Anime

Leon arrives on the bridge of Battle Frontier and orders its immediate departure, explaining that President Glass was killed by the Vajra. “My turn,” he says as we head to the opening. 

At SMS headquarters, Alto and Luca prepare to head to Island 3 with Klan blazing a trail for them. Klan is now at her full size, is carrying a Valkyrie’s gunpod, and has strapped a Valkyrie’s armor pack with its missile pods to her back. She ascends in an elevator with a look of pure rage on her face. When she emerges into the open she takes flight and opens fire on hundreds of Vajra all while screaming Michael’s name in her head. 

Outside, Macross Quarter is in a tight spot, but is rescued by Battle Frontier. Leon is apparently going to put up a fight against the Vajra. He also plans to enact a strategy developed by Luca. We cut to the Island 3 research facility to see that Luca (and L.A.I.?) have constructed another Dimension Eater bomb. The plan is to use Ranka’s singing to lure the Vajra onto Island 3 and then destroy them all with the fold bomb. Alto hates the idea of using Ranka that way, but Luca says he helped develop the bomb (and the others like it?) in order to protect those he loved. Ultimately, Ranka agrees to be the bait, even over Alto’s objections. 

As things are prepared, Alto promises Ranka that he will protect her. Ranka, though, is still struggling with her smashed emotions. She wanted to reach Alto with her songs, and wants for him to return her love, but because that did not work, she has now resigned herself to sing for Frontier because it is what Alto is asking her to do. The distinction is very bittersweet. Ranka is still torn up inside, but the plan works this time and the bulk of the Vajra threat is eliminated. Frontier’s other forces are able to root out the remaining Vajra over the next few hours, but the cost to the fleet’s ecosystem has been disastrous. 

Some time later, Leon gives an extended eulogy for those that died during the attack. We see many scenes of devastation and cleanup. As his speech ends, we see that he, Ranka, and the media are gathered in Frontier’s cemetery. Leon asks Ranka to sing for them. Ranka takes the microphone, but then she hesitates for a few moments before declaring that she cannot sing anymore. Then, in a stunning turn of events, she runs off the stage and into the nearby woods! There, she meets Ai-kun who has grown to be nearly as big as she is. Suddenly, Ai-kun rears back and splits open in something of a metamorphosis. 

Some time later, Ranka phones Alto which sends him rushing to their normal spot at Griffith Observatory. There, dressed in her white dress, Ranka asks Alto to teach her to make a paper airplane. Ranka has Alto explain to her why he wanted to fly. It was because his mother could not do much and dreamed of seeing a real sky. Alto inherited her dream, something that Ranka finds beautiful. Ranka finishes her plane then set it flying before asking Alto a more dangerous question. She asks if everyone wants to live free, before then asking Alto to come with her as a new 2^nd stage Vajra catches her paper airplane and flies near. 

Alto draws his gun, but Ranka blocks his line of fire! This Vajra is apparently what Ai-kun became. Ranka demands to know if Alto would still kill it even though it did nothing wrong. To Alto, humanity and the Vajra cannot co-exist, so he aims his gun and fires only to have Brera rush in and knock his shot wide. Brera offers to take Ranka where she wants to go. Ranka explains to Alto that she has regained most of her memories and that she wants to take Ai-kun back to the other Vajra. 

Brera brings his Valkyrie nearby and he and Ranka board it. Then, in an emotional moment, Ranka finally voices her love for Alto before saying goodbye. As the beautiful song “Azure Ether” plays in the background, Brera takes Ranka up through one of Island 1’s airlocks and folds away, leaving the Frontier fleet without their one truly effective weapon against the Vajra. Across Frontier, Sheryl, Ozma and Cathy, and the bridge crew of Battle Frontier notice the departure. 

In what feels a lot like a final moment for Ranka, we see various scenes of her while the end credits play. At the very end of the episode we see a beautiful rendering of Ranka in her white dress almost as if we will never see her again. 

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

• Klan rising in the elevator with nothing but Michael’s death echoing in her mind. 
• Ranka tears as she leads tens of thousands of Vajra to their deaths. 
• Klan cradling Michaels helmet as she morns for him in the cockpit of his Valkyrie. 
• Alto’s imaginary glider among the clouds.
• Ranka’s trembling lips as she says what she seems to believe is her final goodbye. 

Episode Impressions: 

The Good: 

This episode feels extremely important. Ranka’s choice to abandon the duties that were thrust upon her is very believable. As much as she has achieved, she never intended to be a weapon of war. I don’t think she was ever really comfortable even playing the role of a songstress of hope, but she did so because she was too kind not to. 

Her decision to leave Frontier also feels very significant. She was the fleet’s most potent defense against the Vajra. Reaction weapons and fold bombs could kill concentrated groups, but only Ranka’s singing could give pause to entire Vajra fleets. With her gone, Frontier will be in a dire position. 

I’ll talk a little more about Ranka’s departure below, but for all I didn’t like about it, it was a very beautiful, very well animated moment that felt weighty and final, even though it’s pretty much a sure thing that we’ll see Ranka again next episode. 

The Bad: 

As much as I respect Ranka for abandoning her position as the songstress of hope, abandoning Frontier all to return one Vajra to its people seems… extremely foolish and selfish. Early on we were lead to believe that individual Vajra don’t have the mental capacity to think or feel. Even if that was a mistake, and if we assume that Ai-kun has learned that Humans are good, thousands of Vajra just killed thousands of Humans across Frontier! Maybe it’s ok for Ranka to protect Ai-kun and search for a lasting peace through that connection, but to run away just to return one Vajra home after such a devastating attack? I would believe that Ranka was under mind control if we had seen even the slightest bit of evidence of it. 

As it is, this episode makes me question Ranka’s goals and even her sanity. We know that she is seen by Grace as the Vajra’s “little queen” so maybe that will play into it in the episodes to come? Right now, Ranka’s actions just feel a little too extreme to me.

Next Episode: Northern Cross

Looks like Sheryl is back somewhat, next episode. And we see Ranka too in a new scene, so she isn’t complete gone. Other than that, it’s hard to tell what is going on.

Where last episode ended on a multipart cliffhanger, this episode begins by showing us all the pieces that were left hanging. Most of the scenes are unchanged from episode 19, but this time we do see that Alto and Sheryl’s closeness was less a passionate embrace and more Alto catching Sheryl as she had yet another dizzy spell. The jump from Ranka’s disbelief to the opening credits is still pretty dramatic, though. 

Ranka tries to run away from her shock and embarrassment at seeing Alto and Sheryl near each other, but trips and falls. Her hurt feelings and pained thoughts call out to the Vajra we saw hidden away in the previous episode and soon there are multiple small, 2^nd stage Vajra in the skies over Mihoshi Academy. Ironically, one of the first Vajra to appear kills the gunman Leon sent to assassinate President Glass. Leon finds out about his failed plot a few moments later when the President calls him and informs him about the new Vajra attack. This gives Cathy and Ozma a chance to flee from the guards that Leon calls to his office. 

Within a few minutes, there is a small swarm of Vajra spreading out across Island 1. Alto goes to Ranka and implores her to sing so they can stop the Vajra, but Ranka at first refuses. Ranka’s conflicting emotions well up and tears fall from her eyes as she tries to explain that she doesn’t want to be a tool to fight the Vajra. It’s only when Sheryl walks over and calmly slaps some sense into Ranka that the younger girl begins to collect herself. Ranka tries singing Grace’s arrangement of Aimo, but once again her negative emotions call out and an entire huge swarm of 2^nd stage Vajra flood Island 1’s skies!

