Macross Frontier Episode Guide

Ranka has been scouted and hired by a promotions company, but that doesn’t mean life is suddenly easy for her. Right now, it looks like she is stuck doing small gigs in malls. She sings one song at Folmo mall about carrots, but it looks like most people ignore her. Even Ranka realizes that her first jobs aren’t very glamorous, so she doesn’t really want to reveal to Alto the kind of work she is doing. It’s even a little sad that her big hope for the day is being a guest on a variety show that evening. 

Still, some things are going well for Ranka. Elmo comes running up with big news. Ranka successfully passed her tests and has been admitted to Mihoshi Academy. She meets up with Alto and the others and actually cheers up when Michael notes that she’ll be the life of the party during her first day of classes… but then Galatic Fairy Sheryl Nome shows up, much to Ranka’s dismay. The rest of the school, the male portion at least, is beyond delighted, however. 

With the fate of the Galaxy fleet somewhere between unknown and almost certainly destroyed, Sheryl has no place to go home to. She has come to Mihoshi as a visitor for the day, but the implication seems to be that she’ll be staying more permanently if things work out. Sheryl uses the fact that Alto failed to return her earring to her as leverage to force him to show her around the school. She picks flying with Ex-Gear as the first thing she wishes to do. 

Operating Ex-Gear proves to be a bit harder than Sheryl anticipated. One common operating test is to try and pick up an egg without breaking it, something that Sheryl utterly fails at. As they wash up in the showers, Sheryl talks to Ranka about how her singing is going. Ranka tries to be optimistic even while Sheryl says she just leaves all her scheduling to Grace. Sheryl then offers Ranka a spot on an upcoming tv show, but once they are out of the showers and in the school’s laundry area, Ranka politely turns Sheryl down. It seems Ranka wants to achieve her success on her own. 

Just then, a strange green creature that Ranka spotted earlier in the day inadvertently hops out the door with Sheryl’s underwear wrapped around it. Undeterred, Sheryl wraps her dress tight around herself and goes after the creature. Various hijinks ensue as Sheryl attempts to nab the creature. Eventually, she steals Luca’s Ex-Gear and jumps off the school’s roof in an effort to catch the creature. But Sheryl forgot to strap into her gear! Fortunately, Alto is there to catch her at the last second. Sheryl enjoys the terrific view of the sunset while in Alto’s arms and demands he keep flying her around since he lost her earring in the battle. 

Meanwhile, Ranka is on her way to her tv shoot only to get a call from her manager telling her that her show was cancelled and that the one Sheryl mentioned earlier is taking its place. Saddened, Ranka returns to the Griffith Observatory hill where she encounters the small green creature again. She sings Aimo to herself to cheer herself up, only to hear someone play the same tune on a harmonica near the statue behind her. When she turns to see who it is, we see that it’s the pilot of the purple Valkyrie. The episode ends with Sheryl officially joining the pilot program at Mihoshi Academy. 

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

• The scene where Ranka gets the news that her tv appearance has been cancelled is pretty disheartening. Especially as she looks up to see all the Sheryl Nome signs floating around the buildings above her. All episode, Sheryl has been stealing her thunder, and now it has happened again. 
• I did find it kinda amusing how Sheryl just tossed the entire box of detergent into the washing machine…

Episode Impressions: 

To say this is not my favorite episode is to put it mildly. What I think must have happened is the Frontier staff thought we needed some humor after the two or three tense episodes that came before. What we got though was just way to wacky for my tastes. 

Also, even though Sheryl didn’t really mean to do so, she basically ruined Ranka’s day and kept upstaging her at every turn. I can’t point to any vindictiveness, or jealousy, or ill intent on Sheryl’s part, but she did have a notable lack of awareness of what her presence would do to those around her. 

In the end, while I think this episode was meant to be fun, I’d probably rate it as my least favorite Macross Frontier episode. I’d much rather go back to the subtle relationship clashes or the intense space battles we had been getting before.

Next Episode: Friendly Fire

The preview for the next episode looks intense. Apparently Michael is hiding some sort of secret and it involves a badly injured or possibly dead woman! Also, was that Alto with a bloody lip?

We start this episode with a confirmation of what we’ve already learned through comments made by Sheryl and her assistant Grace. That the Macross Galaxy fleet was more heavily specialized in cybernetics that the Frontier fleet is. 

As we get into this episode, Macross Quarter and several support ships defold into the area of space that two of the Galaxy’s remaining warships are trapped in. Apparently the Vajra have been chasing them and neither ship has been able to escape on its own. One small twist to the Quarter’s mission is revealed when Cathy says that even though their first priority is to rescue survivors from the Galaxy, collecting combat data on the Vajra’s forces has a similar if not greater priority. And that this order comes straight from Frontier’s President. 

