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Macross Frontier Movie 2 thread - Now available on Blu-ray/DVD


Tochiro

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First off, let me start off with a big...BRAVO!!! Got this about 1 1/2 weeks ago, and after watching it several times, I'm always blown away when watching it. This second part takes a different turn for the ending of the series, and is a joy to watch. The box art of the Blu-Ray is nice, and came with several small books of art from the movie. While I don't understand Japanese, the pacing and the scenes are pretty easy to define what is happening, and while I'd like to know exactly what they were saying, you can get the gist of the story without. As far as quality of the animation and such, WOW!!! My wife saw it with me, and we were both excited to see it. It is "cutting edge" animation, and I can't think of too many anime features that even come close. The pacing of the movie is much better than the first movie, and there are some great nods to other Macross series as well, such as plus, 7, etc. If you haven't watched it, I definitely recommend it. I know all this has probably been said already, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents, just to say I got mine.

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I enjoyed the Wings of Goodbye, but I think if a fan of Macross, that some how missed the series, saw the movie they might not enjoy it as much. In my opinion The differences between MF --> MFWOG are not as poignant as SDFM --> DYRL. The characters are significantly better realized in MFWOG than in the series, most notably Alto, Ranka and Sheryl, I remember

watching the series along with the rest of the

MW forum members and feeling like they were developing the characters as they went. In the

movie the three seemed like they were finally

truly realized.

I think old school fans, fans of SDFM/DYRL will have issues with the surfing Macross Quarter, I was like WTF but went with it, and it really didn't detract much from my enjoyment of the movie. The animation quality was superb from start to finish, the songs were good but I liked the songs from the series more. The Ranka concert song being the notable exception.

Macross Frontier: Wings of Goodbye is an awesome anime movie and a very good Macross movie that I think is better enjoyed if you've seen the series first.

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Assuming the subs I read are relatively accurate...

If we go by Grace's narration of their original plan, Sheryl knew that she was just a substitute until they found Q1. I got the impression that the plan to harvest organs from Q1 is a new suggestion offered by Grace, now that Sheryl is dying. Far as I could tell, Sheryl was not amenable to the suggestion, until Grace countered: "even if it means you won't see him anymore?". Yeah, that sure made her think for a split second at least.

I would presume that Grace didn't think a blood tranfusion would work. Either that, or Grace wanted to get rid of Q1 so that Sheryl will not be discarded as dead weight.

But I think even if Sheryl considered it, her ultimate resolve showed when she stopped Ranka from coming with Brera, and sacrificed herself to save Ranka when they were being sucked out of the ship.

Looking at the scene again, I appear to be slightly combining two separate pieces of information. All we see her suggesting to Sheryl is a blood transplant as far as the subs are concerned, which sounds innocent enough. It not until she makes the comment in the comment about this being Ranka's "final stage" that it comes off as sinister. That use of the word "transplant" seems to suggest draining Ranka completely too. Especially once combined with the idea she floated about possibly combining Ranka's intestinal infection with Sheryl's to perhaps gain an even stronger queen. Of course, there's the alternative of going cyborg, which she apparently signed up for and would somehow end her singing career. That's when she sprung the Alto angle. How it ends it though, it doesn't quite explain, or just what she "signed up for". It could either mean cyborg technology, no matter how advanced, still wouldn't be able to replicate her singing voice; the idea that the infection is one of the reasons she can sing so well (it works for the Vajra after all); it's not necessarily a human form (the subs just say "give up my living body"); or the slightly more ridiculous concern that being "all natural" is one of her "selling points" (a double entendre if there ever was one).

As someone else pointed out, Sheryl knowing about all this to begin with throws a nice wench into her characterization to start with when viewed as afterthought (How dare you think me a spy, how could you think such low things about me, just because it turns out I was! ;P). Not that I minded much. Still, it's interesting to think just how much of what Grace was thinking of doing to Ranka to "save" Sheryl Sheryl was aware of. Here I thought Alto's Birthday was underhanded.^_^ Like you point out (and I thought I noted but I guess forgot), she essentially sacrifices herself for her at the end anyway, which fits her illness angle well anyway. The whole thing was handled much better in my view, but then, I all but absoluted loathed the "Sheryl's dying" subplot in the series. It's quite possibly the very main reason I developed so much apathy for her by the end. It just didn't work, so i was dreading it in the film. I also jokingly realized that part of the reason I liked her better this go around was simply because she never reminded me who she was. :lol:

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I'm not sure if that's an issue. The movies were clearly made for people who saw the show.

WOG, reminds me of my viewing of DYRL. You can watch them without having seeing the t.v series beforehand, but it's better if you watched it prior. I loved WOG more so then False Songtress. I also liked the music alot (Open Ranka being my favorite), I just wish there was more. I can see why alot of people are saying they liked the music from the t.v series more. We had 25 episodes worth of music, compare that to a almost 2 hour movie.

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Music wise, I'm just happy Ranka got some more upbeat songs that weren't duets with Sheryl. I get that Sheryl gets to be the pulse pounding one, but Megumi's no slouch. Rainbow Colored Teddy Bear has really grown on me, like it has on others. It's just damn catchy.

