Macross Frontier Episode 21 Talkback Thread *READ 1st Post*

[Suzuran]

What harm did Ai-kun ever do to anybody?

Even though it was never stated explicitly, I think it's obvious that Ranka realizes that she is communicating with the Vajra at some level. She is taking a page from the Nausicaa playbook, and is going on a quest to see if she can use her powers to soothe the raging bugs that Galaxy set on them.

If the government would have known about its existence, they could have asked themselves how a Vajra could get on the the ship and if there were any other Vajra.

[yaiba]

If the government would have known about its existence, they could have asked themselves how a Vajra could get on the the ship and if there were any other Vajra.

If "the government" let the population know what Vajra larvae looked like, maybe they would have known about Ai-kun's existence. Ranka was not the only one to have ever seen Ai-kun. Also, why didn't they ever ask how the heck a hydra got on board as well? Sounds like their animal control department needs better staffing.

[d3v]

It's all because she had to leave on such a sentimental, almost emo note. had she simply left without telling anyone to figure out the reason she was singing carrying only Ai-kun and a guitar, people might have hailed it as the second coming of our hero Basara.

Edited September 2, 2008 by d3v

[yaiba]

For those who think Ranka is selfish little brat, remember this:

She sang to gather the Vajra at island 3, despite of the fact that she was in pain and that the death of more Vajra would only increase her suffering. Why would she push through such a tremendous pain barrier if she had no love for Frontier?

It seemed that pain she experienced here was not as strong as when the Vajra mothership was destroyed, or maybe she was braced for it this time. In any event, it would suck to realize that something you loved would be used to make you a judas goat. There are obviously some who disagree with this, and call Ranka a "traitor" for wanting to take Ai-kun back to the Vajra, but she also feels that she has betrayed the Vajra by using her power to call them to their deaths. It seems to me though, that this connection to the Vajra is the source of her power over them in the first place. If she could not connect with them, her song would be useless against them.

[Radd]

If the government would have known about its existence, they could have asked themselves how a Vajra could get on the the ship and if there were any other Vajra.

And Ranka might still be in the dark about being able to communicate with the Vajra, and Grace's plan would still be going perfectly. Yeah. That would have been in the best interests of everyone, I'm sure.

Also, why didn't they ever ask how the heck a hydra got on board as well? Sounds like their animal control department needs better staffing.

Because the hydra are normally docile creatures, and are aboard Frontier intentionally. In an earlier episode you even saw one sitting on a meltran's lap at the mall.

[Mercurial Morpheus]

Well said, and thanks for saying many of the things I wanted to say all this time, though frankly, there are some points where I must disagree.

It's amazing how ungrateful humans can be, and Macross Frontier managed to portray this so way both in terms of drama and realism. I can personally vouch for my last sentence based on my own life experiences. People tend to forget your good deeds as quickly and remember all perceived wrongdoings well. Ranka's singing has given the edge to Frontier's forces numerous times, and in episode 20 we see how quickly hearts turn when people perceive the situation as Ranka failing them, even when it simply wasn't true as proven by her unintentionally provoking the Vajra into greater violence via her own pain.

If it wasn't for Grace's DE, Ranka would have saved so many more lives and hearts from unnecessary death and suffering.

Ranka has definitely figured out that she's practically a homing beacon for the Vajra at the moment and like it or not, her "selfish" reasons for leaving are in the end of the day selfless in nature, since the only way for her to solve both her and Frontier's problem was to stop homing the Vajra to Frontier and resolve her own personal turmoil (recovery of painful pass memories, etc.). What's so wrong with this?

As a very old and wise green fellow once said:

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, Anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering."

Macross is in it's own way a battle between the light and dark side.

I sense much fear in you, Ranka haters.

PS: I am on neither Ranka or Sheryl's side, but I simply find it impossible to hate Ranka and her pet when they both have one thing in common: no intentional harm was done to anyone.

So, wait, how are you disagreeing with me? I said it was a mix, but I never said there was anything wrong with it.

I particularly side with the line about good deeds going forgotten. A classic saying, "Whenever I'm right, no one remembers. Whenever I'm wrong, no one forgets." The bad is always more pointed, always sharper in the mind than the good, as it's often the lesser, so iut sticks out more. Not that that particularly applies here. Most just make their minds up about a character and stick to it through thick and thin. Ranka could literally morph into Sheryl, and the people who hate her still will.