As the Macross Quarter proceeds into battle, Sheryl is still onstage performing in her live concert. Despite her best efforts, knowledge of the desperate situation her home fleet is in gets to Sheryl emotionally multiple times during her performance. Perhaps she hated the Galaxy as a child, but she is clearly deeply worried about it in the present day. During a brief intermission, Grace updates Sheryl on how the distant battle is unfolding, going so far to show Sheryl near real time footage that she has somehow managed to hack into. 

Twelve light years away, the SMS and NUNS forces are doing well. Ozma is proving once again that he is an excellent pilot. Michael takes up his role as a sniper. Luca flies a situational awareness / data collection role while his Ghost fighters support him, and Alto does his best to keep up with the others. We also get to see Canaria land her König Monster on one of the fleeing Galaxy ships. Her barrage of reactive warheads lights up space clearing the way for the SMS forces to get closer to the main battle. 

Coming back from her intermission, Sheryl is again visibly troubled by the knowledge of what is going on. This time, she very nearly breaks down and is at the point of tears when she somehow hears Ranka in the crowd. It seems that there is more to this than just Sheryl hearing Ranka’s voice or spotting her in the distance. The two seem to have some sort of connection to each other, a connection that lets Ranka encourage Sheryl to keep singing.

Back at the battle, a large Vajra warship folds in and takes out one of the remaining Galaxy ships with one powerful shot. Luca, wanting to collect as much information as possible, strays too close and his fighter is captured by a red Vajra and is pulled into the Vajra warship. As Sheryl and Ranka being to sing “Infinity”, Alto charges into the heart of the battle and forces his way into the Vajra warship. Inside he finds Luca’s fighter entangled, but before he can rescue Luca, multiple smaller yellow Vajra engage him from several different directions. Just as it appears one of the Vajra has Alto pinned, Sheryl’s earring sparkles and the song that Sheryl and Ranka are singing echoes throughout the Vajra ship. Alto, and the pilot of a strange, as yet unknown purple Valkyrie that followed Alto inside, both notice the singing before Alto is forced to eject right before his fighter is destroyed. 

Nearby, the crew of the Macross Quarter devises a plan. The Vajra ship is powerful but slow to react. Captain Wilder tells his crew to show it why the Macross Quarter was given the Macross designation despite being only 1/4^th the size of a regular Macross-class warship. The Macross Quarter speeds into the fray transforming from its regular flight mode as it dodges an attack from the Vajra warship by hiding behind a nearby asteroid. The Macross Quarter then forces open the Vajra warship allowing Alto to pilot Luca’s fighter to safety before the Macross Quarter obliterates the Vajra ship with a single powerful shot from its Macross Cannon. 

Back on Frontier, Sheryl ends her concert by thanking her cheering fans as Ranka wears a satisfied smile. The episode ends back with Alto thinking about the purple Valkyrie that nearly doomed his efforts to save Luca. We then see that mysterious pilot accompanied by two similar Valkyries in the Fold. The pilot takes the harmonica that is hanging around his neck and ends the episode by playing the first few notes of Ranka’s Aimo! 

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

• Sheryl’s concert. All of it. From the intense effort she put into her songs to the moments of weakness she showed as she tried to remained unaffected by the events happening around her. 
• The space battle. All of it. From Ozma’s “Macross Missile Massacre” to Alto’s eventual impressive showing as he charged in to rescue Luca. 
• The combination of the two. Sheryl’s songs backing the fast paced action worked very well. Even more so when it seemed apparent that Sheryl and Ranka’s singing was somehow being relayed through Sheryl’s earring. 

Episode Impressions:

Another spectacular episode! Perhaps Frontier’s best yet. It was mainly spit into the two parts of the battle and the concert, and it was so well done. The concert and Sheryl’s singing served to add an extra layer of excitement to the space battles. 

And the battles themselves were great. It’s almost like if you watched Macross Plus and Macross Zero you would have learned the “combat language” of Macross. Things like using the three modes of a Valkyrie to adapt to each combat situation. Or switching modes to dodge enemy fire, attack the enemy, or shoot down enemy missiles. And now, Frontier makes use of that language at full speed to make a battle that was very fast paced but felt completely at home in the Macross universe. 

We also end on a bit of a mysterious note that seems to say that while the big battle is over, we still have more story to come. 

Next Episode: High School Queen

Not a lot can be gleaned from this preview. We’re told that Ranka transfers to Alto’s school and we see some shots of Sheryl wearing Ex-Gear, but it’s kinda anyone’s guess as to what is really going on!

It turns out that the purple-haired man that approached Ranka near the end of Star Date is someone named Elmo Kridanik and is the head of a promotion company called Vector Promotions. Thanks to her singing in the Zentradi mall, Ranka has gotten her first big break and has been scouted! All that’s left to do is to get her brother’s permission, which Ozma gives in the most overly dramatic fashion possible. 

