About the Macross Chronicles

[Renato]

They hardly put anything in Romaji, so I wouldn't count on it.

As for him being half-Chinese, I was being serious about that! I thought the compendium was based on official info from the sourcebooks available at the time. I never imagined it also borrowed from Manga's liner notes or blurbs.... That's quite bizarre.

[sketchley]

They hardly put anything in Romaji, so I wouldn't count on it.

As for him being half-Chinese, I was being serious about that! I thought the compendium was based on official info from the sourcebooks available at the time. I never imagined it also borrowed from Manga's liner notes or blurbs.... That's quite bizarre.

I, too. However, the more I translate Macross related articles (not just Macross Chronicle), the more little inconsistencies I spot. To be honest, the biggest flaw of the non-wiki version of the Compendium is the lack of citation of where the information comes from. I'm not saying that every piece of info on it has to be double checked, just that it'd be nice to know where it comes from, especially if later published information conflicts with the information on it.

What's coming to mind right now is the VF-14 and VA-14 articles on the Compendium, compared to Macross Chronicle referring to it as the VF-14 Fighter-Attacker*, and Great Mechanics.DX as the VF-14 Heavy Fighter-Attacker; with neither mentioning a VA version. Combine that with what looks like an honest-to-goodness mistranslation of the EVA-3 information in the VA-3 section of TiAS:M+... there's been a lot of doubt created in my mind regarding the veracity of the info there.

And then throw in this Jan vs Yang...

*perhaps VF/A-14 would be a better name?

Edited December 29, 2009 by sketchley

[Gubaba]

They hardly put anything in Romaji, so I wouldn't count on it.

As for him being half-Chinese, I was being serious about that! I thought the compendium was based on official info from the sourcebooks available at the time. I never imagined it also borrowed from Manga's liner notes or blurbs.... That's quite bizarre.

I don't have the Macross Plus Roman Album handy (it's packed away in storage) but I don't recall anything about his ethnicity at all in it. The Macross Plus novelization's "cast of characters" list only mentions that he's genius and that he's eleven years old (!!!).

[MastaEgg]

Maybe they meant that he acts like an 11 year old.

[nexxstrait]

Ah well, I'll take my content where I can get it... at least the Macross II material is being covered in the glossary sheet, even though we've had precious few mechanic sheets and half of the U.N. Spacy material has yet to even get touched on.

I guess it was inevitably they'd cram them all onto one sheet... though I wonder if we'll get both battlepods and powered suits on the same page, or they'll do a two-page spread for it. I'd hope for the latter, but sadly suspect the former.

I'm afraid this is all we are getting

[Gubaba]

Maybe they meant that he acts like an 11 year old.

Well...the thing about the novel is that (as far as I can tell so far), it's ENTIRELY set during the "flashback" period...so if Jan Neumann is 11 at that point, he'd be 17 or 18 in 2040 when the real story begins. Which makes perfect sense, even if he looks a little older in the show itself.

[Seto Kaiba]

I'm afraid this is all we are getting

Oh good grief that's even worse than I expected... they're cramming all five non-Mardook-operated combat units onto both sides of a single page? What the hell Chronicle? I know there's not a lot of text on the damn things, but there's enough line art available they could easily have done it as a two-page spread.

[sketchley]

I agree. The Zentran powersuit is probably the coolest looking version of the Nousjadel-ger; and it deserves a bit more love.

Nevertheless, I can understand why the publishers are doing it:

a) enemy equipment is getting the short-shrift in general (all variants of the Regult on one page :!: Majority of the SDFM Zentraadi battleships on one page :!: Hopefully the Vajra will get more than 1 page...)

b) space crunch. We've already seen the publisher truncate to the point of rejecting previously printed pages.

Damn... why couldn't Macross Chronicle be a 60 issue publication?!

[Seto Kaiba]

I agree. The Zentran powersuit is probably the coolest looking version of the Nousjadel-ger; and it deserves a bit more love.

Color me surprised... I didn't think you liked anything from Macross II.

Damn... why couldn't Macross Chronicle be a 60 issue publication?!

Because they have a hardon for the number 25?

Edited December 31, 2009 by Seto Kaiba

[sketchley]

Color me surprised... I didn't think you liked anything from Macross II.

