’s certainly a positive development across the board.

        Zephyr
  5. I know for sure Freya would lose. She’s 14. Ranka was like almost out of high school. AS for the rest. I have to say the song Freya was singing is catchy as heck! AS for the dog fight. Dog fights happens when they track the missiles with their eyes and nerves optics. Being able to zoom out and take care of them from afar is a boon. However on the subject of one and one duel, that dude pretty much said straight up, such fights do not exist.

    I am beginning to peice together some stuff. The Windere Macross suffered a rebellion and the government was overthrown. The human and zentradi fell to the Windermeian people it seems like and U.N Spacy might have been find with it so long as Windermere still consider herself a subject of the galatic empire.

    Maybe this strike against Ranga Macross is the first open signs of rebellion. The Vars might be unleashed upon UNSPacy to prevent them from noticing the insurrection that is going on. The Vars seems like a variation of the Varja virus and it took singing like Ranka to pacify them.

    It would explain Windermere hatred for Walkure beause they are pretty much foiling Winderemere break for independence.

    All speculation of course but so far that seem to be the case. I do like the more strip down Valkyries, it’s doesn’t make the army into a joke.

    Duzz
  6. While I greatly enjoy the slice-of-life scenes in this episode, Hayate’s actions during his training time really made me want to clobber him over the head, repeatedly, with any heavy blunt instrument handy.

    Seriously, he wants to join Delta Platoon to fly but he doesn’t like nor want to get involved in the military part of Delta Platoon job (protecting the Walkure from threats)? It’s like a military recruit joining the military for the free benefits and not want to get involved in the main military roles he’s meant to do. It’s like a free loader to me.

    I was pretty happy when reality in the forms of air sickness due to wild G-force maneuvers and Mirage and Messer constantly clobbering some sense and reality into him. I still don’t like Hayate’s attitude in this episode though. I hope he’ll finally realise the seriousness of his job soon, before someone gets hurt or worse, killed.

    At least Alto Saotome in Macross Frontier had more common sense and understood what he was getting into when he joined SMS.

    RedWolff
    1. Well I think the point of the episode was to show how naive Hayate truly is, so a first mission in the battlefield is a must to serve as wake up call but I do agree with him telling Mirage that at the very least you have to enjoy what you do for a living, you break a apart sooner or later if you stay as stiff as Mirage.

      haseo0408
      1. I agree Mirage needs to lighten up. Though I also believe her problem would be her family history and name. I’m betting the Jenus family’s got quite a reputation and this is weighing down on her.

        RedWolff
      2. Well as I said in the previous episode post being the grandaughter of two war heros is no walk in the park and you have to consider Max is a military and Milia is a Zentradi, those two had absolutely no idea of how deal with civilian life or family for that matter, so I think being stiff runs in the family, it great effort for marriage to work. Hope Mirage doesn´t make the same mistakes.

        haseo0408
      3. “I do agree with him telling Mirage that at the very least you have to enjoy what you do for a living, you break a apart sooner or later if you stay as stiff as Mirage”

        On the other hand, Hayate’s the one who was fired from his job in the very first episode for being lazy and irresponsible and has been stumbling from one job to another, landing in this one by pure chance. And until the end he didn’t seem to realize that the military is not the best place for flying freely, disliking orders and regulations, and not wanting to shoot people. So much for career counseling.

        Anime doesn’t lack messages in favour of joy and freedom. If anything, it would be more ground-breaking to have the stiff, serious and responsible character being right all along.

        Like RedWolff, Hayate makes me appreciate Alto more. He was pretty laid-back too, but knew well enough for what he was signing and took his job seriously from the beginning, even if he liked the flashier stuff sometimes.

        Mistic
      4. I’ll say that while being too stiff generally rubs people the wrong way and people don’t tend to like people with such personalities, I don’t think that it’s something guaranteed to cause someone to “break apart” at some point.

        Ultimately, I feel that much of that is an assumption we make as people who aren’t of similar viewpoints and can’t understand how they can be so strict all the time, and it’s important to step back and see where the person’s coming from. As much of a stiff they seem to be, there’s a reason they are who they are, and they too can get a sense of fulfillment (similar to those that want to enjoy what they do) just by knowing that people are following the rules/learning to be prepared for various situations.

        Of course, it’d be great to have someone who’s both serious and understands the need for individual expression and freedom, but that’s a pretty rare combination to find, and there’s certainly an argument to be made that every organization could actually use someone who takes on and embraces the role of a “stiff” to make sure everyone falls in line to some degree, especially those who are particularly strong on the “want freedom and enjoyment” spectrum.