Also, today is Sheryl's birthday

And if I'd bothered to remember that (or Ranka's birthday for that matter), I might have tried to watch it for the first time that day, instead of 11-11-11, and probably failed.

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WOG, reminds me of my viewing of DYRL. You can watch them without having seeing the t.v series beforehand, but it's better if you watched it prior. I loved WOG more so then False Songtress. I also liked the music alot (Open Ranka being my favorite), I just wish there was more. I can see why alot of people are saying they liked the music from the t.v series more. We had 25 episodes worth of music, compare that to a almost 2 hour movie.

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Personally, I think the songs of the TV series are more ear catching. I instant-like them. All of them. Nothing to do with brain-washing with 25 episodes. Remind me when I first hear about the old Macross SDF ones.

The movie songs are okay (Ranka's are better than Sheryl's this time), but not enough to leave an impression to me.

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Personally, I think the songs of the TV series are more ear catching. I instant-like them. All of them. Nothing to do with brain-washing with 25 episodes. Remind me when I first hear about the old Macross SDF ones.

The movie songs are okay (Ranka's are better than Sheryl's this time), but not enough to leave an impression to me.

You know. I got the soundtrack and heard the music before I saw the movie, and I liked them. After seeing the movie I loved them even more. My favorites being Open Ranka, Sayonara no Tsubasa the end of triangle, and Nyan Nyan Final Attack Frontier. I'm not saying that we were brain washed, but had more songs in the t.v series run, compared to the movie. TV series we had Welcome to my Fan Club, Oboeteimasuka Deculture Edition, Don't be late, Aimo, Anata no Oto ,Nyan Nyan service Melody,Yousei, Diamond Crevasse, Ao no Ether, Northern Cross, Lion , What 'bout my Star, Triangle and not to mention some of the BGM. So I'm saying we had more songs in the t.v series to fall in love with compared to movies. Not that I didn't fall in love with the songs from both movies.

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I've had the Blu-ray for about a month now, I think. I still haven't had the time to sit down and watch it at home on the big TV, I only checked out a couple of scenes on the PC, and the extra content.

And I won't be able to for a long while now, because (supposedly) the 30th will be the arrival date of the Fukuyama mega DVD box set, so you can bet I will be powering through those every chance I get for perhaps the rest of the year :p . Oh well.

(Of course, my favourite scene is Ranka's concert, so I did watch that part a couple of times and it looks great)

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I was wondering if the surfing scene was a nod to Kawamori's work on "Eureka 7" or if Kawamorisan is really such a surfing enthusiast?

I found it rather infantile and perhaps that was the target audience for that particular scene, infants?

I agree that the writing team found their legs on this production. They defined characters and events much more than "False Diva". I am glad they did two films, because "Fasle Diva" without "Goodbye" would have been an unfortunate note to end the series on, since it came across as too disjointed. :huh:

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I found it rather infantile and perhaps that was the target audience for that particular scene, infants?

I think it was meant to appeal to people who derive entertainment from scenes of gigantic robots doing ridiculous thing.

Like punching battleships and shooting Wave Motion guns.

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Finally found the time to watch it. Epic. I'm not sure if i prefer the TV series or movie now. Definately better than the 1s movie in terms of pacing, story and action!

And lol....Macross Quarter x Eureka 7 was hilarious but epicly so.

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Bottom line. I think the real issue for the old school macross fans (like me) is that they tried too hard to impress us all with these movies. And It feels like the main story is just an excuse to show us all the cool stuff, you know like with transformers movies.

But in the series is the other way aroud. It was the story that got me interested From episode 1 to 25. Don't get me wrong I am a mechaporn sucker, but for me that's just the icing on the cake when you already have a great story with great characters.

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I watched it last night and I was blown away for the most part. My only disappointment was with the ending, I'm only hoping that maybe it was meant to be left open for a third movie.

If you ask me, open-ended movies are over-hyped.

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I watched it last night and I was blown away for the most part. My only disappointment was with the ending, I'm only hoping that maybe it was meant to be left open for a third movie.

Sorry. It's in the title: 完結編 means THE END; NO MORE. :p

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Didn't seem very happy to me what with Sheryl in a coma and Alto MIA.

The Sheryl and Ranka concert at the end (with Sheryl talking about the wait and miracle) seems to indicate she's fine.

And surely she can't be that happy if Alto didn't come back from his adventures with the Vajra Queen =)

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Credits dialogue notwithstanding, I didn't feel the movie was open ended. Unless you feel that the end credits are proof positive of our heroes ultimate fates, it was a bittersweet ending, but not an open ended one.

Do we really need an 80's movie end recap showing a picture of each character with the caption, "Ranka went on to be a big star, before ODing on pixie sticks at 22. She will be missed. Alto, at 88 died of a stroke trying to comprehend the plot of Twilight. Captain Wilder? He's finally achieved his dream of making a New Macross Battleship surf it's City down onto a new world, where he discovered Hikaru, Misa and the rest of the people who disappeared with the Megaroad, they had a picnic. Then they all died of food poisoning. HOW MUCH %%*#% CLOSURE DO YOU WHINGERS NEED?!"

And so on.

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