brouken

I also agree that the valkyrie dogfights in the MacF movies were beyond intense. The speed of the action was too fast for me to appreciate the beauty of the valks in action. But in fairness to Macross F, some recent anime also have action scenes that are similarly paced (I'm looking at you Knights of Sidonia and Attack on Titan). I guess the animators are just having a field day with the new animation technologies available today (Can you imagine hand-drawing a scene that moves that fast and fluid?). But in retrospect, this is not a situation unique to modern anime. Just try making visual sense of the action scenes of any of Michael Bay's Transformers movies. :-) I've heard that the younger generation today processes information so fast that they might actually appreciate these scenes better than I do. (Gosh that makes me sound so old!) There is a nice breakdown of one of the final dogfight scenes in Wings of Goodbye in the special features disc of the Shudista blu ray box (you can only access this on the PS3). They show you how the animators basically made a composite of the various visual elements, such as the background, the wireframes of the computer animated valks, smoke from the missiles and light from the muzzle flashes. Pretty interesting stuff. :-)

I personally thought the Vajra was a very interesting choice for an antagonist. How do you sing to (and win over) someone without a brain? That question really got me hooked into the Frontier Series. And I thought the choice to have the V-type virus live in your "guts" was a very Japanese take on the storyline. Alto clearly points this out in the second MacF movie when he said that he was taught to "feel with his guts." The concept of the "hara" or "center" (hara is actually the Japanese word for "stomach and/or abdomen", is intrinsic to martial arts as well. They teach you how to release your "ki" (or lifeforce) from your "hara". The Japanese actually think that the soul resides in the "hara" (if I remember correctly, the Chinese has a similar concept and calls it the "tan-tien".) The Japanese even use "hara" to describe a very amicable/sociable person: "o-hara ga hiroi no hito" (literally, a person with a wide stomach/abdomen). For me, that's Kawamori-san paying homage to his cultural roots. Again, I'm well aware that not everyone will appreciate it the same way. My love for Japanese culture definitely helped me to appreciate some of these nuances, which is why, I suppose, I'm trying to share these to Brooklynwolf as well. :-) But yeah, I agree with Jenius that the human aspect of the Zentraedi/Meltrandy is what made the original series alluring. It was that familiar humanity, and at the same time cultural innocence/naivete that made them so memorable. Its why the Zentraedi word "deculture" ended up as the catchword for Macross fans (much like how the word "newtype" became a buzzword for Gundam UC fans). :-)

Yeah, the Kenshin OVA. Real tear-jerker that one. :-) I was wondering though, would your description of a "finite" ending include an ending where everybody dies? Would you be satisfied with such an ending? I heard that Yoshiyuki Tomino's Space Runaway Ideon has such an ending. I can't imagine myself getting emotionally invested in a series only to have everyone die. (Tomino has somewhat of a reputation for killing off characters left and right). Also, what did you think about the original Neon Genesis Evangelion series' ending? That really had my brains in a fit. Good thing Hideaki Anno came up with the movies to better tie up the "loose ends" that the series left. He even went to far as to include a scene in The End of Evangelion, where a monitor kept repeating the words "korosu!" (I'll kill you!) which was the content of an actual email that a frustrated Japanese fan sent him after the end of the series. (You know the ending is that bad if even your Japanese fans send you hate mail. :-D) Raxephon was similar to Evangelion in many ways, but the series ending (though similarly as cataclysmic) ended in a more positive note. I guess what I'm trying to say is that Japanese anime have some pretty "way out there" ways of ending the story. Denouement is not always a given. Sometimes the ending leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. But that too is part of the Japanese psyche that "the bitter goes well with the sweet" or rather, "the bitter elevates the sweetness". Kind of like eating sweet mochi with macha green tea. Not everyone is into that kind of confluence though. I guess it's a cultivated taste. I do have to agree with some of the others here that watching Japanese anime without some sort of translation guide (i.e. subtitles) is like watching a movie in mute. Sure you can make some sense out of the storyline by what is happening visually, but a lot of the nuance is lost (and the Japanese are masters at nuance) and you'll definitely find yourself scratching your head at the end. I honestly think you should at least watch the Macross F series and the movies again with subtitles. There are a lot of hidden nods to Macross fans in both that are worth looking into. :-)

