1/1 LowViz Lurker

Q about VF1 backpacks: In space it would be possible to have these folded down in fighter mode right? (imagine a valk without its FAST pack attached but with its back pack folded) Would it make more sense then, to always fly around in space with the backpack folded down (like you see in gerwalk mode) instead of the normal fighter mode in an atmosphere, (laid flat) because of the extra thrust you could generate? In the tv series when fast packs weren't common, I would think having the extra thrust from the backpack would help alot instead of wasting it. Can we assume then that once a vf1 is in space, along with sealing it's intakes with covers, it would also fold up the backpack thingy? Question about head laser: Can these things be controlled by an AI computer system to act as a virtual gunner? I ask because after seeing Roy guide the shots manually in macross zero, you would think he would have a pretty big headache after trying to track the missiles and shoot each one by himself. I imagine that similar to a drone, there would be some sort of system that could be turned on to automatically track targets without any assistance from the pilot and help shoot down any incoming missiles or fast moving targets without bothering the pilot who is controlling the mech's movement. The only problem I see is obstructions getting in the way, like the computer accidently killing your friend because he got in the way of the shot and happens to be near an enemy target. But I say that if there are many ghost drones attacking you and following you around like dogs to postmen in space, what better way than to fight fire with fire? I can imagine a mode to turn it on and off. Say for example when a Qrau launches dozens of little micromissiles that swarm you in all directions, instead of dodging them (like Max) or manually hitting them (like Roy does in Macross Zero) you could just flick the AI Gunner Buddy mode to 'On' and, provided you are in a suitable mode with no obstructions and the angle means you are clear to take the shot, the computer would act like a seperate human gunner shooting the target for you, and the pilot would manuever. (probably flying backwards with nose facing the targets in gerwalk mode or something)

^ Ah such a shame. I would love to have seen competition between toynami vs yamato for the ultimate transformable mospeada mechs. I'm dreaming rightn now of a 1/48 Legioss standing next to 1/48 vf1.

Chipmunk cheeks lol (the bottom or the top?)

The best way to merge it to canon is to say that macross II is a sci-fiction movie (within the macross world) about the future for entertainment for the masses. (all of it was fictional and was made for entertainment for fans who liked DYRL) That's why it takes place so far into the future because the people in the macrossworld are living in the future when it was made and sci-fi usually sets itself ahead in time. Notice how in the real world when we look back at old sci-fiction movies we can laugh at what people thought was futuristic for its time, because it looks outdated years later? Well that's the explanation for the makers of macross II movie not looking ahead far enough or realising where technology would be in the future. (most of the advances were kept secret by the military similar to controversy of the mentioning of UFO/area 51 connection in the making of Independance Day.) So those who made it, used brand new aliens (this to stay politically correct) as villains who were mind controlled to fight and destroy earth. (just like the destruction of the white house in Independance Day. It never happened - just a model of the white house. Similarly in macross II the sdf1 was never destroyed, only a model.) Like many hollywood movies, the ending had to be on a happy note where the good humans were saved by a singing star and this explains why it was so derivative of the prequel documentary DYRL. Kids would go to watch Macross II as a science fiction movie and the money made from this would make the hollywood actors (the actress who offered to star in a sexploitation flick by wearing such a skimpy outfit that pretty much exposes 99% of skin) famous so that there would be more singing idols on earth to replace minmay when she left on the megaroad. The sequel movie would be a vehicle for this actress to be more famous and boost her pop idol status and singing career by also showing her talent in acting as well. The actor who played Hibiki could be that bratty little kid (the one in SDF:macross in the first episode who was with minmay demanding to have a cola) all grown up, and who used his relation to minmay and minmay's fame to help him get a career in acting. He now promotes cola and appears in many coke ads. Many of minmay's most intimate secrets were revealed to the public thanks to him writing a book about her life by using her diary (minmay had a diary as a teenager that she tried to go back for in SDF:macross, but what wasn't known was that the little kid took it with him to read) for information to put into it and make money from the sale of the book which sold in the millions to fans of minmay. (this book was published after she left earth of course )