I'm also on neither side, though I have admitted that Ranka is much better written. I still like Sheryl though, for the most part.

[sucker4meltrans]

next episode brera and ranka all alone in space with just the valk. getting to know each other really really well and then bam they both remember they are brother and sister. but anyways...

i liked the fast pack klan it was a nice little bit a silly in an other wise dark episode.

[VF-25S Full Armour]

So, wait, how are you disagreeing with me? I said it was a mix, but I never said there was anything wrong with it.

I particularly side with the line about good deeds going forgotten. A classic saying, "Whenever I'm right, no one remembers. Whenever I'm wrong, no one forgets." The bad is always more pointed, always sharper in the mind than the good, as it's often the lesser, so iut sticks out more. Not that that particularly applies here. Most just make their minds up about a character and stick to it through thick and thin. Ranka could literally morph into Sheryl, and the people who hate her still will.

I'm also on neither side, though I have admitted that Ranka is much better written. I still like Sheryl though, for the most part.

My only disagreement with you was a relatively subtle one. Sure, she can be self centered and downright childish, especially earlier in the series, though in my opinion I think you overexaggerated those traits just a tiny bit. Nothing of significant concern to our discussion.

She has currently grown so much she's definitely shed her teenage immaturity for good. And the tears we saw on this episode were from great depths of her heart, not some temper tantrum.

Edited September 2, 2008 by VF-25S Full Armour

[Mercurial Morpheus]

My only disagreement with you was a relatively subtle one. Sure, she can be self centered and downright childish, especially earlier in the series, though in my opinion I think you overexaggerated those traits just a tiny bit.

Really? How so? I agree wholeheartedly. You might have mistook me. I was merely meaning that of course, part of her reasoning was that she was tired of being used, which could be viewed as selfish. I forgot to imply that i think she's outgrown a lot of those aspects. I was merely rebutting against the statement that Sheryl didn't have them herself when she very much does. Though all in all, I think it worked nicely.

Might I add that the pun in the poll should be

"Kill, Klan, Kill"

and

"Kill Klan, Kill"

Edited September 2, 2008 by Mercurial Morpheus

[Final Vegeta]

If "the government" let the population know what Vajra larvae looked like

...the people would have sided with the kawaii squirrel

FV

[rubi]

You know there's a reference to the France gall classic, Poupée de cire, poupée de son in a Sharon Apple song, don't you?

You just tell me that. I didn't know and don't even remember well the song you're talking about. So it might have not be so good . Well honestly I know by heart Ella elle l'a but I just know the chorus of Poupée de cire, poupée de son.

And I just listened to Idol Talk, that's the name... I know why i didn't remember.

Arkan is unforgettable for me but this song is just exactly what I said about songs like aimo wich are OK but songs like Arkan or LOGH theme whch are not .

I didn't want to talk about it knowing when I start this is difficult to stop, but to link it with Mfrontier (Mf),I find MF songs less martian than Macross Plus.

Voices, and Santi U << a lot of everything are excellent though but the rest is just too much WOW for me. you don't find music like a sai en in Mf which is good but really martian. Innocent green, or aimo are more pedestrian.

Ao no ether is a surprise I thought Anata no oto was .... not that good but the first one catched up.

We're all speculating she'll return with a horde of Vajra to save Frontier from Galaxy, but certainly she doesn't know any of this, and her leaving had nothing to do with Frontier, and everything to do with her and Ai-kun.

You like her way too much!

Here is my thought after seeing how people can't stand her or would be glad to see her six feet under :

1 If she lives and Alto choose her, ( yes, that's the problem for you here ^^) ; She or he dies. or we see some vajra/human babies at the end

2 If she died before Alto choose her, Alto goes to Kabuki and Sheryl after have been experienced the most humiliating thing aka being choose over a child becomes a workholic.

3 If sheryl lives and Alto choose her, Ranka lives. They can't kill her , but Alto dies after Ranka's fan made their call...

4 If Sheryl died before Alto choose her , well I don't see her dying....

Edited September 2, 2008 by rubi

[sucker4meltrans]

ranka will come back as the queen of blades and lop off grace's head.

