Macross Frontier YF-29 Durandal

The DX Chogokin toys from the second Macross Frontier movie were announced some time ago but I totally missed it. Proper photos have just been released though.

I got to say the machine is a little underwhelming. While it certainly isn’t ugly, it just looks like the VF-25 and the YF-19 from Macross Plus mashed together, only flashier than both in a bad way. A little too busy, perhaps. I quote:

In the production of Macross Frontier, the VF-171 was chosen as the main fighter of the New U.N. Spacy because it was felt that the previous main fighter, the VF-19 Excalibur, looked too much like a “hero” fighter…

This one looks more of a “hero” fighter to me.

The roots of the design is especially obvious in gerwalk mode. Compare:

Of course, it could be I’m just bitter at how poorly the Macross Frontier series ended.

Also:

  • 1/100 YF-29 Ranka Lee Version
  • 1/100 YF-29 Sheryl Nome Version

Yuck.

Picture sources: Gundam Model Kits and Figures, Mech9.com, Macross Mecha Manual

SMS Squadron Song ~ That Girl is an Alien Lyrics

For my own edification:

Here we go! Here we go! SMS
We fly and fly till we drop
Cause we SMS can’t say “NO!”

When there’s a call to a far off star
That weird chick’s an alien, alien!

Go whack her with your big rockets
Here we go, here we go, SMS

Go spread our seed in the galaxy
We hot boys throttle through
the Magellan Clouds in a stroke

Cause we, the indestructible SMS
Speed! Miracle! Spacy!
Once we start, we can’t stop, hey!

Best. Lyrics. Ever.

Listen to it:

Don’t remember where I found the lyrics, sorry.

Random Macross Frontier Thoughts, Part 2

Here there be spoilers.

The series is about 2/3 done. There were a few weak episodes unfortunately, which is a bit of a letdown given the very high standards it set in the first 7 episodes.

So the VF-25 is named the Messiah, nice. Wonder what the VF-27’s (Brera’s VF) is.

The Macross Quarter is maybe too agile. Doesn’t feel like a cap ship. Of course I can appreciate improving technology and its smaller size making for a much more agile ship compared to the SDF-1, but it seems nothing it does can be as dramatic as the Daedalus attack. I wonder if the Macross Frontier will ever swing into action.

Nene (the pink haired Meltlandi) cowered behind KK when the two girly men fought? How far the mighty has fallen. I’m thinking maybe the Zentradi and the Meltlandi have started breeding naturally, so the younger ones are not engineered for aggression.

The “fold engine unaffected fold dislocations” plot device in episode 12 is pretty weak. “Here, I just so happen to have this top sekrit tech that will solve your previously unsolvable problem.” And why? Why did they decide to mount blingy speakers on Mike’s VF? I know it’s an homage to Macross 7, but its something I’m trying to pretend never happened. I was hoping Mike would go on and kick some ass.

The appearance of the Global made the fanboy in me weep in happiness, though it was more of a cameo.

Nobody remembers Raramia. She’s not had a single line before she got killed off and that’s bloody sloppy storytelling. Completely pointless. I bet the production team were thinking “we need to kill off a named character here, FOR GRITTINESS. But oh, it couldn’t be one the fans care about.” Pfft.

Was that Ranka’s mum? She looks like Sheryl with seaweed green dye. I’m thinking Sheryl’s an artificial construct. A clone, maybe, or a bio-engineered human based on Ranka’s mum. A small tidbit, her name as shown in the credits is Ranshe Mei.

Alto getting shouty is annoying. Its pretty theatrical though, so I’ll just put it down to his love for performance.

Is it just me, or is the techno Aimo terrible? I mean, the original isn’t all that, sounds like a Voices II or something, but at least I don’t hate it.

Episode 17 is just a big bait and switch for old fans. Pineapple cake? Bleeding in chair? Check out a comprehensive list of the Death Flags here. But man, Ozma’s GAR. So GAR Kathy can do naught but swoon in the presence of his GARness. I liked the Fire Bomber songs in this episode and how they were used, for what its worth.

Poor Sheryl. Sheryl gets no love.

Random Macross Frontier Thoughts

Holy Homage, Batman! I’m surprised nobody’s picked up on this yet (found nothing via Googling anyway). Most anime fans of my generation will have realised Saotome Alto shares a family name with Ranma, which is appropriate. But, what nobody’s picked up on is that the Italian boy Ranma voice actor’s family name is Alto.

Is the VF-25 the F-35 Lightning II to the VF-19’s F-22 Raptor? The VF-25 has a more conventional design (drawing heavily from the classic VF-1) and is probably cheaper and simpler (armaments carried externally, no passive stealth design). Disappointed that there’s been no sightings at all of the VF-19 or VF-22 in the show yet. I do wonder about the other VF found in the opening sequence, it resembles the Macross II Valkyrie…

Ranka’s performance in Episode 5 is just out of place. It might have worked better with just guitar accompaniment, maybe provided by a random wandering busker.

The locker scene veered dangerously close to yuri.

WW2 style bomber art would have been cool on the Pixies Queadlunns. Maybe of male pixies.

Ranka’s hair and phone bothers me.