        Zephyr
  7. There is a very thin line between love and hatred and right Mirage is dancing across it and the poor girl does not even realized it yet. Those two had the worst possible first meeting, have very different personalities and see the world in complete opossite ways so it will be very interesting to see how they learn from each other and warn up to each other, hey they´re going to be squad mates so they at least have to be friends or Mirage is going to shoot down Hayate sooner than later with some unfriendly fire. XD

    haseo0408
  8. The star of the show has got to be that mercat. When it was being chased underwater, I could’ve sword that sudden stop it did was reminiscent of what Fokker did in Macross Zero. Mirage’s mercat is cuter though. Really enjoying the chemistry between Hayate and Freyja, and Hayate and Mirage. That and more Mikumo is always good. As for side characters, that green-haired girl with the :3 smile is pretty cute.

    Zhinvu
  9. And so, the 3rd episode has come.

    My verdict on the 3 episode rule: Ill keep Delta on my to-watch list. I still cringe at the idols-in-the-battlefield and the sudden-power-up-thanks-to-singing thing, but such a thing is minor compared to the good old Macross fun.

    PS: I like Mirage a lot. I have fetish for strict type of girls

    Ginobi47
    1. PS: I like Mirage a lot. I have fetish for strict type of girls

      Pretty but strict… My God I’m terrified D:

      Whatever gives you the emo-maso juju bro, I’d probably still look at her from a distance. At least Hayate makes for a good punching bag.

      Nishizawa Mihashi
  10. I felt weird when Hayate asked Mirage whether she’s enjoy what she’s doing.

    Since she’s a soldier, I’m not sure she should found this line of work enjoyable much.
    One might find life as a military personnel enjoyable in some way but not so about training and actual combat. The reason for the latter two should be responsibility and a sense of duty.

    runner
    1. But that’s exactly the thing that differentiates these two.

      Mirage – as far as we can see – is driven by a feeling of duty and responsibility. Her task is to protect, and she is taking this very seriously. She is flying to achieve this goal, and the very concept that she might actually enjoy flying is alien to her – she reacted puzzled, almost confused.

      Hayate is 90% selfish, at least as this point (I give him 10% for his efforts of saving Freyja in ep1). He couldn’t care less about the responsibilities of the job of a fighter pilot, and consequently he is evading any training unrelated to his interests. For him, becoming a pilot is 90% for self-satisfaction and personal enjoyment. The ability to fly in the wind. A spoiled, self-centered brat with latent talents.

      This is probably the reason why the Captain tasked Mirage with training Hayate. It would help Mirage if she could relax and loosen up at least a little bit more, taking this from Hayate. Like, it wouldn’t hurt if she indeed managed to draw enjoyment out of her flying. And Hayate desperately needs a major attitude fix best gotten from someone like Mirage.

      That’s what we’re going to see.

      Mentar
      1. You totally got a point there.
        But, maybe this is just me, I keep getting the feeling that the show is trying to portrayed Hayate’s “free-spirited” (read: irresponsible, self-center) attitude as the better side which will not bugged me this much if his career of choice wasn’t a soldier. Maybe because after 3 episodes in and we still didn’t see any negative repercussion of his attitude since everything seems to turned out alright for him.

        Well, maybe it’s just as you said that we’ll just gonna have to wait and see.

        runner
      2. @Runner
        I’m getting the same vibes. Maybe he will learn after this episode, but for now his laziness, irresponsibility and selfishness is being rewarded, and the only one who seems to have a problem with that is painted as in need of “enlightment”.

        It wouldn’t be the first time joy and freedom are painted as the superior values by anime or manga, not to mention messages such as “talent beats hard work” and “intuition beats discipline”, but here it’s a borderline designated moral not supported by any other evidence that Hayate getting away with things other Macross characters wouldn’t in the same situation.

        Mistic
      3. @Hayate is 90% selfish

        When he becomes an ace pilot, with a serious love interest and a goal to work towards after some serious battles, he’ll probably be radically different. Probably by the finale.

        Lyfe
    2. Nothing strange about enjoying your job. Mirage’s grandfather(?) loved his job. He even uses his spare time going to the arcades playing VF-1 Valkyrie games. One of the differences between fighter pilots and soldiers on the ground is that a kill doesn’t mean someone gets killed. There’s more room for fun without going into the psychopathy direction.

      theirs
  11. Eyyy guys, I wanna watch Delta but is it like necessary for me to watch the other shows? And if I wanna watch the other shows, in what order should I watch them in?

    Shit, it’s just like Gundam all over again… D:

    Nishizawa Mihashi
    1. As of now it has a separate story to previous Macrosses. You can watch it but expect to miss out some references, Deculture. Also it’s 8 years after Macross Frontier if you want to start with that.