[RichterX]

I have been thinking, could it be possible that Brera is not really Ranka's brother but his outer cyborg shell was design to look like it by Grace as well as his memory loaded with Aimo and how to play the harmonica just for him to get closer to Ranka.

[azrael]

I have been thinking, could it be possible that Brera is not really Ranka's brother but his outer cyborg shell was design to look like it by Grace as well as his memory loaded with Aimo and how to play the harmonica just for him to get closer to Ranka.

As I've said, what is Brera may be what remains of her brother. And it may not be much, such that can you even call him Ranka's "brother" anymore? (i.e. I've accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker...blah blah blah... and the whole Darth Vader bit)

We don't know how much, if any, of Ranka's biological is left in Brera. There may be glimpses of it (like him being protective or going out of his way to help her in this ep and in others) but is it enough to say that he is her brother or just a shadow of his former self. And yes, it could be just an artificial memory implanted in him.

[RF-26AAC]

As I've said, what is Brera may be what remains of her brother. And it may not be much, such that can you even call him Ranka's "brother" anymore? (i.e. I've accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker...blah blah blah... and the whole Darth Vader bit)

We don't know how much, if any, of Ranka's biological is left in Brera. There may be glimpses of it (like him being protective or going out of his way to help her in this ep and in others) but is it enough to say that he is her brother or just a shadow of his former self. And yes, it could be just an artificial memory implanted in him.

Az, I'm going to have to disagree; I think Brera is more of a robocop kind of deal than Vader... sorry to use that crappy analogy here, but he doesn't remember much, but has flashbacks of who he was and who he subconsciously is has an influence... whereas Darth Vader *always* knew who he was, Brera does not... I think he suffered some major neural and physiological damage, I think many of his vital organs are still intact, as is much of his brain.

I think he was *severely* injured during the attack on Global 11 years ago, to the point that it would have been fatal.

Brera is a robocop in every sense of the word, a bastard abomination of humanity and machine that functions due to the body and (most of) the mind of a person who by all accounts should otherwise be dead.

He will continue to act on his subconscious and will probably remember who he once was, but he won't ever be that person again. Robocop will never be Murphy again.

On a different note,

having seen the ep with subtitles I felt a little bit more of Ranka's internal pain and hurt over her perceived rejection by Alto, I don't really harbor any of the "God, she's annoying" type of feelings I used to have about her character; I wouldn't mind at this point of somehow she and Alto hooked up, but I'm not sure that's going to happen, nor at this point do I really figure we will see a resolution to the Triangler... also, Ranka's folded away using an older-type fold booster (unless the VF-27 can fold in real time), so she will be gone for quite some time in Frontier-time... leaving a lot of time for Alto and Sheryl to get *intimately acquainted*.

But what do I know, I could be wrong.

Edit: The VF-27 is equipped with a realtime foldbooster so time-dialation is a non-issue.

Still; Ranka has left Alto on Frontier, and unless he chases after (which he can't do, I don't think) that leaves Alto on Frontier with Sheryl and time without Ranka around..

Best,

RF-26

Edited September 3, 2008 by RF-26AAC

[Beltane70]

And Ranka might still be in the dark about being able to communicate with the Vajra, and Grace's plan would still be going perfectly. Yeah. That would have been in the best interests of everyone, I'm sure.

Because the hydra are normally docile creatures, and are aboard Frontier intentionally. In an earlier episode you even saw one sitting on a meltran's lap at the mall.

You also see another sleeping next to Ranka when she's trying to promote the seven-colored carrots.

[dreamweaver13]

You also see another sleeping next to Ranka when she's trying to promote the seven-colored carrots.

funny if that's the very same one that attacked her...

probably not, though, since they're on separate islands.

[yaiba]

the hydra are normally docile creatures, and are aboard Frontier intentionally. In an earlier episode you even saw one sitting on a meltran's lap at the mall.

You also see another sleeping next to Ranka when she's trying to promote the seven-colored carrots.

I hadn't noticed them at all. I guess I'll have to re-watch the mall episodes.

[grss1982]

Az, I'm going to have to disagree; I think Brera is more of a robocop kind of deal than Vader... sorry to use that crappy analogy here, but he doesn't remember much, but has flashbacks of who he was and who he subconsciously is has an influence... whereas Darth Vader *always* knew who he was, Brera does not... I think he suffered some major neural and physiological damage, I think many of his vital organs are still intact, as is much of his brain.

