What is your opinion of Macross frontier??

[505thAirborne]

Hope theres room for one more Macross frontier opinion or discussion thread!!!

Hey guys, Just wanted to know what everyone's opinion of Macross Frontier is so far? Its been a long time since the original TV series debuted and the Macross DYRL movie, plus the other series in between, But so far from what i have seen on Youtube and www.veoh.com This series is really enjoyable, the Vajra is a fascinating enemy so far as to what it is or where it comes from... The animation is top notch and the music is really good. Usually by now with most new Anime series (I'm an old school kinda guy) they would have had me saying "Done!" by now, but this is one I really want to keep watching. The VF-25 is awesome and the revamped VF-17's with the VE-1 type equipment are awesome.

So far the Vajra enemy/aliens reminds a bit of the original Gunbuster series, I know were talkin Macross here, but its the best other OVA series out there and example. So far I am not stuck with a million questions like Evangelion and no answers, though that series did kick ass too.

Any how, what do you guys think, pro's, con's, positives & negatives???!!!!

[Gubaba]

Isn't it a little early for a "Frontier as a whole" thread...? We're still hashing it out episode by episode...

[Heron]

I like it. Overall I think the team has done everything right with setting, music, character and plot. I love all the homages as well as all the risks it has taken. The use of Vajra and other Hindu mythology elements makes for an interesting show. I too am looking forward to learning who and/or what is controlling them, what their intentions are and what impact they will have on NUNS.

The only con I can think of is the jumpy animation and to me that isn't even that big of a negative so long as the animation does not look worse than SDF:M.

[taksraven]

I am really enjoying the "mystery" of the show so far. I just hope that as the show goes on and secrets are revealed that they don't turn out to be too mundane or predictable.

I also think that up until this point the Vajra has been a kickarse enemy. Powerful and deadly, like they should be.

The combat scenes have been spectacular, the CGI has been awesome and so far they have blended it well with the 2D animation style.

The music has been stunning as well, both orchestral and the j-pop/rock.

If the effort on this series is maintained, it should continue to go well.

Taksraven

[azrael]

Polls have indicated so far that response to the show have been positive. But we are still quite a ways from declaring this a hit or a sinker.

[DestroidDefender]

I'm feeling pretty stoked about the show so far. I'm a big Star Trek:The Original Series fan. After the the Star Trek Animated series none of the following shows have really felt like new episodes of "my" original Star Trek. It's the same for me with Macross though none of the Macross sequels have disappointed me as much as Star Trek Voyager for example. But Frontier is different. I'm getting a really good vibe so far. Things are quite similar in theme to SDF:Macross but incorporating some of best things about Macross:7.

I really look forward to each weeks new episode - much more than anything currently on North American tv.

[Mr March]

Like any show, even a beloved one, there is always the chance it could go sour. I'm as prepared for disappointment as I can be, but I don't have any reasons to think the worst so far. I'm loving Macross Frontier and I'm going to see the show out through to the end. If Macross Frontier can avoid the trap of going for the cheap way out, it'll wrap up nicely. Here's hoping for the best

Edited May 12, 2008 by Mr March

[kanedaestes]

I am really feelin the show right now. I haven't been this amped for a show in a long time. Hopefully the keep up with how everything is flowing so far and not drop off and some point. That would be disappointing but then again as long as i see valks in action i am in heaven. (with the exception of Macross 7 lol)

[Holocause]

Just the fact that at this point in time, if you're a Macross fan, its great to be alive! Its been so long since a Macross series was in the air (I don't count M7 cos at the time of release it wasn't easily accessible to peeps outside Japan) and to be able to follow it on a weekly basis as it progresses. Wether the series eventually excells or tanks is irregardless to the fact that for now, Macross fans have a Macross series to watch every week. I'll be really sad when the series finally ends in a few months time cos that would mean another void for who know how long. Right now I'm just soaking up the moment and enjoying the ride.

[Sergorn]

I freaking love it, and I think it really could become the best Macross series ever.

Admitingly sure, it could go wrond and end up being disspointed, we have 20 episodes left after all. But *shrugs* I have faith in Kawamori. He never dissapointed me before, so I have confidence Macross Frontier will major butt right up till the end

-Sergorn

[Project Phoenix]

I was disappointed with SK twice. First with Arjuna and then with Aquarion. But so far on Frontier he did a good job. I hope he keeps it up.

