Posted by Episode 14
OP1.14 Sequence
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「漂流 エンブレイシング」 (Hyoryu Enbureishingu)
“Drifting and Embracing”
Summary: Following their escape from Ragna, our cast find themselves with damaged fold reactors, dwindling supplies, and no contractor source for funding. A decision is made to dock the Elysion with the island ship as an emergency power source, combining with an impromptu performance of Neo Stream and a new mission objective to reclaim the lost globular cluster. As NUNS move behind the scenes to address the Windermere’s active hold on the globular clusters, preparations are made for the Windermere fleet’s return home and the coronation of Heinz as their new King.
Episode 15
OP2 Sequence
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OP2: 「絶対零度θノヴァティック」 (Zettai Reido θ Novantic) by Walkure
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「決別 レゾリューション」 (Ketsubetsu Rezoryushon)
“Parting Resolution”
The arrival of a new opening sequence coincides with the coronation of a new King, and this week’s episode surprises in its almost singular focus on the Windermere side of things—particularly the circumstances that have influenced the mindset of the Aerial Knights’ (and to some degree, the Windermere population) up until now. Given the one-sided presentation up so far, this episode ends up significant not only as a balancer in terms of perspective, but also in regards to how it manages to do something many of us likely thought as improbable: paint the Windermeres in a pleasant light.
With Herman’s discussion of family and the value of spending time with them, the revelation that Bogue seems to be the only surviving member of his family, and Keith’s potential origins son of a concubine—we’re shown the human side of a cast we’ve been accustomed to seeing as arrogant boogiemen, and as it turns out, they’re not that different from the guys on the other side in regards to the things they value and the reasons they fight. Admittedly, it’s not it’s not surprising in hindsight given what they’ve had to experience so far—especially if it turns out the UN Government did launch the dimensional weapon—but there’s a huge difference between knowing and making assumptions, and these revelations ultimately go someway towards legitimizing their cause.
The question that remains, is whether or not their supposed cause is even the same as the one they started with. If there’s one thing we get from this episode, it’s the fact that much of the Windermere population (and even the Aerial Knights themselves) expected their previous battle to be their last, and that negotiations would follow with the UN Government now that they’re in complete control of the globular cluster. Yet, with Roid and Heinz’s declarations that their new goal is the topple the UN Government, this turns out to be anything but true, and Gramia’s inability to actually speak for himself makes you wonder how much of this is actually his will. It seems more so that Roid’s pushing his own TRUE HEIRS TO THE LEGACY OF THE PROTOCULTURE! agenda at this point, and if he is, let’s just say he sure knows how to make a speech—even if it seems more likely to lead to his own death more than anything.
In the meanwhile, a chance meeting leaves us hanging with a discussion regarding Hayate’s father, and the impressions given off regarding him are anything but positive. The source being a NUNS pilot makes it far from conclusive however, and given how everything’s linked to the events of seven years ago, I wouldn’t be surprised he’s linked either to the dimensional weapon’s deployment or the start of hostilities in the first place. Perhaps he even fought for the Windermeres at some point…? Either way, it’d be yet another interesting link between everyone involved—let’s not forget that we still don’t know who gave Freyja her first taste of music—and counting the many hints involving Mikumo and her continued link to the Protoculture, this was an episode that certainly left much to look forward to in terms of potential developments.
Here’s looking forward to next week.
ED6 Sequence
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ED6: 「破滅の純情」 (Hametsu no Junjou) by Walkure
Preview
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Anyone think that Hayate’s dad could have been the guy who dropped the bomb on Windermere?
that bomb will probably be dropped next episode
That was my first thought too. This is based upon what Hayate said of being assigned all over, but didn’t disclose what he was doing on the letters home sounds like a Spec Ops pilot to me 😕
Although it doesn’t make sense for NUNs to withdraw after nuking Windermere. 😕 Based from what we’ve seen they were literally overwhelmed if they were using trainee pilots to fight. So why pull back? unless Hayate dad did something to cause NUNs to pull back?
If you look at the dropping of the bomb from multiple perspectives, the location of the drop didn’t really line up to any faction’s benefits.
The bomb hit NUNS forces, and apparently a NUNS base. There is not really a strategic benefit to nuking your own soldiers and base, especially since they retreated after that, chances are, the bomb is not intended to be dropped there.
Winderemere would not bomb their own people, so it couldn’t be them.
A third party(Perhaps, Epsilon+the 4 shady NUNS guys who could be Epsilon agents?) might want the bomb to hit the ruins, but the bomb didn’t hit the ruins.
