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Ranka's initial gifts to Alto were tickets to her own concert and bad-tasting cookies... but that just proves she wasn't really considering him at first. (and, again, to her credit she actually recognized this when she was discussing her gift with Sheryl earlier in the episode)

She obviously didn't think it through, but the tickets were probably the highest money value items she had in her possession. Lot's of people think expensive gift = good gift, without bothering to think if its something the recipient would appreciate. I mean sure a new watch if fine and all, but what I really wanted was that Hasegawa limited release VF-1S Minmay Guard! Damn!

Back to the topic, though...you know who else I always felt bad for? That soldier in the Zentradi Rain of Death who jumps on the little girl to protect her. Doomed, doomed, doomed...but ya gotta admire his attempt.

For some reason, that scene is one that has been burned in my memory. It was one of those little background touches that makes the events even more powerful.

... and she's not super obnoxious. Though maybe it's just that Asuka streak she has that appeals to me. I don't know.

There seems to be a lot of anime fans who like the whole bossy-woman thing, but believe me it gets old real fast if you're on the receiving end. I do admit it is amusing to observe as an outsider though.

Well, shouldn´t the characters be judged on how they *are*, instead of how the *could be*?

I made no judgements. How characters 'are' and how they 'could be' are also entirely subjective. I merely made an observation that it you took away her kindness and added drunkeness, Sheryl would be yet another privileged blonde celebrity with a sense of entitlement. It does not take much effort to make a character entirely unlikeable.

Okay, maybe I did judge Paris Hilton, but I guess I prefer to save my contempt for real people rather than cartoon characters.

As of another motivation why a lot of Sheryl fans dislike Ranka: Sheryl had it much worse in comparison, and as of what we know now, she does remember how she had to go dumpster diving in her late childhood. Yet she manages to not be as egotistical as Ranka in her worldview and has shown selfless kindness numerous times. I think it is little wonder that Sheryl fans are apopletic at the thought that she could lose to Ranka, seeing the difference in portrayal of the two characters.

People always bring up the selfish Ranka/selfless Sheryl comparison, but the arguments are totally subjective. People who dislike Ranka always attribute the worst possible motivations for any of her actions. They also portray Sheryl's actions in the most positive light.

I don't dislike Sheryl, but if were not for her kindness, she would be just one [mis-]step away from being a Paris Hilton-type character.

Nausicaa (in the comic/anime) became a champion for the insects, valuing the lives of humans and bugs equally, and trying to get them to coexist. Hence, Ranka going off to the Vajra at the end of 21 is probably done with a similar purpose in mind. And yes, I think she is going to the Vajra fully conscious of her role as a mediator. And I don't think she expects to return alive. In other words, I think she did a very brave thing by going.

If you look closer, you can draw other parallels.

Nausicaa: Doroks maim a small Ohmu so that they can use it as bait to draw the main herd into smashing the Torumekians.

Macross F: Galaxy provokes the Vajra to attack Frontier.

Nausicaa: Nausicaa becomes soaked in blue Ohmu blood trying to protect the small Ohmu from going into a lake of acid.

Macross F: Mikhail becomes soaked in blue bug juice trying to protect Klan.

Nausicaa: Noble young princess has a mysterious way of communicating with giant bugs.

Macross F: Naive young idol has a mysterious way of communicating with giant bugs.

Nausicaa: Heroine has pet fox-squirrel

Macross F: Heroine has pet weird green three-eyed squirrel/Vajra larva

Nausicaa: Heroine on quest to get humanity to co-exist with the fukai and its inhabitants

Macross F: Heroine on quest to get humanity to co-exist with the Vajra

Evil war criminal? Yes all zentradi are.

This is an interesting comment. I wonder if feelings about exterminating the Zentraedi can even hold a candle to those about exterminating the Vajra? I'd say the Vajra have done a lot less against humanity than the Zentraedi yet they have generated much more hatred.

