sketchley

I can't comment on all possibilities, but one I grasped from the way the movie is presented is the aspect of the relationship between the creator and what was created. Throughout the movie, we have David, and his relationship with his human creators that created him. Specifically how the majority of them treat him terribly. So, it's no surprise how the humanoid "creator" reacts with disdain to the humans (his race's creation) when they confront him. I think there's a line in the movie that answers your question (at least in-universe), directed at David when he asks why he was made in the human form: "to make him easier to interact with". As a creator, I think the human form is much easier for the viewer to emphasize with than an "alien" form. As a fan of Macross, I'm sure you can appreciate how much more relatable the Zentradi are, as opposed to say the Vajra. So, there's also that creative reason for the change from an "unhuman elephant man" to an emotionally expressive humanoid.

There are 2 key parts: ① "The nickname of the Zentraadi groups that didn't make peace with the Earthlings." This covers the ones like Kamujin, who lived on Earth for a spell, but ultimately resumed their conflict with Earthlings. ②" They are specified as such groups as the (...)" This is a translation of the Japanese particle や, which means "an incomplete list". Ergo, the 2 examples indicated in Macross Chronicle are not the only ones referred to as "Lost Zentradi". Perhaps there's a disconnect between your brand of English's definition of "peace" (or "make piece" in your words ), and the Japanese definition of "peace"? What was that title of ST:Disco episode? Context is for kings? The Worldguide 10A article refers to Zentradi pre-human contact. As I've pointed out again and again, the Lost Zentradi term isn't limited to pre-human contact Zentradi. I fully agree that the pre-human contact Zentradi are incapable of producing their own goods. However, that's not the point that I'm arguing: some of the Lost Zentradi groups—the ones who have come into contact with Earthlings—are producing their own goods, and one of them is the Battle Suit seen at the beginning of the Macross Plus OVA series. The other point (which has gotten lost somewhere along the way) is that the background of the Quadoran-Nona was conflated with the background of M+'s Battle Suit.

Yes. The #1 section details the countries affected by the "EMS and Airmail" suspension. The #2 section details the countries affected by "All postal items" suspension. So, if I'm understanding it correctly, if one's country is in list #1, one could conceivably still receive surface mail. Incidentally, there's also a note that countries that have been added this time to the list released on 04/10 are indicated with bold & underlined text. Canada is on neither list, USA and the US Virgin Islands has been added to list #1.

Macross Chronicle defines the Lost Zentradi as: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/MCRglossary/Glossary17a.php So, while the term includes all Zentradi Fleets that have yet to encounter humankind, it also includes Zentradi like Kamujin, who left after attempting—and ultimately failing—to adjust to life on Earth. And is it not logically possible that some of those Zentradi would have received training in how to make new things? SDFM even depicts those Zentradi having learned how to make repairs to spaceships and constructing buildings and so on after only a few short months of having lived on Earth... Not to mention the Lost Zentradi main fleet in MDM:VF-X that created such things as the Rigado Kai (aka Stealth Regult), and Pheyos Valkyrie.

Isn't that the description for the Quadoran-Nona? Didn't Macross Chronicle or something similar indicate that they were produced by the Lost Zentradi*? * http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/Glossary.php#L —the (in-universe?) name for the Zentradi survivors of the Bodoru Main Fleet who fled after the end of the decisive battle of the First Interstellar War, know of Earth, but never sided with Earth.

Indeed! If memory serves, Kawamori himself said that the GERWALK form is akin to a "heavy attack helicopter". So we get: Fighter mode: air superiority GERWALK mode: ground attack/support combat helicopter Battroid mode: ground infantry Not to mention the in-universe treatment of Valkyries as something somewhere between used cars (occasionally souped up for racing) and old WWII aircraft sold off as surplus!

We'll have to wait until Kawamori gets around to naming it. Alas, that probably means never, and it joins the list of other designated, but unnamed Valkyries: VF-X-2 VF-X-3 VF-X-4 VF-5 VF-6 VF-7 VF-15 VF-16 YF-24 (note: distinct from the YF-24 Evolution) VF-24 Sv-51 We could also add to the list the ones that are described, but not really named or designated: Variable Police Air Patrol Craft Variable Police Space Patrol Craft Variable Ground Police Patrol Craft

