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「決断 オーバーロード」 (Ketsudan Oba Rodo)
“Decision Overload”
The calm before the storm gives way to the beginning of the hostilities, and it’s all guns blazing as the Delta Platoon engage in combat with the Aerial Knights. A new theme from Walkure serves as the backdrop to a full deployment of Siegfrieds, giving us the music + combat package we’ve come to expect from the franchise while also delivering an assortment of mouth watering Valkyrie close-ups.
The first real combat for Hayate ends up a hit/miss as expected however, and while he does end up holding his own for the most part, his inexperience and attempts to keep enemy pilots alive ultimately lead him down a precarious path unfitting for his current skill level. What results is him being forced to kill an enemy pilot despite his best efforts, and it’s a wake-up call in more ways than one—especially for Mirage, whose life he saves in the process. Mirage’s inability to fight enemies of this nature ends up the major development, and this was a week that showed just how human she actually is despite her generally strict exterior.
As it turns out, she’s had her own struggles trying to fill the shoes of her grandparents, and it’s not surprising given their legendary status. At the same time however, you’d think she’d know better than to try and prioritize the lives of enemy fighters despite this realization and extra experience, but it just goes to show how she and Hayate are more similar than one would believe at first glance. They may be complete opposites when it comes to their flying styles—one is often precise but too predictable, the other unpredictable but not as skilled—but at their respective cores, they’re both pilots struggling to reach their full potentials while being crushed by the realities of combat.
Shifting over to the Windermere side, the aforementioned interaction between Mirage, Hayate, and the Aerial Knights also highlights the core issue with the former’s ability to wage war, with Master Herman clearly blundering in his attempt to give a fledgling pilot his first kill. At this point I wouldn’t be surprised if part of that was caused by Herman’s advanced age and the need to rush “younger” (though, technically still old by Windermere standards) pilots into combat, and combined with the obvious struggles experienced by Heinz after every song, it’s clear just how much of a literal ticking time bomb their war campaign is—even if the scars left by prior combat seem to give them some justification in waging it.
What that leaves us with is Freyja, who ends up being caught in between as the supposed Windermere traitor. Targeted especially by the Aerial Knights this week, she arguably loses her way the most out of any character this week, with Mikumo throwing verbal bombs left and right in an attempt to get her back on track. For the first time all series, she doesn’t end the episode with her usual interactions with Hayate, and this could very well mark the point where their respective paths start to diverge somewhat, with the opposite being said of Hayate and Mirage
Looking forward, the future brings with it an impending infiltration mission, and with it more promises of shenanigans involving Mirage. Fans of the latter’s pairing are likely having their fun in the sun at this point, but ultimately it’ll be interesting to see how all three of our main triangle try and find their way back from their respective set backs, and whether or not Freyja’s able to get back her groove before things spiral down even further. Until next week!
Preview
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So last week Messer chided both Hayate and Mirage for not killing the Var Syndrome infected Spacey pilots (shooting their wings instead) as even though they are comrades of the same unit, they became the enemy and thus must be destroyed.
This week, when dealing with the same situation, Var Syndrome infected Spacey pilots only in Space so what does Messer do? The exact same thing he chided Hayate & Mirage for doing?
… Whut?
Naw, you missed the part where he said they’re not yet skilled enough to be able to always go for crippling shots.
Also in Space there is not the G-Force stress on his Fighter
He explained that while lecturing them about it. He’s a good enough pilot that he can land the tougher shot of taking out a wing rather than going for the body while at their levels of experience they have a hard enough time just hitting the enemy and shouldn’t be making things harder in the middle of battle by trying to be merciful.
Your right, had to re-watch it again!
Thanks for clarification! ^^
Yeeesh, Mirage’s performance was awful here. And I thought jobbing female pilots was a stereotype attributed to the Gundam franchise. I’m really hoping this was just a fluke and she gets her shit together next time.
I’m also bothered by how on the nose this whole “killing is bad” thing at this point. Killing someone else is terrible, I get that. But we just spent the last episode about the characters dealing with going to war and the consequences from it. They should have done both these themes at the same time but splitting them up on different episodes just feels disjointed.
I did like the world building and how the NUNS see this is a small-scale conflict, which technically it is. It makes the whole setting of Macross feel much bigger if we focus an entire story on a small pocket of the galaxy. Also interesting was that Chaos has even more squadrons of VF-31 so its nice to see that they aren’t relying on Delta alone.
Not sure where you got the “killing is bad” thing from because in this episode Mr hardass said the reverse. The reason why they didn’t want to have to kill the Spacy pilots was because they were their allies who had the misfortune of being under a form of mind control. Hardass simply said they didn’t have the luxury of worrying about this and in combat it was kill or be killed.