Over at his office, Leon demands to know if this new attack was Grace’s doing. She denies it, but says it wasn’t outside the real of possibility. Leon, however, sees the new threat as his opportunity to continue his plan. Outside Frontier, a new group of Vajra fold in and begin to attack Frontier’s defenses with the Macross Quarter attempting to hold the line against them. 

Back near Mihoshi Academy, Alto, Ranka, and Sheryl along with Michael, Klan, Luca, and Nanase come up with a plan to head to SMS headquarters where they can pickup more weapons and a fold amplifier to hopefully let Ranka’s voice calm the Vajra. But then, Nanase is injured in a nearby blast that separates her and Sheryl from the others. In a touching moment of heroism, Sheryl indicates her willingness to stay behind and take care of Nanase while the others continue on. Ranka, who now appears to be in emotional shock, has to be lead by Alto away from the scene of destruction before them. 

Later, as President Glass makes his way from Island 1 to the still docked Battle Frontier, he is met by Leon Mishima. Leon gives President Glass one final bow then he and and his guards open fire on the President and his protection detail. Some minutes later, Cathy and Ozma travel down the same emergency access way only to find Cathy’s father dead on the ground with multiple fresh gunshot wounds. 

At SMS headquarters, Klan comes up with a plan to fit herself with spare weapons meant for a Valkyrie. She and the others push deeper inside only to be forced to guard their rear against encroaching Vajra. As Klan undresses in preparation of macroizing, she finally openly admits her love to Michael and kisses him. Michael and Alto once again hold a hallway against the Vajra while Klan transitions from her small size to her full size in a tank behind them. 

Elsewhere, Sheryl has managed to bring a still unconscious Nanase to a large emergency shelter. The people inside are becoming increasingly frantic and the power goes out and explosions rock the floor beneath their feet. Sheryl instinctively reaches for her earring and thinks back to what Alto told her earlier. That she can’t help but sing because of how her songs have touched so many people. Sheryl retrieves her remaining earring from her pocket and thinks to herself that if Ranka is to be Frontier’s voice of hope, then at least she herself can help calm the people around her who are slipping into despair. Sheryl stands up in the dim emergency lights and begins singing Diamond Crevasse, diverting the refugees attention away from the sounds of battle around them.

Back at SMS headquarters, a few Vajra manage to burst in through the ceiling and begin to attack Klan’s macroization tank. Michael takes flight in an attempt to stop them but is stabbed by one of the Vajra. He kills it with sustained gunfire, but it then explodes, tearing a small hole in the exterior wall. Michael has just enough time to return Klan’s earlier proclamation of love before he is sucked out into the vacuum of space! All Klan can do is watch helplessly as the man she has loved for years meets his end defending her.

The episode ends with a sparkling tear streaming down Sheryl’s face as she continues to sing. 

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

• Ranka’s turmoil as her feelings for Alto are smothered by her heartbreak at seeing him with Sheryl. 
• Sheryl’s slap followed by the comforting hug and honest, regretful acknowledgment that only Ranka’s singing can help save everyone. 
• Sheryl demanding to know just who Alto thinks she is when she insists on staying behind to take care of Nanase. The answer, of course, is that she is THE Sheryl Nome. It’s nice to see Sheryl with some of her confidence back.
• Leon’s ultimate betrayal of President Howard Glass. 
• Sheryl’s realization that her singing still has a use even if her voice doesn’t have the magic qualities that put a stop to the Vajra. “Ranka, if you are the songstress of hope, then I will sing in the midst of despair” is one of the most powerful moments in all of Macross Frontier. 
• Michael’s tragic death, but also that one quick moment where we see that Klan is pushing so hard against the walls of her tank that she cracks them one step further! 
• Sheryl’s final tear that transitions to a solitary light that quickly goes out in space.

Episode Impressions: 

Episode 20. Wow. We knew that lot of things were being set up last episode to go off with a bang in this one, but I didn’t expect it go like this! 

I feel sorry for Ranka. Seeing Alto and Sheryl together at just the wrong moment broke the joyful enthusiasm that carried her through her best concert yet. Yes, she initially refused to help all the people around her who were suffering and dying, but I think her refusal was a very well earned, emotional character moment. She is not some superhero, but is instead a teenage girl who has been thrust into an incredibly traumatic series of events. For the rest of the episode, especially after her song fails, she is just straight up in shock and is barely even able to function without someone to lead her to safety. 

And then there’s Sheryl, who was basically left an empty shell after Grace’s revelations that she was a failed experiment who would soon die. To her credit, Sheryl tried to shield Alto from her impending death by lying to him. But then, here in this episode, we finally get to see Sheryl’s absolute true character. When push comes to shove, she reverts to being Sheryl Nome, the Galatic Fairy who guides fate with her own hands. Her scene telling Alto to go put a stop to the Vajra attack is just great because she leaves the “I’m Sheryl, Sheryl Nome.” part unspoken. Both she and Alto know it is implied, which speaks some to the closeness of their relationship at this stage. 

Sheryl finding a new reason to sing. Grace’s words hit Sheryl hard. They took singing to entertain away from her. There was probably even a good bit of truth to the idea that Grace’s manipulations had a lot to do with Sheryl’s rise to stardom. But, in that emergency shelter, we see that Sheryl really did earn a name for herself. That in the midst of despair, her songs were able to bring a desperate, worried crowd to awed silence. Ultimately, we see that Sheryl really is more than just Grace’s failed experiment. 

Finally, there’s Klan and Michael. The two of them hid their true feeling from each other for too long. Both knew the danger inherit in their line of work, but both used it as an excuse to not be honest with each other. Maybe a bit more Michael than Klan, but they still both shared some of the blame. It will be interesting to see how Klan reacts to Michael dying right before her eyes. Given that she sees herself as a true Zentradi, I think the aftermath will be quite spectacular! 

Next Episode: Azure Ether 

It looks like the Frontier fleet survives the unexpected Vajra resurgence, but at a terrible cost. We see a brief scene of Sheryl in a dressing room which implies she will continue singing. Ranka looks almost happy as Alto makes her a new paper airplane, so maybe she springs back from her emotional trauma? And then there’s those two dramatic images of Klan, first in her small form cradling Michael’s helmet, and then in what I can only assume is her large form as she unleashes Zentradi hell upon the Vajra. Just look at the fury in her eyes! 

We open this episode with Ranka dreaming about her mother not being able to come to her because of work. Disconcertingly, the dream seem to end with young Ranka reflected in a Vajra’s compound eye. Nearby, Ai-kun receives some kind of signal and runs off. 

Alto sneaks back into his family’s home, but Yasaburō is there waiting for him. He leads Alto to Sheryl who not only has recovered, but is still acting as if everything is fine. She tells Alto that she no longer wishes to sing, that she has achieved everything she wanted with singing, and that all her proclamations about achieving greatness through her own strength were nothing more than creative lies. Alto doesn’t believe her and manages to provoke her somewhat, but is unable to get Sheryl to tell him what is really going on. Alto leaves angrily, but not before demanding that Sheryl come to Ranka’s upcoming victory performance. 