The only answer is, well, Var syndrome.
Given that Hayate’s dad clearly isn’t that well liked(Perhaps, treated as a traitor?), what people have come up with is that he was ordered to bomb the ruins to prevent the ruins from being weaponised. However, on his way there, the tests on the ruins done by Epsilon might have induced the out-of-control Var in him(Or even all the soldiers in the vinicity), and he dropped it while out-of-control, killing everyone in the bomb’s range.
Following that, NUNS retreated, thinking that he betrayed them(They probably didn’t know that the soldiers were Varring). Epsilon hides the fact that they induced Var on him and indirectly caused him to drop the bomb, instead they just reported that their Var-inducing tests were successful to Winderemere.
Winderemere thinks the NUNS dropped the bomb, not knowing that a Var’d pilot did it.
Also with that Declaration of War, Windermere just went full evil empire mode and them turning down peace negotiations would make Heinz vision of everything burning become reality
Roid wants to make a Protoculture empire with this war.
The Protoculture died off because of galactic war.
True, which makes Heinz’s willingness to declare war on the whole galaxy a bit surprising. Roid must have a very large influence on him.
Heinz is a 9 years old kid without emotional contention who just lost his father and whose only source of some support is Roid. It’s not surprising that a child who is starved for affection and burdened with this follows the counsel of who stood by his side and was trustworthy. Keith’s aloof treatment turned him into Roid’s hands.
Wow, that new OP is sex (literally).
And did anybody else thought it was strange to have both Hayate and Mirage strip to get that cable plugged in? I thought when life systems start going down it’s supposed to get colder.
From what I could tell, they were throwing their clothes to propel themselves in zero-g so they could quickly reach the cable.
That was a good catch. Had to rewatch the scene myself, and it certainly does seem to be the case. At least on Mirage’s case. Even though I know the theory, it really got me thinking. Has anyone actually tried it in real life? At least to know on how effective it is. Skylab and the ISS are actually pretty cramped. Everything else that was/is in zero gravity is even smaller. While the extravehicular activities that I know of actually uses thrust to navigate.
Haven’t heard anything about clothes, but there was actually an astronaut who was able to propel herself by pushing a single strand of hair against a handrail. Unsurprisingly, she didn’t move very fast, but hey, it worked.
It’s a little hilarious in hindsight looking back at past comments from all over the Internet worrying that this was gonna be “Macross Shoujo Walkure” all the way through, and then it turns out to be a bit more “Mobile Suit Macross” (what with all the Windermere/Zeon parallels one could make this episode).
Also, a lot of recycled animation from the show’s first half in the new OP; hopefully this means they have more in the budget for future battles/Protoculture shenanigans/idol stagecraft.
That’s Shouji Kawamori style, he doesn’t believe in wasting too much budget on the multiple OP/Ed. If you watch a lot of his shows (even frontier) first OP and ED are usually pretty and then they are reused footage or still images galore for following OP/ED. Just look up some of his shows on youtube and you’ll see.
But yeah hope they save that budget for something worth blowing on.
Speaking of, the second ending to frontier is very similar to Delta 2 ending, colorful outlines to sketched work of characters. but frontier had silhouette of may’n singing while this just a plane flying. Pretty simple.
https://randomc.net/image/Macross%20Delta/Macross%20Delta%20-%2014%20-%20Large%2017.jpg
Hehehehehe
https://randomc.net/image/Macross%20Delta/Macross%20Delta%20-%2014%20-%20Large%2007.jpg
What are they up to?
https://randomc.net/image/Macross%20Delta/Macross%20Delta%20-%2015%20-%20Large%2011.jpg
Could Hayate’s dad be responsible for what happened to the Windermere?
https://randomc.net/image/Macross%20Delta/Macross%20Delta%20-%2015%20-%20Large%2018.jpg
Someone has to steal that
And now Windermere stops being Imperial Japan, to become a full-fledged Nazi Germany.
I must admit that the attempt to humanize the Windermereans let me cold. The things we learn from them are basically that they regret the use of Vars only because it’s “unknightly”, that blood-based classism is rampant, that they’ve spent seven years to create a master conquest plan motivated by revenge and that any moral misgivings about the current plan are only about expanding beyond the Brisingr Cluster. Their Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere is never put into question.
I’m also a bit tired of how the series keeps reminding us that nukes are the evilest evil in the world, while forced slavery to turn enemy soldiers against their own people and the use of biological weapons meets almost no outrage even from the heroes themselves.
