Mr March

Now this is something interesting. Spielberg's Dreamworks has obtained the GITS rights and is making a live-action movie. They mention 3D, which I assume means silly-glasses-required 3D Read here: Dreamworks to make 3-D Ghost In the Shell (on comingsoon.net)

I'm too excited to notice, I guess Correction made.

I have to say, so far this series is firing on all cylinders. The opening battle sequence to Episode 2 was non-stop mecha porn in the best sense of the phrase. The animation just keeps getting better and better. I was worried that the first episode of Macross Frontier set the bar a bit too high and revealed too much of the mecha goodies. But episode two seems to show a steady stream of new mecha technologies for the Valkyries. Ozuma's Full Armor fusillade of missiles was a welcome and expected Itano Circus of mayhem and it was great to see the wrap-around imaging monitors of the Battroid cockpit are intact and updated in a very pleasing new visual style. The infamous knife attack calls back to the days of Isamu's bayonet moves in Macross Plus. After an episode and a half of that big red Vajra kicking everyone's butt, I practically leaped out of my chair and cheered when Ozuma's mighty Full Armor VF-25 sunk it's knife deep into the beast's neck. Lip-licking goodness, indeed my dear Ozuma! As is traditional in the Macross shows, the supporting cast of pilots are seen in distinct colored mecha. Mikhail shows up in a deep blue colored VF-25 with some kind of specialized Sniper Gun Pod, definitely a first for Macross. His skill with the gun is quite impressive and as always his entrance is spectacular. Luca plays more of a background role in this episode, piloting a green colored VF-25 with the ELINT package of a top mounted Radome and and ventral fin. Ozuma obviously has a tendency to razz the newest young members of SMS and Luca is probably eager to prove his worth in battle. In a beautiful homage that practically brings fans to tears, Alto saves Ranka in a daring mid-air rescue that mirrors the Macross history some 25 years ago when Hikaru saved Minmay in his old VF-1D during a similar edge of your seat battle. As for our main characters, Alto gets a really strong lesson in reality from Ozuma in the form of a good solid punch. It's great to see Macross pulling no punches. After years of anime where whining brats are pandered to it's refreshing to see an immature child like Alto get exactly what he needs to make him grow up. On the less overt side of the character arcs, Ranka obviously has some connection to the Vajra and given that this is Macross, her singing is no doubt connected. The episode ends on a great meeting of the three characters with yet another cliffhanger. This show so far hasn't stopped delivering the goods and each episode makes me want to see more. Thus far, Macross Frontier is a fine return to form for the Macross franchise. Though some fans may disagree, Macross hasn't been this good since 1994's Macross Plus. Frontier is definitely going back to the roots of the Macross story, but with each homage and reference to Macross history, the story charges in new directions and pulls out all the stops for mecha fans hungry for new giant robot and fighter jet action. The animation continues to impress and the background music is amazing, featuring a lush orchestral score that is elevating the action to new heights. All I can say is bring on episode three. I'm there! Deculture!

I agree! Worth saying twice. The music is really getting my blood going when I watch the action sequences. Fantastic work. Reminds me of the rich score for Macross Plus.

I am undone! You are far too clever a hunam for a poor spathi like me

Somehow I don't think Macross Zero has even a fraction of the appeal that Macross Frontier is going to have. I don't have any proof or statistics, but just a gut feeling. Just going off the buzz on message boards alone, there's much more interest in Macross Frontier than there was for Macross Zero in 2002. The fact that there is a week wait between episodes of Macross Frontier instead of six months for Macross Zero also holds fan attention a lot better

Given the number of times I've seen this exact question come up and the similar motives, I'll hedge my bets, thank you. As for the rest, at best it's good advice; at worst it's misplaced concern. No harm, no foul.

