Posted by  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Summary:
With Alto’s Valkyrie destroyed and one of the Vajra capital ships about to fire its main cannon at the Battle Frontier, the situation looks bleak for Sheryl and the Frontier fleet. Fortunately for them, the Macross Quarter defolds at that exact moment and destroys the Vajra ship. The ensuing explosion hits Brera’s Valkyrie, and the shock from it destroys the device on his head that was controlling him. Jeffery then surprises the Frontier high command by announcing that the Macross Quarter has returned to destroy the ambitions of Grace and her Galaxy allies. Leon tries to dismiss this as nonsense, but Alto suddenly starts broadcasting to everyone, saying that there’s proof. Before he had ejected from his Valkyrie, he had seen through the giant Ranka and realized that the real Ranka was being held captive, and he now urges the fleet to shoot the deception. The Macross Frontier does exactly that, and the result of the blast is the disappearance of the giant Ranka and the appearance of the Battle Galaxy. Jeffery isn’t quite done though: he also accuses Leon of assassinating President Glass, and Leon subsequently gets arrested.
Grace meanwhile interfaces with the Vajra Queen and has the Battle Galaxy send out its full complement of Ghost V9s. As these start shredding through the Frontier’s forces, Kuran and Luca bring Alto the Valkyrie he left behind on the Macross Quarter. Before getting onboard, Alto messages Sheryl with a vow to save Ranka and a call for her to help by waking Ranka with her song. This motivates Sheryl to start singing again, and as she does, Alto thinks about how he had heard Ranka’s heart crying out and how he had once told her to feel instead of think. He then joins Ozma, Kuran, and Luca in an attack on the enemy fleet, and his yelling for Ranka to wake up and regain her true song causes a reaction in her that shatters the harmonica that Brera gave her. However, right as Ranka regains consciousness, Grace takes control of the Vajra Queen lets out a massive Fold wave. This creates a network structure that allows the Galaxy group to feel the galaxy, and Grace announces that they’ve obtained the entire universe. She claims that even Protoculture fears this power, and as the massive Vajra Queen rises from the planet, Grace explains that they’ve become a super dimensional life form.
When none of Ozma’s missiles can penetrate through the Vajra Queen’s barrier, Luca realizes that there is a dimensional dislocation at play. Grace notes that songs are meaningless to them since they’ve connected directly with the queen, and she wants everyone to grovel in front of the power that rivals a god. Her commands even cause Vajra to defold in places as far away as the Macross 11 fleet and Macross City back on Earth. The subsequent Vajra attack destroys numerous ships of the Frontier fleet, and Alto suddenly senses something happening to Sheryl. It is at this moment that everyone starts to hear Ranka singing, and Brera urges her to put all her feelings into her song because he feels that stopping this fighting is their atonement. Her singing causes an immediate halt in the Vajra attack, and Ranka then reaches out to Sheryl, telling her to stand back up. Sheryl, however, thinks that her job is done and that there’s nothing left. This leads to Ranka slapping Sheryl, and Ranka cites how she and Alto were able to fly because of Sheryl. Alto joins in on the conversation to remind Sheryl how she had vowed never to give up, and he calls both girls his wings. Urging Sheryl to fly again, Ranka heals her and moves the bacteria from Sheryl’s head to her stomach.
As a reinvigorated Sheryl starts singing with Ranka, Jeffery tells the Frontier fleet that the Vajra are not their true enemies – Grace is. Then, with the help of the Macross Quarter, Alto makes his way into the Battle Galaxy and rescues Ranka. Grace doesn’t let this bother her though and instead has the Vajra Queen fire a massive blast at Island 1. To everyone’s surprise, the Vajra not under Grace’s control gather around Island 1 and use themselves as a shield to protect it. Afterward, Ai-kun flies to Alto’s Valkyrie, and Ranka figures out that her and Sheryl’s song reached the Vajra. She now knows that the Vajra have feelings, but they are different from humans and found mankind strange. Ranka finally realizes that they’re all different, and if they don’t properly convey their feelings, then they won’t understand each other. She continues singing in conjunction with Sheryl after Alto returns her to the Macross Quarter, and between the two of them and Ai-kun, they convert most of the remaining Vajra. These very Vajra open up a hole in the field around the Vajra Queen, but the Battle Galaxy uses that hole to fire its massive cannon at the Macross Quarter and the Battle Frontier.
Unwilling to let things end like this, Canaria flies the König Monster onto the Battle Galaxy and fires her main cannons at its head. Jeffery uses this opportunity to order a Macross Attack which results in the Macross Quarter destroying the Battle Galaxy’s cannon, and the Battle Frontier follows that up with a punch that finishes off the Battle Galaxy. Armed with Mikhail’s sniper rifle – given to him by Kuran – Alto then charges the Vajra Queen, but he comes under attack by Grace’s VF-27s. Luckily for him, Brera comes to his rescue, and Brera tells Alto to aim for the Queen’s head because the Vajra’s heart is in their stomach, not their head. With Sheryl and Ranka’s song spurring them on, the two make their way right up to the Vajra Queen and manage to detach its head with a volley of missiles. Alto then aims for the pod containing Grace with Mikhail’s sniper rifle, and one perfect shot later, it’s all over. As Island 1, the Battle Frontier, and the Macross Quarter descend onto the planet, everyone can hear Aimo, and Bobby wonders what this song was for if the Vajra didn’t need to communicate. Remembering what her mother had once told her, Ranka explains that it’s a song of love. Ranshe had said that Vajra meet a swarm from another galaxy every several hundred million years, and this was the mating call.
In the aftermath, once everyone is on the planet, Sheryl finds Ranka in an open field. The two see Alto come down and eject from his damaged Valkyrie, and he uses his EX-Gear to soar across what he calls a genuine sky . Seeing the look on Sheryl’s face as she watches Alto, Ranka declares that she won’t lose in song or love, and Sheryl accepts the challenge. Both of them know that it all starts from here now, and they run to Alto as he flies towards them with his hand stretched out.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
All things considered, I thought they did a pretty good job with this ending. It wasn’t amazing but it still had tons of great music during an epic-scale battle – “mecha porn” so to speak – that concluded most of the important parts of the story. In fact, I think they went through pretty much every single Ranka or Sheryl song ever featured in this series, sometimes in quick succession. It sounded a bit too much like a mashup at times, but I still liked it, especially the Diamond Crevasse and Seikan Hikou parts. I also found it noteworthy that several of the scenes, particularly this one where Ranka and Sheryl were singing Lion, mirrored various shots from the OP sequences. Directors often say that the OP is important for clues about what will happen, but this is one of the few times I’ve seen scenes copied out of an OP like that. Not that that’s a bad thing – I actually found it kind of cool.
I’ve noticed a lot of people saying that this ending was rushed, but I really didn’t feel that way as I was watching the episode. There was a lot to cover, and I thought the director and writers got through it all in a fairly good manner. The main thing I didn’t like about the ending is the fact that Alto never explicitly had to choose between Ranka and Sheryl. Part of me was expecting something like this (it led to my previous comments on how Alto might end up with no one), but I still wish Alto had made a decision in the end instead of just flying around enjoying the sky. That part of him just didn’t mature enough to make him a better male lead, and the fact that so much of the series had focused on the love triangle made it all especially unsatisfying. One consolation/clue about which way he’s leaning is how he’s still wearing Sheryl’s earring at the very end, and it even sparkles as if the director wanted us to pay extra attention to it. Or maybe that’s just the preference I have for Sheryl speaking. Regardless, there was a movie version of Macross Frontier announced after this finale, so that could potentially give a more conclusive ending.
Final Thoughts: It’s only been half a year, but it feels like I’ve been watching Macross Frontier for much longer. That’s probably because of the special first episode debut all the way back during Christmas-time last year, and I can still remember how damn impressed I was by it. I’d say the rest of the series more or less lived up to my expectations, and I have to take a moment to applaud Yoko Kanno, Nakajima Megumi, May’n, and the rest of the folks who worked on the music and songs because that was undoubtedly the best part of it all. I can’t wait to hear everything that’s on the second OST coming out October 8th. In any case, it’s sad to see a series like this come to an end, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the movie brings – hopefully more great music and some closure on the love triangle.
Coming up next week: Kuroshitsuji will be taking Macross Frontier’s time-slot!
lol. harem ending.
First in!
Ugh.
Ah, it is ended already! It is so disappointing that the ending doesn’t let us know which one alto chooses between sheryl and ranka….
I mean second, but yes it’s was a lame ending.
Great Mecha pr0nz though.
Alto x Sora FTW
OH WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!
Can’t believe that prick Alto didn’t die.
Now we wait for the movie. 😉
this is the last episode??? that felt like it went quick!
Yeah, Alto gets his sky ending. No resolution to the LT. It’s hilarious. Absolutely hilarious. Everyone was so sure their side was going to win and then neither side won. Both sides were trolled hard. Alto loves both girls and has not chosen one over the other…they are both his wings.
And despite the fact that there is going to be a movie I don’t think there will be resolution in that either.
Anyway, overall a decent episode but it felt REALLY rushed. They were cramming way to much into this episode. The series really should have gone to 28 episodes instead. I was happy to see Battle Galaxy. Was beginning to think they weren’t going to show us Galaxy at all, but we did get our galaxy fight in the end.
Although I am happy Sheryl is healed of her sickness it came out of the blue and was way too deus ex machina for me. Alto and Sheryl together reached Ranka and snapped her out of things. Anata no oto was NOT the huge RankaxAlto song everyone was expecting. Hell, if anything that moment was more of a sibling Brera/Ranka moment. Then they went on to smash every single song in the series into one episode…well not every, but almost every. I actually didn’t like this. Would have preferred they stick to 2 or maybe 3 songs instead.
Well, Kawamori trolled us. At least it was in the way were he can still use all the important characters for the movie. Could have been worse, like an out-of-nowhere Alto X Ranka end or dead Sheryl.
Minmei makes a cameo on this episode! Now, I wonder why is that the Zentradi was so sure that he was going to “meet” her…
Perhaps he was looking for the Megaroad-01? Was the Vajras fold-network the key to find the long lost fleet?
Whoa, Grace… tentacles too
You cannot fly with only one wing. You need two. Unless of course you are a One-Winged Angel.
Dammit he survived.
Grace and her tentacle fetish.
Sheryl and Ranka stopping both sides.
The Queen going FUCK OFF HUMANS
Briler wanted to see Minmei
What the hell is Ai-kun doing? and mini Klan fighting in a Valkryie.
No end to the triangle.
Seems like the show has completely forgotten what it was half-way through, Michel’s death for example, they got rid him with flare and dazzle, yet they go for an ‘everyone lives happily ever after’ ending?
Feels like a sad cop-out.
Will there be a another season…. or is that it, come on it was a bit rushed i hardly understood it lol. You code geass was quick but this is quicker with the ending. LOL. I loved this series and if there is movie cant wait thnk u
FAILLL
Alto lives! As if that was much of surprise.
SMS saves the day. Jeffrey Wilder is sooo GAR.
Giant Ranka is actually Battle Galaxy.
Kuran in Skull-2’s VF-25G. YES! She looks so adorable in a pilot suit!
As predicted by many Ranka fans, Alto is back in VF-25S and the Nome earring is very important in this battle.
Luca actually shoots something down.
Ranka gives Sheryl the ability to make her tummy glow.
Song Overload that rivals Macross Flash Back 2012
Canaria continues to be GAR.
Alto gets Michael’s sniper from Kuran and uses it on Grace.
Alto and Brera team-up. YES. They both perform Sora and Riku’s KH2 Limit: Session. Alto pulls a Kira Yamato with the rapid-eye movement in conjunction with the auto-lock targeting system.
Bad guys, Grace and Leon, get what’s coming for them.
Awww. Bilrer only wanted to save/rescue Minmay. SMS – Save Minmay Soon.
Macross Frontier Movie Confirmed! Let the shipping wars continue!
Songs played: Northern Cross, Anata no Oto, Lion, Infinity, Watashi no Kare wa ,Diamond Creavasse, Seikan Hikou, What ’bout my star?, Ai Oboete Imasu ka, Aimo, Triangler (fight on stage)
Overall, the ending was predictable but satisfying. It was similar to Macross 7 where the aliens make peace with the humans. In other to appease the fans, no girl was chosen; a decision common in many harem anime. Though no girl won, I still think Sheryl is ahead.
Great so what I said last week came true. If u want to know go back and read. Anyways I’m glad its good ending, and dam he wasn’t forced to choose between the Sheryl or Ranka, Alto’s pretty luck for that, so I guess its a never ending Triangle. Triangles are good right, I mean look at the Last scene Its Filled with Triangles.
From the raw, it looks like Ranka actually converted sheryl’s virus to be functional like hers. Thats why her torso was glowing like ranka does. I think sheryl’s song got powered up to ranka’s level. At least that is some saving grace for this episode.
Other than that, we got GUNDAM WINGED with a crappy regular series ending! Better hope the damn movie is a good as Endless Waltz was. Other than that, reminds me of the shitty JC staff endings.
Ranka’s dokun dokun was for Brera.
haha klan doesn’t even fit in an EX gear
and ozma NEVER DIES!
is this the final episode?
yeah, so much for dokun dokun.
now for the movie.
I bet nothing will be resolved in the movie. It’s going to be like Macross 7 which also had sequels that did not resolve the triangle.
Almost definitly will have a sequel of some sort…
🙁 I’m not liking the current trend of keeping the endings open so they can make a sequel. I mean it’s obvious the animators just want to make sure they’ve got something to make later but…
…it really takes the fun out of endings. I mean, you can’t really have anything conclusive if you leave it open like that…
What a disappointment. A complete cop-out as half of the series’ focus was on the LT, and to end it open like this? Kawamori, some may proclaim you to be a Genius, I proclaim you to be an asshole troll.
By now we should be used to animes with love triangles that never seem to be resolved. I bet there are prolly just as many animes that have love triangles and never resolve them (Bleach, Naruto, Shana, To Love Ru, Sekirei, etc…) then ones that DO actually resolve the triangle to a clear conclusion. It still sucks ass but is a part of why we love animes. To see where the characters we like will end up and will they find that happy ending.
Of course we also like all that action, comedy, and fan service as well!
Liked the episode, but christ was the art for Sheryl BAD toward the end of the ep.
https://randomc.net/image/Macross/Macross%20Frontier%20-%2025%20-%20Large%2036.jpg
https://randomc.net/image/Macross/Macross%20Frontier%20-%2025%20-%20Large%2049.jpg
nice perspective, nice face, go back to whore island.
Splash: Well said man…
Dokun dokun is Sheryl/Ranka?? Huh?? Er…What is this Bi-shoujo-ai?! I thought the ones who wanted a Ranka/Sheryl ending are smoking weeds but those bastards got their ending and I didn’t? SKDALKH!
I knew this is going to be another Tifa/Aeris debate if the LT doesn’t get concluded here. But no matter. All I need to hear is this.
“At that time I heard your voice. The one coming from your heart.”
Save me.
“If you act, the feelings will not flow
If you DON’T ACT, THE FEELINGS WILL FLOW, that’s why I feel it. I’m going to fly.”