To celebrate, Ranka, Nanase, Michael, Luca, and Alto head to a fancy outdoor cafe. Ranka is a bit embarrassed, but all her friends are so excited and supportive of her… except Alto who is his usual reserved self. But even he agrees to cheer Ranka on after getting harsh glares from the others. Ranka tells Alto that she would have told him first, but that she didn’t want to interrupt him. Alto smiles and notes that interrupting him had never stopped her before. He even tells her he was at the mall and heard her singing, but then Ranka asks him what he was doing there, and in a misguided effort to protect Ranka’s feelings, Alto lies to her about being at the mall alone. To make matters worse he even hands her a ticket to Sheryl’s next concert as a congratulations for being scouted. It’s all Ranka can do to say a disappointed thank you to Alto given she saw him there with Sheryl that day.

Meanwhile, news of the Vajra attack on the Macross Galaxy fleet is spreading. Frontier’s President, Howard Glass, makes a startling public announcement revealing the Galaxy’s distress call and that he will be sending reinforcements to the Galaxy fleet. At nearly the same time, Grace relays the terrible news to a distraught Sheryl who was, only moments before, happily preparing for her goodbye concert. 

Back at the cafe, Michael receives a call from Ozma telling him that all of SMS is now under Exemption Clause B which basically has them conscripted as soldiers during a state of emergency. Alto, Michael, and Luca are required to return to SMS headquarters at once to await orders. That night, Ozma promises Ranka that even though a war is coming, he won’t let himself or the others die. 

At SMS headquarters, Alto catches a replay of a press conferences Sheryl attended earlier that day. An initially stone faced Sheryl voices her faith in her home fleet and thanks the people of Frontier for agreeing to come to the Galaxy’s aid. When a reporter notes that he believes her upcoming live concert will be canceled, we see a bit of Sheryl’s fiesty side as she grabs his microphone and pulls the tv camera closer to herself and then defiantly states her intention to have her goodbye concert before returning to her home fleet. Alto remembers something and rushes off despite orders to stay put. 

Elsewhere, at SMS headquarters, we see that what had previously just appeared to be a military base that the SMS launched out of is in fact a small warship or carrier that is making preparations to be a part of the fleet that will be sent to rescue the Galaxy. Unexpectedly, Cathy shows up on Leon’s orders. She is meant to provide assistance to the SMS as a liaison to the New U.N. Spacy. It’s a job she seems somewhat uncomfortable with. The SMS crew doesn’t seem to like it any more than she does. 

Soon, we find out where Alto ran off to. Apparently, he previously found Sheryl’s earring and has now rushed off to deliver it to her before anything else happens. The two of them share a candid conversation in which Sheryl confides in Alto that while she put on a strong face during her earlier interview, her childhood growing up on the Galaxy was not a happy one. She lost both her parents when she was young and seems to have lived as an orphan for some significant amount of time after that. Alto is taken aback by Sheryl’s candidness, then states that he is going to borrow her lucky earring to help him in the battle to come. Sheryl agrees, telling him it is only a loan and that she expects it safely back once the battle is finished. 

The episode ends with Alto and the other SMS members launching on what we finally learn isn’t a fixed headquarters or even a normal carrier. This whole time, the SMS has been based out of some sort of Macross-class warship. We are treated to a beautiful scene of Sheryl singing in a long blue dress while the “Macross Quarter” completes its launch sequence. 

Specific Scenes I Loved:

Elmo begging Ozma to let him promote Ranka’s singing career. It’s almost like a suitor asking a father for his daughter’s hand in marriage. And Ozma’s reaction is so over the top that Ranka gets this “…are you kidding me?!” kind of deadpan expression on her face as her brother finally agrees to her singing career.

The sad, awkward interaction between Alto and Ranka as she tried to delicately pry into what he was doing with Sheryl at the mall and he makes his unfortunate, misguided attempt to not ruin her day by lying to her about being there alone. There’s a level of conflicting intentions and emotions between Alto and Ranka in that scene that is absolutely heartbreaking. 

The way Ranka reacts by gripping onto Alto during President Glass’ announcement. It is highly reminiscent of the way she was unable to let got of him back when they were forced into the emergency shelter during the second Vajra attack. 

The interactions between Alto and Sheryl when Alto brings her back her earring. Sheryl’s admission that she hated the Galaxy, at least when she was a child, shows a new level of trust between Alto and herself. Alto’s slightly playful dismissive reaction continues their streak of toying with and annoying each other. Sheryl allowing him to take her earring shows that the two of them really do understand and possibly even care for each other in some way. 

Episode Impressions: 

Wow! If any of the previous episodes were good, then this one was utterly fantastic. This episode is all about personalities and budding relationships and misunderstandings. 