I do think they handled nicely the impact that killing someone has on Hayate. He’s a naive teen and even though it was justified killing someone is going to impact you (unless you’re made of stone!)
A time when war between planets is considered a small scale conflict. Makes you wonder if… no, when it will become reality.
She’s just not that great of a pilot, which is a refreshing change from your 100% ace wing. She’s probably passable by UN spacy/military standards, but not really outstanding. We saw a unit from alpha squad killed also in the fight. They’re fighting the Windermere elite guard, so it’s not that surprising she was outclassed. What bothered me more is that she lasted so long against sustained fire when most of the time fighters in macross are destroyed in a small handful of shots if hit. Her fighter barrier got plot armor all of a sudden.
While mirage not necessarily an exceptionally or especially skilled super-ace, I get the sense she knows very well why she fights, and what she is fighting for. I guess in that sense a polar opposite of Freya, who has her anti-var powers but hasn’t yet come to terms with her reason for fighting a war with her homeland yet.
Do remember that the VF-31 has very practical pinpoint barriers, as shown with Hayate in episode 4, and that her Valkyrie is using a Super Pack, which provides extra power to the VF’s systems, which would consequently give her a more powerful pinpoint barrier than what Hayate had.
I would have to disagree with what you meant by “Passable talent”. Remember, Delta squad is made up of the best pilots there are. I think it probably a psychological barrier that’s holding her back, which I think we’ll see her getting over during the course of the anime. Most probably with the help of Hayate. Tho I do agree the way they made her completely useless in the battle was a bit sloppy.
Mirage is not jobbing, per-se, but she flies way too “by the book” (something that Messer with his usual anvil-like personality adresses), which made her awfully predictable, in contrast of Max and Millia, which were natural-born talented pilots, strange enough, somewhat simmilar to Hayate right now.
We as spectators know, he did not killed him. But in the anime they let him think he killed one. We saw that he ejected with some kind of Pilots seat, and his old Wingmen grab him, before he got burned into an chicken. So he is alive inside his Mecha hand
Nope the Newbie pilot’s dead. The instructor tried to grab him, but his SV blew up before the instructor managed to get to him. That’s why he looked so dismayed afterwards
The rookie pilot was caught in the explosion, he’s dead. He made the mistake of targeting Mirage 🙂
“And I thought jobbing female pilots was a stereotype attributed to the Gundam franchise.”
WTF are you talking about? Please stop with the misinformed generalization. There are many badass female pilots in Gundam franchise both from the good-guy & bad-guy sides since Zeta Gundam aired back in 1985. Most of them can only be beaten by the MCs because, well, they’re the MCs with uber Newtype powers. I can list them for you, but it’s gonna be a long one, so I’ll just mention two characters from both good & bad sides to represent the other competent female pilots: Christina Mackenzie & Haman Karn. Still not satisfied? Then I’ll give you the most recent examples: in IBO, we have Lafter & Azee whose piloting skills outrank all the Tekkadan pilots except for the MC. And if that’s not enough, we even have Amida who’s skill is above them. So, stop spreading those false stereotype, please.
Good episode. Just one nitpick: what bothered me this week was Arad’s “make sure to keep track of your propellant”
The transforming mecha/planes we see in Macross run on thermonuclear engines, not propellant-fueled gas turbines. Therefore, in the context of fighter-to-fighter combat, they should not run out of fuel so fast. So why does it become an inconvenience to our heroes? To make a drama-preserving handicap? Macross Frontier didn’t make the whole propellant thing a handicap with their VF-25s (and they had dogfights just as long or longer than this week’s episodes, so why start now?
Only the VF-0 Phoenix and the the SV-51 from Macross Zero (60+ years ago in the timeline of the Macross series) should be having this problem since they were running on fossil fuels, but not the most advanced spacefighter craft the Chaos PMC are fielding.
I’m assuming they meant the fuel for the extra boosters of their FAST packs. Those things would probably be essential, or at least give them an edge, for dogfighting with the Windermere Drakens.
Perhaps they still need reaction mass to throw out the back, even if they energy needed to throw said mass out the back comes from a nuclear reaction…
Keep in mind that they said “propellant”, not “fuel”. Spacecraft still need reaction mass in space to be capable of moving, and not having air in space the VF’s thermonuclear engines don’t have anything to compress and push out as reaction mass, hence the need for propellant (essentially making VF engines a jet turbine/rocket hybrid). The nuclear reactor itself has practically unlimited fuel in a tactical setting, but without propellant it’d only be useful as a heater. It’s only really in an atmosphere with all the air that can be used as propellant where Valkyries tend to have unlimited range.