And where exactly did I say I disliked all things MII?

[azrael]

I agree. The Zentran powersuit is probably the coolest looking version of the Nousjadel-ger; and it deserves a bit more love.

Nevertheless, I can understand why the publishers are doing it:

a) enemy equipment is getting the short-shrift in general (all variants of the Regult on one page :!: Majority of the SDFM Zentraadi battleships on one page :!: Hopefully the Vajra will get more than 1 page...)

I expect the Vajra to get a World sheet, not a Mecha sheet.

[Gubaba]

Chronicles hits 40!

Mechanic Sheet

* Macross 7

* VF-17T Nightmare Custom

* Macross Frontier Civilian Vehicles

* UN Forces Weapons

Character Sheet

* Maximilian Jenius

* Exsedol Formo

* People Aboard the Macross

Timeline Sheet

* The Decision of Two People (???)

History Sheet

* The interstellar Wedding

World Guide Sheet

* Super Long-Range Emigration Fleets

* Propaganda Films (I'm excited about this one. )

Technology Sheet

* Destroids

Glossary Sheet

* Nousjadeul-Ger ~ Vajra

Extra Sheet

* Games and Advanced Valkyrie 3

* Macross Crossover Live

[azrael]

Mechanic Sheet

* Macross 7

'Bout frakin time they got to this one.

Character Sheet

* Maximilian Jenius

* Exsedol Formo

M7 character sheets!!!

History Sheet

* The interstellar Wedding

I'm sensing a Max-heavy issue.

Technology Sheet

* Destroids

B, C, or D-sheet?

[Seto Kaiba]

Chronicles hits 40!

And without covering half the crap I was hoping it would...

I'm sensing a Max-heavy issue.

You say that like it's a bad thing...

Mechanic Sheet

* Macross 7

* VF-17T Nightmare Custom

* Macross Frontier Civilian Vehicles

* UN Forces Weapons

Well, not exactly the most interesting assortment, what must be our fourth New Macross-class ship A sheet by now, one of the ugliest Valkyries in all of Macross, and more misc. background rubbish. It's really kind of depressing that with ten issues to go, we're still getting rather a lot of filler while some of the more interesting designs languish without having even received an A sheet yet.

Character Sheet

* Maximilian Jenius

* Exsedol Formo

* People Aboard the Macross

Okay, Macross 7-era Max Jenius and Exsedol Folmo I can live with... this isn't too bad. They're some of the only sane characters in the show.

History Sheet

* The interstellar Wedding

I wonder if they'll play the TV series angle with this one, or if they're going to use the DYRLized one we catch snippets of in Macross 7.

World Guide Sheet

* Super Long-Range Emigration Fleets

* Propaganda Films (I'm excited about this one. )

Okay, so we're gonna get something about the in-universe status of DYRL... there's my reason to buy this issue.

Technology Sheet

* Destroids

Viper will be fairly happy then...

[sketchley]

Chronicles hits 40!

?!? The publisher has gone from releasing these super late (after the issue has been released to sale) to, now, uber early. I wonder if someone's butt got kicked at the office... or the lateness was due to a rush to get the work done prior to the Shougatsu holiday?

Timeline Sheet

* The Decision of Two People (???)

I'm guessing it's a frontier related sheet. Aruto to join SMS, and Ranka to join the music industry.

World Guide Sheet

* Super Long-Range Emigration Fleets

I was expecting this. Lessee... it should be covering the Island Cluster class and hopefully we'll get a class name for the Macross Galaxy fleet's Mainland ship (and if that is the "4th generation" SLRES and/or one of the covered (Ie non-dome) SLRESs.)

* Propaganda Films (I'm excited about this one. )

Me, too.

Technology Sheet

* Destroids

Goody. They'll be elaborating on some of the tech behind the destroids. Fingers crossed that it'll include the Earth Trekkers! Though, I suspect it'll be history... or modular components; that being if it follows the VF tech sheets. Anyhow, it's most likely the B sheet.

Extra Sheet

* Games and Advanced Valkyrie 3

Whuzza? We get some games action? Or is this only the PSP, and not any of the older ones...?

[nexxstrait]

Whuzza? We get some games action? Or is this only the PSP, and not any of the older ones...?

