Macross Believer!

[eugimon]

Yeah, don't feel bad man. You did an awesome job and your translation was first one I could show Macross virgins without feeling embarrassed.

[VFTF1]

The format I found it in was the kind of format one would usually find anime in in a country where the anime is unlicensed, unheard of, unavailable, and underground

In any event - I think it's important that everybody distinguish between two things here:

1. The fascinating general topic of the philosophy of translation (which was a thread I started in the Anime Topic board and lots of different opinions/debates happened there and it was cool)

2. The unquestionable thanks that all of us owe to those few people who have in any way either translated or worked on bettering existing translations that help make Macross more enjoyable.

I highly doubt Gubaba meant you any disrespect, and I am convinced that hundreds - thousands - of people have benefited from your work on DYRL and you really deserve credit for it. I am saddened when situations arise that annoy, irritate or make people like you feel bad.

As for MW having changed - I'm relatively new here, so I guess it's hard for me to understand what you're talking about; but even when the old good things go away, new good things do tend to appear along with the bad so...

Don't go away too long or too far I really would be sad to think that someone who contributed the DYRL sub didn't want to hang out with us.

Pete

[miles316]

This much I'll agree with you on. I think in general that the concept behind Macross 7 was great. The execution had lots of problems - the bad animation you mentioned, and the Valk design (it's not so much the bright colors that bother me as their unimaginative use. Just "you're red and you're pink and you're green"... custom Valks used by rock musicians would be a bit more inspired in their deco)... Also - the pacing is bad - things drag out too much...the opening episodes are monotonous etc etce etc.

I think I would not be so radical in my defense of M7 if people just mainly complained about how badly executed it was - but I can't agree that the concept is stupid, or that Bassara is a bad character because you - or everybody else - doesn't like him.

Not all main characters are meant to be likable - sometimes it's worthwhile to have a main character who nobody likes.

Yeah - Starship troopers was cool. But notice that they NEVER tried singing in Starship troopers.

Why?

Because Human society in Starship troopers is totally fascist and - really - there's no reason to prefer the humans (as they are) to the goopy alien bug creatures. Both species are regimented, unthinkingly dedicated to violence, and war-like. On Earth, culture - if it's not tabloid/trash culture - is no where to be seen in Starship troopers. As for the bugs - we don't know if they produce any either.

Macross does not deny that human nature is violent and prone to warfare. It does however deny that human beings are meant for this kind of life - and it does everything possible to culture humans just as much as it cultures Zendradi or other aliens.

Finally - leaving the singing to the singers and the fighting to the pilots sets up a paradigm that someone like Bassara is out to smash: He wants to radicalize what Minmey did. Not just a psychological attack that stalls people so you can blow them up - but - as he says -"a sound that is more powerful than missiles" - something that will literally just make everyone throw down their weapons and love eachother.

Again - I don't see this plot as unrealistic. Badly executed with poor animation and often poor directing - yes. Bad plot? No.

Pete

After watching Macross 7 it appears that what Bassara does is no different than what the Sea Shepard's do with their butter acid and goo bombs. A less than lethal tactic designed to stop the cycle of violence by annoying the party's or aggressor with his singing until they leave or stop. Helping an entire species to develop the ability to create Anima Spirita was gust a side effect.