Macross Delta - Episode 1 (Preview Airing) Discussion / Poll

[raile]

For some reason, the first episode had me feeling...overwhelmed? But it took a second viewing for me to appreciate it (ergo, I'll follow it).

I love the music so far. I'm just cautiously wondering where the show will go and how it will go.

[Gravitas Free Zone]

A pointless observation: Since the girls are supposed to be able to exit their Valkyries easily to do their thing, why are their fighters still designed with the usual single-piece rear-hinged canopy? It would be less stressful on the front pilot and airframe to split it or otherwise give the rear-seater their own hatch.

Though the answer is "because it'll make it look weird when they do the part where someone rescues someone else who is falling through the air."

[Polarpew]

ive watched Macross Frontier and now this. Can someone dispel my ignorance and explain wtf is up with pop idols and macross? For a sci-fi anime, wuts up with the magical music? Is it similar to how Robots are powered by Orgasms in Aquarion? Something to boost Blu-ray sales?

[azarhal]

Originally Posted by deadite

The main triangle is Freyja Hayate and Mirage.

That is what everyone is guessing because they are the main characters, but this Macross might do it differently...Kawamori said this about Macross Delta logo last October:

Kawamori pointed out that the delta symbol in the logo is made of triangular symbols, to symbolize the three main thematic elements of Macross: music, a love triangle, and transforming fighter planes. However, he noted that the two symbols are split, and explained that this is indicative that the three elements will not come together as expected in the new story.

[Darthtabby]

Originally Posted by Polarpew

ive watched Macross Frontier and now this. Can someone dispel my ignorance and explain wtf is up with pop idols and macross? For a sci-fi anime, wuts up with the magical music? Is it similar to how Robots are powered by Orgasms in Aquarion? Something to boost Blu-ray sales?

Singing has been an important part of Macross since way back with the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross in the 1980s. It hasn't always been idols doing the singing, but that's what the majority of the titles (including the original) use. Of course, the recent idol fad hasn't given them much reason to change formula.

Spoiler for Role of Music in the Original Macross:

The role of music in the original Macross was actually relatively low key compared to some of the later installments. Basically, the Zentraedi were an engineered warrior species with no culture. Their spies end up bring human culture -most notably the songs of Lynn Minmei- back from the SDF-1, and it sort of spreads in their fleet and makes some of their forces refuse to fight. This convinces the Zentraedi leader that the warnings that so called culture would take away the Zentraedi's ability to fight were real so he orders the destruction of both the insubordinate units and humanity. The series also did have human forces transmitting music on comm channels as a way to shock and disrupt the Zentaedi.

The Do You Remember Love movie version of the original series handled things a bit differently, with a cheesy explanation about singing unlocking the culture in the Zentraedi's genes.

Different series manifest the different aspects differently, but the usual Macross formula essentially consists of mecha, music, and a love triangle.

[.:Jason:.]

I'm completely unfamiliar with the franchise but I enjoyed this. While I'm not a fan of the male and female leads this reminded me of AKB0048 is a lot of ways which is good as I loved that. Can't wait for the real first episode to air in April.

[lfhoule]

Originally Posted by Polarpew

ive watched Macross Frontier and now this. Can someone dispel my ignorance and explain wtf is up with pop idols and macross? For a sci-fi anime, wuts up with the magical music? Is it similar to how Robots are powered by Orgasms in Aquarion? Something to boost Blu-ray sales?

Are Frontier and Delta your first exposure to the Macross franchise? If that's the case, you're coming into the tail end of a near 35+ year (in real time) old franchise that started back in 1982 with the original Macross series (1st part of the Robotech series). In Macross, you have an alien armada made up of clones that know nothing save for fighting, getting defeated in part by a massive culture shock being delivered by the first pop idol in anime history, Lynn Minmay through her songs (along with all that cool mecha vooming about). This power of song to defeat / tame each "bad" guy plays out in various ways in the follow up stories that make up the franchise.
If you want a taste of the backstory, I would suggest you watch the Macross Movie: Do You Remember Love? (1984) and the Macross Plus OAVs (1994(?)).

[Hmm....]

Originally Posted by Polarpew

ive watched Macross Frontier and now this. Can someone dispel my ignorance and explain wtf is up with pop idols and macross? For a sci-fi anime, wuts up with the magical music? Is it similar to how Robots are powered by Orgasms in Aquarion? Something to boost Blu-ray sales?

Yeah, Macross is always about Music, Love Triangle and Mecha. (Yes, in this order) Because the franchise is influenced by Vietnam War, "Stop making war. Let's sing a song" is always Macross motto. Each series take different approach to the idea. However, this is the first time they take mahou shoujo sentai route.

There is always something magical about music in Macross. But they are usually pretty low key. The most over the top one among previous series would be Macross 7 with it's kamehameha Dragonball Z style song power. Let's see if Delta can top that, or did it already ? lol.

[devilo96]

the first episode had me feeling... that i must watch until the last eps.....and see who is the real love...but i can guess they will use open ending like before...
pfft the author watched akb0048 before he made macros delta :v

[deadite]

The lyrics and the timing when they start singing Ikenai Borderline really implies that there will be romance with the Aerial Knights.

[thundrakkon]

Quote

Originally Posted by devilo96

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

Macross Delta Original Work and Chief Direction: Kawamori Shouji
AKB0048 Original Work and Chief Direction: Kawamori Shouji

So I'm sure he watched it before he made Macross Delta.