And when Alto screamed Ranka’s name and she opened her arms to him and they played “my boyfriend is a pilot”. HINT! All we need is an aftermath scene of the war because Alto and Ranka didn’t have enough time to chat. They didn’t have enough time to chat with all those things going on, and just smiled at each other and held hands. Then everything else was fair play.
What is this movie?
well, people, we are really moderate and used to understate things. This episode just…, well I suppose I can’t really use the word here.
Basically, every move in this episode is fake and staged and there’s so many bugs (eg. when did the battle galaxy come in and how on earth did alto’s helmet break?). And the curing Sherryl thing as well as the fact that she just woke up and started to sing and behave as if she’s god are just another golden fingers for Lanka, which is more convincing in snow white than a supposedly sf animation.
given that vajoura can be controlled, Michael really died an unworthy death.
@diva
actually dokun dokun was Brera x Ranka if you watch the show.
And nobody ‘won’, so we might as well all shut up and wait for the movie.
Yeah, anyone arguing that their pair won is in denial. It’s obvious Kawamori is not resolving this. Guess he doesn’t want to piss off either side.
The movie we are talking about is the Macross Frontier movie that they just announced. They haven’t said whether it will be a smashup type deal (like Evangelion) or whether it will be a continuation.
SHUFFLE Ending? Well, that’s.. actually kinda unexpected.
At least they weren’t afraid to show cyborgs have pointy parts, though. Unlike SOME shows.
This anime has truly been the most disappointing anime of the year. It really had potential in the beginning but somewhere along the way it turned into this pile of crap.
Am I the only one mildly frightened by the fact they actually made Nanase PRETTY at the end? Then again, even Brera got a makeover…
And it appears Mr. Bilrer is Minmei’s Number One fan. Talk about devoted; Nanase has nothing on him.
Wow. Hugeass disappointment. It could have been epic, but no.
Kawamori; you disappointed us all. Including the fact that THERE WAS NO FREAKING RESOLUTION. I thought he would have known better than to do that.
The hell, all those developments are down the shithole in this episode.
MF went from one of the best animes I’ve seen, to one of the worst and most disappointing.
wow he didn’t choose…
That makes Micheal’s death even more of a throwaway in my eyes. EVERYONE gets a happy ending BUT Micheal and a meltran that only ever opened her mouth once to grunt while dying.
S O S O R R Y Y O U F A I L E D.
I can haz edit?
add Kuran to that. She doesn’t look happy at all
People
Its confirmed by Satelight Studios 49 EPISODES for Macross Frontier, this is only the first season.
But what a lame ending, I hope the next season will be better
Ugh horrible ending. Ranka didn’t die? Alto didn’t die? They just leave the whole love triangle unanswered. I don’t like these “all around good” endings, more characters needed to die this episode :(.
@Matheus
Where did you get the info? Have any links?
I don’t get the hate reaction. This ending only sucked if you’re a hardcore shipper obsessed with Alto hooking up with Ranka/Sheryl,
I don’t see how anyone can call that frigging MECHA WAR a disappointment. Ozma and the Bridge Bunnies made it and so did Alto, I’m a happy clam. It was also cool to see Grace’s plans fall apart due to some serious TTGL level hotblooded combat and singing.
Seriously, STFU about the love triangle, that’s not the ONLY appeal of this series. Plenty of people like Macross 7 and that love triangle was even WORSE than this one. Deal with it.
Anata no Oto is a serenade for the Vajras, for those who have faith that the last episode title actually means more than “DOKUN DOKUN KAWAII” for Alto, you have done well in treating the series with the respect it deserves. 🙂
The final episodes makes it clear that the romance is to take a step into the background as Alto, Sheryl and Ranka focused on the Vajra and human war.
That said, anyone who thinks the love triangle isn’t solved at this point needs to rewatch the episode again, as the pieces have been neatly laid out in the open. How refreshing is it to see Ranka snapping back to her old self and telling Sheryl that she isn’t there just to sing and die; she has Alto to come back to? How absolutely wonderful is it when you saw Alto and Sheryl saluting each other in the final battle, just like Misa and Hikaru did in their own? I cried when I saw the salute, for it was the most direct, emotionally impacting homage between Hikaru and Misa in DYRL.
Also, how much did you love that Ranka had saw the depths of Sheryl’s love for Alto, and decided to compete with Sheryl from a fresh beginning? For in doing so, she has chosen to shrug off the tight shackles of her worship-love for Alto that has bound her for a good half of the series.
I believe the stage has been set for the movie, and this time, it’s pretty clear where the the romance will be, for Alto has yet to return to Sheryl with the words that he wanted her to hear, and assure her that those were not words that she was afraid of hearing, but one that will answer to her heart. 🙂
Seeing so many people disappointed only shows that the majority of fans are here for the ship and not the mecha and the action.
same here, i’m laughing my ass off at all the RAGE. i got my awesome mecha battle, epic climax, and if what that guy up there says is true, it’s only half over.
whiners can gdiaf. you got trolled hard.
@cheese
I completely agree with what you said and I support this message. Now, I will pray for you who will receive megatons of flame from Ranka shippers.
Miyu: I think this is the part where I say, “DEAR INTERNET, YOU HAVE BEEN TROLLED, LOL. Love, Kawamori”
Holy shit just saw the raw. Vajra fighting with Frontier and saving their ass a few times. Canaria is totally hardcore going head first. So wait, battle galaxy? so where is macross galaxy?
must be part of the movie. oh wells.
nyc @ Now, I will pray for you who will receive megatons of flame from Ranka shippers.
Bring it, for the ship has always been sailing with the support of the entire series behind it. Kawamori is an excellent troll, but if there’s one thing that’s not in his book, it’s inconsistency. Do not flame the series just because it requires you to think more than the average silly harem series. 🙂
@cheese
Believe me, I like the series first because it is a real-robot mecha series like Gundam. The romance came later. I am not a Ranka shipper and I am not disappointed by the series or ending. I am only mildly disappointed by the fact that Alto did not choose anyone but I considered that that kind of ending could happen. If you read my above posts, I actually say that I think Sheryl is ahead.
Finally more mech pron
and LT on the side doesn’t matter.
@diva: conclude it all you want, but that is all the matter of your opinion anyway, the truth is nobody is a clear winner in the end, so if you want to continue the shipping war with delusion, i’ll be glad to answer you with my own delusion too
long short story, shut up until the movie comes out
nyc @ I know, I’ve been keeping up with your posts too. 😉 My last comments were spoken more generally.
The entire episode has been dancing loosely with Sheryl vibes, but conclusively so. If the movie doesn’t address this, then something else will, for the rage of the English, Chinese and Japanese speaking fandom will undoubtedly reach Kawamori. 😀
I think the ending will be even better if Kawamori didn’t chicken out in the end and actually MADE a pairing win. Just look at the build up of everything from 21 to 24. Everything was intensified to a tee only to hit a flat wall in the end because he chose to stick with the mooost generic ending–the ending that I really hate. The ending that milks every audience’s attention for the sake of commercialism. The second coming of the legendary FF7 Love Triangle.
Now, Sheryl fans can go, it’s a draw but Sheryl is in the lead and the same for Ranka fans. Like them, I think ‘Ranka’ is really the one Alto likes d/t ep 23. But it doesn’t matter anymore. With this, anyone can basically say Sheryl/Ranka really has Alto’s favor and NOTHING will change all because Kawamori chose not to end things. -_-
Everything was so rushed. Some doesn’t even make sense or wasn’t given a proper conclusion. Bilrer and Minmei’s connection. Leon’s fate. The voices behind Galaxy. The people of Frontier who hated Ranka’s guts. The Vajra hate. I doubt those will just go away. Whatever Anime.
Let me guess, the Macross Frontier movie will probably air next year. If it is, then I’ve completely moved on by then. The upside to all this is, I have an exam so I finally can shun this series. Maybe it’s a good thing it ended with a bland feeling. =/ lol Semi-bland since everyone got to live under a real sky. Good for them.
I was expecting Ranka to say something like “Sheryl-san, you know, I don’t mind sharing…”, to which Sheryl replied “Hey, that’s my line.” Really, I think that the Harem ending would be so nice since 3 of them are so cute together.
Anyway,
They used the past 24 episodes to build up lots of drama but finished the whole things off with the ‘super robot-style ending’ where everyone joined force, won, and lived happily ever after?
Not that I am against the happy ending. Actually, I am quite happy that no one died. I am just thinking if there’s other way to make things more dramatic while keeping everyone alive… Perhaps partly because everything was too rushed?
The confession was already in episode 24.
This is not School Rumble that simply flashed down the toilet everything.
Does this 25th episode feels rushed with Deus Ex Machina solving plot points? yes it does … a lot was simply homages (like the “Macross Attack”) and in the end I do feel they hold thing was just wrap up as fast as possible and yes, there is no resolution to the love triangle … like Macross 7.
It started as a good series but the ending is rushed, it needed to start to end plot points instead if dragging then to the end.
The mecha porn was good explicit mecha porn. XD I’ll give Kawamori lots of points for that. In terms of the triangle, I have calmed down and re-evaluated things and have come to the conclusion that it has already been resolved. I believe that Alto and Sheryl are together considering the recent episodes before the finale. I guess they just ended it that way to tease the raging shipwars and to milk them for the upcoming movie. Yes, we did not exactly get the concrete conclusion we were hoping for but let’s not disregard the whole development that happened before the finale and immediately say that it was a no-pairing ending. I believe Alto has made a choice.
Oh and Ranka’s classic “I won’t lose…” line is just like a typical line from a losing rival in a shoujo manga (believe me I read too much of that stuff). XDD
@Father Hentai: Amen to that.
I totally knew that Bilrer wanted to see Minmay! I knew it~ The animation was awesome, can’t wait for BluRay. I liked the link of singing with the Vajra. The weakness was the stomach, not the head. In singing, you are taught to sing with you tummy/chest. If you sing just from vocal chords you will hurt your throat.
would have been cool if max showed up and blew everything up
I have to disagree with you cheese, it’s unresolved. All Ranka saying “you have Alto to come back to?” shows is that Ranka recognizes Sheryl’s feelings. Basically we have both girls realizing their feelings and also realizing that the other girl has strong feelings. They are both going to compete for him now. But for Alto’s part no choice was made. He chose both of them. They’re both his wings. The little salute was nice, but I don’t consider that the resolution of the triangle. It’s unresolved and my bet is it’s going to remain that way even after the movie. Believe me, I’d prefer it if Sheryl won but it’s just not the case. No one won.
I don’t actually care about it being unresolved. Though I love Sheryl, I don’t particularly like Alto. So as long as Sheryl gets a happy end all is fine with me. I actually think the whole thing is bloody hilarious. All the shipping fights and it’s unresolved. Hahahaha…
I’d figured this would happen…
Ah well, good end, nonetheless.
Even though I did not understand a word from the RAW final episode, I’m glad that it was a happy ending. I’m one of those who does not care that the love triangle was not resolved. Would it be funny if Brera ended up with Sheryl and Alto with Ranka? :p
Like I said in Ep. 24, it would be left to the viewers who ends up with who but now that an announcement of either a movie or a 2nd season has been mentioned (crossing fingers here), the triangle may be resolved… or turned into a love square! Haha! But I don’t really care… yet!
Since I could not understand a thing from this episode, has that been resolved or anything about protoculture been revealed here? Just curious. I don’t want to wait another 2-3 days to watch the subbed version.
@Matheus:
There won’t be 49 episodes. There will be instead a movie:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-09-25/macross-frontier-movie-announced
I knew he wouldn’t get either girls. It was so obvious from Ep 22 onwards that the triangle wouldn’t get resolved so easily. Ahaha. Effing hilarious, when I think about the shipping wars. :p
Anyway, I’m so glad that the Quarter Crew and Brera survived.
Well for me it was a good and satisfactory ending, the Bad Guys got their rightful punishments and the Good guys where able to make peace with the Bugs and shows us some epic moments like Island-1 being shielded by a swarm of Vajras from Grace’s Attack.
The only complain i have is the obvious rushiness it had, hell i think that, the whole Ranka curing Sheryl looked Deus ex Machina because of the rushiness, but if you think about how the V Infection works like and Ranka’s connection with the Vajra Network it makes sense, but, the way they showed it was rushed like anything in this episode, and feels like it comes from nowhere since there is no hint of where Did Ranka get the idea or if she realized she could do it thanks to her own infection helping her and telling Sheryl’s infection that they were doing it wrong and guide them to the right place (aka Sheryl’s Tummy instead of head).
I don’t mind the not finished Love Triangle, it made me glad, since now i can’ enjoy the shippers anger and laugh at their claims of Macross Frontier being the worst series ever because “i didn’t get my Pairing boo hoo BAAAAAAAAAAW ;-; ”
And for those who asked where did Battle Galaxy came from, remember that it was there in episode 24, no, i’m not talking about the ship that is shown getting in the hive before Grace gets into the “Queen’s Chamber”, but, when Giant Holografic Ranka shows up and Alto makes contact, we see a flash of Battle Galaxy’s head aside of Ranka’s being captive, etc. So that Ship was always there.
The Fault of this episode was mainly Rushiness, they could had solved it, i be that 1 more episode would had made the pace the ideal one, but sadly this kind of stuff happens a lot in Anime, sometimes you can’t get that extra episode or they take it away from you, forcing you to rush the end.
Everything else was AOK, as much there are parts that obviously needed more time to develop, like Leon being arrested or showing more than 2 places where the Vajra under Grace’s command are attacking than Macross 1 and Earth.
Either way, if i were to give it score, i would go 8/10 quite good and satisfactory for anyone not obsessed with A) Shipping or B) Genocide of all the Vajra, and hell, whoever that still wants those bugs being wiped out after seeing them protecting with their bare shells Island-1 is nothing more than a bloody idiot that shouldn’t be watching Macross, but notoriously rushed.
I knew it. Kawamori trolled all of you guys! Im glad I was just in it for the space battle pr0n.
Kawamori you old troll, well played now every one is going to want to see the movie now… I wish I knew how to quit Macross.
Richard Bilrer I acknowledge you as the greatest Minmei fan of all time.
Still it was a great the mecha action was simply AWESOME, so good that I can over look this triangle thing. AltoxSky 4TW!
OK. I am tired from reading comments from disappointed shippers. There is something that I did not quite get. When Grace connected with the Vajra mothership/queen entity, it seemed like she became one with the galaxy or the universe. Am I right? So, her answer to being greater than the Protoculture is to combine her cybernetic implants with the Vajra’s fold network in order to basically broadcast herself across the galaxy/universe? What happens after this? Is she contented with being an omnipotent being or did she have another goal after this?
@Dyops
I believe that Bilrer is the same Zentraedi as in Macross the Movie. The Implant on his Eye and the Girl on the foto makes me believe this and maybe this will be theme if the series continue. I guess the Movie will be a small packed version of the TV series. and there will be a later release for the continue. does not make any marketing profitable sense to release it now as the selling for the dvd and blu rays are still not done yet.
Are we supposed to expect that Grace died in that explosion? That’s not her real body you fools. Where is Grace’s true consciousness lies?
Now there are two little queens, but Ranka will still be the original queen since she knows the place. Think about it, if Kawamori concludes the love triangle here. Who will watch the movie? Half the fans will drop the show and will not watch the movie if it got concluded.