I think he was *severely* injured during the attack on Global 11 years ago, to the point that it would have been fatal.

Brera is a robocop in every sense of the word, a bastard abomination of humanity and machine that functions due to the body and (most of) the mind of a person who by all accounts should otherwise be dead.

He will continue to act on his subconscious and will probably remember who he once was, but he won't ever be that person again. Robocop will never be Murphy again.

On a different note,

having seen the ep with subtitles I felt a little bit more of Ranka's internal pain and hurt over her perceived rejection by Alto, I don't really harbor any of the "God, she's annoying" type of feelings I used to have about her character; I wouldn't mind at this point of somehow she and Alto hooked up, but I'm not sure that's going to happen, nor at this point do I really figure we will see a resolution to the Triangler... also, Ranka's folded away using an older-type fold booster (unless the VF-27 can fold in real time), so she will be gone for quite some time in Frontier-time... leaving a lot of time for Alto and Sheryl to get *intimately acquainted*.

But what do I know, I could be wrong.

Best,

RF-26

I would just like to point out that Brera's VF-27 was using the new Fold Booster developed by LAI that could go through fold faults.

http://randomc.maximum7.net/image/Macross/...0Large%2030.jpg

Its the same "pink" fold booster that Alto uses to get back to Frontier @ Macross Speed in Episode 14.

Edited September 3, 2008 by grss1982

[Final Vegeta]

I have been thinking, could it be possible that Brera is not really Ranka's brother but his outer cyborg shell was design to look like it by Grace as well as his memory loaded with Aimo and how to play the harmonica just for him to get closer to Ranka.

As of now, there are several hints that Brera is Ranka's brother (which would mean Ranka's real name is Ranka Sterne). We don't know if authors will throw in a last minute twist, though.

FV

[Windrider]

As of now, there are several hints that Brera is Ranka's brother (which would mean Ranka's real name is Ranka Sterne). We don't know if authors will throw in a last minute twist, though.

FV

Its likely to be Mei than Sterne since its from her mother's name. Brera's name may not be his real one and maybe just fabricated by Grace.

Edited September 3, 2008 by Windrider

[Final Vegeta]

Its likely to be Mei than Sterne since its from her mother's name. Brera's name may not be his real one and maybe just fabricated by Grace.

You are right, I have forgot that. But children shouldn't take the surname of the father?

FV

[RF-26AAC]

I would just like to point out that Brera's VF-27 was using the new Fold Booster developed by LAI that could go through fold faults.

http://randomc.maximum7.net/image/Macross/...0Large%2030.jpg

Its the same "pink" fold booster that Alto uses to get back to Frontier @ Macross Speed in Episode 14.

Ah, didn't catch that, I recognized a fold booster on it but figured it was pink/purple to match the plane... post edited.

Vegeta, yeah, typically kids take the father's surname, so she could be Ranka Sterne and still be Ranshe Mei's offspring.

Edited September 3, 2008 by RF-26AAC

[RichterX]

Its likely to be Mei than Sterne since its from her mother's name. Brera's name may not be his real one and maybe just fabricated by Grace.

I agree with the made up name, since knowing the name of Ranka's body guard would have made the relation with her click faster for Ozma.

[Thom]

Awesome EP. I agree with MisaForever, I haven't seen a bad EP of Mac-F yet!

I will start by stating that I am a Ranka-Fan!! Let's not forget that these are still teenagers stuck in a terrible situation. It takes time to figure out what the right thing is to do. If they do resolve the triangle, I hope she end up with Alto. There is much more between her and Alto, than Sheryl and him. You don't get that much angst unless there is something big between them. I think Alto loves her to and I half expected him to fly after her. I think she needs him to. Letting someone go as she did may be the best way of saying I Love You.

After the loss of Island 3 she was saying 'sorry' to the Vajra. She couldn't sing before that because she knew they were going to die and she could feel their pain. Not to mention that the whole city was under attack. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place. Call her immature and selfish all you want, but despite the pain she did what needed to be done to protect her friends.