I'm really hoping the subsequent episodes will focus more on story and less on ridiculous. It is saying something that the Macross universe has come down to girls dancing around in the battlefield as being more protected and overpowered than the mechs fighting in the war. It begs to question why aren't the mechs equipped with such awesome technology themselves to reduce casualties.

[LoweGear]

Originally Posted by devilo96

the first episode had me feeling... that i must watch until the last eps.....and see who is the real love...but i can guess they will use open ending like before...
pfft the author watched akb0048 before he made macros delta :v

As thundrakkon mentions, Shoji Kawamori is the creator of both AKB0048 and Macross Delta, so the latter is just Kawamori channeling the concepts he initially used for the former.

Originally Posted by thundrakkon

Quote

Originally Posted by devilo96

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

Macross Delta Original Work and Chief Direction: Kawamori Shouji
AKB0048 Original Work and Chief Direction: Kawamori Shouji

So I'm sure he watched it before he made Macross Delta.

I'm really hoping the subsequent episodes will focus more on story and less on ridiculous. It is saying something that the Macross universe has come down to girls dancing around in the battlefield as being more protected and overpowered than the mechs fighting in the war. It begs to question why aren't the mechs equipped with such awesome technology themselves to reduce casualties.

We'll have to see the second episode to see just how prevalent the multi-drone tech is, but the Walkure's tech being more advanced than NUNS may just come down to simple military pragmatic economy: the multi-drones are likely quite a bit more sophisticated and expensive than traditional tech, and therefore harder to field in greater numbers. We do still see NUNS use VF-171's as their mainstay fighter despite the fact that the VF-25 was long slated to be its successor.

[ReddyRedWolf]

Originally Posted by LoweGear

We do still see NUNS use VF-171's as their mainstay fighter despite the fact that the VF-25 was long slated to be its successor.

Applies to the Frontier fleet though. Doesn't mean every other NUNS branch will order some.

I can see SMS as one of the biggest users.

[Friday]

wait for April to see how the rest of the series go.....

[Faux Mecha]

so has anyone tried ballet dancing with a forklift before?, the ones without arms & legs by the way........

something tells me Walkure's idol outfits are like a direct evolution of the EX-Gear power suits, except they now can fight toe to toe with units or enemies twice their size & amplify their strength, like they can now lift things twice their body mass, its only about time if they can also perform independent Space Fold travel by themselves , just hope they didn't render Variable Fighters & any other units obsolete.......... Roy Focker might be rolling in his grave.........

[kaizerknight01]

Will pilot this rather than vf171

[LoweGear]

Originally Posted by Global Sword 2

so has anyone tried ballet dancing with a forklift before?, the ones without arms & legs by the way........

something tells me Walkure's idol outfits are like a direct evolution of the EX-Gear power suits, except they now can fight toe to toe with units or enemies twice their size & amplify their strength, like they can now lift things twice their body mass, its only about time if they can also perform independent Space Fold travel by themselves , just hope they didn't render Variable Fighters & any other units obsolete.......... Roy Focker might be rolling in his grave.........

We haven't seen Walkure do anything actually outlandish with their outfits though, just the transformation. Most of the work they do comes from the multi-drones, without which they're rather screwed.

[Tenzen12]

Originally Posted by Global Sword 2

so has anyone tried ballet dancing with a forklift before?, the ones without arms & legs by the way........

something tells me Walkure's idol outfits are like a direct evolution of the EX-Gear power suits, except they now can fight toe to toe with units or enemies twice their size & amplify their strength, like they can now lift things twice their body mass, its only about time if they can also perform independent Space Fold travel by themselves , just hope they didn't render Variable Fighters & any other units obsolete.......... Roy Focker might be rolling in his grave.........

Idol unit completely lack offense and these drons are pretty hungry beasts, that can't work without external batteries for long. While girls can leap they can't fly. Put them against anyone who doesn't care about singing and idol-tachi can nothing but put some acrobatic show around.

VF doesn't need to be afraid of going into scrapyard anytime soon.

[Faux Mecha]

despite the aeronautics themed names of some of the characters, somebody joked that the new Macross ship captain Earnest Johnson's name almost sounded like a throwaway porno name title, it does not help he's also HUGE, can the Macross ship that he'd commanded compensate for his junk?

i wonder if they can apply those Walkure boomerang drones at a larger scale, possibly with its own internal power source to be used for the versions made for the typical fighter units & battleships, seriously those things are useful at defensive tactics that could withstand missile barrages, still not sure at the effectiveness against energy based weaponry though.

[Tak]

So, what I am looking forward to (and probably will not be met, but what the hell, I can dream)...

1. Max & Milia cameo (preferably with Macross 7), showing Delta how fighting is done!

2. Basara rocking with Walkure

3. Sheryl Nome leading the Walkure, showing whose boss!

Yeah, I am one greedy SOB.

Originally Posted by Global Sword 2

despite the aeronautics themed names of some of the characters, somebody joked that the new Macross ship captain Earnest Johnson's name almost sounded like a throwaway porno name title.

This is actually the first time I saw a Zentradi commandeer a human ship. I am quite surprised.

Originally Posted by Global Sword 2

i wonder if they can apply those Walkure boomerang drones at a larger scale, possibly with its own internal power source to be used for the versions made for the typical fighter units & battleships

In Macross, the problem really isn't about power generation. The principle behind Macross power generators would allow nearly infinite amounts of power. The problem is to create materials that could withstand that torrent of power. I'd say the boomerang did a respectable job in tanking missiles that normally would cripple a fighter with full shielding.

- Tak