Use your brain.
@Jes-o-matic: Somehow, I get the feeling we’ll be seeing Grace in the movie. I mean, who can say she didn’t upload herself into a new body? I can only hope. Grace has proven to be one of the best villains in anime history. XD
@nycs
I think that she wanted to A) Lead to a new step of evolution for Mankind and Vajra using that Galactic Network (she does say something like “This is the new step of evolution! why are you defying it!?”) and maybe she also wanted to impose herself as the absolute leader and using the Vajra as Attack Dogs, make humanity to accept her “collective conscious” esque life style or be oblirated.
At least that’s my own theory…
Back to Episode 1 Deculture Edition! Then SDF-Macross. Finally, DYRL!
Macross Frontier = epic fail
@sf_fan: DYRL came after SDF Macross, so it would be ‘back to deculture edition, then DYRL, then SDF Macross’, not including everything between.
also lol@you.
Ah sweet Schdenfreuden. Baww more shippers. Thank you for the epic trolling Kawamori. Looking forward to that movie.
Anyway.. WHY does Alto have to make a decision? It’s not like he’s known either for quite a while and they both have their flaws. Write your own fanfic if you’re feeling butthurt enough.
no more lt debates please. let’s wait for the movie~ X3
glad nobody major died. ^^
what a let down… episode 1-24 are great, episode 25 is epic fail
*Rips hair out* OMG Alto you idiot! We gave you 25 eps worth and you still haven’t chosen!! *sigh* fail…
On another note, Sheryl and Ranka are awesome! <3
The show never did explain the reason as to why she a mysterious council of voices in her head. For all we know, she might have downloaded or left a part of herself in either Brera or in his Valkyrie. It is a common plot point that characters that could switch bodies and have implants usually survive most deaths.
The 1st Macross had Zentradi who wanted to eliminate humans who they thought was the Protoculture and their culture.
Macross Plus had Sharon Apple, a rogue AI based on a sealed off part of its creator, who wanted to please her love by going to life-threatening extremes.
Macross 7 had the Protodevlin who wanted to build an eternal Spiritia Farm.
Macross Zero had tha Anti-UN forces who wanted to control the world by controlling the Bird-Humans (I am not so sure)
Macross Frontier has Grace who wanted to ???
I have to laugh at the folks suddenly labeling Frontier as a failure just because Alto didn’t choose in the end. People, have you forgotten that Macross is primarily a mecha anime with more romantic overtones than a show of its genre. And, boy, was the mecha action VERY apparent in the climax. I mean, seriously, NO ONE commented on the fact that we had Battle Galaxy and Battle Frontier duking it out?
i told he die it was good he die lol
The whole episode made me smile. The non resolution to the LT was rather humourous and not unexpected. I love the battle scenes although it look frenzy at times. Perhaps they could have extend it to another episode to make it less frantic. Best moments, Alto x Brera combo attack and Ranka x Sheryl with their singing. I’m going to re-watch the ending again. 🙂
@Timoo
I was referring to the order of shows that I’m going to watch. Episode 1 Deculture Edition, to help me remember how great that episode was. Then SDF-Macross just to reminisce some childhood memories of going home from school just to watch it on t.v. Finally, DYRL.
I’m no shipper. In fact I hated the shipping war brought about by this series. SDF-Macross presented at least a solid science fiction material where everything got resolved somehow. But, Macross Frontier left so many loopholes and not just the triangle. For starters, what happened to the galaxy colonists?
Just wanting to fly and enjoying the sky is so Alto, though. Maybe he’ll end up being the flying Kabuki.
I just saw the raw & I loved it, it was hilarious, I was smiling all throughout the episode, crazy rite? Maybe its cause the idea of singing saving the whole universe & bringing abt peace is new & ridiculous to me, but I adored the expected ridiculousness of it all.
I mean I hated, really hated that there was no resolution to the LT; I was disappointed as fuck, kick in the gut feeling & all; But, I guess all the spoilers probably prepared me for the open ending. I was trolled, hard & despite being mighty pissed at the troller, I find that I am mighty amused as well. I really wanted a Sheryl/Alto ending, it would have been epically awesome if S/A happened but, despite that, I still liked it.
It was really funny & enjoyable somehow(not cos there was any humour in the ep but I dont know why, it was weird, I just couldnt stop smiling & lol at the ridiculousness of it all).
And yeah, the mecha fighting was awesome, michael tribute was a bittersweet moment, Grace was villain extraordinaire, SMS back in action, Ranka’s slap & magic cure for sheryl was actually nice, crazy & hilarious at the same time, awesome runthrough of pretty much every MF song, Sheryl & Ranka duet FTW, Alto & Brera duet… uh I mean tagteam FTW. Felt the episode had more sheryl/alto moments than ranka/alto moments-one of the saving graces of the eppy for me.
Alto is an idiot but I still love him & thought he looked really pretty with Sheryl’s earing at the end, Is he planning on giving it back to her at all?
I’m really looking forward to the movie. Dont think its gonna stay unresolved in the movie. Both girls are clearly expecting an answer from him & sheryl did say that they would continue their conversation when everything was over, I dont see how they can manage to leave it unsolved a second time; no more loopholes to exploit, so there!
Everyone was happy & content in the end. I liked ranka in this ep, even if it seemed uunreal hw quickly she snapped out of it all. Most importantly, Sheryl is alive, satisfied & content with the way things turned out & for now thats good enough for me.
Sheryl will get her happy ending in the movie, I’m almost sure, I dont see how they can get out of it. The new mature ranka will be able to handle it, like a woman & a pro should, unlike the old one, so its all good. As far as I’m concerned, sheryl has already pretty much won the LT & alto’s heart, all thats left is for him to acknowledge it.
I neeeeeeeeeeeeedddd the movie!!!!!!!!!
This episode needed to be drawn out at least another episode worth if not more. Everything was so rushed. Saving Ranka took all of 20 seconds, defeating Galaxy took all of a minute, this ending was a total let-down. Shipping aside, just how they dealt with all the sub-plots bang bang bang without catching their breaths. The worst final episode to a Macross story ever.
are we all suckers are what? we don’t like the ending but we will run to get the movie when its released. i personally hate open ending’s especially if there’s a love triangle, the art of a happy ending has long since been a lost art. well if u want happy ending go watch maison ikkoku 🙂 just curious, am i the only one who wanted Basara from Mac 7 to hook up with Sivil? rex was cool too.
@nycs
Yeah, the council in Grace’s head was one thing and so her motivation to destroy the galaxy and frontier fleet. So many questions left unanswered.
What’s her motivation anyway Mr. Kawamori? Why does she hate humanity? Are the vajra the bird-human in Macross Zero? Is Sara Nome the vajra queen?
slamdunkfan: I actually wanted Basara to hook up with Emilia..
all is good but the main question everyone wanted answered has not been answered! WHO DOES ALTO CHOOSE?!?!?! well, the movie better answer that question…
gripity gropity gruw
i didn’t like sheryl at first but i liked her by the end, i hope alto choses her eventually. justinstrife, i forgot about emilia, basara x emilia pair would be good too, too bad they never made her part of the macross 7 tv series.
Harem ending?! Wow,that blows. That’s pretty stupid.
Especially after the prior episode,Sheryl’s like,”Tell me when everything’s over.”
Heck,even she got annoying because she thinks too much of Ranka.
https://randomc.net/image/Macross/Macross%20Frontier%20-%2025%20-%20Large%2043.jpg
Sheryl and Ranka might as elope since Alto will take a million years when he finally picks one of them. D:
What’s with the transparent nipples as well?
Have you guts noticed that Mao is in a wheelchair, along with Ranka’s family in that planet? What really happened to her?
Also, one of the few things that I never really liked about the series was the fact that they never really explained what happened with the Galaxy at all. Sure, there is Battle Galaxy, but what happened to the Island? there where no survivors?
I still need to hear a coherent answer about Megaroan-01 !!!!!
I echo the COP-OUT part.
ARHGHRYWIHHGHIER
This is the second time frigging Kawamori did something like this (the first time was with Mylene…who clearly should have picked Gamlin by the way)
Sheryl didn’t lose, so that’s not too bad, but seriously, if they were gonna go with undecided ending, why the hell did they frigging spend the past few episodes building Sheryl x Alto up?
Wasn’t Alto going to say something to Sheryl before he left for battle? What happened to that now?
I am RAGING SO HARD right now.
This isn’t BAD RANKA END RAGE.
This is still RAGE. RAGE @ COP-OUT.
The only GOOD END I will accept is a Sheryl end.
DAT WAS a good high quality show.
plus- finale had all boobies OUT!!!
Grace – taking over the world because of the voices in her head!
Saddest villain ever. Btw, love the harem ending! Rage shippers, rage!
What the hell is this JPOP video doing here. Oh wait ……….. =/
Hmph, Dammit!
mmmmm………….Lesbians, Can someone make a Hentai manga of Sheryl and Ranka making out!
https://randomc.net/image/Macross/Macross%20Frontier%20-%2025%20-%20Large%2036.jpg
https://randomc.net/image/Macross/Macross%20Frontier%20-%2025%20-%20Large%2043.jpg
Ranka x Sheryl 😀 Nice pic in any case.
too short for a nice anime T_T…
I love how there’s apparently a congruent relationship between character death and positive reception to mecha anime now. If studios are paying attention to this they should now know the secret to popularity in the west. Kill as many characters as you possibly can. That and make sure you have a dating simesque choosing of the haremette at the end and make it a clear cut choice. Oh and if really want to sell it then have the losing girl either die or cry afterward. Success is your’s to make and it’s just that easy.
And I don’t know what Mecha Porn is but it just sounds wrong. :/
so disappointed….but whatever, hopefully the movie will make up for it
So he gets both girls. NICE!!!
I hope the Movie will be like “Do you remember love?” movie to the original Macross. a lot bloodier!!! More guts less tits
WTFudge?! Are You SERIOUS?! Alto didn’t choose in the end?!
LUCKY BASTARD.
Only thing remotely bad about the ending is that shippers bitchin’ will go on until things are (hopefully) resolved in the movie.
I miss Michel.
To me the biggest surprise is how many people expected an Alto-chooses-one-girl ending. It has been so obvious this love triangle is gonna never ending, since…say, when the song Lion came out as the 2nd op song.
Yes it was quite rushed, but tightly packed action and music, or action on the music rather, more than compensates flaws.
Brilliant series over all, arguably the best of all Macross family.
What the hell!?
What a lame ending. The art wasn’t that good either. Episode 24 had way better anime than this one. Totally rushed too!
WTF Kawmori! That sucked Vajra butt!
“The worst final episode to a Macross story ever.”
Is this what they meant by the ‘SHOCKING’ ending? That it would just suck ass? How dissappointing!
Is the movie so bad that you had to make ep 25 bad that way the movie will be good!?
RAGE RAGE RAGE RAGE RAGE RAGE RAGE
In fact, Alto was flying a VF-17 Nightmare. The Valkyrie is almost 50 years old in the Macross timeline.
Matane.
I, actually, enjoyed the non resolution of the triangle since now the competition between both girls will be fairer and the pity factor for Sheryl has been worked out from the equation. For the movie I expect that they center on the Nome side of the story since the presence of Mao as well as the background history of Sheryl were never really explained.
At least Alto PWNED Grace at the end. That’s what dabitch gets for being so bad to Sheryl! Nobody messes with Alto’s girlfriend!! lol
‘Ranka gives Sheryl the ability to make her tummy glow’
– no fair, I wanted to make her tummy glow – (tummy glow worms?)
So Alto has worms in his tummy too? Did he get those from Sheryl from all of those kisses? It was worth it.
disappointing.
Bah. I personally thought the ending was great. Granted, it was a lot to take in for just one episode, but they pulled it off well.
And I’m personally laughing my ass off at everyone pissing at the “harem ending.” I imagine Kawamori is doing the same.XD If Alto picked someone fans would still be raging. You just can’t satisfy people these days.
Just because the ending wasn’t the way you wanted it to be is no reason to crucify the entire series. The movie has a lot of possibilities to buffer out the rough edge the show had.
Overall, I’m really satisfied with Frontier. It served its purpose as an excellent sequel to SDF Macross and more than made up for the debacle that was Macross 7. It doesn’t outshine the original, but as a Macross fan, it was a labor of love and it shows. I’m only sad it had to end so soon.
Is it me or does the Vajra Queen look like the bird thing from Macross Zero?
Alto chose BOTH of them folks.
Threesomes and menage a troi’s to come!
SUPERB ending.
“Alto chose BOTH of them folks.
Threesomes and menage a troi’s to come!
SUPERB ending.”
QFT
Open ending – money making
~Free
*is disappointed
Too bad Michael died. I thought that he would come back in the last moment and being rescued by those animal species.
Contrary to many others here, I find the general civility here today very refreshing. Hell, even diva was somber. ^^
Uhm.. at least i was right about Alto going for his sky , nobody gets Alto lol =P
At least this is a happy ending, i don’t mind Alto with be whoever tho i am a Ranka fan. Most importantly is to make everyone in the anime. Indeed that it was a rush ending, because you can’t squeeze everything in a 25 episodes anime with lots of fighting, lots of relationship to be cleared and lots of unanswered questions to be answered. Just wait for the movie!
i liked how the ending went (:
well apart from alto’s choice and all i finally understood that this was the best ending it could give.
It wouldnt be nice to have any side feeling disappointed just because of one episode when it had already delivered 24 awesome episode.
I guess the bottom line of this is that even they were love rivals , Ranka&Sheryl met as special individuals to begin with and they could relate to one another still somehow. A girl thing i guess haha xD
Well yeah the LT here is the main focus at the start but together with it there were other small things that were highlighted. Like comrades friends and family which is seen only in the later episodes. I must say though kawamori and his team did a good job in developing the characters stage by stage.
For this episode it was rushed and the music wasnt as good ep 24, sounded messy cutting it here and there.The Ranka Sheryl and Alto moment , with their 3 colours respectively, the concept looked strange >.> especially how sheryl’s transforming, i felt it little childish in comparison with the major battle outside lol
But overall it was still good (:
Well i do hope that the movie would give us a complete feel and maybe have michel come back in the picture >.> and have a mix of fun no more crying from anyone ._. and new songs 😉
^^
Epic show was epic – and lol harem ending not suprised – and roll on november 5th – Frontier concert ho ho ho.
Arn’t most Macross movies just cuts of the series strung together in an hour and a half summary? Hope not.
Definately a lot of disappointment for this series.
Sure, the triangle isn’t everything to this series but it dominated most of the show (50%) which is why everyone is complaining. For a mecha series, focus on mecha = about 25% of the show. I was hardly impressed with the fights, save for the first few episodes, later on it was pretty much the same feeling. As for strategy, I can’t even recall any smart tactics. Nothing so great about the villian side either, only two people. Mikhail really died for nothing. Other than him and Klan, not enough development was given to any of the other characters to make me like them. Remaining 25% for plot.. the part that’s actually quite good. Instead of focusing too much on Sheryl and Ranka, things would be much better if they’d added more to the plot and given the last episode more time so it didn’t feel rushed. This series had potential to be great.