In another thread I remember someone half-joking about how hokey it would be if the writers were trying to portray the Vajra as being misunderstood. I'm not sure what is wrong with this approach though. Saying all the Vajra are evil is a good way to ease your conscience about killing them, but it's just xenophobia. Outside of mathematics I would say that there are no absolutes. People into religion, politics, and anime would like you to belive so, but they are mistaken

The traitor argument generates quite a bit of hate... Is she a traitor for no longer wanting to sing to help defeat the Varija? Or is she a patriot for not fighting/singing in a war she thinks is wrong? I can see the controversy here, as judging her action lies close to the views a person holds on the subject and that debate can get quite heated.

To be a true traitor, she would have to gather a bunch of Vajra, and send them to attack Frontier. Wait, someone has already done that already though... I wonder who that could be?

Seems to me when it comes to love & war, viewpoints become polarized to the point where the truth cannot be seen.

She ran off to space without admitting responsibility.

This is one of the common criticisms about Ranka. My question is: responsibility to what? To appear in a parade or sing at a wake? I think she's earned more than a pass on these trivial matters after helping to save everyones collective rear ends.

the hydra are normally docile creatures, and are aboard Frontier intentionally. In an earlier episode you even saw one sitting on a meltran's lap at the mall.

You also see another sleeping next to Ranka when she's trying to promote the seven-colored carrots.

I hadn't noticed them at all. I guess I'll have to re-watch the mall episodes.

For those who think Ranka is selfish little brat, remember this:

She sang to gather the Vajra at island 3, despite of the fact that she was in pain and that the death of more Vajra would only increase her suffering. Why would she push through such a tremendous pain barrier if she had no love for Frontier?

It seemed that pain she experienced here was not as strong as when the Vajra mothership was destroyed, or maybe she was braced for it this time. In any event, it would suck to realize that something you loved would be used to make you a judas goat. There are obviously some who disagree with this, and call Ranka a "traitor" for wanting to take Ai-kun back to the Vajra, but she also feels that she has betrayed the Vajra by using her power to call them to their deaths. It seems to me though, that this connection to the Vajra is the source of her power over them in the first place. If she could not connect with them, her song would be useless against them.

If the government would have known about its existence, they could have asked themselves how a Vajra could get on the the ship and if there were any other Vajra.

If "the government" let the population know what Vajra larvae looked like, maybe they would have known about Ai-kun's existence. Ranka was not the only one to have ever seen Ai-kun. Also, why didn't they ever ask how the heck a hydra got on board as well? Sounds like their animal control department needs better staffing.

Exactly how did she do the Fleet a big favor?

Ummm, have you been watching the show? She's already contributed to saving the fleet two or three times already.

thanks that she kept Ai-kun's existence a secret she put the whole convoy in jeopardy.

What harm did Ai-kun ever do to anybody?

Even though it was never stated explicitly, I think it's obvious that Ranka realizes that she is communicating with the Vajra at some level. She is taking a page from the Nausicaa playbook, and is going on a quest to see if she can use her powers to soothe the raging bugs that Galaxy set on them.

Still I agree with you that it may not be impossible for humans to get macronised but in practise they don't. You need be (part) Zentradi either to get macronised. Reasons could be legal, cultural or economics or whatever.

I would hazzard that humans don't macronize because they are not set up to function in macronized form. Zentraedi would have to have pretty much superhuman reflexes to compete with human pilots due to the fact that it takes that much longer for a signal from their brain to travel to their muscles. Macronized humans would have really slow reaction times and probably be like giant dojikko, tripping over cars and flattening buildings.

Nene, the third Pixie, is still alive folks. She's not been killed. You can relax with the "WE MUST KILL ALL THE PIXIES" mantra.

I think Nene is the second Pixie. The third Pixie is always the drummer.

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.

I think the only one who bothered to examine why Ranka's singing worked was Grace, and I doubt she wants anyone else to know of her findings. Everyone else probably assumed that it worked in the same way as singing did against the Zentraedi.

well... I dont hate her. I just know that the power she has over the vajra isn't quite what everybody onscreen thinks it is. that said, I dont see an Alto/Ranka pairing at all, as I see her having to lead the vajra away at some point - in a way making her own noble sacrifice.

