Tricky

SDF:M remains to be the best in my eyes; best story, characters, everything. Frontier is a shadow of the original, and to me, this is strongly pointed out with Ranka essentially being Minmay's shadow. I even think M7 has qualities above Frontier, although M7 relied on fan-favorite characters. If M7 was the newest installment and Frontier was the second, I'd still go with M7. Frontier's story and characters make me gag overall. I'm just glad I'm not the obsessed fan I once was.

Whats hate got to do with it?

Ranka, Brera, Grace and Vajra vaporized by main cannon fire.

I'd have to review the episodes again, but wasn't she influenced by Sheryl and Alto to some degree? That propped her ambitions vs Minmay who was thrown into Ms. Macross without knowing it. That may have been Ranka's motivation, to help her friends, but she ends up no more than a tool whenever she is flown into space and sings her song. It could be argued that Minmay wanted to help bring an end to the war, knowing that her songs had an effect on the Zentradi after Exedole told her. Minmay was never a tool even up to then: she was doing what she did best being Ms. Macross. So she didn't come out and say she was singing for peace, but singing her songs gave a sort of peace and hope to the Macross citizens. That would seem like peace, right? Yes she was a distraction from Global and Exedole's viewpoint, I agree. And it would be perfect for Minmay not to understand military tactics, so she just did what she did best. To some degree, Ranka must know of why she's sings. She went with Mikhail and showed up singing in a sound booster valkyrie to keep the 33rd fleet from revolting. She proves to be a tool again. I agree. Ranka knowing she is a distraction and basically unsure if she should sing just makes her character poorer, imo.

Yeah no problem. But Minmay sang just to sing, and if she could, bring peace too, so that's why she cooperated with Global. Ranka is a tool to weaken/repel the Vajra. That's the big difference. Ranka could be apart of a Sound Force Jamming Birds, since they too, were portrayed as tools by UNS. I wouldn't confuse stuck up with being self-absorbed, which is why she came off like a biatch in certain scenes.

Yeah, I'm using SDF:M standards and not DYRL which was like an encapsulated and different version of the series. Not me. I posted my reasons why I don't like Ranka. Kaifun was Minmay's manager and cousin who wanted to be with her romantically. Brera is just a bodyguard ordered to watch over Ranka by Grace.

Ranka is basically a war orphan while Minmay lived with her aunt and uncle. But aside from the story differences, Ranka isn't the young Minmay. In that case, Minmay was young all the way until she and Kaifun broke up, then began to mature after Kaifun left. But then she just wants to be with Hikaru, something I don't see Sheryl would do. Sheryl has a huge ego too, and Minmay was never like that, even when she was famous. Like I said in a previous post, Ranka is the anti-Minmay, but character wise, Ranka's own story makes sense. I don't like her because the writers have debased Minmay in the process when Ranka sang My Boyfriend is a Pilot in such a fashion, as well as dressing her up to be the new Minmay. A another thread could be started on what is the best series, but I just say SDF:M is also liked because of it's mature characterizations and plot. I agree with the length and message of Macross 7, but in the end and after Encore and Dynamite, I liked it just as good as SDF: M. Macross F is filled with anime cliches, shaky plot, and a majority of characters you couldn't careless about (well me anyway). The animation is awesome, however. But that's all I'll say about this unless there's a topic somewhere about it.

You misunderstood. Yes, she did sing to be a singer, to bring happiness and essentially peace to the Macross citizenry under stressful times. But she inadvertently helps to end the war in the process when Exedol and Global figure out how to use culture shock. Any immaturity in Minmay completes how good a character she was. She only remains immature in her feelings for Hikaru at the end. Yeah you're right. Mylene and Basara did do the Lynn Minmay Story, but at least Mylene recognized who Minmay was first. It was more of a tribute, just like the Minmay song album, which I have no problem with. But eventually Firebomber prove themselves when the producers of the Lynn Minmay Story use war footage of Basara and Mylene singing to repel the Protodevilin forces. Firebomber soon establishes itself away from Minmay, based on actual footage of themselves, and not of any movie or story. That was the point of the episode, IMO. Ranka outright sings My Boyfriend is a Pilot in or after the Ms. Macross contest in an uncharismatic story. Yeah, pretty much. Ranka is a girl who's trying to find out who she is. If she discovers shes the Queen Vajra, she'll discover apart of who she really is.

But Hikaru was cold on her at the end because he couldn't give up fighting. (I'm recalling SDF-M btw.) Minmay was a girl swept up into her dreams. After Minmay won Ms. Macross, her ambition was to bring happiness to the people of Macross City. Part of the great thing about Minmay was her singing inadvertently turned the tide of war making her the major player in the entire history of Macross. She never really got confused, only questioned why she was singing. Hikaru was always in her mind as a friend, but that changed when he confessed his love. Ranka is the only character since SDF-M that has had so strong comparisons to Minmay. Every other major female idol was somewhat original. Sharon Apple -- a bad computer program, but original. Mylene Jenius: just by being apart of Firebomber, along with recognizing Minmay's contribution as an individual - and also didn't sing Minmay's songs to further Firebomber's career in Macross 7. Even Sheryl, the girl with a bleak past, and made into a major idol with Grace's help. She never acts or sings like Minmay. Ranka, on the other hand, emulates Minmay's character right down to her working in a Chinese restaurant. Her backstory is different, but she's later said to be the a legend in Minmay's footsteps, stealing Minmay's songs too. Ranka is the anti-Minmay. Ranka's a tool and weapon for and against the Vajra, while Minmay sang to bring peace only. It just goes to show how much of a cardboard-tool Ranka is, as she has no real idea of who she is. Makes perfect sense if she ends up being the Vajra Queen.

I dont like Ranka simply because the writers made subtle to strong comparisons to Lynn Minmay. Minmay was 50 times a better character. When Minmay was a bee-yotch, she wasnt irritating. That was who she was. When Ranka is irritating, it's irritating. And she sings Minmay's song! Grr... but it's still a good tune. I hope Ranka, Brera and her Vajra friends get destroyed by Battle Frontier's main cannon.