Macross Frontier #23 "True Beginning," #24 "Last Frontier" and #25 "Your Sound"

And finally all the pieces come together, in true Macross style.

Okay, so Grace, Ranka and Brera were all from Expedition 117, who first encountered the Vajra. The Vajra are an insect race who share a single hive mind and communicate through Fold Waves. So this has been Grace's plan, to take over the Vajra hive mind and unite the entire galaxy in one mind, with her in control. How very Gendo Ikari of her. I also can't help thinking that the Vajra are very much like the Invid, which amuses me to no end.

So we get a great big final battle! It's like "Force of Arms" and Do You Remember Love? and Shadow Chronicles all rolled into one, with that usual cool Macross Frontier twist where all of the sudden the humans are the ones taking on Dolza's role and attacking the Vajra's homeworld, and we get a giant Rei Ayanami version of Ranka singing "Do You Remember Love" as the human fleet starts getting blown up. Daaaammmnn.

And then Alto, Sheryl and Ranka decide that their three-way love is the most powerful of all and they kick Grace's ass with an old-school Daedalus Attack. Works for me!

That
Was
Freakin'
AWESOME!!!!!

DISCLAIMER: This is of course a gross over-simplification of EVERYTHING, especially considering that Ranka & Sheryl's closing conversation seems like they're entering a friendly rivalry for Alto's love. However the deviant in me also sees that conversation as Sheryl accepting Ranka's challenge of "not losing at love" as Ranka and Sheryl making a dedication to each other and accepting the challenge of a new beginning in a new romantic trio, especially since Sheryl gives Ranka sign language for "I love you"!

Macross Frontier #21 "Azure Ether" and #22 "Northern Cross"

Okay, well this at least explains what happened to Ai-Kun. Perhaps Ai-Kun is meant to be the bridge that helps us understand what the Vajra are all about? On the one hand, Grace says all they're about is "they're in our way," and on the other hand she calls "the planet where the Vajra's true queen resides" her "treasure island."

So now I get what was so special about Sheryl and Ranka's singing, specifically-- their voices produce fold waves, which are somehow in tune with the Vajra. But what's it all for?

And so the Macross Quarter goes rogue, and Alto and Ozma wind up on opposite sides. Can you imagine that ever happening to Rick and Roy?!? Well, I guess Rick may have been thick, but he wasn't quite as obstinate as Alto is, and I can totally understand Ozma's thinking on not including him.

Only three more to go...

Macross Frontier #19 "Triangler" and #20 "Diamond Crevasse"

I'm continually intrigued on how the character of Minmay has been split between Sheryl and Ranka; when we started, Sheryl was the weary Minmay of Do You Remember Love?, and Ranka was the hopeful Minmay of the TV series. Now we've watched their roles reverse.

So let me get this straight: Ranka's pet Ai-Kun turned out to be a larva-stage Vajra, so that means he was just one of many Vajra that Leon had stashed away for whatever his nefarious plot is? At first I thought he was the only one on the Frontier (Well, not counting the ones stuck in the big giant tubes, of course). So when the second-stage Vajra showed up and killed the assassin, I thought it must have been Ai-Kun "grown up." But then there were tons of Vajra running around and I couldn't understand how all those Vajra came from one little one. (I mean come on now, it was Gubaba that looked like a Tribble, not Ai-Kun!) So I guess the other Vajra didn't come from Ai-Kun, but were bred from the ones in the tubes, and Ai-Kun just got loose and became Ranka's pet?

So I'm guessing this also means that Leon and Grace are in control of all the Vajra, which they are using for some as yet unrevealed purpose. Whatever the purpose is, to accomplish it they used the Vajra to destroy the Macross Galaxy, but it wasn't enough, and now they're trying again with the Macross Frontier.

Oh, and somehow these Vajra attacks are bringing out emotional energy (dare I all it Spiritia?) in the Macross singers (first Sheryl on the Galaxy and now Ranka on the Frontier), which Leon and Grace also need for their plan.

At least that's what I think is going on. You know, I appreciate that in this post-Evangelion age, anime stories give us credit for being able to think for ourselves and try to make you piece together what the bigger picture is on your own ... but man, there are times when I really miss the Robotech narrator.

Once again, Macross F reminds me that just because characters and situations are similar to Macross, it doesn't mean they'll end the same. Michel's relationship with Klan was always some good comic relief, and I always liked the "Max and Miria" overtones to it. After a while you can't help but hope that Klan would finally get Michael. (Although I have to admit, the fact that her micronized body was a little girl's would keep me away from her too, I don't care how old her brain inside the body is.) Michel's sacrifice for Klan was heart wrenching, and I totally did not see it coming.

See You, Space Playboy.

Macross Frontier #18: "Fold Fame"

Wow, that new opening title sequence blew me away. I watched it three times before I started pausing it to get a closer look at it. Incredible.

So now the truth comes out about Sheryl's illness and how she was manipulated by Grace... the term "disposable celebrities" has never been more apt. Which of course makes me fear for Ranka all the more, and more curious about what really happened to the Macross Galaxy and what the Vajra really are.

And damn, Battle Frontier has one hell of a main gun!

Macross Frontier #17: "Goodbye Sister"

Damn, they got me good on this one!

That scene where the pilot looks into Ozma's cockpit and gasps... my heart lept into my throat, and I just thought, how could I have not seen the signs? Episode 17? Pineapple cake? "Goodbye, Sister," for crying out loud?!? Oh no, don't be... but they always do this in anime, the mentor always dies... OMG, look at all that blood! Oh Ozma...

And then we cut to the hospital with Luca saying "If he'd died, it would have been incredibly emotional, huh?" and I damn near fell off my chair laughing. I should have known better... this is Macross Frontier. Nothing's going to go exactly the same.

They got me good.

I also continue to love how Fire Bomber is "oldies" music. I feel that way around the new breed of otaku sometimes.

Macross Frontier #16: "Ranka Attack"

I may have to revise my theory on the last episode. I had assumed that Grace and Brera were part of the Vajra; now I get the feeling they're manipulating them just as much as the people of the Macross Frontier.

I love fanwank. Throw in lots of references to Minmei and Basara and I am one happy little fanboy. I loved seeing the bridge crew argue over which one of them was more outdated. And it's interesting to see poor trusting little Ranka wondering if using her voice in battle is really for the greater good.

Also, it looks like Brera is going to stretch our love triangle in new directions. And that VF-27 he flies is one sleek piece of mecha.

Also liked the new end titles a lot.

Macross Frontier - episode 15: "Lost Peace"

First and foremost, I need to give a great big hearty THANK YOU to Mike for hooking me up with with the rest of the series and the proper codecs to make them work. Thanks, Mike. You rock.

Ahhh, it's good to get to see Macross F again. I've missed this show. And this was the perfect episode to come back to-- half clip show, but the recap is all from the newly revealed "bad guys" perspective, so it was a good refresher for my memory and yet still works as an important episode giving you new information.

The scene with Sheryl and Ranka both serenading Alto at once was absolutely priceless. This is probably the best Macross love triangle yet, since all three are friends with one another.