Now I think she has to do what she can to protect the Vajra. If anything Ai-kun has shown her the the Vajra don't start out evil. Grace and Co. did something to them, using Galaxy as a test bed and the Vajra just like the Marduk used the brainwashed Zentraedi in Macross II. I'll speculate here, and assume that there is an older queen, perhaps one close to death and Grace is using Ranka as a replacement that she can control. Control the queen, control the Vajra. The Vajra may end up being as much victims as Frontier and Galaxy. It all goes back to what happened on the 117th Fleet.

Did they meld her DNA with the Vajra? Is the 'little queen' really Ranka, or a Vajra queen growing in her belly?

Above all, Ranka doesn't want anyone else to die. She wants to stop the fighting - and what better way than to face 'her' people? Alto's response shows that he hasn't reached that point yet. The Vajra had just killed Michel and were turning his sky into a battlefield, so he has a ways to go and some leaps to make to keep up with Ranka. She's already seen that fighting is not the way. It never has been in Macross.

I also think that her leaving could be a catalyst for their relationship. She's suddenly gone, and that as they say, 'absence makes the heart grow fonder...' I can't picture Alto just sitting around and waiting for her to come back. He has a habit of jumping into situations, especially when people he cares about are in danger.

And poor Klan. I really feel sad for her. She held this silent torch for Michel, waited so long for some sign, letting her own insecurities stop her, letting Michel remain blind to what was right before him, and now its too late. Strapping on the Fast Pack and pasting some Vajra would never be enough for that wound. Her sitting in his cockpit, looking at that picture of them as kids was incredibly touching.

I don't read any fan speculation or spoilers, so his death was a surprise. And painful. Klan finally admits her feeling, and so does Michel, with literally his last breath. Just goes to show that in life as well as anime, you shouldn't wait for the important things. I wonder now if next time she goes into battle it won't be in her Zentraedi armor, but Michel's Valkyrie...

Although, how did he get sucked out into space? They were in the SMS building, almost exact center of the city, far away from the dome and the hull and they still managed to breach a hole into space. Leaving no body behind... It makes me wonder, is he really dead?

Just fanciful thinking here, but what if Grace and Co. got their hands on him and turned him into a cyborg like Brera...?

Back to Ranka , I did read where some others mentioned her coming back as more 'mature' physically. I wonder why that would be? If you don't like her that's fine, but if all she has to do is grow into a psudo-Nanase figure to make you like her, then there is something really wrong with you! this is a joke. it is only a joke. had this been a true criticism there would be no smiley face!

As for Leon, I think he should have died the moment he stuck his down down Catherine's throat!! Disgusting. How could she take that slimy thing and his moe-hair and wee-beady eyes. And that smug look on his face, 'oh your gonna buy my chicken, ho.' Ozma should ram his hand down Leon's throat, grab his balls and then haul them back up until their hanging out of his mouth! I might like him better that way!

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Yeah but I kinda like the idea of a human vs human battle in macross. This is something I've wanted to see in the series so that we could have rivalry between human factions again. (like anti un vs UN)

Otherwise there would be no story. heh now there is an excuse for valk vs valk fights.

The bugs are probably undergoing a war on their own home planet to fight mad-cow-diesease-infected zombie bugs who were genetically modified to spread diseases by the crazy cyborgs. The uninfected bugs want to resist contamination so they developed a strong immune system which has gotten out of control and made their species adapt to hostile aliens messing with them which explains the quick evolution. PC made them too strong. Cyborgs must hate the bugs so they are using us to find their weaknesses and enslave them, so they can use them as bioweapons against all organic life. Poor little buggers.

Edited September 3, 2008 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[RF-26AAC]

Yeah but I kinda like the idea of a human vs human battle in macross. This is something I've wanted to see in the series so that we could have rivalry between human factions again. (like anti un vs UN)

Otherwise there would be no story. heh now there is an excuse for valk vs valk fights.

The bugs are probably undergoing a war on their own home planet to fight mad-cow-diesease-infected zombie bugs who were genetically modified to spread diseases by the crazy cyborgs. The uninfected bugs want to resist contamination so they developed a strong immune system which has gotten out of control and made their species adapt to hostile aliens messing with them which explains the quick evolution. PC made them too strong. Cyborgs must hate the bugs so they are using us to find their weaknesses and enslave them, so they can use them as bioweapons against all organic life. Poor little buggers.