I really do hope we see some Mikimoto VFX a VFXII character art, at last.

[Seto Kaiba]

I really do hope we see some Mikimoto VFX a VFXII character art, at last.

Didn't we already get some of that in the Glossary Sheets? I know they covered a few of the characters from the VF-X and/or VF-X 2 game.

[nexxstrait]

Didn't we already get some of that in the Glossary Sheets? I know they covered a few of the characters from the VF-X and/or VF-X 2 game.

Yep, some really small pics. I still hope to get bigger, beefier images.

On a side note, I still can't believe how they could waste so many pages on Mylene's and Minmay costumes (smaller images would have done, too) and the whole songs sheets, while Vf171ex (i.e.) has got one of the crammiests pages I've ever seen, not to mention Mac II destroids and Zentran vehicles...

[David Hingtgen]

Whatever happened to the Grace article in #37? (I think it was 37)

[azrael]

Whatever happened to the Grace article in #37? (I think it was 37)

Yeah, that article is there. No lineart of her in the flight suit though.

[David Hingtgen]

It should at least have a snippet of new info. (hopefully) (I wasn't really expecting new lineart or anything)

[sketchley]

Well, colour me tickled pink. The timeline section has non-animated series content. 1 section (about 1/3 of one page) is about the VF-X Ravens, complete with images from VF-X2. Next to that is an extra report about the "Special Forces Squadrons other than VF-X Ravens", with mention of the Dancing Skulls (from M3) and images from Digital Mission VF-X.

It's a shame that M3 didn't get the luv during the applicable section of the timeline. Nevertheless, it's great to see the games getting more recognition.

My running tally of the games rendered "Macross Chronicle Canon" are:

Digital Mission VF-X

VF-X2

Macross M3

SDF:M DYRL (PS1/SS game)

[Renato]

Well, colour me tickled pink. The timeline section has non-animated series content. 1 section (about 1/3 of one page) is about the VF-X Ravens, complete with images from VF-X2. Next to that is an extra report about the "Special Forces Squadrons other than VF-X Ravens", with mention of the Dancing Skulls (from M3) and images from Digital Mission VF-X.

It's a shame that M3 didn't get the luv during the applicable section of the timeline. Nevertheless, it's great to see the games getting more recognition.

My running tally of the games rendered "Macross Chronicle Canon" are:

Digital Mission VF-X

VF-X2

Macross M3

SDF:M DYRL (PS1/SS game)

Yeah, it's like "Afterthought Overload" over at the Machronicle offices. When did they mention the PS1/SS DYRL game, though? Was it in the Prometheus entry of the Glossary? I think I vaguely remember that...

[sketchley]

Yeah, it's like "Afterthought Overload" over at the Machronicle offices. When did they mention the PS1/SS DYRL game, though? Was it in the Prometheus entry of the Glossary? I think I vaguely remember that...

The Prometheus Mechanic sheet has the picture from the game.

The glossary section also has the Queadlunn-Nona from the game.

Edited January 7, 2010 by sketchley

[sketchley]

Contents review #39

Mechanic:

SDFM Armoured Valkyrie: funny how the missiles are the only parts that look CG. Anyhow, looks like it's all there and I don't expect a B sheet.

M7 Fz-109: images are all the Fz-109F. The development chart is most interesting: VF-4 > VF-14 > Fz-109. Intersting 'cuz the tech sheet VF-History 2 has the VF-14 directly decending from the VF-9, and only semi-descending from the VF-4. Hmmm...

D7 VA-3C Kai Invader Kai: pretty much what I was expecting. Alas, no names for the aerospace boosters other than "rocket booster", "propulsion tank", etc.. Reverse has the transformation sequence, finishing off that VF.

MII Mardook Forces Weapons: all four mecha are crammed on a single sheet (sadly, it's consistant with the short shrifting that the MC editors have been giving enemy equipment/stats in general...). The names of the equipment is also rather unimaginative (Zentran use power suit, etc.), but I don't think that's the fault of MC's writers.

Character:

SDFM: Vanessa, Kim, Shammy: front - uniforms. Back - single set of casual wear. Didn't they appear more than once in SDFM in casual clothes? The page feels a bit cramped... especially with the addition of an extra report on Chouzaki (Machizaki?).