It’s likely that Hayate, being a new pilot who is more used to battroid than fighter form, used up a hell of a lot more propellant simply because his maneuvers are all wastefully energy-intensive, and hence inefficient. This is in contrast to ace pilots like the rest of Delta Squadron, or the SMS in Frontier, and in other Macross series, who are quite efficient with their movements and likely their engine management.
Arado even says to the whole of Delta Squadron that space combat is different from atmospheric battle, and this likely includes differences like space maneuvering having an actual operational limit as far as Valkyries are concerned. Hayate is still likely thinking as an atmospheric pilot at this point, and thus using more energy (and thus propellant) than he needs to. After all, in space you can use Newtonian physics to give your craft momentum with minimal engine power, but in an atmosphere your engines need to be continuously providing energy lest you drop out of the sky.
That is such an interesting theory that I actually rewatched the combat scene. I think I’d have to agree with you there. Most of the other Macross series aces or protagonists had backgrounds in fighter combat or aerobatic maneuvers where energy management is key. Experience in managing kinetic and potential energy probably helps in efficient use of propellants in space. I actually saw Mirage use her Siegfrieds legs to vector thrust a lot. Looks real efficient from gerwalk mode. Won’t know more withought knowing the mechanics behind the control system though.
As a side note, dancing birds dance to show that they are fit by doing moves that are wasteful in energy. The concept of dancing being a waste of energy seem to be quite common in nature. XD
I honestly don’t see how you consider what happened to Mirage as jobbing. She was preoccupied looking after Hayate since he was still a novice in combat and tried to keep him alive. She was also overwhelmed by 2 Aerial Knights, one of them being Hermann, their most experienced pilot. Not to mention that the scene was to set up for Hayate to experience his first kill in combat.
I think you misinterpret what the previous episode was really about. It was basically building up to Hayate’s decision to remain with Delta platoon and participate in the war against Windemere. He also decided that he would fight this war “his way” which was not to kill anyone only to betrayed by his own conviction during the battle. In this episode Hayate realized that attempting to avoid casualties in a war just isn’t possible and Mirage helped him get over his emotional funk through her own experience on her first kill.
Getting distracted because she was too preoccupied looking after Hayate is a fuckup. She was appointed as his instructor, but she wasn’t ordered to babysit him during combat.
You’re clearly exaggerating as she didn’t fuck up at all. She was clearly being overwhelmed by 2 Aerial Knights and one of them was their most veteran pilot. Who said anything being ordered to baby sit him? She trying keep herself and Hayate alive because that’s part her your responsibility of being a wingman especially when Hayate has barely has any combat experience. Arad did the same for Chuck at the beginning of the battle.
The first hit she took, she took it because she was distracted. That was a fuckup no matter how you slice it.
Getting distracted on live combat is already a mistake. She was already having trouble with a rookie pilot without Hermans intervention. These is even more noticeable because this episode also established she had been on live combat and thus would have more experience. And just on the meta-sense, of all the scenes that could be constructed for Hayate to kill someone, it had to be the one female pilot screwing up and having to be saved. After everything she has established before I find this quite disappointing.
Actually, you’re remembering that scene incorrectly; the rookie only fires one shot off at Mirage before Herman joins the fight, with the implication being that he had just started to fight her when it becomes a 2v1.
No she wasn’t having trouble with the rookie Aerial Knight alone. Watch the scene again. Mirage was being attacked by both of them even before Hermann came in to disarmed her VF. And the only time she got distracted was when Hayate was performing his “dance” when he attacked the mind controlled NUNS VF-171 and was at awe.
Also you have to factor in that she might be consciously trying to be not so by the book (trying to put into practice Messer’s lecture)and that would definitively throw you off as you tend to switch back into your old habits and then try to stop mid way
Messer is harsh but I think Mikumo is harsher.
Also feel sorry for Kaname. She totally want the Messer but he decline twice now.
I say, 4chan is getting in to your head.
Just from Messer’s description of their flying characteristics, it seems appropriate to pair Hayate and Mirage in training. Those two would complement each other quite well. Funny enough, this episode also showed why it might no be a good idea to pair them in combat. Where instead of their strengths covering for each other, it was their weaknesses that actually overlapped, thus putting them into a bind.
On the idol side, Mikumo’s guidance to Freya is also interesting. You could really see her covering for Freya during the performance. She sure asks some hard but probably necessary questions. From what I’ve seen so far, I really think the Walkures should hangout as a group more often. It might help Freya a wee bit more. They are, after all, not your “normal” music idols.