Ranka’s joy and hardship at being scouted only to then learn that her brother and friends will soon be going off to battle is such an interesting mood swing for her. And the way her feelings are unintentionally hurt by Alto at the cafe shows a maturity of writing that not many shows possess. It’s not easy to write a character who is trying to be kind but in the process does the exact wrong thing. 

Likewise, Sheryl’s interview is great as well. The way Sheryl goes from almost dispassionate and in a state of shock to defiant and encouraging is just so good and really shows her range of character. 

Then there’s Alto and Sheryl’s conversation that again shows how these two characters can have their personalities clang and clash but still recognize that the other has good intentions. Alto had better take good care of that earring, though, if he knows what’s good for him! 

Finally Sheryl’s emotional, heartfelt rendition of “Diamond Crevasse” paired with the absolutely gorgeous blue visuals and interleaved with the Macross Quarter’s departure is such a perfect example of what makes the Macross franchise special. 

Next Episode: First Attack

It looks like Ranka finally arrives at Sheryl’s concert and that we’re going to get some combat set to music. There looks to be a Vajra warship we haven’t seen before, so maybe the Macross Quarter will make is power known. 

Ranka has been suspended from her all girls school following her participation in the Miss Macross contest, and worse, she has her brother angry at her for not asking permission to enter the contest in the first place. Normally, Ranka might have passively followed Ozma’s instructions, but this time she takes a stand and runs out on him in tears. 

Meanwhile, Alto is stuck being dragged around Island 1 by Sheryl as she forces him to help her search for her missing earring. Along the way, Sheryl manages to grab ahold of Alto’s SMS identification badge. She promises she will only give it back if he continues to show her around. The two of them sightsee around the city and we learn a little more about Sheryl and the Macross Galaxy fleet that she calls home. Apparently, many of the people who live on Galaxy have cybernetic enhancements and brain implants. But not Sheryl. She tells Alto that being all natural is one of her selling points. 

Elsewhere, Leon is convening everyone he can find with knowledge of the Vajra which leads to Cathy arriving at Ozma’s apartment in order to escort him to the joint meeting. During the car ride, Ozma phones other SMS crew members asking them to help track down Ranka, to which Cathy muses aloud that maybe she and Ozma would still be together if he’d shown as much attention to her. 

Michael happens to stumble upon Ranka, but she refuses to be led home. Instead, she vents her frustration at him then crosses a busy street to get away leaving Michael no choice but to follow her. 

Alto and Sheryl wind up in one of Island 1’s dome tram / observation stations high above the city where they continue sightseeing. To Alto, Frontier is nothing special, but to Sheryl, who spent most of her life on Galaxy which is a far more closed off ship that uses chemical reactions instead of a wide open environment to maintain life support, Frontier is a wonder. Sheryl also notes that she appreciates that Alto doesn’t treat her differently from anyone else just because she is Sheryl Nome. 

Finally getting a more adventuresome spirit, Alto takes Sheryl over to Island 3 where they catch a glimpse of some full size Zentradi taking care of some hippo-cows before the two of them head over to a nearby Zentradi-sized mall where they happen to meet up with Klan in her fullsize form. Ranka and Michael also arrive at the mall by chance where Michael challenges Ranka to put herself out and sing in front of people who haven’t come to a beauty pageant expecting her. He thinks she will chicken out and come to her senses, but instead Ranka gathers her courage and puts on a stunning performance singing “What About My Star” to the cheers of the mall crowd. 

Also on Island 3, Ozma, Cathy, and others are listening to a presentation being given by Leon in a research facility. It seems the Frontier military has captured a Vajra and has been studying it. The Vajra has no brain, so one theory is that they are remote controlled bioweapons. During Ranka’s song, the seemingly deceased Vajra comes back to life and has to be destroyed before it breaks out of its containment tank. 

As the day draws to a close, Sheryl thanks Alto for a good time and returns his SMS badge before giving him a kiss on the cheek. Alto, in turn, promises to locate Sheryl’s missing earring and return it to her before she heads back to the Galaxy at the end of her time on Frontier. Unknown to the two of them, Ranka and Michael are observing them from across the mall. But before Ranka can say anything, she is approached by someone who wants to talk to her about her musical performance.

The episode ends as a recon Valkyrie from Macross Galaxy folds in near to the Frontier fleet with an urgent call for assistance. Apparently the Galaxy fleet has come under heavy attack by Vajra and is in dire need of reinforcement! 

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

• That little moment where Alto is on the phone and Sheryl is in the background trying to gently catch a butterfly is the cutest bit of animation ever. 
• The look that Sheryl gives Alto when she declares that being all natural is one of her selling points. 
• Alto and Sheryl looking out over Island 1 from the observation dome. Alto is jaded, but I’m with Sheryl. Frontier is a beautiful place! 
• Ranka’s performance of “What About My Star” and the way some random musicians join in with her during the middle of her song. 