M+: Yan Noiman: I didn't spot if they wrote his origin in a quick scan (only looking for the Characters for China, mind you; which wasn't on it.) It does say that he's still only 17 at the time of M+.

M7: Gigiru: unlike the Iwaano page, this one does have line art of his Protodevlin body. Alas, they've covered the entire character arc on the one page (including a shot from his appearance in M7 Plus!)... and he's not pictured in the vampire trench coat... T.T

D7: Ray Lovelock / Viheda Fiizu: like the slightly evolved, more mature character art.

Timeline: note preceeding amazed post on presence of VF-X(2) in the timeline. Otherwise, it's all MF. Starts with 2048 with the 117th. 2050, VF-X. Then March, 2059 and the start of MF up until the part where Ranka gets sucked outside of the ship in eps 02.

History M+: Project Supernova: we're treated to another sweet image by Tomotake Kinoshita. Otherwise, it's all on the project, it's aftermath (Sharon Apple Incident) and effects (VF-19, 171, drone fighters, etc.).

Technology Barrier System: pretty much the same brief treatment as the Beam Weapons page. Has a "barrier advantages and disadvantages" article, as well as OTech barriers (Pinpoint, and full), Tori no Hito's barrier, Protoculture ruin's barrier, and extra reports on the protodevlin and Vajra fold wave barriers, and sound beams and sound barriers.

worldguide 22a: Reknown VF squads - in short: they're broken down by era: UN Wars: the Asuka II VF squad, SWI: Skull and Vermillion Squads, Varoota War: Diamond, Emerald and Sound Forces, Anti-Vajra Battles: Skull squadron. There's also an extra report on: Max and Miria (they're their own squad?!), and Jamming Birds.

Glossary Sheets: two (2)! this month. MII and game content is: Dancing Skulls, Earth UN Forces, Defender EX, Timothy Daldanton, Denis Roon, and the 2nd sheet is: Toomu Jun, Tomahawk II and Nasutaasha Tooto.

Goods: 1/60 Yamato YF-21. Reverse with transformation instructions.

The Back cover of the issue has an add for the Hasegawa VF-1A Minmay 2009 Special, with a positively gorgeous full body Mikimoto painting of Minmei from Macross the First.

The preview for #40 has images of M7's Ekisedoru, Max, Battle 7 and the VF-17T, as well as MII's GERWALKoid. Me thinks the UN Forces Weapons will be MII content. The extra sheet on the games should probably be translated as "Fuselages advanced in (by) games". Hopefully, fingers crossed with sugar on top, it'll actually be lineart of the VFs that have appeared in Digital Mission VF-X, VF-X2, Macross M3, SDF:M DYRL and M+ Game Edition!

[Seto Kaiba]

MII Mardook Forces Weapons: all four mecha are crammed on a single sheet (sadly, it's consistant with the short shrifting that the MC editors have been giving enemy equipment/stats in general...). The names of the equipment is also rather unimaginative (Zentran use power suit, etc.), but I don't think that's the fault of MC's writers.

Well, the unimaginative names aren't the fault of Chronicle's writers... they're just using the same names given for the mecha in This is Animation Special #5: Macross II. The shortage of stats is kind of lame, since I didn't exactly need to look far to find them. I'd be curious to see what they're calling that transformable mecha, since it doesn't get a name in TIAS.

There's also an extra report on: Max and Miria (they're their own squad?!)

Didn't they have their own squadron in the games? The "Dancing Skulls" or something along those lines?

The preview for #40 has images of M7's Ekisedoru, Max, Battle 7 and the VF-17T, as well as MII's GERWALKoid. Me thinks the UN Forces Weapons will be MII content.

Wait... the GERWALKroid from Macross II? I can't imagine what that could mean for the sheet, since they've already covered the Macross II destroids. Aside from the GERWALKroid and the VF-XX Zentradi Valkyrie, they've run out of U.N. Spacy background mecha from Macross II... what the hell could they possibly fill the sheet with? I'm gonna be extremely hacked off if they try to cram one or both of the other main VFs (VF-2JA Icarus and VA-1SS Metal Siren) onto that sheet along with the GERWALKroid and the Zentradi Valkyrie. I wonder if it's going to be a filler sheet with some of the dubiously civilian stuff like the target and camera drones, the orbital sound system satellites, and/or the VTOL jets and ambulances used for various purposes.