Millard mentions in the elevator about the higher-ups fantasy about this utopian 'New Space Order' (aka new world order ) and how he pretty much prefers there being humans over machines making the decisions so that's why he saved guld's ass.(maybe he doesn't trust them like the guy in the new Battle Star Galactica show?) Milard also mentions to Lucy in the movie when Isamu stole the plane, that he himself would have done the same thing. (it wasn't just that Dyson was being his annoyingly reckless self this time. He was really fighting for 'the humans' against the machines to compete and to show the higher ups we are superior.) In the ova you don't see this scene, but to me I thought this was important in establishing just who's side he is on, and whether he himself is actually "just like a robot" by mindlessly following orders he himself doesn't agree with given from above. All in helping build this 'new space order' where the machines replace people. (both in music/culture/society and militarily.) I guess you could say millard is more of a hypocrite in the ova: giving speeches on telling us how valuable human pilots are, but then not giving a poo to voice his strong opinion about the need for human pilots to the people in charge.. Especially when you consider that his own job might be taken away by machines some day anyway. You'll notice that there is a lot of mind control and hypnotism going on in the background in this so I think the future of global government was to in some way secretly pacify the people using the music (similar to how there is like hidden meanings in lyrics for rock music and playing music backwards to get the real message - rock being the 'counter-culture' of society ) while using the AI to run military defenses like in Terminator with Skynet to eliminate any dissent in case reckless people like Dyson who were immune to the music's hypnotic effects were to get out of control. Everything would be controlled with a combination of hypnotism and automated defenses, eliminating the value of humans. (but Basara changed all that in macross 7 with his 'anima Spiritua' BS jk Maybe this was the macross equivalent of stars wars' "the Force" but for the macross universe instead? Link this 'magic floating rocks' idea from macross Zero; the latest in the macross world,.. to the macross 7 stuff and then tell me I'm crazy.. I think the idea in the future of macross is to give a message that we are human not just emotionally, but with some divine untapped power we just don't know about similar to the jedi in star wars??) The thing that most shocked me was how in DYRL where you had a guy's head stuck to a ship and controlling it with his brain. I think the zentradi would have easily been ahead in brain control to the humans (which is why the fascination with mind link-up to machines for direct control by general galaxy?) and might have even kept some secrets from the humans, which I think the higher ups may have been paranoid about. There may have been a conspiracy by the aliens to control them with machines? lol (But that's just something I made up based on my own conspiracy theorys and the reaction of zenophobic humans in trusting aliens.) I still think the older generations would have been rascist against zentradi getting too much power because of thier "fighting instincts" and danger they felt about them. ("..you would trust a zentradi halfbreed like Guld?!") I could totally imagine the humans not wanting Zentradi to run the world based on thier destructive nature and so there was some racial tension hidden there. I noticed that Guld was wearing a "Zentradi Jacket", which I think means he's out to prove something that his kind are better than the humans. (the jacket had the Z symbol on it - I wish these existed in real life cause I would buy and wear one!)

I just watched it again: As much as I agree with fans it was a good movie, it's too fairy tale for my tastes. (singing a song to magically make the aliens defect from thier leader? Way too simplified, bordering on the same level as macross II) I really think now that starting halfway into the journey wasn't a good idea imo because anyone who had not seen the series will be missing out on important stuff like the Zentradi's reasons for attacking. And the movie made music the sole saving grace, whereas in the series, music was just feared like anything else as a potential weapon since the zentradi only know war which I think was a more realistic way to handle the culture shock idea. The ancient memory plate idea compressed all the events in the tv series. All the characters who aren't involved in the love triangle are glossed over and some of the ones I wanted to see (Kamjin) aren't there. Also some of the cool things like battles on the surfaces of planets were gone. They could have done some cool stuff with enemy pods fighting vf1s on earth. The series allows the focus to be on the war (and answers a lot of the "HOW?" and "WHY?" things happened) as much as the relationships between the characters. The movie focuses all on the love triangle. (no explanation as to why a huge ship must transform or why they can't escape from the aliens. How easy would it have been for them to put some extra scenes in showing the bridge crew recieving information about damage to the ship?) If you want a good story, with characters who develop and mature over the course of time, watch the series. If you want great animation, and excellent action mech battle scenes, watch the movie. Much easier on the eyes but be prepared to miss out on important lifechanging events to the characters in the tv series. for eg Max's sudden love for milia is so glossed over in the movie it is funny imo. You almost ignore it because it is so brief.

