RF-26AAC

It was very very poorly done, it is almost a new work. I tried my best to make it look better.

-Removed the paper texture; (Originally painted with water colours)

-Removed Roy;

-Changed colours;

I just realized my Macrossified self-portrait looks just like Shin Kudo, DAMNIT.

Hey, I like your work.

How exactly did you do these? Sketch the paint, paint only, photoshop?

Looks good.

-Ghost

At this point, I really dont give a flying fark about it. I hope most of the characters kick the bucket. Just when I was getting into this... ok, so I am still pissed about them killing off Michel.

I think Ranka will go with the Vajra to ensure peace between the NUNS and Vajra She will make the ultimate decision to sacrific her love for peace. Maybe Brera will go with her, though I have feeling he will buy the farm to save her. Maybe Alto will go back to Theater since he sees how Michel dies and make amends with his father. And of course Sheryl will go with him since she is use to the theater. And I also forsee Klan sacrificing herself since there is no one else for her.

Vengeful much?

The self-sacrifice for peace would echo the theme of Mac Zero and we already know how the two are being tied together, a cohesive theme might help...

Ranka is the Mao of this series and Sheryl is the Sara. Mao is in love with Shin but he's really more in love with Sara... I see Sheryl sacrificing herself because she is dying anyway and maybe Alto going with it.

Ugh.

I really wanted Alto to end up with Sheryl at first but my question is wouldn't Ranka really be better for him?

I felt so bad after ep 18 for her, I kinda feel like she deserves to have him cos she'd be good to him, whereas Sheryl is Asuka-tastic, fickle(in appearance only) and determined.

I don't know who I'd rather have Alto end up with anymore.

Sheryl for Alto, if they both live that is.

I have a sneaky suspiscion they may both die by the end of the series.

My theory is that Ranka is going to evolve into a half Vajra hybrid and end up going off to live with the Vajra.

Graham

When she evolves into a half-vajra, she'll also suddenly be hot, seductive and more womanly, a-la-Infested Kerrigan

Is anyone else getting messages that their animated gif avatar is too big in size? I'm just wondering because I did. Apparently they can't be bigger than 200k and I don't know how to resize mine.

I did too o_o

Before being sucking to outer space, Michel told Klan that he has been a coward and could not confess his love to her.

That’s it, folks. Let me what I missed or got wrong.

DAMNIT ALL!!

I personally think it's "human voice as an instrument" vs "lyrics". I've always had trouble understanding lyrics--even pretty clear ones by native english speakers. Just something about them being sang instead of spoken. I mainly like songs purely because of the simple sound of the voice singing, not what's being said. (thus, I tend to like women singing FAR more). And thus, since I can't really understand any lyrics anyway, I like almost all languages equally when sung.

In fact, sometimes when I *do* figure out what a lyric is after hearing it 500 times, I often like the song less. It was better when it was just a "musical sound" versus an actual phrase.

That said---if they're translated, they will then SOUND very different, because it's not the words/meaning that matters---it's the sound itself. E.G. "gomen" and "sorry" sound completely different, musically, even if they are identical, linguistically.

Meh, I have a similar opinion but I happen to like lyrics sometimes but I appreciate Jpop for the voice as an instrument, hence I also like opera, gregorian chants and other neato stuff.

But I have my softspot for english rock, and j-pop.

J-pop, strangely enough, seems to be about 5 years ahead of american musical composure, a lot of old j-pop effects/elements are finding their way into american songs and R&B, in particular.

I dunno if it's just me, but the Japanese seem to do R&B better than the Americans o_O;;

As much as I don't want to say it...

R.I.P. Michel Braun

Klan will always love you...

Dammit, you're making me all misty eyed again. Let me grieve in a manly fashion!

I'll write a real post about this episode after the subs. Meanwhile, I shod manly tears and then went out to kill roaches in my kitchen. Is that enough tribute?

I have you one-upped, I destroyed a wasp's nest in tribute... well, not really, mainly because it was next to my darn window.

Aerosol Brake Cleaner = INSTAKILL

o_O come to think of it Frontier needs a Brake Cleaner hose to shoot at Vajra >=)

man-tears are okay only a little bit but let's get a hold of ourselves

I'm only 23, hugely emotionally attached to the series and I didn't actually cry.. I got teary eyed and all but didn't outright turn on the waterworks... only the first two times I saw it...

I dunno, coming from a paramilitary background I guess it's easier for me to be a touch nonchalant about death..

But come on guys! We're *men* here.

You Bobby type-men are welcome to sob hysterically, though

Race driver, pilot... same thing, practically

except my kind fight each other with passes, not bullets and missiles...

I dunno

as sad as this is

death is a part of combat,

let's all move on past the grief stage here, men.

maybe it's just cos I'm not so much into Anime as I once was

stronger person perhaps, but guys, if you're seriously crying (more than a few tears once or twice), calm down, friends.

/hugs for all

Yea, same here. Is it wrong that I just about cried again while making a post in Character Appreciation?

You *are* a boy, aren't you?

I own page 19.

At this point it seems to be that Frontier has blinders on to the way Ranka's singing actually works.