Wow that asteroid battle was amazing. However that pilot should of been able to survive. What type of ejector seat doesn’t clear you away from the immediate vicinity?
So, Windermere “casus belli” is to avenge the damage done to their planet during their Independence War?
IMHO very bad reason. They have fought Spacy to a victory, gained their independence and now they are risking the success for mere revenge?
By comparison, look at the Vietnam after their success in defeating US. They didn’t try to attack Thailand or Malaysia to force communism there. Their only foreign military excursion was to end genocidal Khmer Rouge rule in Cambodia.
Especially since their “secret weapon” is such a fragile one and can “run out of fuel” any moment, Windermerans have took a hell of a gamble…
perhaps this is a ruin of an important relic they had, still pursing energy out. and with this relic destroyed they life now the lifes right now. Perhaps the planet season changed, too
They’re in an Armistice I think if I recall correctly. Which essentially a truce so not really a victory as their Dimensional Barrier is the only thing keeping NUNs forces out. So in a Nutshell Windermere is like North Korea? 😕
Interestingly, I think they might’ve based it on Russia (“Da”???)
Correct me if I’m wrong but our MC had plenty of chances to down Windermere ace pilots if not for his ‘no kills’ thing.
yup you’re wrong. This is the first major battle since the declaration of war. The ‘no kill’ is related to attacking their allies under mind control and they were both told they were not good enough to have that attude.
Why do I get this feeling that there is a relation between Hayate and Lynn Minmay.
And the future episode Ranka Lee/ Alto and Sheryl Nome might re-appear.
And Freya met Alto when she was still a kid.
You’re probably just imagining things.
I don’t think the Delta cast will interact with anyone important from previous Macross series.
Anyway, isn’t the Frontier fleet settled on the Vajra planet now? Sorry I don’t know the planets actual name..
Maybe just coincidences,
Hayate’s purple crystal necklace has wings ornament on it. Many winged statue and purple crystal (inside relic cave) on Windermere.
Immelman dance has wind color on it, he can move in sync with wind pattern. Something that can easily recognized by Windermerean (by Freyja and the Twin Pilots).
Hayate’s and Freyja’s hairstyle are ‘faintly identical’ (see balcony scene).
No, they arent coincidences. Imo its pretty obvious where Hayate (or his ancestors) comes from. His surname is Immer/lmann (?) – a ~German name, just like all the windermerean have German names. Messer (=knive) is probably connected to them too. And Hayate’s hair clip is also pretty suspicious. So, imo they arent coincidences.
During the space battle, I just realized something: why can’t Walkure stay inside a more protected part of the ship (and if it’s because they can’t be heard, can’t sound travel in space?)?
they sing for their life, inside an secure bunker. they do not feel anything at all
in short? Adrenalin kick
They sing because they love to sing.
~ The power of the song ~
It kinds of goes with the territory if you are a singer. Song is a weaponized form of combat. Minmey herself was responsible for the death of billions of zentradi and millions of destroyed ships.
Minmey : Kisses on Screen
Zentradi : What in the blue h-!
https://randomc.net/image/Macross%20Delta/Macross%20Delta%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2033.jpg
https://randomc.net/image/Macross%20Delta/Macross%20Delta%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
Give Hayate a hug Mirage. You know you want to
Wait, wait, wait… The twins are called Theo and Xao?
Am I the only one who had a flashback to Tomax and Xamot, the Corsican Twins from the 80s animated G.I. Joe series? The ones who finished each other’s sentences like these two?
The kid prince having weak body, probably exhausted and mentally depressed so that hot blooded blond “niichan” just nonchalantly make him walk trough snow with slope and adding even more stress to him? Yeah you’re the best big bro, just kill the poor kid already for sacrifice.
Anyone noticed the dude that died looks like one of the gundam pilot in the recent show … reconquista in g
I think i let this Anime gone his way, it do not catch my fire to burn brighter. Only the Songs are holding me in this, but all the action aside that are not burning, no not even an small campfire. Perhaps i grown to old, and need an bigger flame. But sadly, Macross Delta here, do not warm my heart
But i do wish the others, that like it, good times. enjoy it
I don’t think that’s the case, not like Alto or Basara. I’ve felt that Hayate realizes he has a close relationship to Freyja, more than he does with other girls, but it hasn’t occurred to him that it could be romanatic. IIRC this is the first episode where the anyone realizes that actual romance could be a thing, and it’s Freyja who realizes it first. Their relationship isn’t like how Ranka was totally in love with Alto early on, but Alto was 100% oblivious.
I think Mirage would still be disgusted at the thought of getting involved with Hayate, unless someone else makes a move first.