sketchley

Blacking someone out until their identity is revealed is quite common in Japanese entertainment. It happens fairly frequently in Boy Detective Conan (probably moreso than if the drama was filmed live action). It also happens a lot in live performances - either people on stage moving the set that are supposed to remain "invisible" or puppeteers in bunraku performances who haven't achieved master status. When I first came to Japan, I focused exclusively on these blacked out people. Now, I don't notice them - which is the point. So, it's not really a choice of animation styles, but a cultural difference. Example:

Erm... you do realize that you're arguing against someone's opinion, right? I'm also of the opinion that Aruto is, at best, a very weak protagonist. No amount of "fact" or countering opinion will change my opinion of "I just don't care what happens to him".

As Seto pointed out elsewhere, the VF-2SS is the 5th VF since the VF-1. So, who are we to place logic on the naming of things MII.

I think he misunderstood you. I quite liked the review as it confirmed my suspicions about the movie, and it definitely cemented the "wait for it on DVD" for me. I also trust your review, as you've demonstrated a very high fluency of the language - much more so than the other reviewists. (No offence intended if you do have a high command; I just haven't seen a demonstration of it.) No, I wasn't even waffling on the fence before. I don't really like the majority of the characters in MF (the good ol' why should we (the audience) care about what happens to them?) factor), and the only real reason to go see the movie is the spectacle. As I watched the series on a rather large, HD TV, which amounts to pretty much the same viewing size as the average movie theatre, there's no real reason to spend the money nor bother with the extra hassle of going to see it (it's not at a convient theatre. Not that any of the "more convenient" theatres are that much more convenient. And I'm saying this living in the Kansai region!). I agree that M7 has better characters (the good 'ol viewer caring about what happens to them). Of course, they spent a lot more time developing characters; sometimes at the expense of what others consider to be "true Macross" (not my opinion. Mine is that M7 evolves some of the concepts of Macross. Not saying that MF doesn't, but the MF evolution isn't as... prominent.) Though, I disagree with the lumping of Indianna Jones IV with Spiderman 3. Spiderman 2, maybe. Not 3. Indianna Jones IV lived up to expectations. Spiderman 3 didn't have the magic of the preceeding two.

Not quite decided if I will fill out this topic's questions. Nevertheless, the following deserves comment: Most likely the Remnimbi. There was a featurette on one of the news channels here about how, in the past year or thereabouts, international trade with China is no longer using the double exchange of local currency >> USD >> CNY (or reverse) but is now local currency >> CNY. Which was also coupled with the CNY having taken primacy over the USD in markets (not sure if they were local or tourist oriented) in Vietnam. And the closeout of the featurette was how over the past few years, all the major currencies have been on a roller coaster ride of fluctuating rates, but the CNY has steadly grown stronger and stronger. So, yeah. Take it with a grain of salt, and file it with the predictions the late '80's and early '90's predictions that the Japanese would rule... erm, own the rest of the Earth.

There are a couple of logical reasons why: the prime one being that metal/harden composite materials conduct sound. Another reason is that the mecha are continuously listening to what's going on outside of their mecha; either to hear the cries of vicitims, orders from commanders or to use more of the pilot's senses in combat. Nevertheless, the reason is: because the story dictates it must be so!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't a movie being released in Hong Kong have Chinese subtitles?

News seems a bit out of date, as Macross the First was released a couple of weeks ago. Neverthless, not going. As living in Japan rarely means living near Akiba. Even if it was in Den-den Town I probably still wouldn't go.

Without FAST packs, it'd be the one from TiAtS:M+ With FAST packs, it'd be the one from the poster that came with the Gold Book.

