Westlo

Killer Robot there's just so much information out these days it's really hard to not know what the next episode is all about so I really can't see too many people being blindsided by 8 like "wtf I came for mecha not panty crap". And if you stay up to 2-3am watching anime odds are you're in some way hardcore and would know what an episode is about.. it's not like casual watchers viewing Conan or One Piece or something.

Also I wouldn't really place too much stock in tv ratings for late night anime, especially the ones we got figures for since that region aired Frontier the day after the other one which we got raws off. Said raws which would've been all over Japanese p2p, torrent and niconico. To Love Ru got just as good ratings as Frontier yet when you look at dvd/blueray sales Frontier absolutely crushed it (and well every other tv show not called geass... which it still outsold anyway...)

God yes, a total disaster! Just like the final episode of SDFM (which Kawamori wrote). What a lame, sucky, icky, no-good, poo-poo writer he is!

Connect the dots is hard! Way more harder than writing an entire movie script. Also I wonder if Kawamori's writing credit is the same as a Britney "I really wrote this song and had no one help me" Spears type writing credit

my 2 cents:

the writers were most likely reacting to the whims, wishes and demands of the fans.

By this, I don't mean any communication other than what episodes had the highest ratings, what episodes had the lowest ratings. If memory serves, the mecha porn episodes (it may have just been eps. 07) had the lowest ratings. Changes probably happened after that (or not, given the amount of recycled animation, especially in combat sequences) to both maintain or gain viewers, as well as keep things within budget and delivered on time.

So yeah, the series changed from its original vision, not necessarily because a new writer was brought on to collaborate with. Let's move on.

IIRC Episode 5 went through several rewrites and was the most edited script in the entire show... after episode 5 aired they realized they had hit the ball out the park with Sheryl in securing a massive reaction from the fanbse and reacted accordingly. The reaction Sheryl got in 5 Ranka didn't really get until episode 12... (kira craze/meme) and Ranka's rise in 12 was undermined by Sheryl's downfall so to say, for example the official Macross BBS went from omg ranka was awesome quickly to poor Sheryl

I think episode 9 (michael x klan) had the lowest rating of the first half of the season, I didn't really take much notice of the second half but I've heard claims ratings went up after Ohnogi took over.. might actually check that out to see if it has any truth.. wouldn't take me long thanks to the anime ratings thread on AS.

Off topic: Is Kawamori going to take charge in the movie? Or will it be Ohnogi?

Kawamori is always in charge, Ohnogi and Yoshino before him wrote under his supervision, it's not like they changed Sheryl behind his back and giggled together as it aired going "Oh boy boss is going to be pissed when he sees Alto kiss Sheryl in 22 hehehe". They talked to and convinced him to change his mind on issues.. it's like when Miami Heat staff convinced Pat Riley to draft D Wade instead of Chris Kaman with the #5 pick in the famous 2003 NBA Draft... and in both cases here doing so payed off... Kawamori got his series to become extremely popular and Sheryl was a big part of that (#1 female on Newtype and placed first in Anican 2008 Reader’s Poll, both genders for that poll) while the Miami Heat won a championship in 06 and have one of the top 3 players at the moment. It shows Kawamori is flexible and open to doing something that is better than what he thought of instead of being stubborn and going it's MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY.

As for the movie it seems Kawamori was going to be director but is now executive director or some crap and someone else will be directing, no idea about Ohnogi but he's got his hands full this spring season doing series composition of the redone manga based version of Full Metal Alchemist as well as Gonzo's Shangri-la, which hopefully is their next Last Exile...

If you're asking if Kawamori is going to write, no of course not.. that would be a disaster His main talents are clearly designing mecha and thinking of scenarios as opposed to pure writing.

I think Ohnogi said months ago he took over the writing of Macross Frontier under the full supervision of Kawamori and as the last episode showed Kawamori could've changed things any time he wanted since he was still in charge period. So if you're looking for blame wouldn't the person who lost control of his show, the person who invited the "destroyer" of the show, the person who supervised and okay'd what he did... be of equal blame? And Ohnogi's clearly a better writer than Kawamori, Birdy Season 2 has been excellent and I have high hopes for Shangri-La and FMA 2 (will be curious to see how he he does the start since the old version covered a lot of that too). Kawamori's a visionary.... not a writer.

And you're clearly reaching like Dhalsim with trying to smear Ohnogi with Gundam SEED Destiny's taint, everyone knew who was to blame for that and that was Chiaki Morosawa, wife of director Mitsuo Fukuda. Do people wonder why Destiny had so many recap episodes? A certain someone was late in handing in scripts... and no FV sadly for you it's not Ohnogi... I mean you know it's bad when the Animation director apoligies on his blog and says he will redeem himself with his next work.