During the parade to her own performance, we find that Ranka has run off with Brera in search of Ai-kun. Meanwhile, several other things are in motion. Cathy and Ozma uncover a plot that Leon has set in motion, while Leon and Grace perfect new miniaturized dimension eater bullets that will penetrate the Vajra’s upgraded armor. It also seems that Grace has discovered something important about the Vajra queen. It is soon revealed that Leon’s plan involves assassinating President Glass! 

At Griffith Park, a little before her concert, Ranka and Brera share a moment where Brera’s inadvertently familiar treatment of Ranka helps her realize that she has been singing for Alto all this time. We cut to Ranka’s concert and she is more energetic than ever as she pours her emotions for Alto into her songs. In the sky above the concert, Alto and the other SMS stunt team members perform some nice skywriting that further convinces Ranka that she is doing everything for Alto. 

As the concert wraps up, we find that Sheryl did in fact come, but she is going to leave without saying anything to Alto until Klan stops her and convinces her to go back. Up on one of the academy’s launch arms, Michael explains to Alto that Ranka is in love with him and insists that he must make a choice between her and Sheryl to avoid hurting Ranka. Just then, Sheryl arrives, and Michael leaves to let Alto and Sheryl be alone. Around this time we see that Luca realizes that Nanase’s drawing of Ai-kun marks it as a young Varja! And there are other Vajra still growing on Frontier. And they are hatching!

Elsewhere, Cathy and Ozma confront Leon over his planned assassination, but they are too late. Leon has already put his plan into motion.

With her last song over, Ranka ascends the stairs excited to tell Alto how she feels… only when she bursts through the doors she sees Alto holding Sheryl in his arms. Alto and Sheryl move apart, but all Ranka can do is stand there as her emotional high meets an unexpected brick wall. And that’s where the episode ends! 

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

• Brera finding the cat. For such a fearsome pilot, it was fun to see him get surprised for once. 
• Alto’s conversation with Sheryl. She has both given up on herself and is trying to shield Alto from the knowledge that she is dying. And she does a pretty good job of it. But then, we see her hold herself at the end and know that everything is not as good as she says it is. 
• That short scene where Yasaburō talks to Sheryl about the thrill of being on stage. For a minor secondary character, he got a nice little speech there. 
• Ranka emerging on Alto and Sheryl. It’s just sorta a classic, shocking, love triangle moment.

Episode Impressions: 

This episode has a lot of moving parts that all overlap, but I like it a lot despite how much it jumps around. We get another really great, subtle, simmering emotional conversation between Alto and Sheryl. It was sorta similar to the one they held before Alto first went off to rescue the Galaxy ships, except here Sheryl all but closed herself off from Alto instead of unexpectedly opening up. I also like how even though Sheryl puts on a convincing performance, Alto knows her well enough to yell at her to cut the crap. He even gets her angry and lashing back at him as her emotions almost overcome her, but she turns away rather than admit that she is lying about not wanting to sing anymore. The scene is not even two minutes long, but there’s a lot of great unspoken emotion and pain there. 

This episode also has a great cliffhanger of an ending. The hidden Vajra are emerging somewhere on Frontier, Sheryl and Alto might be admitting their true feelings to each other, a sniper is taking aim at President Glass, Cathy and Ozma are trying to stop Leon’s coup d’état, and Ranka has her newfound realizations and emotions for Alto come crashing down around her in an instant. It’s taken 19 episodes to get here, but all the setup has lead to these interesting moments. And the wonderful cutaway to the end credits that leaves us hanging on multiple fronts all at once! 

Next Episode: Diamond Crevasse

Whoa. Unless we’re seeing a flashback, and I don’t think we are, Frontier gets hit hard by the Vajra again!

This episode picks off right where the last episode ends. Sheryl confronts Grace demanding to know “why”. In response, Grace tells Sheryl that she is nothing more than a manufactured idol who would have gotten nowhere if Grace had not pulled her out of Galaxy’s slums. And then Grace tells Sheryl she is going to die. 

After the new opening, the real one this time, not the silly Ranka one, we come back to Sheryl and Grace. Sheryl dismisses what she thinks is Grace’s idle threat about dying until Grace explains that she literally meant that Sheryl’s life will soon end. Apparently, when Sheryl was still young, Grace had her taken to a hospital where she was treated for some illness but was never actually cured. 

Elsewhere, we see that Luca is still providing his or his company’s advanced technology to Leon for something called “Cinderella’s Horn”. We also see that Leon and President Glass have managed to get the political votes they need to authorize the Frontier fleet’s next super long distance fold. It seems they are going to try and leave the Vajra behind and return to their original mission of finding a new world to settle. Except… it seems the fleet hasn’t accumulated anywhere near enough energy to make such a jump. Not only will they be making a 20% shorter jump than they originally intended, they’ll put the entire fleet into heavy rationing to do it. Which, of course, means a giant fleet wide pre-fold sale is about to start! 

We catch up with Alto visiting Ozma who is still in the hospital. Ozma asks Alto to protect Ranka when Leon and the others try to use her to repel the Vajra that will be drawn to the Frontier fleet as it prepares for its long distance fold. We also see Sheryl taking a cab away from the hospital. She looks worse than ever and in her flashback we see that Grace’s pronouncement of her untimely death had a dramatic effect on her. We also see that Michael and Klan are continuing to investigate the drugs that Grace had been giving to Sheryl. Apparently they were meant to suppress V-type infections. Ones that come from the Vajra! But, side effects include the symptoms and sicknesses that Sheryl has been experiencing for the last several episodes. 

Doing even more research, Michael and Klan find original scientific papers on managing V-type infections submitted by Dr. Mao Nome! Even more important though, Grace O’ Connor is listed as one of the other contributors to the research along with someone named Ranshe Mei! They even find a report that directly confirms what Grace told Sheryl. That she was treated for a V-type infection several years before. Sheryl happens to walk in on their research, and a few moments later begs them both not to tell Alto before continuing on her way. Michael understands that Sheryl loves Alto enough to wish to spare him the knowledge that she is dying, but Michael calls Alto anyway and tells him to find Sheryl without breaking his promise as to the why. 

Back out in the rain, Grace’s words continue to haunt Sheryl. Sheryl catches a news report of Ranka being chosen to help protect the Frontier fleet and that along with the knowledge she is going to die, and her obviously weakening physical condition sees Sheryl collapse crying on the sidewalk only to see one of her own posters torn and tattered on the ground before her. It seems Sheryl’s self confidence has finally been broken by all that Grace inflicted on her. 

We see Alto racing through the rain searching for Sheryl, and then someone stands over Sheryl with an umbrella and offers his hand to her. When Sheryl looks up she at first thinks she sees Alto, but it is in fact his adopted brother Yasaburō who has found Sheryl. Alto arrives just in time to see Yasaburō load Sheryl into his car. He tells Alto if he wishes to see Sheryl he’ll come home. 

Just then, the predicted large group of Vajra appear and Alto is forced to head outside to protect all of Frontier. As the battle heats up outside, it quickly becomes apparent that most of Frontier’s forces might as well be firing blanks since the Vajra have become immune to nearly every weapon. And, if Frontier folds before killing the Vajra, they will just be followed to their new destination. Things are looking bad, but then Ranka appears with Brera escorting her. Her singing allows Frontier’s forces to herd the Vajra into one area where Battle Frontier’s full-sized Macross cannon obliterates them all in a single shot! We see that Ranka is, once again, affected by the mass deaths of the Vajra. With the Vajra out of the way, Frontier makes its fold to safety, but it looks like maybe the Vajra have once again hidden away on the underside of one of the Frontier ships. 