Ranka professing her love to Alto would be a huge step and is more likely to happen than Sheryl.

At this point, Sheryl may very well die, decide to let Ranka have Alto, but not before telling Alto she loves him on her FINAL death bed. Unless she dies, I don't see Sheryl confessing to Alto and frankly, though Alto may have feelings for both of them, he's too confused to know what to make of it.

Sigh, I wish I had some way to talk about this realtime with all of my friends here.

maybe not a pilot herself, but if somehow she manages to become effective against the vajra she might find herself riding SIO (Song Interception Officer) on Alto's VF-25... now THAT would work - I think Alto would be damn near untouchable with her singing shotgun. she has the strength of will to keep singing under battle conditions, that much is for certain.

That would be a hot coupling, right there.

how's that for a Triangler ending? Partners in bed and in the cockpit!? XD

While Michael's death wasn't Ranka's fault totally she had a little to do with it, but earlier posters are right, it's their own fault for not realizing exactly how Ranka's voice affects the Vajra and how it works. Like a kid playing with a loaded gun.

Actually there is. Basically the Vajra react to ppl emotions. If everybody is full of hate Vajra will get in a destructive frenzy... Is a good theory. However, I think more of an attack-the-guys-with-the-guns mandate on their behavior...

More and more (specially after episode 20) I'm convinced that the Vajra are the spawn of what remained of the Birdman from macross Zero that folded to the center of the Galaxy. Sara Nome died when the reaction warheads hit the Birdman, so it entered auto-mode and folded away (This implies that Shin didn't fold, he died in the watercrash... what Mao Nome saw was a vision and nothing more.... sorry).

After arriving at the center of the Galaxy the Birdman produced the V-Type virus and created the Vajra as we know them... The Vajra are imprinted with the Birdman's mission of destroying the war-like races, so they attack anybody in Frontier (specially if they have any guns).

The scene of the Vajra Mini-Zam visciously attacking the sniper in Episode 20 made me think of this...

That makes sense...

The birdman created the Vajra (with integrated fold quartz and the ability to produce weaponry internally)... Birdman could do it.

His mission was to prevent humanity from spreading its seed of war throughout the stars, so perhaps they were created to fold, find and eliminate warring races.

I also agree, Shin died, but I disagree with you on what Mao saw.

Mao saw Shin's spirit (fused forever with his plane... anyone ever see "Porco Rosso"?) and he disappeared to the center of the galaxy with Sara because that's where the one he loved went. Perhaps the center of the Galaxy is heaven?

Another question is what precisely, is the V-type virus?

What exactly does it do, really? It's obviously not contagious via air, but is by blood. It hasn't turned Sheryl into a zombie yet, despite the fact she is no longer taking the inhibitors. It's also not a terribly fast-acting virus... in fact, it seems more like Aids than say ebola or the 'rage' virus of 28-days-later fame.

My thought about the Vajra, assuming they were created by birdman, is that were there no war and a lack of hate, then therefore the Vajra would leave them alone. Which explains Ai-kun's behavior. He stayed as a cute, fuzzy larva once out of the egg for quite some time because Ranka found him and was nice to him. Therefore, his programming prevented him from evolving into a full-blown big-zam Vajra. Ranka was loving and possessed no weapons. Or maybe just because she was the queen and was in a positive emotional state. As evidenced at the end of Ep 17 with the eggs hatching, all those other things were initially Ai-kun-type things... and they were also placid for as long as Ranka's emotional state was good (Why else were they sitting placidly at the concert observing??).

But since Ranka's emotional index dropped therefore it sent them into a hurtful killing frenzy.

What role does the Vajra overmind play? It asks Ranka if she's lonely, and she says yes, and then the vajra overmind says "then I know a good way" (presumably I know a good way to make you not feel lonely).

Which begs the question, okay, we know what happens when Ranka is emotionally hurt, but what about if she's angry? What would that do? What would happen if Ranka were to fill with hate, anger or jealousy and then attempt to sing?? What then?

SH!T WENT DOWN the second Ranka's emotional state went from elated to deeply hurt.

Sigh,

I don't know how this can end happily

Guld, by a mile.

Guld died a FAR, FAR more painful death and died to kill that ghost.

Guld basically killed himself with his own sword, committing Harakiri pretty much whereas Michael was already critically injured.

While Michael's death scene was SPECTACULAR, Guld's death was so badass and manly it was unbelievable.

He had the discipline to keep going, keep fighting as his own weight began to crush him, hurt him with a level of pain that I have immense respect for him continuing to fight through-- the discipline necessary to fight to the very death.

HIS EFFING EYEBALLS EXPLODED AND HIS ORGANS COLLAPSED UNDER THEIR OWN WEIGHT, MAN!! HOW MANLY IS THAT?!

GULD, F T W.

+1

When I remember the English Fire Bomber I just get sick

Seriously!

English Fire was horrible >_<

Nah but the guy who does japanese covers and english versions on youtube changes the lyrics so they (mostly) makes sense... he doesn't even speak japanese so he generally just redoes the song with "fitting" lyrics.

