Macross Frontier - Episode 10 Discussion / Poll

[ani_d]

Originally Posted by Westlo

Needless to say I hope to see you write you were deluded about this pairing in 4.5 months time

All I have to say is, in 4 months time, all you'll be seeing is yourself going bankrupt. ^__^ Five dollars wouldn't be enough to cut it once Macross F ends with a breathing Ranka side by side with her princess charming lol

Originally Posted by Westlo

On an off topic note I wonder if we will ever agree on any pairing... VK aside lol, still I enjoy going back and forth with you!

Same

Originally Posted by coroloro

I think it's pretty obvious to me the direction it will go right now, and I have pretty good intuition on these things,

I feel the same way. It is very obvious, but somehow, the events in episode 10 are 'supposed' to have hidden factors that will turn the tables from a Ranka to a Sheryl show. Ranka is fated to be the 'happy' single heroine of the millenium, and Sheryl the has-been Saotome bride. This is based on Macross History and Kawamori's history and other histories that I still don't get how it can mess up a pretty much consistent storyline we're having right now.

Originally Posted by coroloro

I think the director/producer(s) seemed to feel that it was important enough to meet certain quality bars on the big scenes here that they would divert time from the other scenes... so far, they're definitely doing something right in this series. And I personally didn't really mind the lesser animation there, at all. It looked like 'average' animation from some of the series I've seen in recent times, and so if that is their 'lowest level' then that's not too bad. It's great that such is the exception rather than the rule.

I did have a little problem with how they animated the fight scene, I think it was way worse than episode 8, but the movements flowed really smoothly and I believe they were aiming for that. Anyway, once the action came to a stop, the quality went up again so I didn't really mind the drop that much. And if you notice, a lot of scenes from the original scenes from Macross Zero were exact scenes from Ranka's movie. They definitely recycled. This probably saved them a lot of money. I think after Macross Frontier, they won't have to worry about trivial things like 'budget'. MF seems to be really popular in Japan.

And again, same as you, I think the Aimo Tori no Hito Ranka sang in the movie was hair-raising. I couldn't stop listening to it.

[kilroy0097]

Random Comment: I think it's funny that the "What if" on Ranka/Sheryl/Alto love triangle is getting more talk than the Sheryl/Ranka/Grace/Vajra connection or the Ranka/Sheryl/Dr. Mao Nome connection. Just a personal observation. ^_^

[glyph]

Originally Posted by Terrestrial Dream

She actually had name? What was the point of giving a useless character a name .

Merin? As in Jamis Merin, that actress who lost out to Minmay in the original Miss Macross?

Well, she does manage to win the title to avenge Grandma's humiliating defeat, but that doesn't save her from getting overshadowed by this series' rising star anyway.

[withered_joy]

Originally Posted by Tsukiyomi

What you're really missing out on are the many hidden references to older macross series.

Gaaaah. Mendokusai......
I'm too lazy to get my hands on the original macross. I mean, I'm watching Macross Zero (at least the first episode) and liking it (lovely dogfights), but dude I'm just too lazy to watch some 36 episodes (the original) made in 1982. I'm going to be lazy and download the movie version instead. Which is still very outdated. Better than nothing. I'll need to...force myself through it. Maybe I can enjoy it. Maybe? But I think I'm going to want to strangle Hikaru, judging by the posts I read about him.

[Westlo]

DYRL still looks gorgeous even today.

Originally Posted by kilroy0097

Random Comment: I think it's funny that the "What if" on Ranka/Sheryl/Alto love triangle is getting more talk than the Sheryl/Ranka/Grace/Vajra connection or the Ranka/Sheryl/Dr. Mao Nome connection. Just a personal observation. ^_^

I admit I'm far more interested in the love triangle but I have tried to start some discussion on Grace in the spoilers thread and well people have to reply to that to get anything going. As for the Ranka/Dr. Mao thing they just haven't given us enough to really talk about it, it's like "oh they might be connected" and that's it at this stage. It's like the Cathy/Ozma/Leon situation we know about it but we haven't been given enough rope to talk about it imo.

Personally I'm hoping we get some more spotlight on the Cathy and Ozma past relationship sooner rather than later. That and Sheryl and Ranka's past are stuff I want to see very soon.

[ReddyRedWolf]

Funny you mentioned DYRL.

For a while there Sheryl looked like Minmei, smiling after the kiss.