[nexxstrait]

Wait... the GERWALKroid from Macross II? I can't imagine what that could mean for the sheet, since they've already covered the Macross II destroids. Aside from the GERWALKroid and the VF-XX Zentradi Valkyrie, they've run out of U.N. Spacy background mecha from Macross II... what the hell could they possibly fill the sheet with? I'm gonna be extremely hacked off if they try to cram one or both of the other main VFs (VF-2JA Icarus and VA-1SS Metal Siren) onto that sheet along with the GERWALKroid and the Zentradi Valkyrie. I wonder if it's going to be a filler sheet with some of the dubiously civilian stuff like the target and camera drones, the orbital sound system satellites, and/or the VTOL jets and ambulances used for various purposes.

That's my fear too, but there is still room for hope:

Sheet 01 is VF2ss

Sheet 04 are Destroids

Sheet 06 is Macross Cannon and starships

My guess is:

Sheet 02 VF2JA

Sheet 03 Metal Siren

Sheet 05 GERWALKroid + VFXX

Edited January 7, 2010 by nexxstrait

[sketchley]

I'd be curious to see what they're calling that transformable mecha, since it doesn't get a name in TIAS.

They're calling it "Mardook Forces Variable Battle Mecha" on the front, and "Variable Battle Mecha" on the back. It doesn't appear in the size comparison chart with the other 4.

Funny, this is the first time that I've seen the word "mecha" used in Japanese up until now...

Didn't they have their own squadron in the games? The "Dancing Skulls" or something along those lines?

The associated image is from SDFM. Funny how the Dancing Skulls are missing from the worldguide sheet, but are part of the same issue's chronology sheet.

Wait... the GERWALKroid from Macross II? I can't imagine what that could mean for the sheet, since they've already covered the Macross II destroids. Aside from the GERWALKroid and the VF-XX Zentradi Valkyrie, they've run out of U.N. Spacy background mecha from Macross II... what the hell could they possibly fill the sheet with? I'm gonna be extremely hacked off if they try to cram one or both of the other main VFs (VF-2JA Icarus and VA-1SS Metal Siren) onto that sheet along with the GERWALKroid and the Zentradi Valkyrie. I wonder if it's going to be a filler sheet with some of the dubiously civilian stuff like the target and camera drones, the orbital sound system satellites, and/or the VTOL jets and ambulances used for various purposes.

I've got the feeling that it's going to be the GERWALKroid, and VTOL jets and ambulances. If the drones and satellites show up, I think they'll be as an extra report - like the small Mardook shuttle, which only gets one piece of lineart and animation grab, on the reverse of this issue's Mardook weapons sheet.

[Renato]

M+: Yan Noiman: I didn't spot if they wrote his origin in a quick scan (only looking for the Characters for China, mind you; which wasn't on it.) It does say that he's still only 17 at the time of M+.

It says "Origin: Under Investigation". Cop-out.

The page feels a bit cramped... especially with the addition of an extra report on Chouzaki (Machizaki?).

Yeah, it's Machizaki (they based him on writer Matsuzaki Kenichi).

The extra sheet on the games should probably be translated as "Fuselages advanced in (by) games". Hopefully, fingers crossed with sugar on top, it'll actually be lineart of the VFs that have appeared in Digital Mission VF-X, VF-X2, Macross M3, SDF:M DYRL and M+ Game Edition!

Gubaba did a similar translation when the preview was put online, and I didn't really understand it, but then I never checked the original text. Now the issue is out, I see it reads ゲームに登場した機体, which means "Mecha which appeared in games".

Edited January 8, 2010 by Renato

[Renato]

I know there was already a thread about this, but in the World Guide Sheet, the section on the Skull Squadron in SDFM is entitled Skull Shoutai, then described as the Skull Taitai numerous times in the same section as well as in the Vermilion Team (Vermilion Shoutai) section. Will we ever get a clear answer??!

(As usual, it's simply Skull Shoutai in MacF, so no irregularity there, though... IIRC).