Also FV I highly doubt that Sheryl was meant to leave after Episode 5 until fan reaction changed that as you seem to think? Why? The Macross Frontier manga.. which had Galaxy under attack before Star Date aired. And you seem to think Sheryl was meant to be killed early.. maybe the original Sheryl from pre planning stages who was meant to be Ranka's older sister figure because to paraphrase Kawamori "It would've been awesome if Minmay had an older sister figure!". I really doubt Yoshino (script writer for Froniter... I geuss until Ohnogi took charge) the guy who elevated Sheryl from minor character to love triangle participant would kill off "his" character so early but think what you want to think. If there's one thing that's been clearly obvious from the last 15 months of fanwanking since Deculture aired is that arguing on internet forums changes no one's mind.

Again, that's based on your interpretation of both the conversation and what Ohnogi did with (or, perhaps closer to your point, to) the series. He didn't blast in; he was invited by Kawamori. They've been good friends since college, have worked together often, and most likely will continue to work together. You may believe Kawamori was betrayed, but there's no indication that anyone involved in the show's production feels that way.

Most of the staff come off as Sheryl fans though so why would they complain

It's easy to figure out who's the silhouette, Sheryl's cry of anguish for Alto will summon The Birdman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phYfp80zn-c...feature=related

The Alto

wanting to interrupt sheryl when she said "We should stop playing lovers"

now can be interpreted as "But Sheryl I want us to be real lovers" or "Sheryl, i'm sorry but I love Ranka".

Can you logically explain to my why Alto would run over to Sheryl while yelling "WAIT SHERYL, I" after Sheryl said "Let's stop pretending to be lovers" and confess his love about Ranka? Do you realize that makes absolutely no sense? This is the same Alto who said he would no longer run away in episode 23, the same Alto who told Sheryl before the kiss that people can't fly alone, oh wait let me guess he's talking about Ranka *rolls eyes*

You seem to think Sheryl's thoughts at the end of 23 have some baring on the triangle, let me let you in on a little secret, it means fart all. Misa thought she was done in Macross,

thought she was done in KGNE,

thought she was done in True Tears,

thougth she was done in Kimikiss,

thought she was done in Ef A Tale of Memories. Do I need to continue?

Yeah, I can't imagine Kawamori and Co have been working on a feature film for Macross F that is to be released in December, and yet somehow no one has heard a peep about it.

Not to mention that Satelight are working on Shugo Chara Season 2 and a new series of Fist of the North Star this upcoming season. They aren't exactly a Madhouse when it comes to amount of shows they can work on at once....

Timing is really very poor. If they intend to hide some songs in OST 2 which will be in the final 2 episodes, then it's fine to release it after the last episode. But then, the OST 2 will be released 2 weeks after the last episode. What's up with that?

Well imagine if on the OST there was a Sheryl version of Anata no Ono

I would feel cheated if Sheryl miraculously lives at this point. There's all this build up of her living to enjoy the time she has left, not holding back, and refusing the meds. If they sellout to appease the countless Sheryl fans I'll be pissed. Keep in mind, I'm betting Alto gets no girl and goes back to acting.

I don't know what show you're watching but Sheryl hasn't exactly been enjoying herself since episode 18.

And something tells me you'd take Bobby over Ranka...or do you not hate her quite THAT much?

It would be an honor for any young man to hang out with someone as awesome as GARby.

so the triangle will really have a definitive/implied end by episode 25 of macross frontier where he chooses someone <--- this is what you're implying right? XD

It definitely should, of course some people think it's going to remain inconclusive like Macross 7 even though the romantic focus here is way above what they did in Macross 7 and nearly every other aspect of the show has suffered due to the prominence of the triangle.

I didn't say that Alto said he loved Ranka though. He never said that. But the scene implied that he has feelings for Ranka far from the ordinary friend and he feels responsible for her.

Have you seen a serious triangle where the male lead didn't have feelings for both girls? You know that's why they tend to be so indecisive

wine and dinner. looks like a date to me. and someone seems to be drinking up some "liquid courage". hehe.

btw, whose house is this? looks like the one ranka stayed in when she was recruited by the government.

EDIT: oops, no dinner. just wine. that alcohol will hit you hard sheryl.

Saotome mansion my friend.

a.) Does Macross Zero count...? Escaflowne also had a number of twists by the end.

b.) The plot construction has been solid, but there have been a number of fake-outs ("ZOMG!! It's Kamjin! ZOMMFG!!! It's the SDF-1!!!"), and I believe a relationship path for Ranka and Alto HAS been established, just not touched on in a while.