I'm telling you, he's surprisingly good... check out his cover of Amuro Namie's "Come" o_O

To me is more dislike to Ranka, Because of Her Michel Dies

I was going to argue with you, but come to think of it, you're right.

It *is* Ranka's fault Michael is dead, because SHE kept the Vajra larva as a pet, her emotionless singing incited the Vajra to be MORE agressive, and while she is not directly responsible for Michael's death she did at least have a card to play in it.

This episode was really hard on me I really identified with Michael and Klan, and Michael's feelings upon finding the dead meltran pixie on the floor... the absolute horror of it.

There has to be a *good* ending for this... we aren't going to get a zeta gundam ending are we??

Oh ack. I hate it when certain speculations come true.

Specifically because it means the characters' lives and deaths are being used for the sake of character development, e.g., sacrifice good, likeable characters to spur the growth of several largely unexplored characters. I'm sorry, while entertaining, it means for me I'm going to have to detach from all characters to some extent, because they're now all expendable :-/

And yeah, DC has a different musical underscoring...

I feel the same way

Well...we all knew someone had to go. It couldnt have been Alto, obviously, Luca, since we still don't know whats up with him and Leon, and i doubt they would kill Ozma after the last thing they did. Still...FSCKWHYCOULDNTITBENANASE?!?!?!?!?!

Someone has GOT to translate and sing these songs, then post them for all of us. They rock!

There has to be a talented person on this forum, or other, who can. PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE

PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE

What songs?

Oh, and if you want something sung, look up RoflWaffleLova on youtube, he's this white guy from Ohio who sings j-pop WITHOUT ANY ACCENT. My Okinawan GF (native english & japanese speaker) is like, WTF Why doesn't he have an accent?

He does english versions of songs, too. Guy by the name of Mitchell Matsuzak, amazing guy.

Check him out, maybe put in a request?? o_O

It would also help if you specified WHAT SONGS you wanted translated since there are QUITE A FEW epic macross series ALL OF WHICH HAVE VOCAL SONGS

I love them.

Actually, a fantastic idea for a small - scale Macross ova would be to feature Destroid pilots in the main roles, focussing on their role in combat. For a miniseries it would be great. Of course a lot of Macross purists would start screaming that any Macross series should only focus on Valk pilots. Valks and their pilots could still be featured, and the destroid pilots could bitch about them and how they get all the attention.

C'mon, you must admit, this would be a great idea for a mini-series or side story.

Taksraven

It'd be grounds for a good military-life type fanfic, at least.

I rather like that idea but we'd have a lot of characters die. Probably not unlike the culture soldiers have in Afghanistan...

Go to Veoh and look up Macross episode 16 (Link is too long)

Go to 16:30

You can see a Spartan shoot down two battlepods before getting fragged and an Excalibur take out two more while surviving.

Its just that these pilots aren't elites and for the most part face enemies with numbers far greater than their own.

Hm, maybe I just see em in a bad light, I think they're hella cool, but I just wish they were stronger. I'm only up to episode 9 of SDFM right now. I also tend to watch these at low resolution so it isn't really obvious to me most of the time.

I remember that Excalibur in Zero giving that SV-51 a what for... the Excalibur hit the SV-51 once or twice, got thrown off the deck of the ship, saved itself via thrusters and started shooting at the SV-51 again, and then the other SV-51 came and the destroid was promptly murdered.

I dunno, I just feel like shouldn't they be *slightly* more resistant to damage? It's like they're made of glass-- when Valks get killed (non hero colors) they get hit repeatedly before they blow up... the destroids get hit once and then POP.

While the destroids were very effective during the deadalus (spelling?) attack, that's like, the ONE instance a regular destroid (not the hero MONSTERS) seemed to be effective.

Currently:

Long Beach Airport (Daughtry Field), CA

Reside:

Seal Beach Joint Forces Naval Weapons Station

I'm re-watching SDFM and also following Macross Frontier, and it occurred to me, how is it that Destroids are even being produced, when, short of the Monster/Koenig Monster, they are completely useless? I mean, weak, early form Vajra were killing destroids left and right basically with a gatling gun, no missiles or anything crazy. And apparently destroids can't fight regulds, either.

Why?!

The destroids logically would have heavier armor than the Valkyrie and therefore should be at least somewhat more destructive when stationary, or be able to sustain 2-3 direct hits instead of being hit and exploding...

While I realize that it is the magic of anime, why are they still making Excalibur-type/Tomahawk type machines if they suck so bad? They must consume a lot of metal to make a combat-only machine, so there must be a reason for continuing to make them...

I'm sorry if this is a repost but can somebody (Mr March, perhaps?) explain why these things suck so hard?

Please that's about as likely as Sheryl taking care of an injured Nanase and Michel dying in front of Klan!

That would be sooo insane it would like, pop my brain

actually, that kinda seems plausible,

who cares

the subs will be out tomorrow

According to whose source?

God, I hate GG subs for their stupid MKV file format.

They don't work well on my comp... it's like streaming but worse.

Thanks to GG for speedsubbing tho, but please switch formats.

Me too. My eyes were teary afterwords.

/not-gay hug for misaforever