[Morpheus]

I'm quite happy with MF now (up to ep.6 and the incoming ep.7). The music and BGM are brilliant (thanks to Yoko Kanno), the love rivalry begins to heat up. Not to mention the new ships they introduced on the series, I can wait to see the Galaxy fleet and the Vajra fleet.

[VFTF1]

I think Macross Frontier was becoming the best Anime series since SDF M, but then they just totally dropped the ball as soon as it was revealed that brain-washed Care Bears were piloting the Vajra, and that Ranka's songs inspired them to "come out of their crab shells" so to speak.

Also, I kind of lost interest when Alto and Skull Squadron started shouting "Let the light shine!" every time they hit a Vajra.

Finally - when Serpentor turns out to be the elader in control of the Vajra, and the Vajra start each attack run with "CO-bra-la-lalalalalalalalal!!!" then that is the point where the show just ...well... stopped being interesting.

On the plus side - the first five episodes were really good.

VFTF1

[kanedaestes]

That is just too funny, I miss Serpentor and Nemesis Enforcer

[VFTF1]

I always liked the chick who, despite looking like Freddy Crueger's daughter who went on to marry an Alien Face Hugger...still managed to be oddly sexy

And so as not to get accused of going off topic: I love Macross Frontier so much that I've made Ranka (singing at the mall in episode five) the wallpaper on my nifty mobile phone

Yay me.

VFTF1

[Impreszive]

I think it has been a breath of fresh air. I'd been pretty well annoyed with anime in general lately. Being a huge Macross fan, I went into this with a little caution after previous shows. So far, the show almost seems like a labor of love to me (except for the animation in ep 6......that was hate.)

It is hard to wait a week for each episode.

[Final Vegeta]

Also, I kind of lost interest when Alto and Skull Squadron started shouting "Let the light shine!" every time they hit a Vajra.

Your Japanese is lousy, they were screaming "BECOME LIGHT!"

FV

[kalvasflam]

So far so good, as long as the writers aren't influenced by Bandai for toy sales, I think this could be great. My one thought is, they should stick with the VF-25 throughout the series. I mean, if they manage to develop additional FAST pack stuff, fine, but my thought was that the original SDF:M had the VF-1 throughout the series, it had armor pack and FAST pack, that was it. The story is what made the show, if they focus on that, it'll be fine.

Key things I hope they don't do:

1. Don't turn it into the abortion like M7, because if Sheryl or Ranka ever start piloting VFs and singing, it would be return to the bad old days.

2. None of the mysticism ala M0, which was a gigantic turn off.

[Sergorn]

I was disappointed with SK twice. First with Arjuna and then with Aquarion. But so far on Frontier he did a good job. I hope he keeps it up.

I enjoyed Arjuna very much... I just felt the series should have longer. The end felt very abrupt.

Aquarion I thought was an amazing series - that felt somewhat like a mix between Escaflowne (which is my N°1 series ever) and Macross in many aspects. I kinda wish the series had been more continuous and less episodic, but I thought it was one of the best mecha series of the last few years.

-Sergorn

[wolfx]

I'll keep mine as simple as possible:

Pros:

1.) Homages to previous Macross

2.) Awesome songs

3.) Yoko Kanno BGMs are good too.

4.) The direction is awesome.....don't think Kawamori is 100% into it.

5.) So far so good in terms of story pacing if not abit "fast"

6.) ITANOOOO CIRCUSSSS!! (valkyrie in general)

Cons:

1.) Detiorating animation and art as new episodes are released.

2.) "Women in Macross move fast" syndrome. If only this happened in real life.

3.) Needs more KLAN KLAN

[Sumdumgai]

Easier to get into than Macross 7 by far, and won't cause you to cringe as your friends look at you incredulously after a few episodes.

I'm digging this series.

[ShizumaRobo]

My opinion? The series has been absolutely amazing so far. Right up there with the original series and Plus IMO. I only hope Kawamori doesn't screw things up with the story like he did with Zero.

And so far, this is absolutely everything I wanted in Macross sequel. The animation and production quality is astounding (Count me as one of the few people blind to the supposedly "bad" animation of Episode 6.) And I love how its focusing so much on character development. All the characters are really starting to grow on me.

Also, this show has some absolutely fantastic direction. The show is so easy to get into compared to that of Macross 7. There are so many memorable scenes where I was fully engaged in what was happening. Right from the suspenseful first attack (that really had me on the edge of my seat) on the Frontier on Episode 1 (Deculture Edition), to the launch into enemy territory during Sheryl's Farewell concert (the way it flowed so smoothly to "Diamond Crevasse" nearly brought tears to my eyes.) The emotion of each event on this show really comes through full force.