I kind of see that as well. Ranka has obviously been sheltered her entire life, and in mo-e fashion, people like Ozma, Nanase, Alto, and Brera feel protective of her. Her development would be to gain some psychological strength (which she has shown on occasion), and reverse roles to become the protector instead. I think that Sheryl has been largely sheltered as well, after being found by Grace. However, I imagine she was probably "raised" by Grace, which could not have been very fun, but would probably have required her to grow up (and build barriers) real fast.

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.

Don't forget to blame Alto and Sheryl as well then. They were the one's who pushed her to start singing during the attack. I still don't get why there is so much Ranka-hatred. The writers/character designers obviously did not have it in mind for the viewer to hate her. Many of the criticisms leveled against Ranka have been seen in other characters, but nobody ever mentions a thing about it. Maybe it has something to do with mo-e hatred, but that says more about the viewer than the character...

Too bad breast size isn't related to one's sexual maturity.

That's true, but you're in denial if you don't think Ranka looks and acts 12, even though she's suppose to be 16.

Even Mao in Macross Zero looked older and more mature than Ranka does.

While it's true that Ranka's character looks young, I don't agree necessarily that she acts 12. If you want to make that argument, you would have to say that Sheryl is exactly the same. During the previous episode, I couldn't help but think how Sheryl's drama words and actions are just like my 6 year old daughter's when she can't get her way.

"Why Ranka and not me? Boo hoo hoo. Instead of getting a second opinion on my condition, I'm going to leave the hospital and stagger around in the rain even though I'm near death. That will show you!"

The difference though, is that because her character design is more mature, her actions are perceived in a totally different manner (except for by Grace, who I think characterized Sheryl's actions perfectly).

Yes, it means brother, specifically in an affectionate context.

It'd be weird if she called him aniki or however you say it (more affectionate form of brother)

Anyways yeah they're brother and sister. Like it says in the Macross F wikipedia entry: Brera cares a lot for Ranka's wellbeing though he doesn't really know why (even without orders).

I am surprised it has taken Ranka this long to go.. "hey, wait, I recognize him. I know him." But Ranka isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, if you know what I'm saying."

Onii-chan is also used in a more generic sense of a "big brother" type. Which is how I see Ranka using the term. Aniki is often used the same way, but definitely not as an "affectionate" form.

That's really one of the defining qualities of Sheryl's character. She always tries her hardest to remain strong for the sake of the people around her, and she's so good at doing it that they often don't realize the hardship that she goes through.

Except in the first episode when she runs off during the Vajra attack despite Alto's remonstration. She didn't really seem to give a damn until she got news that Galaxy had been attacked. That little episode was probably spread in the Frontier blogsphere with images from a video phone, which would account for the snide comments by those Frontier girls when they saw Sheryl's disks in the bargain bin.

If you had originally meant that Ranshe was in on it, why would Grace feel the need to blow up the 117th to cover it up? She would already know.

I meant that Grace was using Ranshe as a test subject without Ranshe's (or the other team members') knowledge.

So Grace secretly infected her partner with the disease they're researching?

What better way to have the subject [of illegal human subject testing] available in the lab for study? Nobody would wonder why Ranshe was in the lab.

Grace: "Hey Ranshe, we need some more control blood samples today, do you think you could provide some?"

Ranshe: "What, again? Why don't you provide some yourself!"

Grace: "You know I don't have the right blood type..."

Ranshe: "Oh, fine!"

Grace [snapping latex glove in place]: "Kiri kiri kiri kiri kiri"

Seriously though, if Ranshe was ever infected it was more likely by her own doing.

This would be a possibility as well, but I like the first one better because it would explain Ranka better.

This is my theory:

Ranshe Mei = Fairy 1. Secretly infected by Grace with the v-type virus as part of her [own?] private experiments.

Ranka was born with the v-type DNA inserted in her genome (transmitted from the virus in mom as opposed to being exogenously introduced from an outside source).

When Ranshe starts exhibiting the symptoms of the infection, Mao et al. start to trace the source of the infection.

Grace realizing that the jig is up, engineers the destruction of the 117th Research Fleet.

Grace escapes and goes on to produce Fairies 2-9.

In the end our heroes will foil the plans of Grace & Co. and being indestructable Grace will move on to pursue even more grand and evil schemes.