Macross Frontier - Overall Series Impressions & Total Series Rating

[Yot-chan]

Originally Posted by magnuskn

Oh, well, if the column is just "Hey, I write what I like, who cares that it isn't about Macross", then it seems kinda misplaced in Macross Ace.

Well, he also gives a run-down of how he draws missile-massacres.

But most of the columns by the show's staff and cast (the primary regular columns being by Itano, Megumi Nakajima, May'n, Noburo Ishiguro, and Noriko Ohara) are like that. With Itano, Ishiguro, and Ohara, they usually fit some kind of reminiscence about the original Macross in their columns. With Megumi and May'n, they mostly talk about what's going on in their lives. In Vol. 005, May'n just talks about natto and how much she likes it. In Vol. 006, her topic is why she likes bananas.

May'n's got a lovely voice, but I always get the feeling that she's a deeply uninteresting person.

[Lancel]

Originally Posted by Itano

So, like, there's one bit where a sniper in space mounts himself on an asteroid, right? But by doing so half his field of vision is gone. And asteroids aren't stationary so his aim is going to be really unstable. And then they use sniper rifles at point blank range? I notice this sort of stuff, you know.

It wasn't just me!

Though I do have to disagree with him on limiting his field of vision, while true, there are advantages. My experience playing practically nothing but snipers in FPSes tells me that it doesn't matter if you can see everything, just that you can see enough, and often times you're better off limiting your own field of vision because it also limits the angles the enemy can view you from, and that keeps you from getting sniped yourself from some sniper out of your field of vision or getting bullets sprayed in your direction by guys with assault rifles or SAWs. Even if someone did know you were there, the limited field of view doubles as cover, so they just pelt the terrain with bullets. Sniping from out in the open is just too exposed. You will die. Someone will see you and you will die, either by someone shooting you or flanking you and knifing you in the back.

Annnd asteroids in real life aren't like in Star Wars. Secondly it really isn't about being stationary but stationary relative to another object, and given how much they were moving that's never going to happen. I just assume the targeting systems can adjust for the relatively predictable movement of the asteroid. Plus you'll note that ultimately Alto has to go and MAKE Brera stationary so Michel can take the shot.

That said, I still debate just how practical Michel's sniper rifle really is given the speed of Macross dogfights. It only works if you have someone pin the other guy, you get a sneak attack on them when they aren't expecting it, or you're picking off Destroids and gun emplacements on a fortified capital ship so someone else can go in a drop a reaction missile on it. It's a very specialized weapon IMO.

[magnuskn]

Originally Posted by Yot-chan

Well, he also gives a run-down of how he draws missile-massacres.

But most of the columns by the show's staff and cast (the primary regular columns being by Itano, Megumi Nakajima, May'n, Noburo Ishiguro, and Noriko Ohara) are like that. With Itano, Ishiguro, and Ohara, they usually fit some kind of reminiscence about the original Macross in their columns. With Megumi and May'n, they mostly talk about what's going on in their lives. In Vol. 005, May'n just talks about natto and how much she likes it. In Vol. 006, her topic is why she likes bananas.

May'n's got a lovely voice, but I always get the feeling that she's a deeply uninteresting person.

Eh, could be. It also could be that she's just not comfortable revealing what she really is like in a magazine for everyone to see.

[Lancel]

Originally Posted by magnuskn

Eh, could be. It also could be that she's just not comfortable revealing what she really is like in a magazine for everyone to see.

The medium can also affect what you're writing, as some people don't want to talk about something too weird that might be too revealing to the fan base, or could cause controversy or something like competing theories or god forbid giving the fans your opinion on who Alto should pick, or the manager is like "TALK ABOUT BANANAS!" Though honestly if I were an Idol Singer and got my own Macross magazine column I'd probably spam treatises and theories on Valkyrie warfare. I'm sure someone would like it.

[Yot-chan]

Originally Posted by Lancel

The medium can also affect what you're writing, as some people don't want to talk about something too weird that might be too revealing to the fan base, or could cause controversy or something like competing theories or god forbid giving the fans your opinion on who Alto should pick, or the manager is like "TALK ABOUT BANANAS!" Though honestly if I were an Idol Singer and got my own Macross magazine column I'd probably spam treatises and theories on Valkyrie warfare. I'm sure someone would like it.

Well, Megumi usually talks about how her life has changed, or what it's like being on stage, or anecdotes about making the show, which makes it far more like the other columns in the magazine, and makes May'n's seem all the stranger.

I also hold May'n's overuse of (•A•) and (^ω^) style smilies and general "cutsey" writing style against her, which may be a little unfair...

[YaminoSeigi]

Originally Posted by Lancel

It wasn't just me!

Though I do have to disagree with him on limiting his field of vision, while true, there are advantages. My experience playing practically nothing but snipers in FPSes tells me that it doesn't matter if you can see everything, just that you can see enough, and often times you're better off limiting your own field of vision because it also limits the angles the enemy can view you from, and that keeps you from getting sniped yourself from some sniper out of your field of vision or getting bullets sprayed in your direction by guys with assault rifles or SAWs. Even if someone did know you were there, the limited field of view doubles as cover, so they just pelt the terrain with bullets. Sniping from out in the open is just too exposed. You will die. Someone will see you and you will die, either by someone shooting you or flanking you and knifing you in the back.