I'm really curious to see these good boots side by side compared with: -crap boots -bandais Are the ones (the boots) shown on http://www.menet.umn.edu/~ngo/macross7.html the same as the crap boots or are they the same as the good boots? (looks to me they are the same as the ebay boots which I assume are the crap ones) If anyone has like close up images that would be good to see. Also be interesting to see the different 19 wing shape etc I think Bandai should reissue the blazer with correct gun pod and printed-on details.

I voted 1/48. I would be happy with an average detail but highly poseable 1/60 (no floppy limbs) because I think it would match with more toys, but if they ever did release a 1/48 I would end up buying it and ignore smaller scale toys. (like with the yamato valks) I think a high detail robust-but-light toy with lots of gimmicks (similar to the way the 1/48 yammie fast packs were done with thier individual removable micro missiles and removable covers) would be awesome if they put the same attention to detail as they did with the yamato 1/48 valkyries. It has to not look like a toy or people will complain like they did with the Qrau. I think though that given that destroids look chunkier than valkyires, that if they do end up using a bigger 1/48 scale that they really gotta put craploads worth of articulation on every single joint (individual fingers on spartan etc) and make those joints strong enough to withstand any pose you could pull off with smaller lighter action figure. (or else the thing is just a statue) Also add heaps of interior details to make the thing the ultimate representation of the destroids they can. I plan on displaying a really high detail destroid next to a GBP armor equiped 1/48 valk so people can see the 2 side by side and admire them more as if they were real high tech vehichles that once existed rather than just action figures. So if the size means more detail than I will ignore smaller scale stuff if the standard of quality is worth the extra cash. Hopefully one day a transformable octos or a cheyenne (with rubber tires) will be made.

That looks nice I want one. Is bandai going to re-release this thing? I can't stand Basara's custom design. What are those bootleg 1/65 valks like? I see them all the time on ebay. I hear though that the blazer isn't accurate and is just a clone of the red fire one.

I recently just bought a 1/65. I would love in future to see a better vf17s that looks more sleek. I find that this mech (not necessarily the toy itself) looks nice in all 3 modes: Fighter, Battroid, and GERWALK and wish there would be some way for yamato to release thier own version. Hopefully when binaltech jets come out they will steal this transformation, and then release a sleeker vf17s as a decepticon or something?

Sorry bout that just having some fun. about the colours of the mars rover images you can get an explanation here.

Please print the Eyeballs on the toy this time so I don't have to use stickers, Yamato.... ya cheapskates! Stickers will peel off in time. A poll should be started called: Should yamato print the eyeballs and un spacy markings?

oops check the last two.. aliens = 'gods' written about in myths. (Nobody knows how the sumerians got so advanced. They mentioned it was given to them by thier gods, the "Annunaki"; which means "those who from heaven to earth came." ) halfhuman/half animal beings = genetic manipulation from advanced race who visited earth humans = exctinct by 2012 from giant zentradi invasion? I think Dr Hasford may have been on to something..

Well folks, time will tell whether the ancients had access to the sumerian stargate and if the legends of rebel god's who gave us humans forbidden knowledge and technology stolen from heaven is true or not: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2982891.stm http://www.rferl.org/features/2002/05/03052002101632.asp http://www.exopolitics.org/Study-Paper2.htm I can see why we really went to war in iraq now: Germans & russians vs US for control of ancient tech. Just like in macross zero there will probably be a competition for control of such technology and we will find out whether this will link our world with the aliens' ones. http://www.dudeman.net/siriusly/ufo/ast.shtml http://mattboggs.com/NotFromThisWorld/ancient%20artwork.htm ^ Maybe kawamori is trying to tell you fans something..

Yes I love my valks skinny and sleek in robot mode to match what they would look like in fighter. Even if the robot in toy form doesn't look beefy to match what the lineart says it should in bot mode pics. From the side on view in fighter mode it looks almost like a super deformed toy. It would be cool if there were small banpresto versions of these. The banpresto cheapies are great to have in various poses on top of a PC monitor.