Specifics Scenes I Loved: 

• The Sheryl vs Grace scene and it’s various flashbacks are pretty well done. You can see how defiant Sheryl is in the beginning and how crushed and scared she is by the time Grace is through with her. 
• The new opening. A lot of it is kinda abstract and plays with the triangle tropes, but those first shots of Ranka preparing for a concert, the sparkle off the gunpod of a Valkyrie’s add-on Super or Armor pack, Sheryl’s earrings, and Frontier lighting up for a concert… it’s about the most Macross thing in all of Macross. And it’s set to the quick, sharp opening piano notes of “Lion” which is one of my favorite songs from Frontier. 
• Sheryl’s breakdown in the rain. By that point she had lost her manager, her health, her fame, and even knew she was going to lose her life, but she was still holding on to her self-confidence, and she finally lost that as well. It’s a surprisingly powerful scene for someone who started out as a seemingly haughty performer.  
• Battle Frontier destroying a swarm of Vajra in a single shot. 

Episode Impressions: 

The Good: 

This episode is more emotional than I remember it being. It doesn’t exactly make you well up with tears, but Sheryl’s emotional crash, Klan’s longing for Michael’s love, Alto searching desperately for Sheryl, and Sheryl still trying to put on a brave face and protect Alto from the truth of her impending death all worked for me. And it was all earned, which is just as important. 

The Bad: 

Sorta like Alto randomly finding Ranka on the cliffs in Legend of Zero, Sheryl stumbling upon Michael and Klan was a little forced. Sheryl just happened to stumble into that library at that time? That’s a bit hard to believe. 

Next Episode: Triangler

Well, this next episode looks to be a bit of a combat breather, but it may very well replace ship to ship combat with emotional combat all its own.

We start this episode by watching as Ozma reminisces about his early days after adopting Ranka. Notably, he first manages to break through her catatonic state by baking her what was apparently a terrible tasting pineapple cake. 

Oh! And look! We’ve got a new bizarrely colorful opening. I’m guessing this episode is somewhat Ranka centric? :p

At SMS, both Alto and Michael are being forced to do laps in their unpowered Ex-Gear as administered by Cathy as punishment for bringing Sheryl aboard the Macross Quarter. When they are finished, Michael remembers the medicine pill he kept after Sheryl either lost it or refused to take it back on Gallia 4. He arranges a meeting with Klan and asks her to introduce him to someone with pharmaceutical training. Klan had hoped Michael was asking her out to a date and is upset when she thinks Michael is just looking to use her to meet more women. The two of them being to argue but then spot Luca getting a government escort across the way. 

Cathy and Ozma have another one of their increasingly frequent government conspiracy meetings. This time, they meet in Cathy’s quarters where she has ripped all of the cameras and microphones out of the walls. It’s clear now that Leon and one or more people from the Galaxy equipped with implants are involved in some sort of conspiracy. Cathy and Ozma seem to be reconnecting after their breakup years ago. At the same time, Ozma can’t understand why Ranka needs to put herself in danger when new anti-Vajra weapons should be enough for Frontier to effectively counter their attacks. Ozma again reminisces about pineapple cake. It seems the one he made for Ranka so long ago was based on the cakes and recipe that Cathy had made for him and given to him back when they were together. 

Elsewhere, Alto sneaks up to Ranka’s apartment where the two of them talk about the Vajra and Ranka’s singing experiment from the previous episode. Alto shares his belief that the galaxy isn’t really big enough for both Humanity and the Vajra if the Vajra keep attacking them on sight like they have in the past. Ranka cheers up and tells Alto that she’ll keep singing if her voice can help in the slightest. 

Next, we see just where Luca has been going. He is again meeting with Leon where we learn that fold quartz is produced within the bodies of the Vajra and that it is the key to dramatically faster travel through fold space. Luca guesses that’s what Leon is after, but Leon and Grace seem to indicate that their plans are much bigger than that. 

Over at the Island 3 Vajra research facility, we find that Ozma is attempting to break in to further his search for answers. Unfortunately, Brera is there following him and the two nearly come to blows. Well… more like Ozma fires multiple shots at Brera and misses placing the two in something of a Mexican standoff. Ozma demands to know why Brera and the others are using Ranka’s dreams as a weapon when Frontier can oppose the Vajra on its own now. Brera seems to indicate that Frontier’s new found strength vs the Vajra is only temporary. Before the two can finish their fight, a call comes in. A new force of Vajra have appeared and are approaching the Frontier fleet. 

Ozma, SMS, and Frontier’s Spacey fly out to head off the Vajra attack and launch reactive missiles as their opening salvo, only to find that the larger red Vajra have somehow adapted and are now able to shrug off some of humanity’s most powerful weapons! They shed a layer of their armor to do so, so repeated hits might still destroy them, but even the Vajra’s secondary layer of armor seems to have gained heavy resistance to the other upgraded anti-Vajra bullets and missiles that the Frontier fleet was counting on to give them an edge. 

One of the Vajra breaks through the defense line and launches a full power directly at the Macross Quarter’s bridge only to have Ozma intercept the shot with his Valkyrie’s pinpoint barrier system just in time to save Cathy and the rest of the Quarter’s bridge crew. Brera joins the battle and we see that his more powerful beam cannon can still kill Vajra, but he reveals that every time a Vajra is killed it instantly sends information about what killed it to the rest of the hive mind which allows the Vajra to become immune to repeated attacks. Even Brera’s beam cannon will likely become useless, eventually. That’s why Ranka’s songs are necessary, Brea tells everyone. 

Ozma, however, won’t stand for it. In a moment of pure awesome, he vows to fight on as an old Fire Bomber song beings to play in the background. He kills a nearby Vajra with a combination of weapons including his energy knife, his head mounted point defense lasers, and even the Vajra’s own severed arm! Ozma turns his Valkyrie towards Cathy on the bridge of the Macross Quarter and says that the hit he absorbed was just a scratch, then asks what kind of a man he would be if he couldn’t protect his sister and the woman that he loves. I think Cathy’s engagement to Leon is about to go out the window! Alto and Michael comment on how awesome Ozma is, and they too charge the Vajra with knives drawn while Brera and his support fighters help in cleaning up the remaining Vajra. 

Back on Frontier, Ranka finally gets to have her concert, and Ozma joins Cathy in attending. Intercut with Ranka’s singing, we get an ominous look as some techs begin to make repairs to Ozma’s fighter. One of them gets to his cockpit and is shocked at what he sees. Back at the concert, Cathy playfully chastises Ozma for making such a bold declaration during battle and then offers to go back to her place to have some pineapple cake. When Ozma doesn’t respond, Cathy turns to find that he has passed out and is covered in his own blood! Apparently, that hit from the Vajra was more than just a scratch after all! We fade to black with Cathy desperately shaking an unresponsive Ozma… 

…only to cut to Frontier’s main hospital where Ozma is alive and being treated for his wounds. It turns out, this entire episode has been one big tongue-in-cheek callback to the tragic events that occurred during the SDF Macross tv show. Back then, ace pilot and mentor Roy Focker, who was also one of the lead characters in Macross Zero, bleed out and died on his girlfriend’s couch just after returning from an intense battle defending the Macross from a Zentradi attack. The kicker? His girlfriend Claudia, who was a bridge officer aboard the Macross and who served more or less in Bobby’s role as the ship’s lead tactical officer, had just finished making Roy a pineapple salad. We get Michael joking about how tragic it would have been if Ozma had died and one final pineapple cake set to the silly SMS music to finish up the heavily referential joke that this episode played on long time Macross fans. 

