SpacyAce2012

Close friends do this, as well. And the fact that Mylene was as young as she was, may have also had something to do with this. The "Kid Sister" angle, as it were. It should be noted that Veffidas and Ray were also on the overprotective side, when it came to Mylene. The entire band, for the most part, was there for her. Not just Basara. And in most of the instances where Mylene was bailed out of trouble, the band as a whole, was involved. Except in cases of potential, extreme danger, Basara seemed largely indifferent to Mylene's situation. Not the actions of one with romance in their heart, regardless of how cool and reserved they supposedly are. It should be noted that Basara, without thinking, saved Gamlin's butt in spectacular ways. Gamlin was the first among the military to truly understand what Basara was doing (and was moved by Basara's music). Thus, a friendship formed between the two. This reinforces the fact that friends can go out of their way to help each other in dire need. That's because Ray and Veffidas were more mature, gave it their all, and put their hearts into it. Mylene was just starting out, was young, and had far more potential than she realized. And she wasn't truly passionate about the music itself. She was more concerned about the fame, their fans,the buisness end, and the band's future itself. Basara was in it for the music alone and moving people's hearts with his song. Thus, his laid-back attitude regarding the band's career, concert opportunitiues, and recording contracts. It was also a case of Basara seeing Mylene's gift (one as potent as his own), and pushing her to realize it. Much like a master teacher in a given discipline urging on a gifted student. Mylene's lack of conviction regarding the music itself, and Basara's seeming disregard for the band's future, was the main source of conflict between the two. And this made eventual personality conflicts between the two far worse. This frequently happens in Real Life bands. So, this is nothing unusual. And nothing unusual for close friends with conflicting personalities, or a competitive/adversarial relationship. And for the record, Basara and Ray did have their disagreements. Just not as childish as the fights between Basara and Mylene. See my comments regarding rock bands and close friends above. I'll add that close friends are usually like family. And family members will frequently argue. I think there was some attraction there. But it was also a matter of Sivil being moved at some level by Basara's songs, and thus drawn to him for more than Spiritia (or being similar to her ancient enemy). And Basara was drawn to her due his desire to get through to her heart with his song. It was even more imperitive since she was an enemy alien, and Basara wanted his songs be a means of communication (touch hearts and end conflicts-much like Lynn Minmay). I can agree with this. I have to disagree with this. While Basara had his moody periods, he was largely an extrovert. His tendency to showboat and show-off was an indication of this. He was an energetic stage performer and seemed to be empowered by the reaction of his audience. He got along well with kids. His comical rapport with Millia. His growing bond with Gamlin. His friendship with Rex and her gang. His close, brotherly-like, relationship with Ray. The apparent understanding between him and Veffidas. The adversarial relationship with Mylene. He and Gubaba were instant buddies. And there are other indications that he was largely a "people person" outside of the main series. I agree with the first part. They moved each other's hearts with their songs. And I agree that there was attraction. However, I wouldn't call a 40+ ft. tall woman puckering up for a kiss (only to be interrupted), not actually acting on it. Once again, I have to disagree. For the reasons I pointed earlier in this post. Basara had no problem expressing himself. He proved that many times in the series. But I will concede that he may have been clueless when it came to how women felt toward him. But even I have my doubts about that. He seemed to realize that Mylene had feelings for Gamlin, and may have sensed that Rex had feelings for him. If he had a notion that Mylene had romantic feelings toward him (and it's a strong possibility), he didn't appear interested in pursuing them. Just as he didn't appear interested in pursuing a relationship with Rex. Basara was anything but the "strong,silent" type. He was indeed strong, determined, and focused. But emotions were very much what Basara Nekki was all about. Without the passion, you can't move hearts. And he had that passion in spades. He also had a tendency for emotional outbursts and rudeness. He thumbed his nose up at authority. All against what would be considered traditional Japanese norms. If anything, Basara Nekki was more akin to the stereotypical Western "rock n' roll rebel", with a heavy dose of idealism thrown in for good measure.

I never saw anything that would indicate that Basara looked at Mylene as anything more than a friend, "student", and/or fellow band member. Mylene, on the other hand, demostrated (what could be interpreted as) romantic feelings for both men. Some sources have Basara as being in his early '20s. And there is some contradiction in the official timeline (calculating from the age of entrance in the Spacy), and the printout Millia gave Mylene in the series, in regards to Gamlin's age. I think you hit the nail squarely on the head with this one. I am in firm agreement. It could be explained away in the original series (story-wise) as being due to the manpower shortage. But in later series, like Macross 7? The anime "youth worship"/ "appealing to young people" angle is the only one, since there isn't much story-wise to explain it. It should be noted that the main characters in Macross Plus were somewhat older ("Twenty-Somethings"), which was something of a break with the teeny-bopper trend in Macross. Millia Fallyna was only chronologically 15. Biologically, she was a full-grown Zentraedi female. The Zents aren't raised from childhood. They are manufactured. So, I assume that she was "born" as an adult. And early marriage isn't really that weird today,in the real world. In the past, it wasn't unusual. Nor is it so in some cultures. And of course, there is the matter of teens getting married (due to pregnency) in some western cultures. Such marriges tend not to last,however.