      PS: if you’re going to watch Frontier make sure to also watch the movies.

      Blahto
    2. Macross is quite friendly to newcomers. I’ve only seen Frontier and was able to understand the story. They’re basically self contained stories that may have references to previous works, but you can understand it just fine.

      Anyways, Macross Delta as of yet doesn’t really have a deep story, you’ll be fine!

      Lyfe
    3. It’s just as Lyfe says. You don’t really need to see the previous ones to enjoy it. From my personal experience, you might get a sense of deja vu (they played this one good in Frontier) and notice those small teasers they put in. Other than that, I don’t think there’s anything to add. I started from Macross, then Robotech, Plus, Do You Remember Love, Zero, parts of 7, Frontier, II and finally Frontier Movies. Watched the first episode of Robotech before the first episode of Macross too, boy was that confusing XD.

      Of course if you want to see how technology evolves in universe, you could watch it backwards. From Delta to Frontier movie, Frontier, 7 (maybe, haven’t really watched it), Plus, SDF Macross/Do You Remember Love and finally Zero.

      theirs
      1. Robotech? As ubiquitous and timeless the title of ‘Macross’ is, I’ve not a single clue what this ‘Robotech’ has anything to do with it. Plis spank mai braen plis. :V

        Nishizawa Mihashi
      2. Robotech is Macross after American localisation, I believe. Anyway, they lost the rights to the license halfway through the anime. So the company took parts from different anime and patched them together to make the final few episodes. So, its something you’re better off staying out of.

        P.s: If you don’t want to warm your ass through 2 cour long old anime shows, just watch “Do you remember love”(Movie of the 1st series. Better in every way. Art, animation, graphics and story.) followed by Frontier movies(better plot with a clear ending).

        Happy Watching!

        Swarz
      3. Araits, I think I’ve got it all sorted out. I binged Macross 0 just now, and from the looks of it, I might just end up having to compare Macross 0’s animation quality to all the other shows in the series. Looks like I’m in for several long days. I’ll be back man, I’ll be back.

        Nishizawa Mihashi
      4. @Anyway, they lost the rights to the license halfway through the anime.

        Didn’t the Macross license fall into dispute? Harmony Gold USA seem to think they own it, which is why Macross Frontier, Delta etc will likely never get a proper release in English outside of Japan. But at least the Blu Ray/DVDs of Delta are getting English subs.

        I think Frontier is amazing, and Delta so far. It sucks that no one can license these without the hassle from Harmony Gold, these shows deserve a proper TV airing in America, they’d get so many fans.

        Lyfe
    4. Okkeyh boys, thank you the very much. I’ll try my best to figure out which is which in the timeline, but thanks for giving me some pointers aite? 😀

      I think I’ll blast through the previous seasons and hopefully catch up to Delta in 2 weeks’ time. That’s still a possibility right? Right!?

      Nishizawa Mihashi
  12. I think Mirage became a pilot (warrior) because of her lineage and did you see how her ears move!? I giggle when I saw that xD. I can’t remember but I believe those hand flying gesture is also a reference to previous Macrosses…..

    PS: Those W sign, it hurts just seeing that!!

    Blahto
  13. Not only are the VF-1EX painted in color schemes that are deliberately evoking those of Max and Milia Jenius – with blue-haired Hayate piloting the blue one and Mirage, of course, the red – but looking closely at the battroid mode of Hayate’s unit, the head clearly identifies it as a modified VF-1J. In other words, it’s not only the color scheme that’s evocative of the First Generation, but the aircraft themselves are modified versions of THE SAME VARIANT ONCE PILOTED BY MAX AND MILIA.
    Man, they are really going all out with the parallels to Mirage’s grandparents here. And IT. IS. AWESOME.

    M&MFJ
  14. I dunno, you guys are like talking about this Mirage and Hayate thing right? I haven’t checked out Delta yet myself, but if anything though like, based on what I read from you guys’ posts, Mirage is pretty much the too-damn-serious dude while Hayate’s like, the nye-nye-ne-nya-nye guy right?

    So if that’s the case, I think it’s just great to see them fighting like mating dogs trying to edge each other out I guess. I don’t know what the hell I’m saying. Like look, the point is, I think very balanced dudes do exist, just that they’re probably not in this show y’know? Like Ace Combat had characters who were ‘just-right’, know what I’m sayin’ bruh? Like Captain Bartlett or Pixy who had fun but know what they’re doing kinda guys no?

    Man, I sound stoned as shit on this website. Pardon the ramblings of an off-center guy.

    Nishizawa Mihashi

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