I also think Frontier really does an excellent job focusing on music without smashing you in the face like Macross 7 does. Yoko Kanno's soundtrack is so well integrated within the story. Ranka singing at the Zentraedi Mall and Sheryl's Farewell concert are prime examples of this.

So overall again, I hope this series retains this wonderful quality all through to the end. I've seen many anime get to an awesome start only to crap out later (Gundam SEED Destiny) But at this point, I'm very positive. This show indeed seems to be a labor of love.

[chrono]

Any how, what do you guys think, pro's, con's, positives & negatives???!!!!

PRO's - THE MUSIC!. Which rates right up there with BONES. I look forward to buying the compilation discs.

CON's - Basically every thing else.

- The character designs & characters themselves are unimpressive and without anymore depth than in episode 1 even when at episode 4 and clearly is continuing the M7 tradition of lifeless shallow characters. Sadly not even the slightly good secondary Klein Klan (however the correct name is spelled) can over come this. What you see is literally what you get.

- The story, when it raises it's microscopic head, is even worse because it is across the board lacking in any deep. But when the story isn't there the entire show basically falls apart into a visual organism of landscape panning, dog fighting with deus Mechania(spl) monster fighting, and sparse, shallow school yard chatter.

- The 3D CGI is grossly over used to the point of visual distraction because of it's lacking scene integration and destroys the disbelieve that the show attempts to build. The fights come off as about Super Robot as they can get equaling SHMUPS, ie shallow, lacking, & meaningless twitch-fests where you pray that the final boss is worth the effort of playing. You literally don't care who wins in any fight.

So far it's PERFECTLY continuing the Macross Seven & Mai Hime premises in every way.

[mike_s_6]

PROs:

1. The characters are adorable.

2. Music is good - the sales figures say something.

3. I'll have to say this again - It makes me feel like Escaflowne all over again, it feels nostalgic for some reason... I feel like a little kid.

4. 3D animation is amazing. Every person I showed this anime to says that the CGI looks really good.

My only major CON:

1. Inconsistent character designs. Sometimes, the characters just look... odd.

minor CONs:

1. Too many characters with big boobs (what's up with that?!). I can take it if Sheryl has big ones, she's a pop star, but the others? It looks like overkill.

2. Sheryl's hair makes me quesy when I see it, especially when it's colored blue.

3. Ranka looks and acts too young/naive, I can't imagine Alto and her getting together. I can't even imagine them kissing. *shudders* Please tell me she's not the other side of the love triangle.

[Graham]

PROS:

• Great mecha and ship designs. I'm loving the VF-25, VF-171 and new Q-Raus.
• Fantastically choreographed fight scenes.
• Interesting, likeable, well-designed and well-rounded characters that you instantly care about.
• Thankfully, minimal teen angst and whining!
• Fantastic songs.
• Amazing instrumental background music from Yoko Kanno.
• Excellent CG, that is almost seemlessly integrated.
• Increadibly detailed backgrounds.
• An interesting enemy. Love the Vajra designs, especially the red lobsters - really menacing.
• Homages with interesting twists.
• Great story so far that keeps you on the edge of your seat and keeps you guessing.
• 100% Macross feel!
• The director really knows how to create a strong sense of tension during the fights.
• It's not Gundam.
• Good character animation, except parts of episode 6.

CONS:

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..............gotta think hard to come up with some.

• It's only once a week.
• It's only 26 episodes.
• The toys are not out yet.
• Where's my art book? Hurry up already!
• Dodgy character art during parts of episode 6.

In conclusion, I rate Frontier as the best anime TV series, I've seen in many years, possibly the best ever (although I'll reserve that judgement until the end of the series). IMO, it easily beats contempary mecha shows such as Gundam 00 and Code Geass in every possible category.

Graham

[Mr March]

Bravo! A great breakdown of all the things I love about Frontier. I just hope they don't screw it up

[ShizumaRobo]

One more thing. I also have to give credit to this show for having some of the most vicious and frightening antagonists on a Macross show. The Vajra are some really nasty son of a guns and I can't wait to learn more about them as the series goes on, and judging by the next episode they should have some bigger and nastier stuff in store for our heroes.

[505thAirborne]

Well I for one have seen up to episode 6, Thought is was great!! Just waiting for part 7 now... Its only gonna be 26 episodes?? Oh well, better to have quality than quantity. But also if you think about the original series, there were lots of episodes where the Animation suffered. So even with modern CGI and anime, your bound too have a few scenes that seem rushed.