I always thought that Gamlin was just hallucinating (due to the emotional turmoil over his subordinate's death), and the guy in question was Physica. Gamlin just couldn't bring himself to approach her, and inform the young widow of Physica's KIA status. So, he ran off. I always interpreted that scene as a demostration of Gamlin's emotional/human side. It was important as far as his development as a character goes. It revealed that the character was more than just a stereotypical hero fighter jock, or the stuffed-shirt military type, typically seen in anime. But I may be wrong.

Tell 'em, brother!

Uhmmm...no. No issues here. Just expressing my dislike of a character meant to be disliked. Since his name came up in regards to Shao Pai Loon............................... Occasional Kaifun-bashing is one of my many little quirks that pop up in Macross related discussions.

Everything looks good on my end, when visiting the site. The only oddball thing I see is the occasional question mark, in some words, where a letter should be.

Indeed.

I was under the impression that if the discs had minor cracks, playing them regularly will make the cracks worse. I have long since removed my discs from the cases and have them stored in a secure CD/DVD soft case. After reading (and posting) on this thread, I went back and re-inspected my discs (I haven't looked at them in a while). Volume 1 definitely has a small V-shaped crack in the hub, that I didn't notice the last time I viewed it several months ago (and to think I try to be extra careful with ALL of my DVDs). I suppose I'm screwed anyway. Thus, that repackaged deal is starting to look very tempting right now.

Lynn Kaifun was a self-righteous hypocrite. And a coward who didn't take responsibilty for his actions. Too bad a Regult didn't step on him. Or a U.N. forces Spartan. That would have been poetic justice right there. The military provided for him while he was on the Macross. Military personnel bled for the likes of him. The military funded the movie he agreed to star in (and made him some money and bought him quiet a bit of fame). And yet, his rants got progressively more venomous. Starting with the usual peacenik stuff and evolving into pure hate directed at the military(and military personnel). And his true colors? A self-centered, materialistic yahoo who mistreated Minmay, disdained her fanbase, worshipped money, and became an aggressive drunk. At least Minmay,selfish as she was, understood the situation they were in during the post-war period. That people were trying to survive and rebuild. That money wasn't the most important thing during those days. Kaifun, despite his high-minded rhetoric in the past, didn't see it that way. I found him to be as dispicable as Gorg Bodolzaa or Kamjin Kravshera. Probably more so, since the two Zentraedi villans were up-front with their actions. Kaifun was the type for "puttin' on airs", as they say here at home.

I had seen this on these boards. However, are these the runs where cracking was an issue? Most of my Animego discs look OK. But on a couple, there is what may be the beginning of hub cracks. But the issue has me more than a little worried for my collection. The total amount I paid for the three boxed sets was pretty steep, for something I can't watch when I want to because of these concerns. Should I sink an additional forty bucks into something that has a good chance of not lasting?

I've seen most of the Muh-cross dub, myself. So, I can safely agree with the critics on this thread. I seriously doubt, however, that they f***ed it up on purpose (I rarely use extreme language on these boards, but any discussion of "The Muh-cross Dub" seriously warrants it). ADV seems to have a natural talent, in that regard, without really realizing it. The very first dub from this company I saw was Neon Genesis Evangelion (on VHS). I was too absorbed in the story/concepts to do a critical analysis of the dubbing quality, which at the time didn't seem bad. In fact, it was far better than the Manga Patlabor Movie dubs (1 and 2-I still cringe when watching them, to this very day). After having seen other ADV dubs (besides the various rehashes of Evangelion), and seen some subtitled versions of those same dubs, I've come to the conclusion that ADV's dubs tend to be somewhat inferior, to some of the others out there. And in my opinion, "The Muh-cross Dub" really takes the cake, when compared to other ADV dubs I've seen. In other words, it was a major cluster-f**k. And an insult to Macross fans. But with Harmony Gold USA involved, I wasn't expecting great things from a dubbed Macross release, in the first place. And my predictions proved correct in the end. Macross + Harmony Gold involvement + ADV (Atrociously Dubbed Videos) = Crapola Subsitute any company with ADV, and the formula will work out the same. If I can find somebody local to burn copies of my Animego discs, then I won't waste my money on the ADV release. If not, then I won't have much choice in the matter. Just a few thoughts on the subject.

Very nice work on the site. I'm eager to see the Macross Mecha Manual continue to grow.

For some odd reason Hurin, the problem took care of itself. Just logged on with Firefox, and "Shazam!", there is my new avatar clear as day. Technology is weird. If you wish to close this thread, go for it. And thanks to everybody for the help......and the reminiscences.

Who's this Rick guy you mention? Oh, that's right! Hikaru's evil twin! (just kidding )

That would all depend on Big West, as well.