Final thoughts: Can’t stand how Ranka killed plenty of both sides and gets a happy end after that. Being so easily coaxed into unconsciously killing plenty of humans, then snapping out of it so easily to save the day. How could every one forget so easily about how many deaths she’s caused? Unconsciousness isn’t an excuse for being irresponsible. …unforgivable.
Lessons learned: Don’t have such high expectations for Macross / series with great songs or outstanding budgets for CG/animation in the future. Last chance for Macross F Movie: don’t care about anyone anymore but Ranka must die.
I’m freakin’ the hell out on this clip.
https://randomc.net/image/Macross/Macross%20Frontier%20-%2025%20-%20Large%2037.jpg
Uh-oh, Crusader is probably NOT going to like this ending…
I kinda think Alto’s first love is the sky, so in a way it’s fitting.
And I see the way to a Vajra’s heart IS its stomach, heh heh.
atomofish: “And I’m personally laughing my ass off at everyone pissing at the “harem ending.” I imagine Kawamori is doing the same.XD” – Me too, me too. 😀 I actually liked how everything played out. Both girls are alive, Sheryl is cured, Alto got his sky, we got some delicious Sheryl/Ranka moments, great fights, great music. I didn’t expect any more.
Lol @ all those stupid shippers who now bash the show simply because Alto didn’t officially end up with their girl of choice.
I can say that this Macross series is far better than the spin offs the original raised. Trully an awesome job, with a nice story, nice char(although main char was a bit to gay, he reminds me the guy from the movie Taboo) and the special effects where top notch.
Very nice series.
I think the point that irritated people with regards to the triangle wasn’t that they didn’t get their wank of choice, but rather that there were too many loose ends. A resolution like this would have been perfectly sensible at around ep 15, but it feels rather awkward now, especially because the whole point of Michel’s character was to make Alto unambiguously express his feelings before it was too late. His conversation with Sheryl in ep 24 also left us with the expectation that he’d tell the two girls *something* once they were all safe, but they finished up just before the three could meet up and talk. Even if he was undecided, we could at least see him show relief over having the two of them safe, after all they went through.
It wasn’t bad – it just feels incomplete.
I’m really looking forward the movie!!!
I’m happy that we didn’t have to suffer a dokun dokun KAWAIIII XD
Fortunately Ranka was saved but still I don’t know how to think about Michael’s death.
Anyways, I’ll still wait for the gg-version.
Ah ah ah ah ah!!!!!
We are all in the wrong ship!
The winner couple love triangle in MF is Bandai/addiction
Excellent, lot of “bandai” sponsored series are such ending (cause of bandai best top fan potential 10-12 years old young). Subliminal!
Yes we start watching macross first serie at 10-12 years and end up watch it over the 30, so was the ending so bad to be so hatefull? Hatefull this serie ending just points out the weakness of being so addictive.
Ah ah ah ah ah ahha!!!! (crazy?)
Is this the first time a Macross vs. Macross battle actually happened? This is getting to be like Gundam in that sense (Gundam vs. Gundam in Stardust, G Gundam and Seed, etc.).
macross frontier
was on the fan-service way from the start.
Macross frontier was announced for the 25 anniversary of macross being. Pop idol lolita was so fan service to, so for this serie they put all together 2 singers to the love triangle show. The better way to make people crazy to choose who will ending with the hero… so LOLable.
Yes so LOLable funny to read from lot of everyone who whant Alto to be “finish” with (Ranka, Sheryl, brera, nobody, an harem )
Could fan service save an ending? No certainly not. Yes that was stupid from those who whant “alto to be with” to be satisfied in the end. Sometime it’s just cool to let the story be as it. So just feel relax to see a new macross serie achieved. yes so nostagic.
Whant to know more about Mao nome role?
It’s just fanservice bring in MF to confuse you.
Whant to know more about Birla -Minmei?
It’s fan service too. Birla is in a way fan serviced by Minmey? that is a big big false spoil about it clearly. I think about the message? maybe not.
I think this good ending was expected from long time. Cause If sheryl die, she will win in the heart of majority fan for sure. And how could she must have to die? Like a tool? what a even more boring way if it was. For sure cause singing and die in an battle is 99,99 % to not special ending. Remember her attitude to controle the gear was to bad to let her fight.Her soon death was too predicable in a way to be really dramatic. So let magicaly save her(that way ranka slap her and heal her was better than have could told us that there is a realist way to save her). Cause we could have think more stupid to bring us medecine treatment( like “oh mmy god we could have save her with this if we had known, it’s to sad” ah ah ). i think time was rushing but the idea ranka help her is more logical.
Ranka coudn’t die cause she was the key to the vajra side of being. Macross series was buit on love, possibly acceptance of diversity form of being together, war and choice, valkyrie and spirit. So the ending was no way to be one sided. It was just on the path of the serie spirit. With out ranka there couldn’t be an exit to the war.
Like as the show must go on too, the fan servicing forceputting in the MF must to be good ending to.(remember the special episode focus on macross zero)
Yes, i don’t forget it and i appreciate this serie for his fanservice too.
great fanservice battle!
The animation was stunning, but the ending didn’t bring any closure on the relationship side of things especially if majority of the series focused too much on it. They want to annoy everyone. That said, if we look at the series as a whole I feel that the series had more RankaxAlto flavor to it but was purposely never concluded because it was never conveyed.
The SherylxAlto front was never develop properly in 22 nor in 23 especially when they implied that Alto had romantic feelings for Ranka all along but had to kill her because she was a threat. Last episode consisted of Sheryl telling Alto to go to Ranka and a long one-sided goodbye kiss. The RankaxAlto front wasn’t addressed properly in this episode and instead, Ranka and Alto peptalked Sheryl to not giving up and Sheryl was elevated to be as special as Ranka. Instead of Alto’s importance, it’s Sheryl’s importance in Ranka’s life that was addressed. It turned out that this is just another episode that just solved the CONFLICT but not the main theme of the story.
In conclusion, it’s not the Sheryl fans, it’s the Ranka fans that got cheated lmao
@$lou
Hoh yeah!! My Ranka/Sheryl end. I pwned all the shippers to oblivion!
KEIKAKU DOORI~!
Alto: “Your heart is shouting. Think and you shall not blossom, think not and you shall blossom. Only feel the things as they are. I’m going to fly!”
Ozma: Totsugeki RABU HA-TO!! (Translation: Charge! LOVE HEART!)
Wow – Now that was a perfect Macross ending.
Love, hope and, trust winning over fear, revenge and, hate. True Macross style.
The medly was brilliant, Macross Attack – classic, new found allies mass sacrifice to protect the Island 1, Macross lands in the sea.
As to the relationship stuff? I can’t actually remember if the relationship was ever concluded in origonal Macross – I only rewatched it a while ago and don’t remember a definate conclusion – however there were a “few” more episodes of that.
Anyone who doesn’t love it doesn’t love Macross.
Seriously that was a classic series end.
As to Micheals death – it was a necessary event to create a personal revenge angle for people. When someone dies in battle you don’t go on a genocidal rampage, you mourn and move on.
And why do people seem to think that the main point of the story was the love triangle and not the “love trumps hate / war series” angle?
I heart Birler’s Minmay love! I’m glad we saw him looking at her picture. What a sad and touching moment. Imagine all this so that he could meet his idol.
I did love Ranka in this episode, even though she cured Sheryl. I also liked that Berera helped Alto.
The battle was awesome. So much happened in this episode, and it ended exactly how I thought it would, with an unresolved triangle. I hope the movie finally resolves it though.
I can’t wait to see the Lee household in the movie, Ozuma, Cathy, Ranka and Berera. That should be good for some laughs.
Crying? Moaning because it wasn’t spoonfed? What a laugh.
I thought LT was already over 2 episodes ago? Alto chose to kill Ranka for sake of everyone. Klan called it love. Sheryl said she knew it all along. She kissed Alto and all and Alto didn’t respond. That was a long kiss and he didn’t hold her hand. It was always one-sided even if Alto made Sheryl his wings in ep 24 (because he was going to kill Ranka) Observe how sad he looked at that scene.
If you think that the resolution will be blatantly shoved to your faces think again. After Galia 4, it was plain as day Alto and Ranka love one another but come the next episode they evened the ground with a Triangle song to avoid alienating fans. It’s the same as this episode. Alto chose in 23, Sheryl kissed Alto goodbye, you’d expect that Alto and Ranka will finally get together but boom, they avoided it. TRIANGULAR ending.
Kawamori is now going, “Go watch the movie idiots!”
Might sounds sexist, but anyone consider the possibility Alto’s just a polygamist. Maybe that’s how he rolls.
@Cheeze
– Yep!
The Sheryl Alto Salute (BIG HINT!!)
Sheryl has Alto to come back to
EP 24 – Alto’s tells Sheryl he will return to her
Ep 24 – Alto’s near confession – Sheryl tried to let Alto go, but he rushed forward to confess and kisses her
Ep 22 – the silence that Ranka received after her confession and Alto lets her leave (doesn’t confess in return – no dokun dokun!)
Far more evidence supports Alto Sheryl ending.
Personally, I think Alto has already chosen. Kawamori is just trolling us more without providing a ‘definative’ answer that many shippers want but at the same time laying the foundation for the AxS movie ending.
@nycs
“Seeing so many people disappointed only shows that the majority of fans are here for the ship and not the mecha and the action.”
For me, it’s more about the personal interactions between the main characters that I’m interested in, so yea the LT is a major factor in watching MF.
Ranka slapping Sheryl – Ranka just looked mean and spiteful. It looked like that was her revenge for Sheryl slapping her in ep 21. lol
@aneeshadc
Alto will keep Sheryl’s earring, but he’ll give Sheryl his mother’s ring. 🙂 That’s what I predict.
Sheryl singing Infinity was awesome.
@cae
Yeah there’s a definite connection between the Vajra and the Protoculture that isn’t really explained…at all =/
The symbols on the Vajra’s carapace is the same Protoculture spiral logo that is seen on many of their artifacts, including the Birdhuman abd Sara Nome’s floating rocks in Macross Zero
Not to mention that at end of this episode Brera parks his VF-27 right next to another Birdhuman
Same one from Zero? Is this where Sara and Shin went? What is the name of this new planet? Hopefully subsequent movies explain these things
Oh and I’m guessing when Luca showed up as Nanase regained conciousness and most-likely confessed his love for her, I’m wondering if she reply with something like, “Sorry Luca but I love Ranka!” Dunno why but I really wanted to see the crushed look on Luca’s face lol.
And WTH, seriously expected Michael to come outta nowhere at the end like “Hey what’s up guys…Brera ended up rescuing me and using advanced cybernetics to prevent me from kicking the bucket!” Klan deserved a happy ending too. Plus how can she ever forgive the Vajra for killing her Michel?
And btw, the part when Quarter shows up to the part when Luca and Klan are towing another of Alto’s soon-to-be-destroyed (yes AGAIN!) VF-25 seems to be missing a few key scenes…when did Klan have time to micronize?
Barbwire-
GEESHH!Even when it was clear in this episode that the triangle was still onoing..you still hold on to the fact that Alto had made his choice already. WAKE THE hell up, retard! Imagine if he really did choose….you probably would have peed in your pants.
The irony is that Alto is only a teenager yet people expected him to pick one of the two and live happily ever after like Hikaru and Misa. Average teenagers can’t make those decisions while still in school. If he had picked one who is to say they would last a week?
Masina,
You have always proven yourself to be a complete idiot. Well done on doing so yet once again.
Have you told your mommy that your on the computer again?
The end to ep25 only gives stupid Ranka shippers (AKA you) hope of a RxA ending.
Me so sorry Masina, Ranka no dokun dokun donkun!
aw. Are you crying now? Poor Masina. No one cares.
@ Lurker
“And WTH, seriously expected Michael to come outta nowhere at the end like “Hey what’s up guys…Brera ended up rescuing me and using advanced cybernetics to prevent me from kicking the bucket!” Klan deserved a happy ending too. Plus how can she ever forgive the Vajra for killing her Michel?”
Well They has this scene animated but they’re running out of time (too much things packed in 24 minutes) LOL
BW….you need to go change your diaper, it reeks with delusional fantasies. And you are such a retard to even avoid the obvious that there is no one party who wins?! Oh, I forgot, I am conversing with an infantile tart that still believes in Santa Claus.
Ok..now I understand. No worries…..I don’t blame you for your incapacity to grasp reality.
It is very sad Masina, you are so incapable you can’t logically argue against any of my previous posts from episode 23 or episode 24.
BETTER and SMARTER Ranka fans have made very good counter arguments. You have NEVER been one of them.
The best you can do is “peed in your pants” – how old are you? Five? Six at best? Go hang out at the Sesame Street forums.
Pathetic. You don’t do Ranka fans any justice.
@m-ass-in-ass
HAHA!
Diapers? Retard? Santa Claus?
Are you listing all of the things you did today?
You need to do Stand Up Comedy so I can throw the proverbial rotten vegetables at you.
HAHA!
On another note. Yea, I think Alto x Sheryl ending. You hope of RxA.
Where did I ever say RxA ending, in the conversation? Past posts are just that….past posts. The ending was perfect to end all delusionment, but, you can’t seem to grasp it. You are not only delusional, but, illiterate,too. I must have really hit a nerve for you to come unraveled…LOL! Thanks for the entertainment, I always wanted to see a freak show in action, and you proven to be a great entertainer.
I am done playing with you, now go play in your play pen, like a good little whatever you are.
Ah poor Masina. Go run home to mamma-san!
U got PWNED
Jesus Christ people, no one won the love triangle. Live with it. Kawamori chose Triangular as an end for a reason.
“All things considered, I thought they did a pretty good job with this ending.”
Disagreed, and I’m BY FAR not the only one who says that. I do agree with your compliments on the music, but there end my good words bout THIS ending.
Just copy my post from Animesuki here:
I’m also absolutely disappointed. The whole show was built around the love triangle and to leave that unresolved makes the show just feel empty.
Ok, as usual some people will say this was an epic ending bla blupp. Why? Cause it was different? If an ending is epic just cause it’s different I really wonder what standards you have.
But what’s really pissing me off, it’s that this is the XX show which (for me) was ruined through a bad ending. I’m watching anime since 8 years now, and if there’s one trend I noticed the most, it’s the open endings. Everything just resolves around MONEY. It’s always MONEY. Like it’s here MONEY cause he can do a movie, an OVA whatsoever and the hardcore fans will buy it (ya know the anime DVD prices in Japan). And it’s just so fucked up, that I could puke (please excuse my bad words). And I’m rid of it, rid of having my dearest hobby commercialised to the last extent, rid of seeing partly very good shows getting endings like this one and rid of stories being left open where everything was clear to the one episode before the last.
I’m already watching easily only a tenth of what I watched 2 years ago and if this trend goes on I’m considering to throw my hobby complety. Watching a series just to be disappointed again? Without me.
P.S.: I won’t answer comments on this post as I don’t have the time to read through everything here.
P.P.S.: Even if you totaly disagree with my opinion you should think a bit about it, and ask yourself if you just aren’t lying to yourself about the commercialism. Sure anime is business and is meant to make money. However art has to be keepen.