[nexxstrait]

Gubaba did a similar translation when the preview was put online, and I didn't really understand it, but then I never checked the original text. Now the issue is out, I see it reads ゲームに登場した機体, which means "Mecha which appeared in games".

A sample of what we are getting.

In Issue 41, VF0D and Mao.

[sketchley]

A sample of what we are getting.

In Issue 41, VF0D and Mao.

Ah, goody. At least the designs are getting some time in the limelite.

Alas... that's 3 on the front. Will the reverse be another 3? Or 4? or 5?

[Seto Kaiba]

That's my fear too, but there is still room for hope:

Sheet 01 is VF2ss

Sheet 04 are Destroids

Sheet 06 is Macross Cannon and starships

Well, there's that... but by that extension there ought to be four or five more U.N. Spacy mechanic sheets in Chronicle's Macross II section. As of yet, they haven't covered the VF-2SS w/ Super Armed Packs, the VF-2JA, the Metal Siren, the VF-XX Zentradi Valkyrie (except in passing), the GERWALKroid, the Gloria, the standard battleship, the light carrier/rescue ship, and the little background mecha. My guess would be:

UNS 01A VF-2SS

UNS 01B VF-2SS w/ Super Armed Pack

UNS 02A VF-2JA

UNS 03A VA-1SS

UNS 04A Destroids

UNS 05A U.N. Spacy Weapons (background mecha)

UNS 06A Macross Cannon & Heracles

UNS 07A Gloria, Battleship & Rescue Ship

They're calling it "Mardook Forces Variable Battle Mecha" on the front, and "Variable Battle Mecha" on the back. It doesn't appear in the size comparison chart with the other 4.

Funny, this is the first time that I've seen the word "mecha" used in Japanese up until now...

Well, unsatisfying name or no... it's lumped in with the Zentradi-use mecha of the Mardook forces, which means the debate over exactly what scale the pilot must be is effectively solved. Must be a VERY cramped cockpit in there... my guess would be Regult-style.

[nexxstrait]

Well, there's that... but by that extension there ought to be four or five more U.N. Spacy mechanic sheets in Chronicle's Macross II section. As of yet, they haven't covered the VF-2SS w/ Super Armed Packs, the VF-2JA, the Metal Siren, the VF-XX Zentradi Valkyrie (except in passing), the GERWALKroid, the Gloria, the standard battleship, the light carrier/rescue ship, and the little background mecha. My guess would be:

Of course there SHOULD be some B sheets coming around. SAP Valkyrie is shown in various images and even in the Tenjin splash page (I hope that when this comes out, Sylvie's B sheets is included too, along with a B page for mardooks with emulators and advisors). The starships still missing will (if we're lucky) be 06 b sheet.

Well, unsatisfying name or no... it's lumped in with the Zentradi-use mecha of the Mardook forces, which means the debate over exactly what scale the pilot must be is effectively solved. Must be a VERY cramped cockpit in there... my guess would be Regult-style.

Mmm, maybe they just did not want to "waste" a full sheet or a b sheet for that mecha. It still doesn't feel zentradi at all, but more of a Gilgamesh upgrade.

Edited January 8, 2010 by nexxstrait

[Seto Kaiba]

Of course there SHOULD be some B sheets coming around. SAP Valkyrie is shown in various images and even in the Tenjin splash page (I hope that when this comes out, Sylvie's B sheets is included too, along with a B page for mardooks with emulators and advisors). The starships still missing will (if we're lucky) be 06 b sheet.

If the next couple of issues turned out to be a Macross II binge to get the last couple of articles out of the way, I would just be thrilled... at this pace I'm almost afraid they're not going to finish Macross II because they wasted all that time dicking around with the VF-0, VF-1, and Sound Force garbage.

Mmm, maybe they just did not want to "waste" a full sheet or a b sheet for that mecha. It still doesn't feel zentradi at all, but more of a Gilgamesh upgrade.

Well, the footage seems to hint that the operator is a brainwashed Zentradi soldier, and the torso block looks a lot like the cockpit of a conventional Zentradi Army Regult. *shrug*

I would've been astonished if it had gotten even half a sheet, since there's virtually no art for the mecha except a few diagrams of its armaments (the pop-out missile launchers in the leg, and the weird funnel-like missiles in the arm).