Alright, now that I'm finished work, I can revise this properly: Inspired by real aircraft: VF-1 (XB-70 Valkyrie) VF-4 (P-38 Lightning*) VA-3 (A-26 Invader) VF-3000 (F-8 Crusader) VF-5000 (Star Mirage play on the Dassault Mirage) VF-11 (P-47 Thunderbolt) VF-22 (Sturmvogel nickname of the Me 262 fighter-bomber**) VF-14 (de Havilland Vampire) VF-17 (Nightmare a play on the F-117's name: Nighthawk) Sv-262 Draken (Me 262 AND Saab 35 Draken***!) * interestingly, it was named "Lightning III" before the F-35 was named Lightning II! ** Schwalbe is the nickname of the fighter version—which is also the name for the VF-22HG Schwalbe Zwei. *** the names of the Sv-262's drones "Lilldraken" is also the nickname for the Saab 210 (a sub-scale test aircraft). The sword series: VF-9 Cutlass VF-19 Excalibur VF-19EF Caliburn VF-19ACTIVE Nothung YF-29 Durandal (though the YF-29B is named Perceval) Sv-154 Svard (Swedish surname; means sword) The Messiah series ("Messiah" is essentially a fan-submitted contest entry), in order of RL appearance: VF-25 Messiah VF-27 Lucifer YF-25 Prophecy YF-25 Paladin Pack YF-27-5 Shahar (god of the dawn, with Lucifer (Helel bin Shahar) being the son of the Dawn) The time series (Greek gods of time): YF-30 Chronos VF-31 Kairos Mythological/Legendary/Religious series: VF-1 Valkyrie, VF-1P Freya, VF-14 Vampire, VF-17 Nightmare , VF-19 Excalibur, VF-19EF Caliburn, VF-19ACTIVE Nothung, YF-29 Durandal, YF-29B Perceval), VF-31 Siegfried*, and Sv-262 Drakken (Drakken translates as "dragon"). * Wikipedia says "Siegfried is a German language male given name, composed from the Germanic elements sig "victory" and frithu "protection, peace". The name is medieval and was borne by the legendary dragon-slayer also known as Sigurd. It did survive in marginal use into the modern period, but after 1876 it enjoyed renewed popularity due to Wagner's Siegfried." The odd ones: VF-0 Phoenix (most likely named for both in-universe story reasons and the real life re-imaging of the VF-1) VT-1 Ostrich (named after its shape?) SDP-1 Stampede Valkyrie VAB-2 Wraith VF-3/VF-X3 Star Crusader VF-3000B Bomber Valkyrie (named after... its mission role?) VB-6 Konig Monster (named after the Destroid and the in-universe designer) YF-24 Evolution (named for what it did to VF technological development/progression) Pheyos Valkyrie (AKA: EVA/Enemy Valkyrie) Sv-52/SV-52γ Oryol

The more I learn of the meanings of the names that Kodachi Ukyou* selected, the more and more I'm blown away by his work. * For those that don't know: he's the writer behind the Macross the Ride novels, and quickly went on to other big Macross writing projects (pretty much involved in everything from Macross 30 and beyond).

You've hit on a couple of the naming themes already. <snip> revised version of list posted below:

I saw a show on Discovery a long, long while back about the German Air Force stripping down retired F-4 Phantoms for parts that could be reused in other aircraft. The removal of the ejector seat (and presumably the installation of one) seemed pretty straightforward. However, it was also the most dangerous—until the specialists removed (or rendered inert) the priming explosives that initiate the ejection from the aircraft. Oddly, it was the removal of the outer wing (the part that cants upwards) required the most sweat and tears. The long rod in the joint apparently wasn't meant to be removed...

Maybe it's a direct translation from French? (as in they just Googled the translation...) Or maybe the writer's watched a few too many James Bond movies, and the part that's getting lost in translation is that it's the pilot who did the ejecting.

I can't say about the other 6 prefectures with the emergency declaration, but Osaka Prefecture is not business as usual. Aside from the latest addition to the restrictions (see my post just before this one), a lot of companies are either getting their employees to work from home, or just telling them to stay at home. So, if social distancing means "stay at home, don't go out unless you really need to", then yes, it's happening. If it means strict rules to "keep 2 m/6 ft away from people)", then no, it's not happening.

It really depends where you are. Today the Osaka Prefectural office released the following (pdf format): http://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/attach/38112/00000000/0413EN Request to Osaka Residents.pdf http://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/attach/38112/00000000/(EN)Emergency Measures of Osaka Prefecture.pdf Source: http://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/kikaku/corona-kinkyuzitai/index.html

I'm really enjoying the work being put into this. I agree with Pengbuzz: I think it needs one, maybe two more layers.

Correction: it's not a black hole. It's a "dark hole".

I agree with this—especially about a series set in the "great blank space" between SDFM and M+/M7—however, I disagree with the part about creating new alien mecha with an alien civilization. In short, it'd be like Star Trek Enterprise and Discovery, or Macross Zero, with tech that appears more advanced occurring earlier in the timeline. However, I'm all for it if it happens after Delta. Would that make it great granny Admiral Claudia?

Specifically, no. Indirectly... they travelled to the center of the galaxy and this happened: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/OTother/MinmeiLastMessage.php

I'm with Seto Kaiba on this one. We also got to see a "what happened to ...?" story with Max and Miria. And we all know how that turned out (Macross 7). Not to mention the story changes necessitated by the modern age. Mikimoto-san started to dabble with that in Macross the First with the introduction of smart phones... but never got around to addressing how that affected things like Ichijo sneaking out to use a pay phone to call Minmei, or that robot Polaroid camera that invokes much needed humour.

