Gubaba, from Macross SpeakerPodCast, has posted a complete English translation for the Macross® novella, Misa Hayase: White Reminiscences. Despite having been originally published in 1984, this is the first time that White Reminiscences has ever been translated into English. White Reminiscences recounts Misa’s early life experiences, from her initial meeting with Riber Fruhling to her days at the UN Spacy Officer’s Academy during the tumultuous period of the Unification Wars. Having been conceived by Macross creator, Shoji Kawamori, and written by Macross screenplay writer, Hiroshi Ohnogi, White Reminiscences is a canonical piece of Macross literature and an absolute must read for fans.
I must confess that I badly misjudged this book when I first heard of it. I thought that it was just going to be a wistful recollection of Misa and Riber’s romance. While their romance is covered in the book, it also provides indispensable information about the brutal Unification Wars. I actually think White Reminiscences provides a more profound account of the Unification Wars than Macross‘ own prequel, Macross Zero. The book also makes plain the complicated relationship between Misa and her father, something that the TV series only touched on. And the occassional appearances by (then) Commander Bruno J. Global only sweetens the story. After reading this book, I’ll never be able to watch the seventh episode of The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, “Bye-Bye Mars,” in the same way again.
For information on downloading Gubaba’s translation, click here.
Misa Hayase: White Reminiscences, copyright © 1984 by Big West.
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