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sketchley

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  1. sketchley
    Let us not talk of Batman & Robin again... (It doesn't exist in my head canon for Batman movies! )
  2. sketchley
    Well, we are watching an in-universe fictional representation of historical events. We'll have to ask the in-universe director why. :lol:
  3. sketchley
    The *real* Hikaru, Misa, and Minmei all left on the first Megaroad Emigrant Fleet. So, the question about that "poetic licence" in FB2012 is: was that a Minmei clone looking up at the departing *real* Minmei? (and both envying each other's future) Or was that merely 'poetic licence", as the *Minmei* remaining on Earth knew that she wasn't the *real* Minmei, and there were some sort of societal rules preventing her from resuming the *real* Minmei's musical career (see my previous post regarding that).
  4. sketchley
    This is where there's a slight conflict with what has been published (Macross Chronicle) about that mass cloning: skilled and/or important key people from the First Interstellar War were cloned and used to crew the ship's in the early Emigrant Fleets. Therefore, it's very likely that Minmei was cloned. However (and this is a big one), we do not know if those clones were given the same names. Macross is as clear as mud when it comes to cloning. On the one hand, there are strong indications that the memories of the cloned person are implanted as-is into the clone (see the above paraphrasing from Macross Chronicle). On the other hand, as we don't have any protests or other social upheavals from clones discovering they're not the real person—à la Ah-nold's reaction when discovering he's a clone in The 6th Day—we can presume that the clones know that they are clones. The one mitigating factor is that the Emigrant Fleets were sent out to the four corners of the galaxy. So, while there may be "a" Minmei on any given (early) Emigrant Fleet, the chance of them running into each other later in life is quite slim (fun fact: the Macross Frontier fleet took 20 years to get to the center of the galaxy. It'll take 10 years to get back to Earth.) It's been implied that the problem with the mass cloning was that there may have been two or more clones of ordinary people in any given early Emigrant Fleet (how else can we explain the sudden rise in genetic disorders in children that brought the mass cloning program to an immediate stop within a mere decade or two?). So, your point about doppelgangers is true, just not in the way you intended. (^_-)
  5. sketchley
    There's an in-universe reason for that as well: tourism (from other Emigrant Fleets, etc.)
  6. sketchley
    Storytelling. Kawamori-san is very particular on certain things (E.g.: even the (main/sub-/enemy/etc.) mecha silhouettes all have to look different). In this case, it's an instantly recognizable pose that tells the viewer what the character is doing (in this case: we aren't looking at just anyone. We're looking at a sniper! [← even this term is Kawamori-approved. You, I, and he all know they're called "precision shooter". But the layman doesn't, and he visually designs his shows for them.])
  7. sketchley
    Agreed. Trying to copy the success of a different franchise by emulating it in an already successful franchise is always dissatisfying—especially because they tend to get rid of what makes it unique and interesting in the process! Aside from ST:D, there's: Stargate Universe: copied the rebooted Battlestar Galactica. Lost the lighthearted feel, over-the-top bad guys and stopped using the Stargate itself! :gasp: James Bond: became a Borne clone in Quantum of Solace. See how well that worked out. :roll: James Bond (!): tried to be a Star Wars clone in Moonraker. Thankfully we had Ridly Scott make his own film riffing on Star Wars... James Bond (!!!): became a kung-fu movie clone in The Man With a Golden Gun. Do these guys never learn? I'm sure there's oodles more examples out there. Case in point: don't mess with what makes your franchise a success! As people are mentioning Rogue One and Solo... here's something to ponder: was RO a success because it had Jedi (Force) related elements? Did Solo bomb because it didn't? (a certain someone's cameo at the end doesn't count, of course. )
  8. sketchley
    I can't comment on MF, however when it comes to SDFM & DYRL, it's a bit easier to make sense—if one keeps in mind Kawamori-san's official line that the anime we see are in-universe dramatizations of historical events: The TV series was made with the equipment as it appeared (akin to those post-WWII films that used actual combat footage). DYRL was made about 25 years after that, using the available models of the equipment and (if what came out at the time of M7 is still valid) used holographic technology over at-the-time modern equipment (explaining away how Bodoruza's Fortress and the Beginhill Training Ship look suspiciously similar). VFMF: VF-1 Valkyrie Space Wings has a perfect way to illustrate it: the book claims that the Strike Valkyrie (Beam Gun equipped version of the Super Valkyrie) wasn't developed until after the First Interstellar War (of course, it should be noted that the book self describes itself as not being part of the "Official Setting" ).
