Forgive me gentlewater, I really don't want to step in Sheryl thread XD so the post here also responds to your latest post in Sheryl thread also...
In order to be a LT, Ranka and Sheryl has to have "effect" on Alto, so when you said Sheryl and Alto wasn't having a friendly hug in other thread, you are right in my opinion...It's just that as a Ranka fan, I see the nice atomphere whenever Ranka X Alto are alone, and I realize the feeling is there, and it's mutual between Alto and Ranka....I won't deny Alto and Sheryl has some development like how Sheryl fans deny any development between Alto and Ranka...but I like Ranka X Alto more....
And as I said in the Sheryl forum (I mean macross), I think the show reveals too little about what Alto really thinks about these two girls...Ranka at least has an episode 23 to back up and we realize how Alto keeps thinking about Ranka...and I still don't know how big the sickness from Sheryl has contributed to their "lover game" at the end...since we don't know the insight thought (except episode 23) from Alto, the LT could go either way
It works if Alto confesses to Sheryl at the end of episode 24, it works if Alto confesses to Ranka (aka Macross zero final moment) when saving her in episode 25, and Alto chooses "you are both my wings"
Macross is not that deep in my opinion lol, the director just keeps putting possible interaction between two girls and Alto in each episode...but I like the interaction between Alto x Ranka more and I see this pair has more potential XD