Macross Frontier - Speculation Thread [Spoilers]

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Originally Posted by nanatsusaya

Urggggggg....... No more Ranka kidnapping pleaassssssssse!!!!!!! I can bear the damsel in distress no more Also, the show sure as hell doesn't need another ep full of *AAAAAAAAALLLTOOOO-KUUUNN!!!! SAAAAAAAAVEEEEEEEEE MEEEEEE!!!!! Does he/it come to save me?*

OTOH I'm more curious about Ranka's decision in next ep. What would that be?
From the look of it, Ranka + blushing + Alto + paper plane = nothing new.

The spoiler text and pics are known to be deliberately deceptive though.

I'm thinking this is just about the lowest point of her character development and she'll soon shake off her neediness and take the initiative to speak out and/or act on her gut feeling about the Vajra and be the one to show the way to a peaceful resolution with the Vajra, even if it means going against Alto and everyone else who are "blinded by hate". Grace may take issue with that, however.

Her reason not wanting to sing to herd the Vajra for slaughter is not so much she only sings for Alto and no one else, but because instinctively she knows it's wrong (that's why she called Alto up to talk about it) and there must be a better way (but her needinesss for Alto leads her to go along with it anyway) IMO. So it's admirable in a way, but she chose the worst possible time and place to have moral qualms when everyone had their backs to the wall and were counting on her.

That, and the introspective realization that the reason she likes Alto is because he reminds her of her long lost 'brother' leads me to believe she is finally getting over her infatuation/hero-worship of Alto.

(Incidentally, this was foreshadowed previously by the fact that everytime Ranka believed that Alto saved her, she either mistook him for her 'brother' (their first meeting - while she's regressed, 'brother' does not mean Ozma, and this episode), or was actually saved by Brera (Hydra Attack, Vajra Mothership)).

[Sleepy100]

Well, Mikail dies..... Not entirely unexpected....With the injuries to Nanase, it doesn't look like she can draw anytime soon. Howard Glass is dead courtesy of Mishima. As for what I think will happen next:

The person leading the Vajra is Sarah and Shin, leading to a surprising confrontation. (People said it before and I agree.)

Brera becomes the head of the NUNS military on Frontier when the end comes around.

Alto becomes the President of Frontier. (Cookies to whoever figure out this homage first )

[FLCL]

idk, maybe, but my money is more on ranshe being the "overmind"

brera nope, money is on cathy or heck garbobby no clue, prob some random person, heck ozma?

alto, nah, doesnt make sense, its prob going to be cathy actually.

[Key Board]

Am I the only one who expects Shery to hire Ranka's old manager?

[Tsuchiro]

Originally Posted by Key Board

Am I the only one who expects Shery to hire Ranka's old manager?

Nope, I've seen this coming ever since grace betrayed her.

[Teletha]

Originally Posted by glyph

That, and the introspective realization that the reason she likes Alto is because he reminds her of her long lost 'brother' leads me to believe she is finally getting over her infatuation/hero-worship of Alto.

(Incidentally, this was foreshadowed previously by the fact that everytime Ranka believed that Alto saved her, she either mistook him for her 'brother' (their first meeting - while she's regressed, 'brother' does not mean Ozma, and this episode), or was actually saved by Brera (Hydra Attack, Vajra Mothership)).

Ahaha... that's actually a pretty good analysis I hadn't even thought of. It does make sense. I honestly don't believe Ranka actually is all that in love with Alto to begin with.

[FLCL]

Originally Posted by Teletha

Ahaha... that's actually a pretty good analysis I hadn't even thought of. It does make sense. I honestly don't believe Ranka actually is all that in love with Alto to begin with.

im not so sure about that, she seemed really taken aback when she saw sheryl and alto and earlier was blushing etc when she realized she was singing for him.

I think its not so much love as an unrequited crush.

[Teletha]

Not to get too OT and romancey, but I mean she thinks she loves him without knowing anything about him and having this hero worship vision of him. Like glyph said, a few of the things she believes he did to save her, he never actually did.

In 19 she said Brera was like a brother and in 20 she pictures Brera and thinks of him, though not realizing it's him, when Alto holds her hand. Putting two and two together it's not a stretch to think her reaction and longing for Alto is less about Alto and more about her and possibly who he reminds her of.

Not to say it's not a crush or anything, because it is... but I just don't see it has a solid love on her part right now.

[FLCL]

i agree, tbh, to ranka, alto is also a major motivational force akin to what a brotehr would be like, but kind of spilled over a bit into the crush aspect, but deep down is more a brotherly relationship...which is how i saw it from the onset. dont despair sheryl fans, kawamori wouldnt promote a breech of interfamilial relationships....or would he, even if its by proxy

[magnuskn]

Originally Posted by Teletha

Not to get too OT and romancey, but I mean she thinks she loves him without knowing anything about him and having this hero worship vision of him. Like glyph said, a few of the things she believes he did to save her, he never actually did.

In 19 she said Brera was like a brother and in 20 she pictures Brera and thinks of him, though not realizing it's him, when Alto holds her hand. Putting two and two together it's not a stretch to think her reaction and longing for Alto is less about Alto and more about her and possibly who he reminds her of.

Not to say it's not a crush or anything, because it is... but I just don't see it has a solid love on her part right now.

Very nice summation.

I´d interject, though, that she has shown remarkable indifference to Ozma lately.



As I don´t want to double post, here are some speculations of mine on where the series will take us for the last 5-8 episodes, in no particular order.