  9. sketchley
    Personally, I really like the X-men franchise. Especially the better ones that are actually about something more than pumped up super dudes playing fisticuffs (namely #1, 2, FC, DoFP, etc.). Of course, honourable mention goes to the 2nd Wolverine film: on top of a meditation on what it means to be effectively immortal, we also get some really goofy-fun action scenes (though I admit that the goofiness might be lost on those who don't live in Japan—I'm looking at you, SMG armed Yakuza guards! )
  10. sketchley
    That's what I thought, too. While the other style (many side-view drawings) wasn't as much fun for the eye, the accompanying squadron descriptions and mini-histories that further fleshed out the Macross universe was more than welcome! ... and it's odd, too, as the TiAS: Macross Plus has eight of those squadron illustrations & descriptions in 4 pages (2 are side and top, to boot!), while this new VFMF book gives us fourteen in 14 pages...
  11. sketchley
    http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/MCRmechanic/MCRmechanic.php#Other See: Other 09A, and All 01A for what Macross Chronicle had to say on the VF-X-11 (when it was more or less official incorporated into Macross).
  12. sketchley
    With the earlier series, in general other staff handled the nuts and bolts duties like designing the cockpits and other minor stuff (e.g. Valkyrie hands for DYRL). When it comes to naming: Kawamori-san is again in charge of the large stuff (Valkyrie numbers and names). However, this time, the technical specs and names are usually created long after the series has finished. In the past, this was mostly done by Dr. Chiba (the real person that the M7 character is based off of). Being a sub-mecha, they (publishers, Dr. Chiba, whomever) never got around to fleshing out the VF-11. As technical Macross publications have been thin for the past decade or so, it's not surprising that Dr. Chiba hasn't been contracted by a publisher to flesh out much after Macross Zero.
  13. sketchley
    ... and the VF-1EX, and why the VF-1 is still going strong in 2066.
  14. sketchley
    Alas, no. Don't get me wrong: there's plenty of pictures of Super Pack equipped VF-11, just a relatively light section on them (2 pages of text and art). Oh, and all of the pictured dorsal packs are the earlier (Macross Plus) version. While the Jamming Birds Custom might appear relatively minimal, one should keep in mind that it's all about the Super Packs. On top of the Speaker equipped Super Packs, they also have unique engine nacelle packs (internal weapon pallet and rear-firing micro-missile launcher).
  15. sketchley
    Picked up the VFMF: VF-11 Thunderbolt book today and... it's focused on the VF-11A to D, and the MAXL and MAXL Kai (1 page devoted to each of those two) the only weirdness is limited to a recycling of that 'flying laser' thing from the VF-19 book (there is at least one heretofore unseen pre-production variant with odd wings, but nothing on the scale of weirdness that was in the VF-22 book). what's most interesting is what's NOT in the book: no Jamming Birds Kai, no Full Armour, nothing from Macross the Ride (namely the Thunder Focus), and the Super Packs are hardly mentioned at all. (being saved for a sequel?) Incidentally, if you're shopping for it in Umeda in Osaka, there's a large stack of them at Book 1st in the east mall part of Whity, across from the exit closest to Mandarake (Umeda). Oddly, it wasn't in the usual spots (Yodobashi Camera nor Kinokuniya). Something to do with how they're distributed?
