[Wesley84]

Originally Posted by ickem

I'm not entirely convinced this is the case. Although he does notice Ranka and Michel getting on the train, it may just be that he wanted to show her Island 3 because Sheryl was so excited by the fact that Frontier had so many natural elements unlike Galaxy.

I say two birds with one stone. I seriously doubt he would have taken her to see a farm if he hadn't noticed Ranka getting on that train. Remember, she was the one leading him around until that point. Though I feel as if I should watch the episode again. It was better than this week's at least.

Well, singers have a much more important role in the Macross universe than we have in real life so I think it is expected of her to have dialog with the press about important events. I don't think she was declaring her intention of continuing with the convert as an empty gesture of solidarity, but to emphasize the fact that she was a professional. She wasn't going to let even an event such as the likely destruction of homeland deter her from doing her job. This is similar to when she wanted to continue with the concert during even with the evacuation order in the first episode.

I meant her intention of going into a war zone. That's just a stupid and useless thing to say.

And I don't think singers in Macross have a more important role compared to ours. Simply that they are more influentional. Basically same job, more effective, but still just a celebritity when you get right down to it. And I really appreciated it when Leon doubted that singing would help at all against the Vajra. That gives me hope it'll be fighting and dying that wins the day.

I don't agree that the earing plot was resolved that quickly. I lasted 6 episodes after all. The earing in the cockpit thing seem very genuine to me since Sheryl was the catalyst for Alto actually becoming a pilot. Her speech about fate and opportunity in the shelter episode was the driving force for him to grab at his destiny. Before that he seemed to just mope around a lot and think about how he would like to fly, but, as he says near the end of episode 4, he saw his chance and he seized it.

Sheryl's speech was bupkiss compared to everything else that was influencing him, which were a man being killed in front him, what happened to Ranka who was a life he personally saved by actually piloting, Ozma giving him a personal tour of the SOS, and Alto's old man dressing him up like a girl his whole life. It's flattery to say one little fate speech from even a charamastic individual like Sheryl was the biggest influence on him, despite whatever he might have said.

As for Sheryl's depression when Alto brought the earing, again I felt it was very real. She may have put on a brave front about believing the Galaxy was still around in front of the press, but I think that she was almost certain that Galaxy was gone. The only reason that she reveals that stuff to Alto is because he is the only one that doesn't treat her as "Sheryl" in the least. Grace, who is probably the person she's closest to, still likely thinks of her as "Sheryl" even when they are alone. There's also the parallel with Alto hating Frontier. It may be that she wanted to point out that even though he hates Frontier, he would be hurt of it were destroyed.

Was she being vunerable or was she putting up a brave front? Alto at least had ambition for why he didn't like Frontier. Sheryl hated Galaxy for being a lonely dump. Makes her words about returning there seem all the more hollow.

I may be showing my Sheryl bias here, but I can't help it since she's such an awesome character.

Yeah, she's great when she's being an artist or leading Alto around. I think she matters more to Ranka than to Alto though. At least she did, but now as Nanase said it's time to overthrow the Goddess!