Ask, and you shall receive: Punctuation added in bold and red Grammar problems: wondering or asking? Forums deal in posts and are different from a conversation. If you meant asking, just state it clearly. Corrected grammar sentence: Could the mods set up a streaming service so that we can all watch it together? Corrected grammar sentence: I visited another site that had a live/streaming feature, where everyone could watch at once. Corrected grammar sentence: Also, if someone changed the volume on their player, the volume would be changed on yours, too. Corrected grammar sentence: You could think if it as all of us being in the same room, watching TV, but on the internet and with Macross. Comments: of course, other people will have different dictions, so their word usage may be different. There were a couple of places in the corrected sentences that I prefer using different words, but didn't to best retain your original language. Nevertheless, I hope it helps. Though... an internet forum is notorious as a place full of bad English. It'd be better to read a novel or other sites that are about prose text (short stories, fan ficts, etc.). Your best bet is also people who use the same English as you (if you are a native speaker) or you hope to learn (if you are a non-native speaker learning English). Macross World, though a good place for Macross, is not the best place to use as a learning tool.

Interesting. I wish my Japanese Buddhist terminology skill level was high enough to persue such reading... Nevertheless, are there any other lost-in-translation deeper-meanings to names of the singers in Macross that you are aware of?

Finished Chronicle Mechanic: D7 Citizen 01a VT-1C Ostrich: http://www.macrossroleplay.org/forums/inde...g35985#msg35985 Not as much new information as I would like, but it does confirm some things. It is intersting that the cruising range echoes information published in Great Mechanics DX 4; which I'm also translating: http://www.macrossroleplay.org/forums/index.php?topic=2385.0 (work in progress. Relevant hard stats: http://www.macrossroleplay.org/forums/inde...g35718#msg35718 . I am quite surprised about the though limited, hard stats info on the VF-9 and VF-14, and the interesting stats for the VF-4 (correcting the typo in TiAtS:M+ in the process. 12 semi-conformal missiles, baby. T-w-e-l-v-e.)

Kadokawa (the publishers) HP for it says: - nothing on the number of pages nor content - releasing 2009.12.04 http://www.kadokawa.co.jp/mag/bk_detail.php?pcd=200911000023

I think a closer look at Basara's name is more enlightening. Basara - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Heavenly_Generals (check out the Sanskrit rendering of his name!) Nekki - 熱気 = heat; hot air; enthusiasm; feverish Aka: the feverish/enthusiastic heavenly general of the Buddha of healing. Given his role in M7, it kinda explains a lot of things.

Just think... if Macross were true, we'd have gone out to the orbit of Pluto, punched a huge hole in the rings of Saturn, blown a huge hole in Mars, and are about to blow a huge hole in Ontario. SDFM FTW!

Agreed. I've gone this route, too. Though, I'd like to add the caveat: if you come for learning the language, don't work at an English school. Though, as the odds are extremely minute that a non-speaker of Japanese will find employment elsewhere, then you should be super motivated to learn the language on a sustained basis outside of the workplace.

Ok, I see where you're coming from. Nevertheless, despite overseas fans purchasing original material, for reasons Tochiro posted, English subs are not going to happen (fan contributions, though significant probably amount to less then a drop in the bucket). Nevertheless, speaking strictly for the domestic market, Portuguese would make some sense. (I would like to make some counterpoints for the non-native speaker understanding written better than spoken, but as it's entirely off topic...)

Can you elaborate?

Europe is an entirely different market, my friend. Nevertheless, I was meditating on this earlier, and I figure if there are any non-Japanese subtitles, then Korean, Taiwanese, and Chinese make a lot more sense then English.

Not to my knowledge. Fingers crossed that Macross Chronicle will mention it (so far, we've only seen Macross Galaxy, VF-27 and Ghost V9).

Erm... I think the more practical answer would be: is the financial incentive to add non-Japanese languages more than the cost to add non-Japanese languages?

You mean what with the IR lights aimed at the audience that white-out any visual recordings?

If anything, the wheels are based off of those in the VOTOMS. Which, as it predates MII, is possibly also the source for those destroids, too.

Yes. Though, given that they are a background element that doesn't appear very much in the series, it's not surprising.

They are interesting, in their own way. Though, other than the Monster II, they don't really look like (the) Macross Destroids to me. I think there's something to toy-like about them. Hmmm... the lack of fine details (such as thin AA laser turret barrels, antenna) amongst the thick armour, perhaps?