I don't want to criticize your tastes, but I have to say the way your question is worded sure is disturbing. I shudder to think that the North American media obsession with printing "pedophilia" in the news to shock an apathetic public is somehow responsible for you shying away from Macross Frontier or other Japanese anime. Macross, like many other anime shows aimed at a young audience, has included fan service in the past and appears to continue this tradition. Fan service has never been excessive in Macross and it appears thankfully moderated in Macross Frontier as well. But there is fan service in MF nonetheless. I sure hope you don't use the inclusion of some fan service as gauge for whether Macross Frontier is a quality show or not, because you'll be missing out on a great series for a really poor reason, IMO. Just something to consider.

VF-25 is 15.59 meters tall (includes head lasers) in Battroid Mode and 18.72 meters long in Fighter Mode. YF-19 is 15.48 meters tall (without cannon) in Battroid Mode and 18.62 meters long in Fighter Mode. YF-21 is 15.5 meters tall in Battroid Mode and 19.62 meters long in Fighter Mode.

Are you kidding? After an episode and a half of that tough-nut-to-crack causing untold damage to our heros, I jumped out of my seat and cheered when Ozuma drove that blade in deep! BOOYAH!

My apologies. I didn't mean to come across as brow-beating. Just wanted to keep the discussion on track.

Ahem, concentrating on the discussion at hand here... The way I look at it, any fictional technology (if it's going to be presented as even remotely believable or consistent) should act in a manner similar to real world technology. For example, we've had guns for several hundred years now but in all our many improvements of the technology we still can't fire a bullet in two different directions at once. It's still ruled by physics and fires one way only. I see the pin-point/full-barrier systems as the same thing, only in a fictional sense. The barrier systems will be miniaturized, developed and improved, but the physics governing their function will stay one-way and won't suddenly change. At least, I hope they don't because that kind of technology metamorphosis would be lame, IMO.

If you do not watch Gundam 0080 War in the Pocket, you have no soul

There's a few I can't get (hat, bear), but I recognize the following: Raiders of the Lost Ark, obviously Dinosaur = Jurassic Park Helmet = Saving Private Ryan Hook = Hook (*vomits*) ET = ET Shark Poster = Jaws Sailing Ship = Amistad Olympic Rings icon = Munich Gremlin = Gremlins (he was only ExProd) Far right poster = Schindler's List Plane = Always

*face palm*

Trouble maker

There's a pinned topic made precisely for answering this frequently asked question http://macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=228 Read that.

Aren't the head cannons supposed to be blue? I got corrected on this one with my colored line art before, which I why it struck me

I have no problem with the transformation times. In fact, the VF-25 transformation should be faster. Not only is it more advanced, but as others have pointed out, that's one of the features of the new Valkyire (in addition to being the first Full Armor transformable Valkyrie).

Ka-ching! Ka-ching! Ka-ching!

I think you know what he meant Gubaba. The technologies of Macross have been established and they're not likely to go through some incredible concept-altering metamorphosis in just 50 years. Miniaturization, sure; but I'd hope they avoid technobabble as much as possible. I also don't think Macross is the kind of franchise that's about the latest tachyon particles, nano-technology, or other theoretical buzz words of the moment ripped from the headlines of Scientific American or Popular Mechanics. I'm fine with the barrier systems remaining one-way energy shields and not some multi-phase, uber-particle, kick-your-butt-new-tech that's used to defeat the space anomaly-of-the-week

There's reference in Alto's profile on the Macross Compendium to his Kabuki family, so perhaps Alto acted in Kabuki during his upbringing.

LOL! Weapon of Choice indeed

The Macross 7 is the seventh New Macross Class vessel and it is part of the 37th long-distance colonization fleet. The Macross 25 is the twenty fifth New Macross Class vessel and it's fleet is called Frontier.

Yes, I also felt this was a very nice touch. The buildings were an effective visual method to show Mikhail using cover but the reflection from the opposite building's glass was a way to please the viewer by showing more of the mecha we want to see. Quite clever and very effective animation.