Overall an amazing series!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jasonc]

Pros;

Great Mecha designs

Catchy Story with depth and plot

Well balanced between action and character interaction

Great character design

Awesome scenery and background

Music is great

Cons;

Very slight dodgy animation and character in-between art

Not enough action of the VF-171s

Overall, the series is progressing nicely. For those who think the story lacks any depth, I'd like to hear your reasoning? I understand most people like to complain about things when it's not exactly what they expect, but as a story that closely resembles successful aspects of the former series and OVAs, what solid examples make it so bad? I'm not asking to debate, cause it comes down to a matter of opinion, and in a debate, the opinion means zero (0). Just want to see how some people think here on this series.

[Morpheus]

After a quick marathon from ep.1 to epi.6, this is my opinion:

• How they blend the music with the background scene is overwhelming. For example, Ranka sing "My boyfriend is a pilot", background scene/action: Alto vs Klan Klan dogfight, in ep.6 Sheryl sing "Diamond Crevasse", background scene, Alto/SMS fold out to rescue Galaxy, not to mention the hint that Sheryl has fallen for Alto (listen to the lyrics).
• Great mechanic design, I'm agree with Graham, where's the official art book!!
• The background is gorgeous which almost makes me think they spend more budget for the background art than the animation quality

I'm preordering the OST now via Amazon jp.

[boyarque]

Hi all, I'm a macross fan from Malaysia. Been stupefied by its incredible animation in the 80's ( couldn't afford a toy then ) and been craving for a series ever since.

Now, in my 30's, it's great to see the 'Frontier' early episodes do pay some homage to the original SDF series, and like shizuma said, the baddies are downright nasty, something like a cross between EVA and Staeship Troopers!

Also, pretty of loose ends and mystery early on, suggesting deeper story line in the coming episodes. Even nice choice of hero ( bishonen I think is the term?), where the brooding, long haired, pretty face are normally reserved for main bad guy.

Till now, the funniest ( hint2 ) scene is when the three of them are in the shelter, where ranka, trying to avoid an embarassing situation, accidentally triggered another hilarious one, involving two buns...LOL!

Anyways, looking forward to the series!

[dreamweaver13]

LOVING this series! for me, it is shaping up to be the best macross sequel. even though the series is not yet finished, and it might be premature to give stamp of approval to the series, i can honestly say that i already love it, 6 episodes in. macross sequels come too far in between. and to finally have one that captures (or some would say, copies) the spirit of the original series is like manna from heaven for an old-school macross fan like me.

[baronv]

I'm digging the series. The music is nice and the mecha is interesting (nothing too new or fancy looking) since they resemble previous valks. The storyline has kept me interested in where they are going with the series, well kept pace so far.

I'm hoping for some breakout episodes with more mecha action and fights like the original SDF: Macross. So far apart from the first ep. and ep. 4, the mecha fights have been few. Would like to see a big battle soon that takes a good portion of the air time. I don't want a recap of Macross Zero where the mecha action takes on about 20-25% of the screen time. I'd like a good 50/50 split between robots and drama in Macross.

[boyarque]

Well, love n drama seems to be integral to the macross theme, except maybe macross 7?

But, yeah, I agree, the mecha and the actions are the main attraction to me. Though I do hope the green fighter doesn't die early like Hayao Kakizaki did. That would take the homage too far.

But the cute, innocent face of the pilot reminds me of the Blitz Gundam pilot who died in the middle of the season. That, and the green fighter...looks like bad omen.

[wolfx]

Hi all, I'm a macross fan from Malaysia. Been stupefied by its incredible animation in the 80's ( couldn't afford a toy then ) and been craving for a series ever since.

Now, in my 30's, it's great to see the 'Frontier' early episodes do pay some homage to the original SDF series, and like shizuma said, the baddies are downright nasty, something like a cross between EVA and Staeship Troopers!

Also, pretty of loose ends and mystery early on, suggesting deeper story line in the coming episodes. Even nice choice of hero ( bishonen I think is the term?), where the brooding, long haired, pretty face are normally reserved for main bad guy.

Till now, the funniest ( hint2 ) scene is when the three of them are in the shelter, where ranka, trying to avoid an embarassing situation, accidentally triggered another hilarious one, involving two buns...LOL!

Anyways, looking forward to the series!

Welcome to Macrossworld. I'm malaysian too. Hope you came to the Macross Convention in KL earlier this year.