~Free
@ Zalem, word!
Some of you guys take things too seriously. As the 80’s would say, take a chill pill. Preferably something that keeps some of you guys in a drug induced stupor.
Tsk Tsk Tsk. Such a lame ending. I hope code geass r2 dont screw up too.
I really think Kawamori meant for the love triangle to be a joke, much like he almost fooled us into thinking that Ozma would bite it like Roy Focker.
Frontier echoes a lot of SDF Macross, however he turns it on its head and keeps the show from being predictable. For that reason, it made me like the show even more. And I for one don’t really care that the triangle was unresolved.
I still think the ending was great, and it avoided the WTF-ness of Zero’s ending.
Im SOOOOOOOOOOOO disappointed with this episode “Ending”
First: the *already said* LAME triangle “Ending” if you can call that an ending.
Second: The MIXES: i hated them, the only part i more or less liked was when Sheryl sung Northen Cross.
The episode was HYPErDuperRUSHED. I had to see it like 4 times to figure out a couple of things!!
And oH! wonder of wonders! (the only thing that Really surprised me) Ranka rescuing Sheryl (When she gave up).
And Last: That Oh! so good for nothing ALto…
sorry 4 my English
(sorry 4 my english)
Masina you got pwned.
That’s what happens when you flame people. Perhaps in the future you can just let people express their opinions?
A movie, OVA and movie again to follow up the macross series is normal lol.
It was the same for the rest of the macross series. But is there a chance that alto would make a decision there?
Does the series usually make a heavier weightage than movies? ( just wondering ^^)
aw, even if he didn’t really end with sheryl
there’s too much pointing to such an ending
wahh ><
You fools! Didn’t you see that Alto saluted to Sheryl?? It’s a tie but Sheryl IS ON THE LEAD because Alto saluted to Sheryl before he departed to fight Grace! Ranka didn’t salute to Alto only Sheryl did that’s why it was for Sheryl even if Ranka was singing to him. Alto was just having a tunnel vision back there and was saluting on the mini screen behind Ranka that is Sheryl’s screen!
Poor Rankaaaa! Saying the loser’s line that she won’t lose to Sheryl in song and in love. If Ranka only knew that she was the reason Alto joined SMS, that Alto had romantic feelings for her all along. If she only knew that she had ruined Sheryl’s lovelife with Alto because Alto couldn’t commit to her wholeheartedly. XD LMFAO If only Ranka and Alto were given more time to talk about THEIR relationship instead of wasting time peptalking the dying Sheryl.
@cheese
“How refreshing is it to see Ranka snapping back to her old self and telling Sheryl that she isn’t there just to sing and die; she has Alto to come back to?”
Hahahahah *wheezes* What do we have here? XD Say whaaat? Ranka said that Sheryl has Alto to come back to? HAHAHAH
Ranka: *to Sheryl trying to peptalk her* Because of you I was able to fly.
Ranka: Because you lend him your power, Alto was able to fly.
THAT’S what she said. Ranka was pertaining to Sheryl’s effect on Alto AND her because she felt she’s worthless. XD
@Dong Le
Hahaha they’re charging with the power of love!
@barb wings
“Ep 24 – Alto’s near confession – Sheryl tried to let Alto go, but he rushed forward to confess and kisses her
Ep 22 – the silence that Ranka received after her confession and Alto lets her leave (doesn’t confess in return – no dokun dokun!)”
AHAHAHAAHKLSDHL;AHSDAHAH XDDDD So this is your proof that Sheryl is in the lead? ROTFLMAO I want some barbeque wings after this.
*ahem*
Alto did not kiss Sheryl. That is just your own delusion. Sheryl kissed him for a loooong time and they focused her on hand on Alto’s shoulder and ALTO NEVER RESPONDED. After the kiss, Sheryl pulled back and said “DON’T SAY ANYTHING MORE.” Why? BECAUSE ALTO NEVER RESPONDED TO HER hahahah THE KISS WAS A FLOP. Look at Alto’s face after she pulled back. His face fell XD That’s not love.
May that register.
Me, I’m just glad that they came out of it all right and glad to see that yes, the Vajra aren’t mindless killing machines but were just manipulated scapegoats, while the real enemy was much closer. Anything less wouldn’t have been in the spirit of the series. Enough with the love triangle flames. Alto’s true love is the sky anyway; Ranka and Sheryl are just mistresses. 😉
My only problem was that it was just too rushed. The events of this episode could’ve been stretched out into 2-3.
That was a better ending than I expected. I got my dose of mecha battle (best I’ve seen so far)and the love triangle took a backseat (which I was hoping for as it had gotten quite tedious). It’s funny how so many people are saying the ending sucked just because Alto didn’t choose either girl in the end. Who cares? No one died, and besides, just because a couple ends-up at the end of a series doesn’t mean they’ll live happily ever after.
Was kind of expecting this as Alto never actively pursued either Ranks or Sheryl. Don’t expect too much from the movie, either, since Macross has a track-record for movies that are either a) Alternate Universe (DYRL); b) Series compilation (Macross II, Macross Plus); c) Oneshot (Macross 7). If they do decide to actually use the movie to provide a more conclusive ending on the romance front, then I hope they jump forward a few years into the future so Ranka doesn’t look like jail-bait w/ a bad haircut and would be on more even footing with Sheryl.
But this was a good final episode. A lot better than some of the series endings for mecha shows (Evangelion – ugh, Gundam W – yawn). It was nice to see Brera helping Alto in the final confrontation with Grace. I’ve always liked Brera and felt that they could have done more for his character. Anyway, thanks for the awesome mech-battle, Kawamori-san and for stringing the shippers along only to yank the chain back in the end. If you do decide to give them what they want in the upcoming movie… I wish you luck. As long as there’s another epic battle, I don’t care who ends-up with blockhead-hime. 🙂
Amazing ending, my faith in this show is restored and it truly feels like a fulfilling ending. Good job team!
Edit: OMG Alto you idiot! He’s such a child!
I have been anticipating a conclusion to the LT all week and they give me this! It’s like an insult to the viewer’s intelligence.
Spread_the_Love / Diva : Yes, I’m only recently aware of that remark for quite some time now, thank you for the correction. Nevertheless, this still doesn’t change my stance on the issue that the series has offered its support to the relationship between Alto and Sheryl. Though the series has healed the awkward tension between Sheryl and Ranka, there are still things unresolved between Alto and Sheryl, as well as Alto and Ranka, and this will no doubt be highlighted in the movie. As I’ve said to yukime before, I trust the series will know what its doing, despite the obvious jab to the shippers in the ending which Kawamori made sure his signature was scrawled on. 🙂
On trolling, you will need to do better than offering this transparent, mild flavor of yours if you intend on barking up this tree, for I have played, and prefer to play with veteran trolls who are far more entertaining and amusing when they dance. 🙂
in the heat of the moment, the ending of this anime was pretty great, fantastic action, a nice little happy ending for all, but as always, when i look back, i notice A LOT of things that kind of irk me a bit. first of all, just generally, i have no problem with the triangle not being decided, the problem i have in this case is that michel dies pretty much telling Alto he has to make a choice before it is too late, Klan tried over and over again to get Alto to choose, because he wasnt being truthful to his feelings, but even after both of the girls in question almost die, even after he almost dies, Alto gets off with just flying around in the air while the girls just pine after him some more. he didnt have to make a decision because the shippers demanded it of him, he had to make a decision because the whole point of a lot of the character development for Alto was about him facing his feelings without running away and being truthful about them to other people. also about saying what you feel before it is too late. in that respect, the fact that there was no decision is a disappointment.
other than that, most of the problems i have deal with the glaring plot holes, (plot holes i admittedly probably wont care about in the future when i think back on this series), which include, what happened to the entirety of the Macross Galaxy fleet, what WAS Grace anyway(what/who were the voices in her head and how did they get there), how did Grace survive the first Vajra attack that killed Ranka’s mother(was she a cyborg before then) what happens with the Vajra now, what were the Vajra in the first place, AND what exactly did Leon want anyway, why did he help Grace, did he just want the planet, did HE want control of the fold connections, did Bilrer know about this (the only way his plan to meet with Minmay works if he can use the Vajra fold network), not to mention ANYTHING regarding Alto’s father( and his father being happy for him doesnt count….did they even speak at all!!!).
the plot holes hurt the ending to a degree, and i doubt the movie will resolve anything, but that doesnt mean this series didnt entertain, because it certainly did. great action, good character development (even if some of it wasnt followed through) great music. while i am sure 1 more episode, just ONE, would have helped tremendously, i wouldnt go off like some of the people here and say this ending destroyed the entire series and made the show horrible, …..it could have been better, but what we got was pretty good.
@mutio
They’re not making anime for your personal enjoyment. The world doesn’t revolve around your hobby. In the end, it’s the creators exerting their artistic license. They can do whatever the hell they please, because it’s THEIR hobby. If you’re a true artist, you’ll go with your vision and end things the way you want.
And if it’s commercialized, what does it matter? You can’t get anything for free and they have to make a living. Unless you actually bought the original DVDs & music CDs for this series instead of dl’ing from the internet, then you really have no cause for complaint since you didn’t contribute anything to Kawamori-san’s pockets… And don’t forget about the sponsors who paid for it, either. It’s not like you’re going to buy their products, are you now?
I shudder to think how nice Frontier can look with a movie budget. DYRL, Plus, and Seven all too different routes with their movie stories. I wonder how Kawamori and company will handle the Frontier movie.
What do you guys want?
DYRL (movie set in the Macross universe)
Plus (mixing of the episodes with new footage)
Seven (side story with all new footage)
@pinoy78
If it was up to me id like to have the series pick up few years with NUNS SMS looking for Macross Galaxy to find answers since Grace, Gracefully erased all records. That would help answer questions of vajra, 117th fleet, and Macross galaxy.
Also a side note id be really interested on the complexities of colonizaing a new world and living with another alien race.
@spread_the_love a.k.a diva
Please, by all means, don’t touch or twist or bend the “salutation” scene. You got a lot of AxR scenes in the last episode, so just take them and let the senior (or even new) Macross LT fans enjoy the homage and the meaning of the scene without having it being twisted to anything else. kthx.
CAN’T WAIT FOR KUROSHITSUJI XDDD
@fallenazazel
They’re not making anime for your personal enjoyment.
Uh, yeah, actually they are. Otherwise they wouldn’t want you to buy the DVDs and assorted merchandise.
Alto did choose the gal of his dream
he choose ranka
if you look at the last frame of the anime
you see he hold up his right hand
and who is on the right side
it is ranka.
Won’t Grace rebuild herself like before? I hope so lol, there’s so much of her background I’d like to know. Anyway, I was a little disapointed at the ending, to me it felt it could be split in 2 and explain a few more things like Ranshe’s relation with Grace, Grace’s past itself and the legion that resides within, Alto’s father. But since there’s a movie coming, maybe those will be answered.
@pinky or maybe he’s right-handed. Then you’d have to take into account just about how many times Sheryl’s earring glinted that episode.
Apparently alto is more interested in the sky than females..damn eunech. Incidentally it was nifty to see the Valkyrie salute scene before he goes off to kill Grace, nice throwback to original SDFM.
That movie better solve the triangle and it better be Sheryl ><
@ Pinkiy
LoL! that’s hilarious, as is the “gesture” Alto made to Sheryl.
I think you guys are Overinterpreting.
Darn, glowing stomachs are awesome.
Watching Alto aim at multiple targets reminded me of Strike Freedom, though. LOL
Just watched the sub, is it me or did they never show the Macross Battle Frontier transform? How lame, we waited a whole series and they didnt even show the transform sequence.
OMG!! that ending was so awesome! it’s the first one I don’t cry though, LOL
However, what about that Minmay little picture?? why does Bilrer has it?
@finalnight: you can see a glimpse of the transformation in the previous episode.
BTW I really loved when the “turtle” lands on the sea, and the humanity begins… a memory of Macross Zero
LOL, Queen = Omega rip off. Lawl.
@fallenazazel
“If you’re a true artist, you’ll go with your vision and end things the way you want.”
Damn right, and don’t listen to the company to just press out even MORE money. Enough people pointed out, that i.e. closing the love triangle question wouldn’t have had any bad influence on the feedback. Infact I think it’d be rather the opposite.
And I just don’t mean Macross, but all the other anime. And as I watch over 8 years now I could slowly see the change in the anime world. Hell, how many new anime shows are comming out this season? They make an anime out of every s**t – that’s capitalism and money making at it’s best. If you still say that’s the anime creators “hobby” you are really naive. And that has never ANYTHING to do with art.
And on another note, a good old friend of mine knows the anime studio scene a bit and she told me, that it turnd more and more away from art. If an insider says that I doub’t, that there isn’t some truth behind it.
To make on thing clear here: I don’t wanna talk anime bad. Heck I love my hobby, however I’m very displeased with in what direction it turned during the past 8 years.
“Unless you actually bought the original DVDs & music CDs”
I can also import DVDs from USA ya know, stuff is pretty fast licensed there these days.
Won’t buy em though. The problem is, that the hardcore fans will. And as i.e. Kawamori has a huge fanbase, even shows which aren’t that good and which clearly have signs of set up things to make more money, will sell pretty good. I think the best recent example is the game Spore. It sells pretty good although it’s completely wracked. But the Sims maker made it, so it has to be good or not?
It’s always the same. Stop being naive people – enjoy your hobby, not my interest. However don’t wonder if you’ll be unplesantly surprised later..
godamint im sad its over damit
WOW, even if the ending felt a little bit rushed and the love triangle was not concluded, at least series went out on style. Was it mentioned whether or not the movie was going to be a continuation of the series or a re-cap/alternate retelling like DYRL? The ending gave me impression that the staff intends on continuing the series or at least leaving it open for another team. Regardless a satisfying ending to the series, but I hope the love triangle gets resolved eventually.
What does Brera usually look like particularly his eyes? The last scene with Brera smiling in the end was pretty creepy and made me think that Grace possessed him. He had a Light Yagami-esque “Mission Complete” look. Brera is a cyborg and Grace can constantly switch bodies. What do you guys think?
Was expecting a more tear jerking, emotional, love and sacrifice kind of ending. Apparently the show’s made for younger audiences maybe, can’t handle that too deep of an emotional bond. Ended in a kind of sing song, light ending.
Not how I would write it.
This has season 2 written all over it.
Compared to the last episode of Macross Zero, a bit new age, but was very emotional. No cartoon ever touched me so deeply.
Doesn’t have the drama of the Macross Zero, and it doesn’t have the excellent sense of wonder with the original Macross, but still good fun to watch. We don’t get many space epics.
It could have been worse… We could have had a Macross Zero ending…
hey whats with macross zero hate, it has all the thing i love, mecha porn, dogfight, itano circus, romance, good animation, what else?
my guess: bilrer + minmei –> ranshe mei –> ranka, that’s why ranka’s 1/4 zentraedi
Did anyone else think that the Vajra queen looked a lot like the Bird Human from Macross Zero
I think anyone that is a Macross fan will enjoy this ending. Music, Epic Battles, References to previous Macross (salute, macross attack). It was great. I’m sure everything with the love triangle would be wrapped up in the movie
@cheese
I just express myself XD I can’t keep myself from not laughing hysterically from those kinds of posts. Must…express…
@Kagami
“Please, by all means, don’t touch or twist or bend the “salutation” scene. You got a lot of AxR scenes in the last episode, so just take them and let the senior (or even new) Macross LT fans enjoy the homage and the meaning of the scene without having it being twisted to anything else. kthx.”
