Macross Frontier - Overall Series Impressions & Total Series Rating

[YaminoSeigi]

Macross Zero handled much better 3d dogfight animation compared to Macross frontier sure they have missile spams but they are not as good as Itano Circus.

Macross plus has the most awesome dogfight so far.

[magnuskn]

And we did get Itano Circus. Eh, to each his own.

[Lancel]

I rated it a 9, while there was a ton of stuff I really liked I felt there were some flaws that could have been tweaked to make it perfect. Great music, good story, IMO excellent battles. Not everyone may share the same opinions, but I liked how the Vajra were handled, as well as the ultimate statement on the importance of communication.

I feel characters were a bit of a mixed bag, but they had their moments. Most all of them also seem to have their fans, though some a bit more than others, so ultimately I can't say there was a failure here. Also Sheryl Nome, who to me is effectively the show-stealing Basara of Macross Frontier.

Ultimately this could be my favorite Macross to date. Though I do acknowledge that some of the others did certain elements better (for instance I liked the battles in Zero better), Frontier I think has the better package deal overall.

Of course my favorite character from Zero was Nora, so maybe I'm a bit weird.

[BetoJR]

Originally Posted by YaminoSeigi

Macross Zero handled much better 3d dogfight animation

I did qualify my statement with space battles exactly for this reason. The dogfights in Zero are still the top dog as far as aerial animation, yet. However, not much else there is salvageable, to me.

So, again, I rather prefer Frontier to it. IMHO, it has the better package, even if it does feel rushed in some respects. Also, I think Zero should be more comparable with Plus, taking into account their length and all. No?

[roriconfan]

Say anything you like about the dogfights. Area 88 and Yukikaze still own this tag.

[Yot-chan]

Originally Posted by magnuskn

And we did get Itano Circus. Eh, to each his own.

We got Imitation Itano Circus. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Whoever they got to do the missile bursts in Frontier was damn good.

[magnuskn]

I guess my knowledge what exactly "Itano Circus" constitutes may be a bit lacking. Does it need to be done personally by some guy named Itano?

[BetoJR]

Originally Posted by roriconfan

Say anything you like about the dogfights. Area 88 and Yukikaze still own this tag.

Isn't individuality a beautiful thing?

Let's agree to disagree, then, as I don't have many kind things to say about the Area 88 animes (be they the OVA's or the later series) and haven't seen Yukikaze yet, myself.

[Yot-chan]

Originally Posted by magnuskn

I guess my knowledge what exactly "Itano Circus" constitutes may be a bit lacking. Does it need to be done personally by some guy named Itano?

Only if his first name is Ichiro.

[roriconfan]

Originally Posted by BetoJR

Isn't individuality a beautiful thing?

Let's agree to disagree, then, as I don't have many kind things to say about the Area 88 animes (be they the OVA's or the later series) and haven't seen Yukikaze yet, myself.

If individuality is not having watched Yukikaze and not liking Area 88 for some reason, then yes, it's beautiful.

[Yot-chan]

Originally Posted by roriconfan

If individuality is not having watched Yukikaze and not liking Area 88 for some reason, then yes, it's beautiful.

Not liking Area 88 is never beautiful. It's ugly. Ugly as sin.

[magnuskn]

Originally Posted by Yot-chan

Only if his first name is Ichiro.

Okay, so it really has to be hand-drawn by Ichiro Itano. You never cease to learn.

[Yot-chan]

Originally Posted by magnuskn

Okay, so it really has to be hand-drawn by Ichiro Itano. You never cease to learn.

Well...if a movie is inspired by, say, Hitchcock or Fellini, you call it "Hitchcockian" or "Fellini-esque"...so I suppose I'd say Frontier was "Itano Circus-ish" or something...

Besides, Itano himself had some pretty harsh words to say about Frontier, mostly about the way the series was marketed, but also about the show itself...so it seems kind of, um, inappropriate to attach his name to the show.

[BetoJR]

Originally Posted by Yot-chan

Not liking Area 88 is never beautiful. It's ugly. Ugly as sin.

OMG, you really liked the animes? The manga is perfection, but the animes?

Also, I'm curious about Itano's remarks. Was he really that harsh?

[Yot-chan]

Originally Posted by BetoJR

OMG, you really liked the animes? The manga is perfection, but the animes?

Yeah, the manga is indeed much better...but I really like the '80s OVA series. The 2004 TV series was...good, but not great. Incidentally, Hiroshi Ohnogi was the scriptwriter for the show.

