Talos

With YF-24/VF-24, I just extrapolated the VF part. I do remember reading somewhere about the ISC in the YF-24 being far superior to the 25's and that it had something to do with the fallout of VFX-2's rebellion, which also lead to NUNS. I'll have to go back and look at my sources again, I have Model Graphix 290, which I think is the one it appears in (as well as VF-25 Master File, but that's not canon). Seto Kaiba might be able to shed more light on it, I've discussed it with him in the past.

Really, you have to look at the entire show from a Japanese cultural perspective since Frontier was made for a Japanese audience and not a western one. This includes both the Alto/Sheryl/Ranka situation, the actions of the Frontier government and the peoples' reactions to them, and even SMS.

First, the love triangle. Alto, Sheryl, and Ranka are all within a year of each other. If I remember correctly, Ranka is only ten months younger then Alto. There's no statutory rape there in either case for him. Sheryl's probably older (we just have her age, not her exact birthday like the other two). In Japan, for instance, there is a minimum age of consent, but prefectures can (and most do) have a higher one around 16-18. They are close enough though that by the time Alto's 18, Ranka is going to be 17 and no one would care. At 18 he would still be a minor in Japan, though.

As for the actions of Frontier and why there was no unrest or anything, it's a very Japanese mindset. All throughout the history of the country there has been strong control over the people. For most of it, it was a devotion to the local leaders and Daimyo. After the Meiji Restoration, this was converted into an extreme nationalism, where most people wouldn't even think about questioning what their country was doing. This led to the Pacific War and eventually the fall of the Japanese Empire at the end of it. Even now, it's not uncommon for an average Japanese citizen to not question what's going on, to take what the government says at face value, and just accept things.

SMS is an outlier there, people who operate on their own tack, who go against the grain when they want to, and eventually just go pirate to solve the situation in general. Because normal culture in Japan is one of conformity and the group, the highly individual-oriented SMS stands out heavily. It's pretty common to see protagonists like that in manga and anime (and drama) despite that. It's almost an outlet for those types of feelings and frustrations that people get. They would never do something reckless or opposing and authority, but through stories like that, they can at least root for it.

There's even a kotowaza saying that proverb that deals with this. 出る杭は打たれる, which means "The stake that sticks out gets hammered down".

Essentially the gist of this post is to take Frontier from a Japanese cultural perspective when you read into it. Even if it's supposed to be a half-San Francisco city with a lot of westerners, the writers are still Japanese and it was made for a Japanese audience. That's why you get things like a 16-17 year old girl who can convincingly play an 11 year old (Ranka as Mao, of course), Alto's fight to forge his own destiny apart from his family, and even Klan and Michel's relationship. Don't fall into the trap of finding fault with the show by taking things with western sensibilities.

I particulalry liked seeing the LAI fast packs used on the Dyson's VF-19C. Finally fast packs for that fighter that didn't look stupid!

Though despite the fanservice aspect of seeing the vintage painted VF-19, I figured Dyson would be flying a VF-24 instead. After all it is the latest generation of variable fighter and I'd expect a former test pilot to be eager to handle the bleeding edge of NUNS aircraft technology...

It's not a VF-19C, though, it's just called a VF-19 Isamu Spec (roughly) or, in the novels, VF-19ADVANCE.

As to why he's not in a VF-24, despite being a test pilot for that program, he retired from the military and is now an SMS pilot. If the NUNS government isn't going to let colony fleets fly VF-24s, what are the chances of them letting a random PMC do so? The VF-24 is supposed to far out-perform the VF-25/7 and basically be the NUNS trump card in case of rebellion.

Yeah, they were pirates, and it kinda explains where they get some weaponry from, which is like some arms dealer. Also, considering the age of the VF-1, that's probably a little more feasible, I guess. Even then though... In anycase, it looks like this kit doesn't need a whole lot of surface painting. I will definitely do a weathering job on this. Seems like mostly white paint, and giant decals.

No, it was specifically a civilian model, the VT-1C. We saw them on the Zolan world too. It featured a shorter, stubby rounded nose instead of the longer pointed one most VF-1s had. We also saw construction VF-1s in battroid in Dynamite 7.

The [POPGO][FREEWIND] 7.46 gig raw works with the subs as well. That's what I have been watching and it looks fine.

There was a scene in the trailer attached to the first movie (at the end, after the credits) which showed one of these NUNS Monsters in all its glory posing in front of a quarter or Macross Class capital ship (can't remember). That scene definitely GOT CUT from the new movie!!

That would be http://imageshack.us...ossfrontie.jpg/ . It showed the grey Koenig Monster with Gatling gun arms standing in front of a Quarter.

Niji Iro Kuma Kuma does get stuck in your head. Ranka took the moe dial and turned it up to eleven in that concert.

That's crazy and an interesting idea. Good job on it!

There is one spot you should take a look at, on the top of the forward fuselage, there's some bleeding right in front of where the wire meets the fuselage. Some of the blue. Other then that, I didn't notice any problems.