You’re joking aren’t ya? LMFAO Tell me you’re joking. XD Ranka was there IN the frame WITH Sheryl. Sheryl was even background and just inside the screen. Alto saluted to BOTH of them. They were BOTH LOOKING AT HIM. Your homage is ALTO’S SALUTE to BOTH girls. HAHAH have you convinced yourself that this is the biggest proof of the series being SherylxAlto? XDXD Sheryl people are interesting. I bet they’re thinking Alto and Sheryl are already engaged and Ranka is now the third wheel because oooh she said “I won’t lose”. XDXDD
They’re making Ranka be the underdog again even if we all saw how hard Alto tried to mask his pain when she left XD Sheryl should be the one saying ‘she won’t lose’ but that’s good because underdog = winner. Mwahahaha!
#
Michael Bay at 3:43 am on September 28th, 2008
Doesn’t have the drama of the Macross Zero, and it doesn’t have the excellent sense of wonder with the original Macross, but still good fun to watch. We don’t get many space epics.
Yeah its the one series to keep the space fans going. Loved Macross Plus as well. To be honest this is not as good as what we’ve had but its all we got so we live with it. 🙂
Macross Quarter looks smaller than 1/4 the size of Macross Frontier.
https://randomc.net/image/Macross/Macross%20Frontier%20-%2025%20-%20Large%2032.jpg
Grace is a Boomer?
i’m tired of those Ranka fans who want AxR. Say: what in the world Ranka has that Alto would choose her? she’s weak, has no boobs, she fell on Miss Macross, she needed from Sheryl AND Alto to start her career, her dressing sucks big time, she can’t bake some simple cookies and she’s not as pretty as Sheryl.
Sheryl on the other hand is a natural born idol, gorgeous girl, strong, she cooks nice, has boobs and great body, her dressing and style is always cool and she’s mature.
No guy in this world (or in MF case, universe) would choose Ranka over Sheryl, Sheryl is a complete woman.
I think I just relived my childhood again.
lol at Galaxy. One-two punch. Out cold. (or hot. blowing up and all XD)
Oh, I am going to miss my Ranka, Alto, Brera, Ozma, and Cathy.
Happy ending and happy family
https://randomc.net/image/Macross/Macross%20Frontier%20-%2025%20-%20Large%2040.jp
Grandma, mother, brother, and the main character. Love it.
@diva: So tell me, if Alto saluted to both of them why don’t Ranka saluted him back? And please see where Alto VF position is: in the middle of the two ships. How do you explain that he saluted both of them when the VFwent closer to Sheryl’s ship, turns to Sheryl’s stage and then the screen focuses to Sheryl then the salute? Judging from the position, Ranka should and cannot see the salute, no matter how you twist it You either are in denial or just completely delusional defying the logic that should be there. Whatever, you can think what you want, but the truth cannot be bent that that salute is for Sheryl. And it’s for the best if you just accept it and wait for the movie anyway.
@Daxion
Alto loves Ranka. He said to take back Ranka’s True song and he knew that Ranka was singing only for him. Michael told him. He made a gesture of reaching out to Ranka and drawing his fist towards him. He repeated what he told her in ep 10 regarding flowers blossoming. He goes “Just as I feel. I’m gonna fly.” and Ozma and them charged in the name of love.
Last episode he told Sheryl that he’ll come back to her because he realized people shouldn’t fly alone. But this episode he said “People are alone, but because they are alone they can love somebody.” Big contrast with what he said to Sheryl meaning he didn’t mean what he told her last episode.
Too bad the AxR hints were played down because Kawamori is a coward and wants to play triangular. Ranka and Alto were given more genuine rabu rabu episodes than with Sheryl. E.g Galia event etc. That’s what I observed.
I’ve never seen a Macross end with a harem ending. Kawamori is keeping up with the times.
Can we talk about context regarding the salute before this gets any sillier. Sheryl *told* him to save Ranka. And what did he do immediately after doing so and in heading back out? Exactly. He saluted *Sheryl* and vice versa. Context peoples, context.
Also, a friendly reminder – hail to the cheese.
I admit that I was ready to stop watching this show after episode 20. Mikhael was my favourite character, and seeing him being killed off was upsetting. Considering the bleak and depressing tone of the last few episodes, I was totally prepared to believe that Kawamori was going with a kill-em-all ending. So the 180-degree change in tone for this episode really surprised me.
Like everyone else – I enjoyed the mecha p0rn, but the ending was ridiculously rushed. I wished they’d added an extra ep (26) to wrap things up. Nevertheless, I’m glad that Kawamori didn’t go for a Spaceship Ideon ending. Now I’ll be able to rewatch this series again with much greater affection than I though I would, just four weeks ago.
As for the movie, I suspect it’ll be a compilation or a side-story like DYRL. I’m actually hoping it isn’t a direct sequel to Frontier, otherwise Kawamori might use it as an excuse to kill off more characters.
well no diva, see it again, the one who return the salute is sheryl.. this is pointless
sure2 whatever, you don’t even touch the last scene where ranka looking all sad seeing sheryl looking up to alto and then suddenly cheering up saying i won’t lose in sing and love.. whats that?
oh i foresaw you will say “its ranka feeling pity that she know alto didn’t love sheryl! LMAO LOLOLOL”
yea right gezz
@pochi
If they think noone won the LT just because it wasn’t concluded in this stupid episode, they’re dead wrong. XD There are 24 episodes to support that Alto loved Ranka more than he did Sheryl. The subbed version of this episode was suhweeeet! XD I take it back. This episode wasn’t crap.
@Kagami
What’s this? Tunnel vision? AHAHA LOOK-AT-RANKA-TOO! Ranka was making the L sign to Alto. She was pointing to him. SHE WAS SINGING. She CAN SEE HIM. XD
What’s wrong with you Sheryl people?? XD There were two girls in the frame that Alto was saluting to. Come back to reality. Come on. Reality doesn’t bite…hard. lololl!
@stray
‘Sheryl *told* him to save Ranka. And what did he do immediately after doing so and in heading back out? Exactly. He saluted *Sheryl* and vice versa. Context peoples, context.’
Ehh? o.O Are you trying to make it look like Alto was saving Ranka because Sheryl ASKED him to? Alto asked Sheryl’s help because he needed her help to rescue Ranka. It’s obvious. You erased this part of the episode from your brain.
“That time…when I heard your voice. The cries of your heart.” (Alto…romanticuu! XD)
“If you think not, you will blossom. Nor shall you blossom if you think”
“JUST AS I FEEL. I’m gonna fly.”
You learn something new everyday. 😀
@joachim
Lyke ohhmg!! Sheryl saluted! Ranka didn’t salute because she did something else that was not a salute. That’s why Alto’s salute was not for her! Hah I get you now. ;O Who cares if Ranka’s looking at Alto! She had temporary blindness. She couldn’t see Alto. Alto didn’t see Ranka too when he did that because Alto will ONLY SALUTE TO SHERYL! I’m now a believer. This is the ultimate proof that it’s AltoxSheryl. ftw!!
XD
“oh i foresaw you will say “its ranka feeling pity that she know alto didn’t love sheryl! LMAO LOLOLOL” ”
Haha say wut?
UNDERDOG = WINNER. XD If only Ranka knew…If only…she wouldn’t say those lines….If only…
Why the bicker about salute?! Give it a rest. Alto saluted to both Ranka and Sheryl. Sheryl fans are overinterpreting that scene. Neither ship won because noone got together except for Ozma and Cathy. Let’s just move on!
February 2009 is the premiere of Macross Frontier the movie. It was written in one of the magazines. Grace is still wearing her glasses even in that condition. Lens Crafter 2059 is put to shame.
@diva
You should watch the salute scene in slow-motion and be ready to hit the pause button. You’ll see Alto’s VF transform and face Battle Frontier’s bridge to salute Sheryl before he goes back into the fight.
P.S.
Don’t forget to take off your shipping goggles.
@Capella
It wasn’t resolved but there are lots of episodes that can prove that Alto loved Ranka more than he did Sheryl. Episode 25 isn’t the only episode of Macross Frontier. 😀
@Mechabao
To think that Sheryl fans will go to this much analysis of a scene. O__O Freaky. XD No ordinary viewer can notice which part of those robots are Ranka and Sheryl.
Okay buddy. When VF-25 saluted. It was a close up. If they want Alto to salute to JUST Sheryl they will make it so that Alto will salute to only one girl. Only blind people or people who brainwashed themselves couldn’t see that Ranka was in that frame with Sheryl. She was even in the FRONT. ahaha How can you miss her? XD The screen was on her right side yet her back was on it after Alto saluted.
Whatever does this mean? Ranka was also SEEING SOMETHING. Alto saluted to both girls. LOL!! Alto saluted to only Sheryl. Wishful thinking wishful thinking
@diva
Just go and rewatch that scene. It doesn’t need any analysis, just pay attention to what’s happening and try to keep your bearings whenever they cut to another frame.
When the VF-25 went into Battroid mode, it was between the Battle Frontier and Quarter BUT it was facing the Frontier’s bridge. You know, where Sheryl was singing. In that frame with Ranka in the foreground the Battle Frontier and Alto’s VF were behind Ranka, where she couldn’t possibly see them.
Oh, and FYI I don’t wear shipping goggles. I just call things as I see them, from a neutral point of view.
@mechabao
I saw it so many times. In case you haven’t heard what I said.
Okay buddy. When VF-25 saluted. It was a close up. If they want Alto to salute to JUST Sheryl they WILL make it so that Alto will salute to only one girl. Only blind people or people who brainwashed themselves couldn’t see that Ranka was in that frame with Sheryl. She was even in the FRONT. The screen was on her right side yet her back was on it after Alto saluted.
They wouldn’t show Ranka if they meant for Alto to salute to only Sheryl. It was meant for both girls. FYI. How in the world am I wearing shipping goggles when I said that it was meant for both SHERYL AND RANKA? Neutral pfft.
haha, I wished they showed us closure on the couple~! hehe!
I would’ve been sooo happy if they went with SherylxAlto! <333
@diva
I’m not blind. Nor am I brainwashed.
“How in the world am I wearing shipping goggles when I said that it was meant for both SHERYL AND RANKA? Neutral pfft.”
When you keep insisting that it was for both of them instead of just Sheryl (which is really obvious if you’re really paying attention to everything that’s going on) speaks volumes. Besides, judging by your posting history on this blog, you’re either a) a troll, b) a delusional Ranka shipper, or c) both.
@diva – huh? I’m not saying Alto didn’t ask Sheryl for help to rescue her, but that even moreso reinforces the salute as being solely towards Sheryl in acknowledgement. Why exactly would he be saluting Ranka in that situation?
@diva
Only blind people or people who brainwashed themselves couldn’t see that Ranka was in that frame with Sheryl. She was even in the FRONT. The screen was on her right side yet her back was on it after Alto saluted.
This statement just proves that you’re the one who’s blind or refuses to see. So what if the screen was behind her? Alto and Sheryl would still have been situated to Ranka’s right side and unless Ranka has eyes on the sides of her head, she could not have seen Alto’s salute since he was directly in between Frontier and Quarter when he saluted.
Another thing, that supposed gesture of acknowledgement from Ranka looks like it was just a part of her Seikan Hikou or Watashi no Kare wa Pilot dance routine.
@diva
Rather than giving the same argument-which is way too weak anyway, you should present another evidence for the salute being given to Ranka too. Screen close up? What does it have to do with how the scene presented Alto’s VF-25 move nearer to Frontier’s Battleship a.k.a Sheryl’s Stage and then presented by the scene itself, yet again, to FACE Sheryl? See, girl, Ranka is on the other Battleship (Quarter) and frankly, how can Ranka see the salute, were it supposed to be given to her too, when Alto’s VF should have face her by the back? I want to say, “I LOL’D”, but sorry the evidence was too ridiculous for me to even say that.
@stray
diva-esque, can never answer the question, getting out of the point she should argue just to flaunt some hints she find. *shrugs* Talking about the salute contextually nor visually would still be the same, but some Ranka shippers really want to elude it to Ranka too. Dunno why Alto have any obligation to salute to Ranka for them…
(Got spunked by cheesie hime’s lecture btw?)
@Mechabao
It is one of the choreography dance for Ranka. I seem to recall it somewhere from 13 and one other episode… But sorry, I’m not a fan of Ranka’s “Kira!” Dance so don’t remember exactly. Ranka’s Gesture is obviously a choreography anyway, she was singing by that time.
@diva
The reason they showed Ranka’s side in the slide is to clearly imply that she hasn’t seen it. And also the fact that Ranka was singing her Seikan Hikou song, which Sheryl sort of started to dance to as well albeit a bit awkwardly, then Alto appeared and gave her the ‘salute’ which she saluted back, and is seen in Ranka’s side screen of what’s going on with Sheryl. Did Ranka gave even the slightest amount of gesture that she notice? NOPE, nada, zilch, zero, because she was busy singing Seikan Hikou, unlike Sheryl who probably didn’t even know the whole lyrics to the song, heck her dancing was so awkward I didn’t know what to call it.
Why are we still arguing about this couple thing. To me, it’s clear that Sunrise just didn`t have the guts to pick the correct girl for Alto (Sheryl 😉 ). But trying to argue either pairing from evidence in the last episode will all end in the grasping of straws, really. Sunrise didn`t leave nearly as many clues for contention as they did in Code Geass R2 25…
I am not really the type to go back into the shipping wars because I frankly want to discuss my theory that Grace survived and is in Brera right now with you guys but I am frankly tired of this.
At first, I did not pay much attention to the Sheryl salute scene because I thought that Alto just wanted to salute to his two wings before going into battle and it was a nice homage to the original Macross between Misa and Hikaru to show Sheryl saluting back. After reading on people’s posts about the direction Alto was facing and his location at the time and the part about Ranka’s choreography, I decided to take a look. I found out that Alto really was in the middle of Battle Frontier and Macross Quarter. He was facing Sheryl and the Battle Frontier; The Macross Quarter is behind him. Also, what Ranka shippers thought was a sign of acknowledgment on Ranka’s part towards Alto’s salute is actually part of her Seikan Hikou choreography (approx 1:20 minutes into the song).
I encourage doubters and non-believers to go back and watch both videos because we have evidence to support the scene. Do not think we are using this as evidence to support our ship or declare our victory because the majority of the fans know that the series ended without any conclusive victor the moment Alto called both of them his wings. If doubters call people like us who did use logic to analyze the context of the scene delusional, blind and fanatical, please know that there are other sites and blogs who do agree with us. I personally know that MAHQ in their episode 25 review supports the fact that Alto saluted to only Sheryl and she saluted back.
Now, Can we please go on to other more interesting topics?
@diva
I rofl at your comments. Truly, you fail at trolling. At least come up with something witty.