- First off the isolated stuff: Ozma and Cathy will most likely go underground, as they should be targets of the highest priority for Leon. How that affects Skull Squadron, I do not know. Then again, it could well be that SMS will come under attack / control by the new government. By rank, experience and ability, Alto should be the new squadron leader, but with Michael and Ozma gone, there is not much of a squadron left. Especially considering that Luca is predicted to bite it soon.

- Now, on to the more connected speculation: We have spoilers that there will be a photo of Sheryl and Ranka as children on the 117th. That means we will get not only Rankas, but also Sheryls origin. It´s pretty clear that the two are more intertwined than we´ve seen yet.

- Brera most likely is Rankas brother in blood. If not, however, we may see him taking care of Ranka, when Alto inevitably ends up with Sheryl.

- "Inevitably" means in this case if Sheryl a.) doesn´t die from her disease or b.) the writers don´t pull an M7 non-resolution ending. It´s seems too late now for a reversal to Ranka if we get 25 episodes.

- If we get 28 episodes, however, any Ranka development still could conveivably turn the tide. I find it highly unlikely, and am hoping that they will resolve the romance rather sooner than later ( i.e. in the next three episodes ). It´s very easy to find things for Ranka to do, with her Vajra connection or her growing up to be a better singer for the people.

- Sheryl and Alto could, after the romance is resolved, be busy working against Graces faction. And they have personal stories ( her disease and his acting ) which need resolution.

- I hope that Alto does not return to Kabuki full-time. So far, the series has very much been about determining ones own fate, and him being compelled by his "actors blood" to return to the stage would undermine this messsage.

- In the same vein, Sheryl returning to singing is okay, because she never really wanted to leave it. I am still hoping that she uses her newly aquired piloting skills somehow ( if not, why introduce them in the first place? Just for that one scene in episode 14? ), but as the series draws to an end, it seems ever more unlikely with the way things are shaping up.

- As for Sheryls disease, we have several ways to resolve it, from Klan finding a cure, to Rankas connection in the past with Sheryl. A blood transfusion could be the cure, at the same time giving Sheryl power over the Vajra.

In the end, I definitely think we will get more than 25 episodes. It seems highly unlikely that they could still introduce so many plot threads as we got with the latest two batches of spoilers, and then resolve them satisfactorily in 5 episodes.

If they don´t resolve the triangle a few episodes before the end of the series, though, I expect more hem-hawing from Alto, which somehow I don´t see happening with Michaels death.

Because of that, any predictions on how the next episodes are going to play out are very difficult to make. I certainly believe that we will get a Sheryl X Alto pairing at the end, but the exact resolution is impossible to predict with all the length of the series unknown.

This anime certainly manages to keep being surprising and fascinating.

[Darial]

Anyone has the new Macross Zero BD disc? Just saw these pic posted and it may potentially have large implications in MF if it's not a Rickroll (from Chinese BBS):

Spoiler:

Scene from Original Macross Zero:




Scene from the new Macross Zero BD (supposely):




See what nice little crystal accessories were added around the candles in the BD edition?

[kilroy0097]

Woah! So they added in Sheryl's earrings? How screwed up is that??
I guess this is their attempt to tie the two series together more than they already are with Mao.

[magnuskn]

Bwuh? Okay, that would completely connect Sheryl with Mao. ^^

[Tak]

Originally Posted by magnuskn

Bwuh? Okay, that would completely connect Sheryl with Mao. ^^

I don't know what kind of connection would foster out of it (after all, I doubt Sheryl and Mao are blood related), but they apparently discovered ways to counter fold disturbance... years before they discovered space fold!

Oh the irony.

- Tak

[FLCL]

that settles it, the bird human was prob a prototype preevolution vajra queen

gg macross

[glyph]

Originally Posted by magnuskn

Bwuh? Okay, that would completely connect Sheryl with Mao. ^^

Or just Grace with Mao (which we already know), if Grace is the one who passed them on to Sheryl. But I doubt that.

It makes me wonder though that if the Zero OVAs were always meant to be just the prologue and technology testbed for the annivesary Macross project?

[.Mero]

ugh ffs, they already made the connection quite clear with naming and research stuff in the library in ep 18, no need to pull a "George Lucas" retcon by re- editing older stuff to kanon new material...

[glyph]

Originally Posted by .Mero

ugh ffs, they already made the connection quite clear with naming and research stuff in the library in ep 18, no need to pull a "George Lucas" retcon by re- editing older stuff to kanon new material...

In the special edition extended enhanced remaster of SDFM, the Zentradi shoot first.

[FLCL]

Originally Posted by glyph

Or just Grace with Mao (which we already know), if Grace is the one who passed them on to Sheryl. But I doubt that.

It makes me wonder though that if the Zero OVAs were always meant to be just the prologue and technology testbed for the annivesary Macross project?

doubtful macross frontier was being planned back then, but i like the connections.

[magnuskn]

I´m reposting part of last weeks spoilers from Kresphy, because they fit with that picture:

Spoiler for Sheryls past:

- Mikhail and Klan continues to looks into the truth behind the V-type infection
discovers a picture of the researchers with young Sheryl and Ranka
the two singers were thought to be unrelated, yet the V-type infection is to be the link between them.
To create a man-made Queen, Sheryl seems to have gone through some experiments.

I consider them to be a little bit more unreliable now, because Michael is kind of, um, dead. But, still... if they come true, they will shake up the status quo something fierce.