Again, I think it’s a matter of perspective: we are shown how Bogue is driven by the deaths of his relatives (“look, Windermereans suffer too! Don’t you feel sympathy for them?”), while apart from that heart-wrenching moment in episode 7, the Vars-enslaved zombies have been faceless red shirts. As always, I wonder how different the tone of the series would have been if Messer, instead of dying in a “honorable” duel, had been turned into a slave of Windermere.
#WindemereanMasterRace
According to July’s issue of Newtype magazine, Macross Delta is the #1 TV animation and the characters on the show top the list of most popular anime characters. Freyja and Hayate both top female and male, Mikumo is #4 and Messer and Mirage is on the list too. This anime is doing much better than Macross Frontier. Frontier storyline is messy because the romance between Sheryl and Alto just doesn’t feel right at all and often seem forced. Alto meanwhile is a confused character. Delta has a much better storyline so far.
Really? And here I thought Frontier’s characters were deeper, the love triangle was far more developed, the first-contact conflict was more in line with Macross than “Space Imperial Japanese Nazis Are Really Sympathetic And You Should Feel Bad For Them” and the songs were more varied and interesting.
On the other hand, it’s also the series that gave us Macross 7, so maybe there’s precedent.
Can someone explain to me why they had to take their clothes off? I didn’t get it…other than because anime. haha
https://randomc.net/image/Macross%20Delta/Macross%20Delta%20-%2014%20-%20Large%2017.jpg
As I mentioned in another reply, it looks like they were throwing their clothes to propel themselves in zero-g. *Insert Mass Effect quote about Isaac Newton here*
But couldn’t you just use your arms to propel yourself forward? I wouldn’t know as I’ve never experienced Zero G, but you know, it would give them momentum?
As you wish:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLpgxry542M
XD
re Lyfe: While a human can technically “swim” in air in a zero-g environment, the viscosity of air is so low that I think it takes the normal human form forever to build up the acceleration needed for a good velocity. Hence why it’s quicker to just throw a solid object (since it’s equivalent to you pushing yourself off said object).
Ah ok, but it just seemed so odd, you know? I mean, I don’t remember them being that far away either. It wasn’t like the situation was that dire that an extra few seconds would have resulted in catastrophe.
I mean yeah, it was a fanservice gag, but the time difference would be far more than just a few seconds; when I said “a human can technically ‘swim’ in air”, I meant it in the same sense that the Earth’s crust technically moves (slooooooooooooooooooowly). It would be different if we were birds, but birds are “designed” to fly even when under the influence of gravity. We’re not, obviously.
@Lyfe
At least on Mirage’s case, she used it to change her direction of travel. Looking at the scene, I bet she’ll end up drifting to the ceiling before finding a way to get to the cable. That does raise the question on why the two of them were drifting in that direction in the first place, but now I’m thinking too much. XD
I think my theory of the purple hair girl being a protoculture is panning out. As for everything else, their government protrayl is pretty much all over the place. I thought Elysion and that city belong to U.N spacy so shouldn’t U.N Spacy be defending their interest?
This is the way I see it.
U.N Spacy, Head of the entire defense cranks out Battle-Class ship, Elyison-Class ship as Flag ship for their City Fleet to colonized world. Those fleet are in effect self sufficient but only because U.N Spacy invest heavily into it.
IN return, U.N Spacy get tax money and more soldiers to answer the call to fight where ever it is needed. Once their Colonized a planet (Like Ragna) the fleet itself have to make ties with the locals and the government because self sufficient. Their defense fleet which once traveled together like in Frontier, now go to defend their interest with the City and Battle Elysion being the Capital of that Cluster military branch.
Now we know there are companies that want to invest in such fleet to be on the cutting edge but MAINLY because of safety in numbers. U.N Spacy in turn only fun their main fleet however if another private army group wants to join, that’s beneficial since their fleet now get more protection. Their only stipulation as shown in Frontier and Delta is whenever they are on a war footing, the Private Military MUST answer to U.N Spacy or the Battle- Who actually hold authority at the moment.
So… how in the HELL did Elysion and the City who answer to U.N. Spacy as shown in the previous episode, along with their fleet, why are they saying they have no money or job… like WTF? They belong to U.N Spacy. I am now confused about how it’s suppose to go, anyone got a better grasp on the military structure of Delta?
Also, why isn’t U.N Spacy seeing how the Windermereian are now a problem getting Basara -Sheryl and Ranka back to counter the fold waves? We know for sure Sheryl and Ranka can do it (Basara have that weird anima spirita, so it might be fold waves).