The episode ends, however, on a truly tense moment as Sheryl confronts Grace along one of the hospitals upper walkways. Sheryl forcefully insists that she and Grace need to have a long chat. 

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

• Ozma and Cathy’s meeting in her quarters with all the disconnected wires and cables laying on the floor around them. Not only was their chat layered with multiple meanings, I liked the attention to detail the art team put into Cathy shielding herself from Galaxy’s hackers. 
• Ranka standing dreamily on the stage of the theater that not to long before hosted the intergalactic superstar Sheryl Nome. Sure, this scene wasn’t quite as powerful as Ranka being led on stage after the debut of Bird Human, but I kinda consider that scene and this one connected. It’s neat to see just how far Ranka has come in only a few short weeks or months. 
• Ozma’s rock n roll moment! 
• The final scene where it looks like a severely pissed off Sheryl is going to reassert herself. 

Episode Impressions: 

Yeah, you pretty much have had to have seen the original Macross tv series to get this episode’s huge in-joke, but I still think this episode represents an example of Macross Frontier at its best. Even while making a joke that it knew many or most might not understand, it still managed to show us Ozma’s early relationship with Ranka, and his deteriorating and renewing relationship with Cathy. It was also able to fill us in on more about why the Vajra are so dangerous and why Grace and Leon have gone so far to find and guide Ranka into using her voice as a defense against them. This episode accomplished a lot, and also managed to wrap it all in perhaps the most inside joke in Macross’ long history.

Next Episode: Fold Frame

Frontier going shell down again makes me think we’re up for another battle, but the we’re also told that Frontier is carrying out some sort of super long distance fold. It’s also looking like Sheryl might figuratively lose her confrontation with Grace. Those last shots of Sheryl looking out towards the rain and then being in the rain don’t look very happy.

While returning from a mission to collect Vajra corpses, Alto thinks back to his time with the shadowy Mr. Birler, a full size Zentradi who has a dream of connecting the furthest points of the galaxy. Mr. Birler seems sure that somehow the discover of the Vajra will help him do that. On the bridge of the Macross Quarter, the bridge bunnies are impressed by Alto’s combat performance but also wonder why he, and other SMS crew members, are being continually tasked with killing and retrieving Vajra corpses. 

Back at Mihoshi Academy, Michael notes that Alto has had more of a bad attitude than he normally does. It seems that Alto’s secretive meeting some days ago has left him unhappy. Things get worse when Ranka comes to class for the first time in a while. Instead of coming alone, she has Brera following her closely as her bodyguard. Later, in class, Alto tries to force Brera to leave only to be pinned to the floor by the cyborg. 

After class, Ranka meets up with Grace who has been assigned as her new manager. Grace gives Ranka a rearranged version of Aimo to practice singing. This new version is dark and weighty and is a far cry from Ranka’s more airy version. The lyrics, too, are about Frontier declaring victory instead of the far more peaceful things Ranka usually sings about. Ranka tries singing the new version at a recording studio Grace brings her to, but it’s obvious that Ranka just can’t get into it. Even Brera notices and comments on how out of it she sounds. 

In the meantime, Sheryl is still stuck in bed at the hospital. She appears to be slowly becoming more and more bitter, going so far as to think that flowers delivered to her are not real gifts of sympathy. This also appears to be the first time Sheryl has seen that Grace has become Ranka’s manager. Apparently, Grace never informed Sheryl of that fact. 

That evening, Alto stumbles across Sheryl on his way back to his room on Macross Quarter. She is slumped on a fountain bench near the large domed window that she, Alto, and Ranka met at before, and she is not doing well at all. It seems her fever and weakness have returned in full force. It’s all Sheryl can do to explain that she doesn’t want to keep being locked away in hospitals and hotels. 

When Sheryl next wakes, she finds herself unexpectedly in Alto’s room on the Macross Quarter. She initially freaks out, but then thanks Alto for worrying about her. It’s then that Alto notices that the main stone of Sheryl’s earring appears to be made of the same purple fold quartz as Mr. Birler large ring. Alto leans in close to get a better look only for Michael to walk in on him and Sheryl at just the wrong moment. Worse, Cathy calls on a wall monitor on the other side of the room (with only one brief ring before she starts a two way video conference?!) to alert Alto and Michael of a secret mission involving Ranka’s singing. 

In Leon’s office, Ozma voices his fury at the Frontier government experimenting to see if Ranka’s singing really does affect the Vajra. Leon calmly tells Ozma that his objections won’t make any difference. Later, in space, Alto and Michael discuss the upcoming experiment while Ozma helps secure Ranka in Canaria König Monster. He switches his and Ranka’s suits to a private channel and asks Ranka if she really wanted to do this. Ranka seems reluctant, but she confirms that she agreed to perform this test. Soon, Brera and a few other Valkyries from what’s left of the Galaxy’s forces join the SMS test group, much to Alto’s great annoyance. 

Back on the Macross Quarter, Sheryl uses her charm to sneak onto the Quarter’s bridge where she request permission to watch the test. Captain Wilder ask her if she wants to see out of curiosity. Sheryl instead replies that she wants to see the test out of a sense of stubbornness or pride. It seems clear that Sheryl is skeptical that Ranka can have an affect on the Vajra, but Sheryl also seems unhappy with the idea that Ranka’s voice potentially might have a beneficial affect that hers doesn’t. Over at Frontier’s military command, President Glass also seems skeptical, but Leon convinces him to let the test proceed. 

Ozma and the other members of the SMS arrive at an asteroid being used as a hive by the Vajra and proceed to launch an attack. The Vajra pour out and move to counterattack, but then Grace has Ranka begin singing the new, altered version of Aimo. To most everyone’s surprise, the Vajra all but cease their attacks and movements! Alto, however, recognizes that Ranka’s original song has been significantly altered. 

With the Vajra all but immobilized, Brera and the SMS pilots begin eliminating the swarm. Things go well for a while until the shock of seeing a Vajra killed nearby causes Ranka to stop singing. One of the red Vajra recovers and launches an attack on Ranka’s ship. Alto moves to assist, but is cut off by a heavy beam attack from Brera. Brera takes a defensive position, then tells Alto that he is not worthy to protect Ranka. 

As the battle ends, President Glass changes his tune. Now, he is thrilled that Frontier finally has a real edge on the Vajra. Most of the SMS members are exuberant as well. They heap praise on a still reluctant Ranka while comparing her to past legendary singers like Lynn Minmay and Basara Nikki who both helped end previous space wars with their songs. Despite all the encouraging words, Ranka privately wonders if using her voice for warfare is really the right thing to do.