“Okay buddy. When VF-25 saluted. It was a close up. If they want Alto to salute to JUST Sheryl they WILL make it so that Alto will salute to only one girl. Only blind people or people who brainwashed themselves couldn’t see that Ranka was in that frame with Sheryl. She was even in the FRONT. The screen was on her right side yet her back was on it after Alto saluted.”
You seem to be confusing your front from your back, and your left from your right. Please refresh your memory on the basic directions. Her back was facing the screen, which also happens to be the side on which Alto and Sheryl are on. Unless she has eyes in the back of her head… I hope you understand that much.
“They wouldn’t show Ranka if they meant for Alto to salute to only Sheryl. It was meant for both girls. FYI. How in the world am I wearing shipping goggles when I said that it was meant for both SHERYL AND RANKA? Neutral pfft.”
Perhaps she was included in the shot to show us how clueless she was to everything that was happening BEHIND HER.
I feel a little bad to say that I wanted alto to die in the end…but I really did…it’s really annoying that he lived.
Why must people insist on replying to trolls like Diva?
Trolls are like dogs behaving badly. If you continue to respond to their bad behavior they will continue to behave badly. Some dogs crave this attention.
Ignore the dog when it behaves badly. Do not respond to it. Eventually the dog will realize that certain behavior will not get it the attention it craves.
Ignore the trolls!
Clearly the mecha salute was for Sheryl only. Alto flew to Sheryl in Battle Frontier which placed the Quarter directly behind his VF-25 fighter. Ranka didn’t even know he was there.
When Sheryl is in danger on Battle Frontier and cries out, Alto calls back to her.
When Cathy is in danger on Macross Quarter and cries out, Ozma calls back to her.
Coincidence? Both men call out to the women they each love.
Alto: So, come with me Sheryl!
Alto: You’re (pauses)… Both of you are my wings!
Clearly Alto was going to say, ‘You’re my wings!’ to Sheryl, but decided since Ranka was there, he’d better not upset her in fear that she may suffer another breakdown like she did on the rooftop in episode 20. Because we all know Ranka is a bit mentally and emotionally fragile.
@nycs
I think when Brera’s slave device/hairclip got destroyed, Grace’s ability to connect to him was lost as well. It’s more likely she downloaded into a new body at the Galaxy city ship.
@Kenshen
The studio working for Macross Frontier Project is not Sunrise, dear. It is Satellite ^^; Not that it makes any difference-just want to clarify this to you. 🙂
What happened in the Salute Scene, in visual terms:
Sheryl is on Battle Frontier, Alto is in the middle of Battle Frontier and Battle Quarter, Ranka is on Battle Quarter
Sheryl —>
In other words, Alto’s VF is facing Sheryl, while Ranka was facing the opposite direction from both Sheryl and Alto.
The projection screen on Battle Quarter, where Ranka is, is flashing images of Battle Frontier, where Sheryl is. 🙂
Let’s acknowledge that Alto’s salute was meant only for Sheryl the way Hikaru’s was meant for Misa, and move on please, for the discussion is getting increasingly redundant.
Hmm, the tags refuse to show. I meant to say that Sheryl and Alto were facing each other, while Ranka had her back to them.
@cheesie
Alto and Sheryl were far off towards Ranka’s right side and she couldn’t see them.
I think we can tell that the Shippers are all deluded. They’re a bit like those people that buy into the DeVinchi Code.
Alto didn’t pick anyone, accept it and move on. He’s probably a hermaphrodite anyway.
As to Grace – uploading back to Galaxy is possible, so is uploading to somewhere on Frontier, I mean she was pretty organised. Although I don’t think she had figured defeat into her plan she’s not the kind of character to not have somekind of plan. However, what could she do without control of the Vajra or Battle Galaxy?
To be honest I’ll be impressed if the movie isn’t just a recut of the series.
@diva
http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost.php?p=1935148&postcount=647
A picture says a thousand words, so time to be quiet already. Focus on the parts where Alto flew off with Ranka in his arms, or wanted to save her. The salute is for Sheryl fans.
pfft. you guys and your relation-ships. I prefer a real ship! *huggles plush version of Battle Frontier* Beautiful. *sniff* ;__;
great musoka, that’s just plain right, nobody can argue that. I saw that Alto salutes Sheryl at that moment when I was watching the anime (always looking for AltoXSheryl references), but I honestly got confused about where Sheryl & Ranka where.
@pochi
I don’t think Alto really *loves* Ranka as you say. It’s more like, “oh, I kinda like to hang out with this chick, but it’s too lame/boring/weak for me”. With Sheryl, Alto has a deeper and more mature relationship.
After all, he drop Ranka for Sheryl many times, but when, when did he dropped Sheryl for Ranka? I can’t remember of a meaningful one (you will say Gallia 3, but he had to return Ranka for the concert and Michel-know-it-all-about-love send him with Ranka only because he feels sorry for her. Sheryl is something irresistible for Hime, he can’t let go of her. That’s the one true love.
I hope the movie isn’t just a recap of all that has alrady happened and that it won’t be like DYRL.
I hope it is a resolution to the story line and confirmation that the LT will be AxS. 🙂
I’m still kinda curious about Michel’s sister (Jessica) and how he had hoped to find an answer to her friendly fire incident, but perhaps we were never meant to find out?
I’m not certain that Grace will be back, but how could you kill someone like that with just one shot? She chould have 10 duplicates all running around at the same time. Let’s face it, many of us have played too many video games in which something like that has happened. 😉
If Grace is to return, will she return in the same form or in some other fashion like what has been suspected: in Brera? Or perhaps Nanase? She had some contact with Grace, perhaps while she was in her coma Grace put a bug in her brain to take her over? 🙂 heh – unlikely.
Oh oh oh ohhh I get it now. You all are from animesuki aren’t you? Noone but from animesuki can have that stupid level of thinking that Alto saluted JUST to Sheryl ahahah XD
WTF?
@Stray
“Why exactly would he be saluting Ranka in that situation?”
AHAHA are you for real? XD
@Kagami, cheese, musuoka
See, girl, Ranka is on the other Battleship (Quarter) and frankly, how can Ranka see the salute, were it supposed to be given to her too, when Alto’s VF should have face her by the back?”
Ranka can be seeing Alto from another transmission, Alto might’ve sent her a transmission, there are a WHOLE LOT OF POSSIBILITIES FOR HER TO SEE IT. They showed her ON the frame WITH Sheryl doing the L sign. Ranka WAS SEEING SOMETHING right after Alto’s salute. WTF. XD You want to think the production team wanted that scene to be Alto/Sheryl when they SPECIFICALLY put Ranka in the front frame? XD Brainwash powerrrrr!
@twilighthack
Perhaps she was included in the shot to show us how clueless she was to everything that was happening BEHIND HER.
So that was a scene to make Ranka look stupid? AHAHAHAKLSDHFA;HAHAHAH XDXD *ROLLS AROUND* XD Brainwash powerrrr!
@musuoka
A picture says a thousand words, so time to be quiet already. Focus on the parts where Alto flew off with Ranka in his arms, or wanted to save her. The salute is for Sheryl fans.
Lyke ohhhmmg! Your overplayed screenshots included Ranka’s big face on it. Why don’t you just cut Ranka’s face off it and circle that little box which is Sheryl’s screen. That would be even MOOOOOREE believable because there’s no reason to put her in the frame to ruin the ultimate AltoxSheryl moment XD You completely convinced yourself that Alto is in love with Sheryl so why would he even salute to Ranka?
But no matter. If this is what gets you through to the day then I’m happy for you folks. It’s all about Sheryl! Bow down to the wisdom of Sheryl fans and their level of analysis. Not even a germ can escape them as long as it supports the love of SherylxAlto! FTW!! Yaaay!!
XD…. *shakes head*
I can’t wait for the movie!!! But it’s going to be a pain waiting for it. 🙁
Pochi i agree wit you! I see it too.
ZOMG… diva you’re right he saluted Ranka, and Sheryl just saw it through the viewscreen and saluted back. I’m sure Alto was like eww Sheryl and disappointed that Ranka didn’t even kira him back. But oh wellz.
Ahahahaha. That’s all I can feed you, a laugh. I need not to provide the information anymore when every majority has already believed the real homage and fawn and melt over them. So what if you post all of the mumbo jumbo trying to make it to Ranka too? Like anyone who believed the homage would be swept over.
LULZ @ Sheryl doing the L sign? Mwahahahaha. Must be my imagination then when I completely see a salute rather than pointing gesture then. :p
“Alto flew off with Ranka in his arms” – hah. The look on Alto’s face at the time when she needed to be rescued AGAIN was priceless.
“Jeez, how many times do you need to be saved??”
lol
http://gambar.asphiroth.net/anime/sherylgrab.jpg
nice boobs sheryl!! like a well-trained prostitute.
Grace, thx for ur lectures =D
we should grab our boobs too to show our obsessiveness to sheryl. (.)(.)
=D
This comment will, I imagine, be fairly long, but I beg readers to bear with me.
It’s been a long time since I’ve watched anime of any type, for reasons which I won’t go into here. I am what many of you would consider an “old guard” of the medium, as I still remember watching Star Blazers when it was aired on our local stations. I don’t really consider myself part of the SB generation, though. I was very young and unaware of exactly what SB truly was. I knew it was different from the typical Saturday morning fare, but the concept of animation produced in Japan primarily for Japanese audiences was far beyond my knowledge or understanding.
I’ve seen countless shows over the years. Everything from the original Dirty Pair and Dragonball to Bubblegum Crisis, Iczer One, Nausicaa…and Macross. But, at that time, it wasn’t “Macross” to me, but rather Robotech. Ergo, I view myself as part of the Robotech generation.
Say what you will about Carl Macek, but the man was brilliant by weaving Macross, Southern Cross, and Mospeada into a haphazard whole for syndication purposes. Yes, liberties were taken, Reba West replaced the now-iconic Mari Iijima (for the record, I thought Reba did a fine job), but “The Macross Saga” emerged, for its time, amazingly unscathed. Sure, a few butt shots were removed along with some blood and other nastiness and protoculture became a magical power source, but the core of the series – that is, the story of Hikaru, Misa, and Minmay, along with Gloval, Max & Miria, the “bridge bunnies”, and, of course, Roy and Claudia – was there.
The last episode of the Macross segment was devastating to my youthful mind and left an indelible impression. Roy’s death was shocking enough, but to witness the Macross’ destruction at the hands of Khyron’s suicide attack, and to further learn that the entire bridge crew save Lisa had perished, made me cry rivers (actually, in Macross canon, they all survived and the Macross itself was, obviously, rebuilt). The Southern Cross and Mospeada chapters just irritated me to no end with its merciless tangential tone in regards to the Expeditionary Force. I wanted more Rick Hunter, dammit!
I then did the research and learned the truth about what Carl had done and my head nearly evaporated. Thus, Robotech was my gateway show to the mind-boggling medium we now colloquially call “anime” (back then, we had another word for it, but that term would later be deemed politically incorrect).
I returned to Macross on several occasions, but nothing really prepared me for M:DYRL. That movie so completely screwed with my head that, to this day, I still reel a bit. I just could not understand it based on what I already knew about the series. I was unaware it was suppose to be a dramatization of the “real” Space War I events (when I later fully understood what that meant, I thought it was a monumentally genius way to include the movie in the overall series canon without resorting to some sort of “parallel universe” BS [my distaste for Macross II knows no bounds]). The highly confusing plot points aside, I knew I had seen something which not only elevated the series to a new plane, but cemented itself in anime history as a feature film which would never be forgotten.
DYRL was both a blessing and a curse, for we would never see Hikaru, Misa, and Minmay again until a somewhat obscure OAV was produced called “Flash Back 2012”. Primarily a series of music videos, it also included a CRITICAL segment of approximately 10 minutes of new animation which was originally conceived to close the DYRL movie, but reworked and enhanced for 2012’s release. Initially featuring a much older Minmay strolling upon the stage of her last Earthbound concert, finally stopping at a piano to key the unforgettable first notes of Angel’s Colors, it would serve to close the Hikaru/Misa/Minmay chapter of the Macross epic. Among other things seen in this piece, Hikaru had married Misa, who was now captain of the SDF-2 “Megaroad-01”, a colossal expeditionary craft which served as a precursor of sorts to the islands seen in Macross 7. Minmay, apparently finding her time on Earth drawing to a close, boards the Megaroad to journey with her friends to the stars. The Megaroad then vanishes without a trace near the center of the galaxy four years later, leaving a huge hole in the hearts of original Macross fans everywhere…including me. It truly is a touching and heart-wrenching ten minutes which shows the permanent loving bond between the three and always evokes a tear or two whenever I watch it.
I suppose there can never really be a genuine sequel which follows the Megaroad and its inhabitants. The characters of Hikaru, Misa, and especially Minmay have traversed the boundaries of simply being key cast members into that of legends, forever embedded at the core of the Macross tapestry. How can you further dramatize these people without risking the danger of sullying their deeds or mitigating their status? Without it turning into a small disaster like Macross 7 or a puzzling effort like Zero? Lacking the best minds at work committing 200% and devoting the required time and resources necessary for such a monumental undertaking, IMO, it simply shouldn’t be done. They live in the best of places in our heads and especially our hearts. And there they will remain.
(As an aside, I thought Macross Plus was a FANTASTIC OAV and effectively countered any harm done by Macross 7. I could go on and on about what a wonderful entry it was to the Macross canon, but it’s beyond this diatribe’s scope.)
And now Kawamori et. al. give us Macross Frontier, commemorating the 25th anniversary of SDFM’s debut. After having seen all 25 subtitled episodes (my great thanks to those fansubbers whose professional-grade work went into this series), I’m once again incredibly sad to see a Macross-based series end. I realize a work of this magnitude demanding a commensurate amount of resources could not be sustained for any longer, and for that I am very, very glad to’ve seen what I have. Episode 25 was a bittersweet treasure. No, strike that – the entire series was a treasure. Sure, it fizzled and plodded in parts and tripped over itself in others while being absurdly convoluted, but taken as a whole, it was a supremely satisfying continuation of the Macross saga. It’s entirely obvious that MF was a labor of intense love with production values unheard of in the context of a TV series. Plus, it contained a wealth of nostalgic moments for longtime Macross fans, undoubtedly the most poignant being Minmay’s “cameo” near the end of episode 25.
For the shippers on either side bitterly disappointed at the (concrete) lack of resolution to the Sheryl/Ranka/Alto LT – I’m sure the MF movie will resolve it, one way or another. And for those who prosecute the show for being harem anime – I hardly consider two girls a “harem” (however technically correct the term may be). At that rate, Macross Plus could be labeled harem anime, though I doubt anyone thinks of it in that context…at least, I would hope not.
For the record, as much as I’d like to believe otherwise, I don’t believe Bilrer is Vrlitwhai. The eyeplate is certainly a tease, and his obvious adoration of Minmay could be weighed as evidence, but Britai was a soldier, not an entrepreneur. Plus, he was named commander of U.N. Spacy forces in 2016, so it seems highly unlikely he would be the frail-appearing Zentran portrayed in MF just 43 years later (the guy has survived the vacuum of space). I’m sure, though, he would’ve been equally decimated at the apparent loss of the Megaroad-01 and all hands in 2016.