I think Mr. March hit the nail squarely on the head in regards to weaponry. But I would like to expand on that a bit. It is entirely possible that certain concepts in anti-armor ammunition, proven on various battlefields of Pre-Fall Earth, were incorporated into so-called "anti-giant" weapon systems. Examples would be HEAT, Sabot, KE penetrators, etc. Just "tweaked" to compensate for what was known about advanced alien metallurgy. Starting from what you know, and working from proven concepts, is a wise course of action. As for the materials on the VFs, I always assumed that the VF-1s were manufactured using super-tough (and light weight) OT materials. Makes sense, since breakthroughs in materials chemistry occured early on, and it's implied that such was incorporated into the F-203 Dragon II (the Valkyrie's predecessor as the main fighter in U.N. service) I not entirely sure on the VF-0. My take on that was, since it was a test-bed (not intended for general service or mass production), it was built using the strongest/most durable aerospace-grade materials available to Earth science (pre-Fall). That way, costs would be kept down and they could be made readily available/manufactured quickly for testing. The VF program appeared to be falling behind schedule due to problems with the new engines. And judging by the frantic pace in development/deployment of new systems from 2001-2009, the rampant paranoia regarding alien invasion was still high. Thus, such delays were unacceptable and a "quickie" VF test-type to iron out the bugs would be a welcome alternative. I'm also guessing that this was the rationale behind the private venture that produced the SV-51. Then there was the continuing activities by the (still very dangerous) Anti-United Nations elements, despite the "official" end of the U.N. Wars (as evident in Macross Zero). The U.N. Forces would have wanted any edge they could get to counter this problem. Hence, another reason it was combat capable. The use of more conventional materials in the VF-0 would explain the need for the SWAG system (not to mention, an ample oppurtunity to test such a system). Normal aerospace composites/metals, in all likelyhood, wouldn't have held up to the constant strain of the VF's radical structural transformations, Battroid/GERWALK operations, or "mecha style" combat. SWAG would be the solution to such a problem. It would also make conventional material more resistant against conventional/advanced munitions. But this is all based on the assumption that the VF-0 didn't use (or fully utilize) OT materials. Even if it did, the use of SWAG would be an excellent means to make the unit even harder to kill. Just a few thoughts on the matter. While Macross is a work of fiction, it's still an enjoyable excercise to speculate on possibilities.

An excellent bit of reasoning on this thread. However, I have one minor nitpick. The F203 Dragon II, a conventional fighter incorporating some early breakthroughs in deciphering OT, was designed in 2001. And formally adopted as the U.N.'s main fighter in 2003 (active service). The "Battroid"/VF program didn't get started until 2002, too early for a ready prototype to fly-off against the F203. In any case, the non-transforming testbed (VF-X) and transforming prototype (VF-X-1) hadn't completed their design phase until 2005. And the first flight didn't occur until Feb. 2007. The VF-X-2 would also be too early in the development phase for a fly-off against the F-203. And it was intended as competition against the VF-X-1 proposal in any case. Not the F-203 program, since a transforming design was going to replace it eventually anyway. So there was no VF prototype available for a fly-off against the Dragon II that early in the game. Factoring in the use of old, refurbished aircraft from the member states ( the F-14 Tomcat, for example), and relative quickness the Dragon II went from drawing board to active duty, it's a good chance that the F203 had no competeing designs for that particular contract.

I thought he was, despite the Japanese name. With the "Great Genetic Bingo Lottery" (a term I picked up from a Battletech novel back in the day) that post-Space War Earth was, I wouldn't be suprised if he was black (Islander or African descent), but ethnically Japanese (comes from a predominately Japanese family). As for Ray Lovelock, I figured he was from a black American background. But for some strange reason, American Indian pops into my head everytime I see Ray in the series.

That would be an interesting bit of symbolism. Not to mention, very fitting.

I agree with Mr. March. The U.N. Spacy/Forces emblem would be a nice choice. Not to mention fairly unique. I have a cousin (whom I no longer associate with, the bastard), whose upper body is covered with many of those cliched tatoos that Mr. March speaks of. While the ink work was well done, I thought many of the choices were "fad-ish). But don't give up on your quest to find a decent example of the emblem, Oihan. If you want something different, it would be well worth it.

"Holy Lonely Night" was one of the best Fire Bomber tracks in the whole series. I agree that Captain Kinryuu(sp?) was an interesting character. His death was also one of the more heroic in the series.

To each their own, brother. Would you like me to start singing "Planet Dance" for you right now? By the way, welcome to the madhouse (aka Macross World Forums).

Yeah. Hangovers are a b*tch.

Well, considering I was attempting to discuss, rather than debate........... Keith's feelings on Macross II are, indeed, well known to me. While I don't agree with them, I do respect his opinion (and wouldn't think of even attempting to change his mind. He's pretty passionate). Myself, I enjoy all of the Macross releases to date. And while I have my nitpicks/gripes regarding each series, I would watch all of them again (and I do, when I get the urge to do so). So, I suppose that makes me one thing: A CONSUMER WHORE!!! HUZZAH!!! And damned proud of it! EDIT: This makes for some good sig material, this new self realization.

I am indeed running Firefox 2.0.1. Without customizations. So, I'll give it a shot. If it doesn't work, I'll just use my Internet "Exploder" to log on to these boards.