Annnd asteroids in real life aren't like in Star Wars. Secondly it really isn't about being stationary but stationary relative to another object, and given how much they were moving that's never going to happen. I just assume the targeting systems can adjust for the relatively predictable movement of the asteroid. Plus you'll note that ultimately Alto has to go and MAKE Brera stationary so Michel can take the shot.

That said, I still debate just how practical Michel's sniper rifle really is given the speed of Macross dogfights. It only works if you have someone pin the other guy, you get a sneak attack on them when they aren't expecting it, or you're picking off Destroids and gun emplacements on a fortified capital ship so someone else can go in a drop a reaction missile on it. It's a very specialized weapon IMO.

One of the issue that Macross F is lacking of Realism i believe, even though there are explosions everywhere some of the stuff they show is really unconvincing, where as the older macross even though it is older the dogfight are more convincing compared to frontier. IIRC Itano and Kawamori did ride a real jet fighter in order to create the crazy manuver for Plus

One of the aspect that i am disappointed as well with frontier is how they treat the love triangle, i think the balance of the love triangle is either toppled too early or biased from the beginning and concluded in cliffhanger which perhaps something to do for the movie. The conclusion of the triangle is similar to macross 7 but the difference is that in frontier Alto has choosen Sheryl earlier on and seem to be indecisive in the end on which girl he want to choose.

[magnuskn]

Originally Posted by YaminoSeigi

One of the issue that Macross F is lacking of Realism i believe, even though there are explosions everywhere some of the stuff they show is really unconvincing, where as the older macross even though it is older the dogfight are more convincing compared to frontier. IIRC Itano and Kawamori did ride a real jet fighter in order to create the crazy manuver for Plus

One of the aspect that i am disappointed as well with frontier is how they treat the love triangle, i think the balance of the love triangle is either toppled too early or biased from the beginning and concluded in cliffhanger which perhaps something to do for the movie. The conclusion of the triangle is similar to macross 7 but the difference is that in frontier Alto has choosen Sheryl earlier on and seem to be indecisive in the end on which girl he want to choose.

I'd rather say that the series just... ended. There's no sign that Alto did reverse his choice, but they simply didn't show him telling it to Ranka. Who comes in with no idea what happened in her absence and then goes on to issue silly challenges immediately.

[BetoJR]

No pun intended, but complaints about lack of realism in a show that contains transforming robots and giant alien bugs is kind of a stretch, no?

[roriconfan]

At least it didn't have songs used as weapons as literally as those in Macross 7. I mean, vacuum? Sound? Not possible.

And seriously, the story was simple but ok. The pacing on the other hand... almost terrible. Plus lots of unexplained side stories and a fail of a main antagonist. And by the end of the day very few actually cared about the bugs and the battles as they did for the love triangle...

... which was left intentionally open for potential shipping wars.
Those are what prevent this anime from being great.

[Yot-chan]

Originally Posted by roriconfan

At least it didn't have songs used as weapons as literally as those in Macross 7. I mean, vacuum? Sound? Not possible.

But...that never happened in Macross 7... Basara always had the speaker pods, and later, the Sound Boosters converted the song energy (not the sound) into rays (also not sound).

[BetoJR]

Like I said, realism and mecha series... not a good relationship.

[CrowKenobi]

Are we slightly going off-topic here?

[BetoJR]

We might. We tend to, sometimes. Is that bad?



Shameless attempt to bring it back to topic: when the re-watch ends, it'll be fun to revisit this and compare everyone's feelings from when they watched it for the first time, no?

[roriconfan]

Re-watching will most likely bring out all the stuff everyone mentioned here. And will most likely make you drop a couple of points to the score of the series.

Me? I will never watch this again. I pointed them out on the first run and didn't like them one bit. Enjoyable? Yes. All time classic or rewatchable? Not for me.

[magnuskn]

Originally Posted by roriconfan

Re-watching will most likely bring out all the stuff everyone mentioned here. And will most likely make you drop a couple of points to the score of the series.

Kindly don't assume how others feel. The vast mayority of us who still post here regularly were also here constantly for and after the series.

[BetoJR]

Originally Posted by roriconfan

Re-watching will most likely bring out all the stuff everyone mentioned here.

You're not reading what some folks are putting out in the re-watch thread, are you? Three episodes in, and some very interesting points are being expanded on and discussed. If you feel this shouldn't be seen again, I'm sorry for you, but that's your opinion - Kindly don't assume all of us share it.

[grylsyjaeger]

Originally Posted by Yot-chan

But...that never happened in Macross 7... Basara always had the speaker pods, and later, the Sound Boosters converted the song energy (not the sound) into rays (also not sound).

God I can't even bring myself to watch the second episode of Macross 7 after that cringe worthy display.

[BetoJR]

You don't know what you're missing, then.

[Lancel]

Originally Posted by fallschirmjager

God I can't even bring myself to watch the second episode of Macross 7 after that cringe worthy display.

It gets better, though I did have a similar reaction. People told me it would pick up, you just need to get through the first few episodes, it just takes them a while to set things up, largely because they keep devoting half the early episodes to recycled battle footage. Once they finish up creating the setting and building the characters it gets better.

[Shiroth]

I was one of the rare ones who loved Macross 7 from the start, but yeah many people who were put off by the first few episodes ended up enjoying the ride after a little while. The slice life episodes are just so good.