I get what you're trying to say in a general sense (in that the arms/shoulders are on a swing-bar), but I disagree that it is closely modelled on the VF-9. In short: wings: VF-9 wrap around to form the torso. Sv-262: hanging off the back legs/engine nacelles: VF-9 under the fuselage. Sv-262 on the sides (forming the wing roots/part of the lifting body) arms: VF-9 has them folded up in-line under the fuselage (between the engine nacelles). Sv-262: folded up 3/4 in-line, 1/4 in parallel, above and below the central fuselage (between the engine nacelles). In addition: while the components of the right arm remain straight in Fighter, the left forearm folds in-half above and below the fuselage centre line (while shoulders are on opposite ends on the VF-9 [fist to fist], on the Sv-262 it's essentially the opposite [shoulders to shoulder]). nose: becomes the groin in the VF-9. Becomes the head turret in the Sv-262. engine intakes: become the upper legs in the VF-9. Become the chest in the Sv-262. There are other differences, too (and I'm sure one could rewrite what I described more accurately, too). Nevertheless, while the transformation mechanism shares some common characteristics, they are fundamentally different.

That's exactly what happened to mine! I tried the fix that Pengbuzz recommended above years ago when it happened. It more or less works. The trouble was fishing the pegs out from inside the torso (I think I ended up just pushing them out, and they're somewhere in the torso still! )

I had something similar happen to mine... with the shoulders. >.< The plastic in these kits hasn't aged well...

Yes, you are correct! It really depends on the glue. For example, your advice pertains to gel or jelly like glue. Super glue (and other "instant" type cynoacrylates) require a lot of ventilation (and can never be used on clear parts). So, I'll clarify about the glue I'm referring to: liquid modelling cement* for polystyrene plastics. * Like the Tamiya Cement bottles in the "Gluing parts" section here: https://www.tamiya.com/english/scale/beginner2/1.htm There's another good way to check where you need to apply glue to both surfaces: dry fitting the parts together to check for gaps in the seams. Of course, dry fitting isn't recommended for unmodified snap-together kits (E.g. most Gundam kits), but it's fairly easy to snip off the tabs, etc. and turn one of those into a kit that needs to be glued. As for beauty aisle products... I'm glad I live near a Daiso, as they have a range of high quality products for a low price. Nevertheless, I've found things like (eyelash) tweezers and cotton ear buds great for placing stickers & decals (among other things), cotton makeup squares for cleaning the excess liquid from washes off (cotton buds with a bit of water for the fine details and weathering once the wash dries), and clear nail polish for adding volume to ball joints that have become loose (I haven't found a regular use for nail polish remover, but I'm sure a fellow MWer can recommend something. ) Speaking of placing stickers... another tip from a Japanese modelling magazine: dip the sticker in water, and use that little bit of beaded water it picks up to let you finely place the sticker on the kit. Then carefully roll a cotton earbud (or toothpick) over it to squeeze out any remaining water to permanently set the sticker.

Speaking of painting... it's like 90% prep work. One trick I picked up from Japanese modelling magazines is putting your modelling glue on both surfaces to be glued, then squeezing the parts together hard enough that some of the melted plastic starts to get squeezed out of the gap between the parts—thereupon you hold for the requisite 30 seconds (or whatever the directions say) and leave it to dry. That technique has eliminated something like 90% of the gaps in the seam lines I normally get. And I think everyone here will agree that it is much easier to remove things from a kit (like that newly formed seam-line flash) then it is to add things back on (like putty filler, etc.) When it comes to sanding... one thing fellow MWers taught me was to use things from the beauty aisle. For sanding, the stick-like fingernail files/polishers are a godsend. Not only are they cheap, they're also very easy to use, and come in some really fine grits for getting a near-perfect surface to your kits. The blush brushes are also really good for removing dust (especially from all the nooks and crannies) pre-painting.

I know you're joking, but... That fiber optic kit is combining a pair of skill sets that need to be developed over time: modelling, and electronics. I've seen some MWers with mindbogglingly great modelling skills humbled by—what is for some—simple wiring/soldering (and vice-versa). Nevertheless, some art tips that are also applicable to modelling: learn to hide your mistakes—everyone makes mistakes, however, good artists know how to make them look deliberate (or present things in ways that don't draw attention to the mistakes) the 70/30 rule: spend 70% of your time on the 30% that people are going to focus on (as modellers tend to be perfectionists, this is probably the harder tip ) So, yes, it probably doesn't matter what you start working on, however, some kits are infinitely easier (and cheaper!) than others. I recommend the Gundam kits: they're relatively cheap, are molded in the mecha's primary colours, and require a minimum of panel lining and decals/stickers. How far you want to take it from there (spot paints and trimming the antenna to scratch-built limbs and full resprays) is up to you.