Does this crazy shet just come out of your head, or are you just trying to be funny?

Seriously, I can't tell.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Space monsters I think are contaminated with something which is why all the checking for blood to see that people don't get sick by the space monster virus and possibly give it to others. Remember when cyborg lady swtiched blood samples on sheryl so that the doctors wouldn't be able to analyse her?

Sheryle must be a host to the virus which is going to kill her. Remember that monster that appeared in one episode which tried to attack ranka but brera beat the crap out of? I bet it was carrying a disease of some sort that made it go angry. (watch the movie "28 days later")

I speculate there is a zombie virus (resident evil T virus or a "mad cow" 28 days later-type virus) which has something to do with making the bugs act agressive. Cyborg lady/AI ghost isn't affected since she is a robot with a fake body. Cyborg and moe haircut guy, want to use the bugs as bioweapons. But perhaps there are non-agressive normal bugs kind of like there are male and female zentradi warring against each other? The zombie ones are mind controlled and have been supplied with human technology and trained to kill. In the episode when we first see brera, Luca scans the ship and sees something strange.

How do you test these weapons if there isn't anything to test them on? How do they know if the counter weapon works if they can't have a singer to cause them to stop attacking and witness the effect the music has on the bugs?

Well that's why all this weapons testing on frontier. The next generation of soldier are the zombie bugs. Ranka and sheryl may be their insurance that if the bugs turn against the humans doing testing, that they can use them to turn off the agression like a switch. Now that they've seen ranka they can get rid of sheryl so that why they are keeping ranka alive and sending brera to watch over her.

I think the mind control idea is carried over from the hypnotising that was seen in macross plus. All those people with cyborg implants possibly hacked into by the rogue AI? Mind control was also used by the PD in macross 7.

And people have speculated that if the vajra can't think, who is guiding them to attack and how come these monsters have all kinds of intelligent war tactics? It couldn't have been ranka since in the first episode she isn't aware of them and they are about to attack her before alto intervenes.

Zombie type vajras infected with T Virus like the disease from resident evil. Singing breaks the mind control.

Edited September 4, 2008 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Windrider]

You are right, I have forgot that. But children shouldn't take the surname of the father?

FV

Ranshe Mei might be a single mother or like all wives took their spouse's surname. When I think about it Ranshe might be the last name instead of Mei since her name was written in kanji which gives her a Japanese/Chinese heritage.

[Gubaba]

Space monsters I think are contaminated with something which is why all the checking for blood to see that people don't get sick by the space monster virus and possibly give it to others. Remember when cyborg lady swtiched blood samples on sheryl so that the doctors wouldn't be able to analyse her?

Sheryle must be a host to the virus which is going to kill her. Remember that monster that appeared in one episode which tried to attack ranka but brera beat the crap out of? I bet it was carrying a disease of some sort that made it go angry. (watch the movie "28 days later")

I speculate there is a zombie virus (resident evil T virus or a "mad cow" 28 days later-type virus) which has something to do with making the bugs act agressive. Cyborg lady/AI ghost isn't affected since she is a robot with a fake body. Cyborg and moe haircut guy, want to use the bugs as bioweapons. But perhaps there are non-agressive normal bugs kind of like there are male and female zentradi warring against each other? The zombie ones are mind controlled and have been supplied with human technology and trained to kill. In the episode when we first see brera, Luca scans the ship and sees something strange.

Have you been watching the show with subtitles...? The V-Virus has been well-known for quite a while now...

Edited September 4, 2008 by Gubaba

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Yeah but I started late and watched all these in a marathon. So details might have passed me by.

The reason for that is I wanted the slower subbers to get a head start so I could watch all this in one big session instead of tiny amounts at once.

I've just looked at each of the episode discussions and how many pages long they all are. Wow. Lots of acitivty in the movie/tv series forums. I can't catch up to it all. I have been hanging on the toy forums mainly.

But I have read all of the tech discussion threads. I wonder if Brera's skills are better than a ghost x9 or whatever. Would be interesting if SMS had a highly intellgent ghost to counter brera with. (or a team of them which acted like bit attacks from multiple angles)

If future macross shows become about whose virtual pet is tougher, then fights would end up being pretty pointless since he doesn't even have to be in the damn cockpit and can't die. That means all fights with valkyries are going to lack any kind of tension like in previous shows where people would die fighting. So I think they need to come up with an excuse for not upgrading to cyborgs or unmanned valks all over again to keep the show interesting. Otherwise it will fall under the problem that gundam had of going into super robot territory where killing someone is just killing the robot and there is no reason to care if they fail at the mission because it's not risky to them.