I agree with some of the others here though. I think that it should have been some VF-25F armor variant in the final battle rather than the sham that is the YF-29. That fighter did nothing for me past simply *being* there to sell toys.

Interestingly, if you look at that battle, everyone is using different armor packs/planes.

Haha, sorry about that. I was trying to think of a way to show I support artistic license, but not sound pandering. FTW seemed the easiest way.

As for the rest of the post, Veffidas has a very Zentradi-style grey hue to her skin and is the only Meltran off the top of my head who does. She shows that Meltrans aren't limited there. I think some of Chlore's fleet members in Fleet of the Strongest Women were greyish too, but very pale.

What makes you say that Meltran women only have normal skin color? Why wouldn't they be subject to the same skin tones as the Zentran? Is it because we have never seen one on screen, or because of some other source? I used Breetai's skin tone on the Pod ace. I originally did have a pale "millia" tone, but decided to go the route of artistic license and do something new...oh well, can't please everyone ; )

Veffidas.

Either way, artistic license ftw.

On top of that, the paint's splotchy on some of them, like real naval fighters (due to constant paint touchups from salt and other corrosion). You can really see it on the VF-25A's tail on the lower-left and the wing and wing gloves of the blue-head one.

Damn good little details there.

Also that other VF-25A in top left has a squadron symbol. It looks like the greek symbol for Delta.

On top of that, the one in the lower-right has a blue stripe on the front of the head.

Yes, especially at lower speeds, a lot of movement could be had just by the movements of the legs and slight tilting of the thrust coming from the feet/engine nozzles. For a good example of that, just look at the first Frontier movie, added section where Alto takes off in Gilliam's VF-25 for the first time. He's skating and maneuvering on engine thrust.

I saw this in some pics from New York Comic Con, apparently it was on display at the Bandai booth?? Does anyone know what Valkyrie this is? Was it ever in any of the anime? Thanks in advance!

Gubaba's dead on there. Specifically, it's Katoki Hajime's redesign of the XXXG-01W Wing Gundam from Gundam Wing. This looks to be the new Master Grade model kit of it that came out this past spring.

If you're going to do the VF-5000B, you can't forget the two underwing weapons pods that This is Animation: Macross Plus Movie Edition depicted it with.

The M3 version of the VF-14 is a much nicer design then the Blackbird one, but both are interesting. I still need to work out profile side views for them, they're on my list (along with an accurate VF-5000 since the one in TIA is....inaccurate, to say the least).

Watching raw's is only fun when everyone else is doing it at the same time. When MacF was actually on the air it was great watching crappy cam rips live via keyhole and everyone flipping out over what they're seeing in the thread as it's happening. Man, we really need a new series soon, I miss being able to do that.

Agreed, that was a lot of fun. The craziest has to be the week before "Memories of Global". I've never seen the levels of posting and speculation as we had between that episode and the one before it.

Looking forward to the movie, and I will be watching it raw.

It really does.

Something else I've been fiddling with, using the FAST packs from VF-19 Master File and adapting to fit the YF-19/VF-19A I drew a while back. These are connected with a project I'm working on with someone, which will be kept under wraps for now.

Funnels in the Gundam sense?

Yes, exactly.

Did the VF-4 have any FAST Packs available for it?

Yes and no. In the DYRL/Macross II 'verse, the VF-4 Siren has a set of FAST packs that are similar to the VF-1s. There aren't any canon designs for the main timeline's VF-4 Lightning III, though sketchley did a nice interpretation of one.

Oh, VF-9. Nice. I really need to figure out how to draw perspective things and people with my tablet. Still mostly doing profiles.

When in doubt, go back to the original katakana word and work the pronunciation from that.

Komilia is the main character in the game Macross 2036 for PC Engine CD which was part of the same universe as Macross II I believe.

It is in the same universe, as a follow-on to DYRL. She also appears in the second game, Macross: Eternal Love Song, which is also for the PC Engine. Mikimoto did a character design for her for that game. If I remember correctly, her birthday is pushed back a few years in the MII-verse. She does show up once in the main timeline, standing in the upper-left corner of a Jenius family picture, which we see here.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/97/The_Jenius_Family.jpg

Pictures from both 2036 and ELS are here.

http://anime.geocities.jp/emiri_0624/macrooss_eternal_love.html

up to episode 38. kinda stallion. Had to look up then the 22's make an appearance. guess not till dynamite 7

Two VF-22s show up in the last few episodes of the show, plus the encore episodes, with a third showing up in Dynamite 7.

Or the unused designs like the SW-XA1 & 2!

Though I've always been a fan of the VF-11D!

There is just something so damn cool about a double bubble canopy...

It looks like so far (VF-9 excepted), they've been sticking with modding models aren't made like the entire Hasegawa lineup, or making new ones like the VF-11D. Only the one scratch-build so far.

Trust me, I would /love/ to see an SW-XA1...