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

• Ranka’s cellphone once again showing how versatile it is by it reaching out, grabbing, and then “eating” a music cd in order to play it.
• Ranka singing the new version of Aimo without enthusiasm. They did a good job of making her singing flat and a bit monotone in order to show how unsure she was of the new arrangement. 
• The brief battle sequence set to the new version of Aimo. There may not be a single frame of new animation in it, but there’s this great edge of uncertainty with the new song and its far more forceful lyrics. Everything just feels wrong even as we watch our heroes easily destroy Vajra who were previously able to destroy entire warships with a single shot.  

Episode Impressions: 

The Good: 

This episode answers more questions about why Leon and Grace have been looking for or keeping an eye on Ranka. We now know that there is something special about her voice that can help Frontier in its battles against the Vajra. It was also good to see that the show has not forgotten Sheryl and is slowly continuing her subplot of becoming more jealous and perhaps even bitter at Ranka’s success. 

The new version of Ranka’s Aimo is actually a little scary when you read the lyrics. We have Ranka singing things like “Now tolls the bells of victory, For this place is my new planet.”

The Bad: 

It seems like this meeting between Alto and Mr. Birler was important but it is being stretched out across multiple flashbacks across multiple episodes. So far, I don’t think we’ve really seen anything to make Alto so upset. 

Next Episode: Goodbye Sister

Looks like we are getting some more flashbacks. This time about the early days after Ozma adopted Ranka. It also looked like there may be another battle coming up. Maybe Ranka’s voice will make it go much more smoothly?

This episode is an interesting one. It spends a lot of time going back over past events from Grace’s point of view and gives new context to her actions throughout the first half of the series. 

The first thing we learn about Grace is that she was not acting alone. There are at least three other intelligences housed within her body. Or maybe not within her body, exactly, as she obviously destroyed her original self with the dimension eater. It seems that Grace, and those working with her, enacted a plan to use Sheryl to somehow lead the Vajra to the Frontier fleet where the two would clash greatly weakening Frontier’s military in the process. 

This part of their plan was only partially successful thanks to SMS and their new prototype VF-25s. Grace choose the Frontier fleet for this plan in part because they have no cyborgs or implants and because it would be easier to damage Frontier’s delicate ecological balance. We learn that Frontier has indeed suffered major damage. At least one of the smaller islands is going to be abandoned and others will be shutdown until they can be properly repaired.

While Grace’s original plan was to use Sheryl, there had been rumors that survivors from the 117^th fleet were alive on Frontier. When Grace and company found Ranka, they revised their plans significantly, to the point that Grace has decided to dispose of Sheryl as she is no longer necessary. 

So what is Grace’s big plan? We have to piece it together from Grace and her cabal and from what Leon tells Ranka when he summons her at the end of the episode. Apparently, Grace and Brera detected some sort of Vajra command protocol mixed in with Sheryl and Ranka’s singing back when the Macross Quarter went out to save the surviving Galaxy ships in episode 7. Leon seems to confirm this by telling Ranka that her voice may in fact be some sort of trump card against the Varja. 

A little before that, we see Alto and Ranka visit Sheryl in the hospital. The three of them have a conversation on one of the hospital’s upper walkways and that conversation turns into both singers having an impromptu sing off as each tries to express their thanks to Alto for saving them. We also learn that Alto really did hear their singing when he was inside the Vajra ship. 

One final piece of the puzzle is that Cathy and Ozma suspect that Leon is up to something because of the way the Frontier government keeps lying about Brera’s actions. SMS saw him battle the Vajra and fight against both Alto and Klan directly, yet word coming down from the top says he only first appeared at Gallia 4. There’s also Alto’s strange meeting with Richard Birler, the owner of SMS. It is possible Birler is in on this strange conspiracy, as well. He certainly knew about the Vajra long before their existence became common knowledge. 

At the very end of the episode, Grace’s intelligences note that the scene is set and that they are at the beginning of achieving a dream that not even the Protoculture could manage in their 500,000 year existence. We’ll just have to wait and see what that dream really is. 

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

Sheryl and Ranka’s crazy sing off. Alto seems very trapped in the middle. I also like where he noted that they managed to film Ranka’s singing at Folmo mall surprisingly well. 

Grace’s manipulation of Sheryl. It’s clear that Sheryl took a self-esteem hit when Ranka saved the day on Gallia 4, but now Grace is subtly adding to Sheryl’s fears. But, given that Grace tells her cohorts that she plans to dispose of Fairy 9, aka Sheryl, why is Grace even bothering to add to Sheryl’s jealousy? Is Grace just that cruel? 

Episode Impressions: 

The Good: 

We are finally starting to get some answers on what has been going on. Grace is actually home to a number of intelligences working towards some goal that not even the Protoculture could achieve, while Leon, along with Grace, seems to want to use Ranka’s voice as a defense against the Vajra. 

The Bad: 

Ultimately this was something of a clip show and an info dump episode. We learn some of what was going on, but maybe that info could have been better spread across the previous 14 episodes? We saw little hints here and there with Leon and Grace’s behavior, but the big juicy stuff like Grace being a multi-personality immortal cyborg? Yeah, that was just kinda dropped on us from out of nowhere! 

Next Episode: Ranka Attack

From the name of the episode, I’d expect to see Leon and Grace trying to exploit whatever power they think Ranka has. From the visuals though, we see a lot of Ranka and Brera plus a little interaction between Alto and Sheryl.

In the aftermath of Grace’s attack on Gallia 4, we catch up with multiple characters back on Frontier and learn how Alto, Sheryl, and Ranka’s absence is affecting them. Elmo is left trying to set up a live concert when his star is missing. Ozma is left pondering when his adopted little sister managed to grow into a young woman capable of making important choices for herself. We also get a fun bit of Bridge Bunny gossip before things turn deadly serious. 

The Vajra fleet from Gallia 4 emerges from its fold directly within the path of the Frontier fleet and it’s all hands to battle stations! Island 1 goes shell down and the other Islands similarly raise protective armor. Everyone on Frontier knows this is going to be one hell of a fight. 

Back at Gallia 4, Alto finds the prototype fold booster that Michael left for him in orbit. He races back to Frontier in time to rescue Sheryl, who didn’t do a terrible job of piloting all things considered, and Luca, who apparently sucks at his job. Where did Luca’s escort of Ghost fighters go, anyway?! 

Onboard Battle Frontier, Leon, President Glass, and Frontier’s top military commanders are debating whether the situation is dire enough to break out the reaction weaponry. It apparently takes a special order from the president to declare total war upon an enemy. That order is eventually given when a second Vajra fleet emerges in a rear flanking position and Island 1 takes major damage from this rear fleet’s attack. 

Alto rearms his fighter on Macross Quarter as it, and the rest of SMS, reverse course to engage the Vajra’s rear fleet. This time, though, Alto and the others are equipped with heavy reaction missiles and are able to do great damage to the Vajra forces. Alto recognizes the ship that Ranka is trapped on and he and Brera rush inside to rescue Ranka. 

As all this is happening, some part of the Vajra intelligence is communicating with Ranka. It sings her a lullaby in the form of her mother and even seems to indicate that it does not wish to fight. Ranka and the Vajra begin singing Aimo together which causes at least some of the Vajra forces to hesitate or cease their attacks. Alto and Brera then arrive. Brera rescues Ranka while Alto unloads all his weaponry into the Vajra queen, even as Ranka yells at him not too. 

