Short Synopsis: The plot thickens as Ranka’s ability to calm down the Vajra gets more and more important.
Highlights: Ozma gained a lot of depth in this episode.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8,5/10
Satelight, you disappoint me. With the huge budget of this series, you couldn’t even find a good voice-actress for the seven-year-old Ranka? Joking aside, this episode might very well be my favourite of the entire series. It’s really one of these episodes in which nothing much happens, and yet the plot is pushed forward a lot. It’s very much different from the intermezzos we saw in the first half of this series, which mostly goofed off. The selection of insert songs was also pretty nice to listen at, and complemented their scenes well.
Especially Ozma was awesome, with his brotherly worries about Ranka. Macross Frontier isn’t exactly your manly mecha-series, but this guy provides an appreciated exception to this rule. We now also learn (that, or I noticed this a bit late) that he’s been having an affair with Catherine. Strangely enough, it was also interesting to see Alto act more as a side-character. Interesting how some main characters make great side-characters, and side-characters make great main characters.
Speaking of side-characters, I do have one complaint. In this episode, we learn that Kuran has a crush on Saotome, but it felt really abrupt, which got me thinking about how little airtime she’s actually had in this series. I mean, she’s been really overshadowed by the rest of the cast of Macross Frontier, even though she’s got a pretty interesting character, and there are more people like that on this series. I also feel that Catherine needs more time to be fleshed out, and especially people like Bobby, Lam, Mena and Jeffrey Wilder have been horribly ignored so far.
A couple corrections. First of all, Klan has a crush on Michael, and it’s been implied from the very start of the series (especially in that Michel-centered episode).
I also understood the whole Cathy thing as something that had happened in the past, but that she wanted him back. They haven’t been together until this episode, so I guess the affair just officially started 😛
Actually, I think they were going out before, that scene was a flashback, not taking place ‘now’. Once an idiot, always an idiot. He paid more attention to his job and sis then to her.
Certainly looks like things might heat back up after this episode though. If he makes it after so many death flags that is.
That scene was a flashback.
You go back to episode 5 when Cathy knocks on Ozma’s door to get him for the Varja demonstration. After he calls Michael asking him to look for Ranka, Cathy comments she wished in the past that he was that worried about her. Than she goes that’s all in the past now…
And yeah they already hinted at Klan X Michael in episode 4 and 5 but it was pretty obvious after 9 they both like each other. If it wasn’t for Klans Micro defect they would probably be together by now.
Good episode. I liked the whole comparison bit with the original Macross. When the skull leader is killed due to a wound he does not treat. Good thing they changed it on Frontier. Interesting bit when the mechanic looks at Ozma’s cockpit, and the whole pineapple cake / pineapple salad thing.
Good episode over all. Getting interesting.
As have been said already, Klan and Michael have been close friends since childhood and she has had a thing for him for quite some time though it’s not all that clear if Michael has always reciprocated. Also Cathy and Ozma were once romantically involved before Leon when he was younger. His job as a pilot and then Ranka drove a separation between Ozma and Cathy leading to their eventual breakup. They both still love each other very much but life just didn’t work out. Now with Leon soon to be either dead or out of the picture their romance will most likely pickup again unless Ozma gets himself killed at some point. Lastly they are certainly down playing Alto and Ranka a little bit showing more of an older brother concern from Alto to Ranka when she asks for his advice. Coupled with the impending Sheryl/Grace conflict this might be the start of the rise of Sheryl again in the series. Awesome episode! Can’t wait for 18 and the new OP.