[Kirarakim]

About this whole Ranka VS Sheryl thing there is another factor Brera. What is his connection to Ranka? Is he related to her or could he possibly end up being her love interest? If it is not going to be Alto/Ranka than I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being Brera/Ranka.

[Westlo]

Originally Posted by ani_d

All I have to say is, in 4 months time, all you'll be seeing is yourself going bankrupt. ^__^ Five dollars wouldn't be enough to cut it once Macross F ends with a breathing Ranka side by side with her princess charming lol

Bah never, I'll be correct here and in VK and than my swagger will be phenomenal!

I did have a little problem with how they animated the fight scene, I think it was way worse than episode 8, but the movements flowed really smoothly and I believe they were aiming for that. Anyway, once the action came to a stop, the quality went up again so I didn't really mind the drop that much.

Typical Satelight really, that fight scene reminded me a little of certain well animated Naruto fights. They lowered the detail and upped the fluidiness but it seems like there wasn't enough budget for it and the time spent on the fight was like.. what 5 seconds?

And if you notice, a lot of scenes from the original scenes from Macross Zero were exact scenes from Ranka's movie. They definitely recycled. This probably saved them a lot of money. I think after Macross Frontier, they won't have to worry about trivial things like 'budget'. MF seems to be really popular in Japan.

It was rather smart of them to that imo, especially since more than likely the majority of people watching Frontier haven't even seen Zero.

And again, same as you, I think the Aimo Tori no Hito Ranka sang in the movie was hair-raising. I couldn't stop listening to it.

Been listening to that track heaps since it leaked, was my fav Ranka song until a few days ago when I started preferring her version of what bout my star again.

[CaptGloval]

Originally Posted by Swampstorm

From another standpoint, we had a fairly good idea of Sara's perspective in Zero. By focusing on Mao, we get to revisit the same story from a completely different angle. As much as I loved Sara and Shin's interactions (there's a quote on the second page of this thread by CaptGloval detailing the most powerful scene in the original story), it's nice to see a fresh presentation of things.

Besides, my mind just can't make the connection between Miranda and Sara. Just pretend that she was actually playing a different character who happened to have similar lines.

The song in Macross Zero was sung in French, interestingly enough. I always wondered about the choice of language.

Thanks for the mention It was noticeable that the few clips of the movie shown were those involving Mao. As I've mentioned that post earlier, I guess moments between Sara and Shin belonged only to the two, and I think that's good.

Unless this episode's blatant reuse of Zero scenes might hint that they retconned the OVA into an in-universe fictionalized telling of the Birdman incident just like DYRL was about the First Space War

Anyway, I like Mao. Taken individually, her character stands out for me in Zero. But when Shin and Sara are together, that's when they really shine.

[CrowKenobi]

We've had enough talk about what happened around the kiss, but what I'm wondering is what the significance of Sheryl's scowl here:



Is it because Alto is holding up production, or is it because he's talking to Ranka?



(or maybe both?)

[Swampstorm]

Originally Posted by CrowKenobi

We've had enough talk about what happened around the kiss, but what I'm wondering is what the significance of Sheryl's scowl here:



Is it because Alto is holding up production, or is it because he's talking to Ranka?



(or maybe both?)

He's holding up production, hence the "Hurry up!" that ensues. The best way to irritate Sheryl is to get in the way of her work.

If Sheryl had an issue with Alto talking to Ranka, then she probably wouldn't have told him to go and give Ranka encouragement while on the set. Nor would she have tried to talk to Alto to make him feel more comfortable about the kiss. The best strategy here would have been is "If it's broke, don't fix it", if Sheryl really had an issue with it.

If I had to guess, I'd say that Sheryl's background shouting was thrown in there to alert Ranka to the fact that Alto and Sheryl were together, given Ranka's statement at the end of the scene.

[CrowKenobi]

Very true, but why have that scene of Sheryl scowling at all? We got that she was impatiently waiting for Alto from her tone of voice, but then to cut to her and show her scowl?

Anyway, I'm just wondering if there's more to that scowl than what's on the surface.

[Swampstorm]

Originally Posted by CrowKenobi

Very true, but why have that scene of Sheryl scowling at all? We got that she was impatiently waiting for Alto from her tone of voice, but then to cut to her and show her scowl?

Anyway, I'm just wondering if there's more to that scowl than what's on the surface.