Emerging from the Vajra command ship with Ranka, Brera finally indicates that he is a surviving member of the Galaxy fleet’s military and that from now on he will assist the Frontier. Meanwhile, Macross Quarter destroys the Vajra command ship with its Macross Cannon and the rest of Frontier’s forces annihilate the remaining Vajra as they attempt to retreat. 

The final two scenes of this episode are disturbing in their implications for the future. First, we see what appears to be Grace awakening in a new identical body. She is surprised to find out that Ranka is a “little queen.” Second, we see Ranka’s stomach glowing in connection to the Vajra and we see Ranka crying as Frontier’s forces wipe out the remaining Vajra. It seems that Grace has discovered something important about Ranka and that Ranka has been deeply affected by her contact with the Vajra… maybe for the worse. 

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

• That huge chunk carved out of Gallia 4. 
• Ozma and Bobby worrying over Ranka’s decision to save Alto and Sheryl. It was great to see Ozma realizing that Ranka actually is growing up and might no longer be the scared, traumatized girl he has had to protect the last several years. 
• That opening missile attack that Frontier’s forces launch at the Vajra.
• The Quarter’s little radar ball and Bridge Bunnies getting their own mid-episode spotlight during the intermission. 
• Sheryl’s power up music and attempt to fly herself and Michael to safety. Yeah, she bumped the Vajra ship and went for a tumble, but she also recovered and it looks like she would have been able to fly back to the Macross Quarter safely if the entire Frontier fleet hadn’t been in the middle in its largest battle ever. 
• Those first few reaction missiles Alto fires. They look nasty and devastating in that reverse shot. Yay for Frontier’s forces finally giving as good as they get! 
• The Vajra’s attempts to communicate with Ranka. Maybe there is some path to peace now? Or maybe not given the way Frontier’s spacey utterly destroyed the Vajra forces at the end of the battle?
• That final triumphant attack that we see Frontier’s forces pull off. Those last few reaction weapons detonating that one Vajra carrier is really impressive. I like the carrier’s few point defense beams shooting down some of the missiles before the others get to it. 
• Grace’s reawakening. If she had just died on Gallia 4 it might have mean a major plot thread would go unfinished. Now that we know she is still around, there’s at least a chance we’ll find out what in the world she did and why she did it. 
• The music throughout. This is one of the few places in all of Frontier that singing is not really involved in a major battle, but the show’s instrumentals more than carried the day. Things were in turn dire and triumphant in part thanks to the amazing music backing each scene. 

Episode Impressions: 

Holy cow, this was one heck of a battle episode! There weren’t a lot of clever tactics or fancy maneuvers in this one. It was just a straight up, all out braw between Frontier and the Vajra. And humanity finally broke out some of their biggest guns to deal with the situation. 

The question that remains, though, is why did the Vajra attack even though they seem to indicate to Ranka that they want peace? Is it because Grace disintegrated half of one of their planet nests into another dimension? Were the Vajra maybe responding in kind to a unprovoked attack? And what about the Vajra research that was taking place on the Global in the previous episode? Could all of the Vajra’s attacks be self defense and retaliation that we just haven’t understood so far? 

In any case, this episode was terrific. Just a whole episode dedicated to a major battle. Now that it’s over, I hope we can start getting real answers to the various mysteries that have been set up. 

Next Episode: Lost Peace

Certainly this next episode is going to be something of a breather after that tremendous, episode long battle we just got through. We do, however, see Grace near Sheryl. Does anybody even know that Grace was/should be dead? And what is that strange place Alto is standing in front of?

We begin this episode with Alto and Ranka exploring closer to the downed Macross-class ship. The jamming that dropped Alto’s Valkyrie out of the sky continues to be an intermittent issue, but it seems it’s only affecting the navigation and radar systems. If Alto really wanted to fly, it seems he could do so on manual or maybe some sort of more limited emergency mode. Alto and Ranka walk on foot to a nearby spring where Alto washes his hair. He and Ranka recall their first meeting where Ranka saw Alto with his hair down and where she was the one who had gotten soaked. 

Back at the Zentradi base, Sheryl continues to recover but is putting up a fuss about taking the medicine Grace gives her. In just a few hours, Sheryl is back on her feet and demanding that Michael take her with him to go looking for Alto and Ranka. Michael agrees, but while Sheryl is out of the room changing into a flight suit, Michael finds one of the pills Sheryl was supposed to have taken. It is a little unclear, but it seems like Sheryl not taking the medicine is what has let her recover so quickly. Michael is amused at how Alto seems to have somehow found himself surrounded by stubborn women, but then an image of an angry Klan comes to mind and he has to admit to himself that maybe his position is no better. 

Back on Frontier, Luca has a tense meeting with Leon. It seems that Luca has provided the Frontier government with some technology or possibly a weapon that could get his company, L.A.I., in trouble, but Luca thinks it is the best way to protect those he cares about. 

Alto and Ranka continue exploring closer to the Macross and share more tender moments, but then Ranka excuses herself into the woods and is almost immediately captured. Alto chases after her towards the Macross and follows her signal inside. Within the Macross, Alto is surprised to find some sort of research lab where they were researching or maybe even experimenting on Vajra. Alto soon discovers that this Macross was attached to the 117 Large Exploration Fleet. The fleet that Ranka and her family were once a part of. The same one that Ozma rescued Ranka from when it was destroyed by the Vajra! 

We find Grace far from the Zentradi base with some piece of technology called a Dimension Eater that has L.A.I. markings on it. She orders Brera to rescue Ranka if possible, but warns him she will soon detonate the Dimension Eater and that retrieving Ranka cannot interfere with their primary mission. Both Brera and Alto trace Ranka’s signal to a large cavern where a Vajra queen is laying eggs. Alto tries to rescue Ranka, but she is encased in some sort of shell. Brera meanwhile fights off a small swarm of Vajra only to hit one of the many glowing crystals on the queen which causes it, and Ranka, a great deal of pain. The queen, or at least part of it, explodes throwing both Brera and Alto clear. 

To Alto’s horror, the remains of the Macross crumble as some sort of large Vajra command ship emerges and leads a fleet of carriers skyward. When Alto returns to his Valkyrie in an  attempt to go after Ranka once more, Brera stops him almost as if he is protecting the Vajra ships. Fortunately Michael and Sheryl arrive just in time to save Alto. The two SMS pilots are ready to take on Brera once more, but then Grace does the unthinkable. Her cybernetic arm rips apart to form cables that connect to multiple ports on the Dimension Eater, activating it. It creates an expanding sphere of what seems to be fold energy that literally eats Grace, the Zentradi base, and a significant part of Gallia 4. 

Michael and Sheryl barely escape the dimension eater’s rapidly expanding blast radius by grabbing hold of one of the Vajra carriers as it folds away. Alto is forced to watch the as a good third of the planet below him is consumed as he barely outruns the blast radius. And that’s how the episode ends! 

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

• Alto and Brera’s battle after the Vajra fleet launches. It reminds me a little of Shin Kudo and Nora Polyansky’s very high speed battle near the end of Macross Zero. 
• The Zentradi yelling “Yak! Deculture!” as the artificial fold fault destroys him and his ship. This is the true, classic, original use of “yak deculture” as seen in SDF Macross.
• That last, impressive shot of the dimension eater’s blast consuming a third of Gallia 4. That’s not bad for something only a couple of times larger than a human! 