I realize this post was more about my love for the original SDFM, but I did genuinely enjoy Frontier. I’m not arrogant enough to think this will stop or even slow the shipping and harem wars, but MF is not all about teenage crushes on a particular SMS pilot and who winds up with whom. It’s a celebration of Macross. And I can hardly wait to see what Kawamori and team have in store for the movie.
Sorry for the long-windedness.
@musouka
“Uh, yeah, actually they are. Otherwise they wouldn’t want you to buy the DVDs and assorted merchandise.”
No. They want you to buy the DVDs and assorted merchandise so they can make money. It’s naive to think that they’re doing it purely for other people’s enjoyment.
Then again… it’s no use arguing with shippers. I’ve seen most of the pseudo-analysis on here and it just makes me shake my head. The salute thing has been laughably over-analyzed when it’s probably just a tribute to the original scene in SDF Macross. If it was meant for a specific person, they wouldn’t have shown both girls.
Just agree to disagree with each other. The ending was good enough for a series in this genre. Only thing that would’ve made it better was if Mikhail was still alive…
@An Old Macross Fan
Finally, a nice, mature post from a true fan of the series devoid of any hints “this ending sucks because Alto didn’t choose my ship!”. 🙂
Out of all the Macross series, I’ve only seen SDFM in full as the characters in the succeeding series didn’t capture my interest at all. That being said, I enjoyed the little tributes to the original series scattered about in MF. Alto isn’t a bad male lead. He’s actually quite interesting in the sense that he’s not ruled by hormones. Both Ranka & Sheryl were infatuated with him to the point of ridiculousness, but he was never portrayed as anyone in the throes of angsty teenage love (they make for the most annoying pilots).
Just count your blessings that this didn’t go the Evangelion route.
Battle Frontier and Macross Quarter were side-by-side, facing the same direction. The stages Sheryl and Ranka were on are almost aligned (just MQ is smaller). Alto’s VF25 came from behind and flew between the BF and MQ. His salute was meant for both Ranka and Sheryl.
@an old macross fan
I really don’t know how to give a satisfactory answer to your amazing post, but I wanted to express my delight reading through it ^^
My knowledge of the Macross world is definitely not as extended as yours and I can’t be called an ‘ultimate fan’ nor anything close ^^;; But I watched a fair number of the previous Macross series still ^^
I wouldn’t be honest if I said I didn’t care about the whole unresolved pairing…still: Macross is, more then anything, a ‘space symphony’ in which ‘songs’ are the ultimate way to stop/fight wars, meaning a lot of mecha but also, always, love stories in parallel with either 2guys/1girl or 2girls/1guy. My brother (which IS an ‘ultimate fan’, unlike me) immediately told me it was not surprising at all that the love triangle wasn’t resolved and that the ‘love ingredient’ in Macross, while being important, was not so focused on that it would lead to ‘shippers wars’ nor should surprise us if it ended up being undecided. Meaning, a vague finish to the three was pretty much expected, taking in consideration the previous series…
Still, we both agreed that, in Macross Frontier, they *almost* excessively focused on those three teenagers.
I have no idea how the movie will be, and if there will be such a thing as a ‘resolution’ or not, but it will very unlikely be a remake, seeing how it will be released only a year after the end of the actual MF: no matter how you think of it, making a recollection of an anime so little time after makes no sens. I am strongly betting for a continuation. Either that, or it will be located in the Past.
So what happened with the Vajra? Did they leave at the end or did they stick around?
They appeared to be leaving due to their mating song being sung at the end.
If they left, that makes me wonder who will the antagonist will be in the movie?
They still did not show what happened to the colonist on Macross Galaxy. Are they all a bunch of cyborgs?
Thanks. Even though I really don’t watch anime anymore, I genuinely have a love affair for SDFM, DYRL, 2012, and Plus, so I had to give Frontier a shot. I have to admit, though, I was pretty leery after 7’s goofiness. And Zero didn’t do anything for me, even though it featured Roy and was much closer chronologically to the original series.
I’m unsure how Frontier will be remembered. I hope fondly, though I will concede that Kawamori engaged in a fair amount of trolling. For example, I know there’re a lot of fans who want some semblance of closure to the whole Misa/Hikaru/Minmay epic and were no doubt again bitterly disappointed at the lack of any onscreen dramatization (hence the Bilrer character).
As I wrote originally, though, I think that’s a minefield just waiting to detonate. If you approach those characters in the frame of the latter half of SDFM, DYRL, and especially 2012 (as I think you should), these are mature icons who deserve serious and thoughtful treatment. The tone would have to be the antithesis of 7 and much closer to that of Plus. Even Frontier’s execution is, IMO, too bippity-boppity for such a series. However, Frontier’s universe was extremely well realized with jaw-dropping animation, so the potential for success is there.
Regarding Frontier, I usually don’t do this, but I think I’m going to watch the entire series again, as there were plot and story elements that just whizzed right by me. I also didn’t grasp until late in the game that Kawamori was deliberately peppering the show with nostalgic bits and twists that echoed back to SDFM and DYRL (yeah, that was dense of me). Further, I probably need to reconsider my rather forgiving stance toward Ranka, as she was at least partially responsible for the widespread carnage that occurred in the final episode (and perhaps before that).
Unfortunately, this is one area where I think Frontier badly failed – the almost total lack of reflection of the horrifying destruction wrought by Grace and the Vajra (and, by extension, Brera and Ranka [though Brera has an excuse – the verdict’s still out on Ranka]). At the end of SDFM and especially DYRL, you came away with the feeling that those who survived had gone through hell and back (which they did) and everyone’s general outlook on life had been severely rattled as a result. The denouement of Frontier lacked that sort of tragedy, even though, ironically, Kawamori took some pains to show a set of realistic crisis after the attacks on the civilian sectors (the food rationing, for instance).
I don’t think I’m prepared to get into the whole ship/LT/harem situation. Well, okay, I will say that I prefer Alto choose Sheryl (I’m sure that’ll get me into a lot of trouble). As an “older guy”, though, I gravitate more towards adults than adolescents and I don’t think there’s any question that Sheryl is the more mature of the two. I was a little shocked when I first learned that both Sheryl and Ranka are, essentially, the same age, but that does make some sense given Ranka’s partial Zentraedi heritage. I think it’s been established that the Zentraedi are to humans what Vulcans are to humans in Star Trek (they’re physically stronger and have longer lifespans).
I suppose I shouldn’t complain too much about Frontier’s convoluted plot elements. If you read the background of the Macross cannon, it’s pretty overwhelming, what with the Protoculture, Protodeviln, Stellar Republic, Supervision Army, Bird Humans, and other wild and crazy races/groups. And now you’ve got the Vajra thrown into the mix. In some ways, I prefer Robotech’s more straightforward and simplified storytelling (hey, Robotech had a lot of things going for it).
Wow, that was a pretty disjointed post. Fortunately, not as long as the first. 😉
Well. It was a good anime after all.
I got lot of fun watching the last ep. I really liked how the thing were taken on the mecha fight. I never expected that Macross Galaxy were there. That was a nice touch.
All song played were fantastic. I really liked them all ^^
Sheryl also got healed thanks to Ranka. (thank you RANKA!!!)
Brera is alive and with the good guys. Klan using Michael aircraft… facinating.
SMS coming to rescue everyone and saving the day… fantastic.
Now, even tho the trigle weren’t resolved, there are some clue from everyone who saw the serie: Sheryl is way ahead of Ranka. As somone already said: Eveyone that say “I won’t lose” to his/her counter part bit the dust in the end no matter what. Now, we can really see that everything will start over from this point, since both girl have declared the war between them in song AND love. Who will priveil? The Galactic Fairy or the Cindeller? I bet on my Fairy every day 🙂
And yes, the action in whole last ep was rushed a little bit, but they make it really good to be able to cover and explain all the stuff.
And… let’s wait for the movie now!! ^^
Sheryl is way ahead in points! In your face Ranka fans! LOL
@An Old Macross Fan
Actually the main reason why they put macross, southern cross and mosphera in one series was because due to the current tv rules at the time an tv series needed to be at least 67-68 episodes long.
I’m like the Japanese original myself but I have seen both robotech and SDF verrsion but the one thing which annoys me to no end is the harmony gold and Studio Nue lawsuit. I understand the reasons for changing the story to fit the rules set the but one thing which really peeved me off was that harmony gold brought out the rights for anything labelled with ‘MACROSS’ outside of Asia just to protect their ‘ROBOTECH’ fanbase. Another thing is they bluntly steal designs from the macross universe even though they technically lose the battle of using anything beyond the vf-1 designs and they even claim it is their own work (aka just give it a different name).
Anyway enough ranting about that, overall Macross F was a good series but the episodes between 11-21 left me baffled, the story progressed too slow and too much time was wasted on the triangle. The music was there but in terms of jaw dropping Dogfights there were really maybe only 3-4 episodes worth mentioning. But there all the homage to DYRTL and SDFM were a plus, i remember the pineapple cake episode almost made me want to not watch it fearing the death of ozma.
If you look at the macross Zero tribute episodes nearly 90% of the BGs were recycled, but for some reason it had to be one of my favorites. I actually only see s little of Zero and that episode did a ok job of summarising the OVA.
I am 90% sure there won’t be a second series of MF, from what Kawamori tends not to make more than a OVA or movie to his series. It would probably ruin the series if he did do that as they would have to make a ridiculous side story of how another enemy pops up that was related to the bad guys of this series even though no hint was given in this current one.
Hopefully the movie will have higher production values like DYRTL did in its time and for christ sakes nothing like macross 7s OVAs.
@An Old Macross Fan
Where can I actually read about the Macross cannon an background? I haven’t watched all of Macross yet (I skipped Macross 7 after only watching 2 Eps) and I think I need some memory refreshing 😉
Cheers,
Daniel
Violett, that’s what I meant, but may not’ve been entirely clear (hence the syndication comment).
Rewatching Frontier is still on the plate. I just need to clear up the time (which shouldn’t be a problem, as there’s literally >nothing< on at the moment – on TV or at the movies – ugh).
I’ve only read the tip of the lawsuit, but just that much gave me a migraine. It’s a legal messy spaghetti, probably rivaling that of the Heavy Metal home video rights entanglements. Still, the HM zoo was eventually resolved, so I suppose hope springs eternal. Unfortunately, from what I’ve read, anime as a market force is shrinking in the U.S., not expanding, so there’re no forces at the moment or in the foreseeable future willing or able to bring the situation to a head.
Daniel, the “true” Macross (not Robotech) backstory can be found at a majority of sites. I know Wikipedia gets dumped on a lot for credible peer review (meaning – the lack thereof), but I’d still start there, then fork out as internal Wiki links and external sites take you. Once you enter “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macross”, be prepared to spend a few hours reading what people have compiled. I’m sure errors abound, but be flexible and take along some salt in the knowledge that a lot of this information had to be converted from a variety of sources (e.g., print, video, oral) by fans, not professional English-Japanese translators.
It’s a helluva read. Some stuff will absolutely blow your mind. You could spend hours alone jumping from Wiki to Wiki pages before branching out to externally linked sites. Just type in whatever you want to know more about, like:
protoculture
Protodeviln
Stellar Republic
supervision army
Bird Humans/Macross Zero
South Ataria
ASS-1 (Alien Star Ship 1)
SDF-2 “Megaroad”
DYRL
Flashback 2012
and anything else that’s related. Just remember to stay away from sites that are beholden to Robotech, as you probably won’t glean much from them in terms of the primary “pure” backstory. God forbid if you get mired in the Macek-only plot devices like Zor, the Protoculture Masters, the Invid, and Reflex Point (remember that The Southern Cross and Mospeada have absolutely NOTHING to do story-wise with Macross).
Unfortunately, you’ll have to delve fairly deeply into the dregs of Macross 7 in order to get a more complete picture. On the plus side, though, you can take a pass on Macross II altogether.
Good luck!
Peter von Frosta:
I first recommend that you read this…
http://www.steelfalcon.com/Macross/continuity.shtml
Then look at this timeline…
http://macross.anime.net/story/chronology/short/index.html
Hope that helps!
there is a movie?
[quote]”nycs at 7:42 pm on September 25th, 2008
Alto lives! As if that was much of surprise.
SMS saves the day. Jeffrey Wilder is sooo GAR.
Giant Ranka is actually Battle Galaxy.
Kuran in Skull-2’s VF-25G. YES! She looks so adorable in a pilot suit!
As predicted by many Ranka fans, Alto is back in VF-25S and the Nome earring is very important in this battle.
Luca actually shoots something down.
Ranka gives Sheryl the ability to make her tummy glow.
Song Overload that rivals Macross Flash Back 2012
Canaria continues to be GAR.
Alto gets Michael’s sniper from Kuran and uses it on Grace.
Alto and Brera team-up. YES. They both perform Sora and Riku’s KH2 Limit: Session. Alto pulls a Kira Yamato with the rapid-eye movement in conjunction with the auto-lock targeting system.
Bad guys, Grace and Leon, get what’s coming for them.
Awww. Bilrer only wanted to save/rescue Minmay. SMS – Save Minmay Soon.
Macross Frontier Movie Confirmed! Let the shipping wars continue!
Songs played: Northern Cross, Anata no Oto, Lion, Infinity, Watashi no Kare wa ,Diamond Creavasse, Seikan Hikou, What ’bout my star?, Ai Oboete Imasu ka, Aimo, Triangler (fight on stage)
Overall, the ending was predictable but satisfying. It was similar to Macross 7 where the aliens make peace with the humans. In other to appease the fans, no girl was chosen; a decision common in many harem anime. Though no girl won, I still think Sheryl is ahead.” [/quote]
LOLOLOL i can’t say it any better =)
to tell the truth, after reading most of these comments i feel most of you are very selfish. it might be a little late for a post seeing when it started but i just had to you know. i think it was a great finished, i never thought it was rushed at all (even though i would have like to see more of it) solely because i really enjoyed the series right to the end and the last episode was the best way to finish it. I mean really, do we need to find out who he will end up with?, if that where to happen we would have had in forums every were how they whished alto ends up with this person and not the other. If any thing am glad it wasn’t shown, its better to leave it to our own toughts
I agree it was a great anime
I thought the epic fight could of lasted more the half an episode though but sad to see it end .
It has great music and movie this fall ^ ^
totally agree with Zee. I don’t really see how Alto is indecisive. He’s being considerate in my opinion. There might be times that he is unmotivated or frustrated, but he is HUMAN. If he was really indecisive, he could’ve remained a ordinary deliquent in school, who dislikes his dad and only complain how his life sucks.
I doubt the creators are gonna bring closure to triangle, it’ll just make people either side disappointed.
If this series doesn’t fit your taste, go find sth else more simple, hot-blooded(refer to Jap. anime genre)and maybe more GAR (and less humane)
@An Old Macross Fan:
That’s what I call hypocrisy.
Not only the ear ring sparkling but he said Sheryl’s name first when he addresses both Sheryl and Ranka in that scene. And before that he usually said Ranka’s name first.
Sheryl x Alto FTW~
i thought this ending was pretty good. Why was there no resolution to the love triangle!?!?
because the resolution will be in the second macross f movie
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
look ast this