  16. sketchley
    Nothing comes up on a cursory search. However, it might be an oblique reference to the correct English usage that Japanese speakers find easier to use than the correct terminology. Like how "cut" in the link means "shot", with 'cut' being used in the sense of 'where the film in a shot (sequence) is cut'. So, I'm tempted to guess that "book" is being used in the sense of 'a bookcover shot for the subsequent scene', or possibly even in the verb form (book a room). EDIT: It probably comes from the film term "bookends": http://kernvakckv.nl/film---terms-glossary.pdf
  17. sketchley
    Maybe they get their cooling from sound? https://phys.org/news/2016-12-refrigerator-multistage.html (the link isn't exactly what I had in mind... saw something on Discovery Channel that predates it by about 5 years) Cool Macross sound connection aside, I don't think Kawamori-san et al had that in mind. It's probably something mundane like OTEC enhanced batteries, and the vending machines have to return to a charging station (storage) every so often (like the tin can collecting robots in DYRL—waiting until needed, or an unsuspecting passerby stumbles too close, and they can start harassing them to make a purchase! ) I wonder how many harassment or stalking lawsuits Petite Cola has gotten over the years? (ANOTHER IMPORTANT QUESTION HERE!)
  18. sketchley
    Isn't that the remodelled Factory Satellite from VF-X2? I didn't know HG had the license for material from there...
  19. sketchley
    It's a little different than that (it's not a QF per se). Nevertheless, enjoy the full story: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/OTvfmf/VFMFvf1valkyrieWingsOfSpace.php#082
  20. sketchley
    Variable Fighter Master File: VF-1 Valkyrie Wings of Space: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/OTvfmf/OTvfmf.php *new and improved translation* *now in colour* Releasing a bit early, as it's coming up in discussion a lot recently. I'm still working on additional parts, currently the Twin Beam Cannon Pack (not to mention cleaning up after I had to reset my Word Processor and it annoyingly activated "dynamic quotes"—something distinctly incompatible with plopping into HTML/PHP ).
  21. sketchley
    "Variable Fighter Master File: VF-1 Wings of Space" (self described as "non-Official Setting") also has something on this: (quoted as I'm still in the process of finishing up the PHP and adding some additional translations for it's release on my site: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/OTvfmf/OTvfmf.php ). So there's that usage—the VFs essentially flying by inertia from a space catapult launch and being accelerated by gravity, and then waiting in the sortie area to be picked up... all in an effort to preserve fuel.
  22. sketchley
    One workaround that might work is the aforementioned server side includes. That way, you can use those (and the CSS) to easily add future modifications (obviously you're limited to headers/footers, and only changing [in this case redefining] the appearance of the HTML mark-up you've added to each page (e.g. links now look like this, H2 headlines look like that while H3 looks like this, etc.). Mind you, you don't really need to be changing how the translations look (it's just text after all).
  23. sketchley
    I agree with him. I use as minimal a write-up on my translations site as possible. Sure it's old and crusty, but it gets the job done (just copy/paste the content into a self-made template, add html markup [spaces, bold, etc.], check that all the links work, and publish). As far as CSS goes... it's not that hard. Do what I did, examine the CSS (and other HTML programming) from your favourite sites, and adapt what works for you for your needs. The only real trick with CSS is figuring what stuff you need before producing a bunch of pages (otherwise you have to waste time going back and making changes and other fixes). Anyhow, here's the CSS for my stats site. In this case, the main actions are getting interactive buttons (on mouseover), so visitors don't have 'mystery meat' buttons (spoilered): The net effect can be viewed here (specifically the changes when you mouseover the buttons and links): http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/OTvfmf/OTvfmf.php The only trick I can tell you is figure out the code on one page. Once it's working, only then cut and paste it into your CSS. And keep in mind the KISS principle (or less is more). As for the links at the top and bottom of my site - that's why I use PHP: server side includes! They're a bit tricky to get working, but the effort spent setting them up really pays off when you only have to modify a couple of bits of code on 2 or 3 pages to change the entire site (just like CSS).
  24. sketchley
    Amazon Japan has some picts of the book's interior: https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/4815600309?pf_rd_p=ce2eab38-4495-4b24-90fc-38dbaedf3574&pf_rd_r=KHSC6233NC6G7BNYAR45 I'm really digging all the stealthy 'sawblade' panel lines they've added to the hi-res colour picts.
  25. sketchley
    Learn Japanese?
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