Hello Brooklynwolf! Welcome to MW! I acknowledge your passion for Macross and anime in general and would like to throw in my own observations about the ending of the Macross F Movie. The song that Sheryl and Ranka were singing during the final battle is titled "Sayonara no Tsubasa" (translated: Wings of Goodbye), which is the same title of the second movie. The lyrics of the song essentially talks about the Norse legend of the Valkyrie, which are the winged female warriors who come down to escort fallen warriors who were deemed worthy of entry into Valhalla. I guess Kawamori-san was trying to play a bit into this legend by having the Queen Vajra pick up Alto who was a "fallen warrior" of sorts (he was about face death by heavy quantum beams from the NUNS and SMS fleet). I guess the Vajra found him worthy of being rescued and essentially accepted into Vajra society. You could also say that Sheryl and Ranka were the "valkyrie" who lifted everyone up from the battlefield with their song (they did get spiritual wings when they sang the song). Also, Alto also called them his "wings" (i.e. his inspiration) in the last episode of the Macross Frontier series. A lot of Kawamori-san's insights on the movie's storyline was shared in the various interviews on the special features disc of the Macross Frontier Shudista (Shooting Star) Blu Ray box, although these are all in Japanese. I was only able to understand a bit with my rudimentary Nihongo. You can probably find a transcript of these somewhere online. One thing I've learned from being an Otaku is that the Japanese are romantically tragic. The Movie's ending is very Japanese in this sense. Will Alto and Sheryl ever end up together? In the ending, Ranka says that she is confident that Sheryl will one day be woken up from her sleep (coma) by her prince. I think both the Mac F Series and Movies were great. The latter is more spiritual in its final theme (something that Kawamori-san also explored in Macross Zero), and thus more complex in its interpretation, IMHO. That being said, my wife hated the ending of the series and the movies. The former because Alto did not choose between the two girls, and the latter because my wife hates Sheryl. :-P She also felt sorry for Ranka for having lost her real brother Brera in the movies, just as he freed himself from Macross Galaxy's control implant. So yeah, I understand that not everyone can be satisfied with such endings. :-)

While the animated swing bars are a great homage to the original Takatokus, I agree with everything that has been said about them becoming too flimsy in real life, not to mention that they will greatly limit hip movement. There's no way you'll be able to pose a battroid A-stance with that. :-) Back on topic, after looking at the pic in Arcadia's Tweet, I'm wondering how the new shoulder connectors are implemented. They seem a little too deep in. I don't remember them being that deep in the old toy (I must admit though, I haven't transformed my VF-0S in a looong time). If this valk locks together as tight as the v2 VF-1's I'm all game for a "renewal" VF-0S. I really do love that valk. :-)

Thanks Saburo! Hopefully my RVF-25 + Super/Ghost Pack and Super VF-27 will arrive this month too! And then its countdown to the release/re-issue of the VF-25S renewal in November. I'm aiming to complete my SMS Skull Squadron before the end of the year. God-willing, it'll happen.

Thanks Spanner! I'm glad I chose the Super Pack over the Tornado parts. I think the supers are much more balanced overall in terms of aesthetics and added heft. :-)

My VF-25G and Super parts finally arrived from Mandarake and NY! Woot!