Actually Misa was pretty jealous of minmay's attractiveness and purposely makes Hikaru go on missions when she could have gotten somebody else to do it. Misa could not open up and if it weren't for claudia telling her to let her feelings be known to hikaru she probably would have gone on scheming to seperate the two in her usual way but at the same time making herself distant. Lisa's jealousy plays as much a part in it as chance imo. You know if it weren't for claudia helping misa to shed her tough exterior and tell her to go with her heart, Hikaru would have been with minmay. She was pretty much sick of kaifun and her career by the end of the series so it would have been one of those fairy tale endings where they lived happily ever after. Meanwhile misa could find a boyfriend who looks just like Riber who isnt a hippy and everything would have gone on as usual.

Thanks, I ended up getting a bandai 1/65 vf17s in the end.

*Bump* Interested in some macross 7 toys. Wanted to know: how do these Bandai 1/65 mac 7 toys compare with their 1/100 transforming models? The models look pretty good in pictures. Are these perfect transformables and what is the poseabilty and detail like in comparison to the toys?

It will be interesting to see how James Cameron handles the Battle Angel Alita movie. Maybe people will start reading the comics and stuff and we will start seeing people trying to one up each other in making successful anime and comic book movies? I always felt that with enough money, passion, talent, care and attention, you can improve upon something without totally destroying the original. People can always look at it as the alternate telling if they want to. And even if it fails, commercially (but succeeds critically) like the old animated transformers movie, so what? I got what I wanted and I'm glad it was made. :-) What have you got to lose? There are many classic movies (blade runner) which I'm glad were made but at the time of showing may not have been understood or liked by many at the time. People have thier own tastes, fears etc and unnecessarily spread them to others as if they could travel into the future and see that things will never get better. As I said I was cynical of cg once, (in the days when it was used badly and stood out like a sore thumb) but am easing up to it.

Even if it's done right? If its done right, then yes I say it should be done. Forget the fans and do it for the sake of keeping macross in the mindspace of the average movie goer who might start to apreciate if they knew something about it. I still say there would be lots of potential in a cg movie but with live face actors controlling the cg puppets. I remember when the first batman movie came out and people had all sorts of complaints but in the end when you compare this to the sequels it stands out as one of the best 'comic hero' movies. I especially like the way the batmobile was handled. Things can be improved it's just that it has to be handled by the right people. I think it's a case of people hating changes. You can't satisfy everyone.

Ok but the difference is you've seen the series so you shouldn't care? Just continue to watch that. Meanwhile people who have not seen the series, and who will NOT watch it because it is old, can enjoy an update with the latest technology applied and with the reimagining of the what the series was about. The goal being to get people who would not watch an old animated series, to go and watch this new movie and appeal to what the masses want without spoiling the original story. Not all newer things are better, but usually when love and care is applied, they can break the limits they were given when that series was made and improve tenfold upon it in areas that mass audiences give a poo about. (ie impressive fx, sound, animation, acting, detail, camerawork, lighting to create a certain mood etc) Compare a modern effort like saving private ryan to older war movies. I think the improvement in sounds was one of the most notable things upon first seeing it. You really feel like you are in a warzone and in there with the soldiers. It's just small details like that that people are impressed with. In terminator 2, the cg was groundbreaking and enough to spend the money to go and see the movie alone. Jurassic park? Same thing. I never read the book, but I felt that because the fx were the main draw, I got my money's worth. I've always taken the assumption that movies are more about entertaining mass audiences not just catering to existing fans. The fans can give advice but the bottom line is always making sure the movie appeals to as many people as possible so that you can make the money off people who wouldn't ordinarily buy the manga or anime. (because these are mediums they do not follow)