Episode Impressions: 

This episode was part backstory and part magic. It was great hearing a little more about Sheryl and the place she came from. It was also great to see Ranka continuing to assert herself. Not only did she successfully defy Ozma, she even managed to put on a little show for herself while overcoming her fear and shyness. 

Sheryl and Alto continue to be great together. They still quarrel and lock horns from time to time, but you can also tell that they are beginning to appreciate each other in subtle ways. Alto is realizing that Sheryl is more than just a superficial idol, while Sheryl seems to have found someone she can actually be herself around. The two’s exchange at the end of the episode where Sheryl thanks Alto and he promises to bring Sheryl her earring seems like a genuine moment of understanding and friendship on both their parts. 

And boy, this episode was pretty. From the high up views of Frontier’s Island 1, to the extensive street level detail that filled every frame as Sheryl pulled Alto around the city, to Folmo Mall’s impressive sense of scale as humans and full-sized Zentradi filled the same spaces was all very impressive.  

And, wow, that little cliffhanger at the end. It seems like things are about to get real with the Vajra. 

Next Episode: Bye Bye Sheryl

Looks like we aren’t going straight into combat next episode. Instead, we see the purple-haired man appear to speak up for Ranka. Sheryl and Alto look to spend some more time together. And there’s a beautiful moment of Sheryl singing. Maybe we get to see her next concert?

With the events of the Vajra attack largely behind them, Alto and Ranka start down their paths of pursuing their dreams. As the episode opens, Ranka learns that she has been accepted as a contestant in the upcoming Miss Macross Frontier contest. Even though she is still a little timid and has some minor self-image issues, Ranka still moves forward and does her best. A key bit of encouragement from Sheryl while she is wallowing in self doubt helps Ranka push her fears aside and leads her to putting on an impressive performance at the competition. 

Meanwhile, Alto is busy training to join the SMS. He keeps up with Ranka as best he can via phone calls and text messages, but for the most part, Alto’s days are packed full of training, instruction, and the occasional bit of hazing. Oh, and he still has to go to his normal classes. 

Finally, Ranka’s big day arrives and Alto is there in the audience to lend his support. But, of course, that’s when he is interrupted by a call from SMS and he is forced to duck out of the theater to take part in his final combat training test. On the way out, Alto catches a glimpse of his father. When asked, the senior Saotome denies knowing his own son. Angered at this, Alto rushes off to his training session ready to rush through it so he can get back to lending his support to Ranka. 

At this point, the episode takes a delightfully Macross turn as Ranka chooses to sing “Watashi no Kare wa Pilot” (My Boyfriend is a pilot) for the talent portion of the Miss Macross contest. The song is wonderfully timed to Alto fighting a mock battle against a group of Zentradi in Queadluuns who are known as SMS’ “Pixie Squadron.” Alto performs well, but his mock battle is cut short when a real Vajra folds in and attacks. Working together with Pixie Squadron’s leader, Alto successfully destroys the Vajra, though his Valkyrie takes some heavy damage in the process. 

The episodes ends with SMS renting out the Nyan Nyan restaurant that Ranka works at. We find out that Pixie Squadron’s well endowed leader, Klan Klan, reverts to the apparent age of a young teenage girl when she shrinks down to human size. Klan chases Michael around the restaurant in revenge for his teasing her while Alto and Ranka share a moment. Ranka, who we find out lost the Miss Macross contest, declares the whole thing futile, but Alto reminds her that her whole point of stepping out wasn’t to win but to let people know she existed. 

Alto heads to school the next morning after a long night of partying only to be tripped up by a dangerously cheerful Sheryl Nome. “Hi.” She says with a smile and a wave that lets Alto know he is in big trouble! 

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

• Alto’s amusing training montage. He had it rough with Ozma and Michael as his primary instructors! 
• That blink and you missed it moment where Alto and Klan’s engine contrails form a heart shape just as Ranka is singing about the same thing. 
• That moment where Klan is flailing away at Michael but he is holding her back with one finger. 

Episode Impressions: 

I like this episode. Like Episode 2, it references back to the history of the Macross universe and does so in a respectful, exciting kind of way. The updated “My Boyfriend is a Pilot” song and the inclusion of the Zentradi fighting units is a pretty big nostalgia boost. And the combat continues to be well animated.

I also like that moment in the end where Alto taps Ranka on the head with his paper airplane. Maybe Ranka forgot a little bit why she stepped out of her comfort zone in the first place, but Alto remembered and did a nice thing in reminding her to cheer her up. 

Next Episode: Star Date

It looks like Sheryl and Alto sightsee on Frontier together and somehow come across Ranka and Michael. We’re told that the three main characters meet up at an unlikely location. I wonder where that is? 