I wonder if sheryl becomes the macross equivalent of a newtype or something and is able to tap into a thoughtwave projected out of the minds of the pilots who were PC descendants. Kinda like Sara predicting her island was going to get attacked before the actual attack came? I know she has barely any skills but let's say if they had the series go on longer, and developed her into a tougher person and actually used her piloting skill? Then she could be closer to alto and all the sheryl fans would have an excuse for why sheryl is a better match for alto because they both decide to fly planes.

Another thing is if ranka can read the energy coming from the dying aliens, then maybe she can also sense their thoughts? Perhaps the experiments involved trying to translate the bug language and they were using ranka and sheryl to reverse engineer their tech to create cyber-newtype, and that's what brera is.

He could be the bug king himself but tortured into following orders. It certainly show him reluctant to follow in the show. If brera is the brother and can communicate with these insects he can also possibly read their moves and avoid their attacks better? The only thing is, I think he is a manchurian candidate (does not have any personality, or remember who he is, yet just programmed to assassinate or protect targets they order him to kill) and he isn't able to turn the aliens against the cyborg lady so he must play along because of either torture or he was promised to be given his memories back if he does their bidding. But I think he'll end up doing a char, and turn against them at some point when they don't expect it. NUN is like Zeon when the Zabi family took control. Brera is char without the mask.

Edited September 4, 2008 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[SkullLeaderVF-X]

It kind of startles me, too. I'm used to Minmay hate and Basara hate...but no one hates Basara primarily because he's keeping Mylene and Gamlin apart. No one shouted "DIE MAO DIE!" because she had a crush on Shin...but it seems to me that the root cause of Ranka hate is that there are people who REALLY want to see Alto and Sheryl get together, and Ranka's in the way.

I'm sure that if Alto HAD shot at Ai-kun, and the bullet bounced on him and hit Ranka in the side of the head, there's a number of people who would've loudly proclaimed it the best episode ever...

I agree. You know I went into MF liking Ranka and hating Sherly.But I'm comming out loving Sherly, and...Well I wouldn't say, but Ranka has been pissing me off latly.

[JB0]

I agree. You know I went into MF liking Ranka and hating Sherly.But I'm comming out loving Sherly, and...Well I wouldn't say, but Ranka has been pissing me off latly.

Ditto.

Sheryl's had a lot of development to move her away from the stuck-up pop princess that she was at first.

I don't HATE Ranka, but... she's deus ex out the machina right now.

"hai guyz the bugz r raepin us IN TEH BUTT!111"

"lol i hax them n steal their megahurtz wif mai songz"

"ZOMG WE HAS BOTHACK!1111"

[SkullLeaderVF-X]

Ditto.

Sheryl's had a lot of development to move her away from the stuck-up pop princess that she was at first.

I don't HATE Ranka, but... she's deus ex out the machina right now.

"hai guyz the bugz r raepin us IN TEH BUTT!111"

"lol i hax them n steal their megahurtz wif mai songz"

"ZOMG WE HAS BOTHACK!1111"

Yeah. I mean she pissed me off that she left MF with Brera, whom Alto hates, and she asks him to come with her while Brera has a knife on him. Ranka to me is a mixed bag. Theres times where she seems mature, then she does something to flub it up.

[yaiba]

Yeah. I mean she pissed me off that she left MF with Brera, whom Alto hates, and she asks him to come with her while Brera has a knife on him. Ranka to me is a mixed bag. Theres times where she seems mature, then she does something to flub it up.

The world does not revolve around Alto for her anymore. She is moving on to more important things. By the time Brera kicked Alto to the curb, she already realized there was no point in asking Alto to go with her. She merely said she *had wanted* to ask him to go with her. Her attitude seemed totally fatalistic, suggesting that she believes this will be a one way trip. "I wanted to be with you forever" seemed like shinju-speak to me. If you want to criticize her for that, I'd buy it, but my take is that she wasn't really expecting him to go anyway since she thinks he is in love with Sheryl.