My point was people hold predjuidices about the medium. Like they won't bother seeing an old 40s movie in black an white so upgrading everything to be more impressive so that they will watch it, is the the incentive for doing it. When you fork out money to see a sci fi action movie and notice how crap the effects are, you start questioning where your money went. As technology gets better, expectations rise and what was once impressive to you, is pretty average over time. (compare gollum 1 to gollum 2) I didn't really think the original animated version of appleseed was that impressive, even for its time, but the cg version with its realism and 3d models really helps to put you in that creators world because you feel you are right there in there with the characters. Smoother animation also helps the eye to follow the movements in action scenes and note the finer smaller motions that would be missed with choppier animation. Essetnially the story is telling the same thing but the newer updated one is more entertaining. Instead of a static picture of a city, you get camera panning over the city and rotating as if it were real. Instead of detail-infested linedrawing of the mechs, you see those things shaded in reliastically with effects that help you to visualise the object in space. Small details like that. In the context of macross, what I would love to see is hundreds of cg mechs instead of only the 1 or 2 at a time like you see in the tv series, macross zero, or macross plus. Also dramatic camera pans, roatations, 3d zooms and focusing on different depths can help draw you into the action scenes as if it were all real. Because it is a 20 year old series, those who never got to see the tv series could enjoy what the story was about without having to watch old animated versions.

Because the animation in sdf:macross was pretty choppy when it was made. You can do a lot more with today's technology with less hassle. Imagine an epic sweeping battle like that seen in empire strikes back, but with cg mechs and silky smooth animation, but with a touch of realism as opposed to pastel colours and black lines associated with cartoons? Take Gollum for example. He looked real to me that I was no longer cynical of cg anymore and the technology got to a level that it would make doing things like say, having thousands of soldiers fighting in the background, much much easier. Apply those thousands of soldiers in lotr with armies of zentradi battle pods and vf1s in battroid mode shooting them down in the darkness of space with realistic lighting, convincing actors, but with no sacrifices. A celsahded 3d model of a MKII Monster animated with realistic movement and weight is no different to a handdrawn one in the long run right? When making a movie it should appeal to as many people as possible not just fans of the comic or anime. It has to impress them with fx, good acting, and story. The goal should be to get people who are not familiar with the story or content to watch it but at least make it worth forking money over for.

I say cel shaded cg with anime 'face actors' (ala lotr gollum) is the best. We are reaching a point now where it's hard to tel the difference (see final fantasy spirits within) and imo you need cg to attract people who may not have an interest in anime in general. If you present a story from an anime without the audience knowing or caring that it is based on anime or comics then you can pimp the movie to the masses easier. I know that friends of mine who don't like anime or watch it, sometimes get turned off by the fact that a movie is actually based on characters from comics or anime as they tend to look down on 'this scene' as just some sort of fad that people are cashing in on. (forgeting that the story itself and what it has to say just might be good enough and on the strength of that alone, the movie is worth seeing) But there is one thing that needs to be integrated from anime and comics and that is the ability to create exciting action scenes and stuff you wouldn't see in real life. When akira first came out, one of the things that I loved was the way in which characters could do insane poo that you wouldn't see even stuntmen do in real life. They would want to translate that energy into the movie to wow the people who expect Macross plus-like dogfights and action scenes. Too much realism and no style or personal touches added to the movies action sequences can really spoil a fans impressions. Live action has limits, cg can solve those and make doing some things easier and cheaper. (imagine in a mech battle for example where you want to create the impression of thousands of mini dogfights in space on an epic scale. Much easier to have a program like what they used in lotr for the random sword swings, and apply this randomness of behaviour to battroids engaged in some one-on-one gun fights) The only thing is when cg starts to look half assed and fake. It gets a bad rap sometimes because of the fakeness seen in star wars ep1 (the fake cg cities) and when people know they are going to see a movie only for the fx, and those fx tend to suck, they will rate the movie low because of this. Mac Zero imo did a good job of translating realism in movements to the cg, that you almost didn't care if it was real or cg. Now, taken to the next level, and put it in space, with enemy pods and Qraus ...that would be awesome. (but scrap the "hand drawn" anime faces in macross zero, and instead use LOTR/Appleseed face actors with realistic "FF:Spririts Within" models) The thing I most want to see is a Max vs Milia cg mech battle done in the style of macross Zero but with ten times more detail than what you see in the tv series, (have tons of CG micromissiles all over the place with max dodging through them all) and a sense of believability to the way those things move around as if they were real vehicles with thier own sense of weight. With matrix style camera rotations and close ups and zoom outs to look at the battle from far away they can play around and have some flexibility with cg without offending the fans of hand drawn animation. With enough money put behind it they could depict hundreds of mechs fighting in the background on an epic scale like a war movie, rather than a just a few pilots like in mac zero.

Can't wait for the floating rocks and ancient flying birdhumans.