Once again, we open with some action, but this episode quickly transitions to laying out character histories and motivations. The Vajra that surprised our main trio pulls back an arm to attack but is stopped when Ozma, Michael, and Luca intervene. Michael manages to snipe the Vajra’s head, but that’s not enough. The Vajra breaks free and damages the dome near Alto, Ranka, and Sheryl forcing them to seek safety in a nearby emergency shelter. 

Alto and Sheryl butt heads in the cramped shelter while Ranka does her best to separate the two. Something that is made all the harder when the battle outside sends the three toppling to the ground and causes Sheryl to have an accidental wardrobe malfunction. Sheryl’s assistant Grace uses her cybernetic implant to access Frontier’s network and locate our trapped trio allowing Cathy to come to their rescue before the air in the shelter is used up.

Out in space, Ozma and the others eventually defeat the remaining Vajra, but Ozma took some fire during the battle and passes out due to his injuries. Unfortunately, Ranka gets a good look at her wounded brother as Michael and Luca carry his Valkyrie back in to safety. Later, in Ozma’s hospital room, Alto learns the truth about Ranka. She narrowly survived a Vajra attack eleven years ago, but all her actual relatives, her parents, and her siblings were not so fortunate. Ozma, who was a Valkyrie pilot in the military at that time, took in young Ranka as his little sister. Alto demands to join Ozma and the others as a fighter pilot in the SMS in order to fight the Vajra and is given 24 hours to carefully consider if he’s really up for risking his life in battle. 

Meanwhile, Lead Presidential Aide Leon Mishima is surprised to find Ranka’s file among the list of civilians who came in contact with the Vajra. Elsewhere, Sheryl realizes that she will have to track Alto down again because in all the excitement she forgot all about her missing earring. 

Lost in thought about the important decisions he has to make, Alto winds up at the Frontier’s recreation of Griffith Observatory where he encounters Ranka singing a special tune. The two get to chatting and Ranka reveals the fears she experienced when she thought she might die in the emergency shelter. Alto offers her encouragement then listens to her song. As the episode ends, Alto formally accepts a position as a fighter pilot with SMS while Ranka takes both Alto’s and Sheryl’s recent encouragements to heart and applies to participate in Frontier’s upcoming Miss Macross competition. 

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

• Alto and Sheryl’s argument in the emergency shelter. It seems that almost everyone defers to Sheryl’s every whim, yet Alto isn’t afraid to call her out for her behavior. 
• Alto and Ranka’s encounter at Griffith Observatory. It’s funny when Alto admits that he gets called mean a lot. Still, his roundabout encouragement to Ranka is thoughtful and sincere.
• I found Ranka’s song beautiful and that one profile shot of her is nicely animated. 

Episode Impressions: 

This episode was neat because it moved away from the guns blazing action and actually started taking a peak at character motivations. Alto has gained a desire to fight and protect after getting a taste for it during his initial encounter with the Vajra. Ranka admitted her fear of dying and being forgotten and has apparently moved to act on her wish to tell everyone she is alive by participating in the upcoming Miss Macross contest. It’s a very humanizing moment for Ranka and makes her stand out as more of a well rounded character where she has mostly just been a clumsy girl or one panicked in the face of danger up until now. 

Once again, we also get to see different shades of Sheryl. In the shelter she is almost aggressively confident. Then, once she and the others are rescued, she is both able to make light of her embarrassing accident, and she goes out of her way to encourage Ranka to chase after her dreams. Sheryl’s personality seems so far away from the rude, demanding person she was during the first episode that I almost wonder if we the audience weren’t being intentionally misled about her personality so as to reveal her deeper layers later on.

The episode manages to pack in some of Ozma’s and Ranka’s past and a little bit of political/government intrigue, as well, when Leon is startled/surprised by finding Ranka’s file among those who came in contact with the Vajra. All in all, a heck of a lot happens in a mere 23 minutes all without feeling particularly rushed or out of place. Fancy battle scenes are great and all, but character moments like the ones were got here are just as important, if not more so. 

Next Episode: Miss Macross

Seeing Ranka in a swimsuit is a pretty heavy callback to Lynn Minmay in her swimsuit during the original Miss Macross pageant in SDF Macross. We also see Alto engaging with Zentradi Queadluuns. It will be one hell of a callback to SDF Macross if Alto is so preoccupied trying to watch Ranka’s performance while on patrol that he somehow manages to get ambushed by a group of warlike Zentradi! 

After the previous episode’s cliffhanger, we pick up the action once more as Alto, Ranka’s brother Ozma, and Alto’s friend Michael battle against the Vajra that have invaded Island 1. Alto proves to be a surprisingly skilled pilot as he manages to keep Ranka safe even as the two of them face a variety of dangerous situations beyond even the attacking Vajra. Back on the ground after the battle concludes, Ranka attempts to express her thanks, but Alto is more concerned with the gruesome scene he witnessed earlier. 