Episode Impressions: 

I’m not going to lie, this episode felt like it came out of nowhere the first time I watched it. Grace killing herself and everyone at the Zentradi base, and presumably some Vajra as well was very much a LOLWTFBBQ moment. Based on her final words, it seems like her plan was to enrage the Vajra and point them toward the Frontier fleet? 

Compared to the end, the rest of the episode is of pretty minor importance. Alto and Ranka got some quality time together, Sheryl is back to her old self, we again see that the Vajra tend to build nests in the ruins of ships they have destroyed, but without knowing the implications of the Vajra fleet or the dimension eater, it’s hard to say how much of any of those events even matter. This is one of those times I’m glad I can just skip straight to the next episode instead of having to wait a week. I guess, if nothing else, this episode ends on one heck of a cliffhanger! 

Next Episode: Mother’s Lullaby

Wow! Looks like we’re getting a major fleet battle next episode!

We start this episode with a Zentradi Commander and his assistant trying to deal with the 33^rd fleet’s threat of rebellion. The look of these two Zentradi is interesting because they have a resemblance to the Zentradi commander and assistant who were first humanities enemies and eventually its allies in SDF Macross and Do You Remember Love?. The leader of the rebelling group also bears a very strong resemblance to one of the worst individual enemies humanity had to face back during Space War 1. It’s interesting that a good song would still be able to calm the unhappy faction down even at this stage, or so the commander thinks. 

We finally get to see Alto experience flying in a real atmosphere. Orbital reentry is his first experience and is something he would never really have to deal with while operating with the Frontier fleet. Things look like they are going great. Alto is overjoyed to be flying in his endless sky, and the unhappy Zentradi are immediately enamored as Sheryl steps out of her plane… only to stumble and collapse after just a few steps! The two Zentradi factions open fire on each other with Alto, Sheryl, Grace and the other humans quickly getting captured by the rebelling Zentradi. 

Back on Frontier, we see that Ranka finally took a day off and has come to Mihoshi Academy to spend some time with her friends. Nanase almost freaks out when she sees the green creature that has befriended Ranka, but Ranka manages to keep her calm. Apparently, bringing unknown lifeforms onto Frontier is against the law. Ranka, Nanase, Luca, and Michael hang out for a while until Luca gets notification of Alto and Sheryl’s capture. We soon find out from Frontier’s government and from the Macross Quarter’s crew that a series of fold faults delay communications with Gallia 4 by almost two hours and that any rescue attempt would take around seven days to arrive. The crisis would be long over by then. Ozma, Cathy, and even Captain Wilder suspect that things have gone just a bit too easily for the rebelling Zentradi, almost as if their request for a concert was part of some larger plan. 

On Gallia 4, the rogue Zentradi are busy loading up the base’s supply of reaction warheads. Nearby, Sheryl struggles against her illness while Alto resolves to do something about the situation. Using his relatively small size, Alto manages to sneak back to his Valkyrie, but the leader of the rebelling Zentradi appears to be notified of Alto’s intentions and holds him at gunpoint and jokingly demands that Alto try singing to him. 

Just then, from out of nowhere, Michael descends from the sky with Ranka in the backseat of his Valkyrie. We learn that Luca’s family’s company has been working on a prototype fold booster that cuts through fold faults making fold travel somewhere between twice and ten times faster than it has been up until now. Ranka demands to go and help save Alto and the others… and it works. With large speakers strapped under his Valkyries’ wings and a holoprojector broadcasting a huge view of Ranka to the base, Ranka’s latest song, Interstellar Flight, quickly pacifies most of the rebelling Zentradi. Even Alto is enamored by Ranka’s singing. Only the rebelling Zentradi leader continues fighting. He boards a Queadluun and attempts to target Ranka but is stopped by Alto. The two have a brief dogfight, but Alto quickly comes out the victor. Still trapped in her bed, Sheryl is obviously distraught that her sickness and inability to sing led to this whole situation even as grace declares Ranka to be amazing. 

After the crisis is over, Ranka is finally able to wish Alto a happy birthday and the two of them go flying among Gallia 4’s cloudy skies where Alto declares Ranka’s rescue to be the best birthday present ever. Back on the ground, Sheryl appears to have recovered somewhat and watches the two of them from the roof of a building, clearly wishing she was the one up there with Alto.

Up among the clouds, Alto and Ranka catch each other’s reflections staring out into the sky and they can’t help but share a moment of joyful laughter at everything that has happened. But then, we see a closeup of some monstrous looking eye, and Alto’s Valkyrie suffers some sort of system failure from which he is barely able to recover from before crash landing near a set of cliffs. While Alto is busy checking his fighter, Ranka walks to the edge of a cliff and is shocked to see something she never expected. She calls out to Alto and when he joins her he confirms it. They are looking at the ruins of an early generation Macross-class warship which has crash landed on Gallia 4 in its robot form! 

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

• Alto getting to experience atmospheric friction for the first time. This must be one of the things he’s dreamed of. The music in this reentry scene is just so delightfully upbeat as well. It’s a short scene, but it’s a very good one! 
• Ranka descending from the skies and demanding that “Everyone! Embrace each other! To the ends of the universe!” Watching a music idol’s songs pacify a group of waring Zentradi is one of the most Macross things you can see. It’s pretty fun that these Zentradi had been anticipating watching Ranka’s upcoming concert and part of the reason they are so quick to lay down their arms is because they now get to see her in person! 
• Alto and Ranka flying among the clouds in that stunningly beautiful sky! Up until now, Alto’s dreams of the sky have always seemed a bit small minded. But seeing it like this, I think maybe he was right to wish to fly in a truly endless sky! For more beautiful sky be sure and stick around for the credits. Alto’s Valkyrie among the sunset clouds is almost like a soothing screensaver it’s so relaxing. 
• That shot of Sheryl look out to see Alto and Ranka’s jet trail. This is something of a mirror of Ranka looking up and seeing Alto’s contrail as he carried Sheryl through the Frontier’s sunset at the end of High School Queen. 

Episode Impressions: 

I like this episode because of the way it starts paying off some of the plot we’ve had building for a while. Alto and his love of the sky. Ranka’s singing career being about more than her just being personally popular. The existence of fold faults and how they make interstellar travel more difficult. There’s a lot of little payoffs here. 

At the same time, there are some big new questions. Like: Why is Grace cooperating with the rebelling Zentradi. What does she have to gain from it? And, just what was it that downed Alto’s Valkyrie? It’s pretty scary when something can disable an advanced, top of the line military prototype like that. 

It was also interesting to see Sheryl have to deal with not being the top, most popular person around. You have to feel bad for her for pushing herself to go on this concert partially as a gift to Alto, but at the same time… she brought some of this on herself with her stubbornness. That longing look she gives from the rooftop at the end isn’t just a romantic/love triangle look. I think it is as much about as her having failed as a professional. Or, it’s about her confidence as The Sheryl Nome having failed her for once. That one little moment where she tugs at her sheets as Grace comments on how amazing Ranka is says a lot, I think. I’m even a little worried that Sheryl may tumble down into jealousy as Ranka’s career continues to heat up…

Next Episode: Memory of Global

It looks like Alto and Brera fight each other once more, but what was that large alien creature near the end of the preview? Could it be a Vajra that disabled Alto’s Valkyrie? “Memory of Global” might be an important clue to this episode since the Macross’ captain in SDF Macross was Bruno J. Global.