It would be a bit strange if she were smiling when she told him to hurry up, and we saw a very similar expression when Sheryl was interrupted while writing the lyrics to her song in episode five. Also, Alto is quite far away; far enough away that Alto and Sheryl have to raise their voices to communicate. So how would Sheryl even know who Alto was talking to, to begin with?

I think that in part, many people were expecting Sheryl to become jealous this episode when we went in with the expectation of "Macross Zero" and the associated kiss. I know that I was. So it's possible that the expression appears to have an additional meaning because of our expectations. As a case in point, the issue was already raised before we had a translation of the scene; again, people assumed that this expression was the jealousy that they had been expecting, and pounced on it before being aware of the dialogue.

[CaptGloval]

Originally Posted by CrowKenobi

Very true, but why have that scene of Sheryl scowling at all? We got that she was impatiently waiting for Alto from her tone of voice, but then to cut to her and show her scowl?

So that we could see Sheryl look cute while she scowled.

[ani_d]

Originally Posted by kilroy0097

Random Comment: I think it's funny that the "What if" on Ranka/Sheryl/Alto love triangle is getting more talk than the Sheryl/Ranka/Grace/Vajra connection or the Ranka/Sheryl/Dr. Mao Nome connection. Just a personal observation. ^_^

I argued over a radioactive earring once because it caught enough of my attention in an episode lol It's just that, with the majority of the episode focusing on the love triangle, it's no wonder people are going to talk about it. Although, I am interested in talking about the underlying plot specifically Ranka/Brera/Vajra/Dr.Mao connection. I wonder what Ozma will think if he meets Brera.

I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but in episode 1, when the Vajra first attacked frontier, Ozma said, "Ranka they're finally here." He knows what's going on.

Originally Posted by Westlo

Bah never, I'll be correct here and in VK and than my swagger will be phenomenal!

For a second there, I thought you said, "I'll never be correct here and in VK"

Originally Posted by CrowKenobi

Very true, but why have that scene of Sheryl scowling at all? We got that she was impatiently waiting for Alto from her tone of voice, but then to cut to her and show her scowl?

Anyway, I'm just wondering if there's more to that scowl than what's on the surface.

The problem is, we never really got a peek inside Sheryl's head all throughout this episode. (Except for the blush, which was given away from her expression) If you ask me, the scowl is open to any interpretation. I loved that shot of Alto in your avatar btw.

[cerrian]

I'm a bit torn, Macross Frontier has some of the best episode closeout scenes that I've ever seen in any anime TV series without having to frequently rely on cliffhangers. As it currently stands, of the 10 episodes so far, the best episode closers are:

ep 2 - Sheryl revealing her identity to Ranka followed by Alto bumping into them. This is our first introduction to the love triangle.

ep 6 - Sheryl's concert where she sings Diamond Crevasse as the rescue fleet fold jumps out. Seamless transition to ending credits.

ep 7 - Beara playing Aimo on the harmonica with a seamless transition to Ranka's version of Aimo and ep. 1 credit scenes.

ep 10 - The episode credits are actually cleverly framed as the credits for the Bird Human movie, but the episode closes out with Ranka stepping onto the stage and taking the first steps of her new stardom.

I'm torn between ep. 6 and ep. 10 closers as my favorite. Ep.6 makes me teary eyed and I love how perfectly Diamond Crevasse heightens the emotions and sets up for the fight in the ep 7. Nonetheless, I also have to acknowledge just how slick it was that the production team rolled the episode credits into the movie credits and then closes out the episode with a blood pumping scene as the director holds out his hand to Ranka and declares the start of Ranka's legacy.

[ReddyRedWolf]

Not to mention Mr. Director, who didn't speak till the end, happens to look like Shoji Kawamori. If he didn't shave for month.

Any bets he actually VA himself there.

Lol pulling a Stan Lee.

[dodgethis_sg]

Originally Posted by ANN.com

Koichi Sakaguchi as Director (ep 10)

Sorry, it isn't Shoji Kawamori who voiced him.

[nines]

Id say episode 6 had the best ending brings up alot of emotions and fits the fight scene pretty awsomely loved it so much cant get enough of the song

[SymphonicRain]

Originally Posted by CrowKenobi

Very true, but why have that scene of Sheryl scowling at all? We got that she was impatiently waiting for Alto from her tone of voice, but then to cut to her and show her scowl?

Anyway, I'm just wondering if there's more to that scowl than what's on the surface.

Plus wearing an Ex-Gear, one that is floating in the air by wires, isn't exactly the most comfortable position one would like to be in for a long time.