The next day, as life for most of the residents of Island 1 slowly begins to return to normal, Alto is instead whisked aways from his school classroom by Lieutenant Glass for blood tests and questioning over his part in the battle. Just as it appears Alto will have no choice but to join the military, Ozma appears to pull him out of the fire. Ozma brings Alto back to SMS headquarters as the various SMS crew members want to hear how Giliam died. Alto doesn’t get the chance to relate that story, however, as a few Vajra that hid on the underside of one of the ships in the Frontier fleet make themselves known and begin a new attack. 

Meanwhile, as all this has been occurring, Ranka too had to have some health tests due to her close contact with the Vajra. On her way back home, Ranka gets flagged down by a disguised Sheryl. The famous idol has become lost on Island 1 as she searches for one of her earrings that fell when Alto caught her during her concert the previous day. Sheryl lets Ranka lead her around the city until nightfall where the two of them watch as Valkyries launch from SMS headquarters. In a very poignant moment, Sheryl finally reveals her true identity to an awestruck Ranka. Just then, Alto stumbles across the two girls both of whom are looking to talk to him, but before Ranka gets the chance to express her thanks and before Sheryl gets to ask about her earring, a flight of Vajra begin their attack nearby! 

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

• Alto and Ranka reaching for each other in midair. This scene is highly reminiscent of a scene from SDF Macross and was a huge bit of nostalgia when it occurred. It was also just beautifully animated!
• Ozma punching Alto when the later all but demanded to be given a military Valkyrie to fly when the Vajra reengaged the Frontier fleet. Sure, Alto seems to be a pretty good pilot, but as far as we know he has not had any formal combat training so it just makes sense that military veteran Ozma would have him thrown out rather than handing the skilled amateur the keys to a powerful weapon of war. 
• Sheryl and Ranka’s time together. Sure, Sheryl spends most of that time fishing compliments out of her unaware fan, but she pays Ranka some compliments as well. The moment that Sheryl joins in with Ranka’s singing is just a spectacular, emotional scene. The look on Ranka’s face and the tears in her eyes as she realizes she’s just spent much of the afternoon with her hero is so, so good. 

Episode Impressions: 

This episode was somehow maybe even more exciting than the series opener! The first half of the episode is exhilarating. Alto’s piloting within the confines of the city streets was spectacular. It was also nice how the episode did a good job of highlighting some of the aftermath of the Vajra attack. That Alto was affected by Giliam’s gruesome death instead of just having that moment forgotten was a great touch of storytelling. 

The second half of the episode slowed down a good bit, but the shift from fast paced combat to character moments was well done. Ozma seems pretty practical and level-headed about things even if he is keeping his real job a secret from his sister. That Cathy (Lieutenant Glass) and Ozma seem to know each other seems like it might prove interesting. It was nice seeing Sheryl out on her own. She was a good deal less haughty and reserved once she got away from her handler and escorts. She does maybe bask in Ranka’s admirations a bit too long, though. But that final scene where she reveals her identity made whatever else she’d done worth it. 

It’s also nice to see an enemy that is kinda smart. Instead of straight up retreating, the Vajra managed to hide themselves and relaunched their attack. We still don’t know what they’re after, though. We haven’t even seen anything from the Vajra’s point of view yet. Maybe that will change next episode. In both SDF Macross and Macross 7 we saw a lot from the enemy’s point of view, so, if nothing else, it’s interesting we haven’t gotten that yet in Frontier. 

Next Episode: On Your Marks

Looks like we’ll see some more combat next episode. Also, looks like we’ll get to see Ranka sing but it’s unclear if that brief glimpse was in the current day or part of a flashback. The most interesting part to me was where Alto stomps on the “in case of emergency” button and he, Sheryl, and a possibly injured Ranka jump down into something. An emergency shelter to protect them from the Vajra attack, maybe?

First off, a programming note. There are multiple versions of the initial episode of Macross Frontier. One was an early release with incomplete effects. Another was a slimmed down version for its regular tv slot. What you’re looking for is the Yack Deculture edition. It’s a little longer, at around 31:39 or so, and has a few more character scenes than the other versions. If your version is shorter than roughly 32 minutes keep looking as you’ll be missing out on some content. 

Episode Summary:

When Macross Frontier debuted, it had been 14 years since the last full Macross series, Macross 7, and more than six years since the first episode of the five part OVA series Macross Zero had come out. Nobody really knew what to expect from this new series. SDF Macross had been about a lone Human ship on the run from an overwhelming force of enemies where our culture that included things beyond hatred and warfare had saved the day. Macross 7 had been about getting a very alien set of enemies to open their hearts to the power of rock. Macross Zero had been about the effects of the modern world intruding on a primitive island culture. So, what about Macross Frontier? What would it be about?