They also should called a Wings of Goodbye style Fleet to destory the Windermerean with Alto, Isamu to battle the white KNight and crush them once and for all.
With Frontier it made sense for U.N Spacy to take time out to assemble a fleet, but they DID answer when Frontier called for aid.
This one, they clearly lost an entire cluster and their Elysion fleet is in full retreat. Where’s the big guns? Walkure is obviously not doing the job, send in the other singers, it’s only been 8 years.
From what I’ve heard from people who can read (or kind of read) Japanese have said, it’s kind of shown in side material that colony governments nowadays receive very little aid of any sort from Central Spacy (from what I’ve heard, even the NUNS reinforcements in Frontier mostly came from the colonies and fleets that were closest to the Frontier fleet, and they mostly got their shit together because “holy shit alien space bugs”). In addition, the New UN Spacy is very decentralized (to the point where Earth intentionally keeps its best military technology to itself because they fear encouraging rebellion); each colonization fleet and colony/colony cluster is basically an autonomous state expected to handle almost all of its own affairs (including military R&D), even if Central Spacy does have some authority to step in and take over if it wants to, in part because Earth itself is near a bunch of minor hotspots that Central Spacy considers far more urgent to deal with.
Basically, the Elysion fleet had initial trouble getting refunded because all the people originally paying their bills are now under Windermerian jackboots, while both Central Spacy and all the other NUNS colonies/fleets have never payed a single penny to them (and don’t even have them recorded on payroll); in essence, Chaos (the PMC that owns the Elysion) was employed only by the local cluster government, not by NUNS in general, with whom they’d have to negotiate a direct contract if they want funds from Central Spacy.
Related to all this, Delta takes place in the absolute boonies of NUNS territory; the cluster it’s set in is even further away from Earth than the 7 and Frontier fleets were (to the point where it’s just barely even in the Milky Way). Basically, if Earth and the core colonies are the USA, Delta takes place in the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Macross setting doesn’t have the sort of FTL where you can instantly go from one end of the galaxy to the other; the only immediate reinforcements the good guys are going get are gonna to be from other colonial backwaters.
So the UN Spacy is no longer a Union or even united but a loose confederacy? I can see Civil War happening for sure.
Going to be really disappointing if Hayate’s father was the one who dropped the dimensional bomb, just having the daddy drama this late in the game is bad enough.
Already sort of happened in the game Macross VF-X2. The UNG was already decentralizing into the NUNG and a bunch of Earth supremacists in UN Spacy, Lactence, tried to reverse it by manipulating Zentradi Anti-UN terrorist group Black Rainbow into attacking frontier planets by having a third party PMC Critical Path Corporation supply them with weapons. Giving central UN Spacy a reason to send forces there and increase Earth’s influence. A bunch of of UN Spacy officers noticed this and went rogue to fight Lactence, Vindirance. On a battle over Earth Vindirance won by disabling the Macross’ central control of the defense grid and destroying the Lactence hijacked Battle 13 which was their backup. Thanks to special forces Aegis Focker and the VF-X Ravens who defected to Vindirance. Yes this is Macross’ Titans-AEUG conflict.
There are still Lactence remnants out there like in planet Kasshubu where the planet is in civil war between old Earth UN Spacy and New UN Spacy. Zentradi chapter of Lactence Fasces attacked Macross Galaxy. Both are mentioned in Macross the Ride.
In episode 13 when the Sigur Valens Shirine of Tme was being fixed the Zauberflute was mentioned. This was a reference Macross VF-X2. A Fold Quartz based communication system developed by Critical Path Corporation. The Zauberflute was the cover for the Sound Jamming System which emitted eerie music disrupting targeting computers. It was used by Earth supremacist group Lactence, Zentradi Anti-UN Black Rainbow and Critical Path. Critical Path president Manfred Brando is an associate of Macross Galaxy. He saved Grace from death, kicked Ozma out of NUNS after being punched for treating Ranka badly. After Aegis Focker killed him he became a body-less AI. So whatever Epsilon Foundation is it’s likely it has a connection to those groups.
Hence the Arad’s surprise of the coronation being real time. Windermere has a fold fault that prevents that ussually. The NUN has placed heavy restrictions on harvesting, distribution and possession of Fold Quartz as there is a possibility of it being used on Dimension Eaters. The VF-31 Siegfried are Kaos customs that has big pieces of Fold Quartz. Thus the resonance through the Fold Wave System between singer and pilot, which we also saw with Alto, Sheryl and Ranka n Wings of Goodbye.