Originally Posted by BetoJR

Also, I'm curious about Itano's remarks. Was he really that harsh?

Someone did a translation of them a while back, but the translation came out sounding MUCH harsher than what he actually said.

Ah. Found it:

Interviewer: So we're planning a page for fans who don't know you (Itano) or the original Macross.

Itano: Macross Ace (the magazine this is in) is a damned bishoujo character magazine isn't it? I call it "yutori"*, though. Yutori character moe magazine. I think Macross (the original) was popular because of its balance, 1/3 each of cute girls, robots, and songs. But now they say mecha won't sell, robots won't sell, so they turn it into a character-based anime AND they want the fujoshi. I hate the stench of that sort of thing and so actually don't want to be in any magazine articles related to that bullshit, but I said I'd cooperate if they let me badmouth shit and here I am.

(*Yutori = To give room or allowance for something. Used in "yutori kyouiku" (yutori education) which refers to the heavily criticized stress-free education system in use in Japan since 2002. Ever since then grades have been dropping and it has been blamed on kids these days being extremely stupid, spoilt, unable to think for themselves, etc. "Yutori" is slang referring to someone who has received yutori kyouiku, but is nowadays just used as a derogatory term. Think English "retard".)

Interviewer: I... see... (tears)

Itano: I DID watch all of Macross F. It's not fair to badmouth something without seeing it (chuckle).
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's well-drawn for a TV show and they were trying, but the relationships were half-assed and the heart of the drama is way too messy. Last time we had Minmei become a human failure, but this time it was the main character (laugh). People who like this rubbish have a totally different sense from me, so I'd really be happier if they didn't know who I was at all (laugh).

(This translation came from /m/, I believe.)

I don't have the full interview in Japanese in front of me right now (it's from Macross Ace Vol. 002), but IIRC, he doesn't say "if they left me badmouth shit" in the original, it was more like, "if they let me say negative things." Same meaning...different connotation. And at the end, I'm totally unsure what he means by "human failure"...if someone put a gun to my head, I would translate the line as, "We had Minmay fall apart as a human being, but this time it was the main character," but I'm still not entirely sure what he means.

[magnuskn]

Well, I think he meant Ranka.

Dude sounds like he'd be a really interesting conversation partner. I generally like people who "tell it like it is". Although here I don't agree with some of his argument, it'd be an interesting discussion.

[Yot-chan]

Originally Posted by magnuskn

Well, I think he meant Ranka.

Wait...did you just say that Ranka's the main character of Frontier...?

Originally Posted by magnuskn

Dude sounds like he'd be a really interesting conversation partner. I generally like people who "tell it like it is". Although here I don't agree with some of his argument, it'd be an interesting discussion.

Strangely enough, despite the fact that he said he'd rather that Macross Ace readers not know who he was, he has a regular column in the magazine now. I'll try to look through and see if I can glean anything of interest in them... In the most recent issue, he spends most of his time praising District 9.

[magnuskn]

Originally Posted by Yot-chan

Wait...did you just say that Ranka's the main character of Frontier...?

Of course she was. Or, better said, she was meant to be.

Originally Posted by Yot-chan

Strangely enough, despite the fact that he said he'd rather that Macross Ace readers not know who he was, he has a regular column in the magazine now. I'll try to look through and see if I can glean anything of interest in them... In the most recent issue, he spends most of his time praising District 9.

By all accounts a good movie. Although why he writes that in Macross Ace... ? Maybe in relation to one of the Macross series and/or the treatment of the Zentraedi by the humans?

[Yot-chan]

Originally Posted by magnuskn

Of course she was. Or, better said, she was meant to be.

*sigh* Let go of your hate, man...

Originally Posted by magnuskn

By all accounts a good movie. Although why he writes that in Macross Ace... ? Maybe in relation to one of the Macross series and/or the treatment of the Zentraedi by the humans?

Nah, he just thought it was a great movie. And there WAS an Itano-ish Circus in it (briefly)...although Itano insists that that's not why he liked it.

[magnuskn]

Originally Posted by Yot-chan

*sigh* Let go of your hate, man...

What? I do recognize that Ranka was meant to be the principal character of the show. I'm just saying that pretty comprehensively failed at being that. Or maybe that was failed at being that by the show creators.

Originally Posted by Yot-chan

Nah, he just thought it was a great movie. And there WAS an Itano-ish Circus in it (briefly)...although Itano insists that that's not why he liked it.

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.