When Frontier opens, it does so back in space. Macross hasn’t been in space for almost a decade and a half! We get a beautiful view of the Frontier fleet and we first meet a young woman named Sheryl who is excited to see a ship containing an ocean out the window of her approaching starliner. Apparently, Sheryl is a songstress known as the Galactic Fairy, and she is ending her long tour with a series of concerts on Frontier. 

We’re quickly introduced to our second main character, Alto Saotome, a young man who enjoys flying and aerial acrobatics but who is oddly bitter at the limit of the sky within Frontier’s main city being too low for his liking. Alto’s friends also tease him a little about looking like a girl and it is briefly mentioned that he used to be a kabuki actor. If one knows anything about Kabuki, one has got to wonder just what kind of role Alto played. At one point in time all parts in Kabuki dramas, even the female ones, were played by boys! 

Soon, we get our first glimpse of our third main character, the somewhat younger green-haired Ranka Lee. She works at a restaurant called Nyan Nyan, and seems a bit clumsy, but we also learn that she is related to a pilot in an elite part of the Frontier’s military. Other than that, though, Ranka’s role in Frontier’s story is still very unclear. 

Finally, part way into the episode, the Frontier fleet has what seems to be its first encounter with a new alien force not yet seen in Macross. Ranka’s brother and Frontier’s president seem to know them as Vajra. Ranka’s bother in particular makes a comment that seems to indicate he’s been waiting for this day. Possibly to get revenge?

This episode has everything it needs to make it a true Macross show. It has fighter pilots and transforming fighter planes and missiles and gunfire going every which way. It has what could be the very first stages of a love triangle between Sheryl, Alto, and Ranka. And, it has music galore thanks to an impressive opening number performed by Sheryl. 

Macross 7 had been very repetitive using the same animation loops and songs over and over again across nearly fifty episodes. Macross Zero had been visually impressive and had good characters, but it’s pacific island setting had left fans wishing for a return to space and politics and more typical social interactions. So far, Frontier seemed to be checking all the boxes. Fans were impressed with the first episode of Frontier, but there were still a lot of unknowns about the series and its characters.

Specific Scenes I Loved: 

• The introduction of the Macross Frontier fleet. The initial exterior shot shows just how massive a collection of ships Frontier is. There’s a main “Island 1” at the head of the fleet and then several (I counted 20 or more) smaller pill-shaped islands stretching along behind. Just from a rough guesstimate, I’d put the pill-shaped islands at maybe five miles long each with the main island being a little bigger. That’s a whole lot of land area complete with seas and mountains and at least one main city with a population that must be in the millions. 
• I also love that initial shot of the trolley car and surrounding city. We’ll see even better shots of the city as the series progresses, but that long pan up the street along with the traditional trolley car makes it clear that the city is large and high tech, but is also a place where tradition and familiarity is at least as important as technology.
• The little history lesson at the beginning. Macross Frontier has these short segments near the start of its first few episodes in order to help get views up to speed on a few different aspects of the Macross universe. 
• Sheryl’s concert. The concerts in SDF Macross, and Macross 7 were far more static affairs probably due to budget and animation challenges of the times. Macross Zero did not have a typical pop/rock music idol as its songstress, so while most of the OVA’s animation was very impressive, there just wasn’t much to animate music wise. Only the trippy, psychedelic holographic performances of the artificial intelligence Sharon Apple in Macross Plus comes close to the level of art and animation that Macross Frontier just demonstrated. 
• Alto climbing into a downed Valkyrie seems to be a close parallel to Shin Kudo doing much the same in Macross Zero.  

Episode Impressions:

Overall, I like this episode. It’s a little fast paced and certainly it doesn’t stop to explain every little thing, but it sets up our three main characters. The alien attack that is still in progress seems to be pointing the way to the overall conflict that the Frontier fleet will face. The artwork has some problems here and there, Alto flying with his paper airplane has what should be 3d buildings instead drawn as 2d textures on the ground and it’s a bit jarring, but aside from a few other minor animation errors most everything else looks excellent. We were left in something of a cliff hanger at the end of the episode, so it will be interesting to see what happens next. 

I also like this opening. The song points very heavily to there being a typical Macross love triangle between Alto, Ranka, and Sheryl, but the imagery from the traffic on a busy street to the hectic battles in space are all pretty awesome. I think my favorite part is the Valkyrie taking off right beside Alto as he is launching off the roof of his school in his Ex-gear. 

Next Episode: Hard Chase

Normally, this is where I would pretend to speculate on what’s in store during the next episode based on the ending teaser, but for whatever reason, I don’t have a Next Episode section on the end of the Yak Deculture edition. So… I guess we’ll find out together!