But it seems odd to mention Kawamori's lack of twist endings as proof that MacF won't go that route, and then suggest that the final episode might be tragic, even though he has no history of tragic endings (I think...I haven't seen Arjuna or Aquarion).

I say that all bets are off with his show. All along, he has drawn us in with familiar-seeming characters and situtations, only to give them aggressively different outcomes, and I don't see that pattern changing.

Throwing down the drain relationship parallels and relationship development is slightly different than fooling the audience with the appearance of something. Really it just depends on what Kawamori wants to be remembered for with Frontier, for doing his first good.great series in a long time or for a lol shock ending of a triangle. If you're looking for a relationship twist think of something that has been obviously implied and nearly believed by everyone, Brera being Ranka's brother, just because she said oni-chan doesn't mean they are related since it's used for older male childhood friends as well by young girls.

They are not going to air a second season of Frontier in Feb, for one the season starts in Janurary so it can follow the 13 week cours, secondly a major show like Frontier would be airing in a major season like Spring/April and Fall/October. Maybe an OVA....

Does the Japanese in 2ch have a similar poll ? I am curious on their take on it.

Sheryl is more popular than Ranka on 2ch (latest poll had her at 800 votes to 500.....) yet 90% of 2ch seems to think it will be a Ranka ending. I think this is what Alto's VA "surprise" comment is directed at since he's talking to Japanese fandom. Of course it's more a surprise like "wow I never thought they would let Sheryl win over the moeblob main character" than a surprise like "lets give this relationship fart all development in the 2nd half of the series and have Alto go to her in the last minute" which is what a Ranka ending is shaping up to be.

The last big triangle 2ch had a consensus in True Tears they also got wrong ... after True Tears episode 12 90% thought the loser would win, I like to consider True Tears episode 11 to be similar to Macross Frontier 22 in that while it doesn't seal the deal, it all BUT does.

Story supports a Sheryl ending, as do the comments by Megumi and Aya Endo in what their characters are feeling in the last episode.

Kawamori said that if they did a Frontier spin off Klan would be the main character, I demand a Frontier spin off XD

Interesting quotes from the two leading ladies VAs...

I love how some of you, at the slightest showing of skin, freak out at Sheryl. This is anime, what the heck are you expecting? I honestly wish she'd show MORE!

I like the way you think

Yeah, true. A confirmation from the staff speaks volumes compare to a random person's opinion.

What did you expect the staff member to say? Say something like "lol forget about ranka it's done" and ruin the focal point of the show?

Yeah Sheryl's new song is Yousei aka Fairy, totally love it, already listened to the scene it plays in 22 about 40+ times!

Maaya's version would be nice, though Megumi's still has great merit, so I wouldn't call either superior. To each their own though.

Well I always thought that Megumi's Aimo was Voices lite so i never really liked it ever since it replaced Megumi's version of DYRL as the ED for the first episode... Maaya's Aimo otoh is great.. well what I've heard of it anyway... and really a brand new artist in Megumi isn't really much of a match for a seasoned artist like Maaya... even though Triangler has to be one of the worst songs of her career...

While I don't read spoilers, rest assured that they keep out the good stuff.

FV

Exactly, it's not going to say Grace hooks up with Battle Galaxy and than it engages in a death battle with Battle Frontier which leaves no survivors. You only have to look at the past spoilers and see how much of an episode content they revealed....

It's be nice if they released some episode versions of the songs as well. Like the Ranka/Sheryl duets.

That stuff generally gets saved for the final OST, no ost 3 would be quite a shock... i mean even a half best of and the other half being different versions of stuff (like Maaya's superior version of Aimo) would sell buckletloads...

Speculation: I say they kissed, but the actual scene will only be shown as a flashback when Sheryl is already dead, for dramatic purposes.

If they didn't kiss than they at the very least rested their foreheads together, if people can't see the movement of their heads towards each other, especially in HD quality than well I'm speechless.

I just asked someone from a Chinese forum... seems like Sheryl fans are also numerous there, with some who dislike Ranka.

From what I've heard Chinese fans make animesuki look neutral... and unlike English forums, chinese fans were pro sheryl prior to Star Date. As a day 1 sheryl fan there was clearly more people who preferred Ranka to Sheryl before star date on english forums. What can I say I liked bitchy sheryl (her ep 3 diss to alto when she got in the car was gold) and as for alto yelling at her.. well hime sama was being an idealistic idiot which also later got gilliam killed so I'll leave it at that...