Another rather boring episode, but at least you can see that it’s building up for something. The next episode should prove to be interesting. And is it me, or was Ozma bothered by a rather bad case of constipation this time?
In any case, this episode was mainly meant to develop the love-triangle a bit more, and it was meant to send the Macross crew into space to a place called “Galaxy”, because it was attacked in a recent Varja-assault (it’s going to be pretty bad if Ranka starts singing while that entire fleet is gone :P).
I’m also getting more and more the impression that Ranka saw her parents or other loved ones get killed in front of her eyes. She was even too scared to move when they were just featured on an ordinary video-screen. At the moment, her love-triangle with Alto and Sheryl is more annoying than it is touching, but I do wonder what the creators will be able to do with it once this series hits its second half.
I didn’t quite like Sheryl’s song at the end since I’ve never been a real fan of the ED-song, although I admit that the animation-budget was rock-solid.
Just in case you weren’t clear “Galaxy” that is referred to is Macross Galaxy, another Macross-class Fleet, like Macross Frontier that has been featured up to this point. It is also the home fleet apparently for Sheryl. Next episode does look like it’ll be filled with action, and we’ll see if Ranka’s feelings for Sheryl will have changed after the events of 5 where she saw Sheryl kiss Alto on the cheek (and subsequently had Alto lie to her apparently, and seem to lose that ‘listens to me’ trait he had with her earlier).
I love the end song, so I loved how they did that. I also thought it was a great filler episode to bridge to the obvious huge battle next episode.
I find her part in the love triangle annoying as well. For various reasons, Ranka started out my odds on favorite with a relationship with Alto, but now Sheryl has seriously passed her up. Alto and Sheryl seem to have a more mature relationship together. Ranka just seems in need to constant approval, advice or support. She whole jealously and claim as you will, seems very unfounded, so her issues with Sheryl seem silly to me. Just don’t like it.
Although I don’t want to admit it, Ranka is THE heroine in this series anyhow…
I think I would cry if Sheryl wins over Ranka. Go Sheryl!
In regards to the love triangle it doesn’t matter if Sheryl isn’t the heroine of the series, Misa wasn’t in the original series either and look what happened there.
Also I don’t know how people can call this filler, that word gets misused a lot these days. This episode progressed the plot as well as character relations. Filler is meaningless stuff that has no bearing on the story, like the majority of anime original episodes for adaptions of manga series.
I watched the raw and I am now waiting for the sub version. On the topic of the love triangle, I don’t find it annoying at all since every character in that triangle play major role in the story.
However, the thing that will mess this up for me is, if one of these three characters end up dying or for some sacrifice of some sort, that’d disappoint me very much.
Methinks you missed parts of Episode 1 and Episode 3: Episode 1 had the Ranka-having-flashback bit (when you see the Vajra crushing a ship through a round porthole) and Episode 3 had Ozma telling Alto that Ranka has trauma-induced amnesia due to her folks being killed due to his failure to protect them, and that she’s really not his sister. Episode 4 also has Ozma telling Alto that Ranka is one of the few survivors of the 117th Deep Exploration fleet which was wiped out by a Vajra assault… so yes, she lost her family to them. As was explained in-series. 😉
The Macross Galaxy fleet, which Sheryl hails from, is the companion fleet which we saw in the diagram representing human colonization in Episode 1’s introduction; it’s that second arrow that’s moving parallel to Frontier, heading towards the center of the galaxy… which is coincidentally the same place that the Megaroad-01 (which was launched at the end of a Macross music video, Macross Flashback 2012) was going to when it disappeared, carrying with it two of the heroes from the first series… who may ALSO have been killed by the Vajra, which is something implied by its sudden disappearance about forty years ago.
But yes, this episode is devoted towards developing the love triangle, by laying the foundations for it; now Sheryl AND Ranka have a connection with Alto, which Sheryl was previously lacking. Plus Sheryl has a reason to stay on the Frontier now – her home colony’s under attack, and the images transmitted back from the Galaxy’s messenger suggest the fleet may not have survived its encounter.
As for what’ll happen in the second half? We don’t know yet – probably a main character or important secondary character will die; I’ve currently got Ozma pegged as the top choice for that, followed by Luca or Nene of Pixie squadron. Ranka also has some character development coming to her, which I suspect will involve some personal growth and more interactions with Sheryl.
As for Ozma, I personally think he was frowning due to the pedobear-vibes that the agent was exuding, especially when he was practically cuddling Ranka…
If it was for the secondary love triangle of Ozma, Kathy and Leon I would have Ozma down as the big death of the first half. Which would give Alto Ozma’s Valkyrie which would mirror the original season and also have Alto piloting his new one for the 2nd op. But this Kathy situation makes me thing he will live this series.. or at least survive until near the end.
Luca will probably die.. since aside from agreeing with Nanase because she has big boobs he’s been useless.. at a stretch Klein Klan since no one would predict that… but more than likely one of her squad members..
Damn, so its a given that someone will die ? Oh well, it can’t be helped then. I just finished watching “Gundam 00” which dissapointed me heaps at the end and am not looking for a similar experience with this.
Thanks for your opinions guys, really appreciate it.