I love Roy! :-D

THIS.....IS.....SKULL LEADER! :-D

Wow Saburo! That VF-0S looks so clean and brand new! Your pics as usual, has done it great justice. :-)

You're welcome too VM! I'd like to join you and Abaddon if ever you guys go to Hong Kong for toy shopping. :-)

Thanks Valkyrie Magnus! I wish I had access to Detolf shelves here in Indonesia, though. Dust here is bad, though not as bad as in Manila. Leave a valk out in the open there and it'll get weathered naturally. :-D Wait, did I just say "natural weathering"? Hehe, sorry for the oxymoron. :-P

SM Megamall? Then that toy shop would probably have been on the basement floor. Either Filbar's or the toy shop next to it (Comic Alley?). I don't know if Lil's Hobby Shop carried valks, They focus primarily on Tamiya models, RC's and mini 4wds. They did have some Gundams last time I was there. But no valks. I did get my Gundam markers and some modeling tools from there. Best place to go in the Philippines for exotic high-end Japanese toys have always been Virra Mall and Shoppesville in Greenhills, in San Juan, Manila. The toy shops there are guaranteed to make your eyes pop. :-)

And there goes Saburo again, doing what he does best. :-D wmcheng's weathering on the 25F tornado is awesome! Wish I had the time and skill to do that.

Oh, and you'll probably find these two links most helpful as well: Macross Mecha Manual : http://macross2.net/m3/m3-index.htm Saburo's flickr photo feed. He's one of the best (if not the best) valk photographers here in MW. : https://www.flickr.com/photos/projektzerothree/ I must warn you though, that you'll probably end up buying more valks after seeing Saburo's photos.

Hello NOD! Welcome to the madness of valk collecting! :-) AFAIK, there is no dubbed versions of Mac 7, Frontier and Zero, as these weren't released in the US (long story, and one you can learn by browsing the forums here). As for Macross Plus, there is a Blu-ray/DVD release with english dub out now. You can find out the details on that release here : http://www.macrossworld.com/5078/macross-plus-arrives-on-blu-ray/ As for the "coolest" valks, well now, I think you should seriously consider what you're asking for here at MW. MW members are quite passionate about their choices. :-) As for myself, I've always been a fan of the VF-1S Strike Valkyrie, and consider this a mandatory purchase if you're a Macross Fan. On equal footing with the VF-1 is the VF-25S Armored Messiah, Super VF-0S Phoenix, and YF-29 Durandal valkyries. Again, let me emphasize that this is my own personal preference. Congratulations to you and your son on finding this hobby!

Congratulations Dodiano! You actually reminded me of another regret that I have. I currently only have a daughter (8 years old). And though she showed a passing interest in MF (she likes Sheryl, as expected), she obviously has no interest whatsoever in the valks.

Haha, I guess you're right! But then again, I don't need a friend living close by to influence me into getting Macross stuff. You (esp your photos) and the rest of MW are already doing a pretty good job of that.

Ah, I guess that's my other regret. I've never had a friend living nearby who's also into Macross stuff as much as I am. One of the joys of being a collector is having another collector appreciate your collection. In that sense, I'm glad to be a member of the MW forums.

Better to have loved a valk and lost, than never to have had a valk at all. :-D I'm sure you'll find a good deal on a super ostrich and 1S. Your photos have actually tided me over for some of the valks in my want list. :-)

280 shipped with super packs? Each or for the lot? Either way, that's still an incredible deal considering 25G prices now. Congratulations Duymon!

Ouch! How old were you when this happened Saburo? That must have been very traumatic for you.

I'll give my wallet the mandatory standing 8 count first. :-) But then, getting an alternate dress for the 25G means that I'll have to get the supers for the 25F and 25S. Not to mention the 25F Armor which is selling for this right now. :-) It's a miracle anyone's wallet is still alive after being thrown in the bloody arena of macross toy collecting. :-D

Thanks for the advice Saburo! I've actually considered that as well. But my wallet is reeling right now because of all my latest purchases (a 25G from Mandarake, 25G super parts from NY, RVF-25 + super parts/ghost bundle and VF-27 + super parts that a friend will get in Malaysia) I'm also trying to limit my collection to one type of valk each. I already got the 25F with tornado parts so getting the 25G in tornado parts counts as a double for me (at least for now). But yeah, seeing as how the super/armored parts have shot up in value, I really might just get the 25G tornado parts as an alternate "dress" for my 25G. :-)